“Killian rejected his mate last night. I only found out today that he’s a werewolf.”

“Not just a werewolf. He’s the future alpha. Isn’t that insane?”

“Monica, stop reading for one second. Haven’t you heard? Killian dumped his luna candidate!”

The girls in Monica’s class buzzed with excitement. One of them even snatched the book from Monica’s hands and tossed it onto the desk so she would pay attention.

News of Killian rejecting his supposed mate had spread across all of Amberbridge Province. Humans and werewolves alike were talking about it.

For reasons Monica refused to examine, the gossip made her dizzy. What bothered her even more was watching girls chatter eagerly about Killian as though the vacancy beside him was now open.

“Tonight we’re going to XT-Dance&Drink,” Hellen announced, looping an arm through Monica’s. “Stop looking miserable.”

“A party? For what?”

The girls burst into laughter.

“Our genius girl doesn’t know how to celebrate a holiday,” Hellen called out dramatically. Then she lowered her voice. “Come on. One drink won’t kill you. Daniel’s going too.”

Monica felt warmth creep into her cheeks.

Her closest friends already knew about Daniel. If he would be there, then maybe going wasn’t a bad idea.

That night, wearing a sleeveless dress tailored neatly to her figure, Monica climbed into the car with Hellen and the others.

XT-Dance&Drink was already alive when they arrived.

Colored lights swept across the packed dance floor. Bass thundered through the walls. Laughter, perfume, alcohol, and expensive cologne filled the air.

Daniel was there with a group of men, looking completely at ease in the chaos.

“Let’s dance first and drink later,” Hellen shouted over the music.

Monica nodded. Starting on the dance floor felt safer. She could stay with the crowd and keep her head clear.

She had barely begun moving when two arms circled her waist from behind.

The sharp smell of liquor hit her first.

Then warm breath touched her neck.

“Daniel?” Monica gasped, glancing down at the familiar hands locked around her middle.

“Oh, babe,” he slurred against her ear.

“You’re drunk.” She grabbed his wrist and pulled him away from the dance floor. “Seriously, how much did you drink?”

She made him sit, ordered herself a mocktail, and chose to watch the room instead.

XT-Dance&Drink catered to people who liked spending money carelessly. Some customers paid absurd prices for a single glass.

“Look! Killian’s here!”

Hellen’s shriek sliced through the music.

In seconds, the room shifted.

Girls abandoned their drinks, stools, and dance partners to rush toward the entrance.

“Are they all insane?” Monica muttered.

Daniel gave a lazy shrug, seeming to agree.

“Want to dance?” he asked with a wink.

“I hate this song.”

“That problem can be solved.”

He smirked and headed for the DJ booth.

Two minutes later, the pounding club track faded into a slower, smoother melody.

“I asked for a waltz,” Daniel said when he returned. “They said management would fire them.”

Monica laughed despite herself.

She finished her mocktail in one swallow and let him lead her back onto the floor.

Some guests complained loudly about the music change, but Daniel ignored them. He took her hand and guided her with surprising grace.

“I like this,” Monica said near his ear. “It feels calm.”

“And sexy,” he murmured back.

Daniel moved confidently, reading her steps with ease. For a while, Monica relaxed into the dance.

But her eyes kept drifting elsewhere.

Killian stood across the room, surrounded by women eager to speak to him. Some offered drinks. Others clearly wanted answers about the broken engagement.

Then his gaze found hers.

Even through the crowd, Monica felt it like a touch.

Daniel moved behind her, pulling her back against his chest as they swayed. His hands slid along her sides.

Usually, she liked Daniel’s attention.

Tonight, something felt wrong.

His grip tightened around her ribs.

“Daniel, stop,” she whispered. “We’re in public.”

“This is exactly where people come to have fun,” he said, smiling as one hand returned to stroke her shoulder.

Across the room, Killian was still watching.

Monica suddenly felt exposed, as if the entire club had narrowed to one sharp stare.

Was he jealous?

