The sun beat down hot and dry on the outdoor training grounds two days later.

Shadowveil was hosting an inter-pack exhibition. Over a hundred warriors from five allied territories ringed the dirt arena. Dust hung thick in the air, smelling of sweat, leather, and wolf pine. As the future Luna, I sat in the front row of the pavilion next to Sebastian's mother, Tiana. My hands stayed folded neatly on my lap. I was trying so hard to look like I belonged.

Then Karina walked into the ring.

She wore a fitted black athletic tank and leggings, her dark hair pulled back into a high ponytail. The Silverfang delegation cheered for her from the wooden bleachers. She smiled, radiant and completely at ease.

"Next up, she-wolf hand-to-hand drills," the Gamma announced from the center.

Karina’s green eyes swept over the stands and landed directly on me. She tilted her head, offering a sweet, challenge-filled smile. "Why don’t we show the visitors how Shadowveil and Silverfang train together? Come down, Lennon. Just a friendly round."

A murmur rippled through the crowd. All eyes shifted to me.

Tiana gave a faint, dismissive hum beside me. "Go on, Lennon. Don't embarrass the pack by cowering."

I swallowed the lump in my throat and stood up. My wolf was instantly pacing behind my ribs, restless and wary. I walked down the wooden steps and into the red dirt.

"Just light contact," I said quietly as I put up my fists.

"Of course," Karina purred.

We circled each other. The crowd went quiet. At first, it looked like standard sparring. She threw a left jab; I blocked it with my forearm. She swept low; I stepped back.

Then she closed the distance.

In a tight clinch, Karina leaned in. Her body shielded the view from the stands. And suddenly, she released a sharp, foul spike of pheromones—pure, concentrated scent aggression meant to trigger a territorial rage. At the same time, her thumb dug brutally into the soft flesh of an old bruise on my hip.

"Defective little stray," she whispered, her breath hot against my ear. "You think he actually wants you?"

My wolf lost her mind.

A red haze exploded across my vision. A raw, guttural snarl ripped from my chest. My wolf surged forward, fighting for control before I could lock her down. I shoved Karina with both hands.

Karina didn't fight back. Instead, she let out a loud, pathetic gasp and threw herself backward into the dirt, clutching her wrist as if I had broken it.

"Stop!" she cried out.

I stumbled forward, thrown off balance by her sudden collapse. My foot caught a dip in the packed earth. I went down hard, crashing into the heavy timber barrier at the edge of the pit. Splintered wood tore through my leggings, ripping open my knee and scraping my ribs. Pain flared white-hot through my side.

Gasps echoed from the stands. Then, the whispers.

*Look at her. She snapped over nothing.*

*The Cursed She-Wolf. She can't even control her beast.*

*Totally unstable.*

"She provoked me!" I gasped, clutching my bleeding knee as I scrambled to sit up. "She used scent aggression—"

"Enough!"

A voice like thunder cracked across the clearing. The air flattened. Sebastian dropped into the ring from the pavilion rail.

His Alpha tone slammed down on me like an iron anvil. It vibrated in my teeth, crushing my lungs, forcing my head down toward the dirt. My throat locked up. I couldn't breathe, let alone speak.

Sebastian didn't even look at my bleeding leg. He strode straight past me and dropped to one knee beside Karina.

"Are you hurt?" his voice was tense, gentle with worry.

"I'm fine," Karina whimpered, blinking back fake tears. "I just wanted to spar. I didn't mean to upset her."

Sebastian helped Karina to her feet, his arm staying wrapped around her waist. Then he turned his dark, icy gaze on me. In front of five packs, in front of hundreds of sneering warriors, his voice boomed with heavy authority.

"Control your beast, Lennon," he commanded, his Alpha aura suffocating every wolf within fifty yards. "Shadowveil does not tolerate unprovoked violence against our guests. You are dismissed."

He walked Karina toward the healers, never once looking back.

I dragged myself up from the dirt alone. My face burned hotter than the scrapes on my skin. I kept my head down as I limped across the courtyard, every mocking stare cutting deeper than the wooden splinters in my flesh.

***

An hour later, I was sitting on the edge of the bed in our quarters.

A basin of warm water sat on the nightstand. I was dabbing a damp cloth against my bloody knee, biting my lip to keep from crying, when the bedroom door pushed open.

Sebastian walked in.

He had shed his formal jacket. He looked tired. He crossed the rug and knelt between my knees, taking the cloth gently from my trembling hand.

