Chapter 1

Nyla

I arrived at the Silvermoon pack gathering later than I intended. The place was already full of noise and laughter. Wolves from every rank filled the hall, celebrating the end of the training season. Music played loudly while people danced, talked, and drank as if tonight was the last night they would ever be free.

I spotted Eric near the long wooden table where drinks were being served. He was standing with Derek, his closest friend from the academy. Derek noticed me first and lifted his hand to call me over.

I walked toward them, trying to calm my racing heart.

But the moment I reached them, I realized why Eric hadn’t answered my messages earlier.

A girl stood beside him, leaning comfortably against his arm while laughing at something he had just said. She had smooth dark hair and the confident smile of someone who knew she was beautiful.

Her name was Clara Stone.

I knew she and Eric had been spending time together lately, but I didn’t think it was anything serious. Eric had always been focused on his responsibilities, and romance never seemed like something he cared much about.

I guess I was wrong.

I greeted them and tried my best to hide the disappointment building inside my chest.

“Sorry I didn’t see your message earlier, Nyla,” Eric said apologetically. “Clara needed help with something, and I got distracted.”

His tone was sincere, but Clara looked slightly annoyed that he felt the need to explain himself.

“It’s fine,” I said lightly. “I made it here anyway.”

Eric smiled with relief.

He had always been kind to me.

But only as a friend.

And that was the problem.

I had liked Eric since we were teenagers, though I was sure he had never realized it. Eric had always been serious about his future in the pack. His father had served the Alpha faithfully for years, and everyone expected Eric to become one of the pack’s strongest leaders someday.

He took that responsibility very seriously.

Training.

Patrols.

Strategy.

Those things mattered more to him than anything else.

I hadn’t even planned to join the warrior academy at first. My parents both worked in the pack’s supply department, and I was supposed to help them manage the stores and trade records.

But the day Eric told me he was signing up for warrior training, I changed my mind.

I joined too.

I told everyone I wanted to challenge myself.

The truth was that I simply wanted to spend more time with him.

That was four years ago.

Four years of training together.

Four years of hoping that one day Eric might finally notice me.

But he never did.

Now another girl stood beside him like she already belonged there.

The celebration continued, and Clara kept Eric busy with endless conversation. Derek eventually tapped my shoulder and suggested we join the others dancing near the center of the hall.

I agreed, though my mind remained somewhere else entirely.

Eric had grown into a handsome man over the years, but it wasn’t his appearance that made me fall for him.

It was his personality.

He was dependable, thoughtful, and always willing to help others. The pack trusted him, and I believed he would do great things in the future.

Maybe that was why my feelings for him had become so strong.

After a while Derek and I returned to where Eric and Clara were standing. She was talking very close to his face, her hand resting lightly on his chest as if it belonged there.

Derek cleared his throat loudly.

She stepped back immediately.

“So,” Derek said casually, “now that the training season is over, what’s everyone planning to do for the next couple of years?”

Eric shrugged.

“I’ll probably start assisting with the northern patrol soon.”

Then he looked at me.

“What about you, Nyla?”

My heart skipped slightly when he said my name.

“I’m not sure yet,” I admitted.

Derek smiled.

“I’m leaving for a while.”

That caught my attention.

“Leaving?”

“I want to travel through the western territories,” he explained. “Once we start taking real responsibilities in the pack, we won’t have that kind of freedom anymore.”

“That actually sounds amazing,” I said honestly.

Then the thought slipped out before I could stop myself.

“Do you mind if I come with you?”

Derek looked surprised.

Before he could answer, Eric spoke.

“If you leave, who will keep me company here?”

I almost said Clara, but I didn’t want to sound jealous.

“I’m sure you’ll find someone,” I replied instead.

Clara smiled sweetly.

“That won’t be a problem.”

I ignored her and looked back at Derek.

“I really think traveling would be good for me.”

“Maybe I’ll come too,” Eric said suddenly.

My heart sank immediately.

That defeated the entire purpose.

Spending more time around him wouldn’t help me move on.

“Then I’ll come as well,” Clara said quickly.

I nearly rolled my eyes.

The thought of watching her cling to Eric during an entire trip sounded unbearable.

“I’ll think about it,” Eric said.

We stayed at the gathering for a little while longer before deciding to leave.

“Let’s go hunting tomorrow morning,” Eric suggested.

I waited to hear Clara’s answer before speaking.

“I’d love to,” she said immediately.

I sighed quietly.

“I think I’ll skip it.

Eric frowned.

“Come on, Nyla. You and I make a great team.”

If only that were true.

Instead, I smiled politely.

“I’m sure you, Derek, and Clara will do just fine.”

Eric told me to think about it before leaving.

But I already knew my answer.

I drove home alone that night.

All I wanted was some distance.

Distance from Eric.

Distance from the feelings that had followed me for years.

When I got home, the house was quiet, and I went straight to my room without waking anyone.

The next morning I went downstairs for breakfast.

To my surprise, both of my parents were sitting at the kitchen table waiting for me.

They looked unusually tense.

My mother forced a small smile.

“How was the gathering last night?”

“It was good,” I replied.

My father cleared his throat.

“We need to talk to you about something important.”

My stomach tightened immediately.

We moved into the living room and sat down.

My parents exchanged a glance before speaking again.

“Nyla,” my father began slowly, “you know how much we love you.”

That sentence alone made my heart race.

Whenever parents started a conversation like that, it meant something serious was coming.

“We want what is best for you,” he continued, “but we also have responsibilities to the pack.”

My mother’s eyes began to fill with tears.

Fear settled heavily in my chest.

“What’s going on?” I asked quietly.

My father sighed before finally answering.

“Last night the Alpha made a decision regarding the future of the pack.”

A chill ran through me.

“What decision?”

My father hesitated before speaking again.

“He has arranged a union.”

My heart dropped.

“A union involving you.”

My voice trembled.

“Who?”

My father looked at me with sympathy.

“The Alpha has chosen you to marry Dominic Varek.”

My breath caught.

Dominic Varek.

The most feared warrior in the entire territory.

Cold.

Dangerous.

Unpredictable.

And now…

He was supposed to become my husband.

“It wasn’t a request,” my father said quietly.

“It was an Alpha order.”

And in our pack…

No one refused the Alpha.

I screamed.