The smell of bleach stung my cracked hands as I scrubbed the pack house floors. Five years. One thousand eight hundred and twenty-five days of waiting, and today was finally the day. My fingers were raw, bleeding slightly as I applied more pressure to a stubborn stain.

"Just like your father," Mother's voice sliced through the morning air. "A curse upon this family."

I didn't look up. "I'm almost finished, Mother."

"See that you are. Today is important. We must impress the Alpha when he arrives."

My heart fluttered at the thought. Ace Harris. The man who had saved me from being sold to rogues. The man I'd dreamed about every night for five years. The man who would finally see me.

"He'll want to see the entire pack," Mother continued, adjusting her hair in the hallway mirror. "Even you, unfortunately."

I bit my tongue and returned to scrubbing. My wolf, Luna, paced anxiously within me. *Soon*, I promised her. *Soon he'll be here.*

From upstairs came the sound of Cassidy's laughter, light and musical. My sister appeared at the top of the stairs, twirling in a new designer dress that hugged her curves.

"What do you think?" she asked, though her eyes weren't on me but on Mother.

"Beautiful, darling." Mother's voice transformed into something warm and loving. "You'll make a perfect Luna."

Cassidy descended the stairs, and as she passed me, I caught a whiff of something artificial—a sickly-sweet floral scent that seemed to coat my throat. She was using those elixirs again.

"Alpha Harris will be impressed," Mother said, straightening Cassidy's collar. "After all, he's been waiting for you too."

My stomach twisted. Waiting for Cassidy? No, that couldn't be right.

"He's my mate," I whispered, more to myself than to them.

Mother's laugh was sharp. "Don't be ridiculous. Why would an Alpha want someone like you?"

I turned away, focusing on the floor. Luna whimpered inside me. *He saved us*, she reminded me. *He'll want us.*

---

The pack gathered in the great hall as the sun reached its zenith. I stood at the back, my cleanest dress—still patched and faded—feeling like a servant's uniform among the others' finery.

"Remember your place," Mother hissed, pushing me behind her.

The massive doors swung open. The air seemed to thicken, heavy with power that made my knees weak. And then he entered.

Ace Harris.

Five years had only enhanced his features. Dark hair longer now, framing a face that could have been carved from stone. Eyes so black they seemed to absorb light rather than reflect it. And his presence—it filled the room like a physical force.

My heart stopped. Luna leapt forward in my mind, desperate to reach him. *Mate*, she cried. *Our mate*.

For one breathtaking moment, his eyes met mine. Something flickered there—recognition? Pain? Before I could decipher it, his expression hardened into something cold and distant.

He walked past me as if I were invisible.

"Cassidy," he said, his voice deep and commanding.

My sister stepped forward, her smile radiant. Ace pulled her into his arms, one hand possessively cupping the back of her head.

"The time has come," he announced to the gathered pack. "I've chosen my Luna."

The room spun around me. Luna howled in anguish inside me.

"Cassidy Foster," he continued, "will be my mate and the future Luna of the Dark River Pack."

Applause erupted. Mother squeezed Cassidy's shoulders, tears of joy in her eyes. I stood frozen, unable to breathe.

---

I fled to my attic room, the smallest space in the pack house. Collapsing onto my thin mattress, I let the tears come. Luna paced frantically within me, confused and hurting.

*Something's wrong*, she insisted. *He felt us. I know he did.*

A sob tore from my throat. "He chose Cassidy."

I reached under my pillow for the small wolf figurine Ace had given me before his imprisonment—the only thing I had of his. My fingers found nothing but dust.

Frantic, I searched the floorboards. Had it fallen?

A loose board caught my attention. It didn't quite line up with the others. Curious, I pried it up.

Beneath it lay a stack of envelopes, yellowed with age. My name was scrawled across each one in a bold, masculine handwriting.

Ace's handwriting.

With trembling fingers, I tore open the top letter.

"I write this from my cell," it began. "By the time you read this, I will have served my sentence. But I cannot allow this farce to continue."

My heart pounded as I read further.

"The bond I felt that day was an illusion. Perhaps a moment of weakness, or simply the adrenaline of battle. Whatever the case, I must be clear."

The words blurred through my tears.

"I reject the bond. Do not wait for me."

The letter slipped from my fingers as the truth crashed down upon me. Mother and Cassidy had known. They had hidden these letters, letting me wait in vain while Cassidy stole what was never meant to be hers.

Luna howled in betrayal as darkness closed in around us both.

