The bell above the door of *The Gilded Claw* chimed softly as I stepped inside, the scent of sage and old parchment washing over me. It was a stark contrast to the sterile, modern smell of the Silver Lake Pack House, and for a moment, I let my shoulders drop. Here, amidst the dusty relics and enchanted trinkets, I didn't have to be the trembling, wolfless Omega everyone thought I was.

"Miss Hayes," the shopkeeper, an elderly warlock named Elias, greeted me with a bow that was far too deep for a girl in faded jeans and a thrift-store sweater. His milky eyes lingered on me, seeing something no one else in this town bothered to look for. "Your commission is ready."

He placed a velvet box on the counter. I opened it, my breath hitching. Inside lay a dagger forged from pure moonstone, the blade shimmering with an iridescent glow that seemed to pulse in time with my own heartbeat. It was a courting gift. A promise. Tonight was our three-year anniversary, and I was finally going to tell Leo the truth. I was going to tell him that the weak girl he’d been protecting was actually the daughter of the Lycan King.

"It hums when you touch it," Elias whispered, his voice trembling slightly. "Only a wolf of... significant lineage could make moonstone sing like that."

I quickly snapped the box shut, sliding a stack of cash—saved from my secret allowance—across the glass. "Thank you, Elias. Keep the change."

I hurried out before he could say more, clutching the box against my chest like a lifeline. My wolf, usually dormant under layers of suppressants and sheer willpower, stirred uneasily. *He isn't worth this,* she growled in the back of my mind. *He treats us like a pet.*

*He protects us,* I countered silently, unlocking my beat-up sedan. *He loves me for me, not my title.*

But as I drove back to the Silver Lake territory, the knot in my stomach tightened. Leo had been distant lately. No, not distant—cold. He stopped holding my hand in public weeks ago. He stopped calling me 'babe.' I told myself it was just the stress of his Alpha training, the pressure from his parents. Tonight would fix everything. Once he knew I was a Royal, his parents would have to accept me. The pack would have to respect me.

I parked around the back of the massive Pack House, avoiding the main entrance as usual. I was allowed in the kitchen and the servant’s quarters, but the main foyer was reserved for "ranked members." I slipped through the service door, the heavy velvet box hidden deep in my tote bag.

The kitchen was bustling with Omegas prepping for the Alpha’s dinner, but the moment I walked in, the chatter died. It wasn't out of respect. It was fear.

Standing by the granite island, arms crossed over her designer silk blouse, was Luna Austin. Leo’s mother.

She didn't look at me. She was inspecting a manicured fingernail, as if my presence was a smudge of dirt she was trying to ignore.

"Everyone out," she commanded. Her voice was soft, but it carried the weight of her Luna aura. The kitchen staff scrambled for the exits, leaving me alone with the woman who had made my life a living hell for three years.

"Luna Austin," I said, bowing my head slightly. "I was just going to start Leo's—"

"Don't," she interrupted, finally turning her icy blue gaze on me. She reached into her purse and tossed a thick, heavy envelope onto the counter. It landed with a dull thud. "Fifty thousand dollars."

I stared at the envelope, confusion wrinkling my brow. "I... I don't understand."

"It's a severance package, Katherine," she said, her lip curling in distaste. "Take it. Leave the pack. Tonight."

My heart hammered against my ribs. "Leave? But... Leo and I—"

"Leo is an Alpha," she snapped, stepping closer. Her aura flared, a suffocating wave of heat meant to make me cower. I had to dig my nails into my palms to keep my own Royal aura from lashing out and crushing her into the floor tiles. "He needs a Luna. A strong bitch who can give him powerful heirs and secure our borders. Not a charity case who can't even shift."

"I love him," I said, my voice shaking not with fear, but with suppressed rage. "And he loves me. We're fated."

Luna Austin laughed, a harsh, brittle sound. "Fate is a suggestion, dear. Power is a necessity. Leo knows this. Why do you think he hasn't marked you after three years?"

The door swung open behind me. I spun around, relief flooding my chest. "Leo!"

He stood in the doorway, looking devastatingly handsome in his training gear, sweat glistening on his forehead. But he didn't smile when he saw me. He didn't rush to my side to defend me from his mother's cruelty.

He looked at the floor.

"Leo?" I took a step toward him, but he flinched.

"Take the money, Kat," he muttered, his voice hollow.

The air left my lungs. The velvet box in my bag felt suddenly heavy, like a stone dragging me underwater. "What?"

