Phoebe's POV

I bolted through the forest, my lungs burning with each desperate breath. My legs shrieked in agony, begging me to stop, but I couldn't afford to slow down.

They were closing in. Getting caught meant certain death.

*Phoebe! Get back here!* My father's furious voice slammed into my mind through the pack link. Beta Cameron was among my hunters, along with my stepbrother and that bastard alpha's son.

A dozen Obsidian Claw warriors tracked me through the woods. My odds of escape? Nearly impossible. But I had to try. The pack border was within reach—I could sense it calling to me.

I pushed harder, my legs pumping as adrenaline flooded my system. The pain from thorny branches and jagged rocks tearing at my skin faded to nothing. *Moon Goddess, please,* I begged silently. *Just a little miracle.*

Almost there. Almost there. The words became my mantra.

My backpack snagged on a low branch, jerking me backward. The contents scattered across the forest floor, but I didn't waste a second gathering them. I ripped free and kept running.

Clothes could be replaced. Freedom couldn't.

The cruel irony wasn't lost on me—in two days, I'd turn eighteen and finally shift. But I couldn't wait another moment, not after what Kevin had done to me.

*You're dead when I get my hands on you!*

My father's snarl ripped through my thoughts, making me stumble. I tried blocking the mind link, but he was too strong. Being a beta had its advantages.

The border appeared ahead—a shallow river separating Obsidian Claw from Crimson Fang territory. I'd chosen this route because it was lightly guarded.

Just a few more steps...

I crashed through the underbrush and splashed across the river. The moment my feet hit the opposite bank, I collapsed, my chest heaving as my lungs fought for air.

Every muscle screamed, but I'd done it. I'd crossed the border.

An angry howl echoed behind me. I twisted around to see Kevin and my stepbrother Reginald shifting back to human form on the other side.

Their glares could have melted steel, but they were trapped. Crossing without permission would spark a war between the packs.

I couldn't linger either. Crimson Fang patrols would find me soon enough, and that would bring different problems.

I needed to reach the Solitary lands to the south, then push toward human settlements.

"Get back here, Phoebe!" Reginald's roar echoed across the water while Kevin bared his teeth, murder gleaming in his eyes.

I wanted to tell them exactly where they could shove their demands, but I had no energy left. I had to keep moving.

My body protested as I struggled to stand, ready to flee again when something slammed into me from behind. My heart stopped as Kevin's weight pinned me to the ground.

"Think you can run from me, little wolf?" His voice was pure menace. He used his bulk to crush me into the dirt. "You're not going anywhere."

"You... you crossed the border," I gasped. His knee dug into my ribs, making each breath torture.

"Yeah, so did you." His smirk was triumphant and cruel.

Across the river, I watched my father screaming at Kevin to return before Crimson Fang warriors found them.

"Time to go home. You've been very naughty tonight." Kevin's fist tangled in my long brown hair as he stood, yanking me up with him. I couldn't stop the scream that tore from my throat.

He didn't give me a chance to find my footing before dragging me toward the water. My scalp burned like fire.

This was it. They'd kill me for trying to escape.

But before we reached the riverbank, a dozen Crimson Fang warriors melted from the shadows, surrounding us. Their gamma shifted to human form.

"Kevin Obsidian Claw," Gamma Darius drawled, making each syllable deliberate. "Funny, I don't recall giving you permission to visit our territory." His gaze flicked to me dismissively.

"Sorry for the intrusion," Kevin replied smoothly, "but one of our pack members got a little too adventurous tonight. We caught her before she could cause your pack any trouble."

His grip on my hair tightened until tears stung my eyes.

Gamma Darius studied me, though my tangled hair hid most of my face.

"I understand the situation, but rules are rules. There will be consequences."

"Of course." Kevin nodded like the perfect diplomat. "We can discuss terms later. Let me just drag this mutt back where she belongs." He shook my head for emphasis, flashing that harmless smile. "Maybe we can grab coffee and work something out."

"No, please... don't send me back," I begged the gamma, desperation cracking my voice. But he looked right through me.

Gamma Darius weighed his options before nodding curtly. "Take her and leave. I'll discuss this incident with my alpha." His attention shifted to the warriors across the river.

"Much appreciated."

...

Phoebe's POV

"What do you think you're doing?!"

