48 Hours Earlier.

It was the day of her claiming, and Raine Whitmore had never felt so alive. Her heart pounded as she approached where the priest stood, waiting for her at the head of the altar. Ronan was still absent, probably running late, but Raine was far too excited to let that bother her. Tonight was her mating ceremony, the night her mate would officially claim her in the presence of the Lycan goddess and the entire pack. The moon hung high, full and bright, a silent witness as she stood by the priest, waiting for Ronan Draven, the man the fates had ordained as hers.

A ripple went through the crowd as Ronan shouldered his way past the wolves, he had two people behind him, but Raine only had eyes for her mate. After months by his side, all the whispered promises, lingering touches, he would be her alpha, and she would be bound to him forever.

She sent him a blinding smile, but Ronan’s gaze swept past her coldly. He kept his gaze on the priest as he spoke,

“I, Ronan Draven, second alpha son of the Draven pack, reject you, Raine Whitmore as my fated mate.”

The entire clearing fell into silence.

For a long miserable second, Raine thought she had imagined it. The words sunk into her, sharp like claws as they tore through her chest. Her wolf whimpered, and she staggered back as if he had physically hit her. She stared up at him with tearful eyes, hoping she had heard wrong.

“What?”

But Ronan stepped forward, towering over her, his dark cold and cruel. A far cry from the Ronan she knew. “I don’t want you,” he said, his voice sharp as a blade, slicing straight through her. “You’re weak, pathetic. An alpha like me would never go for a wolf like you. You are not fit to stand beside me.”

A ripple of gasps and murmurs spread through the crowd, members of the pack speaking amongst themselves in low, harsh tones. Someone laughed, the sound sharp and cruel. Raine swirled her head in the direction of the sound and found Selene Voss, standing beside a cloaked man. Selene Voss was Luna to the rival pack. What was she doing here? Raine’s eyes blurred and she blinked back tears.

“But –” Her voice cracked as she stumbled forward. “You can’t leave me, Ronan… You’re my mate…”

Ronan sneered, staring down at her like she was gum under his shoe. “And? You think fate means anything? I’m not some lovesick fool clinging to destiny. I choose my future, and it’s not with you.”

A loud sob teared out of her throat as her world crumbled. This couldn’t be happening, not after everything. She swayed on her feet, losing her balance as she gasped for breath. Her wolf howled inside her, rejected and broken.

“Ronan!” A deep voice cut through the noise and someone pushed their way through. It was Silas Draven, first alpha son of the pack. He stopped and frowned. “What is the meaning of this?”

Ronan lifted his chin. “I’m forging my own path.” To the pack, “Raine Whitmore has no place here, she is nothing but a burden.”

The words hit Raine like the final blow, and she crumbled to the ground, howling out her despair like a wounded animal. Her alpha had rejected her, she was unwanted, uuloved, cast aside like used rags. Someone in the crowd yelled, “An alpha has rejected her! Exile her!”

Another voice followed, “A rejected wolf is a weakness!”

Another followed, the voices growing louder until it became a chant, their cruel voices driving the knife of her rejection deeper, turning against her in seconds.

“Send her away!”

“She’s not one of us anymore!”

“A mate who has been disgraced is a weakness!”

Someone stepped forward and dragged her by her arm, pulling her painfully to her feet. Raine cried out in pain as the bone there shifted. She glanced around for Ronan, desperate for her mate even in the midst of everything.

“No… please.” She begged, her voice ragged even as the wolves dragged her away. She stretched her hand out to Ronan, pleading with him to reconsider, to save her this disgrace, but he didn’t even spare her a glance. Raine screamed after him, her voice raw and desperate. “Please, you don’t have to do this!”

He didn’t even look at her. Raine felt her vision blur, as tears burned her eyes, but she refused to let them fall. Not here, not in front of them, not when Selene Voss stood beside her mate, watching her downfall like it was some kind of entertainment. Selene placed an arm on Ronan’s, and together, they turned away from her sight, disappearing into the dark night.

Someone shoved her forward. Raine gasped as she felt herself get disconnected from the magic of the pack wards. “Get out! If you step foot on our land again, we’ll consider you a trespasser on Draven territory.”

Laughter rippled through the pack as she staggered out the pack’s borders. These wolves she had grown up with, lived with, fought beside. And now they were turning their backs on her, treating her as though she was nothing. But maybe she was nothing. Maybe that was why Ronan didn’t want her anymore. Because she wasn’t good enough for me, and she wasn’t good enough for the pack.

By the time dawned rolled around, Raine had managed to drag herself to a motel by the side of the road. Somewhere along the line, she had shucked off the heavy mating robes, and was in her inner wear. There was a bar attached to the motel, and the first thing she did as soon as she booked a room, was drag herself down there and get shit faced drunk.

For two days, she let herself wallow in the pitifulness of her situation. And then on the night of the third day, a plan began to take shape in her head. If Ronan didn’t want her anymore, she would just have to convince him that he should.

