...
The full moon hung high over the pack grounds, casting silver light on every shadow. The entire clan gathered, eyes sharp, senses alert. Sera Vale stood at the center, her heart pounding against her ribs. Every fiber of her being screamed to run, to hide—but she stayed. She had to.
Steven stepped forward, his silver eyes cold as ice. "I, Steven, reject you, Sera Vale." The words cut through her chest like a dagger. A gasp ran through the crowd. Whispers, snickers, and murmurs filled the air.
Sera's hands clenched into fists at her sides. She felt the sting, the humiliation, but she would not fall. Not here. Not now. Her voice came out sharp, defiant: "I… am not weak!"
The pack laughed. Some sneered. Some whispered cruel jokes. Her ears burned, and a part of her wanted to cry—but she gritted her teeth and held her head high.
Then, the air shifted. A scent unlike any other—dark, powerful, intoxicating—swept through the clearing. The murmurs stopped. Even Steven froze, eyes narrowing.
A shadow fell over the ground. A presence so commanding it silenced the entire pack. Kael appeared at the edge of the circle, his red eyes locking onto Sera. The mark on her neck flared—a soft, eerie glow no one had seen before.
"You… are not an Omega," he said, his voice low, chilling, yet commanding. Every muscle in Sera's body froze. The pack gasped. Even Steven stepped back, fear flickering in his eyes.
Sera's heart raced. Her mind screamed questions, but no words came. She forced herself to breathe, to stay standing, to appear unbroken. The full moon bathed them in light, and everything felt heavier, charged, inevitable.
The pack stared. Whispers ran like wildfire: "Who… is he?"
Her own thoughts scattered. She had no idea what this Alpha wanted, only that everything had changed. The night that started with humiliation had ended with something far worse… and far more dangerous.
End of Chapter 1