“Seize her!! Take her to the dungeons.”

“Thud…” The sound of my knees hitting the stone floor echoed through the pack hall as the guards forced me down.

My hands were stained with blood that wasn’t mine and my body was shaking uncontrollably.

Everyone was staring at me with horror and disgust written all over their faces. The pack members who had been celebrating just moments ago now looked at me like I was a monster they had never seen before.

How did everything go so wrong in just one night when i was supposed to be the happiest girl in the world?

My name is Ariana Nightfall and I am the cursed daughter of the pack’s greatest traitors according to everyone who knows my story.

My parents were exiled from the pack when my mother was pregnant with me but the pack council decided that I must stay behind to pay for my parents’ sins. They said I was a symbol of shame and punishment that the pack needed to remember.

I was supposed to shift into my wolf form when I turned sixteen like every other Alpha’s child but nothing happened on my birthday. The pack believed I was wolfless and cursed by the Moon Goddess for my family’s crimes. They treated me like a servant and made me work in the kitchens from dawn until midnight every single day.

But on my eighteenth birthday two months ago, something incredible happened when I was alone in the forest gathering herbs for the pack kitchen. My bones began to crack and reshape as golden light surrounded my body, and suddenly I was standing on four powerful legs with fur as black as midnight and eyes that glowed like silver stars.

My wolf was not only present but incredibly strong and beautiful, with an aura that spoke of Alpha bloodline running through my veins despite what everyone believed about my cursed nature. I knew immediately that I had to keep this secret hidden because revealing my true nature would either get me killed or cause even more problems for the pack that already hated me.

The only person who knew about my wolf was Owen Steele, the future Alpha and my fated mate who had felt our bond the moment I shifted and came to find me in the forest that night. He promised me that he would acknowledge our mate bond publicly after his father’s retirement ceremony, and finally give me the acceptance and love I had been craving my entire life.

“Ariana, you worthless girl, get up and go wash these dishes before I decide to make your punishment even worse!” Luna Margaret’s harsh voice brought me back to the present as she threw a bucket of scalding hot water over my head and shoulders.

“Sorry I will do that right away!” I said quickly while running cold water over my burned hands to stop the pain from spreading. The other kitchen workers laughed at my clumsiness and went back to preparing food for tonight’s celebration ceremony while I washed the dishes.

I was doing all this backbreaking work with hope and excitement filling my heart because tonight Owen would finally claim me as his mate and Luna after the retirement ceremony.

Soon I would no longer be the pack’s servant and scapegoat, but the respected and loved Luna who would help lead our people into a brighter future alongside the man who had shown me kindness when no one else would.

After finishing all the dishes I quietly sneaked out of the kitchen and made my way to Owen’s room where he had told me to meet him.

My hands were shaking with nervousness and excitement as I climbed the stairs because this was the moment I had been dreaming about for so long.

I reached his door and took a deep breath before slowly turning the handle and stepping inside his room. What I saw there destroyed every dream I had ever dared to have about my future with the man I loved.

Blood was everywhere covering the walls and floor like someone had painted the room red with death. Owen stood in the middle of the horror holding a silver knife that dripped with fresh blood while his eyes looked wild and desperate like a trapped animal.

On the floor beside him lay Mara who was one of the few pack members who had ever shown me any kindness in my miserable life. Her throat had been cut so deep that blood pooled around her head like a dark halo and her eyes stared at the ceiling seeing nothing.

"Owen what did you do." My voice came out as a strangled whisper as I stared at the scene that looked like something from my worst nightmares. He turned to look at me with panic written all over his face and I could see his hands shaking as he held the bloody weapon.

"She tried to force herself on me and there was a struggle." His words tumbled out fast and desperate as he tried to explain what had happened in his room. "I didn't mean for this to happen Ariana you have to believe me it was an accident."

I stood there frozen in shock as he continued talking about how Mara had cornered him after the ceremony and tried to seduce him even though he was supposed to be with me tonight. He said she became violent when he rejected her advances and attacked him with the knife before he managed to take it away from her.

"They will exile me from the pack if anyone finds out what happened here." Owen's voice broke as he looked at me with desperate eyes that begged me to understand his situation. "I'm finally so close to having everything I've worked for and now this."

I stared at him and then at Mara's lifeless body while trying to process what he was asking me to do without actually saying the words out loud. Then

“So what do you want me to do?” I asked him quietly while my heart began to break into a million pieces.