He was her mate. One more night with her, and he would remember just how good they were together. He would take her back, and she’d have her home, and her lover back.

It was a solid plan.

What could possibly go wrong?

It was the walk of shame and thankfully, the sun was not completely out yet. Raine slunk around the corridors of the packhouse like a ghostly shadow, barefoot, trembling and reeking of sex, and regret. Her dress was a pitiful mess on her body, hastily zipped up, and her hair was even worse. She could feel the scent of the older alpha clinging to her body, basically pouring out of her pores. Every step she took sent an ache through her core, a painful reminder of what she’d done.

She had sex with Matthias Draven. A man more than twenty years older than her. She was 22, and if she remembered properly, he was approaching 45. The man was Ronan’s father. He’d probably even carried her as a child.

Not only had he knotted her, their wolves had bonded. Fuck, what was she going to do? How would she ever look herself in the mirror again. Raine’s head pounded, her muscles screamed as she staggered towards the back door, hoping to slink back to the motel and disappear for a whole month.

But fate wasn’t done punishing her yet.

The moment she stepped outside, Raine smelled him before she even walked straight into him.

Ronan.

The man froze, and for a moment, neither of them spoke. Raine blinked up at him, eyes wide, as Ronan stared down at her in shock. In the dim morning light, he was a sight to behold, all sharp angles, artfully tousled hair, bare chest and sweatpants that hung low on his hips. His hands were slightly red at the knuckles, and a light sheen of sweat covered his skin. He must have just come back from training.

Raine swayed into him, unable to help herself, as Ronan’s golden eyes trailed over her, his nostrils flared as he inhaled her scent. And then his entire body stiffened. His gaze darkened in anger.

“What the fuck?” He growled, grabbing her arm and dragging her painfully against him. Raine cried out in pain, his hold a bruising band on her arm. “You reek of sex.” He snapped, his voice sharp like the scrape of broken glass, his eyes flashing yellow as his wolf rose close to the surface.

Raine whined, fighting to urge to submit in the face of her ex-mate. “Ronan–”

“Shut up!” he growled again, fingers tightening. “Why are you back at the pack house, and why do you reek of sex?! What are you up to?!” His nostrils flared again, searching her scent, and Raine felt fear seize around her heart. She didn’t want him to discover who she’d been with. It was bad enough she’d been disgraced by him once, if he found out what she did with his father, Raine didn’t know what he’d do to her.

Ronan’s jaw clenched tightly, his teeth grinding against each other, as he caught her scent again. Raine’s knees trembled, and it was only Ronan’s grip on her arm that kept her upright. He stiffened, and then he laughed, a sharp, shocked sound that was full of mockery and disgust.

“You’re fucking pathetic.” He spat the words out. Raine flinched. “So you came crawling back after I rejected you, so desperate to be wanted that you spread your legs for the first man who looked your way.” He leaned in, voice dropping until it dripped with venom. “He smells like he was an alpha. Tell me, was it worth it?’

Raine jerked back from the cruelty in his voice, choking on the sob threatening to claw its way out of her throat. His eyes glinted with satisfaction.

“Please,” she gasped out, barely able to breathe past the lump in her throat. Ronan scoffed, staring down at her in disgust.

“You’re pathetic.” He said again, shaking his head like she’d gravelly disappointed him. “You begged me that night, do you remember? And now you’re begging me again. No wonder I rejected you. Your wolf is a spineless, sniveling creature with no back bone. No match for mine.”

Raine’s eyes burned with tears, and her chest heaved as she fought back her sobs. How could Ronan talk like this to her? Just months before, he’d been telling her how much she meant to him, and now he was like he had never even loved her. She wrenched herself, staggering back from his hold. Ronan watched her struggle to get her balance, staring down his nose at her like he didn’t know her.

“Go.” He said, his voice was cold and flat. “The next time I see you here, in this pack. I will hurt you.”

And that, was the straw that broke the camel’s back. Raine’s tears spilled over, and she looked at the man she had promised her life to, who had promised his in return. All she saw was a stranger.

Raine sucked in what was left of her dignity, and the she ran.

For the second time that morning.

***

She stayed in the motel for days before she mustered up the courage to venture into town properly. She needed clothes, and proper food. She couldn’t stay cooped in her room forever, and no matter how much her wolf yearned and ached for Matthias, she certainly couldn’t return to the pack.

She kept her head low, and her gaze averted as she made her way into a convenience store. She could smell there were shifters around, and she didn’t want trouble. If any of them smelled her scent, and realized she was a rejected, unmated wolf, she would be prey. She felt it was best to stay out of everybody else’s business.

Raine turned to aisles for toiletries, hoping to pick somethings up for herself, when she slammed straight into a familiar scent. Her wolf perked up, preening with pleasure as the scent of alpha washed over her.

Her heart pounded in her chest as she glanced up and saw him, standing at the far end of the aisle, frowning down at a shampoo bottle.

Matthias Draven.

Matthias smelled her before he saw her.

