I didn't sleep.

How could I?

My wolf paced inside me all nde me all night, restless and wild in a way that made my skin feel too tight. The pull in my chest hadn't faded. If anything, it had gotten stronger. A constant tug toward the main house, toward him.

I pressed my pillow over my face and tried to breathe.

This couldn't be real. Jasper Hale couldn't be my mate. The Moon Goddess wouldn't be that cruel.

Except she would. She cursed me the moment I was born, so why not finish the job?

By the time dawn broke, I had given up on rest. My body ached from exhaustion, but lying there was worse. I dragged myself out of bed, splashed cold water on my face from the basin, and pulled on the cleanest shirt I had. It still smelled like soap and hard work, but it would have to do.

The estate was already buzzing with activity when I stepped outside. Wolves moved in and out of the main house, preparing for the Alpha King's arrival. Vanessa stood near the entrance, barking orders at anyone within earshot. She looked perfect, as always. Hair sleek, dress fitted, every inch of her screaming power and confidence.

I kept my head down and slipped past her toward the kitchens.

"Quinn!"

I flinched. Stopped.

She turned, her sharp eyes locking onto me like a predator spotting prey. "Where do you think you're going?"

"The kitchens," I said quietly. "To help with-"

"No." She walked toward me, heels clicking. "You're not going anywhere near the main hall today. In fact, stay out of sight entirely. We have important guests, and I won't have you embarrassing this pack."

My jaw tightened, but I didn't argue. What was the point?

"Understood," I muttered.

She smiled, cold and satisfied. "Good. Now disappear."

I turned and walked away before she could say anything else.

Fine. I would stay out of sight. That was easy enough. I had been doing it my whole life.

I spent the morning in the stables, mucking out stalls and trying not to think about the ceremony happening without me. The council would greet the Alpha King formally. There would be speeches, alliances discussed, and respect exchanged. None of it involved me.

But the pull didn't stop.

It burned hotter as the hours passed, like something inside me was trying to claw its way out. My wolf whined and pushed at the edges of my control. She wanted to go to him. Needed to.

I gritted my teeth and kept working.

By midday, I couldn't take it anymore. I abandoned the stables and made my way to the far edge of the estate, where the old trees grew thick and the pack rarely went. It was quiet here. Peaceful. The only place I could breathe without feeling like the walls were closing in.

I sat down beneath one of the trees and leaned back against the trunk, closing my eyes.

"Running away?"

My eyes snapped open.

He stood a few feet away, hands in his pockets, watching me with an expression I couldn't read.

Jasper Hale.

The Alpha King.

My mate.

He was taller than I expected. Broader. His presence filled the space like a storm about to break. Dark hair, sharp jawline, eyes so intense they pinned me in place. He wore all black, simple, but somehow it made him look even more dangerous.

I scrambled to my feet, heart hammering.

"I-I'm sorry, I didn't know anyone was-"

"Relax." His voice was low, rough around the edges. "I'm not here to punish you for sitting under a tree."

I swallowed hard, unsure what to say. What to do. He was the Alpha King. I was nothing. This didn't make sense.

He took a step closer, and the pull flared so violently I had to lock my knees to stay upright.

His eyes narrowed. "You feel it too."

It wasn't a question.

I didn't answer. Couldn't. My throat had gone dry.

"What's your name?" he asked.

"Quinn," I managed. "Quinn Blackwood."

Something flickered across his face. Surprise, maybe. Or recognition.

"Blackwood," he repeated slowly. "I thought that line died out."

"Almost," I said quietly. "Just me now."

He studied me for a long moment, and I felt exposed under his gaze. Like he could see every scar, every bruise, every piece of me I tried to keep hidden.

"You're an omega," he said finally.

I nodded.

"And yet..." He trailed off, frowning. "Your wolf. There's something else there."

I blinked. "What?"

He stepped closer again, and this time I couldn't move. The bond wrapped around us like a living thing, pulling tighter with every breath.

"I don't know," he admitted, his voice quieter now. "But I feel it."

My wolf surged forward, desperate to close the distance. To touch him. To claim him.

