Chapter 2

MIRA

I groaned, my hands going to my head as I opened my eyes and took in my surroundings.

It was already the dead of the night and I was stuck in the middle of the woods.

The memories came back and I realized I had fainted from the pain of Richard's rejection.

I shivered as cold ran through my veins. I was covered in dried mud and it looked like I had been here for a very long time.

I tried to stand and was knocked backwards like my breath was seized out of me. The shattered remnants of the mate bond throbbed inside my chest like a raw wound.

I forced my breathing to slow down, rubbing my palms against my soaked jeans to clear the numbness. Richard had rejected me. Luciana had stolen him. I had no wolf, no mate, and no future in the Silver Crest pack. I was entirely alone.

I dragged myself up from the forest floor and walked back to the omega quarters in total silence. My mind was completely clear now. I was going to leave this place forever.

Inside my tiny bedroom, I pulled a duffel bag from beneath my squeaking mattress. I packed all I had and even though it was barely anything, I did not take anything that belonged to the pack. I did not want their charity, and I certainly did not want their memories. My chest still burned from the rejection, but my sadness was slowly turning into a hard, cold knot of determination. I would leave at dawn before the rest of the pack woke up to start their daily chores. I lay down on top of the covers with my clothes on, waiting for the first morning light to hit the window pane.

When the pale grey light finally crept across the floorboards, I grabbed my bag and gripped the brass doorknob.

The door violently flew open before I could turn the handle.

Two large, burly pack warriors blocked the doorway. Their broad chests took up the entire frame, and the scent of dominant wolves instantly flooded my small room.

Behind them stood the Beta. He was part of the people that usually discarded me instead of making me miserable but right now, his face looked like it was carved out of stone. His cold grey eyes darted from my face down to the duffel bag gripped tightly in my right hand.

"What were you thinking about doing, Mira? Put that nag down" He commanded.

"I am leaving," I said, lifting my chin and staring straight into his eyes.

"I don't have a mate. I am an omega without a wolf. I have no business staying in the Silver Crest pack anymore. Let me pass."

He laughed, a low, mocking sound that evoked shivers down my spine. "You do not get to decide when you leave, girl. The pack has a purpose for you. Move away from the door and sit down."

The two warriors stepped into the room, their heavy boots thudding against the wood. They grabbed my arms, their thick fingers squeezing my skin until it bruised.

They ripped the duffel bag from my hand and tossed it into the corner. They forced me down onto the edge of the hard mattress. I thrashed against their grip, but my strength was absolutely nothing against two grown werewolves.

"What do you want from me?" I demanded, my breath coming in short, angry gasps.

"Richard has Luciana now. He told me I was completely worthless to the pack. Why are you keeping me here?"

The beta stepped closer, his shadow completely covering my lap. "Richard is the future Alpha, and he needs resources to protect our borders. Our pack needs weapons and political protection amongst pther things from our neighbors. Alpha King Asher has demanded a woman from our territory to serve as his new Luna Queen and Alpha Richard has graciously offered you."

The room seemed to spin on its axis. My throat went completely dry. "The Alpha King? Asher?"

Everyone knew the stories about the Alpha King. He was a monster. He was a brutal, merciless ruler who killed anyone who showed the slightest bit of weakness. He ruled the entire werewolf kingdom with an iron fist, and he loathed weak people like me.

"You are lying," I whispered, shaking my head violently.

"The Alpha King would never accept a wolfless omega as his mate. He would kill me the moment I stepped across his border."

"That is no longer our concern," he said coldly.

"The agreement is signed. The King’s carriage will arrive at the border by noon today and you will be groomed, dressed, and handed over to him."

"No!" I screamed, a sudden wave of panic crashing through my chest. I scrambled backward on the bed until my spine hit the wall.

"I will not go to him. I would rather die right here in this room than let you sell me to a tyrant. If you try to force me out of this territory, I swear to God I will kill myself before we ever reach the border."

I looked around the room frantically, my eyes landing on a small, sharp silver letter opener sitting on my nightstand. I lunged forward, my fingers brushing against the cold metal handle. I raised it toward my own throat, my breathing ragged and wild.

"I mean it! Back away from me!"

The beta didn't even flinch. He simply nodded to the warrior on my left.

Before I could press the metal into my skin, a heavy fist connected violently with the side of my jaw. The impact exploded in a flash of blinding white light. Pain erupted through my skull, and my fingers lost their grip on the silver tool. The weapon clattered to the floorboards.

My vision instantly faded to black, and my body collapsed sideways onto the mattress.

I opened my eyes to a world filled with blinding golden light and a place decorated with so many flowers.

The suffocating scent of the omega quarters was completely gone. Instead, the air smelled of sweet jasmine flowers and rich, expensive incense.

I was standing in the middle of a massive courtyard made entirely of polished white marble. High above me, towering crystal arches reflected the bright sunlight, throwing rainbows across the stone floor.

"Assmira, sweetheart, you must stand still," a soft, melodious voice murmured.

I turned around slowly. A beautiful woman with long, flowing silver-black hair stood behind me. Her eyes were a deep, striking violet color, identical to my own. She wore a long, elegant gown that trailed on the floor. She held a golden brush, gently smoothing out the tangled strands of my hair. Next to her stood a tall, broad-shouldered man with a kind smile and a golden crown resting upon his head. He looked down at me with absolute adoration in his eyes.

"Our little princess is growing up so fast," the man said, his deep voice washing over me like a warm blanket. He reached out and gently cupped my cheek with his warm palm.

A feeling of safety and belonging filled my chest. I knew these people. I felt an overwhelming love for them deep within my bones.

"Mother? Father?" I whispered, the words slipping from my lips naturally, even though I had never seen these faces before in my entire life. I reached out to touch the woman’s silk sleeve, wanting to hold onto her forever.

A sudden, violent shake rattled my bones, ripping me away from the golden courtyard.

"Wake up, you lazy bitch!" a harsh voice barked in my ear.

My eyes snapped open, and I was back to the dull, grey walls of my small bedroom. Luciana was standing over me, her fingers dug tightly into the fabric of my sweater as she hauled me off the bed. I fell heavily onto my hands and knees, the floorboards scraping against my skin. The left side of my jaw throbbed with a dull, fierce ache from the warrior's blow.

"Get up right now, Mira," Luciana sneered, tossing a simple linen dress onto my lap. Her green eyes were bright with malice and excitement.

"The guards are waiting outside. The Alpha King has just arrived at the pack house, and he does not like to be kept waiting. You are leaving today."

I sat on the floor, my heart pounding against my ribs as I clutched the dress. The memory of the dream was still vivid in my mind and none of it made any sense. I had lived in the Silver Crest pack my entire life as an orphan omega. I had never seen a palace, and I had never known my parents.

I shook my head, trying to clear the strange visions. It had to be a hallucination, a weird side effect of getting knocked out and the sheer terror of knowing Alpha King Asher was finally here.

I stood up slowly, my legs shaking, and pulled the dress over my head. My destiny was completely out of my hands now, but I refused to let them see me cry again.