"My mother is right," Leo said, finally looking up. His eyes were hard, devoid of the warmth I had clung to for so long. "The pack is weak. We're losing territory to the rogues in the north. I need an alliance. I need a mate who can fight beside me."

"I can fight," I whispered, the secret burning on the tip of my tongue. *Tell him,* my wolf screamed. *Show him who we are!*

"You can't even shift!" Leo exploded, his Alpha tone rolling over me, commanding me to submit. It was a slap in the face. He used the voice on me. "I can't wait for a wolf that might never show up, Katherine. I have responsibilities."

He walked past me, moving to stand beside his mother. The image of them together—united in their disdain—shattered something inside me.

"There's someone else," Leo said, his voice dropping to a murmur. "Someone worthy of the Alpha title. She's strong, Kat. She's... everything the pack needs."

I looked at the envelope of cash, then at the man I had lowered myself for. I had dimmed my light to make him shine, and he was discarding me for being too dark.

"You're making a mistake, Leo," I said quietly. My voice didn't tremble this time.

Luna Austin scoffed. "The only mistake was letting a stray dog sleep in the master's bed. Take the money and go, or I'll have the enforcers drag you out."

I gripped the strap of my bag, feeling the sharp edge of the moonstone box through the canvas. I didn't take the envelope. I turned my back on them, walking toward the door with a spine of steel I didn't know I still possessed.

"Happy anniversary, Leo," I said, pushing through the swinging doors, leaving the money—and my heart—on the kitchen counter.

The kitchen door swung open again, but this time, the air shifted. It wasn’t just the draft from the hallway; it was a scent. Sickly sweet, like rotting flowers masked by heavy perfume.

Two Silver Lake guards stepped in, flanking a woman who walked as if she owned the very ground beneath her feet. My breath hitched. It was Emelia Flores.

The rogue I had found shivering in a storm drain six months ago. The girl I had fed from my own meager rations, the one I had given blankets to when Leo refused to let "trash" into the pack lands.

But she didn’t look like a rogue now. She was draped in fine crimson silk that hugged her curves, her hair glossy and styled in complex braids. And around her neck... my blood ran cold. Resting against her collarbone was a heavy, silver amulet with a black gemstone in the center.

My mother’s amulet. The one I kept hidden in the false bottom of my jewelry box. The one that masked scents.

"Leo, darling," Emelia purred, ignoring me completely as she sashayed toward him. She placed a hand on his chest, her nails painted a sharp, predatory red. "Is this the... situation we discussed?"

Leo didn't pull away. He leaned into her touch, his eyes finally meeting mine with a mix of defiance and pity.

"Who is this?" I asked, though the sinking feeling in my gut told me I already knew.

Emelia turned to me then, her smile sharp enough to cut glass. "Oh, Katherine. You poor, sweet thing. Didn't anyone tell you?"

She stepped closer, the stolen amulet pulsing faintly against her skin. "I am Emelia Flores. The lost Princess of the Blood Moon Pack."

Silence slammed into the room. My heart hammered a frantic rhythm against my ribs. She was claiming *my* title. She was wearing *my* heirloom to hide her rogue scent and mimic a Royal aura she didn't possess.

"And," she continued, her voice dripping with false sympathy, "I am Leo's true fated mate. The Moon Goddess... well, she makes mistakes with weak wolves like you. She corrected it with me."

"That's a lie," I whispered, my voice trembling. "You're a rogue. I helped you."

"Helped me?" Emelia laughed, a high, tinkling sound that grated on my nerves. "You threw scraps at me like I was a dog. But Leo... Leo sees my true worth. My Royal blood."

I looked at Leo, desperate for him to see through this charade. "Leo, she's lying! That amulet—it's mine! She stole it!"

"Enough!" Luna Austin barked. She stepped between us, her face twisted in disgust. "You dare accuse a Princess of theft? You, a wolfless nobody?"

"I'm not nobody!" I cried out, the injustice burning through my veins like acid. My hand fumbled in my tote bag, fingers closing around the velvet box. "I have proof of my devotion! I bought this for him!"

I pulled out the box and snapped it open. The moonstone dagger gleamed under the harsh kitchen lights, its iridescent blade humming softly.

"A courting gift," I said, my voice cracking. "For our anniversary. It's real moonstone, Leo. It sings for me."

For a second, Leo’s eyes widened. He reached out, his hand hovering over the blade. Moonstone was rare. Expensive. It was a gift fit for an Alpha.

But before he could touch it, Luna Austin snatched the box from my hand.

