The forest had always felt like home.
Not the small, quiet house at the edge of the pack territory. Not the cold stares. Not the whispers.
No.
It was the forest—the scent of pine, the crunch of leaves beneath her feet, the way the moonlight filtered through the trees—that made Clara Fisher feel like she belonged.
Because unlike everyone else in the Crescent Moon Pack…
she was different.
At eighteen, every wolf was supposed to have shifted. It was the moment they finally became whole—strong, powerful, complete.
But Clara?
She had nothing.
No wolf.
No connection.
No place.
"Useless."
The word echoed in her mind as she hugged her arms, walking deeper into the forest. She had heard it too many times—whispered by pack members who thought she couldn't hear.
Or worse… said directly to her face.
A sudden gust of wind brushed past her, carrying a scent that made her stop.
Her heart skipped.
It was… different.
Stronger. Colder. Dangerous.
Before she could process it, a low growl echoed behind her.
Clara froze.
Slowly, she turned around—
And her breath caught in her throat.
Standing a few feet away was a massive black wolf. Its fur shimmered under the moonlight, its golden eyes locked onto hers with an intensity that made her chest tighten.
This wasn't just any wolf.
This was an Alpha.
Her instincts screamed at her to run.
But she couldn't move.
The wolf stepped closer, its gaze never leaving hers. There was something strange in the way it looked at her—not just dominance…
Recognition.
Her heart began to race.
"Why… is it looking at me like that?" she whispered.
The wolf stopped right in front of her.
Close enough that she could feel its breath.
Close enough that fear and something else—something unfamiliar—twisted inside her chest.
Then suddenly—
The wolf stepped back.
And in a flash of light, it shifted.
Clara gasped, stumbling back as a boy stood where the wolf had been.
Tall. Broad-shouldered. Bare-chested. His dark hair fell messily over his forehead, and his piercing eyes—those same golden eyes—were fixed on her.
Cold. Sharp. Powerful.
He looked about her age… maybe a little older.
But there was no mistaking it.
This was someone important.
Very important.
He tilted his head slightly, studying her like she was something he couldn't understand.
Then his lips parted.
And his voice—deep, commanding, and filled with disbelief—cut through the silence.
"…Impossible."
Clara's heart pounded.
"W-what?"
He took a slow step closer.
And then he said the one thing that changed everything—
"You're my mate."
The world seemed to stop.
Her breath hitched.
"No…" she whispered, shaking her head. "That's not possible."
Mates were destined.
Chosen by the Moon Goddess.
Strong wolves were paired with strong wolves.
Not… her.
Not a girl without a wolf.
But the boy's expression darkened, his jaw tightening.
"I don't make mistakes," he said coldly.
The warmth in his eyes vanished, replaced with something harsher.
Disappointment.
Rejection.
"Out of everyone…" he muttered, almost to himself. "It had to be you?"
Clara felt something inside her crack.
She didn't even know him.
But the pain in his voice—it hurt more than all the insults she had ever heard.
"I didn't ask for this either," she snapped, her voice shaking despite her attempt to sound strong.
For a moment, silence stretched between them.
The wind howled softly through the trees.
And then—
He turned away.
"I reject you."
The words hit her like a slap.
Cold. Sharp. Final.
Before she could react, before she could even understand what was happening—
He was gone.
Just like that.
Leaving her standing alone under the moonlight.
Broken.
Confused.
And with a pain in her chest that felt like it might never go away.
Clara sank to her knees, clutching her chest as tears blurred her vision.
"Why…" she whispered.
Why her?
Why now?
Why him?
But deep inside her…
Something stirred.
Faint.
Weak.
But there.
And for the first time in her life…
Clara didn't feel completely empty.