"What do you think you're doing?!"

A vicious slap cracked across Katia's face, sending her sprawling onto the freezing dungeon floor.

She curled into herself, silent and still, enduring the beating.

"Do you have any idea how much trouble you've caused this pack?!"

Beta Glen raised his foot to kick her, but paused when he realized she wasn't moving. He crouched down, brushing mud-caked hair from her face.

She was alive. Still breathing. But her eyes were vacant, staring at nothing.

The sight made his frown deepen.

"Are you even listening to me?!" Glen roared.

Katia flinched, her cracked lips moving slightly. "Aren't I... your daughter?"

Her voice was barely a rasp, but those words made Glen's expression darken further.

"Daughter?" Glen's laugh was cold and sharp. "You killed Allison! You dare call yourself my daughter?"

"I didn't push her..."

"Shut up!" Glen's boot slammed into her ribs. Katia curled tighter, gasping. "Allison is dead because of you! She was perfect. Exceptional. She was supposed to become King Cahir's Luna!"

A prophecy foretold that Beta Glen's daughter would become queen and grant her mate ultimate power. King Cahir had been engaged to Allison, waiting for her to come of age.

Pain and rage thickened his voice. "You cursed little bitch! You destroyed everything!"

Katia closed her eyes. She'd lost count of how many times she'd heard these accusations.

Two months ago, she and her sister Allison had gone into the forest together. Allison wanted to watch the sunset from the cliff's edge. Katia went with her.

Then Allison fell.

No body was ever found.

But everyone decided Katia had pushed her.

Because Allison was everything Katia wasn't. Where Katia was quiet and withdrawn, Allison was brilliant, radiating warmth that drew everyone to her. The pack adored her. Even Alpha Xandar couldn't hide the way his eyes followed her.

Allison was the one from the prophecy, destined to marry the Alpha King. Katia was nobody. Just a girl the pack used as a servant.

No one believed Allison could have simply slipped. They only believed Katia had killed her out of jealousy. The abuse had begun immediately after.

"Beta Glen, you need to coordinate with Gamma Mark. Alpha Damon wants to arrange a meeting with our pack."

Heavy footsteps echoed from the dungeon entrance. Alpha Xandar strode inside.

Glen released a deep sigh and stood. "Understood, Alpha Xandar."

He left the dank cell. Xandar remained.

Something heavy hit the floor with a sickening thud, landing directly in front of Katia.

"Rena!"

She saw the black wolf. Saw Rena barely breathing, her chest rising and falling in shallow, desperate movements.

Katia tried to crawl toward her friend, but a boot slammed down on her back.

"Ah!" She cried out, pinned to the ground.

"Where's the rush?" Xandar looked down at her with pure malice. "Your friend isn't dead yet. Though she will be soon."

"Let me go!" Katia clawed at the floor, nails scraping stone.

Xandar simply pressed harder, nearly crushing her spine beneath his weight.

"When you pushed Allison off that cliff, did you think about her pain?" His voice was ice.

"I didn't!" Katia screamed. "I didn't push her!"

"Liar."

Xandar kicked her over onto her back, then crouched beside her.

"It was just the two of you up there. Who else could it have been?"

Katia tasted the metallic tang of blood on her tongue. She couldn't heal herself-not without her wolf. Shifters usually gained their healing abilities when their wolves emerged, though some awakened earlier.

Unfortunately, Katia wasn't one of them. So she had to endure every injury Glen, Xandar, and Kaelen inflicted.

"You know about Allison's engagement to my brother," Xandar said, his smile twisting into something cruel. "When Alpha King Cahir learns his fiancée is dead-and her killer still lives-what do you think he'll do?"

He released her. Katia hit the ground hard.

"He'll destroy the entire Snow Moon Pack. Everyone will die because of you."

"No..."

"So you have to pay the price." Xandar stood, looking down at her with contempt. "You'll be sent to King Cahir's fighting pits. You'll be torn apart by beasts. It's the only way you can atone."

"But before that, I'll make sure every single day is hell for you."

He walked toward Rena and raised his foot above her head.

"No!" Katia screamed. "Don't touch her!"

Xandar paused, tilting his head toward Katia.

"Please..." Tears streamed down Katia's face. "Please don't hurt her... she didn't do anything..."

"Originally, I was going to chop off its head." Xandar slowly lowered his foot. "But I changed my mind. Letting it suffer, waiting for death-that's better punishment."

