Chapter 1

Ava sacrificed her wolf to save Cole from a fire, only to be rejected by him three years later for the sister who stole the credit.

Heartbroken but unbroken, Ava accepts the rejection and vanishes. She finds sanctuary with the feared Alpha King Kaelen, a man rumored to be a monster but who treats her like a goddess. As Ava heals and discovers her true power, Cole's pack falls into chaos.

When Cole finally discovers the truth, that the woman he called weak was his true savior all along, he is shattered. He demands her back. He threatens war.

But he forgets one thing: Ava is no longer just a rejected mate. She is the King's obsession. And the Alpha King does not share.

Chapter 1

Ava's POV

The kitchen reeked of vanilla and desperate hope. It was a cloying, suffocating smell that masked the scent of my own anxiety.

I smoothed the final swirl of frosting across the cake, my hand trembling just enough to threaten the delicate moon I'd drawn in icing. The little wolf next to it looked lonely-just like me.

"Happy twenty-first, Ava," I whispered to the empty room, the silence of the servant's quarters pressing against my ears.

I folded my hands, squeezing my eyes shut. It was a childish habit, praying to a Moon Goddess who had seemingly ghosted me three years ago, but I was desperate.

"First wish," I murmured, my voice cracking. "Let Cole finally see me. Let the future Alpha of Bloodmoon Pack claim me as his Luna, not just his servant."

I paused, the next wish sticking in my throat like a shard of glass.

"Second wish... please, give me Nyx back."

My wolf. My strength.

She'd been silent for three years, ever since the fire. The night I turned eighteen, the night I dragged Cole's unconscious body from the inferno, I had poured every ounce of my essence into him. I saved him. But it cost me everything-my wolf, my status, and my father's respect.

To the pack, I was just the Beta's "defective" daughter. To Cole? I was invisible.

Buzz.

My phone lit up on the counter. My heart slammed against my ribs. A text from Cole.

[Get over here. Bring the thing. Big surprise.]

A surprise? A smile broke across my face, unbidden and foolish. Maybe he remembered. Maybe, just maybe, tonight was the night he'd finally announce our engagement.

I grabbed the cake box, shielding it with my body, and ran out the door before my doubts could cripple me.

The Pack House was a beast of a building, pulsing with bass so deep it rattled the fillings in my teeth. The air inside was thick, a toxic cocktail of spilled lager, cheap perfume, and the distinct, skunky haze of weed.

I froze in the doorway. It was a rager. A chaotic, wild party. Not exactly the romantic setting for a proposal, but my chest tightened with anticipation anyway.

"Chug! Chug! Chug!"

A chant erupted from the center of the living room. I squeezed past sweaty bodies and flying elbows, the cake heavy in my arms like a lead weight.

Then I saw them. And my world stopped.

Lexi.

My half-sister was perched on Cole's lap like she owned him. Her head was thrown back, exposing the long line of her throat, her lips locked onto his. They were sharing a mouthful of liquor, sloppy and intimate. Cole's shirt was half-unbuttoned, and Lexi's fingers were clawing possessively at his bare chest.

My stomach twisted into a knot so tight I thought I'd vomit. The cake box slipped from my numb fingers.

Splat.

The sound was lost under the music, but the visual was loud enough.

"Cole?" My voice was a pathetic croak.

He didn't hear me. But Lexi did. She pulled back, her eyes gleaming with malice, and tapped Cole's shoulder.

The music cut off abruptly. The silence that followed was sharper than a knife. Every pair of eyes in the room swiveled to me.

Lexi stood up slowly, wiping her mouth. She looked perfect-fake tan, perfect blowout, and an expression of practiced innocence that made my skin crawl.

"Oh, Ava! You're here!" She beamed, stepping over the ruined cake. "Don't be mad. It's my birthday... I just wanted a little kiss from my Alpha."

My stomach bottomed out. Her birthday?

Right. How could I forget? When Gordon brought his mistress and her daughter to my mother's funeral, he made sure I knew: Lexi and I shared a birthday. I was the replacement; she was the prize.

Cole stood up, buttoning his shirt with agonizing slowness. His face was a mask of cool indifference.

"Who invited the help?" he asked, his voice flat.

I blinked, the sting of tears blurring my vision. "What? You... you texted me. You said to come over."

Lexi rushed forward, grabbing my hand with a grip that was painful. "Ava! Don't make a scene. I know you think Cole is your mate, but let's be real. I'd never steal him. He's just... celebrating me."

Her gaze flicked to the floor. "Omigod. You made a cake? For me?"

"It's not for you," I snapped, my spine stiffening. I'd spent three hours on that frosting.

