Annamarie Whitmore POV:

The grand hall of the Blackwood Pack was filled with the scent of pine and the solemn atmosphere of the mate ceremony. I stood on the dais in a simple white dress, surrounded by powerful werewolves dressed in their finest attire.

The Hayes family was one of the most respected bloodlines within the Blackwood Pack, and Jared was its only heir. We had known each other since we were young, and as we grew older, the Moon Goddess chose us as fated mates. For years, I had believed that bond would eventually lead us to stand together as Alpha and Luna.

That was why, despite everything I had endured as a wolfless female, I had never questioned whether Jared would accept me. To me, the bond between us was something sacred, something even the Hayes family would never casually cast aside.

The whispers had followed me for years. Some looked at me with pity, while others considered me a weakness that brought shame to the Whitmore name. I had learned to ignore those voices, but standing in front of the entire pack today, I could still feel every gaze on me.

The Elder stepped forward and raised his voice.

"In the witness of the Moon Goddess, Jared Hayes, do you accept Annamarie Whitmore as your one, your only, your lifelong mate?"

The entire hall fell silent. All eyes turned toward Jared.

I looked at him and tried to calm the uneasiness in my chest.

The Moon Goddess had chosen our bond. A fated mate was a blessing that no werewolf could question.

Jared had never shown open disgust toward me before. Even though I was wolfless, he had always maintained the appearance of acceptance, responded to my feelings, and treated me with the courtesy expected from the future Alpha of the Blackwood Pack.

I believed the Hayes family's teachings had given him enough honor and responsibility to respect the bond chosen by the Moon Goddess.

More importantly, I didn't want to be rejected.

Because I knew what would happen after Jared rejected me.

Without the future Alpha's bond, I would lose my value in the Whitmore family. I would become nothing more than an abandoned piece, a burden they could discard or trade away whenever it benefited them.

I couldn't let that happen.

My fingers tightened around the fabric of my dress as I looked at Jared. For a moment, I waited for him to speak the words that would change my life.

Then Jared smiled. The expression on his face made the uneasiness in my chest grow heavier.

He didn't look at me. He turned toward the crowd and spoke in a clear, steady voice loud enough for everyone in the hall to hear.

"I, Jared Hayes, reject you, Annamarie Whitmore, as my mate."

The moment Jared's words fell, my mind went blank.

The hall around me seemed to spin, and the voices of the crowd blurred into a distant noise. The pain from the broken mate bond surged through my body, forcing me to take a step back.

Jared narrowed his eyes and looked at me, his expression cold and distant. "You are wolfless, Annamarie. You cannot shift, you cannot sense the emotions of our wolves, and you cannot carry the responsibilities expected of the future Luna. I refuse to bind the Blackwood Pack to a mate who can never truly stand beside its Alpha."

A murmur swept through the hall. Some guests lowered their eyes, while others exchanged knowing glances. A few even nodded in agreement, as if Jared had finally said aloud what everyone had already been thinking.

My legs almost gave out. I pressed my fingers against the edge of my dress, using the fabric to keep myself standing.

No one came forward to defend me. The whispers grew louder, and every word carried the same conclusion: a wolfless female had no place beside the future Alpha.

At that moment, Carrie rushed toward me.

"Annamarie..." Her voice was soft and worried. "I know this hurts. Seeing my sister treated this way... it breaks my heart."

For years, I had lived under their roof knowing that I would never truly be their daughter. But after Carrie learned that Jared and I had been chosen as fated mates, something in her changed. She had always been the Whitmores' precious biological daughter, yet she could not accept that I, the adopted daughter she had always looked down on, had been chosen by the future Alpha.

From that day on, she had found every opportunity to come between Jared and me, quietly turning small misunderstandings into conflicts and making sure our relationship never had a chance to grow stronger.

I had tolerated it because I believed our bond was chosen by the Moon Goddess and would eventually overcome anything she tried to do. Now, after Jared had rejected me in front of the entire pack, I finally saw the satisfaction hidden beneath Carrie's worried expression.

She had waited for this moment for a long time. And now that the bond between Jared and me was broken, she had finally found the opening she had been looking for.

The disgust rising in my chest made me take a step back. I looked at Carrie coldly and said nothing.

Carrie's eyes immediately turned red. "Annamarie... I was only trying to comfort you. Why are you looking at me like that?" Her voice trembled, loud enough for everyone around us to hear.

The people nearby immediately looked at me with disapproval.

"She rejected her sister's kindness?"

"Carrie was only trying to help."

"Maybe this is why Jared made his choice."

The whispers grew louder.

