Living without parents had never been easy for me. The former Alpha, who was also Caleb's father, once told me they lost their lives during a battle between rival packs.

The man wasn't kind, but he still brought me into his home out of pity. He even let me study at the school meant for the lower-ranking members of the pack, and for a while, I believed I could live like everyone else.

That hope didn't last after his death.

The moment Caleb became the new leader, my life turned upside down. The first thing he did was force me to leave school.

After that, he gave me the role of a servant and pushed every filthy task onto my shoulders. His warning still echoed in my mind. If I wanted to keep living under this roof, then I had to prove I deserved it through work.

Most of the time, he looked at me like I disgusted him. There was always something cold in his stare that made my entire body tense. I tried my best to stay out of his way and avoid meeting his eyes, but nothing changed. No matter what I did, he still treated me like I was nothing more than dirt beneath his feet.

Ever since I was born, there had been a strange mark on my back. It wasn't large, only about the size of a small lemon, but it stood out against my skin.

A golden moon wrapped in black thorns rested there like chains locking it in place.

Years ago, the shaman warned me that the mark carried a curse. Because of that, I had to keep it hidden from everyone. If the wrong person saw it, they might decide I shouldn't stay alive.

A loud bang suddenly ripped through the room and cut my thoughts short.

I quickly wiped at my wet eyes, but I wasn't fast enough. Natalie had already stepped inside. Her arms folded across her chest while a pleased smile spread across her face. The look in her eyes made it obvious she enjoyed catching me like this.

"Seriously?" she said with a mocking laugh as she walked closer. "You're sitting here crying again? That's embarrassing."

Not a single word left my mouth. I kept my head lowered while fear shook my body. Inside me, Maryse growled with fury and pushed to break free. She wanted to tear Natalie apart, but terror had already rooted me to the spot.

Natalie moved closer until her face hovered inches from mine, and the heavy scent of her perfume nearly made it hard to breathe.

"So that's the reason you've been acting like this," she murmured, but every word cut deep. "You actually thought being Caleb's mate made you important? That's funny. Everyone already knows about it, Elena. The problem is that nobody cares. You're nothing to him. He doesn't even want you around. Sooner or later, he'll reject you in front of everyone, and when that happens, you'll wish you never came into this pack."

My mouth shook as I tried to stop myself from crying again.

She lowered her voice, and the threat in her eyes made my chest tighten. "Don't tell anyone what I said, or you'll regret it."

I couldn't force out a response. All I managed was a weak nod.

Looking satisfied, Natalie stepped back and brushed her skirt with disgust.

"That's better. Fix your face already. Watching you cry is irritating enough. And if people learn the reason behind those tears, trust me, things will get much worse for you."

Without waiting for another word, she walked out of the room. Her brown curls bounced behind her as the door slammed shut.

Even after she left, her words still crawled through my head like poison. What disturbed me most wasn't the threat. It was the fact that they already knew Caleb was my mate.

Mates were meant to stand beside each other. They were supposed to protect one another no matter what happened.

The moment I stepped out of the laundry room, hoping to escape the suffocating tension for a little while, Hannah blocked my path near the kitchen entrance. "You're on toilet duty starting today," she said sharply without giving me time to react. "And don't expect that assignment to change anytime soon."

Confusion hit me immediately. "What? That's the worst chore in the pack."

Her hand struck my face before I could say anything else.

The force sent me stumbling to the floor while pain burned across my cheek.

"I wasn't asking for your opinion! Get up and do your job!" A cruel laugh escaped her as she watched me struggle.

My whole body shook, but I still forced myself to obey. Deep down, I already knew this wasn't truly Hannah's decision. Natalie was behind it.

After that, my days became unbearable.

Anything that went wrong inside the house somehow became my fault. If a vase shattered, Natalie blamed me. If someone spilled a drink or ripped a cloth, she immediately pointed at me like she had been waiting for the chance. Nobody questioned her accusations. The others only laughed and whispered behind my back while looking at me with contempt.

Through all of it, Caleb stayed silent.

He saw everything, yet he never once stepped in to stop it.