Owen looked directly into my eyes with desperation and fear written all over his handsome face.

“I’m asking you to take the fall for me.”

I couldn’t believe my ears as Owen’s words echoed in my mind like a terrible nightmare that refused to end no matter how desperately I wanted to wake up from this horror.

The man I loved more than my own life, the person who had promised to cherish and protect me forever, was asking me to destroy my future and possibly my life just to save his reputation and position in the pack.

“That’s too much to ask, Owen! Yes, I love you more than my own life, but asking me to confess to murder is asking me to throw away any chance I have of ever being free from this pack’s hatred!” I said with my voice breaking as tears started flowing down my cheeks.

“Please, Ariana, you know how much becoming Alpha means to me and to this pack, and you also know that I’m the only one who can lead our people to prosperity and peace!” Owen pleaded as he dropped the bloody knife and moved closer to me with desperation written all over his handsome face.

“But what about me, Owen? What about our future together and the life you promised we would build as mates?” I whispered as I backed away from him until my shoulders hit the cold wall behind me.

“Once I become Alpha in two days, I promise I’ll find a way to get you out of prison and we can be together forever as we always planned!” He said as he reached out to cup my face in his hands that still had traces of Mara’s blood on them.

The way he was looking at me with love and promise shining in his dark eyes made my heart skip several beats as I imagined a future where we could be together openly and proudly.

“You really promise that you’ll save me once you have the power to do so?” I asked quietly while searching his face for any sign that he might be lying to me about his intentions.

“I swear on my life and my future title as Alpha that I will move heaven and earth to bring you back to me, my beautiful mate.” Owen whispered as he leaned down and pressed his forehead against mine in the intimate gesture that always made me feel like the most precious thing in the world.

I felt my resistance melting away completely as I realized that I would do anything for this man who had shown me love when everyone else had shown me only hatred and cruelty.

“Okay, I’ll do it for you because I trust you with my heart and my life.”

Owen’s face lit up with relief and gratitude as he pulled me into his strong arms and held me tight against his chest where I could hear his heart beating rapidly.

When we finally broke apart, I knew what I had to do as I walked over to where the bloody knife lay on the carpet and picked it up with hands that were surprisingly steady.

I deliberately smeared Mara’s blood on my clothes and hands until it looked like I had been the one fighting with her in a deadly struggle that ended with her death.

Just as I finished covering myself with evidence of the crime, the sound of heavy footsteps echoed in the hallway followed by urgent voices calling Owen’s name.

“What’s taking so long up there? The ceremony is almost over and people are looking for you!” Beta James’s voice boomed from outside the door as several warriors pushed their way into the room.

The warriors froze in shock when they saw me standing over Mara’s body with blood covering my hands and clothes while Owen stood several feet away looking horrified by the scene.

People from the retirement ceremony began crowding into the room behind the warriors, all gasping and pointing at me as they tried to understand what had happened in their future Alpha’s private chambers.

I looked directly at Owen one last time and saw him nod slightly giving me permission.

“I killed her because she was always cruel to me and tonight she pushed me too far!” I said loudly enough for everyone in the room to hear while my heart shattered into a million pieces.

“Seize her immediately! This murderer has brought shame and violence to our sacred ceremony!” Alpha Marcus roared as his warriors rushed forward to grab my arms and drag me away from the scene of my supposed crime.

I was thrown to the floor so hard that my knees cracked against the stone while the pack members who had gathered began cursing my name and spitting at my face.

As they dragged me through the hallway toward the dungeons, more people came running from the ceremony to see what all the commotion was about, and soon I was surrounded by dozens of angry faces calling me every horrible name they could think of.

“Ariana! Ariana, please tell me this isn’t true!” Cynthia’s desperate voice cut through all the other noise as my best friend came running toward me with tears streaming down her face.

“Don’t worry about me, Cynthia, everything will be fine in the end!” I managed to say before the guards yanked me further away from the only person besides Owen who had ever shown me genuine kindness and friendship.

People continued cursing me and shouting things like “murderer,” “traitor’s daughter,” and “worthless scum” as I was dragged through the packhouse and down the stone steps that led to the underground dungeons.

The shame and humiliation I felt in that moment was nothing compared to what I had experienced throughout my life, and I knew that I would endure much worse than this for the man I loved and the future we would share together.

They threw me into a cold, damp cell while slamming the heavy iron door shut with a sound that echoed through my bones.