I reached down to salvage the box, but Lexi gasped-a loud, theatrical sound. "Ah! Don't hit me!"

She kicked the box. Hard.

The cake exploded. Cold, sticky frosting splattered up my legs, ruining my only decent dress.

The room erupted. Gasps turned into snickers, then full-blown laughter. Phones flashed, capturing my humiliation in 4K resolution.

"I didn't mean to!" Lexi whined, ducking behind Cole, playing the victim perfectly.

"You did that on purpose, you bitch!" I screamed, shaking with fury.

Cole stepped in front of her, his eyes hardening into stone. He shoved me back, hard enough that I stumbled into a table of drinks.

"Watch your mouth, Ava," he growled. "It's Lexi's birthday. All you ever do is attack her. Can't you be useful for once?"

Something inside me fractured. The years of silence, of servitude, of hoping.

"It's my birthday too!" I screamed, my voice tearing raw from my throat. "I'm your Mate, Cole! Does that mean nothing to you?"

Chapter 2

Cole's POV

It's my birthday too.

The words hung in the air, sharp and broken. For a second, just a second, the room went dead silent. Ava looked like a wreck-frosting streaked in her dark hair, that cheap dress clinging to her frame, her blue eyes wide and glistening with shattered hope.

She was beautiful in a tragic sort of way. A part of me wanted to reach out. To wipe the mess off her face.

Mate.

The word echoed in the back of my mind, a primal itch I couldn't scratch.

But then Lexi's hand tightened on my bicep. Her nails dug in, grounding me. Her perfume-sugary and expensive-filled my nose.

I looked down at her. Lexi. The girl who sat by my bedside for three days while I was in a coma. The girl who shared her strength when I was burned and broken. The pack doctor said I would have died without her.

I owed her my life.

And Ava? Ava was just... there. Wolfless. Weak. Gordon's disappointment.

"Enough, Ava," I scoffed, pouring every ounce of cruelty I could muster into my tone. I had to kill this hope now, for both our sakes. "You think just because the Moon Goddess played a cruel joke and paired us, I owe you a party?"

Ava blinked, her face draining of color. She looked like she'd been punched.

"If my father didn't need the political stability to confirm my Alpha succession," I sneered, twisting the knife, "I would have rejected you three years ago."

Her lips parted. A whisper of pain escaped. "What...?"

I slung my arm around Lexi, pulling her flush against my side. I needed the pack to see this. I needed Ava to see this.

"Lexi is the one I want," I said, loud enough for the back of the room to hear. "She saved me. She's strong. She's worthy."

I turned my cold gaze back to Ava. "You? You're nothing but a placeholder. My ticket to the crown. Once I'm Alpha, you're gone."

My wolf, Reaper, snarled in my head. [You idiot! She's our mate! Don't do this!]

Shut up, I commanded. I choose Lexi.

Reaper went silent. The bond between us snapped shut like a coffin lid.

Ava stood there, trembling. Tears finally spilled over, tracking through the frosting on her cheeks.

"I hate you," she whispered.

Then she turned and bolted.

The crowd murmured. Some smirked, but others looked uneasy. I ignored them all.

"Jasper... I mean, Cole," Lexi murmured, looking up at me with those big, wet eyes. "Is she okay? I feel terrible."

I squeezed her shoulder, forcing a smile. "Forget her. You saved me from that fire, Lexi. I swore I'd love you forever. A wolfless nobody isn't going to change that."

Ava's POV

I ran until my lungs felt like they were bleeding.

The woods were dark, the moon obscured by thick, suffocating clouds. Branches whipped my face, tearing at my skin, but the physical pain was a relief compared to the agony in my chest.

I collapsed beneath the old willow tree at the territory line. The mud soaked into my ruined dress.

I had given him everything. Three years. My dignity. My wolf. And to him, I was just a "placeholder." A stepping stone.

I curled into a ball, my forehead pressed against the damp earth.

"Moon Goddess," I sobbed, my voice breaking into ugly, ragged gasps. "Please... if you're real... fix this. Wake my wolf. Take this bond away. I don't want him anymore. I reject him!"

The wind suddenly stopped.

Above me, the clouds tore apart. A beam of silver moonlight slammed into the forest floor, illuminating the clearing in a ghostly white glow.

My heart skipped a beat. Then another.

Heat.

Liquid fire surged through my veins, starting from my core and exploding outward. My bones cracked and shifted. It wasn't pain-it was power.

[Ava.]

The voice rang in my head, clear as a bell, fierce as a storm.

[About damn time.]

A white wolf stepped out of the moonlight in my mind's eye. Tall, regal, with eyes that burned like blue stars.

