FIONA'S POV

Standing under the bright lights, I could feel every eye in the room on me, though none of them really saw me. My Father stood tall and imposing beside me, his hand resting lightly on my shoulder, as though I were his precious little daughter. He introduced me to the crowd with a warm smile, calling me his "sweet Fiona," the cherished youngest child, celebrating my 18th birthday. But I knew better. That smile was as fake as the warmth in his voice.

I forced a smile in return, trying to ignore the hollow feeling in my chest. The truth was, the only time my father showed me any real attention was when he was angry. Like last night. The memory of his drunken rage flickered through my mind, the sting of the whip across my back.

But none of that mattered right now. All that mattered was playing my part.

I straightened up, my forced smile still in place, as guests from all over the pack came forward to greet me. They all pretended to care, offering gifts and polite words, but I knew none of them meant it. They pitied me, maybe even feared me. After all, I was the reason my mother was dead. The whispered gossip around the pack always returned to the same cruel point: My birth had killed her, and for that, my father and Amber hated me.

“Thank you all for coming to grace this wonderful occasion with us,” my father said and the crowd cheered.

None of them knew that it was all a facade. None of them knew he had whipped me yesterday night so I could learn to behave and act like my perfect sister.

The memories stinging in my mind, I stepped forward and plastered a practiced smile on my face, waving and bowing at the guests.

As the celebration continued, I made sure to go round and greet the Alphas present. It was either that or else.

Suddenly, a low voice echoed in my head. “Fiona, he's here,”

I froze. It was my wolf, Mira, her presence stirring for the first time in days.

“Who's here?” I asked, feeling a strange rush of energy course through me.

“Our mate,” she answered, her voice filled with barely contained excitement. “I can feel him. He's close. Our mate is here,” she repeated.

I paused, shock and surprise running through me. “What? W-what did you say? Our mate?” I stammered in question.

“Yes. He is here,” she replied.

My heart pounding, I began to make my way through the crowd, trying to find him.

Who was it? Where was he?

I’d dreamed of this moment my entire life, the one thing that might finally be mine, something no one could take from me.

I scanned the room, my eyes darting from face to face, searching for someone—anyone—who felt different. I took a deep breath and started moving through the crowd, my heart pounding harder with every step. People kept trying to talk to me, but I barely heard them. I had one goal now: find him.

And then, I saw him.

At the far end of the room, standing near the entrance, his eyes locked onto mine the moment I spotted him. He was tall, even taller than my father, with dark hair and piercing gray eyes.

“Mate,” The word burst from both of us at the same time, the pull between us undeniable.

“Fiona,” my father’s voice called out, snapping me out of the trance I had fallen into. I turned to see him standing a few feet away, watching me with a calculating look. His eyes flickered between me and the man who was now standing in front of me and he smiled.

I swallowed hard, suddenly nervous. Why had he smile? Was there something going on between them? All I just wanted was my mate.

The man—my mate—glanced at my father, then back at me.

“Who is he?” I whispered to Mira, my heart pounding in my chest.

“Alpha Garrick,” she answered quietly, “leader of the StoneHeart Pack,”

I didn't care who he was. I was just thankful that I had him to save me from my misery and suffering.

Alpha Garrick’s lips parted, and he spoke, his voice low and firm. “I am Alpha Garrick,” he said, confirming Mira’s words. “And you… are my mate.”

His words sent a shock through me, but I tried to stay calm, nodding as I met his gaze. I could feel the bond between us, the pull that told me he was mine and I was his.

But my mind was spinning. It seemed too good to be true. Too good to believe. I was going to be finally free from them all.

Before I could say anything, my father stepped forward, a cold smile on his face. “Alpha Garrick,” he said smoothly. “What a surprise. I see you’ve met my daughter, the birthday girl.”

“Yes,” Garrick said slowly, replying my father. “I have met your daughter. I was just wishing her a happy eighteenth birthday.”

My father turned to me. “I hope you've appreciated him for gracing your birthday party. That would be the polite thing to do.”

I swallowed and turned my gaze to the ground. “Yes, Father. I — I was just thanking him.”

Inside of me, my mind was twisting in a knot. Should I tell my father that Alpha Garrick was my mate? Why was Alpha Garrick himself not saying anything.

I risked a glance at him with the side of my eyes. He didn't look like he was going to say anything.

“Say something, Fiona,” my wolf urged inside of me.

“This is your chance. Speak up,”

I swallowed. I didn't want to be too forward, but this seemed like my only chance and I didn't want to miss it.

I opened my mouth and said, “Father, this is my mate,” the same moment Amber came and gave Garrick a kiss and said with a superior smirk, “Father, Fiona, this is my boyfriend.”

FIONA'S POV

“What?” I asked, not sure if I had heard it right. “W-what did you say, Amber? What do you mean?”

