The Beta of the West Wing once told me that my mother, Luella Grant, had been a servant in the Lycan Queen’s chambers. When the Queen fell ill, the Lycan King, Robert Jacobs, had chosen her at random to spend the night with.

My mother was devastated. She had been counting down the days until her release from the pack’s central territory, where her fiancé, a Delta in the pack’s guard, was waiting for her. They had been deeply in love, planning to start a life together once she was free.

She begged the Lycan King to let her go, but her pleas only angered him. He took her anyway, and afterward, he dismissed her with the title of "Chosen Mate," sending her to live in the forgotten West Wing of the pack’s territory—a place as cold and neglected as her shattered dreams.

Even after she gave birth to me, he never visited. Not once. He didn’t even give me a name.

It was as if he had forgotten her entirely—forgotten me entirely. When I stood before him in the grand hall, he looked at me with a distant, almost amused expression, as if trying to place who I was.

“Samantha,” he said finally, his voice warm but hollow, “what brings you here today?”

I looked up at him, forcing a smile. “I’ve come to ask for a mate pairing. I’m old enough now!”

The room, which had been stiflingly silent, erupted in laughter. The Lycan King chuckled and patted my head as though I were his favorite daughter. “A mate pairing? And who, pray tell, has caught your eye? Shall I arrange it for you?”

The Beta stepped forward, a sly grin on his face. “I’ve heard that Samantha and the Beta, Patrick Cook, have grown quite close.”

The Lycan King raised an eyebrow, his gaze shifting to Patrick, who stood among the pack’s warriors. “Is that so? Samantha, do you fancy Patrick?”

Patrick’s face tightened, his lips pressing into a thin line. His eyes met mine, filled with a mixture of tension and dread. He didn’t want this. I’d always known he didn’t.

Patrick was kind, but his kindness had its limits. We’d met years ago, when he found me being bullied by a group of Deltas, forced to crawl on all fours like a dog in exchange for a few scraps of food. He’d intervened, punishing the Deltas and leaving me with all the money he had on him.

I’d always admired him. He was the future Beta, often visiting the pack’s central territory to train the Lycan King’s children, including my sister, Vera Fernandez. I’d even snuck into the training grounds to listen to him teach, hoping to learn something, anything, that might make me less of an outcast.

But Patrick’s kindness had turned to disdain after a pack gathering, where a group of arrogant young wolves had cornered me, offering me food in exchange for reading vulgar poetry aloud. One of them had even asked if I’d be his mistress, promising me a life of comfort.

I didn’t know what a mistress was, but the promise of warmth and food was enough to make me agree. Patrick had seen it happen. He’d dragged me away, his grip so tight I thought my arm might break.

“You’re the daughter of the Lycan King!” he’d snapped, his voice cutting through me like a blade. “How can you debase yourself like this, throwing yourself at any wolf who shows you the slightest bit of attention? You should be like Vera—proud, unyielding, a true member of the pack!”

I hadn’t understood why he was so angry. My mother had survived by doing what she had to, and after her death, I’d done the same. To me, it was just survival.

But Patrick’s words had shattered something in me. I’d spent the next years living in the shadows of the West Wing, enduring the mockery and cruelty of the pack’s lower ranks, grateful for even the smallest scraps of kindness.

Now, standing before the Lycan King, I felt the weight of Patrick’s judgment once more. He didn’t want me. He never had.

“I…” I began, my voice trembling.

But before I could say more, the Lycan King waved his hand, dismissing the matter. “We’ll discuss this later, Samantha. For now, let’s focus on the pack’s affairs.”

The room fell silent again, and I was left standing there, feeling smaller and more insignificant than ever. I retreated to the West Wing, where I belonged, and continued to live as I always had—quietly, invisibly, surviving.

Until that one time when I was caught eavesdropping on Patrick Cook’s training session, I was beaten half to death by the guards.

It was Vera Fernandez who saved me, giving me medicine to heal my wounds.

A life-saving favor is as significant as the sky itself, and I knew I had to repay it.

Now, with the pack’s territory in the north under attack, the Alpha of the northern pack, Kaizen Phillips, had once been a hostage here, enduring unimaginable suffering.

He was known for his brutality and ferocity, having barely survived his time here before escaping back to his pack. There, he killed his own father and took the Alpha position, leading his warriors to attack our lands.

He had already claimed fifty-eight territories in the north and was now marching toward the central pack, declaring that he didn’t want the throne—only the Lycan King’s daughter.

Almost everyone assumed it would be Vera, the most dazzling of the Lycan King’s daughters, who would be sent to him.

Bristol Larson, the Lycan Queen, told me Vera had been unable to eat or sleep, falling ill from the stress.

