Chapter One—The Red Moon
**ANNA**
The bonding ceremony, ughhh.
I groaned as I stretched out my arms, stifling a sharp yawn when I turned around to Aria standing next to the window. She was looking as radiant as ever, my twin sister, the apple of my father's eye.
I stifled another yawn, fighting back exhaustion from sparring with Kaleb and his men as my father didn't approve of my hobbies. After all, Aria was his perfect Luna— and I a weak omega looking to make herself stronger.
Tonight was the awakening. Every decade, a red moon rises out of the ashes thus awakening the bonds between two mates. The bonding ceremony was a celebration of the red moon, a night where every being finds their mate—I wasn't looking forward to it.
My sister, Aria on the other hand, had so much to look forward to. As a matter of fact, packed her bags ready just in time before the ceremony was announced. It was customary for two mates to move in together after the awakening according to the pack's laws, a rule I've never understood.
"Are you ready for tonight?" She finally spoke, acknowledging my presence as she turned around to lean by the window.
I shrugged, "It's not like I'm going to bond with anyone. So no, I'm not excited."
She rolled her eyes, with the same sardonic look in her face, envy or contempt I wasn't sure, we weren't the closest of sisters even though born few minutes apart. She carried herself with so much poise, grace and elegance and I…well I was just an Omega, an mis-born twin according to my father.
They hated me both, I brought nothing to the family. I wasn't one who excelled in studies, or the beauty department—all thanks to my murky self who spent all day sparring with men in the military, and my most disappointing feat of all—No prospects in marriage.
"I'm sure you'll bond with someone," she chuckled softly, "Maybe an Omega like yourself."
"Hahaha, very funny Aria," I rolled my eyes as I rose to my feet, "We're not all that bad you know."
"You're weak. The bottom of the barrel bunch." She muttered back.
I sighed deeply, turning my back on her as I left the room. Aria was an upholder of the hierarchical system of werewolves, hence she looked down on every being of low status such as myself. Omegas are the weakest according to the packs laws, they called us low-borns as the other members would rather die by poisoning than be affiliated with our kind.
It was all false anyway. Some Omegas were the strongest physically, as their reliance on the connection to the moon was sparse. They could adapt to any situation, save themselves from danger unlike the other Betas who relied on their transformation for power….Omegas were so much more than what the others thought, I knew because I trained with them everyday.
It didn't matter at the end of the day. It was hard for an Omega to find a mate at the awakening, impossible almost and so I wasn't bothered, I wanted to make my self stronger at the end of the day, prove my father and sister wrong.
Another yawn left my lips as I made my way down the stairs and into the kitchen, a glass of milk was conveniently on the wooden table which I grabbed. I could hear murmurs, my father having a conversation with someone right outside the yard, my ears pronged to action,
"It would be an honor if my daughter, Aria, bonds with you tonight at the awakening."
"Of course sir. I would also love to bond with Aria tonight. She's the one after my heart after all."
My throat ran dry despite the milk.
I lost my appetite.
My fatigue dissipated, just at the sound of his grainy voice. My nostrils flared at arrogant scent of the Alpha, who had all the girls in Moonlight grove wrapped around his fingers.
Nikolai Ashford. The new leader of the pack, my one true enemy.