The scent of blood and antiseptic filled my nostrils as I dragged Oliver's unconscious body across the threshold of Blood Moon Pack territory. My muscles screamed in protest, but I couldn't stop. Wouldn't stop. Not when his life hung by a thread.

"Please," I whispered, my voice breaking as I spotted the packhouse in the distance. "Just hold on a little longer."

Oliver's breathing grew more labored with each step. The rogue attack had left him barely clinging to life—three deep gashes across his chest, a punctured lung, and a broken leg. He'd saved me from those rogues, and now I'd do anything to save him.

The pack healer. That was my only hope.

I shifted Oliver's weight, adjusting my grip as I approached the medical building. The scent of medicinal herbs grew stronger, mingling with the metallic tang of blood.

"Help!" I called out, my voice echoing through the empty hallway. "Please, I need the healer!"

A tall figure appeared in the doorway, his silver-streaked hair pulled back neatly, his expression guarded. "Who are you? And why are you bringing an outsider into our territory?"

"Please," I begged, lowering Oliver to the floor. "He's dying. I'll do anything."

The man—Marcus Stone, I realized, the pack healer—knelt beside Oliver, his hands moving expertly over the wounds. His eyes widened slightly. "These are deep. He needs immediate attention."

"Then help him!" I pleaded.

Before Marcus could respond, a commanding presence filled the room. The air seemed to thicken, pressing against my skin with an almost physical weight.

"I don't recall inviting outsiders into my territory."

I turned slowly, my heart stuttering in my chest as I came face to face with him. Jacob. The boy I'd once loved, now a man—and an Alpha. His dark eyes narrowed as they met mine, recognition flickering across his features before hardening into something cold and hateful.

"Jacob," I whispered, his name falling from my lips like a prayer.

His nostrils flared slightly, and I knew he was catching my scent. The mate bond—that invisible thread that had always connected us—pulled taut between us.

"You're my mate," he stated flatly, no emotion in his voice. "How... convenient."

I swallowed hard, forcing myself to meet his gaze. "I need your help. Please. Oliver saved my life, and now he needs yours."

Jacob circled me slowly, his Alpha aura pressing down on me like a physical weight. "And what could I possibly gain from helping you?"

"Anything," I whispered, desperation clawing at my throat. "I'll do anything."

His lips curved into a smile that never reached his eyes. "Anything?"

I nodded, my heart sinking as understanding dawned. "Yes."

"Then submit to me," Jacob said, his voice dropping lower. "Accept my mark, my claim. Become mine."

The implications hung heavy in the air between us. This wasn't about love or fate or the Moon Goddess's blessing. This was about revenge.

"Jacob, please," I tried once more, tears stinging my eyes.

"Those are my terms," he cut me off. "Take them or leave. Your... friend doesn't have much time."

I looked down at Oliver's pale face, then back at Jacob's cold eyes. What choice did I have?

"I accept," I whispered.

Jacob's eyes flashed with triumph as he leaned down, his breath hot against my neck. "Then let's get this over with."

The marking was nothing like I'd imagined it would be. There was no tenderness, no gentle caress—just the sharp pain of teeth breaking skin as Jacob bit into the sensitive juncture between my neck and shoulder.

I gasped, tears streaming down my face as the mate bond flared to life between us—not a warm embrace but a cold, unyielding chain.

"It's done," Jacob said, wiping a drop of my blood from his lip. "You belong to me now."

He turned to Marcus. "Save him."

The healer nodded, already working to stabilize Oliver as Jacob gripped my arm, dragging me from the room.

"Where are you taking me?" I asked, stumbling after him.

"To your new home," he replied coldly.

The packhouse loomed before us, imposing and grand. But instead of being led to the Luna's quarters, Jacob pushed me into the great hall where dozens of pack members had gathered.

"Attention," he called out, his Alpha voice silencing the room. "I have marked my mate."

Murmurs rippled through the crowd as all eyes turned to me.

"But," Jacob continued, his grip tightening painfully on my arm, "she will not be joining us as Luna."

Gasps echoed through the hall as Jacob turned to face me, his eyes glittering with malice.

"Jovie Weaver," he announced formally, "I hereby strip you of all rank within this pack. You will serve as an Omega slave, attending to the needs of myself and my foster sister, Ivory."