Or did she only want him to be?

The memory of that night rose like poison.

His rejection.

His cold voice.

The fake ceremony might have been staged, but the humiliation had been real.

Daniel turned her abruptly to face him and crushed his mouth against hers.

Monica recoiled, trying to pull back, but the music swallowed any protest.

As she struggled, she caught sight of Killian again.

His expression had hardened.

“Let’s get a private room upstairs,” Daniel said, tugging her arm.

“Those rooms aren’t private,” Monica argued. “They’re just cramped spaces with beds.”

“I know a better one.” He grinned drunkenly. “The kinky room. Ever tried it?”

He began dragging her toward the staircase.

“Daniel, we came here for a holiday party.”

Unease crawled through her stomach.

And if she was honest, she hated the idea of disappearing upstairs while Killian watched.

“She said no. Don’t force her.”

The voice behind her was cool and unmistakable.

Monica froze.

“Killian?”

He walked toward them with measured steps, calm and composed, yet somehow more intimidating than anyone else in the room.

“Mind your own business, Mr. Salvator,” Daniel snapped.

“I am minding it,” Killian said smoothly. “I’m offering advice. Though I could always ask management how they feel about women being harassed here.”

Daniel’s jaw clenched.

Then Killian looked at Monica.

His eyes were sharp enough to cut.

“Or perhaps I should inform the university board about your questionable involvement with this man. I’m sure they’d be interested.”

Monica stiffened.

Again.

Again he was using her scholarship as leverage.

“You seem strangely invested in my life, Killian,” she said, voice edged with mock sweetness.

Something reckless rose inside her.

“Is it because your mate rejected you? I know what really happened. Funny how the story became you rejecting her instead.”

Nearby conversations stopped.

People turned.

Phones lifted.

Everyone wanted a scene.

“Careful, Monica,” Killian said softly, menace hidden beneath the calm.

Then he raised his voice for the room to hear.

“Relax, everyone. I was only helping her. Daniel was pressuring Monica into something she clearly didn’t want. That’s unacceptable, isn’t it?”

He sighed dramatically.

“And somehow I’m the villain for stepping in.”

Murmurs spread at once.

Judging looks shifted toward Monica.

Once again, Killian had twisted the narrative perfectly.

He stood as the gentleman.

She stood as the fool.

When the crowd finally lost interest and drifted away, Killian leaned close enough for only her to hear.

“Daniel is the wrong man for you, Monica.”

She met his gaze without flinching.

“Take your own advice, Killian.”

“You’ve dragged this pack’s name through the mud, Killian.”

Alpha Gallagie’s roar echoed through the great hall.

“I gave you the right to choose your own luna, yet you rejected her on the very day of your wedding. Do you think this pack exists for your amusement? Look outside these walls. All of Amberbridge is laughing at your stupidity.”

Killian stood in silence before the fury of the Alpha of the Glass Fire Pack.

The scandal surrounding Monica’s rejection had damaged more than gossip. It had weakened the prestige of their entire bloodline.

Even so, Killian held to the vow he had made long ago.

When he finally accepted a luna, it would be a woman he truly wanted beside him, not someone taken out of duty or necessity as Monica had been.

“Monica was never worthy of standing beside me, Father,” Killian said evenly. “I know exactly what kind of woman she is.”

To him, Monica was nothing more than an opportunist with a polished image.

He knew she was involved with Daniel, one of the richest men at the university, despite already receiving a generous scholarship. In Killian’s eyes, it proved greed and weak character.

“Is that what this is about?” Alpha Gallagie shot back. “Because you think she is beneath you?”

He stepped closer, voice sharpened like steel.

“Or did she reject you in private, and you cast her aside first to save your pride?”

Killian’s jaw tightened.

“Rumors say one thing louder than the rest,” the Alpha continued. “You failed to conquer her, Killian.”

With that, he turned and strode away, leaving Killian alone in the heavy silence.

The accusation lingered.

Failed to conquer Monica?

