Chapter one

"I had a nightmare last night," I said to my mom, who was braiding my sister's hair. She was so focused, she didn’t even respond. The three of us were in Vira’s room. Vira, my sister, was determined to make sure we both helped her prepare on this special day. Her special day.

Vira turned eighteen a few months ago. And tonight is the mating ceremony. The night every eighteen-year-old is given their mate by Eris, the moon goddess. The night every teenage werewolf looks forward to.

My current annoyance? It’s seven o’clock in the morning, and Vira won't leave Mom and me alone. She literally woke us up to help her pick an outfit and braid her hair. That’s just the thing with Vira. She makes sure to rub her good fortune and success in everyone’s face. The ceremony doesn’t start until 7 at night, but oh well. Now Mom’s attention was completely centered on her while I sat on her bed, watching.

"What nightmare?" Vira finally asked, since Mom ignored me.

"Nothing." She was doing that thing again. When all the attention was on her, she suddenly pretended to care about me. To try and make me feel less sad that I never get attention. And she doesn’t need to know my nightmare anyway.

I’ve been having strange dreams lately. Last night, I was being chased by three wolves. We were all in wolven form. Crazy, because I rarely shift. But those wolves were after me. What made it scarier was the fact that I didn’t recognize them. They were larger. Definitely not from this pack. They chased me along the pack's border, running fast and closing the gap as I slowed down. I burned out quickly because, honestly, I’m one of the weakest wolves you’ll ever meet. They caught me—snarled, growled—and just when they were about to kill me, I woke up, soaked in sweat. It felt real.

Maybe they were rogues? Rogues are wolves without a pack. Banished or exiled and forced to live alone. But rogues aren’t usually that strong. These wolves were fast. And terrifying.

"Rhea, what do you think of Vira's braids?" Mom snapped me back to the present.

I looked at Vira's honey-colored hair. Mom had done a lace braid ponytail.

"It’s neat, I guess. But why does it matter? You’ll probably mess it up in the training ground."

Vira is a hunting trainee. An important position in the pack. Hunters bring food. They’re supposed to be strong. Vira is strong. I’ll give her that. She first transformed when she was eight. An insanely early age. Werewolves normally have their first transformation at thirteen. While her peers were still learning how to shift, Vira was already hunting rabbits. That’s when our parents knew she’d be a hunter. A bummer for Mom, who wanted her to be a healer. Mom’s a healer.

In the pack, there are different ranks. There’s the Alpha, leader of the pack, anpd the Luna, his mate. Then their family. Then the Beta—my dad—second in command. Next is the Gamma, third in command. Then the warriors, who guard the borders. Then hunters, in charge of food. And the healers, who tend to the injured. The lowest rank? Omegas. My rank.

Omegas are the weakest werewolves. No strength to guard, no wisdom to heal. And among omegas, I might be the weakest.

I was born blind. I couldn’t see until I was four. While everyone my age was building strength and speed, I was learning to talk. I couldn’t speak a full sentence until I was eight. Most wolves have their first transformation at thirteen. I had mine at fifteen. Two years ago. Even now, I don’t shift on command like others. It takes great effort. And when I do, I’m too weak to do much after. Yeah. It’s that bad.

I’m pretty sure I’m cursed. My parents insist I’m not, but let’s be real: I was born blind. The healers didn’t know why, and they couldn’t fix it. It wasn’t until after four years of daily prayers to the moon goddess that I got my sight.

Everyone still looks at me like I’m cursed. I’m washed up. Too pale. My dark hair is thin and short. I’m tall but too skinny. I always keep my head down.

"I won't train too hard," Vira said, patting her braids.

We all knew that wasn’t true. Vira is a different person on the training ground. Mention a hunt or a fight, and she drops the sweet act immediately. I’ve watched her countless times. Ever seen a graceful warrior? That’s Vira. She wins ninety percent of her fights. Fastest and strongest of her peers. And she can’t resist a challenge.

After forty minutes of picking an outfit, we had breakfast. Then Vira and I headed to the training ground. I hate this morning ritual—walking with Vira—but our parents insist. They won’t say it, but it’s because they think I’m too weak to go alone.

High-ranking wolves tend to bully omegas. I can’t count how many times I’ve been chased or injured by male wolves trying to flex their strength. Vira does offer some protection, but she brings attention too. Stares from everyone as we pass their log cabins. Vira is that pretty. I, on the other hand, get the second glance. The one filled with disapproval.

This morning, Vira made sure to draw more attention with her hair and outfit. She laughed at something Astrid said—a friend we met on the way—and she looked prettier than ever.

"Did you hear what Astrid said, Rhea?" Vira asked me.

"No."

"She said my mate will be Rohan. Can you believe it?" Vira laughed again, though I didn’t see what was funny.

Rohan is the Gamma. Third in command. Also our mentor. The catch? He’s only twenty-one. Gained his rank young because he’s insanely strong. But he doesn’t have a mate. That’s the thing about mating ceremonies, not everyone gets matched.

You’d think a wolf like Rohan would have no trouble finding a mate. But the moon goddess is unpredictable. The elders say if you don’t get a mate at eighteen, maybe your mate isn’t of age yet. Rohan’s been waiting every year since he turned eighteen. His mate must be very young.

Not that I care. Rohan is arrogant and rude. Hates me. Hates omegas. He’s not the only one, but he makes it obvious. He’s kicked us out of training more times than I can count.

"What do you think, Rhea? Wouldn’t they be the perfect couple?" Astrid asked me.

I don’t care who Vira ends up with. I just hope he loves her enough to take her far away. Out of my life.

Vira and Astrid dove back into their conversation about Rohan. I started walking faster to get away from them. They caught up. And we reached the training ground together.