The brutal slap crashed across my face. I collapsed onto the frigid dungeon floor, curling into myself. No sound escaped my lips—I simply lay there and absorbed the beating, the way I always had.

"You bring nothing but trouble to this pack!"

Beta Cameron lifted his boot, preparing to drive it into me when he realized I hadn't moved. Scowling, he crouched down and swept the tangled hair from my face.

I was breathing, alive technically, but my eyes held nothing. I gazed into the empty distance, the pain no longer registering. The sight deepened the scowl etched across the beta's features.

"Are you listening to me?!" Cameron roared, but I didn't even twitch. "Phoebe!"

Footsteps echoed in the dungeon as someone approached the beta. "My father wants to see you in his office," Kevin announced, his gaze flicking to where I lay motionless on the stone floor.

Cameron exhaled heavily before rising and abandoning the dank dungeon—and me—while Kevin remained behind.

Once we were alone, Kevin dropped into a crouch. His fingers seized my chin, forcing me to meet his stare. "I promised I'd destroy your life. How dare you try to escape your punishment?"

My lifeless eyes focused when I saw Kevin, my cracked lips parting as I rasped, "I don't know where my sister is. I've already told you."

"Liar!" Kevin's hand cracked across my face with such force I thought he'd broken my neck.

Viola was Kevin's girlfriend. She was also my stepsister. Five years separated us, and she was three years older than Reginald.

Kevin and Viola should have been mated a year ago, but the day before their ceremony, Viola discovered her destined mate and fled with him, shattering Kevin's heart. He'd transformed that anguish into rage, and he needed someone to blame.

I made the perfect target—the pack's outcast, and the first person to discover Viola's disappearance.

In Kevin's warped mind, I must have aided Viola's escape. The abuse had started that day.

No one dared challenge the alpha's son, and Reginald eagerly joined Kevin's campaign to break me, having tormented me since beta Cameron mated his mother.

"Where is she?" Kevin's fist twisted in my shirt, tearing the fabric. He pressed his face close to mine. "You were planning to escape and meet her, weren't you?"

"I don't care about her. I was trying to escape your torture. This place is hell." I tasted copper on my tongue. I couldn't heal—I hadn't received my wolf yet.

Shifter healing kicked in with the wolf, though some got it earlier.

I wasn't among the lucky ones.

So I endured every blow from Cameron, Kevin, and Reginald without relief.

"Oh, Phoebe. You have no idea what hell looks like." Kevin's laugh held no warmth. "These past few days were just a warm-up.

Until you tell me Viola's location, I'll make your existence far worse than this. That's not a threat—it's a guarantee."

Kevin shoved me away, wiping his hands on his pants like he'd touched something contaminated.

He stared down at me with cold eyes before striding to the door and slamming it shut.

The exhaustion was overwhelming. When darkness crept in, I embraced it. It offered respite from the agony and injustice, a brief escape until I'd have to face it all again.

But my rest was short-lived. Ice-cold water crashed over my body, jolting me awake. I cried out and gasped, feeling like I was drowning.

I shot upright, swiping water from my face as violent shivers wracked my frame. Without windows in this cell, I had no way to gauge the time or how long I'd been unconscious.

Everything remained dim, lit only by a single weak bulb that barely penetrated the gloom.

"Sweet dreams?" Reginald chuckled. He tossed aside the bucket he'd used and crouched before me, grinning widely at the pain reflected in my eyes.

"What do you want?!" I tried to shout, but my voice came out as a rasp.

"Get up. Father wants to see you." Reginald rose, laughing mockingly as I struggled to stand. He offered no assistance—not that I expected any.

Without question, my father wanted to discuss last night's events, and as usual, he wouldn't listen to my side before placing all blame squarely on my shoulders.

So it shocked me when Cameron didn't explode the moment I entered his study. He dismissed Reginald, who clearly wanted to stay and witness our conversation.

"Leave, Reginald." Authority rang in his voice, successfully driving his stepson away. "Sit down, Phoebe." He frowned at my soaked appearance, noting how I trembled slightly. "Why are you wet?"

I didn't respond. He wouldn't care what had happened even if I told him what Reginald had done. I'd stopped expecting my father to defend me long ago.

I was right when he jumped straight to his main point without waiting for my answer.

"Because of your tantrum last night, our pack now has problems with the Crimson Fang pack. As punishment, you'll be demoted to servant status.