Several days later, I rushed toward the kitchen early in the morning after hearing Hannah yelling at the servants. The second I entered the room, expensive cutlery crashed onto the floor right in front of me.

The sharp noise rang through the kitchen.

Not long after that, Natalie walked in with a dark expression on her face, though the look in her eyes made the entire scene feel rehearsed.

"Hannah, don't just stand there and let her off easily," she instructed coldly. "She's been nothing but a problem."

Hannah immediately agreed. Before I could move away, the two of them trapped me against the pantry wall. Unease twisted inside my chest as I realized something terrible was about to happen, but there was already nowhere left to run.

"Maybe this will finally teach you your place," Hannah spat before striking me.

I cried out and begged them to stop, but nobody came to help me.

A deep growl suddenly cut through the chaos. "What the hell is happening here?"

The second I heard Caleb's voice, hope rushed through me so fast it hurt. For one foolish moment, I thought he had finally come to protect me.

Natalie reacted before I could even move. With a shaky voice full of fake innocence, she hurried toward him and raised her injured hand.

"Alpha Caleb," she called out softly, "Elena attacked me with broken glass. Look at this. I'm bleeding because of her."

"That's a lie!" I cried out. "I didn't touch her!"

"Enough!" he shouted while glaring at me with fury burning in his eyes. "Throw her into the dark cellar!"

Everything inside me went still.

He was my mate, yet he didn't even glance at the bruises covering me. He didn't care enough to hear my side. Caleb was never going to save me.

This entire thing had been planned from the beginning, and Natalie's satisfied smile only confirmed it.

Hannah and Natalie grabbed me roughly before dragging me downstairs. The cellar waiting below looked more like a grave than a prison. Moisture covered the walls, and mold spread across the stone like rot. A dying torch flickered weakly in the corner while the foul smell in the air made my stomach twist.

"You'll stay here until we decide you've suffered enough," Natalie remarked coldly.

Before leaving, she looked back at me one last time with triumph written all over her face.

"Pathetic creature."

Then the door slammed shut.

The days inside that place blurred together.

Cold stone pressed against my back every night while hunger slowly drained the strength from my body. The darkness became unbearable, but Maryse stayed beside me through it all. Even while hurting herself, she still tried to comfort me whenever I felt like breaking apart.

By the seventh day, the cellar door finally opened again.

Hannah stood there waiting for me with an unreadable expression.

"Get up," she instructed flatly. "Alpha Caleb is asking for you."

A small spark of hope returned to me despite everything.

But Hannah destroyed that hope with her next words.

"You're being handed over to Alpha Davis," she said with a cruel smirk. "And you already know what happens to the women sent to him. None of his wives lasted longer than a year."

The air left my lungs.

"What? No... he wouldn't do that to me."

Hannah burst into laughter.

"You're still dreaming about Caleb choosing you? Lady Natalie got exactly what she wanted. She convinced him to throw you away. No woman wants Alpha Davis. Everyone knows he's cursed. But Caleb gains power from this arrangement, and you're the price he decided to pay. That's all you'll ever be. A sacrifice for an alliance."

The last thing I saw was Hannah's mocking smile before she seized my arm and dragged me out of the cellar.

Hannah pulled me away from the damp cells, and my thoughts spiraled out of control, tightening with fear. The idea of being tied to Alpha Davis made my whole body tense. That man carried something dark, and no matter what, I couldn't ignore that Caleb was the one meant for me. Giving myself to anyone else felt impossible. I would've rather faced death than accept that kind of fate.

With a sudden push of resolve, I wrenched my hand free from her grip and thought about running. The forest surrounding the territory stood within reach, like a chance I couldn't ignore. If I made it far enough, maybe I could find help... maybe even survive. But my strength had already run out. I barely took a step before my legs failed, and I hit the ground hard. Dust filled my mouth, my chest burned, and tears fell without stopping. "No..." I whispered, my voice breaking apart.

A harsh laugh came from her. "You really thought you could get away?" Hannah asked. Her hand clamped around my neck, forcing me to look up at her. Even through my blurred sight, I could see the satisfaction on her face. She shoved me aside and raised her voice. "Don't let her move!"

