Zylia's POV A tall, sharp man stood by the door. He had broad shoulders, and was dressed in black. His dark eyes fixed on me, and his jaw tightened like he hated what he saw. "Lucien Storme." My father muttered, bowing his head. The echo of his name sent a chill to my spine. It slid like slime. It was the Beta of Alpha Killian. Who didn't know him?. The Alpha's shadow, his blade. His gaze swept over me slowly, and then his lip curled. "So, you're Zylia Nightshade. The clumsy little Omega who can't stay on her feet." Heat rushed into my cheeks. My fingers twisted into my skirt, "I..." "Save your excuses," he said flatly. "The Alpha doesn't care for them." My cheeks burned with heat and I bit my lip slightly. He reached into his coat and pulled out a black scroll sealed with scarlet red wax. "By order of Alpha Killian, you are hereby commanded to attend the royal mating ball tonight." I blinked, "Me?" The royal mating ball? And I'm invited? No, that can't be right. "Am I..." I swallowed. "Am I serving food...or something?" He kissed his teeth and face formed into a look of disgust. "It seems you're so accustomed to a life of servitude." His words jabbed my heart. "Have this." He shoved the scroll into my hands. He scanned me from head to toe, "And find something decent to wear. Don't embarrass the Alpha further." Before I could say another word, he turned around and left, his steps leaving a trail behind him. The silence left behind felt heavier than his presence. I unrolled the scroll, and my name stared back at me in bold silver ink, stamped with the Alpha's seal. Zylia Nightshade. Why me? "You heard him. Get something decent to wear and don't embarrass the Alpha or this family further." My father's voice dragged. "Yes, father." My voice, low. I rushed to my room. Opening all the bags that I had, searching for something decent. By nightfall, I was dressed in the only thing I owned that could be considered a gown. It was simple, pale blue, worn from years of being folded in a trunk. I brushed the dirt from my skin, combed my hair until it fell smooth, and tied a ribbon at the side. My hands trembled the whole time. The carriage arrived with two guards at its sides. Their eyes barely flicked toward me, like I was already beneath their notice. I climbed in, clutching the skirt in my fists. The ride was silent but my heart thudded...no, it pounded, like a drum. Moon Goddess, guide me. I was here. The Mating Ceremony. The pack's ballroom was brighter than the moon itself. The chandeliers dripped light over polished floors, and music curled through the air like silk. The room glittered with crystal lamps and banners, light bouncing off every surface until it almost blinded me. It felt like stepping into another world. The wolves were adorned in gowns and sharp suits. The sounds of whispers filled the air. I swallowed. And then the whispers shifted. "She doesn't belong here." "An Omega? At the mating ball?" "Maybe she's a servant." "What is she doing here?" My cheeks burned. I wanted to run and hide under the tables, but I forced myself to walk further. The Moon Goddess would guide me. I was safe. I was not cursed. I echoed in my head. I kept walking. "Well, well, well," a voice said from behind me. Lilith. And her little sidekicks. My stomach twisted by the drag of her voice. "You look a little bit presentable tonight," her eyes narrowed, looking at me from head to toe. "Th...thank you," I muttered "She's said thank you," her minions laughed. They were mocking me, not complimenting me. Why would I even think they were complimenting me? Lilith was arrayed in midnight silk. Her skin dripped under the beam of light. Then the music faded. And a hush spread across the room. The grand doors opened with a heavy thud. He walked in. Tall. Broad. Dark. Alpha Killian. His very name seems to echo in the air. It was heavy and commanding. His aura rolled through the room like a storm. My knees nearly gave out under the weight of it. Everyone bowed their heads. No one dared to look at him. I stood frozen. My breath caught. I bowed...maybe too late or maybe too fast. I just didn't want to get into trouble. The chandeliers caught in his black hair, throwing glints of light that made him look sharper. Too sharp. The priestess stepped forward, white robes glowing in the firelight. She lifted her arms. "Wolves of the Howlborne Pack," her voice rang clear. "We gather tonight under the Moon's blessing. Tonight, the Alpha will choose his fated mate." The wolves gasped, excitement filling the air. And one by one, noble daughters stepped forward into the light. Their gowns gleamed under the chandelier. Their heads stood up high, and they had proud smiles drawn on their faces. At the front, Lilith stood elegantly. She gleamed like she already wore the crown. Her smile was bright and certain. Her gaze was locked on the Alpha. He moved. Slow, steady steps. His boots clicked softly against the floor. His gaze studied each girl in silence. One. Two. Three. None chosen. The crowd stirred in confusion. "Why hasn't he stopped?" someone whispered. "He's saving it for Lilith," another hissed back. But he passed her too. Lilith's smile faded for a little bit. Her eyes furrowed into confusion. But she tilted her chin higher, waiting, certain he would turn back. But he didn't. His steps slowed. His gaze lifted, not at the line of daughters, but across the room. His eyes searched until they found me. On me. The air fled my lungs. "He's looking at... her?" a woman whispered. "No. Impossible." I shrank back, but his stare held me in a chokehold. The Alpha stepped out of the line. Everyone in the hall gasped as the Alpha walked past the noble daughters. Each step echoed like thunder, too loud, too heavy. "Not her," I whispered, shaking my head. My chest ached with the pounding of my heart. But he didn't stop there. He stopped in front of me. The hall fell silent, the kind of silence that pressed on your skin and made your heartbeat sound too loud, like even that was a crime. I trembled under the weight of his aura. His presence pressed against my skin, made it hard to breathe. His eyes locked on mine, dark and unreadable. He spoke. His voice was low, steady, and it rolled through the hall like a decree. "Zylia Nightshade," he said. My breath caught. The crowd gasped. "You are my fated mate..."