I stood there silently, watching the same people who had just witnessed my rejection now judge me for refusing Carrie's performance. She had always been good at this. Whenever she wanted something, she would put on that innocent, wounded expression and let everyone else see her as the kind, considerate sister while making me look cold and cruel. Over the years, she had used the same trick again and again, and somehow, I was always the one who ended up looking like the villain.

Before I could respond, the Elder's voice sounded again.

"Annamarie Whitmore, you must accept his rejection."

I lowered my eyes, but before I could speak, I caught sight of Jared.

His gaze was no longer on me.

His eyes were fixed on Carrie, filled with a warmth I had never seen when he looked at me. The way he watched her made something inside me go completely still. I suddenly understood that his rejection was not only because I was wolfless. His heart had already turned toward someone else, and in his eyes, perhaps I was the one standing between him and the person he truly wanted.

The last trace of hope I had for Jared disappeared completely. I had spent years believing that our bond meant we were meant to be together, yet at that moment, I felt as though I had become the person he blamed for standing in the way of his happiness.

My fingers slowly loosened around the fabric of my dress. There was nothing left for me to hold on to.

My voice was quiet but steady.

"I, Annamarie Whitmore, accept your rejection."

The moment I spoke those words, the final connection between Jared and me disappeared.

Pain spread through my entire body. The metallic taste of blood filled my mouth, but I swallowed it. I refused to collapse in front of them and become the entertainment of this hall.

Jared turned away from me and walked toward Carrie. The crowd surrounded them with congratulations and smiles.

I stepped down from the dais and headed toward the exit.

But before I could leave the hall, Cornelius appeared in front of me. Beside him stood a wealthy older man I had never seen before.

My foster father's eyes fell on me with open greed, as if he were looking at a valuable possession that had finally become available.

"Annamarie," Cornelius said, smiling. "Come here. I have someone you need to meet."

I looked past him at the unfamiliar man standing beside him. The man's eyes lingered on me with undisguised interest, making my skin crawl. I understood instantly.

This was the future Cornelius had prepared for me. In his eyes, I was no longer a daughter, but a resource that could be exchanged for his own benefit.

The moment his hand reached for my arm, I stepped back and pulled away.

"No."

The smile on Cornelius's face faded.

"Don't make this difficult, Annamarie." His voice was no longer gentle. "You should be grateful. After losing the future Alpha's protection, this is the only value you have left."

His words cut deeper than I expected.

I saw the greed in his eyes and the man's undisguised desire beside him. After everything that had happened tonight, after Jared had publicly rejected me, I refused to let another person decide my life and turn me into something they could control.

When Cornelius reached for me again, I turned and ran.

"Stop her!"

The shout erupted behind me.

Heavy footsteps followed immediately, closing the distance with every second.

I lifted my dress and pushed through the crowd, ignoring the shocked voices around me. I didn't look back.

I already knew what would happen if they caught me. I pushed through the side door and ran into the cold night.

The Forbidden Forest was ahead. A place even Rogues avoided. But I no longer cared.

If I stayed, I would become someone's possession. If I ran, at least my fate would still belong to me.

I lifted my dress and disappeared into the darkness. Behind me, the people chasing me stopped at the edge of the forest.

"Forget it. That woman is crazy. She actually ran into the Forbidden Forest."

The footsteps behind me suddenly stopped. Their voices faded into the distance as the people chasing me finally gave up.

"I'm not going in there to die."

I kept running deeper into the Forbidden Forest. The trees closed around me, and the path behind me vanished completely. Branches scratched my skin, and roots caught my feet. My white dress became torn and stained with dirt and blood.

My body grew weaker with every step, but I kept moving. Survival was the only thing left in my mind.

I didn't know how long I ran before the sounds of the Blackwood Pack's celebration faded completely. The laughter, music, and cheers from the ceremony disappeared behind me, replaced by the silence of the forest and my own heavy breathing.

Then a powerful scent reached me.

Blood and a deep sandalwood scent mixed with something cold and dangerous.

I stopped.

A moment later, the sound of metal clashing echoed through the trees. I followed the sound and hid behind a massive oak tree.

In the moonlit clearing, several figures surrounded a tall man. Their weapons reflected a silver glow. Silver blades, weapons designed to kill werewolves. The moment I saw them, I realized I had walked into an assassination.

I wanted to leave, but my exhausted body refused to move. The man in the center noticed every attack before it reached him. He moved instantly, his strikes precise and powerful. One attacker after another fell before him, unable to resist.

Then one of them was thrown through the air and crashed into the oak tree behind me. The impact forced me out of hiding and into the center of the clearing.

The entire area fell silent. Every gaze turned toward me. Including his. Amber eyes locked onto mine.

The man finished the remaining attacker within seconds before walking toward me. His expression remained cold as his gaze fell on my pale face and torn white dress.