The Lycan King, Robert Jacobs, called a meeting of the pack’s leaders, but after three days of deliberation, no one dared to volunteer to face Kaizen’s forces. The warriors were either injured or dead, leaving the pack with no choice but to send Vera.

Bristol Larson, desperate, came to me with a box of pastries, begging me to take Vera’s place in the mate pairing.

I asked her if being a mate meant there would be good food.

She paused for a moment, then said there would not only be good food but also beautiful clothes and jewelry.

That sounded more than worth it!

I brightened up, wiping the crumbs from my mouth and patting my chest with confidence.

"Don’t worry, Your Majesty. If Vera doesn’t want to go, I’ll do it for her!"

But what if the Lycan King decided to pair me with Patrick instead?

I quickly waved my hands.

"No, no, I don’t want to be paired with Beta Patrick. I want to be paired with Kaizen Phillips, the Alpha of the northern pack!"

I glanced at the pack’s historian for confirmation, and he whispered, "Kaizen Phillips."

Grateful, I repeated it loudly, "I want to be paired with Kaizen Phillips!"

Perhaps my voice was too loud, because the room fell silent, everyone staring at me in shock.

"Impossible!"

Patrick Cook suddenly spoke up, kneeling on the ground with a formal bow. When he looked up, his face was pale.

"Princess Samantha is still young and doesn’t understand the significance of a mate pairing. Your Majesty, please reconsider!"

The Lycan King, Robert Jacobs, twirled the ring on his finger, his gaze fixed on Patrick as he smiled.

"Beta Patrick, our little Samantha may be young, but she’s sharp as a wolf’s fang. I like this child, and I intend to grant her wish."

With a wave of his hand, he issued the decree.

"By the command of the Lycan King, Princess Samantha Jacobs is hereby granted the title of Solaris, with the privileges of a Lycan Princess. She shall be paired with Kaizen Phillips, Alpha of the northern pack, to strengthen the alliance between our packs."

Not only that, the Lycan King also announced that Patrick Cook would be paired with Vera Fernandez next month.

Patrick’s face turned ashen, but he had no choice but to accept the decree and thank the King in front of everyone.

As for me, I was too busy thinking about the new wing of the pack house I’d been given, eager to go and explore it.

I found myself walking through the new wing, the scent of fresh wood and paint filling the air. My wolf stirred within me, her name, Luna, whispering in my mind.

"This is ours now," Luna said, her voice filled with excitement.

I nodded, feeling the weight of my new title and the responsibility it carried. But more than anything, I was ready to face whatever challenges lay ahead, with Kaizen Phillips by my side.

As I explored the new wing, I couldn’t help but think about the mark ceremony that awaited me. The thought of Kaizen’s mark on my neck sent a shiver down my spine.

"Luna," I whispered, "are you ready for this?"

"We’ve been ready," she replied, her voice steady and confident.

And with that, I knew I was ready to embrace my new life as the mate of Kaizen Phillips, the Alpha of the northern pack.

Being chosen for the mate pairing was the best thing that could have happened!

After leaving the Alpha King’s study, I clutched the decree in my hands, grinning like a fool as I walked. My steps were light, my heart soaring. For once, fate seemed to be on my side.

But then I saw him. Patrick Cook stood in the distance, his expression as cold and unyielding as ever. His dark eyes locked onto mine, and a shiver ran down my spine. I hesitated, then turned to run, but he was faster. In an instant, he closed the gap between us, his claws gripping my wrist like a vise.

"Do you even understand what a mate pairing entails?" he snapped, his voice low and sharp. "No one remembered you existed until now. Why would you volunteer for this? Do you think this is some kind of game?"

He started pulling me back toward the Alpha King’s study, his grip unrelenting. "Come with me. We’ll tell the King you’ve changed your mind."

"No!" I yanked my arm free, glaring at him. "I want this! I don’t want to stay here. I hate it here! I hate you!"

My voice broke, and tears spilled down my cheeks. "You’re going to be mated to Vera Fernandez. Why do you even care what happens to me? No one here cares about Samantha Jacobs. I’m leaving, and I’m never coming back!"

Patrick froze, his jaw tightening. For a moment, he looked like he wanted to say something, but no words came out. Seizing the opportunity, I wrenched my wrist free and bolted, not stopping until I reached the new quarters assigned to me.

The room was nothing like the drafty, neglected space I’d been forced to call home for so long. There were no mice scurrying in the corners, no snakes slithering across the floor. Instead, there was a soft bed, a sturdy desk, and even a plate of freshly baked pastries waiting for me.

I collapsed onto the bed, letting out a sigh of relief. "Being chosen for the mate pairing is the best thing that’s ever happened to me," I whispered to myself, a smile creeping back onto my face. For the first time in years, I felt like I had a chance—a real chance—to escape the life I’d been trapped in. And I wasn’t going to let anyone take that away from me.