After I was unexpectedly marked by a stranger wolf, it was considered a disgrace in our pack. My step-sister convinced my father to strip me of my hybrid wolf, but thankfully, I hid my healing abilities and left the pack. A year later, to break the bond, I returned and became the new Alpha’s doctor. My step-sister, now the new Alpha’s fated mate, used every trick to try and force me out. But then I discovered a shocking truth—the fated mate the new Alpha had been searching for, the one he marked that night, his future Luna, was actually me?!

Harper’s POV

“You want to disown me simply because I was marked by a stranger?” I ask, pressing my hand to the mark on my neck as my father glares at me. The hard glint in his eyes makes me feel small and unloved.

Though, that’s nothing new. He’s never fully loved me, preferring my half-sister Sierra to me since she’s a full wolf and not a half-wolf like me.

He hates that I’m not ‘pure’ like Sierra. Having a daughter who isn’t a full wolf has been the bane of his existence in our pack, and that means, he takes his frustrations out on me.

“Being marked by a man who is not your fated mate is a disgrace,” my father hisses, and my sister smirks from beside him.

“Father, she’s a disgrace,” Sierra says while shaking her head. I glare at my sister, if you can call her that, and curl my fingers into my palms, digging them in.

“How can you be sure he’s not my mate?” I ask calmly, trying to hold onto any bit of peace as memories of last night threaten to surface. “Shouldn’t you be more worried that your second daughter drugged me and brought men to grope me?”

My wolf doesn’t speak, which means it cannot tell me who my fated mate is.

Sierra used that fact against me last night by drugging me and sending men after me. I’m sure Sierra was the one behind it because no one else hates me enough to hurt me like that.

My mother, if she were alive, would’ve kept them from hurting me like this. She knew what it was like to be deceived by my father and then get pregnant, and I believe she wouldn’t let me get hurt if she could do something about it. But, she died when I was seven, leaving me in my father’s care. Since then, my father’s hatred for me has only grown.

Sierra has always hated me. Since my father is the Beta of our pack, he has enough power to let Sierra and my stepmother do whatever they want to me. They don’t get in trouble, and I’m sure he lets them run me over because that’s his way of apologizing for his infidelity.

Plus, he doesn’t like me.

“If Sierra hadn’t—”

Before I can finish speaking, my father’s hand flies out and slaps me across the face. He growls, “Stop making excuses. From the moment you were born, you’ve been a disgrace to our Beta family. Now you dare to do such a shameful thing as letting a stranger mark you?!”

I didn’t let anyone do anything, but he won’t listen.

Sierra steps forward and touches our father’s arm. She narrows her eyes at me, and I hate that I can see myself in her face. Her face—so similar to mine—is filled with malice as she sneers at me.

“Father, Harper is just a n-rank half-breed born from a weak witch. As a Beta, you can take her wolf away, so she’ll never disgrace us again.”

“No!” I growl, backing away. I look at Sierra. Did she seriously just say that? Does she know what it means to lose your wolf?

It’s an incredibly painful experience, from what I’ve heard, and she wants that to happen to me. Of course, she does. It seems that Sierra will do anything to get rid of me.

My father moves toward me, grabs me by the arms, and shoves me back against the wall. His eyes glow as he begins muttering, “As Beta, I find this she-wolf to be in violation of mating laws and a disgrace to her family…”

I struggle against his strength as he continues using his power to dig into my soul. His words fall away as pain begins to burn down my spine. My lungs constrict, making it hard to breathe as my soul lights on fire.

Pain tears through my body, making me scream and double over.

“Stop!” My pleas fall on deaf ears, and suddenly, an empty, cold feeling spreads through me as my father releases me. I sink to the floor, breathing heavily and inwardly searching for any trace of my wolf.

The vast emptiness is dark and cold, giving me no signs of my wolf.

“Wh-why?” I croak, looking up at the man who was supposed to love me. He watches me, disappointment clear in his eyes. Though, I find myself also feeling disappointed… in him. He’s supposed to be this great man, but he’s so threatened by me, a young girl, that he has to forcefully rip my wolf from me.