I had always dreamed about this —the day I’d meet my mate, the day everything would fall in place for me. But I had never thought about this, never envisioned that my sister would take him from me. No. Nothing could have prepared me for this.

Tonight was meant to be for me. Mine.

“I said, let me introduce you to my boyfriend," Amber repeated, her eyes boring into mine.

I turned, my heart sinking, as Amber linked her arm through Garrick's with the sort of ease that spoke of familiarity. Intimacy. Garrick didn’t pull away. His strong, broad frame leaned into hers, their bodies perfectly aligned as if they belonged together.

Boyfriend?

The word echoed in my mind, twisting like a thorn in my chest. I couldn’t speak. I couldn’t move.

Amber’s lips curved into a smug smile as she noticed my shock. "Oh, Fiona, didn’t you know?" she said, her voice dripping with false pity. "I guess no one bothered to tell you. Garrick and I have been together for months now."

My stomach twisted painfully. I couldn’t breathe. "That’s not true…" I whispered, my voice barely audible, as if saying it out loud would make it real. "Garrick is… Garrick is my mate."

The room fell silent, the music a dull sound in the background as all eyes turned to us. Amber’s expression hardened instantly, her sweet demeanor vanishing. She glared at me, a sharp, venomous look in her eyes.

"Your mate?" she scoffed, her voice dripping with disdain. "Please. Who would want you, Fiona?"

Before I could even process her words, my father stepped forward, his expression cold and unreadable. He didn’t defend me. He didn’t even look at me with the faintest hint of compassion. Instead, he sneered,"Do you really think anyone would choose you over Amber?" His voice was low but biting, carrying across the room. "You’ve always been a disappointment, Fiona. Weak. Pathetic. Amber is the future of our family. You… you’re nothing."

I swallowed hard, fighting back the tears that threatened to spill over. I looked at Garrick, my last hope. His face was unreadable, but he didn’t deny anything. He didn’t step forward to defend me, didn’t pull away from Amber. His silence was louder than any words.

"Amber," Garrick’s deep voice finally broke through the tension. He turned to her, his hand moving to cup her cheek. "You have nothing to worry about. Fiona means nothing to me."

His words were like a physical blow. My knees almost buckled under the weight of them.

My heart shattered, splintering into pieces so small I could never gather them again. "You can’t mean that, Alpha Garrick…" My voice broke as I stared at him, searching his face for any sign that this was some cruel joke. "We’re mates."

He looked at me then, his gaze cold and indifferent. "I reject you, Fiona," he said, his voice firm and unyielding. "As my mate, I reject you. You’re nothing to me. Amber is the only one I’ve ever wanted."

I couldn’t breathe. I couldn’t think. The rejection slammed into me like a wave, suffocating me in pain and humiliation. It seemed my heart shattered completely at that moment.

I managed to shove the pain aside and said, ”I accept your rejection. I accept the sever of bonds between us. We no longer belong to each other.”

Saying that, I turned and fled. I couldn’t stay. I couldn’t stand here and let them watch me fall apart. Without another word, I turned and ran, bolting through the door and out into the woods. The cold night air bit at my skin, but I didn’t stop. I couldn’t.

I didn’t stop running until the hall was nothing but a distant memory behind me. I found myself at the old cottage that I had discovered a long time ago — it was a sanctuary I’d retreated to so many times before, my safe haven. Here, among the trees and the quiet, I could breathe again.

Inside, the familiar wrapped around me like a warm blanket. I collapsed onto the worn couch, my chest heaving from both pain and exertion.

Suddenly, a tear rolled down my eye and I could no longer stop them. They came in waves, drowning me in sorrow and betrayal.

How could they do this to me? How could he?

Amber’s mocking voice, my father’s cruel words, and Garrick’s rejection played on repeat in my head, each one cutting deeper than the last.

Eventually, exhaustion overtook me, and I fell into a restless sleep, haunted by the faces of those who had betrayed me.

I didn’t know how long I slept, but I woke up to a strange smell in the air. Smoke.

The crackling sound of flames reached my ears, and panic surged through me as I realized the cottage was on fire. Thick smoke filled the room, making it hard to see, hard to breathe. I tried to move, but my body felt sluggish, weak.

The champagne… Amber’s smile as she handed me the glass. Of course. She had planned this. She hadn’t just taken Garrick from me—she wanted me dead. She had drugged the drink.

I stumbled toward the door, but it wouldn’t budge. Locked. From the outside.

Panic clawed at me as the flames grew closer, licking at the walls, devouring the only place I had ever felt safe. I screamed, but the smoke choked my voice, my body too weak to fight.

Was this how it was going to end? Alone, betrayed, and burning?

Just as the darkness threatened to consume me, I heard the door burst open with a loud crash. A figure stood silhouetted against the flames.

“Alpha… Garrick?” I murmured, my vision blurring as unconsciousness dragged me under.

It was him. He had come back for me.