Night after night, the weight pressed down on me, and every time I slipped beneath the covers, something twisted tight in my stomach. I stared at the moonlight spilling through the window, as if it could show me what waited ahead, or give meaning to the change closing in on me.

After that ridiculous trip to the mall with Jessa, who spent the entire time mocking my choices while pretending to help, I stopped going out unless I had to. I went to school. I went to work. Outside of that, I stayed locked into a strict routine, clinging to it like it could keep everything else away.

I gave up what little free time I had and took extra shifts at Beaniverse, trying to make up for the ridiculous debt from that three-hundred-dollar dress. Three hundred dollars, just to keep me from looking like a wrinkled mess, as Jessa liked to put it.

Even Lisa began to drift away. Our conversations turned short and distant, reduced to quick messages about school or work.

At home, the silence between us felt heavy and constant. Still, beneath all of that, something small refused to go out. Maybe I could get through the gala without humiliating myself. In just one week, everything would be decided. Either I'd find a way out of this role I'd been stuck in, or I'd be marked by it for good.

Today felt like the days before it. Quiet. Strange. Like something was waiting. With grocery bags piled on the passenger seat, I drove home, barely breathing.

Phoenix was coming over for dinner tonight. I made sure everything was perfect. I roasted the chicken and covered it in a rich garlic and parmesan sauce. I wrapped Brussels sprouts in bacon and glazed them with maple syrup, finishing them with a touch of balsamic. It was a recipe I found online, simple underneath but dressed up to look impressive.

As the chosen heir of the Blackwoods, Phoenix had always been treated like he mattered more than the rest of us. My mother adored him. My father took it even further. When Phoenix was named heir after Alpha Renard's last son died in a clash with rogue wolves, my father couldn't hide his pride. For an entire month, he walked around like he owned the world.

One day, he would become Alpha Phoenix Blackwood. For now, though, he was still just a Grey.

The grocery bags weighed down my arms, making them shake as I struggled forward. I moved clumsily, unsteady, like something already half broken, as I approached the quiet house.

Maybe the past two weeks of calm had made me careless. I didn't notice anything off. I didn't feel the danger waiting as I unlocked the door and stepped inside.

A sudden breeze grazed the back of my neck. The door slammed shut behind me with sharp intent, and a scent filled the air. I knew it instantly. I hated it.

Todd Mason.

The shadow that had followed me since childhood. The one who never stopped making my life hell.

He was already inside. With me.

And he hadn't come to play.

He stood in front of me, a crooked grin pulling at his lips. I couldn't move, couldn't step back, as his hand reached behind him and secured the lock.

"So, the little dreamer thinks she's finally going to be paraded around for a mate?"

His voice carried that same mocking edge. He stepped closer and shoved me hard.

My back slammed against the wall, and his hand clamped around my throat, forcing me up onto my toes.

The bags slipped from my grip and hit the floor. My thoughts scattered, and somehow, I fixated on the apples rolling across the wood. They would bruise. We'd have to eat them right away.

"You really think you belong at the gala? You think you can just walk away from this pack?"

His breath hit my face, warm and sour, making my stomach turn. I twisted my head to the side, trying to avoid it.

His hand struck my cheek, snapping my face back toward him. His words cut deep. "Who would even want you? A freak without a wolf. You'd be thrown aside in a second."

My heart pounded hard against my ribs, frantic and trapped. His grip tightened, and the air started to slip away from me.

"Defective," he hissed into my ear, his breath brushing my skin.

Nausea surged through me. My chest burned as I struggled to breathe. I had endured the hits, the insults, the stones thrown at me. I knew that pain.

But this was something else.

This was worse.

Rage surged through me. I dug my nails into his forearm, dragging them down hard enough to leave burning lines. I tried to kick him, but he blocked it and forced my legs against the wall.

"Let me go," I hissed, my voice shaking as I tried to ignore the hard, pressing proof of his excitement. "If I show up covered in bruises, Dad won't like it. You really want to deal with that?"

Dad usually didn't care about what happened to me, but with the gala coming up, anything visible would matter.

Todd paused, his grip still tight around my throat. His fingers pressed deeper into my skin. I dropped my gaze.

There was a time I refused to bow. I used to believe things would change, that I'd fight back and win. But that wasn't how the world worked.