He doesn’t answer my question, just watches me push myself to my feet and lean against the wall for support.

My weakened body protests, but I look directly at my father. I won’t give him the satisfaction of seeing me weak, and I certainly won’t beg him for anything. Honestly, now that our bonds are severed, I can leave and make a new life for myself.

“From this day onward, you are no longer my father,” I state as clearly and calmly as possible. Without another word, I hobble to my room and sit on the edge of my bed. I lift my hands, focusing on the healing power my mother passed down to me.

Warmth radiates from my palms, and I sigh. Luckily, Henry- my father- couldn’t take this power away. It’s probably because it comes from my witch lineage and not the wolf half of me. I’ve never told anyone about my rare ability, and now, I have a chance to start a new life where I can be a doctor.

Once my body doesn’t feel as weak, I begin to gather my things. I pack my clothes, saved money, and the few belongings my mother left behind. I leave very little in my small room—not that there was much here in the first place—and I head downstairs.

Just as I reach the living room, a commotion at the door pulls my attention. I move closer, stopping when I stand directly behind the omega who opened the door.

“The Alpha requests that Beta Henry send any unmated female to the Pack House. Lucas is searching for his mate,” the messenger says. I move around the omega, ignoring the stare from the Alpha’s messenger as I walk away.

“Miss, you are requested to join the other girls at the Pack House.”

Lucas’s POV

“Are they coming?” I ask, rubbing at my aching temples.

“They’re gathered in the common room,” he answers, and I finish pulling my shirt over my head. I’d tasked Mason, my future Beta, with helping me find the girl from last night, and the easiest way to do that is have all the females gather in the common room so I can see who has my mark.

I found my mate last night.

I’d been at a cocktail party all night, and after I’d gotten home and showered, a drunk girl burst into my room. She collapsed in my arms, and my first instinct was to push her away, but then I caught her scent.

It surrounded me instantly and overwhelmed my senses, seeping into me and gripping my wolf’s attention.

“MATE!” He howled.

On instinct, I’d marked her and then held her while we both slept. Her scent was soft and light, but the more I try to remember it, the more it fades. The girl’s face, too. I want to say she had brown hair, but everything else blurs.

“Let’s go,” I say, my voice steady as I finish getting dressed.

I take the lead and head downstairs. The girls are all lined up, waiting for me, and when they see me, smiles break out across the room. Each is dressed in what I’m sure are their best dresses.

Too many scents attack my senses, so I focus on the physical aspects—specifically on the mark I gave the girl.

“If you have a mark on your neck, step forward,” I announce. More than half of the girls come forward while the others stay back. Mason follows behind me as I start on the left and walk toward the right.

Their faces are full of hope, but as soon as I pass them, I can feel the disappointment in the room rise.

Suddenly, as I move down the line, my wolf roars, “Mate!”

Harper’s POV

By the time I was about to leave the pack, I heard that Lucas, the future Alpha, had found his mate.

I wasn’t taken by the Alpha’s messenger.

Instead, Sierra walked up and told him that whether I went or not didn’t matter. With her usual charm, she expertly pulled him away and sent him on his way.

But none of that matters now. I’ve had enough of a world that only wants to tear me down.

I’ve officially left the pack behind.

It felt as if fate was on my side because, as soon as I crossed into human territory, I stumbled upon a woman badly injured in a car accident.

“H-Help,” she whimpered, reaching a bloody hand out of the broken window.

Quickly, I jumped forward, clearing away broken glass and carefully pulling her out of the car. Her head was bleeding, so I reached out and pressed my palm to the wound. Instantly, it began pulling together as if something were stitching it back up.

“Don’t worry,” I whispered. “You’ll be fine. You’re safe now.”

The woman sighed, and her eyes rolled back as she passed out.

Luckily, the human doctors came soon and took her to the nearest human hospital. I followed so they could ask questions, and when the woman finally woke up, a well-dressed man was at her side. He introduced himself as a leader of a wealthy company and thanked me for helping his daughter.

