The forest floor was cold beneath my knees, damp earth seeping through my torn jeans. My hands trembled as I pressed them against the ground, trying to steady myself, trying to find that spark inside me that everyone said should be there.

"Shift, Norah." Cassius's voice cut through the clearing, sharp and impatient. "We don't have all day."

I closed my eyes, reaching inward for the hundredth time today, searching for my wolf. For Sasha. The name had come to me in a dream years ago, whispered like a promise I couldn't quite grasp. But now, like always, there was only silence where she should be.

The Rogue wolf circled me, its lips pulled back in a snarl. The pack warriors had captured it three days ago, and now it was my test. My tenth trial. Take it down in wolf form, prove I could protect the pack, prove I deserved to stand beside an Alpha.

Prove I wasn't worthless.

"I'm trying," I whispered, hating how small my voice sounded.

A searing pain ripped through my gut, so sudden and vicious that I gasped. It felt like my insides were twisting, like something was clawing at me from within. Anxiety, I told myself. Just anxiety. I'd felt it before every trial, this crippling sensation that made my body betray me at the worst possible moment.

The Rogue lunged.

I threw my arms up instinctively, a pathetic human gesture against supernatural teeth. Time slowed. I could see the yellowed fangs, smell the rancid breath, feel the certainty of failure crushing down on me like a physical weight.

Then Gamma Ryan was there, his massive gray wolf slamming into the Rogue mid-leap. The crack of bone echoed through the trees as two other warriors joined him, tearing into the threat with practiced efficiency. Within seconds, it was over.

I was still on my knees, arms raised, frozen in my uselessness.

"Pathetic." Bria's voice drifted from where she stood beside Cassius, just loud enough for me to hear. "Ten times, and she still can't shift. What kind of wolf can't even find their animal?"

The kind that's broken, I thought. The kind that doesn't deserve to be here.

Cassius said nothing, but I felt his disappointment like a physical blow. After seven years, I'd learned to read every micro-expression, every subtle shift in his posture. Right now, he was disgusted.

The walk back to the pack house was a blur of whispers and pitying glances. By the time we reached the main clearing, the entire pack had gathered. Word traveled fast when the Alpha's promised mate failed. Again.

Cassius mounted the dais with Bria trailing behind him like a shadow. She wore a fitted black dress that hugged every curve, her dark hair cascading over her shoulders. Everything about her screamed confidence, power, worthiness. Everything I wasn't.

"Norah Carter." Cassius's Alpha Tone rolled over the crowd, and every wolf present straightened instinctively. "Step forward."

My legs moved without my permission, carrying me through the parted crowd until I stood at the base of the dais, looking up at the man the Moon Goddess had chosen for me. His jaw was set, his golden eyes cold.

"Kneel."

The command slammed into me like a physical force, and my knees buckled. I hit the ground hard, the impact jarring through my bones. Around me, I heard the collective intake of breath from the pack. An Alpha could command any wolf to kneel, but to do it to your fated mate, in public, was a deliberate humiliation.

"For seven years," Cassius began, his voice carrying across the silent clearing, "I have given you chance after chance to prove yourself worthy of standing beside me. Seven years of patience, of waiting for you to awaken the strength that should be your birthright as my mate."

Birthright. The word tasted like ash in my mouth.

"But you remain weak. Useless." He paused, letting the words sink in. "An Omega who cannot shift is no Luna. You will remain in this pack as my companion, but you will never bear my mark. You will never lead beside me."

Bria's hand rested on his shoulder, a possessive gesture that made my stomach turn. Her smile was small, satisfied.

"Do you understand?" Cassius demanded.

"Yes, Alpha." The words scraped out of my throat.

He dismissed me with a wave, and I stumbled to my feet, keeping my head down as I fled through the crowd. Behind me, I heard him begin discussing pack business as if nothing had happened, as if he hadn't just shattered what little dignity I had left.

That evening, I found myself outside his study. I don't know what I was thinking—maybe that I could apologize, promise to try harder, beg for one more chance. The door was slightly ajar, warm light spilling into the darkened hallway.