When he realized I was wolfless and had appeared in the middle of the Forbidden Forest during an assassination, a trace of disbelief flashed through his eyes.

How could someone without a wolf appear in a place even ordinary werewolves avoided?

His voice was low and powerful.

"A wolfless?" He looked at me carefully. "Why are you here?"

I wanted to answer and explain everything, but the rejection, betrayal, and fear I had endured finally overwhelmed me.

My vision blurred, and my body lost its strength.

Before darkness took over, I felt a pair of strong arms catch me, their touch cold and steady as they held me while I finally lost consciousness.

Cyrus Montgomery POV:

I looked down at the woman lying unconscious in my arms.

She was lighter than I expected, almost weightless. Her scent was faint, carrying the clean trace of cedar and rain. Yet there was something strange about her presence. The Forbidden Forest had been restless when I entered it tonight, its energy pressing against my wolf and restricting the full force of my power. But ever since this wolfless woman appeared, that pressure had begun to fade.

I raised my eyes and looked around the clearing.

The forest was quiet.

Too quiet.

Even my inner Lycan had noticed the change. There was no recognition or attraction toward her, but for the first time since entering the Forbidden Forest, I could feel my wolf's power moving freely through my body. The invisible pressure that had been suppressing me was gone.

My gaze returned to the woman in my arms.

A wolfless had somehow entered the Forbidden Forest and changed the balance of the place just by being here. I didn't know why, but one thing was becoming clear. I needed to keep her close until I understood what was happening.

Then I felt her body tremble.

Her breathing had grown weaker, and the color had almost completely disappeared from her face. I looked toward the dark forest around us. The longer she stayed here, the more her strength was being drained. Whatever had made the forest settle around her was also consuming what little energy she had left.

If I left her here, she would die.

I tightened my arms around her and lowered my gaze to her pale face. Taking her back to Bloodmoon Pack would be the obvious choice, but she might not survive the journey in her current condition.

There was only one way to stabilize her immediately.

A mark could transfer my energy into her body and help restore the strength she was losing. It was a simple decision.

I would mark her.

My fingers brushed against her cold cheek before sliding down to her jaw. Her skin was softer than I expected. I lowered my head, bringing my lips close to her neck, and her scent immediately filled my senses.

Cedar and rain. Clean, cool, untouched.

I paused for a brief moment, my breath grazing her skin. The scent did nothing to stir my wolf, yet it settled something restless inside me. I couldn't explain why, and I didn't have time to think about it.

My canines extended. I bit into the side of her neck.

Her body trembled sharply in my arms. A faint sound escaped her lips as my teeth pierced her skin, and the warmth of her blood touched my tongue. I tightened my hold around her waist, keeping her against my chest as my energy flowed through the mark.

Her fear and pain brushed against my mind through the connection. Beneath them was exhaustion so deep that it frightened me for a moment.

I poured more energy into the mark. Gradually, her trembling eased. Her breathing grew steadier, and the coldness beneath my palm began to fade.

I lifted my head slowly. The fresh mark stood out against her pale skin, only inches from my lips.

My gaze lingered there before moving back to her face. Her lashes were still, her lips slightly parted, completely unaware of what had just passed between us.

A faint sound escaped her again, followed by a tear slipping from the corner of her eye.

Before I could think, I lowered my head and brushed the tear away with the tip of my nose.

The softness of her skin against mine made me pause. I stayed there for a moment, my breath warm against her cheek, before slowly lifting my head.

She was fragile in my arms, yet her presence had done something no one else had managed to do. The moment she entered the Forbidden Forest, the restless energy around me had quieted, and the restriction on my wolf's power had disappeared.

I didn't like unanswered questions. And I had no intention of letting her out of my sight until I discovered why.

Footsteps sounded through the trees. Dax and the guards emerged from the darkness.

I straightened, my expression returning to its usual coldness, and adjusted my clothes to cover the wound left by the silver blade.

Dax stopped when he saw the unconscious woman in my arms. His eyes fell to the fresh mark on her neck. Surprise flashed across his face before he lowered his gaze and knelt.

"Alpha King. What are your orders?"

"Clean everything. Leave no evidence behind." I glanced down at the woman in my arms. "As for her, she's my new attendant. That's all anyone needs to know."

Dax hesitated for half a second before answering. "Yes, my King."

His report gave me her name.

Annamarie.

I carried her to the black armored vehicle and placed her on the back seat. When I sat beside her, I didn't move away. Her head shifted with the motion of the vehicle and came to rest against my shoulder.

I looked down. Even unconscious, she seemed to seek warmth instinctively. One loose strand of hair brushed against my neck, carrying that faint scent of cedar and rain.

I should have moved her away. I didn't.

Outside the window, the forest gradually disappeared behind us. Only then did I think of the Elders.