I shoved her back down, panic rising in my chest.

"This can't happen," I whispered.

His expression darkened. "Why not?"

"Because-" I gestured helplessly at myself, at him, and at the space between us. "Look at me. Look at you. This doesn't make sense."

"The bond doesn't care about sense," he said flatly.

"But the pack does." My voice cracked. "Your council does. They would never accept this. Never accept me."

He didn't argue. He just stood there, jaw tight, eyes burning into mine.

"I didn't come here looking for a mate," he said after a long silence.

"I didn't ask to be one," I shot back.

His mouth twitched. Almost a smile, but not quite.

"What do you want me to do, Quinn?" he asked, and there was something raw in his voice now. Something almost vulnerable. "Walk away? Pretend this doesn't exist?"

Yes. That was exactly what I wanted.

But my wolf howled in protest, clawing at my insides.

"I don't know," I admitted.

He took another step forward, close enough now that I could feel the heat coming off him. Close enough that my wolf went silent, satisfied just to be near him.

"I should go," I said, even though I didn't move.

"You should," he agreed.

Neither of us moved.

His hand lifted, hesitant, and brushed against my cheek. The touch was light, barely there, but it sent a shock through my entire body. My wolf purred. My knees went weak.

"This is a mistake," I whispered.

"Probably," he murmured.

And then his mouth was on mine.

The kiss was nothing like I imagined a first kiss would be. It wasn't soft or sweet or gentle. It was desperate and consuming and fierce, like he was trying to devour me and I was letting him. My hands fisted in his shirt, pulling him closer even though every logical part of my brain screamed at me to stop.

The bond roared to life, snapping into place so violently it nearly brought me to my knees.

Mate. Mate. Mate.

When he finally pulled back, we were both breathing hard.

"Come to my room tonight," he said, his voice rough.

I should have said no. Should have run.

But I didn't.

"Okay," I whispered.

He stepped back, his eyes still locked on mine, and I saw the war happening behind them. The same war is happening inside me.

Then he turned and walked away, disappearing into the trees.

I stood there alone, hand pressed to my mouth, heart racing.

What had I just agreed to?

I shouldn't have gone.

Every rational part of me knew it. But rational didn't matter when the bond was burning a hole through my chest, dragging me toward him like I was tethered by an invisible chain.

I waited until the estate went quiet. Until the lights in the main house dimmed and the wolves settled into their rooms for the night. Then I slipped out of the servants' quarters, keeping to the shadows, heart pounding so hard I thought it might break through my ribs.

He had told me which room. Third floor, east wing, last door on the left.

I climbed the back stairs, the ones the servants used, and prayed no one would see me. If anyone caught me sneaking into the Alpha King's room, I was dead. Or worse.

But I kept walking.

The hallway was empty when I reached the third floor. Moonlight spilled through the tall windows, casting long shadows across the floor. I moved quickly, quietly, until I stood in front of his door.

I raised my hand to knock.

The door opened before I could.

Jasper stood there, still dressed but barefoot, his shirt half unbuttoned. His eyes locked onto mine, dark and intense, and the bond flared so violently I had to grab the doorframe to steady myself.

"I wasn't sure you would come," he said quietly.

"I wasn't either," I admitted.

He stepped aside, and I walked in.

The room was huge. Bigger than my entire living space in the servants' quarters. A massive bed dominated one side, dark wood and heavy blankets. A fireplace crackled softly on the other side, casting warm light across the walls. It smelled like him-pine and smoke and something wild I couldn't name.

The door clicked shut behind me.

I turned, suddenly nervous, suddenly aware of how small I felt in this space. How out of place.

"Quinn," he said, and the way he said my name made my wolf stir.

"This is insane," I whispered.

"I know."

"If anyone finds out-"

"They won't."

I looked at him, at the tension in his shoulders, the way his hands were clenched at his sides like he was holding himself back.

"Why did you ask me here?" I asked.

He crossed the room in two strides, stopping just in front of me. Close enough that I had to tilt my head back to meet his eyes.

