Diva's POV

I was just a few steps from Jackson's room when I saw that good-for-nothing slave, Rose, bolt out in an agitated state, sweat clinging to her skin, her eyes wide with panic. Did her wolf catch my scent and alert her that I was coming?

I clenched my fists tightly, my teeth grinding together as my chest rose and fell rapidly. "How dare she?" I was fuming. What the hell was she doing in his room?

I hated her the moment she stepped foot into the palace. There was something off about her. The fact that she was an omega, and an orphan, made me loathe her even more.

I would've gone after her right then and crushed her bones if I hadn't come to see Jackson about our wedding plans. She was lucky I didn't catch her in there.

It better not be what I'm thinking... If it is, she'll beg for death, and not find it.

"That slave better not test my patience," I snarled under my breath.

Storming into Jackson's room, I found him slumped on his couch, raking a hand through his hair, his foot tapping restlessly. Broken glass littered the floor, juice spilled across the tiles, and a heavy silence hung in the air like a curse.

There, another maid lay unconscious on the floor.

Jackson wasn't wearing a shirt. Not even a singlet. Just his pants. His bare chest on display, lean and sinful. My entire body vibrated with fury. I couldn't hold it in anymore. I needed answers to this madness.

"What in the hell is going on here?" I demanded, my voice ragged and sharp.

I expected him to be apologetic, to explain what had happened. I was his betrothed, the daughter of his father's Beta. Instead, he glared at me coldly, saying nothing. Still locked in that same distant trance.

"I said, what is going on?!" I screamed, my voice echoing off the walls, loud enough to wake the unconscious maid. She stirred, moaning as she tried to open her eyes.

My stilettos clicked sharply against the tiles as I marched toward her. I grabbed her by the collar and smacked her pale cheek. Whack!

She blinked rapidly, jolting back to life.

"Speak! Why are you here?"

She stuttered, refusing to meet my gaze. Of course she wouldn't, she'd die if she dared.

"I... I was... it..."

"Talk to me!!" I snapped, my patience snapping with it. Rage surged through me, untamed and ravenous.

"Let her go," Jackson said hoarsely, finally speaking after a long silence.

"No! I. . ."

"I SAID LET HER GO!" he shouted, making me flinch.

The maid didn't waste a second, she scrambled up and fled the room like her life depended on it.

I exhaled heavily, exasperated.

"What did you come here for? What's the matter?" Jackson asked, visibly annoyed.

"If anyone should be asking questions, it's me," I barked, raising my voice.

"Hey, keep it down," he warned, pointing a finger at me.

I ignored him. "What were you doing with that slave? Why was she unconscious?"

"That's none of your business, Diva."

I didn't care about the unconscious maid. My concern was Rose, and why she had been in such a disheveled state when she left. That girl must've tried to use her charm on Jackson.

"And why did Rose leave your room drenched in sweat, panting like that?" I demanded.

His face paled, eyes darting anxiously as he wrung his hands. Silent.

Something was definitely going on. And I would find out.

"Cat got your tongue?" I taunted, watching him squirm. He didn't reply, but I'd made up my mind. That wretched slave, Rose, was going to pay for trying to get close to my man, my future mate.

I straightened, reminding myself why I came here in the first place. I wouldn't let that fool ruin my mood. Soon, I'd be the Luna of this great Pack. I would have power, enough to do whatever I pleased. But for now, I had to play it smart.

I moved closer, pecked Jackson on the cheek, and ran my fingers through his beard, trying to distract him. "I came to talk about our wedding," I purred.

He scoffed. "I'm not in the mood for that right now."

I almost slapped him for that dismissive response, but I forced myself to calm down. I had to act like the Luna I was about to become, and respect his position. For now.

"Okay, babe. I'm sorry about earlier," I said sweetly, my voice turning coy. "I only reacted that way because I love you." I trailed kisses across his face, my hands caressing his biceps. Gods, he was so tempting. I could do this all day.

"I want to be alone, Diva," he said firmly.

"But our wedding is in. . ."

"I said, get out!" he snapped.

Furious, I spun around and slammed the door behind me as I left.

"Argh!" I growled, hurling a nearby vase against the wall. It shattered in a burst of porcelain and petals.

A devious smile crept across my lips.

"I'll make Rose pay for this."

Jackson's POV

I needed to clear my head, that's why I sent Diva out. She was suffocating me. Her presence, her voice, her entitlement, it was all too much. And my wolf wasn't helping either, pacing and growling with frustration at the rejection. He was unsettled, conflicted. So was I.