I tried to deny the money he wanted to pay me, but he kept insisting.

In the end, I accepted the money as a loan, using it to open my clinic. Instead of applying to other packs, I decided it would be best to lay low in the human quarters.

Everything was going well for a while. I had my new clinic, I was helping humans who couldn’t afford expensive and exorbitant medical fees, and I was happy. But, as they say, all good things come to an end.

“Next patient,” I call again. My next patient enters, and as I stand, a wave of dizziness washes over me, forcing me to sit back down. I take a few steady breaths, focusing my healing energy inward. It barely chases away the unbalanced, weak feeling that grows within me.

He explains what his issue is, and I listen while trying to keep myself from passing out.

It’s becoming more and more difficult to push through. My body has weakened immensely from the effects of the mate mark. I tried to use my healing to get rid of it, but it only halfway worked. I got rid of the physical mark, but the negative effects remained.

After a year of blocking the mate bond and not being near the man who marked me, I fear that I won’t be able to hold on much longer. With my body weakening faster each day, I realize that the only way I can keep from losing my life is to find the man who marked me. I need him to formally release me from the incomplete bond.

Only then can I return to my free life.

“Thank you so much, Harper. You’re a life saver,” my patient says as he leaves the exam room.

“You’re welcome, Ronald. I hope I don’t have to see you again so soon.”

“I’ll take my meds, Doc. Promise!”

“That’s the last patient for the day,” Reena, my assistant, says. “And you have a call on your office line.”

My office is a few doors down, and even that walk is becoming difficult. I stagger down the hallway and into my office before dropping into my chair.

“Hello, this—”

“Harper!” Nora, my best friend, and daughter of the pack’s Gamma, screeches. “You won’t guess what happened!”

“Hi, Nora. I’m good. It’s nice of you to call,” I mutter sarcastically.

She huffs and then laughs, “Yeah, sorry, but I have news!”

“What news?”

“Alpha Lucas is looking for a new healer,” she cries happily.

Confusion hits me momentarily as I ask, “Alpha Lucas?”

“Oh, it’s been a few months since we caught up,” Nora says before continuing, “Lucas has taken over his father’s position, and he’s doing an amazing job. In the time he’s been Alpha, our pack has jumped to the third strongest pack, and now, he’s looking for a new healer.”

“And you want me to come back,” I say, knowing that’s where she’s going.

“I do! I miss my best friend, and you’re the best healer,” she says. “Alpha Lucas isn’t satisfied with the healers he interviewed.”

“What makes you think he’ll be satisfied with me?” I ask skeptically. She says I’m the best healer, but I’m not as experienced as those Alpha Lucas interviewed.

I’ve been stripped of my wolf, I’m weak, and I’ve only used my talents on humans. I never got a chance to study under the pack healers since I kept my abilities a secret.

“You know how amazing your ability is, Harper. You healed my broken wrist in minutes, so you can do this,” she says confidently. I can almost picture her slapping her hand on her leg in certainty. “Besides, don’t you want to come back and throw your success in your father’s face? You don’t deserve what he did to you, and this could be your chance to set things right.”

I want to believe her, so when our call ends, I send in my application to Alpha Lucas’s office. I finish out my paperwork for the day, and by the time I’m ready to leave, an email from the Alpha’s office is waiting for me.

My finger hovers over the mouse, but eventually, I open the email.

“Miss Harper Lewis, we would be honored to host you for an interview for the position of Pack Healer on the seventeenth of June…”

I read through the email again, an excited feeling mixing with the nerves that also rise within me. I didn’t think the response would come this fast, and they want me to be there in less than two days.

I never thought I’d go back, but I guess ‘never’ was too strong of a word.

People stare at me as Nora and I walk down the hall toward the Alpha’s office, and I tug the turtleneck higher on my neck. Then, I smooth out my skirt. I wasn’t sure what to wear, so I picked the only dress I had in my closet.

My body is buzzing with nerves, especially since I had to shut down my clinic for a few days while I travel, and the stares aren’t helping. Nora tried to hype me up as I arrived, but she didn’t get rid of the nerves.

