Chapter 1

Sera

“Don’t scream.”

The words are a whisper against my ear, but my heartbeat hammers in my chest. Kellan’s hand covers my mouth as he pulls me into the storage room behind the Founder’s Hall. My heart continues to race not from fear, but from anticipation. In less than an hour, he’ll claim me in front of everyone.

“Kellan, what—”

“Listen to me carefully.” His deep velvety voice sounds strange. It doesn’t have the richness that sends shivers to my spine. “I need you to understand something before we go in there.”

I smile, reaching for his hand. “I know. You’re nervous. But it’s going to be fine. Once you claim me, we can finally—”

“I’m not claiming you, Sera.”

The words don’t make sense at first. They hang in the air between us like a stormy cloud.

“What?”

“I can’t do this.” He says as he steps back, looking at me squarely. “I thought I could, but I can’t. You have to understand, the pack would never accept it. My family would disown me. Your scent alone—”

“You promised,” My voice breaks as I try to wrap my head around his sudden change of heart. “Last night, you…”

“I know what I said.” Kellan says as he breaks eye contact with me. His fingers run through his brown hair in frustration. “But that was before I really thought about what it would mean. What it would cost me.”

“Cost you?” Tears blur my vision. “Kellan, I showed you the bruises. I told you what they do to me in that house. You said you’d take me away from all of it. You said—”

“I’m sorry, Sera. I really am. But I can’t throw my life away for you.”

He turns toward the door.

“Wait!” I grab his arm, desperate. “Please, just—just give me a chance to fix this. I’ll find a way to mask my scent and stay quiet at pack gatherings. I’ll do whatever you need me to—”

“There’s nothing to fix.” He says with finality as pulls his arm away from me. The movement is so casual it breaks something inside me. “This was a mistake from the beginning. I never should have let it go this far.”

“A mistake?” I ask, confused, thinking what would have happened for everything to go south. “A year. Kellan. We’ve been together for a year. You said you loved me.”

“I thought I did.” He looks at me, and what I see in his eyes is worse than hatred. It’s pity. “But love isn’t enough, is it? Not when reality gets in the way.”

I watch as he exits the storage room. I stand there in the dark, unable to move. I can’t believe what just happened.

The bond between us feels different now. Strained. Wrong.

I wipe my tears and straighten my dress, the threadbare one my aunt deemed acceptable for me to wear. Then I walk into the Founder’s Hall with my head high, even as wolves immediately shift away from me and wrinkle their noses.

Because of my scent. It's been that way since I was a child, and no, it's not the type of smell you may think it is. It's my peculiar scent, the one all werewolves have.

But mine’s…repugnant.

Today is the Founder’s Mate Night and the hall is decorated to suit the agenda. Candlelight glints off polished wood and silk banners. The air is thick with competing perfumes and scents. Wolves in their finest clothes laugh and flirt, moving through courtship rituals as old as the pack itself. I’m like a smudge on a perfect painting.

“Sera?”

I turn to find Luke, one of Kellan’s friends, staring at me with obvious confusion.

“What are you doing here?” he asks, surprised.

“I’m—” I hesitate before I respond. “I’m here for the ceremony.”

“Right, but…” He lowers his voice, glancing around nervously. “You know Kellan withdrew his name from the declaration list this morning, right?”

“What?” The floor tilts beneath me. “What are you talking about?”

Luke’s eyes widen. “Oh shit. You didn’t know.” He runs a hand through his hair. “Kellan pulled his declaration. He’s not claiming anyone tonight.”

“He pulled me into the storage room earlier but He and I—we’re—”

“Sera.” Luke shifts uncomfortably. “Kellan made it clear to everyone that he’s remaining mateless. Said he’s not ready for that kind of commitment.”

“Not ready?” My voice cracks. “But we’ve been together for a year. He promised me last night—”

“Last night?” Luke frowns. “That’s weird. Kellan was with a group of us at the overlook until past midnight. Our training session ran late.”

My blood runs cold. “No. No, he was with me. He came to my aunt’s house.”

“Sera…” Luke looks at me pitifully. “I was there. Kellan never left. Are you sure you’re—”

“Hey, Luke!” Kellan’s voice cuts through the conversation. He appears through the crowd, his expression carefully blank when he sees me. “There you are.”

“Kellan.” I can barely form his name. My mind is spinning. “Tell him. Tell Luke about last night.”

For a long moment, he just looks at me. Then something shifts in his expression—something cold and distant.

“Last night?” Kellan shakes his head. “I was at the overlook with the pack warriors. Luke was there. You must be confused.”

“Confused?” My voice rises. “You came to my window and promised you’d claim me today—”

“Sera.” His voice is gentle, but his eyes are hard. “I think you need to see a healer. Sometimes wolves who can’t find their own mates… they create fantasies. It’s sad, really but it’s not uncommon.”

