The moment I stepped into the grand hall of the Dark Moon Pack House, I felt it—a pull so powerful it nearly brought me to my knees. My dormant wolf stirred for the first time in twenty years, stretching lazily within me as if waking from a long slumber.

"You feel it too, don't you?"

His voice was deep, commanding—the kind that could make an entire pack submit with just a whisper. I didn't need to turn around to know who spoke. The scent of pine and winter frost had already told me everything I needed to know.

Alpha Dominic Reed.

I kept my eyes downcast, the way an Omega should when addressing an Alpha. "I'm sorry, Alpha Reed. I didn't mean to intrude."

"Intrude?" He stepped closer, and I fought the urge to look up. "You're exactly where you're supposed to be."

Something about his words made my heart race. When I finally gathered the courage to meet his gaze, I understood why. His eyes—one golden, one silver—locked onto mine with an intensity that stole my breath.

"You're my mate."

Not a question. A statement.

My wolf howled inside me, clawing to get out, to reach him. Twenty years of dormancy shattered in an instant. I took a step back, my hand flying to my throat.

"That's impossible," I whispered. "I'm just an Omega. A decoy."

"A decoy who's about to change everything." His lips curved into a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. "Come with me."

He led me to a private chamber, his hand burning against the small of my back. Every touch sent electricity through my veins. This was what the elders had described—the mate bond. The most sacred connection our kind could form.

"I've waited for you," he said, cupping my face. "But we must be careful. There are... political considerations."

Before I could ask what he meant, the door burst open. A woman stood there—tall, elegant, with the unmistakable bearing of Alpha blood.

"Dominic, darling. The Silver Claw Alpha is asking for you." Her eyes flicked to me, narrowing slightly. "And who might this be?"

I shrank back instinctively. Something about her made my skin crawl.

"This is Malia," Dominic said, his hand dropping from my face. "She's... new to the pack."

"Lovely," the woman purred. "I'm Averie. The future Luna of Silver Claw."

The way she said it—like she'd already claimed the title—made my stomach twist.

"Alpha Marcus has proposed an alliance," Dominic explained, moving toward Averie. "A union between our packs would make us unstoppable."

I watched in confusion as he offered Averie his arm. The mate bond still pulsed between us, but he was already walking away.

"But what about..." I started to say.

"What about what?" Averie's smile was razor-sharp. "You?"

---

Three weeks later, I stood in the shadows of the great hall, watching as Dominic and Averie were announced as the future Alpha pair. The entire Dark Moon Pack had gathered to celebrate their courtship.

"To the union of our packs!" Dominic raised a glass, his arm around Averie's waist.

My wolf whimpered inside me. *He's ours. Why does he deny us?*

I didn't have an answer. Only the hollow ache in my chest that grew worse with each passing day.

"Malia." A soft voice beside me made me turn. It was Dr. Sage, the pack healer. "You shouldn't be here."

"I had to see it for myself," I whispered.

Sage's eyes filled with pity. "He's made his choice. You need to accept it."

But how could I accept being rejected by my own mate? The bond still pulled at me, stronger than ever.

---

That night, as I tended to my mother's bedside, a commotion outside drew me to the window. Averie stood in the courtyard, surrounded by pack members.

"My father has agreed to my return," she announced. "After twenty years away, I'll be taking my rightful place as the future Luna of Silver Claw."

The crowd cheered, but all I could think about was what this meant for me. For twenty years, I'd been their decoy—the shield that absorbed attacks meant for the Alpha's precious daughter.

Now that daughter had returned.

"Congratulations," I heard someone say. "What will happen to the other one? The Omega?"

Averie's laugh was like ice. "Oh, her? She'll still be useful. Every pack needs its... disposable assets."

I closed the curtains, my hands trembling. My mother stirred behind me.

"Malia?" she called weakly. "Is something wrong?"

"No, Mama," I lied, returning to her bedside. "Everything's fine."

But nothing was fine. The mate bond still burned inside me, even as Dominic prepared to mark another woman as his Luna. And now Averie had returned to claim her birthright—leaving me exactly where I'd always been.

In the shadows.

As Dominic's shameful secret.

The scent of blood hit me before I even entered our small cabin. Metallic and sharp, it cut through the usual scent of my mother's healing herbs and filled my nostrils with dread.

"Mama?" I called, rushing inside. "Mama!"