Zylia's POV Killian's words echoed in my skull. It was heavy and dismissive. I wanted the floor to swallow me whole. The hall was frozen. Everyone's head turned to me. They all had disgust and shock written in their faces. My lips parted, but I found no words to say. My chest tightened, making it hard to breathe. "I...uhm.." My voice was cracked, breaking my words. Killian didn't move, nor did he waver. His dark gaze was locked on me as he moved closer. His hands stretched at me, "Come forward," He wasn't talking about me. Was he? "Come," he said again, confirming I was the one he was talking about. I stared at his hand, then I looked back at him. Should I take it? Should I not? My legs moved on their own. I couldn't control them. It was like they had a mind of their own. They trembled as I moved closer to him, trembling. Then, I placed my hand into his. His touch sent a sudden warmth through me. I had never felt anything like it before, almost like it awakened my whole body, like my heart was set on fire. My knees felt weak at every step but I couldn't help it. Then, the whispers broke loose. "This is madness..." "She's an omega!" "Impossible." Lilith's voice cut louder than them all. "This is madness, Alpha Killian!" Her gown shimmered as she walked forward. She had fury written all over her face. "She is an omega. How can she be your fated mate?!" Gasps scattered again. "Alpha," Beta Lucious's voice added, low but sharp. He bowed his head but his eyes gleamed with disdain. "Forgive me, but this cannot be. The Moon Goddess would never tie you to... her." My stomach clenched. I wanted to shrink into the floor, vanish into shadow. My hand twitched in Killian's grasp, but he held firm. Then the priestess moved forward. White robes trailed the floor, her staff clinking softly. The room silenced again. She raised her eyes toward the chandeliers, then to Killian. "Alpha," she said solemnly, "before the bond is sealed, hear the words given to me." Killian's jaw tensed. "Speak." The priestess's voice carried, strong and clear. "The Alpha's mate shall be his downfall. Beneath the blood moon, she will betray him. One he loves will wear the crown of ruin." A wave of gasps surged once again, but this time it was louder. My chest constricted. Betray him? Crown of ruin? All eyes cut to me. I would never do such a thing. "No..." I whispered, shaking my head. "That's not... I can't.... I won't" My words galloped, I couldn't get a single thing out. "She's the one!" someone hissed. "The prophecy fits her." "Betrayal. Of course it would be her." "What? Do you really think a servant like her would actually stay loyal to you?" Lilith's eyes glittered, and she smirked faintly. "You see, Alpha? Even the Goddess warns you. She will betray you." Beta Lucious stepped closer. "Killian, you must reject her. If you don't, the prophecy will destroy us all." "No..." My voice came thin, desperate. "I would never...." Killian's chest rose and fell hard. His hand trembled against mine. His dark eyes fixed on me, and for a moment, I could've sworn I saw something. It seemed like...conflict, longing, pain. Did he... Did he really mean that? Before I could figure it out, his face hardened. All emotions were lost. "No," he muttered again, but this time to himself. "Alpha," Lucious pressed, "save the pack. End this bond now." "Killian," Lilith whispered sweetly, "you know it's true." The weight of the room pressed down on him. His grip slipped from mine. Cold shot through me like ice water. "No," I whispered. "Please... don't listen to them." Killian shut his eyes, jaw tight, then opened them. An inferno burned in them. "I, Killian Stormbane, Alpha of the Howlborne Pack..." His voice trembled just once, before it sharpened. "...reject you, Zylia Nightshade, as my mate." The words struck like claws ripping my chest open. "What?" My throat burned. "No... you can't..." Gasps washed the hall. "I am sorry," Killian said, but his gaze slid away from me. "But you just...." My voice cracked. "You just claimed me!" The priestess lifted her staff. "Repeat the words, girl. Release him." Tears stung my eyes. "I don't... I don't understand..." "You must," she snapped. Everyone looked at me with pity, curiosity, satisfaction. Lilith's smirk widened. My chest heaved. My heart shattered. Finally, broken, I whispered, "I... accept your rejection, Alpha Killian." The bond tore apart, and I gasped like all air had been ripped from my lungs. Killian turned, striding away without a second glance. Lilith glided after him, her smile like victory. "No!" I