Nyx? You're back?

[I never left,] she growled, her strength flooding my exhausted limbs. [But that boy? He is dead to us. It's time to leave, Ava.]

I wiped my face. The tears were gone. In their place was a cold, steely resolve.

"You're right," I whispered, standing up. The weakness was gone. "If he treats me like trash, I'll treat him like history."

The next morning, I walked into the Pack Office.

Alpha Vance-Cole's father-was behind his desk, looking gray and sickly. He was the only one who had ever shown me kindness.

"Ava?" He looked up, startled. "You look... different."

"I'm leaving," I said, my voice steady. "I want to file for Rejection."

Chapter 3

Ava's POV

"I'm leaving the pack, Alpha Vance."

The words hung in the air, simple and absolute.

Vance frowned, the lines on his forehead deepening. "Did Cole... did he do something again?"

"He's my mate," I said, keeping my face blank. "But I can't force him to not be an asshole."

Vance sighed, leaning back in his leather chair. He looked tired. Dying. "Give him time, Ava. He's young. Stupid."

"He humiliated me in front of the entire pack last night," I cut in. "He told everyone I was just a placeholder. I'm done, Alpha. Grant my request, or I go Rogue."

Vance hesitated. He knew losing a Beta bloodline member was bad for the pack stats, but he also knew his son was a disaster.

"Actually..." Vance slid a heavy, cream-colored envelope across the desk. It bore a wax seal-a wolf crowned with thorns. The Royal Crest.

"I received a decree this morning." Vance's voice dropped to a whisper. "Alpha King Kaelen demands a bride from the Bloodmoon Pack. Specifically, a daughter of the Beta line."

My stomach turned over.

King Kaelen. The Butcher. The rumors about him were the stuff of nightmares. They said he was cursed by a witch coven-brutal, heartless, and destined to die before his thirtieth birthday. They said his last three fiancées vanished without a trace.

"He wants a bride," Vance continued. "Lexi is the only unmated female in your family. Gordon is... losing his mind."

I stared at the seal. The Butcher King. A death sentence.

Or... an escape route.

"Lexi would never survive a day with him," I said softly. "She's too fragile. Too spoiled."

"Gordon refuses to send her," Vance admitted. "He's threatening war if we force her."

"I'll go."

Vance's head snapped up. "What?"

"I'll marry King Kaelen," I said, my voice hardening. "I'll take Lexi's place."

"Ava, he's a monster. You could die."

"I'm already dead in this pack," I replied. "At least this way, I leave with a crown."

The Ashford Estate smelled of lemon polish and hypocrisy.

My father, Gordon, sat stiffly in his armchair, a glass of scotch sweating in his hand. My stepmother, Janice, was pacing the floor in a silk robe, wringing her hands.

"What?" Gordon's voice thundered when I delivered the news. "You? You'll marry the Butcher in Lexi's place?"

"Yes," I said, standing tall in the center of the room.

"Why?" Janice squinted at me, suspicious. "I thought you were obsessed with Cole."

"I realized I have better taste," I deadpanned. "But I have conditions."

Gordon narrowed his eyes. "You're in no position to bargain, girl."

"Actually, I am. You can either send your precious, perfect Lexi to the monster, or you can send the spare." I took a step forward. "But if I go, I want Mom's inheritance."

Gordon froze. "What inheritance?"

"Don't lie to me!" I slammed my hand on the table. "Ten million dollars. The trust fund Mom left for me that you hid in your offshore accounts. I want it. All of it. Today."

"You ungrateful little-" Gordon started to rise, his face purple.

"Ten million to save Lexi's life?" I laughed, a cold, sharp sound. "That's a bargain, Dad. Unless you think she's cheap?"

Janice grabbed Gordon's arm, her nails digging into his jacket. "Gordon! Pay her! If Lexi goes, she'll be eaten alive! Pay the girl and get her out of here!"

Gordon gritted his teeth, his jaw working furiously. He looked from his weeping wife to me-his "failure" of a daughter who was suddenly holding all the cards.

"Fine," he spat, chugging the rest of his scotch. "I'll transfer the money. But once you leave this house, you are dead to us. Don't come crawling back when Kaelen rips your throat out."

"Don't worry," I smirked, turning on my heel. "I wouldn't dream of it."

I walked out of the study and nearly collided with Lexi, who was lurking in the hallway, eavesdropping. She looked pale, terrifyingly relieved.

"You're... you're really going?" she whispered.

I leaned in close, my lips brushing her ear.

"You're welcome, sister," I hissed. "Enjoy my leftovers. I'm going to be a Luna Queen."

Chapter 4

Ava's POV

"Ten million dollars."