"Because I can't stay away from you," he said roughly. "I have tried. All day, I have tried. And I can't."

My breath hitched.

"This bond," he continued, his voice low and strained. "It is not supposed to feel like this. Not this fast. Not this strong."

"I know," I whispered.

His hand came up, cupping my face, thumb brushing across my cheek. The touch sent heat rushing through me, and my wolf purred in satisfaction.

"Tell me to stop," he murmured. "Tell me this is a mistake, and I will let you walk out of here."

I should have. I should have said the words and left before this went any further.

But I didn't.

Instead, I reached up and pulled him down to me.

The kiss was different this time. Slower. Deeper. Like he was trying to memorize the taste of me. His hands slid down to my waist, pulling me against him, and I melted into the heat of his body.

My wolf howled in approval.

He lifted me easily, carrying me toward the bed, and I didn't protest. Didn't think. Just felt.

The mattress was soft beneath me as he laid me down, his body covering mine, his weight grounding me in a way I didn't know I needed. His mouth moved from my lips to my jaw, down my neck, and I gasped when his teeth grazed the spot where a mating mark would go.

"Jasper," I breathed.

He pulled back, breathing hard, eyes searching mine.

"Are you sure?" he asked, his voice hoarse.

No. I wasn't sure of anything.

But I nodded anyway.

"Yes."

Something in him snapped.

His hands were everywhere, pulling at my clothes, his own, until there was nothing between us but skin and heat and the bond thrumming so loudly I couldn't hear anything else. He was careful, more careful than I expected, his hands gentle even as his wolf pushed at the surface, demanding more.

When he finally claimed me, the bond exploded.

It was overwhelming. All-consuming. Like every nerve in my body was on fire and freezing at the same time. My wolf howled, triumphant and wild, and I felt him-really felt him-for the first time. His emotions, his pain, his need. It crashed into me like a tidal wave, and I didn't know where I ended and he began.

"Quinn," he groaned against my neck, his voice wrecked.

I clung to him, gasping, lost in the sensation of being completely and utterly connected to another person.

It should have been terrifying.

Instead, it felt like coming home.

Afterward, we lay tangled together, his arm heavy across my waist, my head resting on his chest. The fire had burned low, and the room was warm and quiet.

I should have left. Should have slipped out before anyone woke up.

But I didn't want to move.

"What happens now?" I asked softly.

His hand tightened on my hip. "I don't know."

I turned my head to look at him. His eyes were closed, his jaw tight, and I realized he was just as lost as I was.

"Your council won't accept this," I said.

"No," he agreed. "They won't."

"Vanessa-"

"I know."

Silence stretched between us, heavy and suffocating.

"Maybe we can keep it quiet," I said, even though I didn't believe it. "Just for a while. Until we figure out-"

"Quinn." He opened his eyes, and the look in them made my stomach drop. "This bond. It is not something we can hide. Not for long."

"Then what do we do?"

He didn't answer.

And in that silence, I felt the first crack of dread settle into my chest.

I woke alone.

The bed beside me was cold, the fire reduced to embers. Pale morning light filtered through the window, and for a moment, I didn't remember where I was.

Then it all came rushing back.

I sat up, heart pounding, and looked around the empty room.

He was gone.

I dressed quickly, hands shaking, and slipped out into the hallway. It was still early. Most of the pack wouldn't be awake yet. I could make it back to my room without anyone seeing me.

I hoped.

I made it down two flights of stairs before I heard voices.

"-convene in the main hall at noon. The Alpha King has requested a formal gathering."

My blood went cold.

I pressed myself against the wall, hidden in the shadows, as two council members passed by.

"Do you think he has made a decision about the alliance?" one of them asked.

"Perhaps. Though I heard Vanessa has been quite persuasive."

They laughed, and the sound made my stomach turn.

I waited until they were gone, then hurried the rest of the way to my room.

A formal gathering. At noon.

I didn't know what it meant, but the dread in my chest had turned into a full-blown knot.

Something was wrong.

I spent the morning trying to stay busy, but my hands wouldn't stop shaking. The bond hummed under my skin, restless and anxious, like my wolf could sense something I couldn't.