"Please!" she scoffed. "Where did you get the money for this? Scavenging from dead rogues?"

"I saved it!" I protested, reaching for it. "Give it back!"

"It's trash," she spat. "Just like you."

With a sneer, she gripped the dagger by the blade and handle. Her Alpha aura flared, a sudden burst of pressure that made the air heavy. With a sharp *snap*, the moonstone shattered.

Shards of the priceless stone exploded outward. A jagged piece sliced across the back of my hand, and I gasped, clutching my bleeding skin. The beautiful, singing blade was now just glittering dust on the dirty tile floor.

"Pathetic," Leo muttered, turning his face away.

A small yip echoed from the hallway.

My heart stopped.

"Luna!" I called out, panic seizing my chest.

A small, scruffy terrier trotted into the kitchen, her tail wagging furiously. It was the stray I had adopted two years ago. Leo had named her 'Luna' as a cruel joke, mocking the fact that a dog was the only 'Luna' I would ever be. But I loved her. She was the only thing in this pack that didn't look at me with contempt.

She sensed my distress, whining as she trotted toward me, sniffing at the blood dripping from my hand.

"Filthy mutt," Emelia sneered. Her eyes flashed a sickly yellow—not the gold of a Royal, but the muddy color of a common wolf.

"Don't touch her," I warned, stepping in front of my dog. My inner wolf, usually silent, let out a low, dangerous rumble.

Emelia smiled, cruel and wide. "A Princess doesn't tolerate vermin in the Pack House."

Before I could react, Emelia’s body contorted. She didn't fully shift—she wasn't strong enough for a partial shift like a true Royal—but her hands elongated into claws, and her jaw unhinged, teeth sharpening into jagged points.

"No!" I screamed, lunging forward.

It was too late.

Emelia moved with the desperate, jerky speed of a rogue. She swiped her claws down, a vicious arc aimed directly at the small dog cowering at my feet.

There was a sickening crunch. A high-pitched yelp that was cut short.

Blood sprayed across the white cabinets. My little Luna lay still, her small body broken, her eyes open and glassy.

The kitchen went silent, save for the hum of the refrigerator and the dripping of my own blood onto the floor.

I stared at the small, lifeless bundle of fur. The only creature that had loved me unconditionally.

"Oops," Emelia giggled, wiping a speck of blood from her silk dress. "My wolf is just so... dominant. I couldn't control her."

Something inside me snapped. It wasn't the moonstone. It wasn't my heart. It was the cage I had built around my soul.

A low growl started in my chest, vibrating through my ribs until it shook the very air in the room. The lights flickered. The shattered moonstone dust on the floor began to tremble.

I looked up.

Leo took a step back, his face paling. Luna Austin frowned, clutching her pearls. Emelia’s smirk faltered.

They thought they were looking at a broken girl. They didn't realize they had just woken up a monster.

The silence in the kitchen was deafening, broken only by the hum of the refrigerator and the frantic thudding of my own heart. My eyes were locked on the small, broken body of my dog. Luna wasn’t moving. Her little chest, usually rising and falling with excited breaths, was still. Blood pooled around her muzzle, staining the pristine white tiles a horrific crimson.

"No," I whispered, the word scraping against my raw throat. "No, no, no..."

I scrambled forward, ignoring the glass shards of the moonstone dagger that sliced into my knees. I didn't care. I reached for her, my hands trembling so violently I could barely touch her soft fur. She was still warm.

"Get away from it," Luna Austin’s voice cut through the air, sharp and disgusted. "Don't get that filth on my floor."

I didn't listen. I couldn't. I pulled my little Luna into my lap, cradling her head against my chest, sobbing into her fur. She was the only one. The only living thing in this entire cursed pack that had ever looked at me with love instead of disdain. And now she was gone because of *her*.

I looked up, my vision blurred with tears, locking eyes with Emelia. She was feigning shock, pressing a hand to her mouth, but her eyes were dancing with cruel delight. She was enjoying this. She had taken my identity, my mate, and now the only innocent thing I had left.

"You monster," I choked out, my voice thick with grief.

"Katherine!" Leo barked, stepping forward. But he didn't move toward me. He moved toward Emelia, placing a protective hand on her shoulder. "Watch your tone. Emelia is a guest. A Royal guest."

"She killed my dog!" I screamed, the sound ripping out of me. "She murdered her!"

"It was an accident," Emelia whimpered, leaning into Leo. "My wolf... she's just so powerful. I sensed a threat. I thought the beast was going to attack me."