I found her collapsed on the floor beside her garden bed, her thin fingers still clutching a handful of chamomile. Blood soaked through her faded shirt where deep gashes marked her torso.

"Malia," she whispered, her voice barely audible. "Rogues... came through... the eastern border."

My hands shook as I knelt beside her. Twenty years I'd protected others, taken blows meant for Averie. Now my mother—the only person who'd ever truly loved me—lay bleeding because the pack's defenses had failed.

"I'll get help," I promised, pressing my hands against her wounds to slow the bleeding. My wolf stirred anxiously within me, lending me strength.

I reached for the pack link, calling out to the one person who might help. *Dominic, please. My mother is hurt. Rogues attacked her.*

His response came almost immediately, his voice filling my mind with unexpected warmth. *Where are you?*

*Our cabin by the eastern woods,* I replied, relief washing through me. *She needs a healer. The wounds are deep.*

*I'm sending Dr. Sage,* he promised. *Hold on.*

Dr. Sage arrived within minutes, her medical bag clutched tightly in her hands. Her face paled as she examined my mother.

"The wounds are infected," she said grimly. "And there's something else... a poison of some kind. I've never seen anything like it."

"Can you heal her?" I asked, my voice breaking.

Sage's eyes filled with sorrow. "I can try, but she needs specialized treatment. There's a healer in the Lycan territory who specializes in Rogue poisons, but..."

"But what?" I pressed.

"Transporting her would be difficult, and the Alpha would need to approve the funds."

My heart sank. We were talking about Dominic again—the man who held my mother's life in his hands.

"I'll ask him," I said, squeezing my mother's hand. "Don't worry, Mama. I'll fix this."

I found Dominic in his office, Averie perched on the edge of his desk. They both looked up when I entered, their conversation halting abruptly.

"What is it?" Dominic asked, his tone cooling noticeably.

"My mother needs a healer from the Lycan territory," I said, keeping my eyes lowered as protocol demanded. "Dr. Sage says she has a poison in her system."

Dominic's expression softened slightly. "Elena is hurt?"

I nodded, surprised by the concern in his voice. "She saved you once," I reminded him quietly. "When you were a child."

Something flickered in his eyes—recognition, perhaps even guilt. "I remember."

"Please," I whispered. "She needs help."

He stood, moving toward me with that fluid grace that made my wolf whimper. "I'll authorize the transport and funds immediately. Take her to the pack hospital first—I'll make the arrangements from there."

Relief flooded through me. "Thank you."

His hand brushed mine briefly, sending electricity up my arm. "Anything for you, Malia."

---

Hours later, my mother's condition worsened. The pack hospital bed seemed to swallow her frail form as she thrashed in fever.

"The Alpha's authorization hasn't come through yet," Dr. Sage said, checking her watch nervously. "Without it, I can't request the Lycan healer."

I paced the small room, desperation clawing at my chest. "I'll try to reach him again."

I closed my eyes, focusing on the mate bond that still pulsed between us despite his denial. *Dominic, the authorization is still pending. My mother is getting worse.*

No response.

I tried again, pushing harder against the bond. *Dominic, please. She's dying.*

The silence in my mind was deafening.

"He's not answering," I told Sage, my voice hollow.

"Maybe he's in a meeting," she suggested, but doubt clouded her eyes.

I tried once more, pouring every ounce of desperation into the link. *Dominic, I'm begging you. Please help us.*

Nothing.

Outside the hospital window, I could see pack members gathering in the main courtyard. Music drifted through the air—a celebration of some kind.

"Isn't tonight the Pack Run?" Sage asked, following my gaze.

My heart sank. The annual Pack Run was a major event, with Alpha pairs leading the ceremonial hunt. Dominic would be there with Averie, showing off their strength and unity.

"He promised," I whispered, turning back to my mother's pale face. "He promised he would help."

Sage's hand touched my shoulder gently. "We'll keep trying," she said, but her voice lacked conviction.

As the sun set and the sounds of celebration grew louder, my mother's breathing became more labored. Each shallow inhale seemed to tear at my soul.

"Malia," she whispered, her eyes fluttering open. "Don't blame... yourself."

I clutched her hand tighter, tears streaming down my face. "Save your strength, Mama. Help is coming."

But even as I spoke the words, I knew they were lies. The mate bond remained silent, and somewhere in the distance, I could hear Dominic's laughter mingling with Averie's as they led the Pack Run beneath the full moon.