The dining hall glittered with candlelight, silverware clinking against fine china as the pack celebrated Ace and Cassidy's engagement. I stood in the doorway, my hands trembling around the stack of letters I'd found. The yellowed paper felt like evidence of a crime—my family's betrayal.

"Florence!" Mother hissed when she spotted me. "You're not dressed for dinner. Get back to the kitchen."

I stepped forward anyway, my patched dress a stark contrast to the elegant gowns around me. Luna gave me courage, her presence stronger than it had been in years.

"I found them," I said, my voice barely above a whisper but growing louder with each word. "The letters. Ace's rejection letters."

The room fell silent. All eyes turned to me, then to the letters in my hand.

"You knew," I said, looking at Mother and Cassidy. "You knew he rejected me, and you let me wait five years."

Cassidy's face paled beneath her makeup. "Florence, you're making a scene."

"A scene?" My laugh came out brittle. "You stole my mate!"

I turned to Ace, whose expression remained unreadable. "Why did you save me if you were just going to throw me away?"

The silence stretched taut. I could hear my own heartbeat, feel Luna's pain mingling with mine.

"Tell me!" My voice cracked. "Was any of it real?"

Mother lunged forward, her hand connecting with my cheek in a stinging slap. "You ungrateful little—"

I stumbled backward but held my ground. "I just want the truth!"

Ace's eyes flickered—something like recognition, perhaps even regret—before hardening again. He stood slowly, his presence filling the room.

"Enough," he said, his voice deceptively soft.

Then it came—the Alpha Tone. A wave of power that hit me like a physical force.

"An Omega does not question her betters," he said, each word pressing down on me. "Cassidy is my choice."

My knees buckled. Despite Luna's desperate resistance, my body betrayed me, sinking to the floor. The letters scattered around me like fallen leaves.

"Cassidy is my choice," he repeated, looking down at me with cold eyes. "Remember your place."

---

Hours later, I scrubbed dishes in the kitchen, my cheek still stinging from Mother's slap. The pack house had emptied, everyone retiring after the drama of dinner. Only the staff remained, cleaning up the remnants of celebration.

I dunked a crystal glass into soapy water, watching it cloud with bubbles. Luna paced restlessly within me, still processing Ace's rejection.

"We are stronger than they think," she whispered in my mind. "We will survive this."

A shadow fell across the sink. I looked up to find Ace standing in the doorway, his broad shoulders blocking the exit. He looked different in the dim light—less like the monster who had forced me to my knees and more like the man who had once saved me.

"Water," he said curtly, moving to the faucet.

I stepped aside, keeping my eyes downcast as protocol demanded. But as he reached past me, something shifted in the air between us.

His nostrils flared. I watched his expression change—confusion replacing indifference.

"You smell..." he began, then stopped.

I knew what he meant. The kitchen was small, and without the artificial scents of the dining hall, my natural fragrance had become apparent—wildflowers and rain, the scent that had first drawn him to me five years ago.

He leaned closer, inhaling deeply. For a moment, his eyes softened, something like recognition flickering in their depths.

"Cassidy doesn't smell like this," he murmured, almost to himself.

My heart stuttered. Luna surged forward, desperate to connect with him.

"No," I whispered. "She uses those elixirs to—"

I stopped myself, but it was too late. His expression hardened again, walls slamming back into place.

"You're trying to seduce your sister's fiancé?" he growled, grabbing my wrist. "Is that your game?"

"Let go of me," I hissed, trying to pull away.

His grip tightened. "Stay away from me, Florence. Whatever game you're playing, it won't work."

"I'm not playing anything," I said, meeting his gaze despite the danger. "I just want the truth."

Something flickered in his eyes—doubt, perhaps, or confusion. But it vanished as quickly as it had appeared.

"The truth is that you're nothing to me," he said coldly. "Remember that."

He released my wrist and stalked away, leaving me alone in the kitchen with the lingering scent of wildflowers and rain—and the faintest trace of something that might have been regret.

The morning light filtered through the dusty windows of the pack house as I scrubbed the floors. My knees ached against the hard wood, but I'd long since learned to ignore the pain. Luna paced restlessly within me, still confused by Ace's rejection.

*He felt us*, she insisted. *I know he did.*

"Alpha Foster," a guard announced from the doorway. "We have visitors from the Northern Summit Pack."

I kept my head down, focusing on a stubborn stain. Visitors were rare in our territory, especially from progressive packs like Northern Summit. They operated differently—more modern, less hierarchical.

"Where is my daughter?" Father's voice boomed through the hallway. "Cassidy! Come greet our guests."