"The dosage was perfect today." Cassius's voice, relaxed and amused. "Did you see how she clutched her stomach? The wolfsbane paralysis looked exactly like a panic attack."

My hand froze on the doorframe.

"You're brilliant," Bria purred. "Seven years and she still hasn't figured it out. How much longer are you going to keep this up?"

"As long as it takes. She's too useful to let go, but too weak to actually make Luna. This way, I keep my fated mate close—which satisfies the traditionalists—while you and I can build the real power alliance this pack needs."

They laughed together, the sound of it drilling into my skull like broken glass.

Wolfsbane. In my morning tea. For seven years.

My failures weren't mine at all. They were manufactured. Orchestrated. Every humiliation, every moment I'd hated myself for being weak, every time I'd wondered what was wrong with me—it was him. It had always been him.

I backed away from the door on numb legs, my heart hammering so hard I thought it might break through my ribs. The hallway tilted, and I pressed my hand against the wall to steady myself.

Seven years of poison. Seven years of lies.

And I'd believed every single one.

The morning light felt different. Sharper. Like I was seeing the world through new eyes, ones that finally understood what they were looking at.

I sat at the small table in my room, hands folded in my lap, waiting. The knock came at exactly seven-thirty, just like it had every morning for seven years.

"Good morning, Norah." Bria swept in without waiting for an invitation, carrying the familiar porcelain cup on its matching saucer. Steam curled from the surface, and that sweet herbal scent filled the air. The scent I'd once found comforting.

Now it made my skin crawl.

"Your supplement," she said, setting it down in front of me. Her smile was warm, concerned even. "You look tired. Rough night?"

I forced my lips to curve upward, channeling seven years of practiced submission. "Just couldn't sleep. Thank you for bringing this."

She lingered, watching me with those sharp eyes. Waiting.

I lifted the cup, letting the warmth seep into my palms. The liquid inside was pale amber, flecks of herbs floating near the bottom. Wolfsbane. The word echoed in my head, but I kept my expression neutral, grateful even.

"Drink up," Bria encouraged. "You need your strength."

I raised the cup to my lips, tilted it just enough that the liquid touched my mouth. The bitter taste made my stomach turn, but I held it there for a heartbeat before lowering the cup. "It's hot," I murmured. "I'll let it cool a moment."

Bria's eyes narrowed slightly, but then she shrugged. "Don't let it get cold. The herbs work best when warm." She turned toward the door, pausing at the threshold. "Oh, and Cassius wants to see you later. After training."

My heart stuttered, but I nodded. "Of course."

The moment the door clicked shut, I moved. The potted fern on my windowsill had been dying for months—I'd always thought I was a terrible plant keeper. Now I knew better. I poured the tea into the soil, watching the amber liquid disappear into the dark earth.

First act of rebellion. Small, but mine.

The morning dragged. I cleaned my room, folded clothes, did all the mindless tasks that filled my days. But my mind was racing, planning. Cassius would be at the training grounds until noon, drilling the new recruits. That gave me a window.

At ten-thirty, I slipped through the pack house corridors. Most wolves were outside or busy with their duties. The Alpha's study sat at the end of the east wing, its heavy oak door usually locked.

Usually.

My hands shook as I pulled the thin metal pick from my pocket—a gift from Micah years ago, when we were kids playing at being spies. I'd never thought I'd actually use it for real.

The lock clicked after three tries. I glanced over my shoulder, then slipped inside.

Cassius's study smelled like leather and pine, masculine and commanding. His desk dominated the room, all dark wood and sharp angles. I moved toward it, my heart hammering so loud I was sure someone would hear.

The drawer. The one I'd seen him lock away papers in countless times.

Another lock. Another few precious seconds of fumbling with the pick. Then it gave, and I pulled the drawer open.

A leather-bound ledger sat on top of a stack of documents. My fingers trembled as I lifted it, opened the cover.

The first entry was dated seven years ago. The day after I'd arrived at the pack house as Cassius's promised mate.