Thoughts swirled in my mind like a storm, overwhelming and unrelenting.

"How could a slave be mated to an Alpha like me?" I muttered to myself, the words barely audible.

I had waited for years to find my mate, always imagining she'd be a strong Alpha or at the very least, a fierce Beta she-wolf, someone who matched my rank, my power, and my legacy. In the meantime, I'd gotten betrothed to Diva. She was a Beta, powerful and well-bred, and we had known each other since childhood. It made sense. She was the logical choice. The honorable choice.

But then the Moon Goddess had the audacity to mate me... to her?

A slave?

She must have made a mistake.

And yet... I couldn't deny her beauty. That cherry-red hair, those striking hazel eyes, the fullness of her red lips, her body was sinfully shaped, impossible to ignore. I had never seen a she-wolf so mesmerizing. Not even Diva came close.

Maybe... maybe I should've had just one night with her before rejecting her.

A mistress. That wouldn't be so bad, right? Keep her hidden, indulge in what I craved, and still marry Diva to maintain my status. But even that thought made my ego ache.

What would people say?

I'd be the laughingstock of the entire pack. No one would ever take me seriously again if they found out I was mated to a lowborn omega, an orphaned slave.

No way.

I shook my head, trying to banish the lingering image of her face, the way her eyes looked at me, full of confusion, pain, and something else I didn't want to name.

I gave her a piece of my mind earlier, and I meant every word. She doesn't belong by my side. She never will.

She's a lowlife.

I can't marry her.

Never.

Rose's POV

"Rose... Rose... wake up." Dorothy's voice came softly as she gently tapped my back.

My eyes were heavy, still swollen from the flood of tears I'd cried last night. The morning sunlight spilled through the window, casting a golden hue across the room, warm and uninvited.

After sobbing in the woods like a wounded animal, I'd somehow dragged myself back to the palace. I couldn't even recall walking to my room, I just remembered collapsing on the bed, staring blankly at the ceiling. Numb. Empty.

My thoughts were a tangled mess. Alpha Jackson's words echoed in my mind, each one a dagger. Tears slipped from the corners of my eyes again, uninvited but relentless. I had always believed meeting my mate would finally bring joy into my life, that everything would change for the better. But it hadn't. It was the opposite. The worst version of a dream turned into a nightmare.

I'd never known love. Not truly. From the moment I could remember, it had been painful.

Before I came to this Pack, my foster father nearly killed me,if not by his fists, then by starvation. While he gorged himself, I got the crumbs. He never missed a chance to curse me, to remind me that I wasn't wanted. He always said he wished I'd never been born.

The only blessing was that he was barely ever home, always chasing some business deal. That gave me time to sneak into the kitchen and steal just enough food to survive.

But everything fell apart the day he sold me.

Traders came, paid a few coins, and just like that, I was property. A slave to this Pack. He said I was a burden. That getting rid of me would give him peace.

I was told my parents died when I was just a pup. Maybe that's why the villagers always looked at me like I was dirt. Like I didn't belong.

My mate had been my last hope. But instead of saving me, he crushed me.

Rhea, my wolf, had gone silent. Of course she had. She was heartbroken. And I didn't know how to comfort her, how to comfort either of us. The pain sat like a stone in my chest.

At some point, sleep pulled me under, my sorrow dragging me into unconsciousness.

Now, Dorothy's voice cut through the fog. "How are you doing, dear?" Her palm was soft and warm against my cheek. Concern filled her eyes. "And why does your face look so swollen?"

I didn't want to relive last night, not even in conversation. My heart was still too raw, and the pain was too close to the surface.

Stretching with a fake yawn, I tried to steer the moment elsewhere. "I was just really tired yesterday from all the chores around the Pack," I said lightly. "I made some pasta before bed, you know how fast that is to cook."

It was a lie.

But I hoped she'd believe it. Pasta was high in sodium. Maybe that would explain the puffiness.

Because the truth? The truth was far more devastating than a late-night meal.

"Hmm..." Dorothy said, pursing her lips thoughtfully.

"I see... Maybe that's why your eyes are swollen too."

She stood up, adjusting her dress as she prepared to leave. "I'll make a cold compress for you. It'll help reduce the swelling."

A small, grateful smile crept onto my lips. For once, someone cared, genuinely cared.

Suddenly, there was a soft knock at the door.

"I'll get it," Dorothy said, heading over.

A maid stood outside, her posture stiff. "Mistress Diva sent me to fetch Rose. She demands her presence immediately."

