Chapter 1

After graduation, I spend a year interning with my mentor, a healer, out in the neutral lands—no packs, no laws, and no one to protect me.

My brother, the Lycan Chairman of all werewolves, nearly loses his mind over it. He's terrified I'll fall for some Rogue and impulsively form a reckless mate bond.

As such, he handpicks an arranged mate for me—Falcon Sterling, the Alpha of the strongest pack in Northmere. He's handsome and dangerous, a legendary figure.

My brother orders me to come home for the mating ceremony, so I have no choice but to go pick out a Luna crown.

At the jewelry shop, my eyes snap straight to a crown made of pure silver and covered in diamonds. Just as I reach out to take it, a sharp female voice cuts in. "I like the one she's holding. I'll take it. Hand it over."

Before I can react, the clerk snatches the crown right out of my hands, nearly scraping my skin. I straighten up, forcing myself to stay calm. "Ever heard of 'first come, first served?' I saw it first. Is this how you do things here?"

The she-wolf slowly turns toward me, casting me a long, mocking look. "This crown costs 300 thousand dollars. You sure you can afford it, peasant? I grew up with the Alpha of the Silvermoon pack, Falcon Sterling. Around here, I make the rules."

I stare at her, almost laughing. Isn't that funny? Falcon just happens to be my arranged mate.

I pull out my phone and press the call button. "Hey, Falcon. Your adorable childhood sweetheart just stole the Luna crown I'm supposed to wear for the mating ceremony. What do you think I should do about that?"

...

Calling someone a childhood sweetheart might seem like an innocent title at first, but it usually entailed more than that. If the Alpha of the Silvermoon pack failed to justify today's incident, I might as well cancel the mating ceremony.

To my surprise, Falcon Sterling's cold voice bounced back with a question. "Who's this? And who are you to say anything about Julia?"

Before I could remind him who I was—his soon-to-be mate, Sloane Luneborn, the arranged match chosen to assist him and unite two of the strongest forces—the call cut off.

Anger brewed in my chest. Wasn't that just perfect? My arranged mate didn't even have my number saved!

Julia Stone let out a booming laugh, increasingly smug by the minute. "Oh, what a pitiful thing. I don't know how you got Alpha Falcon's number, but you didn't actually think he'd help just because you called, right?"

A mocking, almost cruel smile curved her lips as her gaze swept over me, lingering on my clothes. "And come on—even the servants at his estate dress better than you. Who gave you such confidence?"

I never cared how much my clothes cost, as long as they were comfortable. I just didn't expect that one day, this would be used against me.

"Sorry, I'm not into proving my worth with designer labels. That's usually what people with low self-esteem do!" I snapped coldly. "Considering Falcon willingly grew up with you, I guess he's no better."

After all the drama she stirred, I had lost all interest in picking out a crown. I grabbed a silver-white crown off the display and turned to the clerk. "Wrap it up. I'm paying."

The clerk froze, looking uneasy. "Sorry, ma'am, we prioritize selling to high-ranking pack members…"

Julia chortled. She lifted her chin arrogantly and tapped the shiny badge on her chest. It was the symbol of a Silvermoon pack high-ranking member.

"See this? It means I'm under Alpha Falcon's protection," she hissed. "What do you have, dear? Nothing. So stop pretending you're better than me."

I wasn't usually one to argue with others, but today, Julia managed to ignite my anger. I crossed my arms and unleashed my power.

The aura from my Alpha bloodline surged out like a silent storm from within me, crushing the air inside the jewelry shop. The temperature seemed to drop. The lights flickered, and Julia's smug smile vanished.

I asked calmly, "How's that? Does that prove I'm a high-ranking werewolf?"

Julia swiftly recovered, masking the flicker of fear in her eyes with venom. "So what? I've never heard of you. You're probably still a nobody from a tiny, insignificant pack."

She turned to the clerk with a sharp gaze. "You must be new here, so let me be clear—we're in Northmere, under Alpha Falcon's rule. If you dare sell that crown to her, this place won't last till dawn!"

The clerk's hand trembled as he held the box, as if it suddenly weighed a hundred pounds.

He turned to me, his voice trembling. "Ma'am, I'm just trying to make a living. I can't afford to offend Alpha Falcon… Please don't make this any harder for me."

The customers around us began to murmur in fear. "I've seen Ms. Stone a few times. The Alpha really spoils her. No one stands a chance against her when it comes to getting what she wants."

"One time, she felt uncomfortable by a werewolf staring, so the Alpha had him kicked out of the pack the next day."

"Ma'am, you might be a high-ranking werewolf, but compared to Alpha Falcon? You're nothing. Just apologize to Ms. Stone and beg her to let you off."

Julia's smile grew brighter as the crowd's obedience fed her ego. She put her hands on her hips, her blood-red heels clicking on the floor as she stepped closer.

"That's right. Surrender to me. I want you to yell, 'I'm a useless bitch' three times so everyone can hear it," she demanded. "If you do that, I might consider letting you leave with some dignity."