Chapter 3

The morning mist clung to the training grounds like a shroud. I scrubbed blood from the sparring mats, my knees aching against the cold stone. Around me, warriors prepared for dawn training, their movements sharp and purposeful. None acknowledged my presence—I'd become as invisible as the shadows.

"Well, well. The harbinger of death, on her knees where she belongs."

Sophia's honeyed voice made my spine stiffen. I didn't look up, focusing instead on a particularly stubborn stain.

"Nothing to say?" Her designer boots came into view, pristine despite the muddy ground. "Still mourning a man who never loved you?"

My hands stilled on the rough cloth.

"Oh, did I strike a nerve?" She crouched beside me, her breath warm against my ear. "Poor, pathetic Eliza. Did you really think Richard chose you? He told me everything, you know. How he'd close his eyes during your... intimate moments. How your scent made him sick."

The warriors had stopped their warm-ups, drawn by the promise of entertainment.

"He used to laugh about it," Sophia continued, loud enough for everyone to hear. "The cursed girl who thought she was worthy of being Luna. He said kissing you was like kissing death itself."

Laughter rippled through the gathered wolves. My vision blurred, but I refused to give her the satisfaction of tears.

"Daniel's different, though." She stood, smoothing her silk blouse. "He actually wants me. Can't keep his hands off me, actually. Funny how fate works—Richard had to die for me to find my true mate."

I lurched to my feet, the bucket of dirty water sloshing. For one wild moment, I imagined throwing it in her perfect face. But the Gamma's warriors watched with eager eyes, muscles coiled, ready to put the omega in her place.

So I ran.

Their laughter chased me across the grounds, through the servants' entrance, up the narrow stairs. I didn't stop until I reached the abandoned wing where Richard's chambers lay untouched.

The door protested as I pushed inside. Dust motes danced in the pale morning light, settling over furniture covered in white sheets. Everything remained exactly as he'd left it—except for the thin layer of neglect.

I shouldn't be here. If anyone caught me...

But Sophia's words echoed in my mind. *He told me everything.*

My hands shook as I searched his desk drawers. Nothing. The wardrobe held only clothes that still carried his pine and iron scent. Under the bed, behind the bookshelf—nothing.

Then I noticed the portrait. A formal painting of Richard's grandparents, slightly askew on the wall. My fingers found the hidden latch behind the frame.

The wall safe clicked open.

Inside lay documents, cash, and... my breath caught. Our mating certificate.

I pulled it out with trembling fingers, holding it up to the light. At first glance, everything seemed normal. The official seal, the Alpha's signature, the date. But then I saw it.

My name had been scratched out. Carefully, methodically erased and replaced with elegant script: *Sophia Bennett.*

The room spun. I gripped the certificate, staring at the forgery. This meant... legally, officially, I'd never been Richard's mate. Sophia had been.

Our entire ceremony. A sham.

"The dress needs another panel here." Seraphina's sharp voice carried from the hallway.

I shoved the certificate inside my torn dress and slipped behind the heavy curtains just as the door opened.

"—and make sure the moon pearls are sewn with silver thread," Seraphina continued. "Alpha Hayes will be attending, and everything must be perfect."

Through a gap in the fabric, I watched them enter. Sophia twirled in her wedding dress, the silver fabric catching light like moonbeams. The embroidery I'd been forced to complete gleamed with subtle magic—protection symbols, fertility blessings, bonds of eternal love.

"Daniel wants the ceremony moved up," Sophia said, admiring her reflection in Richard's mirror. "He's eager to make things official."

"As he should be." Seraphina adjusted the dress's train. "The Hayes Pack alpha arriving is fortunate timing. His witness will strengthen our alliance."

They left, still discussing arrangements. I waited, counting heartbeats, before emerging.

The main hall buzzed with preparation when I returned to my duties. Servants polished silver, arranged flowers, transformed the space for tomorrow's celebration. I kept my head down, the certificate burning against my skin.

"You there. Omega."

The deep voice stopped me cold. I turned to find a man I'd never seen before—tall, dark-haired, with storm-gray eyes that seemed to see straight through me. Power radiated from him in waves that made my knees weak.

Alpha Hayes.

"You're the embroiderer," he said. Not a question.

I nodded, unable to form words.

He stepped closer, and I caught his scent—pine forest after rain, crisp mountain air. Nothing like Richard's harsh iron. My nose twitched involuntarily.

"The dress work is exceptional." His eyes studied me with unsettling intensity. "Few can weave moon magic like your mother did."

My heart stopped. "You... knew my mother?"

"Eleonora was a master artisan. Her pieces were legendary among the packs." He tilted his head. "Strange that her daughter works as an omega."

Before I could respond, Sophia's voice rang out. "Alpha Hayes! How wonderful of you to arrive early."

She glided over, Daniel—Richard—at her side. I shrank back, but Alpha Hayes didn't move.

"I was just complimenting your sister's work," he said, his tone neutral.

Sophia's smile tightened. "Yes, we're fortunate she can still be useful, despite... everything."

"Indeed." Alpha Hayes's gaze lingered on me a moment longer. "Talent like that shouldn't be wasted."

As they led him away, discussing pack politics, I caught something in his expression. A flicker of... recognition? Concern?

But it was the way Daniel's hand tightened on Sophia's waist that made my blood run cold. The same possessive grip. The same territorial display.

The same man I'd watched die three days ago.