Chapter 1: My Eighteenth Birthday

"Clean the damn floor and tidy the kitchen! The party ended an hour ago, and it still looks like shit!" The chief maid screamed at me. I hurried to grab the dirty rag, my hands already raw from scrubbing all day. The floor was sticky with spilled drinks and food. My knees ached as I crawled around, cleaning up after people who saw me as less than dirt.

It's been two years since I was pronounced a wolfless wolf by my pack, called an abomination, and degraded to an omega. I was even given a special title.

"The omega of the Omegas! Hahahaha, that's so funny..." Aries mumbled in my head, taunting me like usual, and I gave a sarcastic smile.

"Yes, that's so funny. Like it's my fault," I groaned at her, and she purred, now feeling sorry for me.

They never knew my wolf surfaced that night, and she spoke to me. Like every other werewolf, I had connected with my wolf, and it had been a secret.

"Oh, it seems you're just getting started, aren't you?" I looked up. Lily stood in the doorway, smirking down at me. Her perfectly clean dress made me painfully aware of my stained, torn clothes.

"This is going to be so much fun, watching you clean all that," she said, her voice dripping with fake sweetness. "Oh, Aveline, my dear, seeing you like this just made my day. I'm going to tell the chief maid that there's no food for you until you've cleaned the entire kitchen and pack house."

She giggled, about to skip away, when she turned, like she'd forgotten something.

"Happy birthday to us! I hope little Ren hasn't wished you that first. But considering the next alpha will be my new mate, and I will be the next Luna of the pack, and he is throwing me a huge party... I might consider taking it easy on you, hahahaha."

She sarcastically whispered, and then she skipped away, leaving me crouched by the kitchen island, my breath hitching as the tears were about to spring forth again.

I could feel my wolf snuggling inside my head, purring and also feeling the pain I was feeling.

"I fucking hate her and her stupid alpha." My wolf nodded, acknowledging my hate for them.

"But you like him," my wolf whispered, stretching like she'd just woken up.

"Stop listening to my thoughts, Aries," I said, arranging the dirty plates with shaking hands.

She was right; I'd always had a crush on Desmond right from the good old days, and Lily knew about it; that's what made it hurt the most.

"Today is our birthday! I mean, I came into your life two years ago, but still-it's our birthday!" Aries practically screamed in my head.

I rolled my eyes. I knew what day it was, but I'd chosen to ignore it like always.

"There's nothing to be excited about."

"But it's our eighteenth birthday! The one we've been waiting for! The day we meet our mate who will sweep us off our feet and take us away from this hellhole!"

I groaned. Aries was everything I wasn't-happy, hopeful, and never giving up on love. I'd stopped believing in fairy tales a long time ago.

The pack was rumbling with activities. Today wasn't just my birthday; it was Lily's too, and Desmond was throwing her a big birthday party in her honor, and today she would find her mate.

I was now done with house chores, struggling to see if I could get a piece of bread crumb to eat before I fainted because I was exhausted as hell. Luckily, I saw some leftovers in the kitchen, and I quickly devoured them like I hadn't eaten in weeks, my hands shaking as I shoved the food in my mouth.

"Your presence is needed in the packhouse. We need more food and more water." The chief maid said, and I nodded, wiping my hands quickly as I stomped off to the party. I hated being here, among spoiled brats who stared at me like an abomination.

"Welcome, everyone, to my daughter's birthday party and the Mate Bonding Party. This day isn't just for her but for the future of the entire pack. As the goddess may as well know, we want my daughter to be united with our lovely alpha, Desmond, and today, the goddess shall grant us that." Beta Richard said, holding a glass of wine as he raised it for a toast. Everyone cheered and raised their glasses as they toasted one another.

As I pushed myself among each person, ensuring everyone had what they needed, the room went quiet. An elder came out from the entrance, standing in the middle of the ballroom.