If he wanted submission, I would give him a convincing lie. Whatever it took to stay alive. Whatever it took to keep him under control.

"Please," I whispered, letting my voice tremble on purpose. I tilted my head, leaving my throat exposed.

He reacted exactly how I expected. A low, satisfied sound left him, and it made my stomach turn. He leaned in, inhaled, then dragged his tongue slowly over the curved scar on my neck.

I forced the nausea down before it could rise.

"Please," I said again, and this time his grip loosened slightly. His other hand slid to my hip and dragged me closer. I shut my eyes, breathing through my mouth to get past the metallic taste sitting on my tongue. "I need to finish dinner. Phoenix is coming back tonight."

His teeth sank into my shoulder. Pain exploded through me, sharp enough to steal the air from my lungs. A cry slipped out as I shoved at him, twisting hard to get free. "Todd! Damn it!"

He growled but finally released me, though not before leaving a mark behind on my skin. His hand clamped onto my jaw, forcing me to face him. His eyes burned with twisted satisfaction.

I had braced myself for another hit.

But instead, he smiled.

Something passed between us in that moment. He understood. So did I.

"You're not going anywhere," he murmured, his voice laced with venom. "You're nothing but a reject, and this is where you belong. No one's coming to save you at that fancy little gala. Sooner or later, you'll end up as our Omega breeder, wolf or not."

The words hit me hard, stealing the air from my lungs. "Omega... breeder?"

His grip on my jaw tightened as laughter ripped from him, cruel and tearing. "Our little pack bitch, Ava." He didn't bother hiding what he meant. His hand moved lower, brushing past my chest before sliding between my thighs, pressing where he wanted.

"At least you're good for something. We can still make use of you."

Everything inside me went numb. His voice turned the air toxic.

His hands locked onto my hips as he pushed himself against me, his movements rough and possessive. Drool slipped down onto my jaw as he let out broken sounds. "Such a pretty flaw, Ava. Easy to break, easy to shape." He moved faster, forcing my legs around him. "I'll teach you until it sinks in."

Yes. I understand.

My body didn't belong to me anymore.

His breath hit my ear as he kept talking, but I shut it out, retreating somewhere deep inside my mind. I tried to stay there, far away from him, until a sharp blow to my stomach dragged me back into the pain. My knees hit the floor as he shoved me down, his movements turning frantic and ugly.

"Beg," he ordered, forcing my hand around him.

The distant sound of an engine cut through the moment. Todd went still, listening. Then everything sped up. He shoved himself into my mouth, his movements rough and choking. I struggled to breathe, my lips splitting under the force. The taste hit fast, bitter and suffocating. He growled low, urging me to swallow, then quickly fixed himself just as the door opened.

Phoenix stepped inside. His brown eyes settled on us, then drifted to the scattered groceries on the floor. He didn't say anything. A faint smirk touched his lips. "Mason," he said simply.

He knew.

I saw it in the way his nose flared, how he took in everything without missing a detail. Yet he stayed where he was.

He did nothing.

Todd straightened, a satisfied smile still lingering as he dipped his head slightly. "Alpha heir." He gestured casually. "Ava was just telling me you'd be back for dinner. I stopped by to check on her."

I bolted toward the bathroom, his laughter echoing after me. The tears that blurred my vision weren't from fear or shock.

They came from something deeper.

They fell for the one who had seen everything. The one who understood. The one who chose to stand there and do nothing.

Damn it.

I couldn't stay here anymore.

No matter what it would cost me, I had to leave.

For three days, time blurred into something thick and distant, and I locked myself away on purpose. I barely stepped outside my room, only leaving when I absolutely had to. My world shrank into something closed off and quiet, where every second went into planning how to get out. Staying here wasn't an option. Accepting a life as something owned and used by the pack wasn't an option either. As for Todd, I forced him out of my thoughts, like ripping out a ruined page. Silence cost less than facing it.

The walls felt like they were inching closer, tightening around me like a trap. My heart wouldn't slow down, my eyes stung, and nothing eased the weight building inside me. I tried reading to distract myself, but it didn't help. Every line felt like a cruel joke, every page reminding me of where I was stuck. I stopped caring about school. I knew I wouldn't be going back. It felt like saying goodbye without saying anything at all.