That night, the guards came to my cell with whips and clubs.

“You think you can just kill whoever you want because you’re already the lowest of the low, don’t you, murderer?” Guard Captain Rex sneered as he brought his whip down across my back with enough force to tear through my thin dress and into my skin.

I bit my lip until it bled to keep from screaming as they beat me over and over again while calling me every cruel name they could think of and reminding me that I was nothing but the worthless daughter of traitors.

“Your parents were murderers and now you’ve proven that evil blood runs in your family!” Another guard spat in my face before kicking me in the ribs so hard that I heard something crack inside my chest.

They beat me until my entire body was covered in bruises and cuts while I curled up on the filthy floor trying to protect my head and vital organs from their relentless assault.

“Maybe this will teach you that people like you don’t belong in civilized society!” Guard Rex laughed as he stomped on my hand with his heavy boot, crushing my fingers until I couldn’t hold back my scream of agony any longer.

They continued beating me until I could barely move or think clearly, and then they left me alone in the darkness to suffer through the long night with only my pain and regret.

In the morning, I woke up to the sound of heavy chains being dragged across the stone floor as several guards entered my cell with grim expressions on their faces.

“Where are you taking me?” I asked weakly as they roughly pulled me to my feet and began fastening the chains around my wrists and ankles with locks that felt like they would never come off.

“Today is your judgment day, murderer, and you’re going to face the consequences of your evil actions in front of the entire pack.” The head guard said with a cruel smile as he tightened the shackles until they cut into my already wounded skin and made me cry out in fresh pain.

I tried to push myself up from the filthy floor where I had been lying in my own blood, but my legs were so weak and battered that I collapsed back down with a cry of pain that echoed through the dungeon.

"I said get up!" Rex grabbed my arm and yanked me to my feet so roughly that I felt something tear in my shoulder as he dragged me toward the cell door.

The chains around my ankles were so heavy that I could barely lift my feet as they forced me to walk up the stone steps that led out of the underground prison metal shackles cut deeper into my already wounded ankles and wrists, leaving a trail of blood drops on the cold stone behind me.

My vision was blurry from exhaustion and pain, but I could hear the angry voices of pack members gathering in the chamber ahead of us as word spread that the murderer was finally going to face justice.

When we reached the massive wooden doors of the judgment chamber, I took a deep breath and tried to prepare myself for what was coming next.

The doors swung open and I was pushed into a room filled with every member of our pack, all of them staring at me with hatred and disgust written clearly across their faces.

"Bring the prisoner forward!" Alpha Marcus commanded from his throne at the front of the chamber, his voice booming through the room and making everyone fall silent.

The guards dragged me across the room until I was standing directly in front of the Alpha's throne, where I was forced to my knees once again on the hard marble floor.

I could feel hundreds of pairs of eyes boring into me as I knelt there in my torn and bloodstained dress, looking like the monster they all believed me to be.

"Ariana Nightfall, daughter of the exiled traitors who brought shame upon this pack," Alpha Marcus began.

"Do you confess to the murder of Mara, a loyal member of this pack who served us faithfully until her life was cut short by your evil hands?"

I lifted my head and searched the crowd until my eyes found Owen standing near the front of the chamber, looking handsome and confident in his ceremonial robes.

He was staring at me with his eyes full of silent pleas, but when our eyes met he gave me the smallest nod that reminded me of his promise to save me once he became Alpha.

The memory of his words from that terrible night filled my heart with hope and strength as I remembered how he had sworn to move heaven and earth to bring me back to him.

"Yes," I said loudly enough for everyone in the chamber to hear my confession clearly. "I admit to the crime of murdering Mara."

The crowd erupted in angry shouts and cheers as they heard me confess to the murder that had shocked everyone in the pack.

"Of course the traitor's daughter would commit such a horrible crime!" someone shouted from the back of the room.

"Evil blood runs in her family and now she's proven it!" another voice called out with satisfaction.

Alpha Marcus raised his hand and immediately the entire chamber fell into complete silence as everyone waited to hear what he would say next.

"Bring the body forward so that we may see the evidence of this terrible crime," he commanded with authority that made the guards jump into action.

Four warriors carried Mara's body into the center of the chamber and placed it on a table where everyone could see what had been done to her.

Alpha Marcus walked over to the table and pulled back the white cloth that covered Mara's face and neck, revealing the deep wound that had ended her life.

