Elara POV

Seraphina came to claim Julian as her prize, but she did not yet know the prize was rotten.

The Gothic-carved window frame cut the dark forest into a dozen fractured panes. Rain hammered against the glass, the vibration traveling down the stone sill and into the palm of my hand, a chaotic rhythm that matched the new, unfamiliar turmoil in my blood. Ever since I felt that strange tremor in the courtyard, I could not sit still. My skin felt tight, and a low fever hummed beneath it. Something was pacing restlessly in the depths of my mind, though I could not name what it was.

The heavy wooden door creaked open, breaking my thoughts. Seraphina walked in, wearing a delicate silk gown. She had not attended the hunting trials in the woods today. She was highly allergic to silver dust, a rare condition even among high-ranking wolves, so she had stayed in the castle to rest. She walked over to my vanity table and picked up a silver hairbrush, her eyes meeting mine in the mirror's reflection.

I did not say a word to her. Usually, I would greet her with a soft smile, avoiding any conflict. Today, I just stared at her, feeling a strange, cold calm settling over me.

"You are very quiet today, Elara," Seraphina said, turning around to face me.

I kept my eyes on the rain outside. "I am just tired," I replied softly.

Seraphina smirked, crossing her arms over her chest. "I already know what happened in the woods," she said proudly. "I used the Mind-Link with my guards. Julian took first place again," she continued, her eyes shining with admiration.

"He did," I agreed, my voice flat.

Seraphina stepped closer, her strong Alpha aura filling the room, a palpable pressure meant to make me lower my head in submission. "I am a high-ranking female, Elara. Even if I must search the vaults of the Ironclaw family myself, I will only accept the finest," she declared, her chin raised. "And my mate must be the strongest Alpha. Julian is the obvious choice."

She was marking her territory, warning me to back off—but she had no idea she was fighting for a man who saw her as nothing more than a stepping stone.

"I know you have followed him around like a lost puppy since we were children," Seraphina said, her tone mocking. "We're wolves, Elara. Let's settle this the old way. We duel, and the winner claims the right to court Julian."

I turned my head slowly, looking at her eager face. I rested my chin on my hand, feeling an utter lack of interest in the prize she was offering. I shook my head slowly. "No, thank you," I said calmly. "I have no interest in that particular contest."

Seraphina frowned, clearly confused by my lack of fight. She stepped forward and grabbed the lace cuff of my sleeve, pulling it slightly. "Are you scared? Or do you think he will just run to you anyway?" she demanded.

"Oh," was the only sound that left my lips.

My cold indifference seemed to anger her more. "You are so arrogant for someone who cannot even Shift," she sneered, dropping my sleeve. "You are just a broken Omega. You cannot even protect yourself, let alone stand beside an Alpha like Julian."

Her words were meant to cut me, to remind me of my lowly place in the Pack's hierarchy. But I did not feel hurt. I felt a sudden, sharp clarity.

I stood up from my chair, bringing myself to her eye level. I did not lower my gaze, which surprised her. "You are wrong about him, Seraphina," I said, my voice steady and clear. "Julian's wolf does not bow to your beauty, and it certainly does not bow to my childhood friendship."

Seraphina blinked, her anger faltering for a second. "What are you talking about?" she snapped.

"I am talking about the truth," I replied, taking a step toward her. "Julian's wolf only submits to one thing. The power and the throne that sit behind you."

Seraphina's mouth opened slightly, the arrogance draining from her face. "He does not want you as a mate," I whispered, making sure she heard every word. "He wants to own the kingdom."

Seraphina stood frozen, digesting my words. A dry, bitter laugh escaped my throat before I could stop it, and I shook my head at the shared blindness that had afflicted us both for so long.

"Think about it, Seraphina," I said, pacing the length of my room. "Since we were children, every time we went into the woods, who always got the rarest flowers?"

She swallowed hard. "I did."

"And who always got the best cuts of meat from his first hunts?"

"I did," she repeated, her voice losing its edge.

"Exactly," I said, stopping to look at her. "He always gave the best to you. Not because he cared for you, but because your mother is the Luna." I pointed toward the window, toward the dark woods where the trials had taken place. "Today, he shoved a man off a cliff just to win the hunt. He risked a Warrior's life."

Seraphina's eyes widened. "He did what?"

"He cheated," I stated plainly. "He did it because he knows your Alpha nature craves a strong, dominant mate. He is performing a role to win the ultimate prize."

Seraphina stared at me, her jaw tight as she processed the insult. She didn't instantly crumble. Her Alpha pride warred with the truth, but her eyes darted back and forth as memories clicked into place, each one a small, sharp betrayal. "He didn't even look at me when he shot those arrows," she muttered, her voice dropping. "He looked at my mother's balcony."

The realization struck her like a physical blow. Her competitive fire didn't die; it twisted into a dark, simmering rage at being played for a fool. "He thinks I'm just a stepping stone," she hissed, her fists clenching at her sides until her knuckles were white.

"Precisely," I said softly.