The thought irritated him more than it should have.

Why would he care?

She had only been a convenient choice. A suitable woman selected to satisfy an ancient requirement and prevent calamity on the thousandth anniversary of his grandfather’s death, the former Alpha.

Killian would never admit that no woman had ever truly moved him.

None had met the impossible standards he carried.

On paper, Monica had seemed nearly flawless. Beautiful. Intelligent. Polite. Academically spotless.

Then there was Daniel.

The fact that Monica willingly belonged to a man like him filled Killian with contempt he could not fully explain.

Needing distance from his father’s anger, Killian headed for the outer border of pack territory.

The omega guards were stationed near the river that cut through the forest. It served as both natural defense and territorial line for the Glass Fire Pack.

Beyond the water stretched forbidden land.

A cursed forest.

Anyone who traveled too deeply into it had never returned. No pack had managed to claim it.

“Where is everyone?” Killian asked when he found only Zayn waiting there.

“Shift rotation,” Zayn replied. “I’m first watch this morning. I can summon the others if needed.”

Killian gave a distracted nod. Between university demands and pack obligations, he rarely kept track of changing patrol schedules.

Then both men froze.

Crunch.

Something had stepped on dry branches somewhere inside the trees.

Killian’s senses sharpened instantly. Zayn stiffened beside him.

Then silence.

“What was that?” Killian growled. “We lost it.”

“We need backup.”

Zayn immediately sent a mindlink call through the pack.

Within minutes, omegas and warriors flooded the riverbank.

“What is happening here?”

Alpha Gallagie’s commanding voice silenced them all.

Heads bowed as he approached.

“There’s movement inside the forest,” Killian said.

“Impossible,” the Alpha replied. “If anything valuable lived there, we would have claimed that land generations ago.”

He extended his hand.

“Bring me a pole. I’m crossing.”

Killian frowned. His father meant to inspect the opposite bank, not enter the deepest cursed zone.

“Father, I don’t agree with this risk.”

No one else dared support him.

A narrow boat and long pole were brought forward. Alpha Gallagie crossed first, reaching the far bank without harm.

Several warriors followed.

Then the cracking sound returned, louder this time.

“That pattern is human footsteps,” Zayn said, pointing toward the trees.

“Move!” Alpha Gallagie ordered.

At once, warriors shifted into wolves and charged forward.

“There’s no one here,” Killian said through the mindlink as he ran. “This feels like a trap.”

“No,” Alpha Gallagie answered while racing ahead in wolf form. “Follow the scent. It belongs to one of our own. A rogue.”

The hunters spread wide and caught the trail of a powerful black wolf.

Then Zayn yelped in pain.

“Damn it. Silver needle.”

He shifted back to human form, clutching his paw.

“There will be more,” Killian warned.

He ordered one slower warrior to remain behind and help him.

Ahead, Killian saw his father stumble.

Blood streaked the Alpha’s paws and legs, yet he kept pushing forward.

In that instant, Killian’s old beliefs shattered.

The forest was not cursed by magic.

It was defended.

Someone had planted silver needles across the ground like traps, weakening every werewolf who entered. That was why previous expeditions had vanished.

“Eliminate the rogue,” Alpha Gallagie growled through pain. “Claim this land.”

“Father!”

Killian reached him and stared in shock.

The skin of the Alpha’s feet had been torn raw. Blood soaked his fur and legs.

“I don’t have long,” Gallagie said through clenched teeth. “Go. Take the forest.”

“Get the Alpha back to the pack house now!” Killian barked to the nearest warriors.

Once they obeyed, Killian lunged forward again, chasing the black wolf deeper into the trees.

The rogue was fast.

Stronger than expected.

Smarter than any rogue he had hunted before.

“Where did it go?” one warrior asked through the link.

“We lost the trail.”

Killian swore under his breath.

Then he saw it.

A weathered hut stood alone in the center of the forest.

Could the rogue be hiding there?