My mother's fingers went slack in mine, her final breath escaping in a soft sigh that broke what remained of my heart.

I sat beside my mother's bed, her hand still warm in mine though her spirit had long departed. The hospital room was silent except for the occasional beep of monitors and my own ragged breathing. I couldn't move, couldn't think beyond the hollow ache in my chest.

"She's gone," I whispered to the empty room. "She's really gone."

Twenty years I'd protected others, taken blows meant for Averie. And now my mother—the only person who'd ever truly loved me—had died because the pack's defenses had failed. Because Dominic had chosen a celebration over her life.

Outside, the sounds of revelry continued. Music drifted through the open window, mingling with laughter and cheers. The Pack Run—the annual celebration where Alpha pairs led the ceremonial hunt—was in full swing.

I closed my eyes, trying to block out the merriment that mocked my grief. But then something else filtered through—a scent. Pine and winter frost, unmistakably Dominic. But beneath it was something else. Something floral and sweet.

Averie.

My wolf stirred within me, a low growl building in my throat. I opened my eyes to find Dr. Sage standing in the doorway, her expression sympathetic but wary.

"You should rest," she said softly.

"I need to see him," I replied, my voice surprisingly steady despite the storm raging inside me.

Sage's eyes widened slightly. "Malia, I don't think—"

"I need to see him," I repeated, rising to my feet. My legs trembled but held me upright. "Now."

---

The Pack House blazed with light and music when I arrived. Pack members in formal attire mingled in the grand hall, their voices a cacophony of excitement and alcohol-fueled laughter. I moved through the crowd like a ghost, invisible in my simple black dress—the only one I owned.

And then I saw them.

Dominic stood at the center of the room, resplendent in a tailored suit that emphasized his broad shoulders and commanding presence. Averie was draped across him, her designer gown shimmering under the chandelier light. His hand rested possessively on her waist as he introduced her to visiting dignitaries.

"The future Luna of Silver Claw," he announced, his voice carrying across the room. "My chosen mate."

The words struck me like physical blows. *Chosen mate*. Not fated. Not true. But chosen for power, for politics.

I watched as he leaned down, his lips brushing against her ear in a gesture so intimate it made my stomach turn. His scent—our scent—clung to her skin.

"Isn't this what you wanted?" Averie's voice carried to me, clear and cutting. "To see us together? To know your place?"

I stood frozen, unable to look away as Dominic's eyes met mine across the room. For a moment—just a moment—something flickered in those heterochromic eyes. Regret? Guilt? But then Averie pressed herself closer to him, her hand sliding up his chest in a deliberate display.

"We should dance," she murmured, loud enough for me to hear.

---

"You promised me," I said when I finally cornered him in a quiet hallway. My voice shook with rage and grief. "You promised you would help her."

Dominic's expression hardened. "The authorization was delayed. These things happen."

"These things happen?" I echoed incredulously. "My mother is dead because you were too busy with your celebration!"

Something dangerous flashed in his eyes. "Watch your tone, Omega."

"She saved your life!" I stepped closer, beyond caring about protocol or consequences. "When you were a child, she risked everything to save you from Rogues. And you couldn't even save her."

"Enough!" His voice dropped to a deadly whisper as his Alpha aura flared around him like a physical force.

I felt it press against me—heavy, suffocating—but I refused to back down. "You are my mate," I hissed. "My fated mate. And you chose her over me, over my mother."

His eyes widened slightly at my declaration, but then his face hardened into a mask of cold fury.

"You forget your place," he growled, his Alpha voice vibrating through my bones.

Before I could respond, he grabbed my arm, dragging me outside into the freezing rain. Pack members stopped to stare as he pushed me to my knees on the wet cobblestones.

"Perhaps a night to reflect on your disrespect will improve your manners," he snarled, his Alpha aura pressing down on me like a physical weight.

I tried to rise but couldn't move against the command. The rain soaked through my thin dress as Dominic turned and walked away, leaving me kneeling in the mud before the Pack House.

"Kneel there until dawn," he ordered without looking back. "And remember who you are."

As he disappeared inside with Averie on his arm, I remained frozen in place, the rain mingling with my tears as I stared up at the lighted windows where they danced and celebrated.

Somewhere inside me, something broke—and something else began to form in its place.