The gala was my only chance. In the middle of all that noise and attention, I could disappear. While everyone else drank and played their roles, I would leave. I packed my bag like it was the only thing keeping me alive. Clothes, food, every bit of money I managed to pull from my account. I didn't know where I'd go, only that I couldn't stay.

I bought a cheap phone and saved Lisa's number on it. Even then, I didn't send a message. Reaching out could put her at risk. So I stayed quiet. I kept everything from her, even while missing her already. If the pack ever noticed how close we were, she could end up paying for it. It was safer to act like nothing had changed.

On the third night, during dinner, I pushed my food around my plate, trying to make myself invisible. Then my father spoke, and everything shifted. We were leaving for the Silver Moon Pack's territory for the gala.

The walls tightened around me.

I forced myself to stay still, to keep my face blank, even as it felt like something alive was crawling beneath my skin. Maybe I had gotten too good at hiding it. Or maybe they simply didn't care enough to notice.

In two days, I would be surrounded by wolves searching for their mates, while all I wanted was a way out.

My father cleared his throat, and I looked up, caught off guard by the way he was staring straight at me. "Ava," he said, his tone soft but carrying the weight of an order. "This matters. For all of us."

"Yes, Father."

He went on, his voice steady and cold. "I would have preferred to leave you behind. But that would raise questions, especially with Jessa attending."

I glanced across the table. Jessa sat there, her expression shut off, while Phoenix watched me with that same distant look he used for things that didn't matter. The understanding between them was clear. I didn't belong in it. I felt completely out of place.

Like I didn't exist in their world at all.

My father's fingers tapped against the table. "I expect you to be flawless while we're there, Ava." His gaze slid over the fading bruises on my neck, and a shiver ran through me. They had lightened, but not enough. All I could do was hope they'd disappear before the gala.

I dropped my gaze and prodded my vegetables with my fork. "Yes, Father."

"Without a wolf, you won't be finding any mate there. So don't cause problems and keep yourself under control." He went back to eating as if nothing had been said. Beneath the table, my hand curled into a tight fist, my nails pressing into my palm.

His words should've made me shrink. Instead, they only made me harder.

The drive to Idaho felt like every other family trip. Quiet. Heavy. My parents and Jessa rode together, while I was placed with Phoenix.

The low hum of the engine and the steady rhythm of the road almost pulled me under. Phoenix drove like he owned the world, one arm resting loosely against the door, his posture easy. The radio stayed off. He carried the same cold distance as my father, the same quiet control.

The scenery shifted little by little. The worn hills gave way to darker mountains rising along the horizon. My thoughts wandered to Lisa. What was she doing right now? Would she forgive me for disappearing like this?

Phoenix's voice cut through the silence, rough and sudden. "You're not about to do anything stupid at the Lunar Gala, are you, Ave?"

A shiver ran through me before I could even think. My body tightened as I turned to look at him. Did he know something? "Of course not. Dad made himself clear."

Phoenix let out a low, unreadable sound. I wished, not for the first time, that I could understand them the way they seemed to understand me.

I looked away and focused on the window instead, watching my reflection blur with the movement of the car. "Besides, no one's going to choose a flaw anyway." The bitterness slipped out before I could stop it.

He didn't answer right away. Maybe he agreed.

Then he spoke, his tone flat. "At least Mason's willing to take you in. Not as a mate, but your kids would have a place. They'd be recognized. Protected."

The name hit me like a slap, and I flinched. "If there are even wolves left for that," I muttered.

He glanced at me for a second. "Right."

No. I wasn't going back to them.

He knew it. And still, he expected me to be grateful to someone who had beaten me for years and now saw me as nothing more than something to use.

I exhaled slowly and forced my thoughts elsewhere, focusing on the plan. The area around Shadowvale stretched wide, with too many roads, towns, and stations to track easily. If I moved carefully, I could disappear. I could leave a trail that led nowhere.

As we neared Shadowvale, something tightened in my chest. Fear mixed with something else. Hope. Stepping onto Silver Moon territory meant stepping into uncertainty, but it also meant a chance. Maybe my only one.

I glanced at Phoenix. His attention stayed on the road, his expression distant and cold. A quiet ache stirred as I thought of the brother he used to be. I pushed it down and shut it away.

That part of my life was over.