cried, stumbling a step after him. "Please, don't....don't leave" "Enough!" The priestess's voice cracked like a whip. "Zylia Nightshade is marked by betrayal. She must be banished at once!" "What?" My voice broke. The situation just got worse. "She cannot stay," the priestess declared. "She will doom us. If she can betray the Alpha, then who are we?" Her words drop like a bomb. Everyone's eyes turned to me. "I knew there was something wrong with her," someone hissed. Before I knew it, the guards seized me. "No...please...I haven't done anything," I begged. Beta Lucious's cold eyes met mine. His lips curled. "You heard the prophecy. You are a traitor in waiting." "No!" I begged. "Please.....please, Killian!" But he was gone. Lucious turned to the guards. "Take her home. Let her gather what little she owns. Then cast her out before moonrise." The guards dragged me, whispers chasing me like daggers. *** At my foster father's house, they shoved me inside. He sat at the table, shadows across his face. His eyes met mine, disgust etched in them. "You've brought nothing but shame," he said coldly. "Father, please..." "Don't call me that." His hand slammed the table, the sound like a crack of thunder. "If the Alpha rejects you, then you are nothing. If the priestess condemns you, you are cursed." Tears blurred my vision. "You're sending me away, just like that?" "You should never have been here to begin with." His voice was flat, final. The guards shoved a torn bag at me. "Pack. Quickly." My fingers shook as I stuffed what little I had into the bag. My father did not even look at me. When I stepped outside, the guards pulled me through the village. Neighbors watched from their doors. Whispers followed me like fire. At the gates, Beta Lucious stood waiting, arms folded. He handed me my bag with a smirk. "Go. Do not return." "Please," I begged one last time. "Let me speak to Killian." Lucious's smirk widened. "The Alpha gave no such order. This is where you belong, omen girl." The gate slammed shut behind me. I stood there, staring at the wood until their boots faded. Slowly, I turned. The path in front of me was dark, no one knew what evil lay ahead of them. I walked. My tears blurred everything. My bag dug into my shoulder, heavy, but not as heavy as my chest. Every step replayed his voice: first claiming me, then casting me aside. Then, a branch snapped. I froze. Another step crunched closer. Someone was there in the shadows...behind me....

Zylia's POV "Who's there?" My voice came out thin and trembling. No one answered. I only heard the breeze of Dey leaves. I pressed my back to a tree trunk and clutched my bag to my chest like my life depended on it. And I could say, right now, it really did. My knuckles turned white, and legs felt rooted to the ground, as if it did not want me to move. Something moved in the darkness, really fast, my eyes only caught a shape that resolved into a man. Then it turned into two. I caught a scent of rags and sweat. It wasn't of a pack. It was... Rogues. My mouth went dry. I tried to turn, to run, but my feet would not. "Please," I said. "I don't want trouble. I'll go. I'll.." One of them laughed, soft and mean. "Look what the moon spat out. An Alpha's toy." He circled me slowly, his arms folded, his eyes dangerous."All alone....How easy.....must be our lucky night" The other crouched and grinned at me. "Pretty thing. Come on, don't be shy." "Leave me," I whispered, backing until the trunk stopped me. The bag dug into my ribs; I could feel every bruise from the guards' rough hands. My throat burned from the urge to burst into tears. The taller rogue reached out. His hand was close enough to brush my sleeve. "Not so fast." He leaned in, so did the smell of dust. "We'll have some fun, won't we?" His hands brushed my cheeks. I was cornered by both wolves. I couldn't escape, even if I wanted to. I shut my eyes. My mind flashed back to Killian's voice, the priestess, Lilith's smile. "Please," I whispered again. "Just... let me go." "You reek of the Alpha's bond," The taller one muttered to the other. "He's gone," the shorter man said. "The Alpha threw her out. No one cares." "You idiots," hissed a new voice from the trees, low and sharp. It wasn't rogue laughing, nor was it humane. It cut through the air like a blade. The rogues startled. The taller one spun, jaw working. "Who....?" Something huge moved in the darkness. I felt it before I saw it: the air shifted, like a tide changing. A wolf exhaled nearby, long and low. The rogue's grin faltered. "We should leave. Now." He stepped back. They