Two warriors stepped in, cutting off any path I could take. Fear closed in on me. "Please... just let me go. I don't want anything. I just want to live," I said, struggling to get the words out. Instead of softening her, it only made her more vicious. She lunged forward and forced me down. Pain exploded through my side when she struck me, and a sharp crack followed. A scream tore out of me before I could stop it. Something inside had broken.

Her voice came cold after that. "Keep her alive."

One of the warriors grabbed me without care and lifted me over his shoulder. Every step sent pain through my body, and my voice faded into weak cries. I couldn't see clearly anymore as they carried me into the Omega quarters and threw me into a small, dim room. The door slammed shut, cutting me off completely.

I pushed against the door with what little strength I had left, coughing as blood filled my mouth. "Please... let me go..." I pleaded, barely able to speak. No one answered. My body gave out, and I slid down onto the floor, my clothes soaked. Time stopped meaning anything after that.

A faint creak from the lock broke through the silence, and I forced my eyes upward. The healer stood there, his face hard. "Luna Natalie sent me," he said. "Drink this. It'll ease the pain."

"Can I... talk to her?" My voice came out uneven.

He didn't answer. Instead, he pushed the vial to my lips. The liquid tasted sharp and bitter as it went down. Without another glance, he stepped out and locked the door again.

I pulled myself into the corner, pressing against the wall as tears came back. "Goddess... why?" I whispered. "You're the one who tied me to Caleb. Why am I the one suffering for it?"

The door flew open without warning. Caleb walked in, his expression filled with disgust. "Out of everyone, you?" he said. "The Moon Goddess chose you? That has to be wrong. You're nothing."

Despite everything, anger rose through me. I looked straight at him. "I'm not the one who's wrong," I scoffed. "You are. You turned your back on your own mate."

A low growl filled the room. In the next second, his hand closed around my throat. Air left me as I struggled. "Elena!" he said sharply. "You think you can go against me? You ran. You ignored what I said!"

My chest tightened as I fought to breathe, close to giving in, when a voice cut through. "Caleb!" Natalie chimed in. "Stop. She still needs to..." She didn't finish, but he let go.

He stepped back, his voice cold as he spoke. "I, Alpha Caleb Reed of the Crimson Howl Pack, reject you, Elena Carter, as my mate."

A sharp pain struck through my stomach and chest, cutting deep. A cry escaped me before I could hold it back. My sight blurred, and my body gave out under the shock. For a brief second, I saw Caleb and Natalie watching, their expressions distant, almost entertained. They walked out together, fingers intertwined. "Hannah will come tomorrow to get you ready," Natalie said before the door shut behind them.

Darkness closed in again. When I came to, my body felt heavy, as if something pressed down on me. Maryse had cried out through the night before falling quiet, broken in a way I couldn't fix.

Morning light slipped into the room. I stayed where I was, too weak to move or eat. The door opened, and Hannah stepped in with a box, a servant trailing behind her.

A laugh broke from her. "Look at you," she snapped, grabbing my arm and dragging me up. "Luna Natalie wants you looking decent. But first, you need a bath. You smell awful."

She shoved me into cold water without warning. My body reacted instantly, shaking from the chill, but she didn't care. When I climbed out, she threw a dress at me. "Put it on. Alpha Davis will be here soon."

I went still. That fast? My chest tightened. The fabric brushed against my skin, carrying a scent I recognized. Natalie's.

Her smile turned sharp. "You should be grateful, Elena. You're about to marry the Alpha everyone fears in the North. If you're lucky, you'll live long enough to give him a child."

Her words settled deep, and my legs felt unsteady as I followed her out. The hall was filled with movement, Omegas rushing around under Natalie's direction. When she noticed me, she gave a small smile and signaled for Hannah to push me aside.

My eyes searched for Caleb. He stood with a group, speaking as if nothing had happened. Not a trace of what he'd done showed on his face. Why didn't it affect him? Why did he seem untouched? Tears pressed at the back of my eyes, but I forced them down. I wouldn't let them see me break.