The watching wolves begin to murmur. I can feel their eyes on me.

“I’m not making this up!” Desperation claws at my throat. “We’ve been together for a year! You said you loved me!”

“A year?” Kellan’s eyebrows rise. “Sera, I’ve been polite to you. We’ve had a few conversations. But that’s all it’s ever been. I’m sorry if you misunderstood—”

“Misunderstood?” Tears stream down my face. “You kissed me. You held my hand. You told me I was your fated mate!”

“I’ve never touched you.” His voice is loud enough that nearby wolves turn to stare. “I wouldn’t. Not with that scent you carry.”

Someone in the crowd snickers.

“You’re lying,” I whisper, but my words have no strength against his.

“Am I?” Kellan spreads his hands. “Prove it then. Show everyone some evidence that we’ve been together. A gift I gave you. A photo. A message. Anything.”

I open my mouth. Close it. We kept everything secret. He said it was romantic. He said it was special, just between us. He said he didn’t want anyone ruining what we had before it was official.

He planned this. All of it.

“That’s what I thought.” Kellan’s voice is almost kind now, which makes it worse. “I think you should go home.” Then he turns and walks away with Luke. Luke was the only one that knew about us…yet I realise, he also kept quiet.

“Sera?” My aunt’s voice makes me flinch. She appears with Leah and Aliya, her twin daughters flanking her. Their expressions range from disgust to barely concealed glee. “What’s all this commotion? You’re making a scene.”

“Not now.” I push past them, making for the exit, but Alpha Eldric’s voice booms through the hall.

“Take your seats. The ceremony begins.”

I’m trapped. Wolves fill in around me, and my path to the exit is blocked. I have no choice but to find a seat in the back corner, where at least I won’t be noticed.

Alpha Eldric rises. “Tonight, we honor the Founder’s tradition. Those who have found their mates…step forward.”

My hands shake in my lap as I watch other wolves step forward to present their mates. Each declaration is like a knife twisting in my chest.

Then it gets to his turn.

“Kellan Roe was listed on the declaration registry, but has formally withdrawn his intention to claim a mate tonight.”

A murmur ripples through the crowd. It’s unusual for someone to withdraw after submitting their declaration. The other werewolves turn to look at Kellan, who stands with his head high, seemingly unbothered.

“A wise choice,” someone near me whispers. “Better to wait than to rush into something you’ll regret.”

The bond between us—the one I’ve felt humming beneath my skin for a year—suddenly pulls taut. Then it snaps.

I gasp, doubling over as pain rips through my chest. It’s like something vital has been torn out of me, leaving a wound that won’t stop bleeding.

“Sera?” someone nearby asks. “Are you—”

“I’m fine,” I lie, forcing myself upright as I try not to cry.

More names are called. More mates claimed. Each one is a reminder of what I’ve lost, what I apparently never really had.

“Aeron Nightborne.”

The hall goes silent. Aeron never participates in these kinds of ceremonies. Everyone knows that.

I look up watching as the illegitimate son of the Alpha rises from his seat near the platform. He’s the only offspring strong enough to ever bear the mantle of Alpha should his father pass away. He’s all dark elegance and controlled power, moving with the kind of confidence that makes other wolves instinctively bow their heads.

“I wish to claim a mate,” he says, his voice carrying easily through the shocked silence.

Alpha Eldric leans forward, clearly caught off guard. “And who—”

“Sera Ashcroft.”

Every eye in the hall turns to me.

“What?” I breathe.

Aeron’s gaze finds mine across the crowded room.

“I claim Sera Ashcroft as my mate,” he repeats, louder this time. “If she’ll have me.”

“Have you lost your MIND?!” Alpha Eldric explodes, abandoning all pretense of ceremony. “Aeron, she’s—you can’t possibly—”

“I can. And I am.” Aeron’s voice is cold. “Unless you plan to deny me the same rights given to every other wolf in this pack?”

The Alpha’s face turns purple. “This is—her scent alone—”

“Is irrelevant to me.” Aeron extends his hand in my direction. “Sera?”

This has to be another cruel joke. Another humiliation waiting to unfold.

But then I see Kellan’s face—white with shock and something that might be rage. I see my aunt and cousins frozen in disbelief. I see the entire pack staring at me like I’ve suddenly become someone worth noticing.

And I think, maybe I don’t care if it’s a joke.

Maybe I just want to watch them all lose their minds for once.

I stand on shaking legs and walk toward Aeron Nightborne, every eye following my movement.

When I reach him, he takes my hand, and his hand is surprisingly warm despite his cold exterior.

“Do you accept?” he asks quietly, for my ears only.

I should ask why. I should demand answers. I should run.

Instead, I hear myself whisper, “Yes.”