"Let me," he murmured.

His fingers were surprisingly warm. He dabbed the cut with practiced, gentle care. The scent of crushed cedar and electric storm rolled off him, thick and intoxicating. Instantly, my foolish wolf stirred, leaning into the warmth of the bond like a starved puppy.

"Why did you do that?" I whispered, my voice cracking. "She pinched me. She released rogue scent right in my face, Sebastian. She did it on purpose."

Sebastian paused. He looked up at me, his dark eyes brimming with what looked like genuine sorrow. He reached up, his thumb brushing a tear from my cheek.

"Lennon," he said softly, his voice full of aching patience. "Karina is from a warrior family. She plays rough. She didn't mean anything by it."

"She insulted me—"

"You're traumatized, sweetheart," he cut in gently, smoothing a lock of hair from my forehead. "Dawnridge treated you like an outcast for years. It made your wolf hyper-vigilant. You see attacks even in a friendly practice."

"I know what I felt," I argued, though the conviction in my chest was beginning to waver under his steady gaze.

"You need discipline, not defense," he whispered. He leaned forward, resting his forehead against mine. His breath was warm on my lips. "I had to reprimand you out there. The other Alphas were watching. If I don't hold my future Luna accountable, our pack looks weak. Do you understand?"

He pulled me into his chest. His strong arms wrapped tightly around my waist, lifting me slightly against his body.

The mate bond hummed between us, a golden, radiant heat that drowned out the throbbing pain in my knee. My wolf whimpered and buried her nose into his chest, totally defenseless against him.

I rested my chin on his broad shoulder, closing my eyes. I hated myself. I hated how easily his touch disarmed me. I hated how desperately, pathetically, I still wanted to believe he loved me.

Two days after the incident in the dirt arena, Karina invited me to dinner.

She called it an olive branch. She said she wanted us to start fresh before the formal Mate Ceremony. Sebastian had beamed when he told me, kissing my forehead and saying how proud he was of Karina for being the bigger person. I didn't want to go, but refusing wasn't an option.

We sat across from each other in the small family dining room. A fire crackled in the hearth, casting flickering shadows across the polished oak table. Two Omegas stood quietly by the sideboard, their hands clasped in front of their aprons, eyes fixed on the floor.

Karina smiled warmly as an Omega placed a steaming bowl of dark, rich stew in front of me.

"I asked the kitchen to make something hearty," Karina said, taking a delicate sip of red wine. "You looked so pale after your fall the other day, Lennon. You really need your strength."

I looked down at the bowl. The broth was thick, smelling of rosemary and roasted meat. My stomach turned, but I picked up my spoon to be polite. "Thank you."

"Do you like it?" she asked, tilting her head. Her green eyes glittered in the firelight. "It's fresh game. Very tender."

I swallowed a small bite. It was sweet, unfamiliar. "What kind of meat is it?"

Karina set her wine glass down with a soft click. She leaned forward, resting her chin on her hands. Her smile widened, sweet and venomous.

"Oh, just a stray," she murmured, her voice dripping with mock innocence. "You know how careless people can be with little animals. Running around the courtyard, making noise. That scruffy little pup you dragged in... Barnaby, was it? Such a fragile little thing."

The room seemed to tilt on its axis.

The spoon slipped from my fingers, clattering loudly against the porcelain rim. Dark broth splashed across the white tablecloth. My breath caught in my throat, freezing into a hard, jagged knot of ice.

"What did you say?" I whispered.

"I'm just saying," Karina purred, her eyes dancing with wicked delight, "nothing goes to waste in a strong pack."

My wolf didn't just wake up—she detonated.

A raw, feral roar ripped from my throat. I shoved my chair back so hard it crashed to the floor. The table shook as I lunged forward, slamming both palms onto the wood. Dishes rattled. Silverware clattered.

"Where is he?!" I screamed, my vision swimming in red. "What did you do to him, you sick bitch?!"

Karina flinched backward, throwing her hands up in theatrical horror. "Lennon, please! I was only joking! Stop!"

"What is going on here?!"

The heavy doors flew open. Sebastian stormed into the room, his jacket unbuttoned, his jaw clenched tight.

Karina shrank back into her chair, trembling, eyes wide with terror. "Sebastian! I only made a joke about strays, and she... she came at me! She threatened me!"