A slender blonde stepped forward, her lips curving into a triumphant smirk as she took her place at Jacob's side.

"Welcome to your new life," Ivory whispered, loud enough for only me to hear. "It's going to be hell."

I stood frozen, the mate bond pulsing painfully in my chest as Jacob's words sank in. Not Luna. Not even a regular pack member.

An Omega slave.

The lowest of the low.

And from the look in Jacob's eyes, this was only the beginning of his revenge.

Three years. Three long, torturous years since I'd made my deal with the devil.

I scrubbed the marble floor of the packhouse entrance on my hands and knees, my fingers raw and bleeding. The cold seeped through my thin Omega uniform, a far cry from the Luna robes I should have worn as Jacob's mate.

"Put your back into it," Ivory's voice dripped with honey-coated venom as she circled me like a predator. "You missed a spot."

I kept my head down, focusing on breathing through the pain. My inner wolf, once vibrant and strong, now whimpered weakly inside me. She'd been beaten down by Jacob's Alpha aura so many times that she rarely stirred anymore.

"Look at me when I'm speaking to you," Ivory snapped, her perfectly manicured nails digging into my shoulder.

I raised my eyes slowly. "I'm sorry, Miss Ivory."

"Sorry?" She laughed, the sound like shattered glass. "Being sorry won't get these floors clean."

She deliberately dragged her muddy boots across the section I'd just finished, leaving dark smears across the wet marble.

"Clean it again," she ordered.

Jacob stood in the doorway, watching with cold detachment. His dark eyes held no trace of the boy I'd once loved—only hatred and satisfaction at my suffering.

"You're taking too long," he said, his Alpha tone vibrating through the air. "The pack meeting starts in twenty minutes."

I nodded quickly, returning to my task as tears threatened to spill. I wouldn't give them the satisfaction.

---

By evening, my stomach cramped with hunger. The pack dining hall buzzed with conversation and laughter while I lingered in the shadows, waiting for scraps.

"Here," a young Delta tossed me a plate with a few bites of meat and some wilted vegetables. "Don't take too long."

I ate quickly, standing in the corner where I wouldn't be seen. The food was barely enough to sustain me, but I'd learned to make it last.

"Jovie!" Ivory's voice cut through the noise. "Come clear the tables."

I moved mechanically, collecting plates and avoiding eye contact with the pack members who once might have shown me kindness. Now they looked through me as if I were invisible.

When I reached Ivory's seat, she deliberately knocked over her water glass, soaking my already threadbare uniform.

"Oops," she giggled. "How clumsy of me."

Jacob watched from the head table, his lips curved in a slight smile that never reached his eyes.

---

My "room" was little more than a closet at the far end of the packhouse, far from the warmth of the main living areas. A thin mattress on the floor, a threadbare blanket, and a single light bulb hanging from the ceiling were my only comforts.

I curled into myself, shivering as the cold seeped through the walls. My wolf stirred briefly, offering what little warmth she could.

"Jovie?"

I startled at the soft voice outside my door. Oliver's scent reached me before his face appeared in the doorway.

"You shouldn't be here," I whispered, glancing nervously down the hall. "If Jacob finds you—"

"I had to see you," he said, his eyes filled with anguish. "I can't stand watching this anymore."

He stepped inside, his tall frame filling the tiny space. "Let me help you. Let me take you away from here."

"No," I said firmly, though my heart ached at his offer. "Jacob would hunt you down."

"I don't care—"

"You should," I cut him off. "I sacrificed everything to save you. Don't throw that away."

Oliver's jaw tightened as he looked at the bruises on my arms, the hollows in my cheeks. "This isn't what I wanted."

"I know." I touched his face gently. "But it's what I chose."

A crash from down the hall made us both freeze. Heavy footsteps approached.

"Go," I pleaded. "Please."

Oliver hesitated, then pressed a small package into my hands. "Food. Medicine. Take it."

He slipped away just as Jacob's shadow fell across my doorway.

"Who was that?" Jacob demanded, his Alpha aura flooding the room like a physical force.

I clutched the package behind my back. "No one."

His eyes narrowed dangerously. "Don't lie to me."

"I wasn't talking to anyone," I said, my voice steady despite my racing heart.

Jacob stepped closer, his scent—once so comforting—now terrifying. "Remember your place, Jovie."

