Aliana POV:

The hours before the party were a blur of cold efficiency.

I returned to the apartment I shared with Ivan one last time. He was getting dressed for the "border patrol"—his cover story for Leo's birthday party.

He stood in front of the mirror, struggling with his tie.

"Here," I said, stepping forward.

I reached out and adjusted the silk knot. My fingers brushed against his carotid artery. I could feel the strong, steady pulse of his life beneath my fingertips.

My claws itched to extend. It would be so easy. One swipe.

No, my wolf cautioned. Death is too quick. He must suffer.

"Thanks, babe," Ivan said, checking his watch. "I have to go. Don't wait up."

He leaned in to kiss me. I turned my head at the last second, so his lips brushed my cheek.

"Good luck, Ivan," I said. My voice was devoid of warmth.

He didn't notice. He never noticed. "See you tomorrow."

The door clicked shut.

I didn't cry. I didn't collapse. I moved with surgical precision.

I packed one bag. My medical journals. My silver scalpels. The few photos I had of my grandmother.

I stripped the bedsheets. I took every piece of clothing that carried my scent and shoved it into trash bags. I wiped down every surface with bleach.

By the time I was done, the apartment looked sterile. Like a hotel room. Like I had never existed.

I walked out onto the balcony. The full moon was rising, huge and yellow over the city skyline.

Tonight was the night. The night they planned to break me.

I looked at my hand. The skin was tingling, glowing faintly under the moonlight. The power I had suppressed for so long—the legacy of the White Wolf that my grandmother had whispered about—was waking up.

"Let's go to a party," I whispered to the wind.

Aliana POV:

The Donovan Manor was lit up like a Christmas tree. Luxury cars lined the driveway. The elite of the werewolf world were gathering to celebrate the "secret" son of Alpha Hughes.

I walked in through the side entrance, wearing a simple black dress. I wasn't supposed to be here. I was supposed to be at home, waiting for my "working" fiancé.

"Aliana?"

My mother, Luna Eleanor, froze when she saw me in the hallway leading to the kitchen. Her face was a mask of perfectly applied makeup and panic.

"Mother," I nodded. "I thought I'd surprise Dad. Is he in the study?"

"You shouldn't be here," she hissed, grabbing my arm. Her nails dug into my skin. "Ivan is... busy."

"I know," I smiled. "I'm hungry, Mother. Is there any soup left?"

Her eyes darted to the tureen on the serving cart. I knew what was in it. Not a lethal dose—that would ruin the merger—but a heavy sedative. Something to make me pliable, foggy, and agreeable when they shoved the patent contracts in my face later tonight.

"I... yes," she stammered, clearly improvising. "Here. Have a bowl before you go in. You look pale."

She ladled the soup into a bowl. I could smell the chemical tang under the mushrooms. Compliance draft.

She handed it to me. Her hand was shaking. She was drugging her own child to secure a business deal.

"Thank you, Mother," I said.

I lifted the spoon to my lips. I took a sip. Then another.

I watched her shoulders sag in relief.

"Go to the guest room and rest," she said quickly. "I'll fetch your father."

"Okay."

I turned and walked into the nearest powder room, locking the door behind me.

The moment the lock clicked, I dropped the facade.

The drug acted fast. My limbs felt heavy, a soft, cotton-like numbness spreading from my stomach, trying to sever my connection to my wolf.

I pulled a small leather case from my clutch. Inside were three silver needles.

I ripped the top of my dress down slightly. I found the meridian point just below my sternum—the vagus nerve trigger.

I didn't hesitate. I jammed the needle in.

Pain exploded in my chest. My nervous system shrieked, the sharp agony cutting through the chemical fog like a knife.

I didn't purge; I forced my body into overdrive. I inserted the second needle into a point on my wrist to stimulate blood flow and flush the toxins through my sweat glands.

I stood up, wiping my mouth. My reflection in the mirror looked wild. Ferocious.

I checked my watch. 9:55 PM.

I slipped out the window of the powder room. I moved through the shadows of the garden, circling around to the main patio where the party was in full swing.

I could see them through the French doors. Ivan was holding a microphone, his arm around Kiera. Leo was blowing out candles on a massive cake. My parents were clapping, looking smug.

"To the future of the Hughes and Donovan alliance!" Ivan toasted.

I pulled out my burner phone. I sent a single text to the old butler, James—the only man in this house who had ever treated me with kindness.

Deliver the package now, James.

I watched as James walked onto the stage, carrying a large, red gift box tied with a black ribbon.

"A gift," James announced, his voice trembling slightly, "from Miss Aliana."

The room went silent. Ivan frowned. Kiera looked confused.

"Open it!" Leo squealed.

Ivan shrugged and pulled the ribbon. The box fell open.

It wasn't a gift. It was a projector.

It activated instantly, beaming an image onto the white wall behind them. It was the DNA report I had stolen. The real data, highlighted in red, showing the anomalies.

And then, the audio started. My voice was not on the recording. Only theirs.

"Aliana is a placeholder... She smells like antiseptic and fear..." Ivan's voice boomed over the speakers.

The crowd gasped.

"They think Aliana is 'too soft'... They prefer a strong alliance..."

My father dropped his wine glass. It shattered, the red liquid staining the expensive rug like blood.

"I never completed the Marking... I can reject her whenever I want."

Kiera screamed, lunging for the machine, but it was too late. The words were out. The betrayal was laid bare for the entire Council to see.

I stood in the darkness of the garden, watching the chaos unfold. It was beautiful.

I felt a pull in my chest. The Mate bond. It was agonizing, a physical tether trying to drag me back to him.

I reached into my pocket and pulled out my engagement ring. I looked at the diamond one last time.

Then, I threw it into the thorny rose bushes.

My phone buzzed. It was Debi. The jet is waiting. The paperwork is filed. You are free.

I turned my back on the manor, on the screaming, on the man I had loved for five years.

I walked toward the back gate, where a black car was waiting. With every step, I felt lighter. The numbness of the drug was gone, replaced by a surging, electric power.

My skin began to itch. My bones shifted slightly, acknowledging the moon.

I wasn't Aliana Donovan, the rejected placeholder anymore.

I was Hope. And I was going to the North to become the monster they feared I would be.