You're being cut from this family."

At those words, I laughed like a madwoman, making Cameron's brow furrow deeper.

...

Phoebe's POV

"I don't have a family. You stopped being my father five years ago." I raised my head, fighting back the tears threatening to spill. "I've served as a servant in this house for years without you caring. It makes no difference if they've officially made me one now. I've been treated like one for ages."

Cameron stared at me, but remained silent. He was aware that Viola and Reginald had always picked on me, but he believed I was overly sensitive, having grown up as an only child before his remarriage.

His daughter—me—took the stepsibling's harassment too seriously, while Reginald and Viola just wanted me to relax and take things less personally.

"Stop creating problems, Phoebe. Your actions last night nearly sparked a war between two packs." Cameron settled behind his desk, lacing his fingers together in contemplation. "The alpha is livid right now. I'll speak with him again once he's cooled off."

I couldn't care less about that. "May I return to my room?" Exhaustion weighed me down. I hadn't eaten since last night, and glancing at the clock, I realized evening had already arrived. No surprise I felt so famished.

"Gather your belongings. You're moving to the pack house to work there starting tomorrow."

I dragged my weary body back to my bedroom and crumpled onto the bed. I didn't bother changing out of my damp clothes. Five hours remained until midnight, when I'd turn eighteen and receive my wolf, but instead I was burning with fever.

The following day, fever still gripped me as I packed my possessions. Someone had retrieved the backpack I'd abandoned, but it was torn beyond use, forcing me to grab another one.

I was born around eight o'clock, so normally, I wouldn't receive my wolf until that time. Usually, others would celebrate this milestone since it marked a huge moment for a shifter, but here I was—no one even recalled my birthday.

"Happy birthday to me," I whispered to myself, shouldering the backpack and heading toward the door.

I didn't want anyone screaming at me to get out of this house, so I rose very early and registered myself at the pack house once I located the pack's gamma.

"You should know better than to run away and bring our pack trouble," Gamma Brennan said with a weary sigh. He led me to my bedroom in the omega quarters, then left me alone.

The room was cramped. A bed pressed against one wall, a cabinet against the other, while my window was tiny with a deadbolt, preventing me from opening it.

I dropped the backpack on the floor and sank onto the hard bed. Dizziness washed over me—my fever would worsen without medicine.

I planned to visit the healer when someone barged into the bedroom.

"You cost us a fortune," Kevin snarled. His father had received a call from Alpha Theodore of the Crimson Fang pack last night, and he wasn't pleased about the trespassing. They'd agreed to meet this afternoon, with Alpha Theodore coming personally.

"You should have let me leave the pack," I glared at Kevin, but lost my edge as the room began spinning.

"And give you the freedom you crave?" Kevin sneered. "I won't be that generous, Phoebe. You cost me my mate—you'll remain in this pack to pay for your mistake."

"Leave me alone!" I screamed at him, but my voice emerged as a croak.

Instead, Kevin crossed the room in two strides and seized my throat. His fingers wrapped around my windpipe so tightly he could crush it if he chose. Yet simultaneously, he could feel how my body burned with fever.

"Watch your tone when speaking to me," he growled savagely, shoving me onto the bed. "It's unfortunate you're still so young." He lowered his face and pressed his lips to my neck, making me recoil with revulsion. "I can use you as your sister's replacement."

"No..." I whimpered as Kevin's hand touched my inner thigh. I wanted to kick him away, but he was too powerful. "Leave me alone."

"Soon, Phoebe. Soon." That was a vow. Kevin wouldn't leave me be. "Once you come of age, I'm going to destroy you even more."

Thank goodness he didn't know that today I had come of age—I was getting my wolf. I held onto hope of finding my mate, someone who could rescue me from this nightmare.

"You'll be my plaything," Kevin kissed my cheek before straightening up, allowing me to breathe in relief. "Soon, little wolf."

After that, Kevin departed. When his presence vanished, I curled up on the bed. Forgetting about finding the healer, I couldn't force myself to leave the bed and drifted off to sleep.

I awakened when my body felt scorching hot, breathing heavily. The sky outside had turned pitch black, which meant this was the moment. I was about to receive my wolf.

Shifting for the first time would be agonizing. Normally, an adult wolf should assist, but I lacked that luxury—I had to endure the entire painful process alone.