My plan came together piece by piece, steady and deliberate. Fear still ran through me, but it wasn't alone anymore. Something stronger held its ground beside it. Determination.

This time, I wouldn't just think about leaving.

This time, I would do it.

And I wasn't coming back.

In front of the mirror, my hands trembled as I reached for the zipper of the dress. The fabric brushed over my skin like water, smooth and cool with every shift. It looked stunning, maybe more than I could pull off. Wearing it made me feel unfamiliar, like I had stepped into someone else's life.

I turned slowly, letting the skirt fan out around my legs. The movement pulled me back to childhood, to those clumsy spins where I used to wish my dresses would twirl like the princesses I watched on screen. That younger version of me would've loved this moment. The woman I had become only felt like she didn't quite belong in it.

From behind, Jessa and my mother watched closely, their eyes picking apart every detail.

"Ava..." My mother let out a soft sigh, the kind that always carried quiet judgment. "You didn't even fix your hair?"

Without thinking, I reached up to touch it. Jessa had already done what she could, and I thought it looked nice. But my mother's expression said otherwise.

"I thought it looked fine," I murmured, my voice barely steady as heat crept across my cheeks.

Jessa exhaled sharply and rolled her eyes.

"Not even close. Come here, we'll fix it. You didn't plan anything, did you? We'll just throw it into a bun."

She seized my arm and guided me toward the vanity, pressing me down onto the chair. My mother stepped in right after, her lips set in a tight line.

"Sit properly," she said as she placed both hands on my shoulders. "Pull your stomach in. That dress is spilling over your hips. You look ridiculous, like a sack of potatoes. If your father didn't need to parade you in front of the other packs just to prove you're still alive, I wouldn't have brought you."

Her attention shifted to Jessa.

"What's that saying again?" she asked. "Can a cow's ear ever turn into a handbag?"

I pressed my lips together, forcing the tears back. A question lingered in my mind about why the pack cared so much about my condition, but I already knew asking it would only set her off.

That little girl who once admired herself in the mirror still lived somewhere inside me, but every sharp word chipped away at her, draining the brightness she used to carry.

Without hesitation, Jessa grabbed my hair and worked through it, smoothing and tugging until it formed a neat, polished bun.

"I'm not doing this for you," she whispered near my ear. "You owe me big for this, Ava. I'm only getting you ready because it benefits me. You don't even have a place here anyway."

I gave a quiet nod, not saying a word. I understood exactly what I was in their eyes, nothing more than something weighing them down. Still, for tonight, I had to step into the part they expected from me and force a smile no matter how hard it felt. Just a little longer.

Freedom was close. I kept repeating it in my head like a prayer while my body shook under their constant judgment.

My mother reached for my chin, tilting my face from one side to the other before letting go with a short nod.

"At least you don't look like a beggar anymore," she said. "For Moon's sake, Ava, learn how to carry yourself. How do you think this reflects on me? Didn't you even think to wear earrings?"

I held the truth back. She hadn't given me anything since I was twelve, and the only thing I owned was a braided friendship bracelet from when I was thirteen. Of course, that had no place here.

Jessa moved in next, taking over my makeup. Her hands worked fast and sure, reshaping my face before I could even process it.

"Don't move," my mother said, her hand settling on my shoulder. "You'll mess it up. Jessa, be careful with the shade. She can't look sick. People will start talking."

I forced myself to breathe slowly, trying to steady the tension inside me. By the time Jessa stepped back, the reflection staring back from the mirror didn't feel like mine anymore. My skin looked flawless, my eyes darker and sharper, and my lips burned with a bold red.

"There," Jessa said with a satisfied glance. "At least you look acceptable now."

Another quiet sigh slipped from my mother.

"That's enough."

I pushed myself to my feet and brushed my fingers over the fabric of the dress. My pulse raced, and my stomach twisted tight. For tonight, I had to become exactly what they wanted, a perfect she-wolf who stayed quiet, polite, and obedient. Just one last time.

After this, I would be gone.

Not long after, I walked into the ballroom just behind my family. My parents took the lead while Phoenix stayed at Jessa's side. I followed behind them like an afterthought, the dull shadow trailing behind polished figures. My mother and Jessa gleamed under the lights with their jewelry, while I wore nothing at all.