"A threat?" I laughed, a broken, hysterical sound. "She was a ten-pound terrier! She loved everyone!"

I tried to stand, clutching Luna's body to my chest, a fire igniting in my belly that I hadn't felt in three years. It wasn't just anger. It was something ancient. Something primal. My inner wolf, who had been curled in a ball of misery for so long, suddenly stood up. She shook off the chains of my suppression. She didn't howl. She *roared*.

*Kill them,* she whispered in my mind. *Burn it all down.*

"You need to leave," Luna Austin snapped, stepping into my personal space. "Take that carcass and get out."

"I'm not going anywhere until she pays for this," I growled. The sound didn't sound like me. It sounded like gravel grinding together, deep and resonant.

Luna Austin’s eyes widened for a fraction of a second, but her arrogance quickly returned. "You dare threaten a guest in my house?"

She shoved me. Hard.

I wasn't expecting the physical attack. I stumbled back, my feet slipping on the blood—my dog’s blood. My shoulder slammed into the rough stone of the decorative pillar in the center of the kitchen. Pain exploded in my arm, radiating down my spine. The impact knocked the wind out of me, but it did something else, too. It cracked the dam.

The suppression barriers I had carefully maintained for three years shattered.

A growl ripped through the room. It wasn't a human sound. It was the sound of a predator, deep and vibrating, shaking the very foundation of the house. The lights overhead flickered violently. The fine china on the drying rack rattled against the metal.

I looked up. For a heartbeat, the kitchen vanished. All I saw was red. I felt my eyes burn, the gold of my true lineage flashing so bright it illuminated the dim corner where I had fallen.

Leo took a step back, his face draining of color. He looked at me, really looked at me, and for the first time, I saw fear in his eyes. He sensed it. He sensed the power rolling off me in waves, a power that dwarfed his own Alpha aura.

But his fear quickly turned to defensiveness. He looked at Emelia, who was now genuinely cowering behind him, clutching his arm.

"Leo!" Emelia shrieked. "She's going to shift! She's crazy! Save me!"

Leo’s jaw tightened. He didn't see his mate in pain. He didn't see the injustice. He only saw a threat to his new prize.

He squared his shoulders, his chest puffing out with false bravado. He drew in a deep breath, channeling his Alpha command.

"KATHERINE!" he bellowed, his voice laced with the heavy, crushing weight of an Alpha order. "SUBMIT, OMEGA!"

The command hit me like a physical blow. It was a sledgehammer to my skull. Because I was still fighting my own wolf, still trying to keep the Royal beast from tearing the house apart, his command caught me in the middle. It forced my human side to bow while my wolf fought back.

The pain was blinding. I screamed, clutching my head, my knees hitting the floor hard. It felt like my bones were being ground to dust. Blood trickled from my nose, dripping onto the floor to mix with Luna’s.

"down!" Leo roared again, pointing a finger at me. "Stay down!"

My forehead touched the cold tile. I was panting, gasping for air, my body trembling uncontrollably. My wolf was snarling, thrashing against the command, but the years of suppression had weakened my connection to her. I couldn't break the Alpha tone. Not yet.

"Look at her," Leo sneered, his voice dropping to a disgusted whisper. "Unstable. Violent. You provoked this, Katherine. You brought that filthy animal in here knowing Emelia’s wolf is sensitive to threats."

I couldn't speak. I could only glare up at him through my hair, hate burning in my chest where love used to be.

"She's dangerous, Leo," Luna Austin said, smoothing her skirt as if she hadn't just assaulted me. "We can't have her running loose. Not with the Alpha's Gathering tomorrow night. She'll ruin everything."

Leo nodded, pulling Emelia into his side. He kissed the top of her head, soothing her fake sobs. "You're right. We can't take chances."

He looked down at me, his eyes cold and empty. "Guards! Take her to the cellar. Lock her in. She stays there until the ceremony tomorrow."

Two burly enforcers stepped forward, grabbing me by the arms and hauling me up. I didn't fight them. I couldn't. My body was broken, my heart was shattered, and my only friend was dead in my arms.

"I'll deal with you publicly tomorrow," Leo said, turning his back on me to walk Emelia out of the room. "I'll make sure the whole pack knows exactly what you are."

As the guards dragged me toward the dark stairwell, leaving a trail of blood behind me, I stopped crying. The tears dried up, replaced by a cold, hard resolve.

*He wants everyone to know what I am?* my wolf hissed, pacing in the cage of my mind. *Fine. Tomorrow, we show him.*