I stared at the notepad Preston had thrust into my hands, my fingers trembling slightly as I read his elegant handwriting.

"I need rare mountain herbs for our bonding ritual," he had written, his expression a perfect mask of concern. "They only grow near the northern ridge. Please bring them back today."

I nodded meekly, keeping my eyes downcast as I always had. "Of course," I whispered, my voice still a novelty to my own ears—a secret I guarded fiercely.

Preston smiled, that charming smile that once made my heart flutter. Now it only made my skin crawl.

"It's important, Hallie," he wrote again. "These herbs will strengthen our bond during the ceremony."

Luna growled inside me. *He's lying. We can smell the deception on him.*

"I'll leave now," I said, still pretending to read his lips poorly.

As I turned to go, he caught my wrist. "The rain is getting worse," he wrote, his expression softening in that manipulative way I now recognized. "But I need those herbs today. I wouldn't ask if it wasn't important."

I pulled away gently. "I understand."

---

The rain pounded against my skin like ice pellets as I trudged up the muddy path. The northern ridge was dangerous—close to rogue territory. My clothes were soaked through, my teeth chattering uncontrollably.

*We shouldn't be here,* Luna whimpered. *This is too dangerous.*

"We have no choice," I muttered under my breath, scanning the underbrush for the distinctive purple leaves Preston had described.

My newly awakened senses picked up every sound—the raindrops hitting leaves, the distant howl of what might be a rogue wolf, the squelch of mud beneath my feet. I shivered, both from cold and fear.

After nearly two hours of searching, my fingers finally closed around the precious herbs. "Got them," I breathed, carefully placing them in the waterproof bag I'd brought.

The journey back was even worse. My legs trembled with exhaustion, my vision blurring from the cold. Twice I slipped in the mud, once nearly tumbling down a steep embankment. By the time I reached the Pack House, I couldn't feel my fingertips anymore.

---

I changed quickly into dry clothes, hiding the herbs in my pocket before making my way downstairs. The Pack House was unusually quiet, most members likely sheltering from the storm.

Voices drifted from the east wing—Preston's voice, followed by a feminine laugh I recognized instantly as Adriana's.

My heart clenched. Luna urged me forward, her curiosity piqued.

*Follow them,* she insisted. *Something's wrong.*

I moved silently through the corridor, my footsteps muffled by the thick carpet. Through a partially open door, I could see Preston sitting on Adriana's bed, his back to me.

"These should help," he was saying, his voice tender in a way it never was with me.

I peered around the doorframe. Preston was gently massaging something into Adriana's shoulders—the herbs I had risked my life to collect.

"Your post-shift cramps are getting worse," he murmured, pressing his lips to her neck.

"How did you get these?" Adriana asked, her eyes closed in pleasure.

"Hallie," Preston replied with a chuckle. "She's so desperate to please me, she'd walk through fire if I asked."

Adriana's eyes opened, a cruel smile playing on her lips. "Poor little Omega. Does she really think you'll make her your Luna?"

"Of course she does," Preston said, kissing Adriana's jawline. "That's what makes this so easy."

Luna howled in rage inside me, the betrayal burning like acid in my veins.

---

Three days later, the Pack House bustled with activity as everyone prepared for the annual Pack Run. I moved through the crowd like a ghost, invisible as always.

"Hallie!" Preston's voice cut through the noise.

I turned to see him approaching, a small box in his hands and a smile on his face that didn't reach his eyes.

"I have something for you," he said aloud, then wrote on his notepad: "A token of my appreciation."

He opened the box to reveal an exquisite floral corsage—white roses and delicate blue flowers arranged in an elegant design.

"It's beautiful," I whispered, genuinely surprised by the gesture.

"Every Luna should have one for the Pack Run," he wrote, his smile widening as he pinned it to my sweater.

The moment it touched my skin, Luna snarled a warning.

*Danger!* she cried. *Can't you smell it?*

And then I caught it—beneath the sweet floral scent was something sharp and acidic. My nose twitched as I detected the unmistakable odor of concentrated wolfsbane.

Preston's eyes watched me carefully, searching for signs of distress. I forced my expression to remain neutral, though inside I was screaming.

"It's perfect," I lied, my fingers trembling slightly as they brushed against the deadly flowers.

His smile widened, satisfied. "Wear it tomorrow at the ceremony," he wrote. "It will look lovely when you walk beside me."

As he walked away, I caught a glimpse of Adriana watching from across the room, her eyes narrowed with jealousy—and something else. Triumph?

Luna paced anxiously within me. *He's trying to kill us,* she growled.

"No," I whispered under my breath. "He's trying to control us."

And as I fingered the poisonous corsage, I made a silent vow: Preston would never touch me again.

