The crimson light of the Blood Moon bathed the clearing in a bloody hue. I stood at the center of the ceremonial altar, the cold stone seeping through my thin shoes.

Alpha Damon strode up the steps. His presence commanded the attention of every Silver Thorn Pack member encircling us.

"Are you ready?" I asked, keeping my voice low.

He didn't reach for my hand. He didn't even look at my face.

"Stand back, Selina," Damon ordered.

My eyebrows pulled together. "The ceremony is starting. We have to complete the binding."

"There will be no binding for us," he announced, his voice carrying over the silent crowd.

I froze. "What did you just say?"

Damon finally turned his gaze to me. His eyes held nothing but disgust. "I said, we are not completing the bond."

"You're joking," I whispered. "The elders are watching."

"I don't care who is watching," he shot back. He faced the hundreds of wolves below the altar.

"Look at her," Damon shouted, gesturing toward me. "Look at the mate the Moon Goddess supposedly destined for your Alpha."

Whispers broke out among the pack.

"She is eighteen years old," Damon continued, his voice harsh. "Eighteen, and she has never shifted. She possesses no wolf, no strength, and no power."

"Damon, stop," I said, stepping forward. "This is pack business, not a spectacle."

"You are the spectacle, Selina!" he snapped, turning back to me. "A weak, pathetic Omega who thinks she can sit at my side and rule the Silver Thorn Pack."

"I am your fated mate," I reminded him, my voice steady. I refused to cry. I gave a short, hollow laugh instead. "You can't just ignore the Goddess's will."

"I can, and I will." Damon took a step closer, towering over me. "I need a warrior, not a pet."

"I have served this pack my entire life," I argued. "I know the laws, the trade routes, the alliances. I can lead."

"Leading requires respect," Damon said, his lip curling. "No one in this pack respects you. They pity you."

"Because you let them!" I yelled, finally losing my composure. "You are the Alpha. If you stood by me, they would follow."

"Why would I stand by a cripple?" he asked.

The word hit me like a physical blow. "A cripple?"

"You are broken, Selina. The Moon Goddess made a mistake."

"The Goddess doesn't make mistakes," I whispered.

"Then she is punishing me," Damon replied cold and flat. "And I refuse to accept her punishment."

"So you're just going to throw me away?"

"I am fixing a mistake," Damon said. "I, Alpha Damon, reject you, Selina, as my mate and Luna."

The words struck me physically. A sharp, tearing pain ripped through my chest, severing the invisible thread that connected my soul to his. I stumbled back, clutching my shirt, but forced my knees to stay locked.

"You're rejecting me because I haven't shifted," I stated. It wasn't a question.

"I am rejecting you because you are a liability," Damon corrected. "A Luna fights for her people. You can't even defend yourself against a rogue pup."

"So power is all that matters to you."

"Survival is what matters to me," he said.

A female voice echoed from the front row. "He's right, Selina. The pack needs a real leader."

The crowd parted. Mia walked up the altar steps. She wore an elegant crimson dress that matched the moon above us.

"Mia," I muttered.

Damon reached out and grabbed her hand, pulling her to his side. "Mia shifted at sixteen. She is the strongest female in this pack. She is the Luna I choose."

Mia offered me a pitying smile. "Don't make this harder than it has to be, Selina. Step down gracefully."

"Gracefully?" I spat. "You've been plotting this. Both of you."

"We did what was necessary," Damon said.

"You sneaked around behind my back," I accused. "You shared his bed while I prepared for the binding ceremony."

"I shared his bed because he needed a real woman," Mia said, her tone laced with arrogance. "He needed someone who doesn't cower at the sight of blood."

"You stole my place," I told Mia.

"I earned it," she fired back. "You were just a placeholder."

"You think sleeping with the Alpha makes you a Luna?" I asked, my tone sharp.

Mia's eyes flashed gold. "I am a true wolf. You are barely human. Do not test me, Omega."

"Test you?" I laughed, the sound bitter and dry. "I don't need to test you. You're a thief."

"Watch your mouth," Damon warned, stepping in front of Mia. "You are speaking to your future Luna."

"She is nothing to me," I said.

"Let her speak, Damon," Mia interrupted, a cruel smirk on her lips. "Let the pack see exactly why she is unfit to rule."

