3

The next morning, I was packing a bag.

If Ethan had chosen Tessa, there was no reason for me to stay in this suffocating house.

The door was thrown open.

Tessa stormed in, flanked by three pack warriors.

She was wearing a tight black dress, the mating mark on her neck on full display.

"Sophia, I heard you were leaving?" she asked with false concern. "As the future Luna, I feel it's my duty to inspect what you're taking with you."

"Future Luna?" I stopped folding my clothes. "Are you sure Ethan agreed to that?"

"Of course," she said, walking to my closet and rifling through my things. "He officially marked me last night."

She turned deliberately, making sure the warriors got a good look at her neck.

They exchanged knowing glances.

"Aren't these designer clothes pack property?" Tessa said, holding up my favorite evening gown. "They were bought with pack funds, after all."

"That was my Luna gown."

"Luna?" She let out a sharp laugh. "What kind of Luna are you? You're just a rejected stray."

She walked toward me, her eyes glinting with malice. "Besides, look at the state of you."

Her hand shot out and she ripped my robe open.

Before I could react, the fabric tore.

"Look at those stretch marks," she sneered, her eyes raking over my swollen belly with disgust. "So hideous."

The warriors stared. I tried to cover myself.

"No wonder Ethan's wolf never accepted your Silver bloodline," Tessa continued her humiliation. "You were never worthy of being the Blackwood Pack's Luna."

"Enough!" A feral snarl ripped from my throat, my own wolf roaring with fury. "Get out of my room. Now."

In that instant, Tessa let out a theatrical gasp and threw herself backward, landing hard on the floor with a painful-sounding thud.

"Ah!" she shrieked, her voice laced with fake terror. "She's using her Silver Wolf power on me!"

"What?" I stared at her, stunned. "I didn't do anything!"

"She's trying to kill me!" Tessa pointed at me, tears welling in her eyes. "She's jealous of me and Ethan!"

Heavy footsteps thundered down the hall.

The door was kicked open and Ethan rushed in.

His eyes took in the scene: me, half-dressed and exposed; Tessa, cowering on the floor. Fury ignited in his gaze.

"What did you do to her?" he snarled, his Alpha's dominance crashing down on me like a tidal wave.

"I didn't—"

"Silence!" His roar vibrated through the room. "You dare use your Silver Wolf power against a pack member!"

His dominance was absolute, pressing down on me until I could barely breathe.

"Ethan, please, let me explain—"

"Explain?" He strode to the nightstand and grabbed a black leather collar. "Since you've forgotten your place, I'll remind you."

It was an omega's submission collar.

"No…" I backed away, but the pack warriors blocked my path.

He roughly clasped the collar around my neck, the silver buckle digging into my skin.

"From this moment on, you are an omega," he declared, his voice colder than ice. "The lowest-ranking wolf in this pack. Now," he bit out, his voice laced with ice, "you will apologize to your future Luna."

The full weight of his Alpha command crashed down on me, stealing the air from my lungs and buckling my knees.

I fought it, my bones screaming in protest, but the force was absolute.

"Kneel," he commanded.

My knees hit the cold floor with a sickening thud.

Tessa got to her feet and stood over me, looking down with a triumphant smirk. "This is where you belong," she purred, running her fingers through my hair as if I were nothing more than a stray dog she'd deigned to notice. "Now, prove your submission."

I looked up at Ethan, hoping to see a flicker of regret, something to show he would stop this.

He just stared back coldly, as if I were a stranger.

"Can't do it?" Tessa's voice was smug. "Then I'll just have to tell Ethan you're still not being obedient enough."

Just then, a sharp, tearing pain shot through my abdomen.

It felt like my insides were being ripped apart.

"Ah…" I doubled over, clutching my stomach.

A warm liquid trickled down my thigh.

Blood.