The moon hung high above the clearing, silver light spilling over the gathered wolves. Torches blazed in a wide circle, throwing sparks into the night air, their smoke rising to the star-dotted sky. The scent of pine, earth, and excitement filled the space. All around, wolves shifted in restless anticipation, hearts pounding in rhythm with the sacred night.
Tonight was the mate ceremony. Tonight, destinies would be revealed.
Lyra stood at the edge of the crowd, her palms slick with sweat despite the cool breeze brushing against her bare arms. Her simple white dress felt too thin, too plain, as though it exposed every flaw she carried. She twisted her fingers together, willing them to stop trembling, but her nerves refused to obey.
Please, let this be the night… let me finally belong.
"Stop fidgeting." Evie, her best friend, nudged her elbow. The fiery-haired warrior-in-training was radiant even in the modest ceremonial robe, her green eyes alight with excitement. "You'll wear a hole straight through the ground if you keep that up."
Lyra forced a smile, though her stomach was tied into knots. Unlike everyone else in the clearing, she had no wolf inside her—or so the pack had always believed. Since childhood, she had been whispered about as a mistake, a weakling, a girl tolerated out of pity rather than pride.
But tonight, everything could change. If she was chosen, if she had a mate, then perhaps she could finally be accepted.
The crowd hushed as a figure strode into the circle. Damon Blackthorn. The future Alpha.
His presence was undeniable. Dark hair framed a face that was both striking and severe, his jaw strong, his posture exuding the raw dominance of a born leader. His storm-grey eyes swept across the crowd, commanding silence with a single glance. Power radiated from him like heat from a fire. Wolves straightened unconsciously as he passed, instinct bowing to his authority.
Lyra's heart raced as she watched him. Every girl in the pack dreamed of being chosen by Damon. But when his gaze locked on hers, the world tilted.
Her breath caught. Her chest tightened.
And then—something flared to life inside her. A pull, magnetic and undeniable, sparked between them, racing through her veins like wildfire. Her vision blurred as her pulse hammered. She knew, without a doubt.
Her mate. Damon Blackthorn.
Gasps rippled through the circle. Wolves turned to whisper, their eyes darting between Damon and Lyra. Some faces showed shock, others disbelief. A few were already curling in disdain.
Lyra's lips parted, her heart swelling with trembling hope. This is it. He's mine. I belong—
Damon stiffened. His jaw clenched so hard the muscle twitched. He looked at her as though she were a ghost he wished would vanish. Silence stretched, heavy and suffocating, until he finally spoke.
"I reject you."
The words were sharp enough to pierce bone.
The crowd gasped as one. Evie's hand flew to her mouth. Whispers erupted, sharp as knives.
Damon's voice carried cold and clear across the clearing. "I will not bind myself to weakness. You are nothing but a human-born mistake. I, Damon Blackthorn, reject you as my mate."
The bond that had just bloomed between them shattered in an instant. Pain slammed into Lyra's chest, a searing agony that stole her breath. She stumbled back, clutching at her heart as if it were being ripped in two.
Her vision blurred with tears. Laughter echoed faintly, cruel and delighted. She heard someone whisper, "Of course the Alpha would never take her," and another scoff, "Did she really think she was worthy?"
Evie pushed through the murmuring wolves, trying to reach her, but Lyra's ears rang with humiliation. Her legs trembled as though they might give way.
She had dared to hope. And in front of the entire pack, that hope had been destroyed.
But as the pain clawed through her, something stirred deep within. A low rumble, faint but fierce, rising from the core of her being.
Mine…
Lyra froze. The voice wasn't her own. It was primal, resonant, filled with raw fury.
Her pulse stuttered. Breath caught in her throat. For the first time in her life, she wasn't alone.
Inside her mind, something ancient was waking. Something that had been waiting, watching, and now… claiming.