At first, he thought it was just a figment of his imagination. It had been days since the incident, but he still woke up some days with the taste of her on his tongue, and her scent in his nose.

But this, this was different. Her scent hit him like a physical blow, exactly how he remembered it. Crushed violets, honey lavender, and something that was just her. And his wolf howled, calling for its second. Matthias froze. She was here.

Raine was here.

His head snapped up. And then he saw her, standing at the far end of the aisle, her scent wrapping around him like a noose. Matthias breathed it in like a lost man at sea. He had been starved of this, both he and his wolf. Their eyes met, and held. Matthias saw the exact moment she decided to run.

He would be a fool to let her slip away again. And so he crossed the distance between them in two slides, pulling her back against him and pressing her into the shelves, his much bigger frame practically caging her in.

Raine stumbled, flinching violently like he had hit her. And so he stepped back a fraction, giving her some space. He took in the sight of her. She was too thin, too pale. The oversized hoodie she had on practically swallowed her, and her lush dark hair was tangled like it hadn't seen a brush in days.

And she stared at him wide gutted eyes, wary and scared, her shoulders hunching like she was bracing herself for a punch. Matthias felt his stomach sink at the sight. She looked like a cornered animal, waiting for the final blow.

He reached out to touch her, but Raine jerked away.

"Don't," she whispered hoarsely, stumbling back.

Matthias lifted his hands in a slow, deliberate motion, showing her he meant no harm. "Easy." He said, voice soft.

Raine swallowed, eyes shifting around the store. The stale scent of panic rolled off of her in waves. Matthias' wolf paced agitated, wanting nothing more than to comfort her. He pushed the urge down. She looked like she was one wrong move away from bolting. Touching her was not what she needed.

"Raine." His voice was low as he called her for the first time since he'd seen her.

Raine trembled as a violent tremor went through. "Don’t," she whispered again, shaking her head. "Please, Alpha. Just, let me go."

Matthias felt his heart crack open at the absolute misery in her voice. His wolf howled mournfully. He could feel the ache in her wolf through their bond. "No, I can't. I need to know what the hell happened to you."

She shook her head, darting her gaze away from him. "It doesn't matter. Please just let me leave. I won't tell anyone what happened, I swear."

He felt a stab go through his chest at her words, as well as an unwelcome stab of arousal as he remembered what happened that night. He cleared his throat, feeling like the worst kind of pervert as he pushed those thoughts away.

"Raine, its not about that." He growled, stepping closer. "You left the pack, I didn’t even realize when. Now you're here, looking like you haven't eaten in days. You smell like you're dying, Raine. Tell me what’s going on." She clenched her jaw, turning her head to the side and remained stubbornly quiet. He pressed on. "Raine, who did this to you?"

He kept his voice deliberately gentle, and yet she still flinched like he had struck her. For a moment, she remained quiet, and it seemed like she wasn't going to talk. But then she did, in a voice so soft he almost didn't hear it, she whispered,

"Your son."

Matthias's body went rigid. The silence between them stretched, thick enough to taste. He knew she couldn’t have been talking about Silas. She had nothing to do with his first son. So of course, she was talking about Ronan. Matthias knew his son could be cruel. Ronan was the last gift from his mate to him before her passing, so Matthias had spoiled him, indulged him, given him too much leeway. Using the fact that he was the second born and would never inherit the pack as an excuse.

But this? He had gone too far. Last he checked, she'd been his intended. They were to be mated. But not only did he break things off, he also exiled her without his father's permission, leaving her to starve and fend for herself?

Wolves were pack animals.

They didn't survive as solitary individuals.

Matthias was angry, fuming with rage. But he fisted his hand by his side so he wouldn't punch something. "Come with me." He said, it was a command.

Raine whined softly, shaking her head. "Back to the pack house? I'm sorry, Alpha. I can't. Ronan already threatened to hurt me if I came back."

Matthias growled, his wolf rising to the challenge. "Ronan doesn't make the rules." He snapped. "Only I do."

Raine flinched slightly, taken aback by the sharp tone of his voice. But then she nodded slowly, pushing away from the shelf after a long pause. He led her to his truck, and they drove to the pack house in silence.

It had been years since Matthias had felt so out so control, since his wolf had been so agitated, so restless. He felt like a young man again, catching sight of his mate for the first time under the full moon. With the way his heart kept pounding.

Once they got to the pack house, he ordered her to take a shower, and layed out some of his old clothes for her to wear when she got out. A decision he immediately regretted when she stepped out, looking small and fragile in his oversized shirt, the hem slipping from her shoulders.

She perched on the couch, staring at the plate of food he placed in front of her. Her hair was wet, and tendrils of it curled behind her neck as it dried.

She barely touched the food, and Matthias cleared his throat as silence stretched between them, the tension between them almost suffocating. He cleared his throat, about to speak first, but she beat him to it.

"I'm sorry about the other night. I know it seems like I seduced you, but I swear it was an honest mistake."