Dorothy and I exchanged puzzled glances. Her brow furrowed, mine raised. What could Diva possibly want with me?

Diva? The one betrothed to Alpha Jackson?

What business could she possibly have with a commoner like me? And how did she even know my name?

Maybe... maybe she just wanted to assign me some task. Or perhaps she wanted to make me her handmaiden.

Or maybe, I was just overthinking.

"I'll see you later, Dorothy," I said with a faint smile, wrapping her in a warm hug before following the maid, who led the way in silence.

Over fifteen minutes passed, yet we were still walking. My legs ached, my feet dragging beneath me. What confused me even more was that we had left the palace grounds entirely.

Why?

Curiosity gnawed at my insides. My head pounded, my vision blurred from hunger, I hadn't eaten since yesterday. Still, I couldn't afford to collapse now. I just needed to hear what Diva had to say, then I could go back and rest.

Thank the goddess Dorothy was on my side. At least I had someone. But nothing could have prepared me for what came next.

The place we arrived at was completely foreign, isolated and eerie. Not a soul in sight, rats scurried across the filthy ground. Skulls and bones littered the corners like some forgotten burial site. Was this... a cave?

It didn't feel real. I'd only seen places like this in horror movies.

Without warning, the lights dimmed.

Cold sweat broke out across my skin. My heart raced wildly in my chest.

Was this a joke?

Then I heard it. A soft, feminine chortle echoing through the silence, light, mocking, bone-chilling.

"Who's there?" I whispered, my voice shaky as I turned in all directions, trying to locate the sound. The laughter stopped, the room fell deathly silent.

My chest rose and fell rapidly, my eyes widened in terror. And then, I saw her.

Diva.

She stood just a few meters away, strutting forward with deliberate grace, hips swaying like she was on a runway. Her maids trailed behind her silently like shadows.

She began clapping slowly, her expression twisted into one of mock admiration.

"Well, well, well... You little succubus," she sneered. "So this is how you seduce men above your station?"

Her voice oozed contempt, each word slicing through the air like a blade.

"Do you know," she hissed, voice rising to a scream, "I could ruin your pathetic life in a second?!"

Her neck tensed with rage, green and red veins bulging grotesquely.

"I'm Diva," she spat. "Alpha Jackson's betrothed. Your future Luna."

She folded her arms, hands resting on her waist like a queen passing judgment.

"How dare you try to seduce my fiancé?" she demanded, her tone dropping to a venomous whisper.

Her eyes narrowed as she stalked closer, voice low but saturated with bitterness.

I stared at her, stunned, mouth parted in confusion.

I didn't understand what she was talking about, what any of this was.

"Don't you dare act like you don't know what I'm talking about," she scoffed, eyes blazing.

Of course, I knew who she was, Diva. The infamous fiancée of Alpha Jackson.

But did she know that Jackson was my mate?

And how dare she accuse me of seducing him? If only she knew how much Jackson despised me... If only she knew the coldness in his eyes every time he looked at me, she'd choke on her own words.

"No... I was asked to,"

I didn't even get to finish before she snapped, her voice like a crack of thunder, "Get me the chain whip!"

Chain whip?

My heart stuttered. What in the goddess's name did she plan to use that for?

One of her maids rushed forward and handed it to her.

My breath caught in my throat.

The whip was the most terrifying weapon I had ever seen. Forged from steel, it had jagged, serrated blades along its coils, carved like the body of a snake. Its massive, spiked tip gleamed under the dim light, and just the sight of it made my knees buckle.

"By the time I'm done with you," she said with a wicked grin, flicking the whip through the air with a sharp crack, "you'll regret the day you were born."

Without hesitation, she raised her arm, and the first strike landed.

The pain was instant. More than agonizing.

The steel blades tore through my flesh, sending electric shocks of pain through my entire body. I screamed. My voice shattered the silence, but no one came. No one stopped her.

Strike after strike came, relentless, blood splattered across the walls and floor. My skin ripped open with each lash. My eyes, nose, ears, every inch of me burned and bled.

She was no longer a woman, she was a demon wielding pain like a weapon.

I wanted to die. I begged the gods silently for death to come. Anything to make it stop.

But it didn't.

"This," she hissed, her breath ragged, "is just the tip of the iceberg. Don't ever get close to my man again... or next time, you won't be leaving here alive."

And with that, she turned and stormed out, the echo of her heels clicking against the stone floor as the room fell back into silence.

I tried to move, tried to lift myself from the bloodied ground, but collapsed again. My body was broken.