The old lady called Eleanor looked around the party, then her eyes landed on me, pausing on me for a second before she looked away.

"What was that about?" My wolf questioned, but I ignored her, watching as Eleanor began chanting some special moon words. She poured out some incense from the golden cup she held onto the ground, and suddenly, there was a surge of energy that filled the entire party. It was an energy everyone could feel.

Then it hit me; I picked up a scent that hit me like a strong wind. My whole body froze. It smelled divine, rich like the most expensive citrus scent, mixed with a dark, woodsy scent, and I felt my legs unconsciously walking me toward the scent, wherever it came from.

Aries was already purring with satisfaction and excitement. With each step I took, the scent grew stronger. I could see my pack staring at me awkwardly, but I didn't care at that point. That scent, that wonderful scent-I wanted to know who had it.

The scent was so strong, so perfect, it made my knees weak.

My mouth watered. My heart kept racing with each step, then I stopped involuntarily, like something urged me to stop. When I looked up, the scent was so heavy on the man standing in front of me, his eyes glaring into mine, and my wolf purred.

"Mate."

My heart stopped for a moment, my very soul shattered into tiny little pieces as I whispered.

"Alpha Desmond..."

The word hung in the air like poison.

I could feel every eye in the room burning into me. The party had gone dead silent. Even the music stopped.

Desmond's face went through about ten different emotions in two seconds. Shock. Recognition. Then something that looked like disgust.

"No." His voice was barely a whisper, but everyone heard it. "No, this can't be right."

His eyes burned into mine like I was something that shouldn't exist.

CHAPTER 2: Marked

My heart shattered into pieces, every fiber of me breaking at the sudden realization-my life was filth, and I wasn't meant to be happy.

'He hates us. He despises us.' My wolf whispered. I could hear her sharp intake and could feel her pain coursing through me like ice water.

For a second, it felt like I saw something shift in Desmond's eyes, like he had recognized something. Suddenly, his eyes lit up, burning with an intensity that was the complete opposite of what he'd had when I called him mate.

"Hello, mate. I'm so sorry; I was just shocked at the fact that you are my mate." His voice vibrated through the walls of the party, sending everyone gasping and shocked at the sudden turn of events. My wolf stirred uneasily inside me, not comfortable and not trusting his words. There was something about him, this energy he gave off, that made me want to back away.

"No! You can't do this to me, Father! Alpha Philip, you can't allow him to be mates with this wretched, wolfless omega. She can't be Luna!" Lily screamed, scrambling toward Desmond as she grabbed his hands. Her eyes filled with tears, and when they turned toward me, they burned with hatred that I'd never seen to such an extent.

"She's my mate, Lily. I can't reject her now, can I?" He said, looking at her softly. His eyes had this twinkle in them when he stared at her, like he was telling her a secret, and her eyes instantly lit up with understanding.

'This is not good, Aveline. I don't like this... He's planning something. We need to leave here now.' Aries whispered. I could feel the fear in her voice-it was so palpable it made my skin crawl.

Desmond moved slightly, now focused on me, and then he turned to look at the pack members, who were as confused as I was.

"Today, the goddess has blessed me with a mate, and today, I shall honor the words of the goddess. Today, I shall seal her fate-our fate." His voice pierced through the quiet room. No whispers, no words, just suffocating silence.

And with that, he strode toward me.

'Run, Aveline! Run! Don't let him do this!' Aries whispered again, the fear still there. I hadn't seen Aries so scared like this, and the fear was creeping in on me so that it made my heart beat fast.

Before I could complete my words, Desmond pulled me into his arms. His scent bagged my nostrils like fire, and I felt my body caged against his. His scent was so heavy, so thick, so fucking good that I didn't want to leave his hold. His face was so intimately close to mine-this was the first time in two years I had been so close to him, the first time in my life I had been so intimately close to a man who was my mate. I felt Aries hum at his scent, but something was strange. I couldn't feel his wolf's presence, like his wolf didn't want to be close to me, and that was when it hit me-this was a trick.