But suddenly, this intoxicating scent struck me.

Mate!

The scent was overwhelmingly strong, and I couldn't control myself as I stumbled out of bed, frantically searching for its source while trying to figure out how to shift for the first time.

My feet carried me to the alpha's study, and against my better judgment, I yanked the door open.

My mate was inside!

...

Phoebe's POV

I couldn't wrap my head around it. The Moon Goddess had to despise me to pair me with him as my mate.

This man loathed every fiber of my being.

My attention locked onto Kevin inside the room. That intoxicating scent—it was coming from him.

The magnetic pull dragging my aching body forward existed because of him, because my wolf had recognized him as my mate.

"This can't be happening..." I gasped, my legs giving out as I crumpled to the floor. I had nothing left to keep me upright.

My first shift was happening right now, and every inch of me screamed in agony.

"I refuse this!" Kevin's snarl cut through the air. His hands clenched into fists at his sides. He clearly grasped what was unfolding, the weight of our situation.

The study held more than just Kevin and his father, Alpha Sterling. Alpha Theodore was there too, along with my father, Beta Cameron.

They'd gathered to discuss last night's border breach, but Kevin's restlessness and my arrival had derailed everything.

For what felt like an eternity, they all stared at me in shock. When reality finally hit them, their faces showed disbelief—especially the Obsidian Claw pack members.

I was Kevin's fated mate. My stepsister had been his girlfriend before she fled the pack a year ago. Since then, Kevin had blamed me for everything, turning my existence into pure hell.

Now he'd discovered I was his destined mate.

"No. I won't accept this." Once the shock faded, fury consumed Kevin's features. Humiliation burned in his eyes, and without hesitation, he rejected me right there.

He'd never accept me as his fated mate!

"I, Kevin Obsidian Claw, reject you as my mate. May our bond be severed forever!" His voice boomed for everyone to witness. "I refuse you as my mate!"

I raised my head, meeting Kevin's gaze with disbelief, though I shouldn't have been surprised. I didn't want to mate with the alpha's son either.

The bully who'd made my life a living nightmare.

"I accept your rejection," I whispered weakly, my body collapsing as the agony of rejection merged with my shift's torment. I was certain death was coming for me.

The last thing I saw was my father rushing toward me, worry etched across his face. I wondered if he'd lash out at me later for disrupting their precious meeting...

When consciousness returned, I found myself in my bedroom in the omega quarters. My father sat in a chair beside my bed, dark circles shadowing his eyes. The moment I stirred, he moved closer.

"How do you feel?"

I scanned my surroundings as memories crashed over me like a tidal wave. With them came the pain—excruciating and all-consuming. I couldn't remember if I'd completed my first shift.

"What are you doing here?" My voice came out cold. I pulled away when he reached for me.

Cameron's hand froze mid-air. "I forgot your birthday. I should have been there for your first shift."

"I'd be shocked if you had remembered."

"Phoebe. Stop being difficult. Your attitude only makes things worse." He looked like he'd aged a decade overnight.

"You stopped caring about me long ago, father."

I forced myself upright despite the dizziness, my gaze steady on him. "Leave me alone like you always do."

He opened his mouth, then snapped it shut, as if words were forming but couldn't find their way out.

Finally, he spoke in a detached tone, like he was delivering a report. "You know our pack's customs. A rejected mate brings bad luck, so the alpha will banish you. You're free to leave."

I blinked, not comprehending at first. When he explained what happened after I'd collapsed, how they no longer wanted me because I was rejected, how they expected me gone by tomorrow—it hit me.

It was superstition, but apparently strong enough for the alpha to cast me out.

"You can leave the pack now." Cameron stood and headed for the door, but before leaving, he dropped another devastating blow that explained the extra pain beyond rejection. "Your first shift didn't go smoothly. It weakened your wolf. You might lose her."

After that bombshell, he abandoned me alone to process the overwhelming information that had greeted my awakening.

They wanted me gone now...

——

"I don't give a damn, father! She stays. She'll work as a servant in the pack house!" Kevin's voice thundered as he refused to bend to his father's decision to exile Phoebe.

This was exactly what she'd wanted. This was why they'd gotten into trouble with Alpha Theodore in the first place—and now they'd hand her exactly what she'd asked for?

"You rejected her. She's bad luck now."