Or perhaps some desperate human had been surviving illegally inside forbidden territory.

“Surround the hut,” Killian ordered.

Warriors moved into position.

No clear scent trail led inside.

Killian strode forward and kicked the side door open. Wood splintered inward.

From inside came a faint voice.

Barely audible.

Killian frowned.

Then the scent hit him.

Familiar.

Impossible.

“The rogue belongs here,” he murmured. “And that scent…”

“Should we move in?” a warrior asked.

A strand of hair slipped over the girl’s shoulder.

Killian’s eyes widened.

“Monica?”

A young woman sat at a study desk with her back to him.

A laptop glowed in front of her, displaying next semester’s coursework through a portable internet modem beside it.

She turned.

All color drained from her face.

“Daddy!” she screamed hoarsely. “There’s a wolf in here!”

Her breathing sounded ragged.

“Help! Somebody help me!”

“Monica? You live here?”

The voice was unmistakable. Cold. Flat. Sharp as steel.

Monica’s eyes flew open.

Her heart slammed against her ribs when she saw Killian standing in front of her, wearing only a pair of shorts after shifting back into human form. In an instant, she understood.

The wolf she had seen moments ago had been him.

“Don’t stand there mocking me because I live here!” Monica shouted, panic still rough in her throat.

Beneath the fear, anger burned hotter.

Killian’s gaze moved casually across the cramped hut, and Monica was certain he looked at everything with contempt. The cracked walls. The worn table. The patched roof.

Now he had fresh material to humiliate her with.

She had never imagined someone like Killian, rich, admired, heir to the Glass Fire Pack, would ever step inside a place like this.

And she was certain he had not come kindly.

Hadn’t he already humiliated her enough?

The memory of his rejection flashed through her chest like a blade.

“We’re tracking a rogue. It came this way,” Killian said, dismissing her accusation as if it bored him.

“Get out.” Monica pointed at the broken door. “I don’t care about your excuses. Yes, now you know. I’m poor. I live in the middle of the forest. Leave.”

Killian’s mouth curved with disdain.

“And then you sell yourself to Daniel for meals while chasing a scholarship?”

The words hit harder than a slap.

There it was.

The cruelty she had expected.

So the story about chasing a rogue was only an excuse. He had not arrived here by chance.

“This is none of your business, Killian!” Monica snapped, fury shaking her voice.

He went still for a moment, drawing one slow breath as if weighing whether she was worth another sentence.

She almost hoped he would stay silent.

“I don’t care if you choose to be Daniel’s toy,” Killian said at last, voice low and dangerous. “But if I discover that rogue is tied to your family, I’ll wipe every one of you out.”

He pointed at her.

The threat was unmistakable.

Before Monica could respond, footsteps pounded outside.

“Killian, something happened to the Alpha!”

Killian gave a short nod.

Then he glanced back at Monica with open scorn.

“You can pretend to be human all you like. Your werewolf scent is obvious.”

He slammed the hut door behind him.

Monica stood frozen.

The rejection.

The humiliation.

The ache she had tried to bury.

It all came rushing back.

And now Killian was accusing her of being some hidden rogue as well.

How could he be so vicious?

So merciless?

And yet girls at the university worshiped him.

“Thinking too much again? You’ve been doing that ever since I came back.”

Her mother’s voice broke the silence and made Monica jump.

She had just entered carrying a basket filled with potatoes and wild berries.

“Is that all you found, Mom?” Monica asked quickly, eager to avoid her mother’s curious stare.

“You know I never pick berries before they ripen,” her mother replied lightly. Then her expression softened. “What’s been bothering you all day?”

Monica forced herself to breathe normally.

“Bad dreams.”

“What kind of dreams?”

Monica hesitated, then answered with practiced ease.

“I dreamed my mate was an Alpha… and he rejected me on our wedding day.”

Her mother laughed.

“That’s only a dream. Maybe your standards are too high. How would an Alpha ever be mated to one of us? We’re poor people in Amberbridge.”