I heard the click of heels against marble as Cassidy hurried toward the entrance. "Coming, Father!"

Curious despite myself, I glanced up just as a tall figure entered the foyer. My breath caught in my throat.

Milo Lewis.

Alpha of the Northern Summit Pack. His reputation preceded him—a leader who valued healing over dominance, who had transformed his territory into a sanctuary for wolves seeking new beginnings.

He moved with quiet confidence, his presence filling the room without effort. Unlike Ace's oppressive aura, Milo's power felt like sunlight—warm but not blinding.

"Cassidy," Father said proudly, "this is Alpha Lewis."

My sister extended her hand, her smile perfectly practiced. "A pleasure to meet you."

As Milo took her hand, his eyes swept the room and landed on me. Something flickered in his expression—recognition, perhaps?

I quickly looked down, but not before our eyes met. A spark of warmth traveled through me, so unexpected I nearly gasped.

Luna stirred. *Ancient*, she whispered. *He feels ancient.*

Cassidy, noticing his attention on me, deliberately stepped forward. "Oh, Florence," she said with false sweetness, "you're still cleaning? How typical."

She moved toward me, her foot extended just enough—

I didn't see it coming. My ankle twisted as her foot caught mine, sending me sprawling across the wet floor.

"Clumsy Omega," Cassidy laughed.

No one moved to help me. Mother looked away in embarrassment. Father's face hardened with disgust.

Except Milo.

He crossed the room in three long strides, kneeling beside me. His hand was warm as he helped me up, steadying me when I would have fallen again.

"Careful," he murmured, his voice low enough that only I could hear. "Not everyone deserves your loyalty."

Something passed between us—not quite a mate bond, but a recognition deeper than either of us could explain.

"Thank you," I whispered.

He pressed something into my palm. A business card, simple and elegant.

"You are worth more than this," he said quietly.

---

Hours later, I was in the kitchen preparing tea for the meeting when I heard Cassidy's voice from the hallway.

"Ace!" she called, her tone frantic. "Ace, where are you?"

I peered through the doorway. Cassidy stood in the corridor, her face pale with panic.

"What's wrong?" Ace asked, emerging from Father's office.

"I can smell it," she hissed. "Her scent. It's getting stronger."

I froze, realizing what she meant. The artificial fragrance she'd been using was fading.

"You're imagining things," Ace said dismissively.

"No!" Cassidy grabbed his arm. "She's trying to seduce you. I can see how you look at her."

Ace's expression hardened. "Don't be ridiculous."

"I won't lose you," Cassidy whispered, a dangerous gleam in her eyes. "Not after everything I've done."

Before I could process what was happening, she pulled something from her pocket—a small silver knife. With a swift motion, she slashed her own arm.

"Ahh!" she screamed, blood blooming across her skin. "She attacked me! Florence attacked me!"

"What?" I gasped, stepping into the hallway.

Ace's head snapped toward me, his eyes black with rage. "What have you done?"

"Nothing!" I protested. "She did that to herself!"

"Liar!" Cassidy sobbed, collapsing against Ace's chest. "She's been threatening me for days!"

---

The great hall had been transformed into a courtroom. Father sat at the center, Ace to his right. The pack gathered in a semicircle, their faces solemn.

I stood before them, my heart pounding so hard I thought it might burst.

"Omega Florence Foster," Father intoned, "you stand accused of attacking your sister with a silver weapon."

"I didn't do it," I said, my voice stronger than I expected. "Cassidy did that to herself."

"Silence!" Father roared. "Do you dare accuse your sister of such deception?"

Ace leaned forward, his expression unreadable. "The evidence speaks for itself."

He held up the silver knife—now bearing my fingerprints, though I'd never touched it.

"Your scent is on the weapon," he continued coldly. "And your sister has no reason to harm herself."

"Cassidy fears losing you," I said desperately. "She knows I'm your true mate!"

A murmur ran through the crowd. Ace's jaw tightened.

"Enough," he said, rising to his feet. "This Omega has forgotten her place. She requires punishment."

Father nodded solemnly. "What do you suggest, Alpha Harris?"

Ace's eyes met mine, something flickering in their depths—regret? Doubt? It vanished too quickly to be sure.

"She will be stripped of her remaining Omega rights," he declared. "Confined to the servants' quarters until further notice."

The sentence fell like a physical blow. Without rights, I would be less than an Omega—a prisoner in my own home.

As the pack dispersed, I caught Milo's eye across the room. He gave me a slight nod, his expression grim but determined.

The business card in my pocket felt like a lifeline in a storm-tossed sea.