The notification on my phone screen glowed like a holy scripture. My mother's inheritance. My freedom. My weapon.

"Darling, once Lexi is Luna, ten million will be pocket change," Janice sniffed, clutching Gordon's arm like a oversized handbag. "But fine. Take it and go."

"Oh, I'm going," I said, pocketing the phone. "But first, I have a tab to run up."

I walked out of the Ashford Estate, the air tasting crisp and expensive. For the first time in three years, I didn't feel like the help. I felt like a hunter.

"The Black Wolf Bar? Really?" Zoe shouted over the thumping bass, looking skeptical. "This place is a dive."

"It's where the pack drinks," I said, sliding onto a barstool. "And tonight, I want an audience."

Zoe, my only friend who hadn't treated me like a leper, looked at me with concern. "Ava, you're picking a fight. Cole is going to be here."

"I'm counting on it."

I signaled the bartender, a burly guy named Rick who usually ignored me. "Two bottles of your most expensive champagne. The vintage stuff you keep in the back for the Alpha."

Rick snorted. "Ava, that bottle is three grand. Unless you're paying with your kidney, I suggest you order a beer."

I didn't blink. I slapped a thick stack of cash-fresh from the bank-onto the sticky counter. "Keep the change."

Rick's eyes bulged. He scrambled to get the bottles.

Zoe's jaw dropped. "Girl, did you rob a bank?"

"Better. I robbed my parents."

Just as the cork popped, the air in the bar shifted. The temperature dropped. The crowd parted like the Red Sea.

Cole walked in, looking like a god of war in a tailored black shirt. And hanging off his arm like a cheap accessory was Lexi.

She was wearing a diamond necklace that caught the strobe lights-a birthday gift, no doubt. She spotted me instantly, her eyes narrowing before masking it with that sickly-sweet smile.

"Ava!" She squealed, dragging Cole toward us. "What a coincidence! Are you spending your severance pay already?"

Cole looked bored, his eyes sliding over me with practiced indifference. "Let's go to the VIP section, Lexi. It smells like desperation here."

"But I want champagne!" Lexi pouted, pointing at my bottle. "And the bartender said that was the last one."

She turned to me, batting her eyelashes. "Ava, be a sweetie and give it to me? It is my birthday weekend, after all. You've never even had champagne before. You wouldn't appreciate it."

"Touch my bottle," I said, voice low and dangerous, "and you'll lose a finger."

The bar went silent. Even the DJ seemed to turn the volume down.

Lexi gasped, clutching her pearls. "Cole! She threatened me!"

Cole stepped forward, his Alpha aura flaring, trying to suffocate me with pressure. "Watch your tone, Ava. You're speaking to your future Luna."

He pulled out a sleek black credit card-the Alpha Heir's unlimited card-and slammed it on the counter.

"Rick," Cole barked. "I'm buying every bottle in this bar. And I'm buying this table. Kick them out."

Rick looked from the cash to the card, sweating. "Alpha Cole... it's a lot of stock..."

"Do it!" Cole roared. He smirked at me, that arrogant, punchable smirk. "You have money for one bottle, Ava? Cute. I have the entire Bloodmoon treasury behind me. You can't compete."

"Is that so?" I stood up. My heels clicked on the floorboards, echoing in the silence.

I pulled out my checkbook. It was old-school, dramatic, and perfect for what I was about to do.

"How much for the bar, Rick?" I asked calmly. "Not the drinks. The building. The land. The business."

Rick choked. "What?"

"Three hundred grand?" I guessed.

"Five hundred!" Cole shouted, his face turning red. "I'll pay five hundred grand right now! I own this place!"

He looked at me, triumphant. "Go home, Ava. You're out of your league."

Lexi giggled. "Yeah, go back to scrubbing floors. You don't have that kind of money."

I laughed. It started low and built into a cackle that made Nyx howl in my head.

"You think this is about money, Cole? This is about value."

I wrote a check, ripped it out, and slammed it onto the counter next to his black card.

"One million dollars," I announced, my voice ringing clear. "For the bar. And for Rick to ban these two idiots for life."

The crowd gasped. Lexi stopped giggling. Cole stared at the check, reading the numbers. His face went pale.

"Where... where did you get this?" Lexi shrieked. "You stole it! You thief!"

"It's my money," I said, leaning in until I was nose-to-nose with her. "Something you'll never have, Lexi. Because everything you own-your clothes, your jewelry, your man-is borrowed."

I looked at Cole. He was shaking, his pride cracking.

"You think you can buy me off?" he snarled. "You're nothing without me! Those earrings you're wearing? I bought them! That dress? I paid for it!"