The pack erupted into mocking laughter.

"Look at the human!" a warrior yelled from the back.

"She doesn't even have fangs!" another taunted.

"Put her in the kitchens where she belongs!" a third voice chimed in.

I scanned the faces of the people I had grown up with. None of them held an ounce of sympathy. My gaze landed on Elder Kael, the oldest and wisest wolf in the pack.

"Elder Kael," I called out over the jeers. "The ancient laws dictate the fated mate takes the title. Will you allow this?"

The old man leaned heavily on his wooden staff. He walked slowly toward the base of the altar.

"The laws were written for wolves, Selina," Kael said, his voice raspy but clear. "You are an Omega who cannot shift."

"I am still a member of this pack," I insisted.

"You carry no wolf spirit," Kael continued, ignoring my interruption. "To place a shiftless girl on the Luna's throne would invite our enemies to slaughter us."

"So you support him."

"I support the survival of the Silver Thorn Pack," Kael answered. "Alpha Damon has chosen a capable mate. The elders stand with him."

"Even if it means breaking sacred traditions?" I challenged.

"Traditions change when survival demands it," Kael said. "Go in peace, Selina. Accept your fate."

"My fate was to be Luna," I said.

"Your fate is whatever the Alpha decides," Kael retorted, turning his back on me.

I nodded once. The betrayal stung worse than the rejection.

"Fine," I said, my voice cutting through the remaining laughter. "Keep your title, Damon. Keep Mia. If I am so useless to you all, I will pack my things and move to the Omega quarters."

"You misunderstand," Damon said, his tone dropping an octave.

I narrowed my eyes. "Misunderstand what?"

"You aren't staying."

My heart slammed against my ribs. "What?"

"You are a disgrace to my bloodline and my pack," Damon declared, his voice booming again. "I strip you of your rank. I strip you of your pack name. You are banished from Silver Thorn territory."

"You can't do that," I said, my fists clenching. "I have nowhere to go."

"That is not my problem," Damon sneered. "You have until sunrise to cross the borders."

"I have no money, no supplies," I said, trying to keep the panic out of my voice.

"You have two legs," Damon said. "Walk."

"And if I refuse?"

"If my patrols find you on our land tomorrow, they will kill you on sight."

"You would really order my death?" I asked, staring into the eyes of the man I had loved for years.

"Without hesitation," he answered.

Mia leaned her head on his shoulder. "It's a mercy, Selina. Go live with the humans. You belong with them anyway."

"Don't pretend you care about my safety," I shot back.

"I don't," Mia replied smoothly. "I just don't want your corpse rotting in our woods."

I looked at Damon one last time. "You will regret this."

"The only thing I regret is waiting this long to get rid of you," he replied.

"Remember this night," I told him, my voice dangerously calm. "Remember what you threw away."

"I'm throwing away trash," Damon said. "Now get out of my sight."

I turned around and walked down the steps. The crowd shoved me as I passed. Claws scraped against my arms. Someone kicked the back of my knee, but I caught my balance before I could fall.

"Get out, freak!"

"Go cry to the humans!"

"Don't let us catch you tomorrow!"

I kept my chin raised and walked straight into the dark forest, leaving the only home I had ever known.

The shadows of the trees swallowed me whole. The jeers of the pack faded into the distance.

But as I crossed the final tree line marking the border, a strange, burning sensation ignited in my veins.

A heat I had never felt before in my eighteen years of life surged through my blood.

My bones began to crack.

The bones in my arms popped. A searing heat flooded my veins, blinding me. I stumbled, slamming my shoulder against a rough pine trunk.

"Help," I gasped, clutching my chest.

The heat vanished, leaving me hollow and freezing. The mysterious shift stopped before it even began.

A twig snapped to my left.

I spun around. "Who's there?"

A low, guttural growl answered. A massive rogue wolf crept from the bushes. Its fur was matted with dried blood, its eyes wild and starved.

"Stay back," I warned, backing away.

The rogue didn't hesitate. It launched itself at me.

I raised my arms. Jaws clamped down on my forearm.

I screamed, kicking wildly. My thin shoes struck the beast's ribs, but it didn't budge. It shook its head, tearing my flesh.

"Get off!" I yelled, punching its snout with my free hand.

