Chapter 1

My sister and I were supposed to have our mating ceremonies on the same day. However, there was a mistake with the procession, and they ended up taking her to my mate’s packhouse instead of me. I, on the other hand, was taken to a mansion steeped in dark rumors—three mates had allegedly met tragic ends there.

The next morning, my mate, Chris Gray, showed up with my sister, Aurora Jenkins, on his arm. His voice was cold, devoid of any warmth as he said, "I drank too much last night. What’s done is done; you should just accept it." Aurora purposefully displayed the fresh mating mark on her shoulder and whimpered, "I know you blame me, sister... But destiny is already mapped out. Besides, Alpha Izaiah might be older and rumored to be cursed, but maybe you are destined to be together, considering your blindness."

I stayed silent.

It was clear why Grandpa thought Aurora should mate with that infamous Alpha whose previous mates had perished—she accepted without a second thought. If only she knew I was the one ready for the challenge.

...

After the mating ceremony, my family held a reception to thank the guests. I was in my packhouse room, preparing, when Chris stormed in and yanked the pearl bracelet off my wrist.

I turned to face him, my voice steady despite the simmering anger. "What are you doing?"

With exasperation, he said, "You look so lifeless; it’s a shame for such a beautiful bracelet to be wasted on you. Aurora deserves it more."

I reached to take it back, but he dodged, causing me to stumble and fall. He didn’t even spare me a glance, only gingerly placed the bracelet on Aurora’s wrist.

Chris was the orphan my grandfather, the former Alpha of the Jenkins Pack, had taken in as a pup. We grew up together, and everyone thought he would be my mate. That was until my father introduced Aurora, his illegitimate daughter, into our lives.

Since then, Chris changed, constantly around Aurora and treating me with cool detachment and sarcasm. He claimed I was oblivious to life’s realities, saying only Aurora knew the pain of "living under someone else’s roof."

Before Grandpa passed, Chris coldly refused to visit. When I urged him to reconsider, he snapped, "Do I owe him? Just because he raised me, do I need to be grateful for life? I’m not anyone’s pet!"

Well, some wolves never grasp loyalty.

Now, my custom gown was worn by Aurora, and the jewelry meant for me was taken by her. Chris threw a dress at me, his tone dripping with disdain. "Wear this; it suits you." It was old and faded, with a broken zipper.

Aurora offered to help me dress, feigning trouble with the zipper. "Sister, have you gained weight? The zipper won’t close..."

I stood silently.

I knew that if I resisted, she’d make a scene, claiming I pushed her. Seeing I wasn’t engaging, she stopped her act and stood by awkwardly.

I calmly got up and walked outside in the tattered dress.

The packhall was bright and buzzing with chatter. As soon as I entered, the room went silent for a moment before the murmurs began:

"Is that Nellie Jenkins? Looking like that?"

"Shh, isn’t she blind? Why isn’t anyone helping her?"

"Her mate is Chris Gray, right? But the Alpha married the younger sister..."

"Well, it figures. One’s a mess, and one’s young and pretty; if I were a wolf, I’d pick the younger sister too."

Chris came over with a glass of wine, glanced at me, and said, "Blind girl can’t tell directions; better not wander, or you might break something, and no one’s footing the bill."

His tone made it clear the Jenkins Pack was under his thumb.

Just as I was about to respond, Aurora appeared, crying. Her dress had been slashed.

She clung to Chris’s sleeve, her voice trembling. "Sister just wrecked my dress..."

Chris’s face darkened as he pushed me roughly.

"What do you want? Because there was a mix-up at the ceremony, you want to humiliate her?"

"I was going to spare your dignity and call you Luna in front of everyone. Now, that’s off the table."

"Just because you’ve had a cushy life, and now you face adversity, you want to tear her down? Aurora has always lived in your shadow; what harm has she ever done to you?"

Living in my shadow?

I couldn’t help but chuckle. My wolf stirred within me, a low growl of defiance that I kept to myself. This wasn’t the end. Not by a long shot.