"That's nothing but ridiculous superstition!"

Kevin was still reeling from the rejection. He'd acted on impulse, but watching Phoebe's body crumble after his words had burned the image into his mind permanently.

She'd been sick—he was certain of it. He'd felt her fever when he'd grabbed her throat. Last night had been her first shift, and such trauma could destroy her wolf. Now Kevin couldn't think of anything else but her.

...

Phoebe's POV

"You're staying put," Kevin snapped, yanking away the bag I'd packed. I was about to bolt when he stormed into my room and blocked my escape.

"Get away from me," I snarled, exhaustion weighing down every word. "Why won't you just leave me be?!"

"Never gonna happen. I made you a promise, remember?" That twisted grin spread across his face, and my whole body trembled with hopelessness.

I swung at him with both fists. "Get away! Just get away!" Fury consumed me.

What had I done to deserve this torture? What made him despise me so completely?

Kevin barely flinched at my weak attempts to hurt him. He grabbed my wrists effortlessly and slammed me back against the dresser.

Pain shot through me and I cried out, fighting to break free as he pinned both my hands above my head with one of his.

"You're not leaving, Phoebe. I won't let you."

"Why keep me here?! You despise me, and I despise you!"

His grin widened. "Because watching you suffer brings me joy. You're miserable here, and I love every second."

"You're sick! No wonder Viola ran from you!" Rage burned through me as I tried to knee him, but he pressed his entire body against mine, trapping me completely.

Being this close, I felt something that made my stomach turn—his arousal pressing against me.

He was getting off on this fight?

I couldn't wrap my head around it. Heat flooded my belly with disgust.

"Want to see real madness?" He dipped his head and dragged his tongue along my neck. "I made you another promise, didn't I?"

Then he repeated yesterday's threat word for word.

"The moment you're old enough, I'm going to destroy you completely."

He spun me around and shoved me toward the bed. The hunger in his gaze left no doubt about his intentions.

"Stop! What are you doing?!" I scrambled up, racing for the door, but he threw me back down easily.

"No! I don't want this!" My screams echoed through the house, but nobody came.

They heard my pleas for help, but they ignored them. They knew exactly who they'd have to face.

Even those who pitied me refused to get involved.

The consequences of crossing the future alpha weren't worth the risk.

My cries lasted for hours, continuing even after he finally left my room. The silent tears that followed seemed endless.

Time passed.

Today marked the ceremony where Alpha Sterling would step down, passing leadership of the Obsidian Claw pack to Kevin.

At a young age, he was young for an alpha, but Sterling was too old to continue, and Kevin had proven his capability to lead.

"Bloodmoon suits you," he drawled lazily, wiping blood from my lips where he'd bitten too hard.

I flinched when he stroked my cheek, then kissed my forehead before climbing out of bed.

Time as Kevin's toy had shattered my spirit completely. I barely spoke anymore. He'd kept his word. He'd broken me.

"Bring breakfast to my room. I want to eat before the ceremony." He gripped my chin, forcing me to meet his eyes. "Answer when I speak to you."

"Yes, alpha."

"Good girl." He leaned down and kissed me gently this time, his tongue sliding over the cut on my lip.

Then he left my bedroom to get ready. Today was huge for him, and last night's rough session with me had clearly improved his mood.

——

Perry's POV

Important guests filled the ceremony grounds, including the werewolf king himself.

When packs changed leadership, the king attended to legitimize the new alpha's claim.

Today followed tradition.

I sat on my throne at a young age, having claimed it years ago through bloodshed. I'd killed brothers who'd challenged me for the crown.

Beyond that, I'd eliminated my father's supporters who opposed me. My early years as ruler were soaked in blood. Countless people died by my hands.

Weekly, the palace reeked of burning flesh as I executed anyone who even breathed wrong in my presence.

This earned me the title of Mad King.

People whispered it was karma—that my cruelty cost me a destined mate.

Still, nobody dared make a sound around me. Every event I attended became subdued and tense.

My electric blue eyes were mesmerizing, but no one held my gaze longer than a heartbeat.

Currently, I sat with my royal warriors, positioned above the forty-two alphas from across the continent.

The ceremony proceeded without incident...

Until mid-speech, when something made me stop talking entirely. A woman in omega uniform caught my attention, her brown hair pinned up.

She stared right back at me.