Chapter 1

THE OUTCAST

AMY

I am the single most hated person in the pack. 

They said I was a murderer.

But I only defended myself.

It happened during my first shift. Colt cornered me inside the woods, thinking I was too weak to fight back. He had done it before—brushed against me when no one was looking and whispered filthy things when others were too far to hear. That night, he tried to force himself on me. He laughed when I begged him to stop.

I shifted for the first time and tore out his throat. Since then, the pack treated me like a curse. They beat me, starved me, and made me clean every inch of the packhouse every single day. No one cared that I acted in self-defense. Colt was the Alpha’s younger brother. He was supposed to be untouchable.

Tia, his widow, cried in front of everyone, called me a liar, and claimed Colt had been the perfect man. But her eyes told a different story. She knew. She just didn’t care.

Even my parents turned their backs on me. They lost their Gamma titles and were shoved down to Omega status. From then on, they looked at me like I was dirt under their feet.

I stayed in a cramped space on the second floor, tucked between the storage room and the laundry. It used to be a closet. Now, it was my prison. I had a thin mattress, a broken mirror, a few clothes, and some books. Nothing more. A loud voice snapped through the silence.

"Where is that bitch?!" Tia. Again.

I stepped out of my room, bracing myself.

She waited at the center of the main hall, dressed like a queen. Her long dress shimmered under the chandelier, her heels clicking against the floor. She didn’t even look at me—just flung a wrinkled yellow dress into my face. It dropped at my feet. I didn’t pick it up.

Tia’s eyes narrowed. I didn’t flinch.

The slap came fast. I hit the floor hard. Blood dripped from my nose, and before I could move, she drove her heel into my ribs.

"You stupid girl! I told you to hand wash it!" she screamed.

I curled into myself, shielding my face. She kept hitting me until her arms got tired. Once she left, I dragged myself to the Omega bathroom and scrubbed off the blood. The cold water stung my skin, but I forced myself to clean up, dressed in the same worn clothes and went to the kitchen.

Breakfast had to be ready by seven. We cooked for more than a hundred wolves every day. The higher ranks lived in luxury upstairs. The rest of us slept wherever we could. I helped prepare sausages, bacon, toast, beans, and eggs with the other Omegas.

While serving, I caught sight of him—Flint. He was the future Alpha. Tall, built, handsome, and cruel. He bullied me like the rest of them, but I still had a tiny crush on him. Stupid, I know.

His eyes locked with mine. He stiffened, confused. I looked away and focused on pouring juice.

The last time I messed around with him, I spilled coffee on his girlfriend. He slapped me in front of everyone. My wolf had wanted to tear him apart, but I held her back. He was too strong. He could kill us without lifting a finger.

I glanced at my parents. They didn’t even look at me. I swallowed the lump in my throat and kept walking.

Tears burned my eyes, but I didn’t let them fall. I couldn’t be weak. I promised myself I’d hold on until my eighteenth birthday. Then I’d run. Far from here. I’d start over. Don’t worry, my wolf Flavor whispered inside my mind. Our mate will love us. He’ll come for us. He’ll take us away.

A mate. A wolf’s true other half. Someone who could feel your pain and carry your joy. Flavor believed he’d come one day, and when he did, everything would change.

I stepped outside for a while. The sun warmed my skin, and my wolf purred.

I hid behind the bleachers and watched the warriors train. I always did that. I studied how they moved and how they blocked and attacked. I wanted to learn. If I ever needed to fight again, I didn’t want to lose.

The Darksun Pack wasn’t the strongest, but we survived by keeping close ties with the royal Lycans. Every year, we hosted a treaty renewal ceremony—a huge feast to remind everyone we still mattered.

I was lost in thought when a sharp tug on my hair yanked me back. I fell hard on my back, gasping.

Kiara stood over me, smirking. Two of her friends flanked her.

"Look at her," she said. "Lying on the ground like a mutt." I glared up at her, trying to sit up.

A sharp kick to my stomach stopped me.

"You think I didn’t see you staring at Flint again?" They kicked me, slapped me, and laughed while doing it.

I didn’t fight back. I just closed my eyes and waited for it to be over.

I coughed hard, feeling a sharp sting in my ribs. Flavor tried to heal me from the inside, but she wasn’t strong enough. Not like the others who shifted all the time. Our healing stayed slow, painful, and incomplete.

I tried to stand. My legs wobbled. Kiara stepped forward and kicked them out from under me. I hit the ground again. Dirt filled my mouth. Before I could move, her heel pressed into the side of my neck. I froze, closing my eyes.

"One push," she said, her voice sweet and cruel. "That’s all it takes to end your misery."

My heart pounded. Flavor growled low, deep in my chest. She didn’t care that we were weak. She wanted to fight. She always did. But I didn’t want to die here, not like this.

Then something inside snapped. I didn’t shift, but Flavor’s strength flowed through me. I twisted my body, grabbed Kiara’s ankle, and yanked hard. She lost balance and hit the ground with a surprised shriek.

Her little minions squealed but stood frozen. No one helped her. They never did when things got real. I didn’t think. I climbed on top of her and threw punch after punch. My fists slammed into her face. I didn’t stop until blood mixed with the dirt. A circle of warriors formed around us. Some cheered. Some just watched. No one pulled me off.

Kiara flailed beneath me, screaming empty threats like always. She had never been tough—just loud. Strong arms grabbed me from behind and lifted me off her. I struggled hard, kicking and yelling, trying to break free.

"Let me go!" I screamed, rage choking my voice. I twisted around, ready to throw another punch—then froze.

It was Flint. His chest rose with every breath. Sweat glistened on his skin. His basketball shorts hung low on his hips, and his bare torso looked sculpted from stone. I hated that I noticed. My face flushed, and I quickly looked away.

"Always causing trouble, Omega?" he snapped.

"She attacked me first!" I fired back. He didn’t care. His jaw clenched. He grabbed me by the collar and shoved me against a tree. I gasped as bark scraped my back.

"You really don’t get it, do you?" he said, voice low and angry.

I glared up at him, panting.

"She’s your Luna."