After a while, he stepped away. When he came back, someone walked beside him.

Alpha Davis.

He stood taller than the rest, his build solid and defined. Dark hair framed his face, giving him a look that felt distant. Markings curled along his arms, shaped like thorns and vines. Strength surrounded him, mixed with something that unsettled me.

The moment his gaze met mine, I caught my breath. Heat rose to my face before I could stop it.

Davis's POV:

Every leader of the Shadowfang pack sat around the council chamber that night, and the pressure inside the room felt unbearable. Their aged faces carried years of authority and tradition, while the cold looks directed at me already made their judgment clear before a single sentence was spoken.

I stayed where I was with my arms folded tightly across my chest. My jaw locked as I waited for the lecture I already knew was coming.

"This has gone on long enough, Davis," Adrian said sternly. "The pack needed a successor. If you kept refusing marriage, everything our bloodline built would eventually fall apart."

Pain cut through my palms as my claws pressed deeper into my skin. Rage already burned through me, and I no longer bothered hiding it when I answered them.

"And what about the woman you'll chain to me?" I asked harshly. "She'll die the same way the others did. Every wife connected to my bloodline ended up buried because of this curse."

From across the table, Ryna slowly leaned forward. Time had aged her face, but the sharpness in her gray eyes remained untouched.

"We were fully aware of the curse, Davis. But Shadowfang's survival carried more weight than your fear of repeating the past. You protected this pack now, but power alone wouldn't secure its future forever."

Their words settled heavily inside my chest. No matter how many years passed, the curse always found its way back to me. My family carried it through generations, and every woman who entered our bloodline paid the price for it. After the mating bond, the full moons slowly destroyed them one by one. Some survived a year. Others barely lasted months.

None escaped it.

How many lives had already been sacrificed because of this cursed lineage?

Stories passed down through generations claimed the Moon Goddess cursed our bloodline after the first Alpha shattered a sacred promise and abandoned the mate bond she personally blessed. Wolves rejecting their destined partners wasn't unheard of, so what made our ancestor different? Why did his actions provoke enough fury to doom every generation after him?

Nobody had ever learned the truth.

I stepped away from the council table and looked out the window. Storm clouds swallowed the moon until only shadows remained.

"You still think producing an heir would solve this?" I asked coldly. "The curse wouldn't end with my wife. It would destroy my child too."

A weary breath escaped Adrian.

"There might still be hope. We couldn't ignore that possibility."

I turned toward them so fast the chair behind me scraped harshly across the floor.

"There was never any hope. This curse destroyed every woman tied to my bloodline, and it would keep destroying anyone connected to me. My strength didn't matter. None of it did. Those Northern Alphas gathered around me because they wanted power for themselves. Not one of them cared about the curse slowly ruining my life."

Ryna held my gaze without hesitation.

"Power was the reason the North remained standing. That was exactly why the other Alphas still chose to follow you despite the curse. And that was also why your bloodline couldn't end with you, Davis. The North would collapse without its strongest Alpha."

The truth in her words wasn't lost on me. Shadowfang stood tall because of the strength I carried on my back. Every alliance we formed and every oath sworn between packs existed because of me. Still, none of it changed what I became. Behind the title and power, I was only a man ruined by a curse that poisoned everyone near me.

"Alpha Caleb wants to tie our packs together," Adrian said. His voice turned firmer when I stayed silent. "He's offering one of his Omegas as part of the arrangement. She means nothing to him because Omegas sit at the bottom of his pack anyway. But if you accept her, you'll have his loyalty."

Disgust twisted inside me at once. I hated deals where people were handed around like bargaining tools. As for Caleb, I already knew the kind of man he was. Self serving. Greedy.

A slow breath left me while I shut my eyes. The air in the room felt heavier than before. "If this happens, I'm doing it for the pack. Nothing else."

"That's all we need," Ryna replied.

Her approval only made the guilt worse.

