Chapter One

Mira's POV

My name is Mira Stone, and I'm the most hated wolf in the Crescent Moon Pack. Three months ago, everything changed when I defended myself against Kyle Thompson, the Alpha's nephew, who tried to force himself on me in the storage room.

Kyle was always inappropriate, touching me when others weren't looking. That night, when I pushed him away, he fell and hit his head on a shelf. I didn't mean to hurt him badly, but now he walks with a limp.

Nobody believed my story. Kyle's mate, Sarah, convinced everyone that I attacked him without reason. She claimed I was jealous because Kyle rejected my advances. It wasn't true, but the pack believed her over me.

Since that terrible night, the pack has made my life miserable. They push me, call me names, and make me do the hardest chores. I scrub floors until my hands bleed. I wash everyone's clothes. I cook meals but barely get enough food for myself.

My parents didn't stand up for me either. After the incident, they lost their positions as pack warriors and became omegas like me. They blame me for ruining our family's reputation. Mom won't look at me anymore, and Dad acts like I don't exist.

"Where's that useless girl?" Sarah's voice echoes through the pack house. My stomach drops because I know she's looking for me.

I'm currently in my small room on the ground floor, right next to the storage area. It used to be a closet, but it's all I have now. Inside, there's only a thin mattress on the floor and a cracked mirror. I own three outfits, two pairs of shoes, and a box of books I saved from my old room.

I quickly prepare myself for whatever insults Sarah has planned. Looking in the broken mirror, I see a girl I barely recognize. My long brown hair is messy and unwashed. My green eyes look tired and sad. I'm too thin because I don't get enough food.

Walking into the main room, Sarah stands there in an expensive dress with one hand on her hip. She's beautiful with perfect blonde hair and blue eyes. Everyone loves her because she's the Beta's daughter and Kyle's mate.

"There you are," she sneers. "I need you to prepare breakfast for everyone. We have guests coming this morning for the Alpha ceremony. Make sure everything is perfect, or you'll regret it."

"Yes, Sarah," I reply quietly, keeping my eyes down.

She steps closer until I can smell her flowery perfume. "Look at me when I'm talking to you!" 

I raise my eyes to meet hers. She slaps me hard across the face, and I taste blood in my mouth.

"That's for taking so long to respond," she hisses. "My mate suffered because of you. You deserve everything you get."

I want to defend myself and tell her the truth, but I've learned that fighting back only makes things worse. She kicks me once in the stomach, and I fall to my knees, trying not to cry.

"I told you to prepare breakfast!" she yells before storming away.

I drag myself up and go to the pack bathroom to clean my face. The cold water stings my cut lip, and I watch pink water swirl down the drain.

After changing clothes, I head to the kitchen to start cooking. The pack house is huge, with over one hundred wolves living here in comfortable rooms with their families. The unmated wolves and omegas like me live in the worst areas without proper heating or furniture.

I start preparing a big English breakfast with eggs, bacon, sausages, toast, and fresh fruit. My hands move automatically while my mind wanders.

Today is special because Amos Thompson will officially become our new Alpha. He's twenty-six years old and Kyle's older brother. Amos has been training to be Alpha since birth, and everyone respects him as one of the strongest wolves in our territory.

I haven't seen Amos much over the past three months because he's been away on Alpha training. Part of me hopes he might be different from the others, that he might listen to my side of the story.

As I'm serving breakfast, I catch sight of Amos for the first time in weeks. He walks into the dining hall looking powerful and confident. He's tall with dark hair, strong features, and intense gray eyes that seem to see everything. He wears simple training clothes, but somehow he looks more impressive than anyone in formal wear.

My wolf, Luna, stirs inside me for the first time in months. She's been quiet and sad, barely speaking to me since the pack turned against us.

"Mate," Luna whispers suddenly in my mind.

My heart stops. I almost drop the plate I'm holding. No, it can't be true. Amos Thompson cannot be my mate.

But then his eyes find mine across the room, and I see recognition flash in them. His body tenses, and his nostrils flare as he catches my scent.

"Mate," his wolf must be telling him too.

For one brief moment, I let myself hope. Maybe having the Alpha as my mate will change everything. Maybe he'll believe me about what really happened with Kyle. Maybe I'll finally have someone on my side.

Amos walks toward me with determined steps. Everyone in the dining hall watches us curiously. My heart pounds so hard I think it might burst.

He stops right in front of me, close enough that I can smell his scent of pine and rain. His eyes look into mine, and I see something flash across his face—conflict, maybe even regret.

Then his expression hardens into cold stone.

"I, Amos Thompson, future Alpha of the Crescent Moon Pack," he says in a voice loud enough for everyone to hear, "reject you, Mira Stone, as my mate and future Luna."

The words hit me like physical blows. Around us, pack members gasp and start whispering. Some laugh. I hear Sarah's delighted giggle from somewhere nearby.

The mate bond breaks, and pain like I've never felt before tears through my chest. It feels like my heart is being ripped apart. Luna howls in agony inside my mind, and I fall to my knees, unable to stand.

"I can't have a mate who attacks pack members without cause," Amos continues, his voice emotionless. "You're not fit to be Luna."

He didn't even ask for my side. He just believed everyone else.

Through my tears and pain, I manage to whisper, "I accept your rejection."

The formal words seal our broken bond completely. I feel Luna retreating to the darkest corner of my mind, wounded and barely there.

Amos turns and walks away without looking back. The crowd parts for him, and several people pat his shoulder, congratulating him for rejecting such an unworthy mate.

I stay on the floor, unable to move, feeling more alone than ever before.