Before I could think of what to do, his teeth came bearing down on my neck, sharp and fast, digging into my neck and marking me at that moment. I felt a piercing pain ripple through my body as it convulsed for a second. Then quickly, he pushed me off, making my weak body fall to the ground. I heard the entire pack gasp at what had just happened.

Aries wailed loudly, her cries filling my head, and I felt like a volcano that was about to explode.

He claimed me without my consent, without asking, without caring what I wanted. The mark burned on my neck like acid, and I could feel warm blood trickling down my skin.

"What the fuck did you just do to me?" I whispered, my voice shaking as I touched the throbbing wound on my neck.

Desmond looked down at me like I was nothing. Like I was dirt on his shoe.

"I marked you," he said, his voice cold as winter. "But don't think for a second that it means anything."

The pack was staring at us, confused as hell. Some were whispering among themselves. Others looked shocked, their mouths hanging open, while others looked disgusted.

"You see," Desmond continued, his voice getting louder so everyone could hear, "the goddess may have cursed me with this pathetic excuse for a mate, but I'm not stupid."

My heart was pounding so hard I thought it might explode right out of my chest.

"By marking her, I've sealed the bond. Which means..." He smiled, and it was the cruelest thing I'd ever seen. "I can reject her properly. With the full power of the moon goddess behind it."

"No," I whispered, scrambling to get up from the floor. My legs felt like jelly. "No, No, please, you can't-"

"I, Alpha Desmond of the Duskfall Pack, reject you, Aveline, as my mate and Luna."

The words hit me like a physical blow to the chest. The bond that had just formed started ripping apart inside me, tearing through my soul like claws. I screamed, the pain so intense I couldn't breathe, couldn't think, and couldn't do anything but feel like I was being torn in half.

Aries was howling in my head, her cries mixing with mine in a symphony of agony.

"And because you're marked," Desmond said, watching me writhe on the floor like I was entertainment to all of them, "the rejection will hurt ten times worse. You'll feel it for days. Maybe weeks or forever."

Lily was laughing now, clapping her hands like this was the best show she'd ever seen.

"Oh, this is perfect," she giggled. "She looks like she's dying!"

I felt like I was dying. The mark on my neck burned like someone was holding a branding iron to my skin, and the broken bond felt like someone was tearing my soul in half with their bare hands.

"Get her out of here," Desmond said, turning away from me like I was already forgotten, already nothing. "I don't want to see her pathetic face anymore."

Two pack members grabbed my arms and started dragging me toward the door. I couldn't fight them. I could barely think through the waves of pain crashing over me.

"Happy birthday to me," I whispered, blood from the bite still warm and sticky on my neck.

The last thing I heard before they threw me outside like garbage was Lily's voice, sweet as poison and twice as deadly.

"Now, Alpha Desmond, shall we continue MY party?"

Chapter 3: No Saving Grace

I was thrown into a dungeon filled with crickets and rats.

It's been three days since I was rejected; no one had come to look for me, and my body had been shaken by what had happened at the party. The mark on my neck throbbed like a second heartbeat, sending waves of fire through my veins every few seconds.

Aries had gone completely silent. Not even a whisper. It was like she'd disappeared entirely, leaving me alone in my head for the first time in two years.

I was so worried about her; the rejection must have triggered her more than it triggered me. I was dealing with the physical pain while she was dealing with all of that-the emotional pain, the hurt, and everything.

"I hope you are fine, Ren. I hope they treat you well," I whispered, clutching my heart as another wave of sobs ripped through my lips. I was supposed to protect him from these scavengers called my pack, but I can't, not even in this state.

The dungeon was cold, damp, and smelled like death. Water dripped somewhere in the darkness. I pulled my knees to my chest and tried to stop shaking.

Then I heard footsteps. Heavy boots on stone.