The corsage felt like a branding iron against my skin. Each step I took toward the ceremony grounds sent fresh waves of agony through my body. The concentrated wolfsbane had already raised angry red blisters on my chest and stomach where the flowers touched my skin.

"You're doing great," I whispered to myself, forcing another smile as pack members nodded respectfully. "Just a little longer."

Luna whimpered inside me. *It burns, Hallie. Let me heal it.*

"Not yet," I murmured, careful to keep my lips from moving too obviously. "We need them to think it's working."

The poison was indeed working—just not as thoroughly as Preston had planned. My Late Bloomer healing abilities fought against the wolfsbane, trying desperately to repair the damaged tissue. But I was deliberately suppressing them, channeling my energy to maintain the appearance of severe weakness.

Preston approached, his eyes gleaming with anticipation. "You look pale," he observed, his voice dripping with false concern. "Are you feeling alright?"

I nodded weakly, allowing my knees to buckle slightly. "Just... just a little dizzy," I whispered.

His smile widened fractionally. "The ceremony will be over soon," he promised, writing on his notepad. "Just hold on until then."

I leaned against him, letting him support my weight. Over his shoulder, I caught Adriana watching us, her eyes narrowed with jealousy—and triumph. She thought she'd won.

*Now,* Luna urged. *Let them see how weak we are.*

With a sudden gasp, I collapsed to my knees, clutching at the corsage. My body convulsed realistically as I hit the ground hard.

"Hallie!" Preston's voice held genuine alarm—not from concern for me, but from fear that his plan was being disrupted publicly.

Pack members gathered around, their faces blurring as my vision intentionally clouded over. I felt strong hands lifting me, heard the worried murmurs of the pack healer.

"She needs treatment immediately," someone declared.

"Take her to the sanctuary," Preston ordered, his voice tight with tension. "I'll join you shortly."

---

The healing sanctuary was quiet save for the soft bubbling of medicinal herbs in glass jars. I lay still on the cot, listening to the healer's footsteps fade as she gathered more supplies.

*They're gone,* Luna confirmed. *Now's our chance.*

I sat up slowly, grimacing as the movement pulled at my blisters. The wolfsbane had done real damage—my skin was raw and painful—but nowhere near as bad as I'd let Preston believe.

"I need my emergency fund," I whispered, slipping from the cot.

The sanctuary was located in the east wing of the Pack House, far from the main activity. I moved silently through the dimly lit corridors, my newly enhanced senses alert for any sign of life.

The moonlight streaming through high windows illuminated my path as I crept toward my tiny room. Inside, I retrieved the small box I'd hidden beneath a loose floorboard months ago—my escape fund, gathered from years of saving scraps from my meager allowance.

With the box secured inside my jacket, I turned to leave—and froze. Voices drifted from the chapel across the hall, the pack's most sacred space.

"—can't wait any longer," Preston's voice growled.

"You should be with her," Adriana replied, her tone teasing. "Your poor little Omega needs you."

"She's probably asleep by now," Preston said dismissively. "Besides, I need this."

I moved closer to the partially open door, drawn by morbid curiosity.

Through the gap, I could see them clearly—Preston pressing Adriana against the altar, his hands tangled in her hair as they kissed passionately.

"I've wanted to do this since we were sixteen," he murmured against her throat.

"So why wait?" Adriana laughed softly. "Hallie will never know."

Something broke inside me then—the last fragile thread of loyalty I'd felt toward Preston. Luna howled in betrayal, but there was relief too. Any lingering doubt about my path forward vanished in that moment.

---

I fled blindly into the night, tears streaming down my face. The forest embraced me with its darkness, the rain having finally subsided to a gentle mist.

"Where do we go?" I whispered to Luna.

*Anywhere but here,* she replied fiercely.

I ran until my lungs burned, until the lights of the Pack House were distant pinpricks behind me. Only then did I slow, unsure of which direction to take.

A twig snapped somewhere to my left. I whirled around, heart pounding.

A massive figure emerged from the shadows—tall, broad-shouldered, with eyes that reflected the moonlight like amber fire. Power radiated from him in waves that made the air itself feel heavy.

"Who are you?" I demanded, backing away.

He didn't answer immediately. Instead, he stepped closer, and suddenly the forest air filled with an intoxicating scent—petrichor and dark cedar, wild and primal.

An electric spark shot down my spine. Luna surged forward with a joyful howl that echoed through my mind.

*MATE,* she cried. *TRUE MATE.*

The stranger's eyes widened, his nostrils flaring as he inhaled deeply. "Impossible," he whispered, his voice deep and resonant.

I stood frozen as he reached out one long finger to touch my cheek, his expression a mixture of wonder and disbelief.

"Ambrose," he said simply, as if the name explained everything.

And somehow, it did.