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.

The rain had washed away my tears, leaving only numbness as dawn broke over the Pack House. My knees ached from kneeling all night, but the physical pain was nothing compared to the hollow ache in my chest. I rose slowly, my body stiff from the cold, and made my way back to the hospital.

Dr. Sage met me at the entrance, her eyes red-rimmed from her own night of vigil.

"I'm so sorry, Malia," she whispered, embracing me gently. "I tried to save her."

"I know," I replied, my voice hollow. "Thank you for trying."

She handed me a small wooden box. "Her ashes. The pack rules require... disposal within twenty-four hours."

I clutched the box to my chest, the last physical remains of my mother—the woman who had loved me unconditionally in a world that saw me as nothing but a shield.

"I'll take her home," I said. "To our cabin."

---

The eastern woods were quiet as I approached our small cabin, the morning sun filtering through the trees. I cradled the box of ashes against my heart, whispering the ancient words my mother had taught me—a blessing for safe passage to the Moon Goddess.

"I'll find a beautiful spot for you," I promised her. "Somewhere peaceful, away from all this."

As I rounded the corner to our clearing, I froze. Two pack warriors stood outside our cabin, their postures casual and indifferent. Between them lay a small mound of gray ash—my mother's remains—carelessly dumped on the damp earth.

"What are you doing?" My voice cracked as I rushed forward.

One warrior shrugged. "Alpha's orders. Ashes must be disposed of immediately."

"You're just going to leave her here?" I fell to my knees beside the scattered remains, my fingers trembling as I tried to gather them back into the box.

"It's just an Omega," the other warrior muttered. "Not like it matters."

Something snapped inside me. Twenty years of submission, of taking blows meant for others, of being invisible—it all crystallized into a single moment of clarity.

"It matters to me," I whispered, my wolf stirring within me.

I gathered what I could of my mother's ashes, tears blurring my vision. As I stood, I made a decision that would change everything.

---

"I'm leaving," I announced to Dr. Sage as I entered her quarters later that day.

She looked up from her microscope, startled. "Leaving? Where would you go?"

"Away from here. Away from them." I placed a small vial on her desk—a mixture of herbs and chemicals I'd created using my mother's recipes. "This will mask my scent completely."

Sage's eyes widened. "Malia, you can't just run. You're an Omega without a pack—you'll be classified as a Rogue."

"Better a Rogue than a shield," I replied, applying the mixture to my skin. It smelled of bitter almonds and earth, effectively neutralizing my natural scent. "Better free than forgotten."

"But the mate bond—"

"Is broken," I finished for her. "He made his choice when he left me kneeling in the rain while my mother died."

I shouldered a small bag containing only essentials—a change of clothes, my mother's journal, a water bottle. Everything else I would leave behind.

"Dominic will come after you," Sage warned.

"Let him try." I touched the scar on my wrist—the first injury I'd taken for Averie. "I've been hiding in plain sight for twenty years. I can do it again."

As I slipped out the back entrance of the pack hospital, I felt something inside me shift—the mate bond stretching painfully as I put distance between us. But with each step away from the Pack House, my resolve strengthened.

I was no longer Malia Warren, the Omega decoy.

I was simply Malia now. And I was done being invisible.

---

The forest blurred past as I ran, my wolf lending me strength I hadn't known I possessed. Hours passed, the sun climbing higher in the sky as I pushed deeper into the territory that belonged to no pack—the Rogue lands.

I was free.

But behind me, something was changing.

In the Dark Moon Pack House, Dominic Reed slammed his fist into the wall, his eyes blazing gold and silver as Gabriel entered his office.

"Alpha," Gabriel said cautiously, "there's something wrong with the pack bonds. I can't sense—"

"Not now," Dominic growled, his voice distorted by the partial shift that had overtaken him without conscious thought.

Gabriel stepped closer, his own wolf rising in response to the threat in the room. "Dominic, what's happening to you?"

Dominic's nostrils flared as he inhaled deeply, searching for a scent that was no longer there. "She's gone," he whispered, his voice breaking. "My mate is gone."

The realization hit him like a physical blow. He doubled over, a howl building in his throat—primal, desperate, and utterly mad.

"Find her," he snarled at Gabriel, his claws extending involuntarily. "Bring her back to me."

As Gabriel backed away from his Alpha's increasingly feral state, Dominic's eyes flashed between human consciousness and wolf instinct.

"She can't leave me," he growled, his voice no longer his own. "I won't allow it."

The mate bond that had been denied now screamed for completion, driving him toward the edge of sanity—and beyond.