"Explain to us exactly how this murder took place, Ariana Nightfall," the Alpha demanded as he turned to face me with eyes that seemed to see right through to my soul.

This was my moment to create a story that would save my life while still protecting Owen from the consequences of what had really happened that night.

"Mara and I had an argument in Owen's room after the ceremony," I began with my voice shaking slightly as I tried to sound believable.

"She said terrible things about my family and called my parents cowards and traitors who deserved to be exiled from the pack."

I paused to take a breath and saw that everyone in the room was hanging on every word I spoke.

"I became so angry that I lost control of myself and grabbed the knife from Owen's desk before she could stop me," I continued with my story.

"I stabbed her in the throat before I realized what I had done, and then I panicked and tried to clean up the blood but it was too late."

Alpha Marcus stared at me for a long moment with suspicion written clearly across his face.

"Do you think we are fools, girl?" he asked in a dangerously quiet voice.

"How is it possible for a worthless and cursed omega like you to overpower someone with Beta blood running through her veins?"

My heart began racing as I realized that my story had holes that the Alpha could see through easily.

"She was caught off guard and didn't expect me to attack her," I said desperately as I tried to make my lie sound more believable.

Alpha Marcus looked at me for another long moment before shaking his head with disgust.

"The final judgment will be passed on you after the coronation of our new Alpha tomorrow," he declared as he waved his hand to dismiss me from his presence.

"Until then, you will remain in the dungeons where creatures like you belong."

The guards grabbed my arms and dragged me back toward the doors as the crowd continued shouting insults and threats at me.

As I was pulled from the chamber, I caught one last glimpse of Owen standing among the other pack leaders.

Back in my cold and damp cell, I curled up on the dirty floor and tried to ignore the pain that was radiating through every part of my battered body.

The guards continued to treat me cruelly, bringing me spoiled food that was barely fit for animals and kicking me whenever they felt like reminding me of my place in their world.

All I had to hold onto was Owen's promise that he would save me once he had the power to do so as the new Alpha of our pack.

Late that evening, I heard familiar footsteps approaching my cell and looked up to see Cynthia standing outside the iron bars with a basket of food in her hands.

"Ariana, I've been trying to visit you, but the guards wouldn't let me pass," she said softly as she passed the basket through the bars.

The food she brought me was the first decent meal I had eaten since being thrown into this horrible place, and I felt tears of gratitude running down my cheeks.

"When is the coronation ceremony?" I asked her quietly as I ate the warm bread and meat she had smuggled to me.

"Tomorrow," Cynthia replied.

"Then I'll finally be free," I whispered with hope filling my heart as I thought about Owen's promise.

"Is that what he promised you?" she asked, and I noticed that her tone had changed completely from the gentle voice she usually used when speaking to me.

"Tomorrow after the coronation ceremony, I'll come back here with a surprise for you," she said with a smile and walked away into the darkness.

The next day I could hear the sounds of celebration echoing throughout the packhouse as everyone prepared for Owen's coronation as our new Alpha.

Music and laughter drifted down to the dungeons, reminding me that soon I would be able to join the festivities as Owen's acknowledged mate and Luna.

My heart was pounding with excitement and anticipation as the hours passed and I knew that my freedom was getting closer with each moment.

Late in the afternoon, I heard footsteps approaching my cell and looked up to see Owen walking toward me with the unmistakable aura of Alpha power radiating from his body.

"You're now an Alpha," I said with a smile as I felt the change in his presence that told me the coronation ceremony had been completed successfully.

"When are you getting me out of here?" I asked, trying not to sound too desperate even though my heart was racing with excitement.

"Tomorrow," Owen replied with a strange expression on his face.

"There's something I still want to show you first."

Before I could ask him what he meant, I heard another set of footsteps and turned to see Cynthia walking into the dungeon area with a confidence I had never seen from her before.

"Cynthia! Is this the surprise you mentioned?" I asked with excitement as I thought about how wonderful it would be to celebrate my freedom with my two favorite people.

But instead of answering my question, Owen stepped closer to Cynthia and placed his hands on her waist as she moved into his arms.

I watched in complete shock and disbelief as Owen leaned down and pressed his lips to Cynthia's in a deep, passionate kiss that lasted far too long to be anything but romantic.

The kiss that shattered my heart into a million pieces and destroyed every dream I had ever dared to have about my future with the man I loved.