"You're right."

I reached up and ripped the diamond studs from my ears. They were cheap, tiny things he'd given me for my eighteenth-an afterthought gift.

"Here." I threw them at his chest. They bounced off his shirt.

I kicked off my heels. "These too. The 'Sorry I Cheated' gift." I threw them. one hit his shoulder.

Then I reached for the zipper of my dress.

The crowd held its breath.

"And this?" I pulled the zipper down a few inches, just enough to loosen it, then grabbed the champagne bottle.

"I can buy your dignity, Lexi," I said, my voice ice cold. "But looking at you two... it seems you sold it cheap."

I didn't throw the dress. I threw the champagne.

Splash.

The expensive vintage liquid hit Cole square in the face. It soaked his hair, his shirt, and splattered all over Lexi's perfect blowout.

They stood there, dripping, sticky, and stunned into silence.

"You're banned," I whispered, winking at Rick. "Get them out of my bar."

I grabbed my purse, barefoot and buzzing with adrenaline. Zoe threw a coat over my shoulders, grinning like a maniac.

As I walked to the door, stepping over the puddle of champagne and shattered ego, I turned back one last time.

Cole was wiping the alcohol from his eyes, looking at me with a mix of fury and... fear.

"Two weeks, Cole," I called out. "Enjoy the throne while you can."

Chapter 5

Ava's POV

The rumors were delicious.

For the past week, the entire Bloodmoon Pack had been whispering about one thing: The Night at the Black Wolf.

"Did you hear? The Beta daughter bought the bar." "I saw Alpha Cole dripping in champagne. He looked like a drowned rat." "Where did she get the money?"

I walked through the Pack House corridors, my heels clicking on the marble. Warriors who used to ignore me now stepped aside, eyeing me with a mix of fear and confusion. I wasn't the "help" anymore. I was the crazy ex with a bottomless bank account.

I pushed open the door to the Alpha's Office.

"Why are you still here?"

Lexi was sitting at my desk, trying to figure out the filing system. She looked exhausted. Apparently, being the "future Luna" was harder than just looking pretty.

"Because of Article 4, Section 2 of the Pack Code," I said breezily, dropping my bag. " 'An un-rejected mate must remain within territory limits until the Alpha Succession is finalized.' "

I leaned against the doorframe, smirking. "Believe me, Lexi. If I could leave without being hunted down as a Traitor, I'd be in Paris right now. But I have seven days left. So, I'm here to... finish my paperwork."

"Finish?" Lexi scoffed, gesturing to the piles of chaotic documents. "You haven't done a thing all week! The supply routes are a mess. The vendors are calling me!"

"And what did you tell them?"

"I told them I'm the new Luna!"

"And?"

"And they hung up on me!" She threw a stapler at the wall. "Fix it, Ava! Cole is furious. The pack is running out of meat."

I laughed. It was a cold, sharp sound.

"You wanted the title, Lexi. You get the job."

I walked over to the main server-the digital brain of the pack.

"What are you doing?" Lexi narrowed her eyes.

"Just... cleaning up."

I typed in my admin password. [DELETE ALL CONTACTS?] [YES.]

[WIPE PATROL SCHEDULES?] [YES.]

[ERASE FINANCIAL RECORDS?] [YES.]

"You know," I said conversationally, watching the progress bar load. "Cole has been avoiding me since the bar. Is he still trying to wash the champagne smell out of his ego?"

Lexi stood up, her face flushing red. She marched over, getting in my face.

"He's not avoiding you! He's busy! He's preparing for our mating ceremony!"

She yanked down the collar of her pink cashmere sweater. There, on her neck, was a fresh, angry purple bruise. A hickey.

"See?" She preened, desperate to hurt me. "We were up all night. He said he needed to reclaim his pride after your little stunt. He promised that the second he becomes Alpha... he's marking me right here."

My eyes flicked to the mark. A week ago, it would have killed me. Now? It looked like a desperate branding on a piece of cattle.

"Congratulations," I deadpanned. "I hope he's better in bed than he is at managing a budget. Because honestly? The bar is low."

Ding. [DELETION COMPLETE.]

I pulled my flash drive out of the server. The pack's logistics were now officially a ghost town. Good luck running a territory when you don't know who supplies your food or where your borders are.

"I'm done here," I said, zipping up my jacket. "I have one last perimeter check to log before my shift ends. Then, I'm officially off the clock. Forever."

"You're going on patrol?" Lexi looked suspicious. "Why?"

"To make sure the sensors are... calibrated," I lied smoothly. (I had actually turned them off yesterday).

"I'm coming with you," Lexi announced, grabbing her coat.

