In pursuit of wealth, my father, Ahmad Woods, forced me into the role of an Omega in the Harrison Pack.

On my second night in the pack, the pack’s Gamma, Sebastian Harrison, a man as serene as the moonlit sky, gave me clear instructions: “Now that you’re part of the pack, you’ll have what you need—food, shelter, and clothing. You don’t need to serve me or seek me out unnecessarily. Keep to yourself, and we’ll both be fine.”

I took his words to heart, vowing to stay out of his way.

But later, it was *he* who sought *me* out, his cheeks flushed with embarrassment as he asked, “What are you thinking? Do you like me? Do you want to be my mate? Do you want me or not?”

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The city was a place of glittering wealth, where the sky seemed gilded and the streets paved with silver.

My family, however, was just a small pack struggling to survive in the shadows of this opulence.

Dominick Martinez, the pack’s storyteller, often said, “You must believe in fate. It’s futile to fight against it.”

The next day, Hope Foster, our neighbor, became the chosen mate of a rival pack’s Beta after a chance encounter by the river.

By the third day, her family, the Martinezes, had moved into the cozy house my father had long dreamed of, living comfortably on the rival pack’s support.

My father’s eyes burned with envy as he spat, “To hell with fate. Gold and silver are only worth something when they’re in your own pocket. If Damian Martinez can strike it rich, why can’t I?”

So, without hesitation, he took me out into the city.

For the first time in my life, I was overjoyed. I clung tightly to my father’s hand, marveling at everything around me, as though the entire world had become new and exciting.

He even bought me a stick of candy—an unheard-of gesture. I didn’t dare lick it, gripping it tightly in my hand, afraid he might take it back.

My father led me to the riverbank, pointing at a nearby luxury yacht. He patted my head gently, his voice soft but firm: “Be smart, Tatum. If a wolf saves you, grab onto the one who looks the wealthiest. Your brother’s future, our family’s fortune—it all depends on you.”

I didn’t understand what he meant.

Before I could process his words, I was pushed into the river.

The summer water wasn’t cold, but as I thrashed in the water, I felt a deep sadness.

Sadness that my father had pushed me again.

Sadness that I’d lost the candy he’d bought me—it slipped from my hand into the water.

My father hid on the bridge, peeking over the edge.

Before I blacked out, I couldn’t tell if the wetness on my cheeks was river water or tears, but it tasted bitter and salty in my mouth.

When I woke up, our small, shabby house was filled with people.

My father, for once, was beaming with joy.

He hugged my younger brother, Eli, kissing him over and over. “My boy, our future is secure now. Your sister has done us proud. For once, your father will be the father-in-law of a high-ranking wolf. The fortune we’ve dreamed of is finally within reach.”

Eli, still a child, sniffled with a runny nose.

Only my mother, Scarlet, held me tightly, crying all night.

She said she was sorry.

Later, when the Harrison Pack came to take me, my mother stopped crying.

She waved me off, her eyes avoiding mine. “Go, Tatum. It’s for the best. Life in the Harrison Pack won’t be worse than here. Go and live a better life.”

I wasn’t foolish, just slow to understand things.

I clung to her legs, begging, “Mom, I don’t want to go. I don’t want a better life. I just want a life with you. I can earn money, Mom. Please don’t send me away.”

I had a feeling—once I left, I’d never come back.

But my mother, who had always doted on me, pushed me away without looking back.

“Just go. The Gamma of the Harrison Pack is kind. Even as an Omega, he won’t mistreat you. Think of it as moving to a new place. When… when I’ve saved enough money from sewing, I’ll come for you.”

And so, in the dead of night, I was taken into the Harrison Pack’s territory through a side entrance, carried in a small, unmarked car.

I was fourteen.

The family wolf, Whiskers, had gone with me when I left home.

He died that very night.

He had bitten onto my pant leg, refusing to let me go, but my father, seeing him as an obstacle to our fortune, struck him down with a single blow.

A thin mat wrapped around his body, and he was tossed into the summer moonlight.

Even in death, his eyes were filled with tears, his teeth still clenched on my pant leg.

Just as Mom said, Alpha Harrison was an extraordinary man.

The second night after I joined the pack, he came to see me—a man as serene and composed as the moonlit sky, his voice as gentle as a breeze.

But there was something in his gaze that I couldn’t decipher.

He stayed with me late into the night, sipping tea cup after cup, until he finally sighed deeply. “Since you’re now part of the pack, you’ll want for nothing. I don’t need you to serve me in any way, so… unless it’s necessary, don’t seek me out.”

I couldn’t read the shadows in his eyes, but I knew one thing—he was the most striking man I’d ever seen. His eyes carried the weight of clouds and moonlight, and if he ever smiled, it would surely be breathtaking.

Sadly, for a long time after that, I never saw those eyes again.

I moved into the kind of home Dad had always dreamed of—a place where I lacked for nothing, with attendants to care for my every need. But I couldn’t share Dad’s joy.

I could see it plainly—the pack didn’t like me.

The older pack members who tended the grounds looked down on me, and the younger ones always rolled their eyes when I passed.