*Subject: Norah Carter. Initial assessment: Suppressed royal aura detected. Bloodline likely descended from the lost Silvercrest line. Recommendation: Immediate suppression protocol to prevent full awakening. Dosage: 0.5ml wolfsbane extract, administered daily via morning beverage.*

The words blurred. I blinked hard, forcing myself to keep reading.

Page after page of entries. Dates, dosages, observations. Notes about my "failures" written in Cassius's precise handwriting, clinical and detached. He'd documented everything—every trial, every humiliation, every moment I'd hated myself.

*Trial 4: Subject experienced severe abdominal cramping during shift attempt. Dosage effective. Recommend maintaining current levels.*

*Trial 7: Subject showing signs of depression. Emotional vulnerability optimal for continued control.*

*Trial 10: Public humiliation successful. Pack perception of subject as weak Omega now firmly established.*

My hands clenched around the ledger, knuckles white. He'd known. From the very beginning, he'd known what I was, what I could be. And he'd systematically destroyed it.

Destroyed me.

I tucked the ledger under my arm and left the study, relocking the door behind me with shaking hands. The pack house felt different now, like a prison I'd been too blind to see.

The old creek was a fifteen-minute walk into the forest, far enough from pack territory that we could talk without being overheard. Micah was already there when I arrived, leaning against the massive oak that had been our meeting spot since we were kids.

He straightened when he saw me, his expression shifting from casual to alert in an instant. "Norah? What's wrong?"

I held out the ledger.

He took it, flipped it open. I watched his face as he read, watched the color drain from his cheeks, watched his jaw clench tighter and tighter until I thought his teeth might crack.

When he looked up, his eyes weren't the warm brown I knew. They were gold. Pure, blazing gold.

"I'm going to kill him," Micah said, his voice barely above a whisper.

"No." I stepped closer, placed my hand on his arm. "We're going to do something better. We're going to leave."

His eyes searched mine. "Leave the pack?"

"During the new moon. Three days from now. Everyone will be focused on the ceremony. We can slip away, get to neutral territory before anyone notices."

Micah was quiet for a long moment. Then he closed the ledger and handed it back to me. "I always knew something was wrong with that tea. The smell was off, metallic. I should have said something sooner."

"You couldn't have known—"

"I should have trusted my instincts." His hand covered mine, warm and steady. "But we're going to fix this. I pledge my loyalty to you, Norah. Not to Cassius. Not to this pack. To you."

The words settled over me like a blanket, warm and safe. For the first time in seven years, I didn't feel alone.

"Three days," I said. "Can you get supplies? Food, money, anything we'll need?"

"I'll handle it." His thumb brushed across my knuckles. "We're getting you out of here. And when your wolf finally wakes up, when you're free of that poison, Cassius is going to realize exactly what he threw away."

I looked down at the ledger in my hands, at seven years of systematic abuse documented in neat, clinical handwriting. Then I looked back at Micah, at the gold still flickering in his eyes, at the strength he'd always hidden to stay by my side.

"Three days," I repeated. "And then we run."

The kitchen was empty when I slipped in, the fluorescent lights humming overhead like trapped insects. I'd been avoiding the main areas of the pack house for days now, taking the long routes, keeping my head down. Three more hours until moonrise. Three more hours until Micah and I could disappear into the forest.

I was reaching for a glass when I caught her reflection in the window.

"You've been skipping breakfast." Bria's voice was silk over steel. She leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed, her dark eyes tracking my every movement. "That's not like you."

I turned slowly, keeping my expression neutral. "Just haven't been hungry."

"Mm." She pushed off the frame and glided closer, circling me like a predator. "You smell different. Stronger. Like something's changed."

My pulse kicked up, but I forced myself to stay still. "I don't know what you mean."

"Don't you?" She stopped in front of me, close enough that I could see the gold flecks in her irises. "You know, Cassius was particularly... energetic last night. Kept me up for hours." Her smile was razor-sharp. "He has this thing he does with his tongue that makes me—"

"I don't want to hear this." The words came out harder than I intended.