ran as fast as they could. A shape stepped into the clearing now. Broad shoulders, shadowed face, the kind of presence that made breath catch. He moved with the silence of a predator and the ease of a man who owned the dark. He crouched near me, not touching, an arm resting on his knee. His eyes were too bright in the moon, and they measured me like a market buyer. "You shouldn't walk packlands at night, little one." I swallowed. "Who are you?" He let out a chuckel. "A dangerous thing to ask in the Wildlands." He straightened. "Name's Mason." Mason looked at me like a curious animal. "You smell like a bond and trouble," he said. "Alpha's mark still clings to you." My chest tightened. "I..." I bit my lip. "Claimed," he interrupted me, his gaze fixed on mine."Then cast off." His mouth curved. "Poor thing." He touched my chin with care, and then lifted my face to get a closer look. His hands were soft and warm. For a moment there, I could've sworn he was human. His gaze lingered "You're hurt," I checked myself, "Do I have a bruise...or injury?" He chuckled, "Not that type of hurt," He let go as if the touch had burned him. He was talking about my rejection. "Oh..." "Come. Sit." He pointed at the log I had been on and bowed his head in a mock of courtesy. I slid down, hugging my bag to my chest. "Why are you....why are you so nice to me?" He shrugged. "We're not saints. But we don't like thieves. Rogues have rules." He studied my face, and his voice went low. "And I like to know who walks my woods." "You saved me," I said. The words sounded small and ugly next to the memory of Killian's rejection. "Why?" Mason's jaw worked. "Because you're interesting." He paused as if testing the word for weight. "Because you weren't just some weeping thing. You didn't scream. You didn't beg like the others. You looked like you carried more shame than fear." I flinched. "Shame is all I have left." "Maybe." He cocked his head. "Or maybe it's something else. Something the pack hated enough to spit out." He sat across from me on the same log. It was getting quite dark so he lit a flame. The light made his eyes seem amber. "Tell me what happened," he said plainly. "I'm...not" "It's fine, you don't have to say it if you're not comfortable," He said after he saw how I struggled getting the words out. "Thank you," I said, my voice low. Silence drew between us for a while. I swallowed. The story came out in jagged breaths, the hall, the priestess, Killian's hand, the moment he took it, the way it had felt when he claimed me, and then how he had thrown me away. Mason listened, unblinking. At the end he whistled, low. "Oof." It could have been pity. It could have been greed. I couldn't tell. "So," he said, stirring the fire with a stick, "you have half a bond and all the trouble." "It should have been forever," I whispered. "It was supposed to be my place." He looked at me, not too soft or too cruel face, "Lots of things were supposed to be. The world doesn't care for supposed." "But you?" I asked, the question reckless. "Why do you care?" Mason's lips twitched. "I don't. Not really." He blew on the coals, and the embers flared. "But tonight I felt like showing up. Maybe because I don't like other men thinking they can take and then toss what they want." He flicked his gaze to the trees as if expecting someone to appear. A cold breath escaped my lips. "Can I....can I go back with you?" My voice trembled. He leaned forward. "I'm not a savior Zylia. I won't carry you home." He paused, "But I won't let you be eaten by rogues tonight." Relief crashed into me so hard I could not speak. He pushed to his feet. "Stay near me," he ordered softly. "I have camp not far." He stuffed the last of the kindling into his pocket and started to walk, not looking back. I fumbled to my feet, bag heavy on my shoulder, and stumbled after him. "Who are you really?" I asked, keeping pace so I wouldn't lose him in the dark. Mason glanced over his shoulder. A dangerous smirk appeared on his face, "Someone who likes to know things." Then softer, almost private: "And someone who hates being told what to think." We moved into the trees, and the small fire we left died to gray ash. The woods swallowed our footsteps, but not the drum of my heart. I walked with Mason because at that moment, anything that moved with me felt better than standing still in the place where they had thrown me away. Behind us, hidden in the black, eyes watched. And one voice, closer than the rest, whispered a name I'd only ever heard in the hall. "Killian," it breathed, and then silence.