They had been pressuring me for months to accept a political marriage with another Alpha's daughter. I had refused every proposal, unwilling to let them turn my mate into another piece of their political game.

Now I had a woman beside me whose presence could quiet the Forbidden Forest and release the restrictions on my wolf.

I didn't know what she was. But I knew I needed her close.

The thought of the Elders returned.

I wondered whether the woman sleeping against my shoulder might become more than an unexplained anomaly. She might be the answer to a problem I had refused to solve their way.

I lowered my eyes to her sleeping face. Whatever secrets she carried, I would find them out.

Annamarie Whitmore POV:

I woke up in a bed so soft that my body sank into the mattress. Above me hung a crystal chandelier, its cold light reflecting across the unfamiliar room. The air was filled with a strange scent of sandalwood, deep and powerful enough to make me tense.

This wasn't my room, and I was no longer in the Blackwood Pack.

The memories returned all at once: Jared's rejection, the Forbidden Forest, the assassins, and the cold, powerful man who had caught me before I lost consciousness.

I sat up quickly, but a sharp pain shot through my neck. My hand immediately covered the injured area as I rushed toward the full-length mirror across the room. The moment I saw my reflection, my entire body froze.

A dark bite mark remained on my neck, an Alpha's mark left by a stranger. My heart sank as I realized what had happened.

My torn dress had been replaced with a clean silk nightgown, and the wounds from my escape through the forest had been carefully treated. Someone had saved me, but the thought did not bring comfort. The memory of the man's cold eyes made my body tighten with fear.

I checked myself carefully. Other than the mark on my neck, there were no other signs that anyone had violated me.

A small sense of relief appeared beneath the fear.

Before I could understand what had happened, a knock sounded at the door.

I immediately stepped back as a man in a black suit entered. His presence was calm and powerful, carrying the scent of a Beta. He looked at me with an unreadable expression after confirming that I was awake.

"Miss Whitmore." He gave a slight nod. "I am Dax, the Alpha's Beta. The Alpha ordered me to deliver this once you woke up."

He placed a black folder in front of me.

My fingers tightened as I opened it. The title on the first page made my expression change.

"Personal Attendant Service Agreement."

I read through the contents, and the colder my expression became.

This was not an ordinary employment agreement. It was a contract that restricted every part of my life, requiring me to serve as the Alpha's personal attendant, follow his orders, remain within designated areas, and obey every rule written inside. My living arrangements would be provided, but my freedom would no longer belong to me.

The most humiliating part was the explanation of the mark on my neck.

It stated clearly that the mark had no meaning beyond a temporary measure and that my relationship with the Alpha was only that of an attendant and master.

My fingers tightened around the paper.

"What is this?" My voice came out hoarse. "Then what is the mark on my neck?"

I touched the bite mark, feeling a sharp sense of humiliation.

Dax's expression did not change. "The Alpha marked you because your condition required it. The mark does not represent a mate bond or any personal relationship."

His calm explanation made my chest tighten.

I had escaped being treated as a possession by one family, only to become a possession of someone even more powerful.

I looked at him. "And if I refuse to sign?"

Dax was silent for a moment before answering. "You are currently on Bloodmoon Pack territory. Without the Alpha's permission, you are considered an outsider who entered illegally. Under our laws, outsiders who threaten the pack's security can be punished."

His words erased the last bit of resistance I had left.

I was alone, with no family to return to and no pack willing to protect me. Compared with being sent back and sold as a bargaining piece, staying here as the Alpha's attendant was the better choice.

The mark on my neck had tied my fate to this man, but at least I was still alive.

I lowered my eyes and forced myself to calm down. Survival came first.

As long as I stayed alive, there would always be a chance to change my situation.

I picked up the pen Dax offered and signed the bottom of the contract.

Annamarie Whitmore.

Dax took the document back and nodded. "Good. Follow me. I will show you your room."

I followed him out of the luxurious guest room and through the cold, modern corridors of the building. We entered a staff elevator and continued downward, leaving behind the penthouse overlooking the city.

When the doors finally opened, Dax stopped in front of a narrow room. Inside was only a single bed, a wardrobe, and a small window. Compared with the guest room I had just left, this place felt like a storage space.

Dax handed me a key card. "This is your room. Your duties begin tomorrow. The Alpha's schedule will be sent to your terminal. Remember your position."

He turned and left without another word.

I stood alone in the small room and slowly walked toward the window. The view outside was not the city skyline. Only a cold, empty wall of another building.

I slid down against the wall, clutching the key card in my hand.

The mark on my neck continued to ache, reminding me of the price I had paid for surviving. I had escaped Jared's rejection and my foster father's plan to sell me, but I had only entered another cage.