Pain didn't even begin to describe what I felt. It was as if every bone had been crushed, every nerve shredded. 

Blood and something thicker leaked from my wounds. The metallic tang of it filled my mouth. My skin was slick with it. Warm, wet and endless.

Still, somehow, I pushed myself up, groaning in agony. My limbs trembled. My vision blurred. It felt like I was carrying the weight of a thousand stones.

One step and another..

Each movement sent stabbing pain radiating through my limbs. Blood dripped from me with every limp forward. I was dizzy, thirsty, my throat dry and cracked.

My head pounded violently. The world spun, I couldn't do it.

I couldn't take another step.

And just as I felt myself slipping, collapsing into the void, a strong, muscular arm caught me.

My vision dimmed, the world growing quieter... colder... And then. . .Darkness.

Complete and consuming darkness.

Aiden's POV

I was done searching for my mate. Truly done. This time, I meant it. Maybe the Moon Goddess was dead, or worse, maybe she had forgotten me. That was the only explanation for why I was still mateless.

My father, Lycan Denzel, had sent me to represent him at the Black moon Pack's coronation. I took the opportunity to expand the trip into something else entirely, a desperate, final search for my mate. 

My Beta, Fred, traveled with me as we moved from pack to pack, clinging to the hope that I might feel that spark somewhere. But every search ended the same way, they ended in disappointment.

Eventually, my hopes shattered completely. I was running out of options, out of excuses, and there was only one path left open to me. .  .Cassandra.

Cassandra, the daughter of the Shadowborn Pack's Alpha. Our families had always been close, and from childhood, everyone assumed we would end up together. Mated and married. It was what our parents wanted. But I didn't.

Even if she claimed I was her mate, and she did often but I never believed her. I didn't feel that bond, I didn't feel that pull. There was no connection. How could I commit to someone I didn't love, or someone I didn't want?

Cassandra was known for her pride and arrogance.

The only reason she was kind to my family was because she loved me, or thought she did, and wanted the title of Luna. That was the truth no one wanted to say out loud.

Because of how close our families were, my mother, Luna Eva, had even invited Cassandra to stay in our pack for a while. She thought it might help us "reconnect," that maybe I would change my mind with time

But I hadn't.

I never loved Cassandra and I never will. She was just a friend, nothing more.

And yet. . . since fate hadn't granted me a true mate, maybe it was time to surrender. Maybe it was time to settle.

"But we can't. We've come too far to give up now," my wolf, Wyatt, growled inside me.

He had always held onto hope. Always believed she was out there, waiting to be found. But even he was starting to falter.

Still, hearing him now, so stubborn and so certain made something in me hesitate.

Were we really not destined to have a mate?

Or was she still out there, just beyond our reach?

"Can't you see for yourself? It's pointless to keep searching when there is no hope!" I snapped through the mind link.

Wyatt went silent.

I knew I had hurt him by dismissing his optimism so harshly, and I didn't like seeing him withdrawn or upset. I would make it up to him, but not now.

"Aiden, are you there?" Fred's voice broke through my thoughts, laced with concern. I had not even realized he had been speaking. I must have been too lost in my own head.

"Let's head to the Black moon Pack," I responded flatly, unwilling to engage further in conversation.

I urged the horse forward, and we resumed our journey.

As we approached the outskirts of the Black moon Pack territory, I abruptly pulled the reins, bringing my horse to a stop. A figure had caught my attention, specifically, the retreating form of a lone she-wolf moving along the edge of the woods. I tilted my head, listening. A faint sound, sounding like labored breathing, perhaps, carried from her direction. As a Lycan, my hearing was acute, and the sound raised immediate suspicion.

"Is everything okay, Aiden?" Fred asked, noticing the shift in my expression. "Come on, you can't keep sulking. . . "

"Follow me," I ordered as I dismounted. Fred complied immediately.

Just as I issued the command, I inhaled a scent unlike any I had ever encountered. It was sweet and sharp, lemon and blueberry, mingled in a way that struck something primal within me. I could have followed that scent forever.

Wyatt, who had been silent since our earlier exchange, stirred suddenly in my mind. "Something is about to happen," he said, pacing excitedly. "I can feel it. I can't wait. . ."

"Shut up and let me concentrate," I muttered internally.

As we proceeded on foot, a narrow trail of blood became visible on the forest floor. It stretched forward in a straight line, and the scent grew stronger with each step.

"Aiden, let's not go any further," Fred said, placing a hand on my shoulder.

I glared at him with anger and continued ahead.

