Chapter 1 · Claimed, Mated, and Made a Luna

The day after the mating night, my parents threw a celebration party for my stepsister, Evelyn White.

Everyone was convinced that Evelyn, who had awakened a powerful wolf spirit, was destined to become the next Luna.

But then the Alpha Lucian Blackwood's Beta made a public announcement at the party: Lucian had chosen me as his mate.

Evelyn's tears streamed down her face. She pointed at the moonstone necklace around her neck, sobbing, "Lucian put this on me last night. He told me I was his destined mate. Even if you want to be Luna, you can't steal my place."

Camilla White, my stepmother, slapped me across the face. "You have no shame. Do you really think you can steal Luna's title?"

My father, Victor White, looked at me with pure disgust. "I never thought you would stoop this low. We're done. You're not my daughter anymore."

Everyone around me urged me to admit I was wrong and apologize to Evelyn.

I wiped the blood from my mouth, looked at her tear-streaked face, and laughed, "You claim Lucian picked you last night and gave you that necklace? But he wasn't even at the mating night."

*****

The room went silent.

Then Evelyn snickered. "Ava, if you are going to lie, at least make it believable. The mating night is when the Alpha chooses his mate. There is no way he would skip it."

The room exploded with jeering laughter. Everyone stared at me like I was an idiot.

I wasn't surprised.

For years, Evelyn milked my mom's old clinic to boost her own reputation.

I did all the actual work. And whenever a patient recovered, Evelyn would throw on bloody clothes, take a selfie, and post it all over social media. Thanks to her photo ops, she became the saintly healer, and I became the family leech.

Camilla saw me staying quiet and assumed I felt guilty. She snapped, "Apologize to Evelyn right now. Then go to the Elders and face your punishment."

But Evelyn put on her sweet act and tugged Camilla's arm. "Mom, let it go. Ava just wants to be Luna. She got carried away. I don't blame her."

I gave my father, Victor, a cold stare.

He just stood there with that icy look, never speaking up for me.

"Did you hear me?" Camilla pushed harder, emboldened by Victor's silence. "If you don't say sorry, get out of here. We don't keep ungrateful leeches around."

Leech? I laughed bitterly. They had been spending my mother's inheritance while treating me like a servant, and now they wanted to throw me out.

They thought they could burn through that money forever. But they had no idea that yesterday, on my eighteenth birthday, the will my mother secretly set up had finally taken effect. I was now the sole heir.

I fixed Camilla with a cold stare. "You are so desperate to kick me out so you can keep my mother's inheritance for yourself, no?"

Camilla's eyes flickered with panic, but she raised her voice. "What a joke. Like I would ever care about your mother's leftovers. If I had not been keeping this family afloat all these years, you would have starved."

What a joke. Every household expense had come from my mother's trust fund.

Camilla had not spent a single dollar of her own. Instead, she used that money to buy designer gowns and jewelry for herself and Evelyn.

Looking at her face made my stomach turn.

Evelyn looked at me, her eyes wet and her voice unsteady. "Ava, if you want your mother's money, take every last penny. I honestly don't care.

"But don't fabricate stories to take the Luna spot from me. Get the Elders involved, and you'll bring this entire family down."

Victor's expression hardened. He turned to me, his tone sharp. "Evelyn is right. You have caused enough trouble. Even if you are my own daughter, I will not protect you.

"Go to the Elders and confess right now. Take the lashes if you have to. At least you will still belong to the pack. But if you keep being stubborn and drag our family down, I will disown you for good."

I stared at him, and any warmth I had left for him died right there.

"Get the car ready. You need to go to the Elders and confess. Do not embarrass us any further," Camilla said.

I stood my ground and gave Evelyn a cold stare. "Evelyn, you keep saying I stole the Luna title. Where is your proof? You claim Lucian chose you, but did he ever claim you?"

Chapter 1

The day after the mating night, my parents threw a celebration party for my stepsister, Evelyn White.

Everyone was convinced that Evelyn, who had awakened a powerful wolf spirit, was destined to become the next Luna.

But then the Alpha Lucian Blackwood's Beta made a public announcement at the party: Lucian had chosen me as his mate.

Camilla White, my stepmother, slapped me across the face. "You have no shame. Do you really think you can steal Luna's title?"

My father, Victor White, looked at me with pure disgust. "I never thought you would stoop this low. We're done. You're not my daughter anymore."

Everyone around me urged me to admit I was wrong and apologize to Evelyn.

I wiped the blood from my mouth, looked at her tear-streaked face, and laughed, "You claim Lucian picked you last night and gave you that necklace? But he wasn't even at the mating night."

*****

The room went silent.

Then Evelyn snickered. "Ava, if you are going to lie, at least make it believable. The mating night is when the Alpha chooses his mate. There is no way he would skip it."

The room exploded with jeering laughter. Everyone stared at me like I was an idiot.

I wasn't surprised.

For years, Evelyn milked my mom's old clinic to boost her own reputation.

Camilla saw me staying quiet and assumed I felt guilty. She snapped, "Apologize to Evelyn right now. Then go to the Elders and face your punishment."

But Evelyn put on her sweet act and tugged Camilla's arm. "Mom, let it go. Ava just wants to be Luna. She got carried away. I don't blame her."

I gave my father, Victor, a cold stare.

He just stood there with that icy look, never speaking up for me.

"Did you hear me?" Camilla pushed harder, emboldened by Victor's silence. "If you don't say sorry, get out of here. We don't keep ungrateful leeches around."

Leech? I laughed bitterly. They had been spending my mother's inheritance while treating me like a servant, and now they wanted to throw me out.

I fixed Camilla with a cold stare. "You are so desperate to kick me out so you can keep my mother's inheritance for yourself, no?"

What a joke. Every household expense had come from my mother's trust fund.

Camilla had not spent a single dollar of her own. Instead, she used that money to buy designer gowns and jewelry for herself and Evelyn.

Looking at her face made my stomach turn.

Evelyn looked at me, her eyes wet and her voice unsteady. "Ava, if you want your mother's money, take every last penny. I honestly don't care.

"But don't fabricate stories to take the Luna spot from me. Get the Elders involved, and you'll bring this entire family down."

Victor's expression hardened. He turned to me, his tone sharp. "Evelyn is right. You have caused enough trouble. Even if you are my own daughter, I will not protect you.

I stared at him, and any warmth I had left for him died right there.

"Get the car ready. You need to go to the Elders and confess. Do not embarrass us any further," Camilla said.

I stood my ground and gave Evelyn a cold stare. "Evelyn, you keep saying I stole the Luna title. Where is your proof? You claim Lucian chose you, but did he ever claim you?"