I paused. "Excuse me?"

"Cole said I need to show 'Luna leadership.' If you're going to the border, I'm going too. I need to make sure you aren't stealing pack secrets."

I looked at her. Really looked at her. She was wearing heels. In the forest.

"Suit yourself," I smiled, a predator sensing prey. "But try to keep up, Princess. The woods are dangerous at night."

The forest was suffocating. The sun was setting, casting long, bloody shadows across the tree line.

I walked fast, enjoying the way Lexi huffed and puffed behind me.

"Slow down!" she whined, tripping over a root. "My feet hurt! Ava!"

"This is the job, Lexi," I called back without stopping. "Luna isn't just a title. It's work."

"I hate this," she muttered. "I hate you."

My wolf, Nyx, suddenly spiked in my mind. Her hackles raised. [Ava. Stop. Something is wrong.]

I froze. The birds had stopped singing. The air tasted metallic. Like copper. Like rot.

Rogues.

I reached for my radio to call it in-habit, really. But then I remembered the deleted files. The disabled sensors. No one was coming.

Except...

Crack.

A twig snapped.

I turned slowly.

Three pairs of glowing yellow eyes emerged from the darkness.

Lexi walked right into my back. "Why did you stop? I swear to the moon goddess, Ava, I'm telling Cole you-"

She looked up. She saw the eyes.

Her scream shattered the silence.

Chapter 6

Ava's POV

The first rogue lunged.

It was a blur of teeth and muscle. I dodged, but not fast enough. Claws raked across my forearm, shredding my jacket and skin.

Fire exploded in my nerves. Blood-hot and metallic-sprayed onto the dead leaves.

"Help! Cole! HELP ME!" Lexi shrieked, cowering on the ground like a child.

The second rogue circled me, drool dripping from its jaws. I was cornered. Nyx was growling, begging to shift, to rip them apart, but I couldn't. Not yet. If I shifted now, Cole would know I had a wolf. He wouldn't let me go.

I grabbed a fallen branch, swinging it like a bat. "Back off!"

The rogue snapped the wood like a toothpick.

I braced myself for the kill.

ROAR.

A massive shape crashed through the underbrush.

Cole.

He burst into the clearing in his human form, eyes glowing red, partially shifted. He looked magnificent and terrifying-a true Alpha.

"Cole!" Lexi screamed. "Save me!"

The rogue nearest to Lexi lunged at her.

The rogue nearest to me lunged at my throat.

Time slowed down. Cole looked at the rogue attacking Lexi. Then he looked at me, blood dripping down my arm, the beast inches from my face.

He had a choice.

He didn't hesitate.

He dove for Lexi.

He tackled the wolf attacking her, ripping its throat out in one brutal motion. He gathered Lexi into his arms, shielding her body with his own.

And he left me to die.

I watched, paralyzed, as the second wolf's jaws opened wide, aiming for my neck.

So this is it, I thought, a bitter calmness washing over me. He really did choose her.

I closed my eyes.

WHOOSH.

The air pressure dropped. The temperature plummeted to zero.

There was a sound like a guillotine blade slicing through meat. Thwack.

Warm liquid splattered across my face. Not my blood.

I opened my eyes.

The rogue that was about to kill me was gone. Or rather... it was in pieces. Its head was rolling on the grass five feet away.

Standing in front of me was a man.

He was massive. Taller than Cole. Broader. He wore a black tactical suit that strained against his muscles. His hair was dark as ink, and he radiated an aura so powerful, so suffocating, that the remaining rogue whimpered and bolted into the trees.

The stranger didn't chase it. He turned slowly to face me.

My breath hitched.

He was devastatingly handsome, with sharp, aristocratic features and a scar cutting through his left eyebrow. But it was his eyes that froze me. They were the color of glacial ice. Cold. Ancient. Possessive.

King Kaelen.

He didn't look at Cole. He didn't look at Lexi. He looked only at me.

He stepped closer, the scent of rain, steel, and expensive scotch enveloping me. He reached out, his large hand gently cupping my uninjured cheek. His thumb brushed away a speck of blood.

Electricity arced through my skin where he touched me. My knees went weak.

"Found you," he murmured, his voice a deep rumble that vibrated in my chest.

"You..." I stammered, my brain misfiring. "You're the King."

"And you," he said, his eyes darkening as they dropped to the wound on my arm, "are bleeding."

The tenderness in his voice was terrifying.

"Cole!" Lexi's voice shattered the moment.

Cole was standing up, helping Lexi to her feet. He looked shaken, staring at the dead rogue, then at Kaelen.

"Who the hell are you?" Cole barked, trying to regain control. "This is Bloodmoon territory!"