She paced the room, the silk of her gown snapping around her ankles. "Elara... about the tiara today. I took it because our father decreed it must be won, not inherited—he wanted to test our judgment in choosing champions. But I didn't know Julian would use it as a political pawn. " She stopped, turning to me with a fierce, burning glare. "I don't play second fiddle to a man's ambition."

I looked at her, seeing for the first time the unyielding Alpha she truly was, separate from the machinations of the court. I let out a long breath, the anger leaving my chest. I shook my head, offering her a small, genuine smile. "It is alright, Seraphina. I am not angry with you."

"I cried in the bell tower today, not because I lost a crown. I cried because Julian knew exactly what that tiara meant to me, what piece of my mother it represented."

My voice cracked slightly, but I forced myself to stay strong. "He knew, and he still chose to use it. He threw away a piece of my heart for a chance to impress your mother."

I took a deep breath, feeling lighter than I had in years. "I am completely done with him," I declared. "His ambition and your strength are a much better match anyway."

Seraphina scoffed, her eyes flashing with contempt. "I do not want a mate who sees me as a rung on a ladder," she muttered, shaking her head. She looked at me with a fierce determination. "I promise you, Elara. When the time comes to choose our mates, I will never fight you for the same man."

I smiled, appreciating her loyalty. But I caught the flicker in her gaze—the Alpha pride still wrestling with the sting of humiliation. She believed me, yes, but belief needed proof to harden into action. And the proof, I knew, was still buried in Julian's shadows.

"So," Seraphina leaned in, her curiosity getting the better of her. "If not Julian, then who? Who are you going to choose?"

The moment she asked the question, an image of the bleeding Warrior with the steady eyes flashed in my mind. Kaelen. Instantly, a strange, prickling heat flared at the base of my neck. I quickly reached up, pressing my cool palm against the burning skin of my nape.

"I... I need to rest," I stammered, turning my back to her.

I walked away, leaving her standing in the middle of the room, completely unaware that my soul had already made its choice—and that the Moon Goddess had chosen for me long before I knew his name.

Elara POV

Julian thought I would gratefully accept being his backup. He had no idea what was about to wake inside me.

Over the next few days, the castle was buzzing with rumors. Everyone from the cooks to the high nobles assumed Julian would be my chosen mate. Because of my lack of a wolf, they believed I needed a strong Alpha to protect me, and Julian was the highest-ranking bachelor.

I listened to their whispers with a completely calm heart. I knew the truth. Julian would string me along just enough to keep his options open, but ultimately, he would bind himself to Seraphina for the throne.

On the fourth evening, a young maid approached me in the hallway. She nervously pressed a folded piece of parchment into my hand. It was from Julian. He had bribed the Luna's servant to secretly ask me to meet him at the old abandoned bell tower. I decided to go, if only to finally put an end to this exhausting charade.

The air in the bell tower was thick with the smell of dust and cold stone. When I climbed the spiral stairs, I saw Julian standing by the arched window. He was holding an old, yellowed wolf tooth necklace, staring at it intensely. It was a trinket I had given him when we were ten years old.

Hearing my footsteps, he turned around. A bright, almost desperate smile stretched his lips. It was a look of profound relief, but it did not reach his eyes, which remained sharp and assessing.

"Elara, you came," he breathed, stepping toward me.

Before I could speak, he reached into his velvet coat and pulled out a small, heavy silver box. He popped it open. Inside, resting on black velvet, was a massive Bloodstone pendant. I stared at the dark red stone, a wave of disgust washing over me. I was certain this was a bribe. He was giving me this so I would speak highly of him to Seraphina and the Luna.

I forced a polite, comforting smile onto my face. "You do not need to purchase my good word, Julian," I said softly. "Seraphina already favors you. This gift is unnecessary."

Julian's face froze for a second, then a look of wild, euphoric joy took over his features. He completely misunderstood my words. He thought I was accepting his courtship and praising his strength.

"I knew you would understand!" he laughed, his voice echoing loudly in the empty tower. "I knew you would see that everything I do is for our future." His smile was so wide it looked almost painful.

"Be careful you don't strain something," I said dryly, my voice devoid of his elation.

I lowered my eyes, deciding this was the perfect time to ask the question that had been burning in my mind. "Julian," I started, keeping my voice casual. "During the trial... that Warrior who fell. Kaelen. Have you heard what happened to him? Is his arm healing?"

The moment the name left my lips, the air in the room grew heavy and cold, and the dust motes dancing in the sliver of moonlight seemed to freeze in place.

Julian's joyful smile vanished instantly. His face turned as hard as the stone walls around us. A deep, vibrating growl rumbled in the back of his throat, the sound of a threatened Alpha. "Why are you asking about him?" he demanded, his voice dropping to a dangerous whisper.

He stood up straighter, projecting his dominant Alpha presence, a palpable weight intended to make me feel small. "He's nothing. Just low-blood trash. A stray dog living off Pack scraps."

My chest tightened, a heavy pressure building in my lungs. I kept my voice perfectly calm, refusing to back down. "He is not trash," I replied, looking directly into his angry eyes. "He shot a perfect bullseye with a dislocated shoulder. That is not just brute strength, Julian. That is the true spirit of a wolf."