At noon, I heard the bells ring.

The gathering had begun.

I wasn't supposed to attend. I was never supposed to attend pack meetings. But I couldn't stay away. Not today.

I made my way to the main hall, slipping in through the back entrance, and pressed myself into the corner behind a stone pillar where no one would see me.

The hall was packed. Wolves lined the walls, council members sat at the front, and Vanessa stood near the center, looking radiant and smug.

And then Jasper walked in.

He looked every inch the Alpha King. Powerful. Untouchable. His expression was cold, unreadable, and my wolf whined at the sight of him.

He didn't look at me. Didn't even glance in my direction.

Elder Rowan stepped forward. "Alpha King, we are honored by your presence. Have you come to a decision regarding the alliance?"

Jasper's jaw tightened.

"I have," he said, his voice carrying across the hall.

The room went silent.

"But first," he continued, "there is another matter that must be addressed."

My heart stopped.

No.

He wouldn't.

"Last night," Jasper said slowly, his eyes scanning the crowd, "I discovered my fated mate."

Gasps rippled through the hall. Vanessa's smile faltered.

And then his eyes found mine.

"Quinn Blackwood."

The room erupted.

I couldn't breathe. Couldn't move.

He had just announced it. In front of everyone.

And from the look on his face, I knew what was coming next.

"However," Jasper said, his voice cutting through the chaos like a blade, "I cannot accept this bond."

The words hit me like a physical blow.

"Quinn Blackwood is cursed," he continued, his tone flat and merciless. "Born under a blood moon, weak, and unworthy of standing beside an Alpha King. For the good of this pack and my own, I reject her as my mate."

The bond didn't break.

It shattered.

I felt a sharp pain in my chest, I collapsed holding my chest tight.

Around me, wolves whispered and stared.

And Jasper stood at the front of the hall, his face a mask of ice, as I fell apart in the shadows.he shadows.

I couldn't breathe.

The pain was everywhere. In my chest, my bones, my blood. Like something inside me was being ripped apart piece by piece, and I was still conscious enough to feel every second of it.

I heard voices around me. Whispers. Gasps. Someone laughed.

But I couldn't see anything except the floor in front of me and the hands I had pressed against my chest, trying to hold myself together.

It didn't work.

The bond was supposed to break. That was how rejection worked. You said the words, the bond severed, and both wolves moved on. Clean. Final.

But this wasn't clean.

This was agony.

"Get her out of here," someone said.

Hands grabbed my arms, hauling me upright. My legs wouldn't hold me. I sagged between two wolves I didn't recognize, their grips bruising as they dragged me toward the door.

I tried to look back. Tried to find him in the crowd.

But Jasper wasn't looking at me anymore.

He had already turned away.

They threw me outside like I was trash.

I hit the ground hard, gravel cutting into my palms. The impact jarred something loose in my chest, and I gasped, curling in on myself as another wave of pain tore through me.

My wolf was howling. Screaming. Clawing at the inside of my skull like she was trying to break free and go back to him.

But there was no going back.

He had rejected us.

In front of everyone.

"Pathetic."

I looked up.

Vanessa stood over me, arms crossed, her face twisted in disgust.

"Did you really think he would choose you?" she asked, her voice dripping with venom. "You? A cursed omega with nothing to offer?"

I didn't answer. Couldn't.

She crouched down, her eyes cold and sharp. "He spent one night with you because the bond made him weak. But he is stronger than that. Stronger than you."

She leaned closer, her voice dropping to a whisper.

"And now everyone knows exactly what you are. A mistake."

She stood and walked away, her laughter echoing behind her.

I stayed on the ground, shaking, unable to move.

Hours passed. Or maybe minutes. I didn't know.

The pain didn't stop. It just kept burning, twisting, digging deeper. My wolf had gone silent now, retreating so far inside me I wasn't sure she would ever come back.

Maybe that was better.

"Quinn."

I flinched at the sound of my name.

Elder Rowan stood a few feet away, his face pale and drawn. He looked older than I had ever seen him, like the weight of the world had settled on his shoulders overnight.