Monica laughed too, though the sound was hollow.

She hated herself for still thinking about Killian.

“Where’s Dad?” she asked, changing the subject.

“Out hunting. Wait… what happened to the door?”

Her mother had finally noticed the damage.

“A wolf came in,” Monica said. “It turned into a werewolf. Maybe a thief. Maybe a rogue. I don’t know what he expected to steal from this place.”

She could not bring herself to say Killian’s name.

“Did he hurt you?”

Her mother grabbed Monica’s shoulders, eyes narrowed with concern.

“No. He only asked strange questions about a rogue, then left.”

The lie came smoothly, though pain still twisted inside her.

“Oh great. More trouble for your father,” her mother muttered.

Monica knew little about her father’s work beyond hunting and planting tubers.

Then Killian’s warning returned to her.

A rogue had been near their home.

Her family was poor, isolated, and defenseless.

If Killian truly had chased one here, they were in danger.

Damn him.

Why had he brought it to their doorstep?

Monica rose from her desk and headed toward the kitchen to warn her mother.

But when she entered, no one was there.

“Mom?”

A knot formed in her chest.

“Did Dad come back?”

Then a violent crash shook the house.

Someone had broken through the front door.

Instinct screamed at her to hide.

Monica dropped to her knees and crawled beneath the kitchen table, pressing a hand over her mouth.

“Where is that bastard?!”

Killian’s voice thundered through the house.

Her pulse went wild.

She had hoped never to hear him again.

“No one’s here, Alpha,” another man said. “Damn it. That coward rogue already ran.”

“No.” Killian’s tone sharpened. “His daughter is still here. I can smell her.”

Footsteps came toward the kitchen.

Then stopped.

“So here you are, little rat.”

A hand fisted in Monica’s hair and yanked her from beneath the table.

She cried out as panic exploded through her.

What was happening?

What did he want?

“You’re the daughter of a murderer, Monica!” Killian roared, dragging her toward the doorway. “My father, a respected Alpha, was killed by yours!”

“I don’t know anything!” she sobbed. “Killian, let me go!”

Tears streamed down her face. Her scalp burned where he gripped her.

“So now you defend him?”

Killian turned sharply.

“Beta, find the man and his wife. They can’t be far.”

He hauled Monica through the forest to the riverbank and shoved her into a small boat.

As it crossed the water, a sick realization struck her.

The Glass Fire Pack had always been only one forest away from her home.

Before now, she had never cared.

She had been human.

Ordinary.

Outside Killian’s world.

When they reached pack territory, Monica saw several people still dressed in black mourning clothes.

Yet none looked at her with pity.

Only hatred.

Killian dragged her behind the mansion to a storage shed.

Inside lay a dark stone cellar, damp and cold.

“Wait here for your death,” he snarled.

The heavy door slammed shut.

Iron bolts locked into place.

“Killian, wait!” Monica shouted. “I need to tell you something!”

“What?”

His voice came through the wood, impatient and icy.

“I have more important matters to handle. Speak quickly.”

Monica rushed to the keyhole.

“My family are ordinary humans,” she pleaded. “My father cannot be the rogue you’re hunting, and he could never have killed your father.”

She hoped reason might still reach him.

Instead, laughter answered from outside.

Harsh. Scornful.

“Your family is rogue blood that slaughtered mine. I was a fool to think you might be innocent.”

“What proof do you have?” Monica cried. “I know my family better than anyone. My father was human!”

But the final bolts slammed shut.

Her voice was swallowed by stone and darkness.

No one heard her.

“All of my elders say the rogue was your father,” Killian said through the door. “Stop lying, Monica. You’re a werewolf too.”

“No!”

“Your bloodline broke the golden laws of our kind. Werewolves do not use silver against each other.”

His voice grew harsher, weighted with old grief.

“For years we believed that forest was cursed. We sent omega after omega, and none returned.”

A pause.

“Now we know why. Your family seeded those woods with silver needles.”