I don’t think anything will, honestly.

A hand lands on my shoulder just as a familiar presence and voice reaches me.

“What are you doing back here?” Sierra asks. I turn to find her staring wide eyed at me as she grips my shoulder.

The place where the mark is burns beneath her fingers, but I hold back the wince of pain.

“I came back to apply for a job as a healer,” I answer as coldly as possible.

Sierra’s eyes move down my body, no doubt taking in my pale skin and skinnier form before she sneers, “Healing requires talent. How are you qualified?”

I smile faintly before turning and walking forward. If there’s one thing she hates, it’s when someone brushes her off. It makes her so angry, and I can’t help but smile when I hear the growl of annoyance from behind me.

“You—”

“I came back with the Alpha’s permission, so if you have a problem with me being here, I suggest you take it up with Alpha Lucas,” I tell her.

She growls again, “I am the future Luna of this pack, and I have the right to forbid rogues from entering the territory.”

“Sierra is Lucas’s fated mate and will be marrying him soon,” Nora whispers, cringing when I glance at her. “I didn’t want to bother you, so I didn’t tell you sooner.”

The night I got marked by the unknown man was Sierra’s eighteenth birthday. I knew she was looking for her mate, but I didn’t realize she found him.

“What are you doing?” I snap, slapping Sierra’s hand that reaches out and tugs at my turtleneck.

“Just looking to see if you’re still a disgraceful rogue.”

I bare my teeth at her out of instinct and hiss, “If you didn’t cause me to be marked by a stranger that night, I wouldn’t have become a rogue.”

The shocked look on Sierra’s face was almost comical. I guess people don’t stand up against her much since she’s the Alpha’s mate.

But to me, she’s still the deceiving snake she’s always been.

“What’s this about a stranger’s mark?” A man with short, black hair appears at the end of the hallway. The icy aura floods the hall as his blue eyes sweep over the three of us before they land on me.

He’s Alpha Lucas.

Harper’s POV

Suddenly, before I can answer Alpha Lucas’s question, Sierra shoves me out of the way. My body collides with the wall as she steps between us. Nora catches me before I can fall, and I mutter my thanks as I straighten up.

“Harper is delusional,” Sierra barks, blocking Lucas’s view. “She’s lying like she always does.”

Me lying? I almost laugh at the lie. If anyone here is a liar, it’s clearly Sierra.

Beyond annoyed, I pull out of Nora’s arms and step around Sierra. I won’t let her drag me down any further than she already has. Everything that has happened in the past year is her fault.

When I move to Sierra’s side, Alpha Lucas looks at me, his eyes on my neck that’s concealed by my turtleneck.

“Alpha Lucas,” I start with a respectful bow. “My name is Harper Lewis, and I’m here to interview for the healer position.” I pull my resume out of my bag and pass it to him. Silently, he takes it, but his eyes stay on me.

A jolt of awareness runs through me as he watches me. There’s a reason an Alpha is the top of the pack. They’re intense and acutely aware of a lot going on around them. They’re strong and fast, able to deal with problems faster than anyone else.

And this man definitely has the strong Alpha aura. I almost feel like a bug underneath a microscope with the way he’s studying me. It’s like he’s trying to see through my soul… which probably wouldn’t be difficult with his sharp blue eyes.

He glances at the resume before his eyes find mine again.

“What did Sierra say about a stranger’s mark?”

Sierra stiffens beside me, visibly tensing up. Her reaction is odd, and as annoying as ever. Instantly, I want to thrash my stepsister. She had no right to bring that up, especially since it put me under scrutiny with Alpha Lucas.

“Expose your neck and show me this mark,” he orders when I don’t answer. I may not be part of the pack anymore, but something in me jumps to obey the command.

Slowly, I pull the turtleneck down, revealing the place between my neck and shoulder where the stranger bit me. If they’d asked me this months ago, there would be something for him to see. However, now, as Alpha Lucas focuses on my neck, he finds nothing.

The mark is still there, but because I spent months trying to heal it, it’s no longer visible. I can still feel it when someone, especially a man, touches me there, and I know it’s not gone because of the weakness I feel.