The wolf released my arm and tackled me to the dirt. The impact knocked the wind out of me. Saliva dripped from its jaws onto my face.

It snapped at my neck. I shoved my bleeding arm into its mouth to block the fatal bite. Agony radiated up to my shoulder.

I was going to die here. Damon had won.

Suddenly, a massive black shape slammed into the rogue.

The weight vanished from my chest. I rolled over, coughing.

Through my blurred vision, I saw a giant black wolf tear the rogue's throat out. The black wolf turned its head toward me.

Then, the pain dragged me into darkness.

***

A bucket of freezing water hit my face.

I gasped, choking on the liquid. My eyes flew open.

"Look who decided to join us," a gruff voice mocked.

I blinked, trying to focus. Coarse ropes dug into my wrists, tying my arms to a heavy wooden chair. My ankles were secured to the chair legs.

I tugged at the bindings. The friction burned my skin.

"Where am I?" I croaked.

A burly guard leaned against a concrete wall. He tossed an empty metal bucket aside. "You're in a cell, Omega."

"I can see that," I snapped. "Whose cell?"

The heavy steel door creaked open. A tall man stepped inside.

"Mine," he said.

He wore a dark leather jacket. A jagged scar sliced through his left eyebrow, drawing attention to his icy blue eyes.

"Leave us, Thorne," the man ordered.

"Yes, Alpha Elias," the guard grunted, stepping out and shutting the door.

Elias. The Alpha of the Night Howler Pack. Silver Thorn's oldest and deadliest enemy.

Elias dragged a metal stool across the floor and sat down facing me.

"You're a long way from home, Selina," Elias noted.

"I don't have a home," I replied, keeping my voice steady.

"My scouts watched the little show Damon put on tonight," Elias said, leaning forward. "Quite the rejection."

"So you know I'm useless to him," I said. "Let me go."

Elias chuckled. It sounded like grinding stones. "Let you go? I just found Damon's fated mate wandering my borders."

"I was in the neutral zone," I argued.

"You were bleeding out in the dirt," Elias corrected. "Thorne's patrol found you unconscious next to a dead rogue."

"Then you know I'm not a threat."

"You are a hostage," Elias stated plainly.

I stared at him, dumbfounded. "Are you deaf? Damon rejected me. He banished me. He doesn't care what happens to me."

"He paraded you around as his future Luna for two years," Elias said. "The neighboring packs know your face."

"He announced Mia as his Luna tonight," I shot back.

"A political move," Elias waved a hand. "But the Moon Goddess chose you for him. Holding you makes Damon look weak."

"Holding me makes you look desperate," I retorted.

Elias's eyes flashed dangerous gold. He stood up, towering over me. "Watch your tone, Omega."

"Or what?" I challenged, lifting my chin. "You'll kill me? Damon already ordered my death if I return. You're just doing his dirty work."

Elias paced around my chair. "I am going to send a message to Silver Thorn. I will demand a ransom. Land, weapons, perhaps a formal surrender of the eastern river."

I let out a dry, bitter laugh. "You're delusional."

"We will see," Elias said, stopping beside me.

"You think you understand pack politics," I said, my voice echoing in the small room. "But you don't understand Damon."

"Enlighten me," Elias mocked, crossing his arms.

"He values strength above all else," I explained. "He rejected me because I haven't shifted. He chose Mia because she is a fighter. By taking me, you aren't threatening his pride. You're taking out his trash."

Elias's jaw tightened. "A fated bond isn't broken so easily. The Goddess binds the souls."

"He severed it," I argued, the phantom pain flaring in my chest at the memory. "He felt nothing."

"He will feel the humiliation of his enemy holding what belongs to him," Elias insisted.

"I belong to no one!" I shouted, yanking the ropes. The chair rattled against the concrete floor.

Elias stepped closer, leaning down until his face was inches from mine. "You belong to me now. You are my prisoner. My leverage."

"You're a fool," I spat.

Elias struck me across the face.

My head snapped to the side. A sharp sting erupted on my cheek. The metallic taste of blood filled my mouth.

I slowly turned my head back, meeting his gaze. I didn't cry. I just smiled.

"Hit me all you want," I whispered. "It won't make Damon care."

Elias stared at me, a flicker of surprise crossing his features. He wiped his knuckles on his jacket.

"You have a lot of fight for a shiftless Omega," he noted.