One of them, a Delta named Blakely, would pinch me whenever no one was looking.

“It’s your fault,” she’d hiss. “Our Alpha’s reputation was spotless until you came along. He’s such a good man—how could he have saved someone as ungrateful as you? If he’d known your family would latch onto him like parasites, he should’ve just let you drown!”

It wasn’t until a couple of weeks later that I finally understood the truth.

Hope Foster, a Delta from another pack, had been saved by a rival pack’s Beta after nearly drowning—and because her honor had been compromised, she’d been taken in as a chosen mate. Dad, desperate for wealth, had pushed me into the river, hoping for the same outcome.

He hadn’t been kind to me out of love—he’d seen me as a means to an end.

Blakely said Alpha Harrison was too good a man to have been trapped by my family’s greed. Anyone else would’ve chased us off with a roar.

I let her pinch me, too ashamed to protest.

After all, it was true—I’d tainted a man as radiant as the moon.

I was, as always, someone unworthy of love.

I didn’t expect Alpha Harrison to visit me again.

Everyone hated me—why wouldn’t he?

But when he did return, I trembled as I knelt before him, imitating the others in the pack. I held out my hands, ready to face my punishment, and stammered, “I’m sorry for ruining your reputation. You don’t have to listen to my dad. My family has enough money to live on. Just… kill me, Alpha.”

For a long moment, he just stared at me.

Then, to my shock, he burst into laughter, clutching his sides until tears streamed down his face.

“You’re quite the character,” he said, still chuckling. “Why would I kill you? My claws are meant for rogues and enemies, not my own pack.”

He crouched down to meet my eyes, his voice softening. “You’re here now, so make this your home. I can see you’re nothing like your family—you’re honest and kind. The Harrison Pack can provide for you. You’ve escaped a den of wolves, so stay here and live in peace.”

His eyes truly did hold the moon—not the distant one in the sky, but one that was warm and radiant, unique to him alone.

That night, I learned what it meant to have a true home—and what it meant to feel a bond that could last a lifetime.

Alpha Harrison was always busy, and he rarely came to see me.

I remembered his words and didn’t dare seek him out.

The next time I heard about him, it was from one of the pack members—he was preparing for his mark ceremony.

Blakely strutted in front of me, smug as a peacock. “You’d better start packing. Once our future Luna arrives, she’ll sell you off in a heartbeat. Who do you think you are, daring to step foot in the Harrison Pack? If it weren’t for our Alpha’s kindness, you’d already be six feet under.”

I just sat there, nibbling on a slice of berry tart.

I understood.

He was the finest Alpha in the world, and I… I was nothing.

So if they sold me, or even killed me, it didn’t matter.

I’d already lived a life of luxury in the Harrison Pack—I had no regrets.

But as the pack waited and waited, the new Luna never arrived. Instead, what came was a decree from the Lycan King himself.

The Harrison Pack was to be disbanded.

The Harrison Pack was gone, my second home, shattered.

That night, I was shoved out through a narrow gap in the wall, the urgency in the hands pushing me unmistakable.

It was Ruthie, the pack’s healer, who dragged me out.

We’d barely exchanged more than a few words before, but she was the only one in the pack who’d sneak me food late at night, her stern face hiding a kindness I’d come to rely on.

She pulled me along, my steps unsteady, but I kept turning back, my voice trembling. “Ruthie, what about Gamma? Did he make it out?”

She yanked me into an alley, weaving through the shadows until we reached a small, hidden house.

Her eyes were red, her face etched with lines of grief and anger. “He’s gone,” she said, her voice low and choked. “The pack’s gone. Everything’s gone.”

The next day, the streets buzzed with whispers—Gamma Sebastian Harrison had betrayed the pack, they said. The higher-ups avoided the topic like it was poison.

I turned to Ruthie, my voice shaking. “Why are they lying? Gamma would never betray us. He was the one who protected us, who fought for us. Why are they spreading these lies?”

Ruthie shook her head, her lips bitten raw. “The higher powers, Tatum. They see strength as a threat. Gamma was too powerful, too respected. His aura was too dominant. They couldn’t let him survive.”

I didn’t understand, but the weight of her words pressed heavily on my chest.

I asked her, “Will Gamma come back?”

Ruthie didn’t answer, but the voices on the street did. They said Gamma was dead—killed by a rival pack just outside the territory, his body left in pieces.

I refused to believe it.

I’d seen Gamma fight, his claws razor-sharp, his wolf form towering and commanding. He was the strongest among us.

I couldn’t believe he’d betray the pack, and I couldn’t believe he was dead.

So, every day, I waited near the ruins of the pack house, my face covered with a scarf, watching.

This was his territory. His scent was still here. He’d come back.

Ruthie scolded me, calling me stubborn, naive, and foolish. But by the end of her rant, her voice would crack, and she’d be on the verge of tears.

“He’s gone, Tatum,” she said, her voice breaking. “We’ll never find him again.”

So, when I finally returned, dragging a battered and bruised Gamma Sebastian Harrison with me, she stood there, her mouth hanging open, unable to speak for a long, stunned moment.