Kaelen finally looked at Cole. The temperature dropped another ten degrees. He didn't shout. He didn't growl. He just looked at Cole like he was an insect.

"You let your Mate face death while you saved a mistress?" Kaelen asked. His voice was quiet, lethal.

Cole flinched. "She's not-"

"Silence."

Kaelen turned back to me, scooping me up into his arms like I weighed nothing. I instinctively wrapped my arms around his neck, burying my face in his chest. He felt... safe.

"Put her down!" Cole stepped forward, his Alpha ego bruising. "Ava is my pack member!"

Kaelen paused. He looked over his shoulder, his lips curling into a cruel smirk.

"Not anymore, boy," Kaelen said. "You threw her away. Now? She's mine."

He walked into the shadows, carrying me away from the life that almost killed me, and into a future that felt a hell of a lot more dangerous.

And for the first time in three years, I didn't want to run.

Chapter 7

Ava's POV

The world smelled of leather, sandalwood, and raw power.

I was sitting on the hood of a sleek black SUV parked deep in the shadows of the forest road. My arm was stinging, but the pain felt distant, numbed by the sheer intensity of the man standing between my knees.

King Kaelen.

He held my injured arm with terrifying gentleness. He wasn't using magic; he was using a first-aid kit, his large, calloused hands cleaning the rogue's claw marks with precision.

"He left you," Kaelen said. It wasn't a question. It was a verdict.

"He chose her," I corrected, watching the antiseptic bubble on my skin. "He always chooses her."

Kaelen's jaw tightened. He wrapped a sterile bandage around my forearm, his touch lingering on my skin. The heat from his fingers seeped into my bones, making my wolf, Nyx, purr in a way she never had for Cole.

"If I were your Alpha," Kaelen murmured, his ice-blue eyes locking onto mine, "I would burn the world before I let a scratch mar your skin."

My breath hitched. The air between us crackled, thick with a tension that felt dangerous and inevitable.

"Why are you here, Kaelen?" I whispered. "Why me?"

He finished the bandage, securing it with a silver clip. "Because, Ava. You are the only thing in this pack worth saving."

He leaned in, his lips brushing my ear. "Come with me. Now. Leave this trash behind."

I wanted to. God, I wanted to jump in his car and never look back. But then my phone buzzed in my pocket.

Gordon (Dad): [Don't forget. Mom's birthday memorial is tonight. You need to sign the inheritance transfer papers. Be there, or the deal is off.]

The money. My mother's jewelry. The last pieces of my dignity.

I pulled back from Kaelen, steeling myself. "I can't. Not yet. I have to go back. I need to get my money and my mother's things. Then... then I'm yours."

Kaelen studied me for a long moment, then nodded. "One night. But take this."

He pressed a small, black device into my hand. A panic button.

"If they touch you," he promised, his voice dark, "press it. And I will level the Ashford Estate."

I walked into the Pack House twenty minutes later, my arm in a sling, my face pale but composed.

I barely made it to the stairs before a door slammed open.

"Where the hell have you been?!"

Cole stormed down the hallway, still smelling of the forest and Lexi's cheap perfume. He looked frantic, but not for me. He looked... annoyed.

"I was getting patched up," I said coldly, lifting my bandaged arm. "Since you were too busy playing hero to your mistress to check if your Mate was bleeding out."

"Don't start with that drama," Cole barked, grabbing my uninjured shoulder. "You're fine! You walked away, didn't you?"

"I almost died, Cole!"

"You're exaggerating! Lexi was traumatized! She's fragile!" He loomed over me, using his Alpha voice to try and cow me into submission. "You ran away, Ava. You abandoned a pack member during an attack. That is cowardice."

I stared at him. The gaslighting was so blatant it was almost impressive.

"I abandoned her?" I laughed, a hollow sound. "You tackled a wolf off her while another one was ripping my arm open. You didn't even look back."

"Because I knew you could handle it!" Cole shouted, his face turning red. "You're the Beta's daughter! You're supposed to be strong! Lexi needs protection. You don't!"

"You're right," I said softly. "I don't need protection. Not from you."

Cole blinked, thrown off by my sudden calm. "Good. Then stop whining. Get changed. We're going to your parents' house for the memorial dinner. And fix your attitude. Lexi is still shaken up, and I expect you to be nice to her."

"Nice?" I smiled, touching the bandage Kaelen had wrapped. "Oh, don't worry, Cole. I'm going to be unforgettable."

Chapter 8

Ava's POV

The Ashford Estate garden was lit with fairy lights, looking like a scene from a twisted fairytale.

