The ceremonial hall of the Shadowfang Pack was alive with excitement.
Torches flickered along the stone walls while wolves gathered in clusters, whispering eagerly about the night's event. The annual mating ceremony was the most anticipated gathering of the year. It was the night when fate revealed destined mates.
Ava Nightshade stood near the back of the crowded hall, trying to make herself as invisible as possible.
She had spent most of her life doing exactly that.
Among the powerful wolves of Shadowfang, Ava was nothing special. She was an omega—quiet, overlooked, and often the subject of whispered insults.
Still, tonight her heart beat faster than usual.
Some small part of her hoped that maybe fate had something different planned for her.
The large wooden doors opened suddenly.
The crowd fell silent as Alpha Kael Blackthorn entered the hall.
Tall, powerful, and commanding, Kael carried himself like the natural leader he was born to be. His dark eyes swept across the room as wolves respectfully stepped aside.
Ava lowered her gaze.
The moment she looked up again, Kael's eyes met hers.
A sharp electric sensation shot through her chest.
Her breath caught.
The bond ignited instantly.
Mate.
Shock flooded her mind.
Alpha Kael was her mate.
But the expression on his face held no warmth.
Only cold calculation.