"I had to learn how to survive," I replied.

"Time will tell if you learned enough," Elias said, walking toward the door. "Thorne!"

The door opened instantly.

"Send the messenger to the Silver Thorn border," Elias ordered. "Tell Damon we have his Omega."

"Yes, Alpha," Thorne nodded.

"Elias, wait," I said, straining against the bindings.

He glanced over his shoulder. "What?"

"When your men found me," I started, choosing my words carefully. "Did they see another wolf? A black one?"

Elias raised an eyebrow. "Thorne?"

"Just the girl and the dead rogue, Alpha," Thorne answered.

"Why?" Elias asked me.

"Nothing," I muttered, looking away.

"Bring her some food," Elias told the guard. "I need her alive for the exchange."

"I won't eat," I warned.

Elias stepped back into the room, grabbing my chin. His grip was like a vice. "You will eat, or Thorne will force it down your throat. Do not test my patience, Selina."

I glared into his icy eyes. "When Damon ignores your message, what will you do with me?"

Elias smiled. It lacked any warmth. "Then I will send you back to him. One piece at a time."

He released my chin and walked out. The heavy door slammed shut, the lock sliding into place with a loud clank.

I sat alone in the damp cell. My arm throbbed where the rogue had bitten me. The crude bandages were already seeping red.

Damon wouldn't negotiate. He would probably celebrate.

I had to escape before Elias realized how truly worthless I was to the Silver Thorn Pack.

A faint scratching sound came from above.

I tilted my head back. A small, barred window sat near the top of the concrete wall.

Two glowing yellow eyes stared down at me from the darkness.

The yellow eyes blinked once and vanished from the small grated window. Heavy footsteps echoed down the concrete corridor outside my cell. The steel door groaned open.

Elias marched inside. A gray-haired woman followed him, carrying a wooden medical box.

"Check her," Elias ordered.

The woman grabbed my injured arm. She unwrapped the bloody cloth. Her nose wrinkled in disgust.

"Well?" Elias asked, crossing his arms.

"She isn't healing, Alpha," the woman said, her voice tight. "The wound is festering. A normal wolf would have closed this bite in an hour. Her blood... it's stagnant. She has no wolf."

Elias stepped closer. He grabbed my wrist, twisting my arm into the harsh light of the single bulb overhead. I winced at the sharp pain.

"You really are a weakling," he muttered. "A rogue pup nearly tore you apart."

"I tried to tell you," I said. "I can't shift."

Elias dropped my arm. "No wolf. No strength. You don't even possess basic accelerated healing." He turned toward the open doorway. "Thorne!"

The burly guard stepped into the frame. "Yes, Alpha?"

"Did the messenger leave?" Elias asked.

"Yes, Alpha. Ten minutes ago."

"Call him back," Elias snapped. "Damon won't pay a single dime for this trash."

Thorne nodded and rushed down the hall.

Elias paced the small cell. His heavy boots pounded against the floor. I watched his jaw clench and unclench. Rumors about the Night Howler Alpha painted him as a volatile, bloodthirsty tyrant. He didn't take failure well.

"You ruined my leverage," Elias accused, pointing a finger at my face.

"I didn't ask you to kidnap me," I shot back.

"You are useless. A shiftless Omega." He scoffed. "Damon threw you out because you are a liability. He probably laughed when my scouts picked you up."

"He didn't know," I said, keeping my chin high. "But if you kill me, he will laugh. You'll be doing his dirty work."

Elias stopped pacing. He leaned down, his face inches from mine. "Are you trying to manipulate me, little Omega?"

"I'm giving you the truth," I replied. "Damon banished me. He ordered his patrols to kill me on sight if I ever crossed back into Silver Thorn territory. I am nothing to him."

"Then you are nothing to me." Elias straightened up. He pulled a silver hunting knife from his belt. The blade caught the dim light.

My heart slammed against my ribs. "What are you doing?"

"I don't feed useless mouths," Elias stated. "Maeve, step outside."

The healer grabbed her box and hurried out of the cell.

Elias tested the edge of the blade with his thumb. "If I can't use you against Damon, I have no reason to keep you alive."

"Wait," I choked out, pulling at the coarse ropes binding my wrists. "You don't have to do this."

"Give me one good reason to spare you," he challenged.

