I woke to the sound of excited whispers echoing through the pack house. My body felt heavy, weighed down by the rejection ceremony that had occurred just three days ago. Hope, my wolf, remained curled in a tight ball within me, her once vibrant twilight-colored fur now dull and listless.

"Did you hear? Madison Taylor is coming today!" A young pack member's voice drifted through my door.

"The Alpha's daughter from the Eastern Ridge Pack?" another responded. "I heard she's gorgeous."

I pulled my pillow over my head, trying to block out their voices. I didn't care who Madison Taylor was. All I cared about was surviving each day until my arranged mating with Lycan Prince Alexander Sterling could take place. A mating I had agreed to purely for the pack's benefit—the same pack whose future leaders had publicly humiliated me.

A sharp knock at my door startled me upright.

"Grace." Luna Catherine's voice was formal, lacking the maternal warmth I once thought I heard in it. "You're expected at the welcome dinner tonight. Alpha Marcus insists all pack members be present to greet our guest."

I swallowed hard. "Yes, Luna Catherine."

No inquiry about how I was coping. No gentle words of comfort for the girl she had raised alongside her sons. Just orders.

*She never truly saw us as her daughter*, Hope whispered, her first words in days.

The grand dining hall was decorated with fresh flowers and candles when I slipped in that evening, wearing my simplest dress. I took a seat at the far end of the table, hoping to remain invisible.

The doors swung open, and Alpha Marcus entered with a striking young woman at his side. Madison Taylor had cascading blonde hair, piercing blue eyes, and an aura of confidence that commanded attention. Behind them walked the three Harrison brothers, all looking unusually groomed and attentive.

"Pack members," Alpha Marcus announced, "I present Madison Taylor, daughter of Alpha Jackson of the Eastern Ridge Pack. She will be staying with us for the diplomatic visit."

Madison's gaze swept the room, pausing briefly on me before dismissing me entirely. Her smile was dazzling as she turned to Marcus Jr.

"Your pack house is even more impressive than I imagined," she said, her voice honey-sweet.

Marcus Jr. pulled out the chair beside him—the place where I used to sit during formal dinners. "We're honored by your presence, Madison."

Throughout dinner, I might as well have been invisible. The three brothers who had rejected me just days ago now fawned over Madison, laughing at her every comment, offering her the choicest portions of food. Noah, who once shared secret jokes with me across the table, now leaned close to Madison, whispering something that made her giggle.

*They never looked at us that way*, Hope observed sadly.

I picked at my food, counting the minutes until I could escape.

The next morning, I dragged myself to breakfast, hoping to grab something quickly and retreat. The dining room was nearly empty except for Madison and the Harrison brothers, huddled together at one end of the table.

"Grace," Ethan called as I entered, his tone falsely pleasant. "Come join us. Madison was just telling us about her pack's territory expansion."

Reluctantly, I took a seat across from them, reaching for the coffee pot.

"Oh, let me," Madison offered with a smile that didn't reach her eyes. She lifted the pot and began pouring, but as she extended her arm across the table, the steaming liquid suddenly splashed directly onto my lap.

I gasped in pain, jumping to my feet as the scalding coffee soaked through my clothes.

"Grace!" Marcus Jr. snapped, his voice sharp. "Be careful! You're embarrassing us in front of our guest."

"I didn't—" I started, but Madison was already speaking over me.

"Oh my goodness, I'm so sorry!" she exclaimed, though her eyes gleamed with satisfaction. "She bumped my arm—it was an accident!"

Ethan and Noah snickered, exchanging glances.

"Typical Grace," Noah said with a smirk. "Always so clumsy."

I bit my lip hard, fighting back tears as I grabbed a napkin to dab at my burning skin. No one offered to help. No one defended me.

"Perhaps you should change," Marcus Jr. suggested coldly. "And try not to cause any more scenes today."

I fled the dining room, Hope whimpering in shared pain. After cleaning myself up and applying some healing salve to the red, angry skin on my thighs, I spent the day avoiding the pack house, throwing myself into chores at the pack gardens.

By evening, exhaustion had settled deep in my bones. All I wanted was the sanctuary of my room, small comfort though it was. But as I approached my door, I froze.

My belongings—clothes, books, the few precious mementos I had kept from my childhood—were piled haphazardly in the hallway outside my room. The door stood ajar, and inside, Madison was humming softly as she hung her expensive clothes in my closet.

"What are you doing?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.

Madison turned, a saccharine smile on her face. "Oh, Grace! The brothers thought I'd be more comfortable in this room. It has the best morning light, they said."

I stared at her in disbelief, then at my possessions dumped unceremoniously in the hall. This room had been my safe haven for fourteen years.

"This is my room," I said, my voice strengthening with Hope's sudden surge of anger.

"Is there a problem?" Ethan's cold voice came from behind me. I turned to find him leaning against the wall, arms crossed.

"She's taking my room," I said, fighting to keep my voice steady.

Ethan's eyes narrowed. "Madison is our honored guest, and this is the best guest room. You'll take the small room at the end of the hall."

"But all my things—"

"Should be moved immediately," he cut me off. "Unless you'd prefer to sleep in the garden shed?"

Madison's soft laugh floated from my room—no, her room now. "Don't be so harsh, Ethan. I'm sure Grace understands the importance of proper hospitality."

I looked between them, the reality of my new position in the pack crashing down around me. Three days ago, I had been rejected as a mate. Now, I was being displaced from my very room.