"Get up," a guard growled, unlocking my cell. "The Alpha wants to see you."

I could barely stand. My legs shook as I followed him through the corridors, past pack members who stared at me like I was a walking disease. Some spat on the ground as I passed. Others just looked disgusted.

When we reached Desmond's chambers, the guard shoved me inside without ceremony.

What I saw made my already broken heart shatter into even smaller pieces.

Lily was in bed with Desmond, the man I'd once told her I liked, now the new alpha, and she was on top of him, kissing him so possessively. Their moans filled the room while his hands roamed around her body, circling her waist.

They must have noticed my presence, as they stopped, Lily turning to look at me, her eyes tight and her lips pressed together with contempt.

"Ooh, who do we have here? If not the wolfless girl... Ooh, I meant the omega... of... the... Omegas. What a title, and the one...rejected...hahahaha," she rehearsed, like she always did.

But this time was different. This time, Desmond didn't look away. His eyes stayed locked on me, watching my reaction like I was entertainment. Like my pain was something he enjoyed.

"How does it feel?" Lily asked, slowly getting off him but staying close, her hand trailing down his chest. "Being marked and rejected in front of everyone? Having your pathetic little heart crushed?"

I didn't answer. Couldn't answer.

"You should have stayed in your place," she continued. "Should have kept scrubbing floors and kept your mouth shut. But no, you had to ruin everything."

Desmond finally spoke, his voice ice-cold: "You know what's funny? I've been watching you all these years. Watching you hope. Watching you dream that maybe, just maybe, things would get better for you."

He stood up, walking toward me as I backed against the wall.

"But they never will. You're cursed, Aveline. Cursed to suffer. And now..." He smiled, and it was the cruelest thing I'd ever seen. "Now we're going to make sure you understand just how worthless you really are."

Lily giggled, bouncing excitedly. "Tell her, Desmond. Tell her about her birthday gift."

My blood ran cold. "What birthday gift?"

"The goddess has finally come to our rescue," Lily said, her voice dripping with fake sweetness. "A deal has been struck with the Crescent Dominion pack; you are to be sold as the Cursed Alpha King's Bride."

I froze; my heart seemed to stop for a moment as I stared at her. For a moment, I wondered if she had gone ballistic.

I found myself chuckling at her words because no one could see the alpha king, think of him, or even strike a deal with the devil himself.

"You think this is funny?" Desmond's voice was deadly quiet.

"The Alpha King Thorne Valek," Lily continued, ignoring my reaction. "The monster of the North. The one they say has killed every Luna he's ever had. The one cursed by the moon goddess herself to never know love, only death and destruction."

My laughter died in my throat.

"They say he's thousands of years old," she whispered, leaning closer. "They say his touch burns. They say he feeds on the fear of his enemies and that his castle is built on the bones of those who defied him. His last Luna died less than a month ago... some say he killed her himself when she tried to escape."

"No," I whispered, backing further against the wall. "No, you can't-"

"Oh, but we can," Desmond said, his voice filled with satisfaction. "And we will. You'll be his bride, his plaything, until he gets bored and disposes of you like all the others."

"At least you should be grateful," Lily added with a twisted smile. "For the first time in thousands of years, a pack owned by the moon, one of the most powerful packs in the world, is coming to our pack. Even though selling you to him is like you dying in a rather awful way. Enjoy your last few days of life, best friend."

They both laughed as I slid down the wall, my legs giving out completely.

"Get her out of here," Desmond said, turning back to Lily. "And make sure she's... presentable... for her wedding day."

As the guards dragged me away, I heard Lily's voice, sweet as poison and twice as deadly:

"Don't worry, Aveline. I'll make sure your wedding dress is beautiful. White looks so good on corpses."

The door slammed shut behind me, and I was left alone with the crushing realization that there was no saving grace for me. Not anymore.

I was going to die, and everyone I'd ever loved was going to watch it happen.