My heart thrums wildly in my chest as Alpha Lucas steps closer to examine my neck. He doesn’t touch me, but my skin heats and my heart pounds as if reacting to a physical touch.

“As you can see, there’s nothing there,” I say after what seems like a century, interrupting the awkward silence. I release the collar of my shirt as Alpha Lucas averts his gaze and nods expressionlessly.

Sierra, acting like the spoiled child she is, snatches my resume from Alpha Lucas’s hands and spins to sneer at me. She nearly knocks me over when she slaps my resume to my chest.

“Harper isn’t a healer at all,” Sierra hisses venomously. “There’s no need to look at these credentials because they’re either fake or stolen.”

Alpha Lucas looks between the two of us, asking, “And why would you say that?”

“Because she’s a rogue who made a serious mistake and was kicked out of the pack before you became Alpha,” Sierra lies. I grit my teeth, but she speaks before I can. “We can’t rule out the possibility of her being a spy.”

“A spy?” I laugh. “Sierra, you know very well that I didn’t make any mistakes.”

“You wouldn’t have been kicked out if you hadn’t,” she fires back.

Alpha Lucas steps in, gaining my attention as he looks me over again. There’s something about his eyes that draws me in. I should be afraid, but the calculative and cold gaze doesn’t scare me. Maybe he’ll listen to what I have to say and give me a chance.

“How long have you been a rogue?” He asks, frowning slightly. If you weren’t looking closely, you’d miss the miniscule downturn to his lips.

“A year,” I answer him honestly.

If I want to start this job well, lying wouldn’t help me at all. Not that I would lie in the first place. I’m not like Sierra.

Alpha Lucas hums before lifting a hand and waving it dismissively, “You can leave now.” He then waves at the warriors behind him, and they walk forward. Two position themselves at my sides and take hold of my arms.

They begin to drag me away, and if I let them, I’ll lose my only chance to stay. I’ll miss my chance to find whoever marked me.

“Wait!” I cry, reaching out. I grab Lucas’s hand in a moment of desperation, letting my healing energy flow into him as proof. A faint silver light glows between our hands as I continue, “I have been living in the human world since I left the pack. How would I dare come back if I don’t have a healing ability?”

Sierra sucks in a sharp breath and tugs at my hand.

“Let go of him!”

Though, I’m not the one who doesn’t want to let go. Alpha Lucas’s hand is curled around mine, locking me in place where the warriors can’t even move me further away. A strange look crosses Alpha Lucas’s face, almost like he’s trying to hold himself back. The hard expression doesn’t conceal the look of dismay flickering through his eyes and across his features, though.

It takes a moment, but he eventually releases my hand.

The weighted warmth that covered me falls aside as he turns away. I shake off the odd feeling, only looking up when Alpha Lucas glances over his shoulder to say, “You can stay, but know that you will be under surveillance. Don’t do anything unsavory, and you won’t have anything to worry about.”

With that, he walks away.

Sierra, on the other hand, screeches in disbelief, “What? No way!” She rushes off toward Alpha Lucas, worming her way under his arm and plastering herself to his side. “She’s a rogue. There’s no telling what trouble she’ll bring.”

I scoff at her words. I wouldn’t be a rogue if it weren’t for her. I wonder if Alpha Lucas knows that. Is he aware of just how deceptive and snake-like Sierra is?

“She can stay and prove her worth. If she can’t, she’ll leave,” Alpha Lucas says, the slightly cold tone giving Sierra no room to protest. She sighs and moves in front of Alpha Lucas, throwing her arms around his neck and leaning in to kiss him.

When their lips meet, she glares at me from over his shoulder. It’s a territorial glare- one that screams ‘he’s mine!’ I don’t quite understand her reasoning, though. Does she think I’m an imaginary enemy?

Just to get on her nerves, I cock my head to the side and give her a faint smile.

Turning, I head back toward the door when a sharp pain stabs at my insides. Blackness seeps into my vision and my knees give out, sending me to the floor.