"She killed Barnaby!" I choked out, spinning toward Sebastian, my hands shaking uncontrollably. My heart hammered against my ribs like a trapped bird. "She put him in the stew, Sebastian! She cooked my pup!"

Sebastian didn't check the bowl. He didn't look at the meat. He looked only at me, his handsome face hardening into pure, disgusted fury.

"Enough!"

The word struck like a physical blow. His Alpha tone slammed into the room, crushing the air from my lungs. The sheer force of it dropped me instantly. The pressure bore down on my neck and shoulders, grinding my knees hard against the wooden floorboards.

"You are completely out of your mind," Sebastian snarled, stepping over my fallen chair to stand over me. His voice rumbled through my bones, paralyzing every muscle. "You're screaming like a rabid animal over a joke? In front of pack servants?"

"Sebastian, please—" I gasped, tears finally spilling over my burning cheeks. "Barnaby—"

"Silence!" he barked, the Alpha command locking my jaw shut. He pointed a rigid finger at Karina. "Apologize to her."

I stared up at him, my soul tearing at the seams. "What?"

"You heard me," he said coldly, looking down at me as if I were dirt beneath his boots. "Karina is an honored guest of Shadowveil. Dawnridge may let its wolves act like wild beasts, but you will show respect in my house. Kneel, and apologize."

I looked toward the sideboard. The two Omegas had their heads bowed, their shoulders stiff. In the reflection of the dark windowpane, I saw the elder Omega's eyes. They were wide, brimming with a quiet, helpless pity. They knew. Everyone in this house knew how twisted this was, and no one dared to speak.

The Alpha tone pressed down harder, threatening to snap my collarbones. My wolf whimpered, utterly subjugated by her fated mate.

Slowly, agonizingly, I turned my head toward Karina.

She sat back in her chair, watching me with a smug, victorious sneer playing at the corners of her lips.

"I'm... sorry," I whispered, the words tasting like ash and blood in my mouth. "I apologize, Lady Karina."

"See that it doesn't happen again," Sebastian said coldly. He turned to Karina, his voice instantly softening. "Come, Karina. Let's get you away from this."

He guided her out of the room, his hand resting gently against her back. The heavy doors shut behind them.

I stayed on the floor, my knees aching against the hardwood. I couldn't move.

A soft touch brushed my shoulder.

"Lady Lennon," a timid voice whispered.

I blinked through the blur of my tears. It was the older Omega from the sideboard. Her face was pale, lined with deep worry.

"Come with me," she breathed, casting a fearful glance at the closed doors. "Quickly. Before the guards cycle their rounds."

Numbly, I pushed myself up. I followed her out a narrow service door, moving like a ghost through the dim, stone corridors behind the kitchen. We descended a flight of damp stairs into the back of the cellars, weaving through stacks of dusty wine crates and spare linens.

She stopped at the very end of the hall, unlocking a low wooden door.

Inside the dark utility closet, sitting on a pile of worn towels, was a small ball of scruffy brown fur.

Two bright amber eyes blinked in the gloom.

"Barnaby," I choked out.

The pup let out a high, joyous yip and scrambled forward on clumsy paws, throwing his tiny body against my shins.

I dropped to the stone floor. I pulled him into my chest, burying my face in his scruff. He was warm. He was whole. He smelled like cedar chips and old wool. His little pink tongue frantically licked the salty tears from my jaw.

I held him so tightly my arms shook.

And then, the tears simply stopped.

I didn't sob. I didn't break. Sitting in the pitch-black storage room with the pup pressed against my heart, something inside me changed.

The desperate, frantic need to be loved by Sebastian—the pathetic urge to prove I was worthy of the mate bond—withered and died.

In its place, a strange, terrifying stillness took root.

It wasn't despair. It was cold, razor-sharp clarity.

My mind began to rewind through the last few weeks. I remembered the heavy brass key Sebastian kept on the ring in his study desk. I remembered how the hallway guards always rotated on the hour, leaving the east wing blind for exactly four minutes. I remembered the private mind-link terminal in the archives, and the locked records room in the healing wing where Sebastian retreated whenever Silverfang couriers arrived.

I stroked Barnaby's soft ears in the dark, my eyes wide and unblinking.

They thought I was broken. They thought I was a frightened, cursed stray who would take whatever scraps of cruelty they tossed my way.

I kissed the top of the pup's head, my heart beating with slow, lethal rhythm.

*Let them think it,* I thought. *Let them believe they've won.*