"After all, watching something you care about die is more painful than anything, isn't it?"

The door slammed shut.

Katia immediately crawled to Rena, trembling hands stroking her matted fur.

"Rena... Rena..."

The black wolf's eyes opened with effort, looking at her.

Katia could feel her life slipping away. And there was nothing she could do.

Tears slid down her cheeks as she held Rena close, burying her face in her fur.

"I'm sorry... I'm so sorry..."

She didn't know how long she cried. Only that eventually, exhausted, she collapsed beside Rena and fell into darkness.

Ice-cold water crashed over her.

"Ah!"

Katia bolted upright, gasping, feeling like she was drowning.

She frantically wiped water from her face, body still trembling. There were no windows in this dungeon, no way to tell the time or how long she'd been unconscious. Everything was dim except for a single flickering bulb.

"Sleeping so soundly."

Kaelen's laugh was soft and mocking.

He dropped the empty bucket, then crouched in front of Katia with a wide grin.

Kaelen was Katia's brother. Once, he'd treated her somewhat normally. But after Allison's death, he'd joined the others in tormenting her.

Katia's gaze moved past him to Rena's motionless form in the corner.

"Kaelen..." Her voice was hoarse. "Please... call a doctor... save Rena..."

"A doctor?" Kaelen raised an eyebrow.

"Please..." Katia tried to crawl forward, but her body was too weak. "I'm begging you... she's dying..."

Kaelen's boot slammed into Katia's chest.

"When you pushed Allison, did you think about how terrified she must have been while falling?" His voice was cold.

"I didn't..."

"Enough!" Kaelen grabbed her hair, forcing her head up. "I'm done listening to your lies!"

She'd lost count of how many times she'd said it. No one believed her.

Kaelen released her and stood. "Get up. Father wants to see you."

Katia struggled to her feet, legs barely supporting her weight. Kaelen watched with cold indifference, offering no help.

When she was brought into Glen's study, she braced herself for another tirade.

But to her surprise, Glen wasn't shouting.

"Sit down, Katia."

Katia remained standing.

"Because of your idiotic stunt last night, Snow Moon Pack and Blood Meadow Pack are now in a tense standoff. Alpha Xandar had to make concessions to Blood Meadow Pack to handle this border incident."

He paused, his gaze cold as winter.

"You've brought enormous trouble to this pack. As punishment,you are being demoted to Omega."

Katia froze.

"You will be disowned from this family," Glen continued. "You'll become the pack's servant, answering to everyone. It's what you deserve."

Omega.

The lowest rank in the pack. No status. No dignity. Anyone could order her around, abuse her at will.

Hearing this, Katia suddenly laughed.

Beta Glen frowned. "What are you laughing at?"

"I don't have a family." Katia lifted her head, fighting back tears.

Glen's face darkened, but Katia continued. "I've been a servant in this house for years. You never cared. So what difference does it make if I'm demoted to Omega?"

Glen stared at her but said nothing.

Of course he knew Allison and Kaelen had bullied Katia for years. But he'd chosen to look the other way. After all, Allison was the daughter from the prophecy. And Katia...

"Katia, don't cause any more trouble." Glen sat behind his desk, hands folded.

He paused, his voice turning colder. "Tomorrow you'll report to the Omega quarters. And when King Cahir returns from the battlefield... you'll be sent to his fighting pits."

Katia's entire body stiffened.

Disappointment and hatred surged through her chest, but she said nothing.

What was the point of arguing? No one would believe her. No one cared.

"You can go pack your things now." Glen waved dismissively.

Katia turned and left the office.

But she didn't go to her bedroom. She headed straight for the dungeon instead.

She had nothing to pack. The only thing she cared about was Rena.

The dungeon was silent.

Katia knelt beside Rena, carefully lifting the black wolf into her arms. Rena's breathing was so shallow, Katia could barely feel her chest rising.

"Rena..." Katia's voice trembled. "Hold on... please..."

She'd found Rena years ago in the forest. Back then, Rena had been a pup. Abandoned. Dying.

Katia had secretly brought her home and hidden her in her room for months.

Every time Katia was attacked, Rena would stand by her side, snarling and protecting her. But it always ended with Rena getting hurt.

And now, Rena was dying.

Katia struggled to carry Rena out of the dungeon and back to the Beta house. Her body burned with fever, her vision blurred, but she forced herself to search the house for medical supplies.