The pressure in my chest grew worse. Somewhere out there was a woman whose life would rot beside mine because of me. Yet there was no other path left for me to take. Twenty seven years had already passed without finding a soulmate. By now, I understood what that meant. Love was never meant for someone cursed like me.

The ride toward Scarlet Howl passed without trouble, but my thoughts refused to settle.

By the time we reached Caleb's territory, the entire pack looked strangely energized. Wolves filled the grounds while laughter echoed around them.

"Alpha Davis. You've honored my pack just by coming here."

A low grunt was all I gave him in return.

Without wasting time, he guided me deeper into the territory until we reached a large hall flooded with sharp light. Then he lifted a hand and gestured toward a quiet corner away from the others.

"That's the Omega I mentioned. Elena."

The moment I looked in her direction, my chest tightened for a second.

Soft strands of blonde hair framed her like threads of gold under the harsh light. She looked painfully delicate, standing there stiff and uneasy like something cornered with nowhere left to run. There was a quiet softness in her features that didn't seem real at first glance, yet the sharpness beneath her cheeks exposed how little she'd been given. Even while lowering her head, she didn't appear obedient. It felt more like she was trying to make herself disappear.

Then she stepped closer. Warm apples and sweetness wrapped around me, stirring the wolf inside me. My gaze caught her pale gray eyes, distant behind a veil of fog.

"Alpha Davis," Caleb called out, dragging me out of my thoughts. "I'm sure she'll serve her purpose well."

The way he spoke about her tightened my jaw. There wasn't any care in his voice. To him, she was business, and the way he looked at her only deepened my disgust.

Elena stood there quietly while fear settled across her face, but Caleb treated her like she was nothing more than something to hand over for profit. Every part of this arrangement reeked of manipulation.

"Prepare the agreement," I instructed evenly.

Satisfaction spread across Caleb's face almost instantly. "You won't regret this. I'll have everything settled right away."

I had barely turned away when a sharp voice sliced through the hall.

"You useless little thing!"

I recognized the voice immediately. Natalie.

She was the woman meant to become the future Luna of this pack. Years ago, her father tried arranging a marriage between us, but I turned it down without hesitation. She was selfish, poisonous, and impossible to trust. In the end, Caleb became the one willing to take her.

I turned sharply toward the commotion.

Natalie had Elena by the arm, her fingers digging in so hard that the Omega struggled to pull away. Pain spread across Elena's face while she fought against the hold, but Natalie refused to loosen her grip.

A mocking smile curved across Natalie's lips. "You should be grateful a pack like this is even willing to take you in. Someone like you should know your place instead of embarrassing everyone around you."

My voice cut through the hall before Elena could answer. "Mind the way you speak."

Natalie stiffened at once and let go of Elena's arm. A second later, she forced an innocent expression onto her face.

"Alpha Davis, you've misunderstood. I wasn't trying to cause trouble."

"I don't care for explanations," I said flatly. "Control yourself."

Embarrassment darkened her expression, but spite still lingered in her eyes.

"She's only an Omega," she muttered bitterly. "At the end of the day, that's all she'll ever be."

I stepped closer, letting my presence crash down over the room.

"What becomes of her isn't your business," I warned. "Don't test my patience again."

The color drained from her face. She immediately took a step back before lowering her gaze.

"I apologize," she said quietly.

Without another glance at her, I shifted my attention to Caleb.

"You should teach your people respect."

His jaw tightened while he shot Natalie an irritated look. "Forgive the scene," he said through clenched teeth.

But that wasn't the part that bothered me. The way his eyes kept drifting toward Elena didn't escape my notice, and irritation settled heavily inside me because of it.

I called for Brandon, my Beta.

"See to her," I said to Brandon, motioning toward Elena. "Get her belongings ready. We're leaving in two hours."

Without questioning me, Brandon gave a short nod and headed toward her.

I started walking again, ready to put the matter behind me.

Then something unsettled me.

A strange pull lingered in my chest, faint but impossible to ignore. It felt like something unseen kept dragging my attention back toward her. Part of me wanted to turn around. To look at Elena one more time. I forced the feeling down and kept moving.

Emotions had no place in this arrangement.