The Lunar Gala unfolded in stunning detail. Crystal chandeliers cast shimmering light across the hall, the marble floors mirrored every movement, and the walls were dressed in rich curtains and priceless artwork.

I scanned the room, hoping to find a quiet corner where I could disappear, but my father caught my elbow before I could slip away.

"Ava, come here," he said, already pulling me along toward a well-dressed older man.

I forced a smile, reached out my hand, and offered a soft greeting. One introduction blurred into the next, names and faces slipping past me without leaving anything behind.

The thick mix of perfume and hollow laughter pressed down on me, making it hard to breathe. My father kept steering me deeper into the crowd, and that was when I caught sight of a man observing us. He looked older than Alpha Renard, yet there was something sleek and controlled about him, almost like a predator holding back.

"Alpha Steele," my father said, his tone carrying an edge of restraint.

"Beta Grey," the man answered, his voice low and unsettling.

One by one, my father presented Phoenix and Jessa, then his hand clamped around my arm without warning.

"This is Ava, my youngest."

"It's nice to meet you," I said, my voice uneven. "The place is... really beautiful."

Steele's attention settled on me, his eyes tracing the crescent scar beneath my ear. The corner of his mouth lifted slightly.

"So this is Ava," he said. "We've been waiting for you to step into our circle."

My words stumbled over each other as a wave of unease crept in.

"I'm not really..." I hesitated. "I've never been involved in any of that."

"Call me Xavier," he said smoothly. "Our Silver Moon pack is proud to host this year's Gala. Having the Blackstone pack here makes tonight all the more significant."

A polite smile settled on my face, even though my thoughts were scattered. It was obvious he held no fondness for my father or Phoenix. For a fleeting second, a reckless thought crossed my mind, wondering if he could help me. But no Alpha would take on someone broken like me.

Xavier lifted his glass in my direction.

"You have quite a remarkable daughter, Beta Grey," he said, his tone layered with something I couldn't quite read.

My father's hand tightened around my arm, and the strain in his posture became unmistakable.

Another figure stepped closer, and my father stiffened further.

"Beta Ashbourne," he greeted, his voice edged with cold restraint.

Jessa moved ahead, glowing in her deep blue gown.

"Kellan Ashbourne, Beta of the Westwood pack. It's a pleasure to meet you," she said.

The man gave a slight nod before his attention shifted to me. His gaze locked onto mine as he reached out his hand. Without thinking, I placed mine in his. He brought it up and brushed his lips against my skin. A shiver passed through me, like he was quietly reading through every layer I tried to hide.

"And you are?" he asked, his voice soft yet sharp enough to leave a mark.

Before I could even speak, my father yanked me away from him.

"Ava, my youngest daughter," he said flatly. "Go spend time with people your age."

I didn't hesitate. I used that chance to slip away, leaving Kellan and the rest behind without a second thought.

As I moved through the ballroom, confusion filled my mind. None of it made sense. Why was he suddenly paying attention to me? And why had my father brushed me off so quickly?

I glanced back over my shoulder. Kellan was still watching me, his gaze fixed and impossible to read. A chill crept down my spine.

I needed to get out.

I stepped outside into the garden, where soft lantern light washed everything in pale gold. Cool air surrounded me, and for the first time that night, I managed to breathe. Quiet murmurs, hushed laughter, and the sounds of hidden intimacy drifted through the space. I turned my head away, heat rising to my face.

Reaching into my bag, I pulled out my phone and opened the ride app. My finger hovered above the screen as I set the destination. Moonlight Terrace Hotel. All it would take was one tap. Grab my things, get a car, and I'd finally be free.

Just as my finger was about to tap the screen, a strong hand closed around my arm, pulling a sharp gasp from me. I spun around at once.

A man stood in front of me. He was tall and built, with dark hair and eyes that cut straight through me. The fabric of his suit brushed lightly against my skin, smooth like silk.

Something stirred deep inside me, something unfamiliar yet instantly recognized.

Desire.

Damn.

Could it really be?

"Where do you think you're going, little wolf?" he said, his voice low and rough, sending a shiver down my spine.

I parted my lips, but nothing came out. My heart pounded wildly against my chest. His hold tightened, firm enough to almost hurt. I couldn't move, caught between the instinct to run and the pull to stay, to fall straight into him and forget everything else.