Chapter 1

Crystal's POV

The first time he hit me, I did not cry. Not because it did not hurt, but because I learned early that tears only made them hit harder.

“Get up, worthless Omega,” Bryan’s voice snapped through the cold morning air. My body trembled as I pushed myself off the ground, my knees scraped raw against the dirt. Blood mixed with dust, but I kept my head down, because looking him in the eye was another excuse for punishment.

“I said faster,” he growled, and before I could steady myself, his boot slammed into my stomach. Air rushed out of my lungs as pain exploded through me. I folded instantly, choking on a silent scream.

Laughter echoed around me. Pack members stood in a circle, watching like it was entertainment. No one stepped forward, no one spoke, because in this pack, an Omega’s pain was a show. I was the show.

“Pathetic,” Bryan muttered, grabbing my hair and forcing my head up. “Look at them,” he said, his voice dripping with disgust. “This is what you are. Nothing.” My vision blurred, but I forced my eyes open.

Faces stared back at me, some amused, some indifferent, none kind. I swallowed the lump in my throat.

“I understand,” I whispered. He shoved me back to the ground like I weighed nothing. “Good,” he said. “At least you know your place.”

My name is Crystal. And in the Scottsdale Pack, I am less than a slave. By the time the sun dipped low into the sky, my body felt like it was no longer mine. Every step burned. Every breath hurt. But I still had work to do.

“Crystal,” a sharp voice called from behind me. I froze instantly.

Luna Vanessa.

I turned slowly and lowered my gaze. “Yes, Luna.” She walked toward me with measured elegance, her heels clicking against the stone floor like a countdown to something worse.

“You missed a spot in the Alpha’s hall,” she said coldly. “I am sorry,” I replied quickly. “I will fix it immediately.” Her eyes swept over me, lingering on the bruises that painted my skin. “Disgusting,” she murmured. “You look like trash.” My fingers clenched slightly, but I kept my head down.

“I will clean up after, Luna.” She stepped closer. Too close. “Do you know why you are still alive, Crystal?” My heart pounded. “No, Luna.”

“It is because your pain amuses us,” she said softly, almost kindly. Then her hand came fast. The slap echoed through the empty hall. My head snapped to the side, and the metallic taste of blood filled my mouth.

“Do not forget that,” she whispered.

I bowed lower. “I will not, Luna.” She turned and walked away like nothing happened. Like I was nothing. That night, I lay on the thin mat in my small room, staring at the ceiling. My body screamed for rest, but sleep never came easy.

Not when tomorrow would be worse. Not when every day was the same. Not when I knew what was coming.

My eighteenth birthday.

The day every wolf waited for. The day you meet your mate. A bitter laugh escaped my lips.

A mate.

Someone destined to love you, protect you, cherish you. Something warm twisted painfully in my chest. That kind of fate was not meant for someone like me. Still, a small, foolish part of me hoped. Maybe… just maybe…

My mate would be different.

The next morning, the air felt heavier. The entire pack gathered in the courtyard, excitement buzzing like electricity. I stood at the back, invisible as always. “Today is a special day,” Alpha Matthew’s voice boomed.

My stomach tightened. His gaze swept over the crowd, then stopped. On me. A slow, cruel smile spread across his face. “Step forward, Crystal.” My heart dropped. Whispers erupted around me as I hesitated.

“Now,” he commanded. My legs moved before my mind could catch up. I stepped into the center, every eye on me. I felt exposed. Small. Breakable.

“Today, you turn eighteen,” he continued. “Today, you will find your mate.” Laughter rippled through the crowd. “Let us all witness this miracle,” he added mockingly.

My chest tightened. I did not want this. Not like this. Not in front of them.

“Come closer,” he said. I obeyed. The moment I stepped within the inner circle, it hit me.

A scent. Warm. Familiar. Dangerous. My heart slammed against my ribs. No. No, no, no. Please not him. I turned slowly. And there he stood.

Bryan. My tormentor. My nightmare. My wolf went still. Then one word echoed in my mind.

Mate.

My breath caught. Tears burned behind my eyes as hope shattered into a thousand pieces. Bryan’s lips curled into a cruel smile.

“Of course,” he said, his voice full of amusement. “It had to be you.” The crowd laughed louder. I felt like I was drowning. “Bryan…” I whispered, my voice breaking. But his eyes held nothing. No warmth. No recognition. Only disgust.

He stepped closer, his presence suffocating. Then he leaned in, his voice low enough for only me to hear. “You really thought anyone would want you?” My heart cracked.

And then-

“I, Bryan of the Midnight Pack,” he said loudly, turning to face everyone, “reject you, Crystal, as my mate.”

The world went silent. Something inside me broke. Not cracked. Not weakened. Broken. A sharp pain ripped through my chest, stealing the air from my lungs. I dropped to my knees, clutching my heart.

Gasps filled the courtyard. The rejection burned through me like fire, tearing at my soul.

“Pathetic,” Bryan said. And just like that, I became nothing again. I feel death the moment he rejected me. Not physically. Not yet.

But something inside me shattered so completely that I knew, deep down, the girl I used to be would never survive this night. “Get up, worthless Omega,” Bryan’s voice cut through the cold air like a blade.

My body was already shaking before I even tried to move. I pushed myself up slowly, my palms scraping against the rough ground as pain shot through my arms. Dust clung to my skin, mixing with the blood that never seemed to fully dry.

“I said faster.” His boot slammed into my stomach before I could stand properly. The impact knocked the breath out of me, and I collapsed instantly, gasping silently as agony spread through my body.

Laughter followed. It always did. They stood around me like spectators, watching me break like it was the most entertaining thing in the world. No one helped. No one ever helped.

“Look at her,” Bryan sneered, grabbing my hair and yanking my head back. Pain burned across my scalp, forcing tears into my eyes. “This is what happens when you’re born useless,” he said loudly. “You become nothing.”

I bit down hard on my lip, refusing to cry out. “I understand,” I whispered. He let go, shoving me back to the ground like I was dirt beneath his feet. “Good,” he muttered.

But as I lay there, trembling and broken… Something deep inside me stirred. Ancient. Awake. And for the first time in my life, It did not feel like weakness.