I lowered my eyes. "Yes, Alpha."

As he turned to leave, I caught a glimpse of something in his expression—a flicker of doubt, perhaps. Or was it something else?

Either way, I knew one thing with absolute certainty: my hell was far from over.

Ivy's eyes gleamed with malice as she slipped the silver pendant—Jacob's mother's most prized possession—into my pocket while I was scrubbing the floors. I didn't notice until later, when she dramatically accused me in front of the entire pack.

"Search her!" she demanded, her voice trembling with fabricated outrage. "She's been sneaking around the Alpha's quarters!"

Jacob's dark eyes narrowed as he approached me, his Alpha aura pressing down like a physical weight. "Empty your pockets."

I obeyed, my hands shaking as I pulled out the few meager possessions I carried—and watched in horror as the silver pendant clattered to the floor.

"I didn't—" I began, but Jacob's growl silenced me.

"Mother's pendant," he snarled, his voice deadly quiet. "You dared to steal from my mother?"

"I would never!" I pleaded, looking desperately at the gathered pack members. No one stepped forward. No one defended me.

"Take her to the main hall," Jacob ordered, his face a mask of cold fury.

Two Delta wolves gripped my arms, dragging me through the corridors as whispers followed us like shadows. The main hall was already filled with pack members, their faces a blur of curiosity and judgment.

Jacob stood at the center, his posture rigid with authority. "My mate has stolen from my family. From my dead mother."

Ivy stood beside him, her expression a perfect blend of shock and sorrow—but her eyes betrayed her, glittering with triumph.

"Please," I whispered, my voice breaking. "I didn't take it. I would never—"

"Silence!" Jacob roared, his Alpha tone vibrating through the air.

Ivy stepped forward, her voice honey-sweet but laced with venom. "Perhaps she needs a lesson in respect, Jacob. In submission."

She disappeared into the kitchen, returning moments later with a steaming pot that filled the air with a bitter, acrid scent. Wolfsbane. My wolf stirred uneasily within me.

"This will teach her," Ivy said, her lips curving into a smile that didn't reach her eyes. "Make her drink it all."

Jacob's eyes darkened as he took the pot from her hands. "Drink."

I shook my head, terror clawing at my throat. "No, please—"

"DRINK!" His Alpha command slammed into me like a physical blow, forcing my body to obey even as my mind screamed in protest.

My hands moved against my will, lifting the pot to my lips. The first sip burned like fire, the wolfsbane immediately attacking my throat. I choked, gasping for air as Jacob's command kept the pot pressed to my mouth.

"Swallow it all," he growled, his eyes flashing with Alpha power.

The scalding liquid poured down my throat, each swallow more agonizing than the last. My throat felt like it was being shredded from within, the wolfsbane searing through flesh and muscle. My wolf howled in agony, retreating deeper into my consciousness with each burning swallow.

When the pot was empty, Jacob released me. I collapsed to the floor, my body convulsing as waves of pain radiated from my throat. Blood trickled from the corner of my mouth, mixing with the bitter wolfsbane.

"My wolf," I gasped, clutching at my chest. "She's—"

The damage was immediate and devastating. I could feel my wolf retreating, growing fainter with each labored breath. The wolfsbane had attacked not just my throat but the very essence of my werewolf nature.

Jacob staggered slightly, his hand flying to his chest as he felt an echo of my pain through our mate bond. For a moment—just a moment—something like regret flickered in his eyes.

Then his expression hardened once more. "This is what happens when you steal from my family."

Ivy knelt beside me, her voice a venomous whisper meant only for my ears. "How does it feel, Jovie? To lose everything?"

I tried to speak again, but only a rasping sound emerged from my ruined throat. My vocal cords were destroyed, my wolf barely a flicker within me.

Jacob turned away, leaving me writhing on the cold marble floor as pack members dispersed around me like water around a stone.

Through tears of pain, I watched him walk away, his broad shoulders rigid with stubborn pride. And in that moment, something inside me—something deeper than my wolf, more fundamental than my voice—began to change.

The mate bond pulsed between us, a living thing that neither of us could fully ignore. But as darkness crept into the edges of my vision, one thought crystallized with perfect clarity:

This would not break me.

It would forge me into something new. Something stronger.

Something that would eventually break free.