Waiters circulated with champagne, and the elite of the Bloodmoon Pack mingled, laughing as if their future Alpha hadn't almost let me die three hours ago.

I walked in wearing a black dress. Simple. Sharp. Funeral chic.

My stepmother, Janice, was holding court near the fountain, clutching a glass of wine. Lexi was next to her, looking miraculously recovered from her "trauma," clinging to Gordon's arm.

They looked like a perfect family. A family that had erased me.

[Flashback]

Ten years ago. This same garden.

I was holding the teddy bear my mom gave me before she died. It was the only thing I had left of her.

Gordon walked in with a woman and a little girl. "Ava, this is your new mom. And your sister, Lexi."

"Daddy, I want the bear!" Lexi had squealed, pointing at my chest.

Without a word, Gordon ripped the bear from my arms and gave it to her. "Share, Ava. Don't be selfish."

Lexi hugged my bear, sticking her tongue out at me. Gordon picked her up, spinning her around. I stood there, empty-handed, learning the only lesson that mattered: In this house, I was a donor, not a daughter.

[Present]

The memory dissolved as I approached them.

"You made it," Gordon grunted, not bothering to look at me. "The papers are in the study. Sign them, take your check, and try not to embarrass us."

"Happy to oblige," I said dryly.

I reached for a glass of champagne from a passing tray.

"Drinking alone, Ava?"

Lexi slid up next to me, her voice dripping with poison. She was wearing a white dress, playing the innocent angel. Cole was standing a few feet away, talking to the Elders, his back to us.

"What do you want, Lexi?"

"I just wanted to say thank you," she smirked, stepping closer so only I could hear. "Daddy told me you're marrying the Butcher King. He says you'll be dead in a month."

She traced the rim of her glass. "Once you're gone... I'm going to make Cole forget you ever existed. I'm going to redecorate your room. Burn your clothes. Maybe I'll even name our first pup after you. As a joke."

I swirled my drink. "You can have him, Lexi. I don't keep trash."

Her smile snapped. "What did you say?"

"I said," I leaned in, my voice ice cold, "he's trash. And you? You're a raccoon digging through my garbage. You deserve each other."

Lexi's face twisted in rage. She glanced over her shoulder. Cole was turning around.

Showtime.

In one smooth motion, Lexi grabbed my wrist, yanked it forward, and splashed her own red wine all over her white dress. Then, she slapped herself-hard-across the face.

Smack.

"Ava!" she screamed, throwing herself backward onto the grass. "I'm sorry! Please don't hit me!"

The garden went silent. The music stopped.

Gordon and Janice rushed over. "Lexi! My baby!"

Cole was there in a second, his eyes blazing with fury. He helped a sobbing Lexi up. "What happened?"

"I... I just tried to apologize for the woods," Lexi wept, burying her face in Cole's chest. "And she threw wine on me and slapped me!"

Gordon turned to me, his face purple. "You animal! She is your sister!"

Cole stepped toward me, radiating Alpha pressure that would have forced a normal wolf to their knees. But I had Nyx. And I had the ghost of Kaelen's touch on my arm. I didn't flinch.

"Apologize," Cole growled, his voice vibrating with command. "On your knees. Now."

I looked at them. The father who sold me. The sister who stole from me. The mate who abandoned me.

I laughed.

"No."

Cole blinked. "What?"

"I said no."

I finished my champagne in one gulp and tossed the glass onto the patio stones. It shattered with a satisfying crash.

"I'm done playing your game." I pulled the signed inheritance papers from my clutch and threw them at Gordon's feet. "I signed your damn papers. The money is mine. The jewelry is mine."

I turned to Cole.

"And you?" I looked him up and down with pure disgust. "You want an apology? Here it is: I'm sorry I wasted three years saving a coward who isn't fit to lead a pack of poodles, let alone wolves."

"Ava!" Cole roared, lunging for me.

I didn't move. I didn't flinch. I just pressed the black button in my pocket.

Screech.

Three black SUVs tore through the estate gates, tires smoking. They drifted to a halt on the manicured lawn, boxing us in.

The doors opened. Twelve Royal Guards stepped out, weapons drawn.

And from the lead car, Beta Daniel stepped out. He didn't look at Cole. He walked straight to me and bowed.

"Miss Ava," Daniel said, his voice cutting through the stunned silence. "King Kaelen is waiting. Are you ready to go home?"

I looked back at Cole, whose jaw was practically on the floor. Lexi had stopped crying. Gordon looked like he was having a stroke.

"Yes," I smiled, stepping toward the car. "I'm ready."

I slid into the backseat, leaving the Bloodmoon Pack-and my past-choking on my dust.