"You need to leave," he said quietly.

I stared at him. "What?"

"The council has made their decision." His voice was hollow. "You are to be banished from pack lands. Effective immediately."

The words didn't register at first.

Banished.

"You cannot stay here," he continued, and there was something like regret in his eyes. "The bond... it has not broken. And as long as it remains, you are a threat to the Alpha King's authority."

A threat.

I almost laughed. Almost.

"Where am I supposed to go?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.

He didn't answer.

"Elder Rowan." I forced myself to stand, even though my legs shook. "Where am I supposed to go?"

"I do not know," he admitted, and he wouldn't meet my eyes. "But you cannot stay here."

"This is my home."

"Not anymore."

The finality in his voice cut deeper than the rejection had.

I looked at him, this man who had known me since I was a child. Who had watched me grow up. Who had seen everything I had endured and said nothing.

"You knew," I said suddenly. "You knew this would happen."

His jaw tightened.

"You knew he was my mate. You felt it. And you said nothing."

"I could not interfere," he said quietly. "The council-"

"The council." I laughed bitterly. "Of course. The council decides everything, doesn't it? Even who gets to suffer."

"Quinn-"

"No." I stepped back, away from him. "You do not get to feel guilty now. You had a chance to help me, and you chose them. Just like everyone else."

He opened his mouth, then closed it.

There was nothing left to say.

I turned and walked away.

I did not have much to pack. A spare shirt, a blanket, and a small pouch of dried food I had been saving. Everything I owned fit into a single bag.

I slung it over my shoulder and stepped outside.

The estate was quiet. No one came to say goodbye. No one even looked at me as I made my way toward the gates.

Except one.

Jasper stood near the entrance to the main house, half hidden in the shadows. His eyes locked onto mine, and for a moment, I saw something flicker across his face.

Regret. Pain. Guilt.

I didn't care.

I turned away and kept walking.

The gates closed behind me with a heavy clang, and just like that, I was alone.

The world beyond the pack lands was bigger than I remembered. Colder. The trees pressed in on all sides, thick and dark, and the path ahead was barely visible in the fading light.

I walked until my legs gave out.

Then I collapsed beneath a tree, pulled my knees to my chest, and finally let myself break.

The sobs came hard and fast, tearing out of me like something feral. My chest heaved, my throat burned, and I couldn't stop.

He had looked at me like I mattered.

He had touched me like I was something precious.

And then he had thrown me away like I was nothing.

My wolf stirred weakly, a soft whimper echoing in the back of my mind.

"I know," I whispered. "I know."

But knowing didn't make it hurt less.

I don't know how long I sat there. Hours, maybe. The sun set, and the forest grew darker, but I didn't move.

I couldn't.

The bond was still there. Still burning. A constant reminder that he had rejected me, but the connection refused to die.

It twisted inside me, sharp and vicious, like a wound that wouldn't heal.

And I realized something.

This was not just rejection.

This was a curse.

I pressed a hand to my chest, gasping as another wave of pain rolled through me.

A curse.

The word echoed in my mind, over and over, until it was the only thing I could hear.

I had been born cursed. Everyone said so. Born under a blood moon, marked from the start.

But this was different.

This was worse.

Because now I was tied to him. Bound to the man who had destroyed me. And no matter how far I ran, no matter how much I wanted to forget, the bond would always pull me back.

I would never be free.

A howl echoed in the distance, long and low.

I looked up, heart pounding.

Another howl answered. Closer this time.

Rogues.

I scrambled to my feet, grabbing my bag, and started running.

The pain slowed me down. My legs were weak, my body still reeling from the rejection, but I pushed through it. I had to.

Because out here, I was prey.

And if the rogues found me, I was dead.

I ran until I couldn't anymore. Until my lungs burned and my vision blurred and I collapsed against a tree, gasping for air.

The howls had stopped.

But I knew they were still out there.

Watching.

Waiting.

I closed my eyes and prayed to a moon goddess who had never listened to me before.

Please.

Just let me survive the night.

But deep down, I wasn't sure I wanted to.