Karim Scott was nothing like Leo Mills.

Leo, the Lycan Prince, was the future of the pack, the one destined to be a benevolent ruler. Every word he spoke about me seemed to reflect the life he himself was bound to—a life of duty and expectation.

But Karim? He was different.

He was a rogue, a free spirit, untethered by the rigid hierarchy of the pack. His independence was intoxicating, enough to captivate a sheltered Omega like Capri, who had only ever dreamed of such freedom through whispers and tales.

Karim painted a picture of the world beyond the pack’s borders with his words, spinning tales of adventure and romance that made Capri’s heart race with longing. She was drawn to it, to him, like a moth to a flame.

On the night of the pack’s Moon Festival, Capri was caught sneaking out to meet Karim. Our father, the Alpha of the Wilson pack, was furious. He punished her severely, locking her away and forbidding her from leaving the packhouse.

But Karim wasn’t one to be deterred.

While the rest of the pack celebrated the festival with music and dancing, the Wilson packhouse was eerily silent. Karim appeared at the back of the property, where the woods met the edge of our territory. He released a hundred lanterns into the night sky, their glow illuminating the darkness like stars.

He scaled the wall with ease, finding Capri in her room, her eyes red from crying. Without a word, he scooped her up and carried her to the rooftop, where they watched the lanterns float higher and higher, the world below them alive with the sounds of the festival.

Capri was mesmerized, her heart pounding as she looked out at the scene.

Karim pointed to the distant pack grounds, where the festival was in full swing. “See that? That’s just a glimpse of what’s out there,” he said, his voice low and inviting. “A world where you’re not bound by rules or expectations. Where you can be free.”

Capri clung to his words, her heart swelling with a longing she’d never felt before.

When a group of rogue werewolves cornered her in the woods during one of their secret meetings, Karim appeared like a shadow, his strength and skill undeniable. He shifted into his wolf form, his dominance clear even without the title of an Alpha.

From that moment on, Capri was his.

She was swept up in the thrill of her first love, her heart racing with the promise of freedom.

But she forgot. She forgot the trembling voice of Florence Taylor, the Omega she had once maimed in a fit of anger. She forgot the girl’s desperate pleas as she lay bleeding in the packhouse, her hands severed.

“Please,” Florence had begged, her voice barely a whisper. “I have a mate... he’s training with the Delta warriors. When he returns, he’ll come for me. He’ll take me away from here. I just... I just want to be happy with him.”

But Florence never got her happy ending.

She died that night, her mate’s scent lingering in the air, her dreams of freedom and love extinguished forever.

And Capri? She was too lost in her own world to care.

---

As I watched her, I couldn’t help but feel a pang of bitterness. Karim’s charm, his freedom—it was all a facade, a fleeting fantasy that would inevitably crumble.

But Capri was too blind to see it.

She had always been the rebellious one, the one who fought against the constraints of our world. And now, she was willing to throw everything away for a rogue who promised her the world.

I knew better.

Freedom wasn’t something you could find in the arms of a man. It was something you had to carve out for yourself, no matter how difficult the path.

And Capri? She was too busy chasing a dream to realize that.

---

The night was silent, the lanterns now just distant specks in the sky. I turned away from the window, my heart heavy with the weight of what was to come.

Capri had chosen her path.

And I? I would choose mine.

But I wouldn’t be naive enough to believe in fairy tales.

Not when the world we lived in was anything but.

Capri Jordan had been missing for several nights, and Alpha Carmelo Wilson and Luna Angie Carr knew the truth deep down.

Yet, they couldn’t bring themselves to believe that their beloved daughter, the one they had spoiled for years, would do something so disgraceful to the pack’s honor.

The Wilson pack was in chaos. Alpha Carmelo suppressed the rumors outside, insisting that Capri had gone on a journey to explore the world. He strictly forbade anyone from mentioning the word “elopement.”

Alpha Carmelo and Luna Angie had a fierce argument, one that even turned physical.

“She’ll be nothing but a chosen mate now! This is what your parenting has led to!”

Meanwhile, my illness, which had plagued me for so long, finally began to subside.

But secrets don’t stay buried for long. News of Capri’s “travels” before her planned mark ceremony reached Lycan Queen Marilyn Jones.

The Queen was furious. She ordered artists to paint portraits of all the eligible daughters of high-ranking pack members, determined to find a new, proper mate for Lycan Prince Leo Mills.

It had been some time since I’d last seen Leo.

He looked haggard, his usual commanding aura dimmed. When he learned there was still no trace of Capri, disappointment flickered in his eyes.

Alpha Carmelo, noticing my absence from the portraits, realized the Queen’s disdain for the Wilson family. He grew anxious.

He studied my face, the one that bore a striking resemblance to my mother, Zhuri Hernandez, and suddenly exhaled in relief.

“Your beauty is the only legacy your mother left you. Use it wisely.”

I bowed my head submissively, agreeing without a word.

Once again, Alpha Carmelo approached Leo, this time about me.

And this time, Leo, weary and worn, nodded. He agreed to meet me.

This time, unlike before, my father ordered me to be dressed in full ceremonial attire.

I was presented to Leo Mills like a gift, awaiting his decision on whether to keep or discard me.

He looked at me, his gaze flickering for a moment, but there was no warmth in his eyes.

After a long silence, he spoke coldly.

"If you promise me that once your sister returns, you will willingly step aside as the Luna of this pack, I will take you as my mate.

"You needn’t worry. At that time, you will still remain by my side as my chosen mate."

I shook my head, uttering words that bordered on defiance.

"Alpha, if I agree, will you allow me to leave the pack when the time comes?

"I have someone I love and a place I wish to go."

He exhaled, visibly relieved, his guard dropping.

"Good. That’s settled then."

When the Luna saw that the Alpha had chosen me, she didn’t object. Instead, she smiled and took the silver pendant from her neck, handing it to me.

"It’s you. I feel at ease with this choice."

When Leo came to fetch me, his eyes narrowed at the sight of the pendant I now wore.

"That was meant for Capri. You’re merely holding onto it for now. Don’t get any ideas."

I responded calmly, my voice steady.

"The Luna’s gift is not something I could refuse.

"To others, Alpha, you may be untouchable, but to me, you’re merely a partner in this arrangement.

"You may not value me, but I don’t value you either."

His face flushed with anger, and he let out a sharp, bitter laugh before turning on his heel and storming away.

I walked in the opposite direction, my steps deliberate and unwavering. I didn’t look back.

But before I had gone far, Leo returned in his wolf form, pulling me onto his back and holding me tightly against him as we ran together.

He was seething, his voice low and furious.

"Shay Mills, you’re something else! Do you know that even your sister wouldn’t dare speak to me like that!"

He was so furious that he forgot to refer to himself as "the Alpha" and instead used "I."

I didn’t respond, my heart as cold as the night air around us. This was a game, and I was no longer willing to play by his rules.