Katie crouched low in the shadows of the pine forest, her breath shallow and her heartbeat loud in her ears. Another failed hunt. Another evening of being too slow, too weak, too... omega.
But the truth? She wasn't just an omega.
No one knew. Not even Katie, really. But deep inside her, something ancient stirred.
Rachel—her wolf—was nothing like the others. Where most wolves were seen by the age of sixteen, Katie was nearing eighteen, and hers remained hidden. Not absent. Just... silent. Waiting.
They'll come for us if they see, Rachel whispered in Katie's dreams. And you're not ready to burn the world just yet.
Rachel was enormous, her coat a silky black that swallowed light, her eyes gold like sunrise fire. But Katie had only seen glimpses—through dreams, flashes in reflections. The pack thought she was wolfless. A defect. A burden.
Let them. If anyone knew what she really was—what Rachel really was—they wouldn't mock her. They'd try to dissect her.
As Katie crept back into the pack house through the servant's entrance, she ducked past the noise and glow of the Luna Festival. The scent of food, perfume, and celebration hit her like a wave. This was not her world. Not yet.
"Katie," a syrupy, sharp voice said behind her.
Marissa.
The Alpha's daughter leaned against the wall, surrounded by her shadows—Ivy and Lila. All painted lips, curled hair, and false sweetness.
"Still trying to sneak into real wolf business?" Marissa asked, plucking a crystal flute from a passing tray and sipping slowly.
Katie said nothing. Just lowered her eyes and waited.
Marissa's lip curled. "Grab a tray. At least pretend to be useful."
Katie took the tray without a word. The moment she stepped into the grand hall, she felt it. A gaze. Heavy. Burning.
She glanced up. And her world tilted.
He stood on the second-floor balcony, watching her with eyes like gold melted down and poured into a man. Tall, broad-shouldered, with a stillness that radiated danger.
Liam. The Lycan King.
Her pulse stuttered. His jaw clenched. Somewhere between them, an invisible thread tightened.
Mate.