She found some herbs and bandages, using trembling hands to clean Rena's wounds and wrap them. By the time she finished, it was past midnight.

Rena weakly opened her eyes and licked Katia's hand.

Tears finally spilled down Katia's cheeks.

"Today is my birthday, Rena." She whispered, burying her face in Rena's fur. "Happy birthday to me."

She'd been born at eight in the evening. Technically, her wolf wouldn't awaken until then. Usually, other wolves celebrated this moment. It was a major milestone for a shifter.

But no one remembered Katia's birthday.

She held Rena close, leaning against the wall, and drifted into a feverish sleep.

The next morning, Katia woke still burning with fever.

She carefully settled Rena in her bedroom, leaving water and food, before dragging her exhausted body to report to Gamma Mark.

"You should know that running away caused serious problems for our pack." The Gamma sighed, leading her to the Omega quarters.

The room was tiny. A bed against one wall, a cabinet against the other. The window was small and barred shut.

After the Gamma left, Katia sat on the hard mattress, feeling the room spin around her.

She needed to find a doctor for Rena. Her own fever could wait, but Rena couldn't.

Just then, the bedroom door slammed open.

Xandar strode inside, eyes cold as ice.

"You've cost us a fortune." He growled. "Alpha Damon demanded compensation. He wants us to cede border resources. Otherwise, he'll take this to the Council."

"Then you should have let me leave the pack." Katia glared at him, though her body trembled.

"Let you go?" Xandar laughed coldly. "If you leave, who pays for Allison's death?"

"I didn't kill her!" Katia screamed. "I just turned around for one second. And she was gone!"

"Enough!" Xandar crossed to her in two strides, wrapping his hand around her throat and slamming her against the wall.

His fingers crushed her windpipe. Katia could barely breathe. He could feel how burning hot her skin was beneath his touch.

Xandar stared at Katia's face. Despite the bruises, her beauty rivaled Allison's. Especially that defiant look in her eyes. It stirred something dark inside him.

"Pity you're still so young." He lowered his head, kissing her neck, his hand sliding up her inner thigh.

"Let me go!" Katia whimpered, trying to struggle, but he was too strong.

"When you come of age, you'll be my little whore." Xandar whispered in her ear. His voice dripped malice. "Better than being completely useless before you die in those pits."

Luckily, he didn't know that today Katia had turned eighteen. She yearned to find her mate. Someone who could rescue her from this nightmare.

"You'll be mine to use however I want," Xandar murmured, pressing a kiss to her cheek.

With that, he released her and left the room.

Katia sank to the floor, nausea rising in her throat.

She curled up as fever pulled her back into sleep.

When Katia woke again, night had fallen.

Her body felt weaker, but she remembered Rena.

She had to check on Rena.

Katia forced herself up, stumbling out of the Omega quarters toward the Beta house.

When she pushed open her bedroom door, her heart plummeted.

Rena lay on the floor, barely breathing.

"Rena!" Katia staggered forward and dropped to her knees. "Rena, hold on!"

She tried to stand, but the world spun violently.

She was about to collapse.

But Rena was dying.

She wanted to save her. Desperately.

That overwhelming need awakened something inside her.

"You can save her."

A soft voice echoed in her mind.

Katia froze. "Are you my wolf?"

"Yes. My name is Carol." The voice was gentle but firm. "Do you want to save your friend?"

"Yes!" Katia was nearly crying. "Please!"

"Then trust me. Put your hand on her wound."

Katia trembled as she pressed her hand over Rena's worst injury.

Suddenly, an electric current surged through her body.

A brilliant white glow spread through her hands. The light drained every ounce of energy from her. Sharp pain lanced through her, but she gritted her teeth and held on.

The glow lasted several seconds before slowly fading.

Katia collapsed to the floor. Utterly spent.

But Rena's breathing had steadied.

"We need to shift now." Carol's voice rang in her mind.

"Your eighteenth birthday has passed. It's time for me to come out."

First shift would be brutal. She'd need an adult shifter to guide her, but she had no one. She'd have to endure it alone.

But she couldn't bear it. Her body hurt and ached.

And then, a sweet scent filled the air.

Thick. Intoxicating. Impossible to ignore.

"Mate." Carol whispered.

Katia's heart pounded wildly.

She struggled to her feet, her body moving on instinct toward that scent.

She stumbled through the hallway, down the stairs, following the pull.

Finally, she stopped outside the Alpha's office.

Her mate was inside.