Her smile widened. "There she is. I was wondering when you'd grow a spine." She leaned in, her voice dropping to a whisper. "Did you really think we wouldn't notice? That we wouldn't smell the change in you?"

My hands clenched at my sides. Every instinct screamed at me to lash out, to finally tell her exactly what I thought of her and her poisoned tea and her fake concern. But that's what she wanted. An excuse.

"I have nothing to say to you." I moved to step around her.

Her hand shot out, gripping my wrist. "You're not going anywhere."

I yanked free, harder than I'd ever dared before. The surprise in her eyes was almost worth it. Almost.

"Touch me again," I said quietly, "and you'll regret it."

For a moment, we just stared at each other. Then she laughed, the sound brittle and sharp. "Oh, this is going to be fun."

She turned and walked away, but I saw the tension in her shoulders, the way her fingers flexed like she was imagining claws. She knew. Maybe not everything, but enough.

I had to get out. Tonight. Before she could act.

The hours crawled by. I packed light—just a backpack with clothes, the ledger, and what little money I'd saved over the years. Micah had the rest of the supplies stashed at the old creek. The plan was simple: meet him at the servant's entrance at midnight, slip into the forest during the shift change of the border patrol.

Simple. Clean. Nothing could go wrong.

The pack house was quiet when I crept down the back stairs, my footsteps muffled by the worn carpet. The servant's entrance was just ahead, a plain wooden door that led to the delivery area. Freedom was twenty feet away.

I reached for the handle.

"Going somewhere?"

My blood turned to ice.

Bria stepped out from behind the storage shelves, her smile predatory in the dim light. "I had a feeling you'd try something stupid."

"Get out of my way."

"Or what?" She tilted her head. "You'll shift? Oh wait, you can't."

I moved toward the door. She moved with me, blocking my path.

"Last chance," I said.

Her eyes flashed gold. "No. Last chance for you."

The shift rippled through her in seconds—bones cracking, skin splitting to reveal sleek black fur. Her wolf was beautiful and deadly, all coiled muscle and bared fangs. She crouched low, a growl rumbling from her chest.

I stumbled backward, my bag hitting the floor. This was it. She was going to kill me, or maim me badly enough that I'd never leave.

She lunged.

A blur of motion slammed into her from the side, sending both bodies crashing into the shelves. Cans and boxes exploded across the floor. Micah—still in human form—had Bria's wolf pinned, his hands locked around her throat with a strength that shouldn't have been possible for a Beta.

"Run!" he shouted at me.

But I couldn't move. Couldn't breathe. Because Bria was shifting back, her body contorting, and she was screaming—high and piercing and fake.

"Help! Someone help! She's trying to kill me!"

Footsteps thundered down the hallway. The lights blazed on. And then Cassius was there, flanked by Gamma Ryan and three other warriors, his eyes taking in the scene: Micah holding Bria, me standing frozen with my escape bag at my feet.

"She had a silver dagger!" Bria sobbed, clutching her throat even though there wasn't a mark on her. "She tried to stab me! Micah stopped her!"

"That's a lie," I said, but my voice came out weak, shaky.

Cassius's gaze locked on mine, and I saw the calculation there. The choice he was making in real-time. Believe his fated mate, or believe the lie that kept me trapped.

"Norah Carter," he said, his Alpha Tone rolling through the room like thunder. "You are under arrest for attempted murder of a pack member."

"No." The word ripped from my throat. "No, she attacked me! She—"

"Gamma Ryan, take her to the cells."

Ryan's face was conflicted, but he moved forward anyway, duty overriding doubt. Micah released Bria and stepped toward me, but Cassius's voice cracked like a whip.

"Stand down, Beta. That's an order."

Micah's whole body went rigid, fighting the Alpha Command. His eyes met mine, gold bleeding through the brown, and I saw the promise there. This isn't over.

Ryan's hand closed around my arm, gentle but firm. "Come on, Norah. Don't make this harder."

I let him lead me away, my legs moving on autopilot. Behind me, I heard Bria's fake sobs, Cassius's low murmur of comfort. The sound of my freedom dying.

The cell door slammed shut with a finality that echoed in my bones.