I took a step forward. "And if you had not maliciously rammed into him at the cliff's edge, he might have beaten you."

Julian let out a harsh, mocking laugh. He raised his hand and reached toward the side of my neck. Before his fingers could graze my skin, I jerked my body backward, an instinctual, fluid motion that left his hand hanging awkwardly in the empty air.

His jaw clenched tightly, his pride deeply wounded. "You are so naive, Elara," he sneered, dropping his hand. "You sit in this castle and know nothing of the real world. Outside these walls, Rogues will tear you apart while you sleep." He stepped closer, his scent becoming suffocating. "In the wild, there is no fairness. There is only survival. Deception in battle is a necessity."

He glared at me, his eyes flashing green. "It is disgraceful for a royal princess to show concern for a dirty, landless Warrior."

He grabbed my hand and roughly shoved the silver box containing the Bloodstone into my palm. "The Alpha King is going to announce the decrees soon," Julian commanded, his voice leaving no room for argument. "At the Mating Ceremony, you will wear this pendant. You will show everyone that you belong to the Ironclaw Pack."

I looked down at the blood-red stone resting in my hand. A memory flashed in my mind. Years ago, when Julian had given the best flowers to Seraphina, he had handed me a plain, gray river rock. You do not have a wolf yet, Elara. Plain stones suit you better, he had laughed. Now, he wanted to dress me in jewels just to secure his own political power.

I saw right through his handsome, lying face. I placed the silver box onto the dusty stone window sill and pushed it back toward him.

"I will not wear it," I said, my voice echoing clearly in the silent tower.

Julian stared at the box, his breathing stopping. "And I will not choose you as my mate, Julian. Not now. Not ever."

Julian stared at the heavy silver box I had just pushed back across the dusty window sill. His breathing stopped completely. The handsome, polite mask he always wore slowly melted away, revealing something dark and ugly underneath. As the dim light from the window struck his face, his pupils contracted into vertical slits, like a night predator's, catching the gray light and reflecting it back as unsettling flecks of green. It was the look of a predator who had just been denied his meal.

He gripped the edge of the stone sill so hard his knuckles turned white. "You are throwing a tantrum," he said, his voice completely flat. He was trying to convince himself more than me. "You are just jealous because Seraphina took the spotlight today. You are acting like a spoiled child."

I stood my ground, my nails digging deep into the soft flesh of my palms. The physical pressure kept my mind sharp and clear. "I am not jealous, Julian. I am awake," I replied evenly.

He ignored my words, stepping closer until his tall frame blocked the dim light coming through the window. "You are still crying over that old tiara," he sneered, shaking his head. "You do not understand the big picture, Elara. A true royal must sacrifice useless sentiments for the good of the Pack."

He leaned down, his face inches from mine. "Do not play games with your future. You only get one chance to choose a mate who can actually protect you." He let out a cruel, barking laugh. "Who else is going to take a broken Omega who cannot even Shift? That nameless Warrior? He is so poor he does not even own a patch of dirt."

A cold fury settled over my heart. "Do you really think every female wolf in this kingdom exists just to bow to your Alpha scent?" I asked.

Julian's jaw tightened, his glowing green eyes narrowing into dangerous slits. "I am using your own logic, Julian," I continued, my voice steady. "You said suitability is more important than winning. You want to rule the Pack, and I just want a peaceful life." I looked him up and down with complete indifference. "We are not suitable at all."

Julian's chest heaved, his heavy breaths echoing loudly in the small tower room. He could not handle a low-ranking female rejecting him. Suddenly, he stood up straight and let out a deep, rumbling growl from the bottom of his chest.

He was using the Alpha's Command. A power no Omega should have been able to resist.

The heavy, suffocating pressure hit me, a physical weight that seemed to press on my bones and steal the air from my lungs. My knees buckled slightly under the invisible weight. Julian watched me with a cruel, victorious smirk, waiting for me to fall to the dirty floor.

But as the pressure tried to force my head down, the alien hum I had felt in the courtyard—that whisper of something ancient—suddenly surged in answer. It was no longer a promise. It was a presence. A current of ice-cold energy shot up my spine, striking his Alpha's Command with the sharp crack of shattering glass.

The ancient, dormant power of the White Wolf had awakened.

I stood back up to my full height, my breathing perfectly normal. Julian's smirk vanished, replaced by slack-jawed shock. I tilted my chin up, the corner of my mouth lifting into a cold, dismissive curve.

Without another word, I turned my back on him and walked down the spiral stone stairs. I left him standing alone in the shadows, wondering how a broken Omega had just broken his unbreakable will.

And I walked away knowing, for the first time, exactly what I was. The true test was still coming. The Mating Ceremony would reveal everything—and Julian would finally learn who he had truly betrayed.

In three days, the entire court would gather for the Mating Ceremony. Julian would stand in the front row, smug and certain, waiting for me to call his name. He had no idea I was about to speak a different name entirely. And when I did, every wolf in that hall would see exactly what the White Wolf was capable of.