Then I saw her. A she-wolf, she is barely standing, she appears to be severely injured, and bleeding from multiple cuts, was limping through the brush. Blood ran freely down her body, her face muddied by it. She looked like she had been attacked violently and was on the verge of collapsing.

"Mate!" Wyatt howled in my head. "There she is. . . Oh my goddess, this is real. . ."

She stumbled forward one last time before collapsing. I rushed to her side and caught her before she hit the ground.

I had never felt anything like this before. Even through the blood, her features stood out, delicate, symmetrical, undeniably beautiful. A round face, thick eyelashes, and lips that seemed carefully sculpted.

She was slipping away fast.

"Get the horses!" I barked at Fred, kneeling beside her.

Blood was now flowing from her eyes, nose, and mouth. Her complexion was turning pale, her lips tinged blue, signs that looked like oxygen deprivation. She was losing consciousness. I could feel the panic rising in my chest, but I had to stay focused.

I couldn't lose her now. Not after everything I have been through to find her.

Fred rushed off to get the horses, terror wide in his eyes.

And then the rain began, tiny drops at first, soft against her skin. I don't care about mine but we had to get out of here.

The Black moon Pack wasn't close enough to reach the pack doctor in time, and I wasn't even sure I remembered all the paths clearly. If I didn't act fast, she would bleed out before we made it anywhere.

My mind raced, chaos and desperation tangling together.

And then I remembered, back when I was younger, training to be a warrior, we were taught emergency survival techniques. Taylor, the Gamma of our pack and my father's most trusted warrior, had drilled into us the importance of recognizing healing herbs.

One of them, the aspilia leaf, could slow bleeding. If only I could find one right now.

Without hesitation, I darted into the underbrush and found a patch, thankfully. I ripped a handful from the stem, heart pounding as the rain picked up around me.

We needed shelter.

Lifting her carefully, I placed her limp body on my horse. Her skin was cold. The rain began to fall harder now, soaking us both. I swung up behind her and wrapped one arm tightly around her while grabbing the reins with the other.

I didn't know exactly where I was headed, just away from here, anywhere that could keep her safe.

Fred followed close behind on his horse, eyes scanning for shelter.

Frustration burned in my blood. I whipped the reins harder, urging the horse faster. My legs locked around its sides as my heart thundered with fear.

Through the storm, Fred suddenly called out, waving frantically. "There is. . . There is a shade over here!" His voice was barely audible through the downpour.

I yanked the reins, bringing the horse to a stop, and leapt down. Fred was already holding back branches to reveal an old wooden lean-to, half-covered in vines but sturdy enough for shelter.

I carried her into it.

Inside, I quickly pounded the aspilia leaves with a rock, crushing them into a paste. Then I spread them across her wounds, pressing gently.

She looked so pale. So still.

My heart cracked, watching her lie there like that, fragile and lifeless.

"She's your mate, right?" Fred asked quietly, his lips twitching into a solemn frown.

"Yes," I murmured, my voice low and ragged as I raked my hands through my soaked hair and over my face.

Fred exhaled and gave a small shake of his head, but he didn't say anything.

Usually, Fred and I filled the space between us with banter or easy rapport but it was different.

This was my mate. And she was dying.

My leg bounced anxiously, fists clenched so tight my knuckles turned white.

"What do you think happened to her?" Fred finally asked. "Was it rogues? Some kind of attack?"

I stared into the distance, eyes narrowing. My mind flashed back to the image of the retreating she-wolf I had seen earlier, her silhouette lingering in the shadows. Something about it... It had not felt right.

"I don't know who did this," I said darkly. "But someone's behind it, and when I find out who, they will pay."

Anger coiled like a storm inside me, tightening my chest because of the fact I cannot do anything else apart from what I have done.

Days passed. Then weeks. She still wasn't responding. But she was still breathing, that's a good thing.

"Fred..." I called out, my voice hoarse with exhaustion and grief.

"What am I going to do?" My hands trembled. "She's my life. . ."

I dropped to my knees, shoulders shaking. I couldn't take this anymore. I was falling apart. I was losing her, and myself along with her.

Fred placed a comforting hand on my back, but I could tell he didn't know what to say. There were no words that could fix this.

Then. . . 

Achoo.

I froze.

"Huh?" I looked up, unsure if I had imagined the sound.

Then again, louder this time: "Achoo. . . achoo. . ."

Fred and I both snapped upright, eyes wide.

"She's alive!" we shouted in unison. And the sense of relief just washed over me. I will live too!