As I gathered my scattered belongings, a small photograph fluttered to the floor—a picture of me with the Harrison brothers as children, all smiling, arms linked. I stared at it for a long moment before tucking it away.

The cramped guest room at the end of the hall had a narrow bed and a single window that wouldn't quite close. As I placed my last belonging—the silver crescent moon pendant—on the nightstand, I wondered how much more the pack that had raised me could take away.

Hope stirred restlessly within me. *Perhaps*, she whispered, *our true home lies elsewhere*.

The grand council chamber of the Silver Moon Pack house felt suffocating as I slipped into the back row, trying to make myself invisible. Alpha Marcus had called an emergency meeting to discuss the Lycan alliance—my arranged mating to Prince Alexander Sterling that would save our weakening pack. I kept my eyes down, feeling the weight of stares from pack members who had witnessed my humiliating rejection ceremony just a week ago.

Madison Taylor sat in the front row, directly beside Marcus Jr., in a position that should have belonged to the future Luna. Her golden hair cascaded down her back as she leaned to whisper something to Noah, who grinned in response. The sight made my stomach twist painfully.

*They look like they've known each other forever*, Hope murmured weakly within me, her voice still drained from the rejection.

"The Lycan Royal family has agreed to formalize our alliance through the arranged mating between Grace Mitchell and Prince Alexander Sterling," Alpha Marcus announced, his voice echoing through the chamber. "This will provide us with the protection we desperately need against the increasing rogue attacks."

Murmurs rippled through the gathered pack members. I felt their eyes on me—some curious, others pitying, a few openly contemptuous.

"When will the ceremony take place?" an elder asked.

"Within the month," Alpha Marcus replied. "We cannot afford to delay."

A question burned in my throat. If I was to be mated to a Lycan Prince—essentially sold off for the pack's protection—shouldn't I at least know something about the arrangement? About him? About my future?

"I would like to ask—" I began, my voice soft but clear.

"The Lycans have requested a formal introduction next week," Marcus Jr. interrupted, speaking over me as if I hadn't made a sound. "We should prepare a proper welcome."

I tried again, raising my hand slightly. "Excuse me, but I was wondering—"

"Oh!" Madison's high, lilting voice cut through mine. "She speaks! I was beginning to think our little rejected wolf had lost her voice along with her dignity."

Laughter erupted around the room, led by Noah's sharp bark of amusement. Ethan smirked, exchanging glances with his older brother. Even Alpha Marcus's lips twitched slightly before he called for order.

My cheeks burned with humiliation as I sank lower in my seat. Hope whimpered within me, curling tighter into herself.

*Don't let them see how much it hurts*, she whispered. *They feed on our pain*.

The meeting continued as if I weren't there—as if the very alliance they were discussing didn't hinge on my cooperation. Plans were made, preparations discussed, all without a single question directed to me about my thoughts or concerns.

When the council finally adjourned, I slipped out quickly, desperate to escape to the solitude of my tiny new room at the end of the hall. But as I hurried across the pack grounds, a strange sensation washed over me—a warm, gentle presence brushing against my consciousness.

*Hello, Grace*.

I froze mid-step, looking around wildly. The voice in my head wasn't Hope's—it was deeper, masculine, and somehow... soothing.

*Don't be alarmed*, the voice continued. *I'm Alexander Sterling. I hope you don't mind the mind-link. I wanted to introduce myself properly before our meeting*.

My heart raced. Mind-links over such distances were rare and typically only possible between pack members or... mates.

"How...?" I whispered aloud, then caught myself and focused inward. *How is this possible? We've never met*.

A warm chuckle resonated through my mind. *The Goddess works in mysterious ways. I felt your distress. Are you alright?*

The simple question—asked with genuine concern—nearly undid me. When was the last time anyone had asked if I was alright?

*I'm... managing*, I replied carefully.

*I look forward to meeting you in person, Grace*, Alexander's voice continued, gentle but strong. *Until then, know that I'm here if you need me*.

The connection faded, leaving me standing alone in the gathering twilight, but somehow feeling less isolated than I had in days.

The next morning, I joined the pack for the dawn run—a tradition I once loved but now dreaded. As wolves, we were supposed to be free, unburdened by human concerns. But even in wolf form, the pack's hierarchy was painfully evident.

Hope emerged reluctantly, her transformation sluggish and painful. Her once-vibrant twilight fur now appeared dull and patchy as we padded after the main pack, struggling to keep pace. Marcus Jr.'s massive black wolf led the charge, with Madison's sleek golden form right beside him. Ethan and Noah flanked them, creating a perfect formation that left no doubt about the pack's new order.

My wolf stumbled on a rocky outcropping, a whimper escaping before I could suppress it. The sound caught Noah's attention. He circled back, shifting suddenly to his human form, naked and smirking as he stood over my struggling wolf.

"Can't keep up, rejected one?" he taunted, his voice carrying to the others who had paused to watch. "Your wolf is as pathetic as you are. Maybe the Lycans will change their minds when they see what a weak mate they're getting."

Hope whined, her head lowering in submission and shame. The pack continued their run, leaving us behind without a backward glance. I shifted back to human form, wrapping my arms around my knees as I sat alone in the forest clearing, the morning dew soaking through my clothes.

*Alexander wouldn't speak to us if we were truly worthless*, Hope whispered, seeking any comfort she could find. *Would he?*

I had no answer. Only the lingering warmth of a voice that had shown more kindness in a single mind-link than my pack had in days.

Perhaps, just perhaps, my arranged mating wouldn't be the sacrifice I had imagined. Perhaps it would be salvation.