"I can work," I offered rapidly. "I'll clean the floors. I'll cook. I'll scrub the kennels. I can do anything."

Elias laughed. It was a harsh, scraping sound. "I have plenty of Omegas to scrub my floors. I need assets."

"I am an asset!" I shouted.

He raised an eyebrow. "How?"

"I lived in the Alpha's house for two years," I explained, the words tumbling out in a rush. "I know Damon's patrol schedules. I know the blind spots on his eastern border. I memorized the trade routes and the security codes for his armory."

Elias paused. He lowered the knife slightly. "You would sell out your own pack?"

"They aren't my pack anymore," I said. "They threw me away. They cheered while Damon banished me to die in the woods."

Elias stared at me. His icy blue eyes searched my face for a lie.

"Let me stay here," I begged. "I will do whatever you ask. Just don't send me back to them. Don't kill me for a man who doesn't care."

The Alpha tapped the flat side of the blade against his thigh. The silence in the cell stretched, thick and suffocating.

"You hate him," Elias noted softly.

"He took my home," I answered. "He humiliated me in front of everyone I knew."

Elias stepped behind my chair. I stiffened, expecting the cold steel to slice across my throat. Instead, the blade sawed through the thick ropes around my wrists.

My arms fell to my sides. I rubbed my raw skin, staring up at him in shock.

"You have a deal, Selina," Elias said.

"Thank you," I whispered.

He walked around to face me again. "Don't thank me yet. You said you would do anything."

"I meant it."

"Good." Elias crouched down, meeting my eyes levelly. "Because sweeping floors won't earn your keep. If you want my protection, you are going to help me destroy Damon."

I swallowed hard. "How?"

Elias smiled. A cruel, predatory grin stretched across his scarred face. "You are going to pretend to be my mate."

My stomach dropped. "What?"

"Damon rejected you because you lacked power," Elias explained, his voice dropping to a low rumble. "Imagine his fury when the Alpha of his greatest rival claims you as his Luna. It will shatter his pride. His pack will question his judgment."

"But I'm not a wolf," I argued. "Your pack won't accept me either."

"My pack follows my orders," Elias snapped. "They don't question me. You will wear my mark. You will stand by my side. You will smile for my people."

"A fake bond," I murmured.

"A public spectacle," he corrected. "You will show Damon exactly what he threw away. And in return, you get to live."

He stood up and sheathed his knife. "Do we have an understanding?"

I looked at the heavy steel door, then back at the ruthless Alpha standing before me. I had no other choice.

"Yes," I said.

"Get up," Elias commanded.

I pushed myself out of the chair. My legs wobbled, but I forced my knees to lock.

Elias reached out and grabbed my uninjured arm. His grip was firm but not painful.

"Thorne!" Elias barked.

The guard reappeared in the doorway. "Alpha?"

"Take her to the guest quarters," Elias ordered. "Have Maeve stitch that bite. I want her presentable by morning."

"Guest quarters?" Thorne repeated, his eyes widening.

"Did I stutter?" Elias asked.

"No, Alpha. Right away." Thorne gestured for me to follow.

I took a step toward the door, but Elias pulled me back. He leaned in close. His scent—pine needles and cold rain—surrounded me.

"One more thing, Selina," he whispered, his tone dangerously soft.

"What?" I asked, my pulse quickening.

"If you ever try to run, or if I find out you lied about Damon's secrets..." Elias traced a finger along my jawline. "I won't just kill you. I will make you beg for death."

I held his gaze. "I won't run."

Elias released me. "Go."

I followed Thorne down the dark hallway. We climbed a narrow stone staircase, leaving the damp dungeon behind. The air grew warmer. The scent of roasted meat drifted from a nearby kitchen.

Thorne stopped in front of a heavy oak door. He pushed it open.

"In here," he grunted.

I stepped inside. A massive four-poster bed dominated the room. A fire crackled in the hearth. It was the most luxurious room I had ever seen.

Thorne shut the door behind me. The lock clicked.

I stood alone in the center of the plush rug. I had survived the night. I had secured a place in the Night Howler Pack.

But as I walked toward the attached bathroom to wash the dirt from my face, I caught my reflection in the tall mirror.

My eyes weren't their usual dull brown.

They were glowing a bright, piercing yellow.