I carried the basket full of tomatoes and followed Lauren.

"What lovely produce! They look ripe and perfect!" Matilda, the head cook, said as she took the basket from me. "You all did an excellent job growing and tending these crops." Lauren smiled proudly.

Just then, the Luna walked into the kitchen.

We quickly lined up and hung our heads. She paced slowly around the room, inspecting everything the cooks had prepared.

"Matilda, no leek soup for dinner tonight. I’m tired of it. Make something else," she ordered.

"Yes, Luna," Matilda replied, bowing her head.

I stole a glance at the two large pots brimming with leek soup. Most of it would be thrown away, and the kitchen staff would have to spend hours cooking a new meal for everyone. My gaze drifted back to the Luna.

In most wolf packs, the Alpha stands for strength and authority, while the Luna embodies kindness and care. But not her. She was every bit as harsh and ruthless as the Alpha. The Luna managed internal pack affairs, while the Alpha led wars — which meant she was in charge of all punishments. Every single one of my troubles traced back to her. In her eyes, her own children could do no wrong, and everyone else was to blame. She had no mercy for anyone outside her family.

Old memories flooded my mind, fresh as if they had happened only yesterday, just like the flashback I’d had out in the fields that morning.

I could still clearly recall the day I fought with Colt, Kayce and Ezra. The sound of the whip cracking against my skin was burned into my memory, even more vivid than the pain itself.

I was only eight years old then. Rain poured down heavily. The Luna stood off to the side, a pack member holding an umbrella over her head and a glass of wine in her hand. She watched me suffer — all by her command. Her so-called "angelic" children were nowhere to be seen. That was the first time I was ever whipped.

I screamed for the torture to end, but it felt like it would go on forever.

Tears stung my eyes as the memory washed over me. I was lost in thought until the Luna stopped directly in front of me. I lifted my head to meet her gaze. Her eyes were filled with contempt, and every instinct told me to look away — but I refused.

She hated me because I would not submit like the rest. Even now, while everyone cowered with their eyes lowered in fear, my bold stare alone was enough to challenge her.

She leaned closer. "Cause any trouble tonight, and I will punish you personally."

I stayed silent as she turned and left the kitchen. The whole room finally relaxed once she was gone.

"Damn it. Back to square one," Matilda sighed to her cooks.

"We can take some of the soup so it doesn’t go to waste," Lauren suggested. "I’m sure plenty of others will too. I’ll send them over."

"Wonderful!" Matilda cheered.

As they talked, a sharp, sudden pain pierced my chest.

"Ugh!"

I clutched my chest, trying to act normal around the others. I slipped into a quiet corner and leaned against the wall.

"I can’t believe he’s doing this again," I whispered. "Damn him. I hate him."

The pain felt like a knife twisting in my heart, as if my chest would burst open. I used to scream out loud when it hit, but I’ve grown used to it now — though it never gets easier. I took deep breaths and forced myself to calm down, putting on a normal face.

"Can we head home now?" I asked Lauren.

"You alright?" She noticed my watery eyes.

"Same as always."

She knew exactly what I meant. She was the only one who did.

She closed her eyes and nodded. "Alright, let’s go. Help me carry this."

She handed me a large bag filled with bowls of leek soup.

"She really made way too much," I muttered as we walked outside.

Lauren laughed. "You and James will polish this off in no time."

I smiled. She was probably right.

We walked along the dirt path through the woods until we reached our small shack. It was run-down and humble, but it was home.

Only high-ranking pack members got to live in the grand pack house. I never wanted that privilege; to me, it would be nothing but torture, surrounded by arrogant people.

Once inside, we put the soup away. I then headed to my tiny bedroom. This space had once been the dining room, converted into a bedroom when I joined the family. Lauren and I used to share a room, until our parents were killed in an attack by the Dark Fang Pack. The fighting spilled into the pack house, and Mom hid us inside the kitchen cabinets before leading the enemies away to save us. It was a terrible time. Lauren was seventeen, and I was only nine.

Later, James came into our lives as Lauren’s mate. He was a wonderful man, kind to both of us, like a real brother. I was truly happy for my sister.

The walls here are paper-thin, so I can hear every clink of dishes from the kitchen and living room. Right now, I could tell Lauren was busy preparing food.

I stepped back out of my room. "I’ll eat later. I’m going for a run."

"Okay, but don’t stay out too long."

"I’ll just run to the river and come right back," I assured her. I narrowed my eyes playfully. "You sure you want me rushing back?" I still remembered walking in on her and James the last time I returned early.

"Just go!" she laughed. "If James gets home before you, he’ll just tease me a little."

"Gross! Stop talking!"

I ran out of the house as she cackled loudly. I cringed at her silly nickname for herself — ever since she started calling her private parts "papaya", I haven’t been able to eat the fruit at all.

I pushed the awkward thoughts aside, stripped off my clothes and shifted into my wolf form once I entered the woods. Running always lifted my spirits. When I was in this form, I felt fully connected to my inner wolf. All my fears and worries melted away.

I was enjoying my peaceful run when a figure suddenly jumped out from the bushes. I skidded to a halt, instantly irritated. It was Niles, also in his wolf shape.

He just would not leave me alone. Unlike the others who bullied me openly, his advances were far worse. He kept pestering me to become his mate. The man was well into his forties, twice my age. His old mate had died years ago, and now he had set his sights on me. No other she-wolf in the pack wanted him, and since no male had ever shown interest in me either, he thought I had no choice but to accept him. He was wrong. I would rather spend my life alone than bind myself to someone like him.

A low, annoyed growl rumbled from deep within me. My inner wolf shared my hatred for him.

He strode forward and stood tall, a clear display of dominance. He leaned in to sniff behind my ears and along my neck, trying to lay claim over me. My wolf snapped at him sharply. He growled back, attempting to assert his power, but we refused to yield. I snapped again, and he stepped back. Still, my wolf kept barking and growling relentlessly, making him uncomfortable.

Our good mood was completely ruined. I turned and ran straight back home.

"That was quick. Dinner’s ready," Lauren said when I walked in.

"I’m not hungry anymore."

"Hmm. Then go get dressed for the festival!"

I sighed. I hated dressing up. I’d never look fancy, no matter what I wore — just a scruffy girl trying her best.

I took a shower, put on deodorant, and rummaged through my clothes rack before picking out a white frilled summer dress. It looked far too childish for a twenty-three-year-old woman, but I didn’t care. I wasn’t trying to impress anyone — especially not him, the source of all my pain.

I stood in front of the mirror. Old scars covered my body, marks left from the days before I awakened my wolf, back when I couldn’t heal quickly. I used to hate them, but now I paid them no mind.

I opened my jewelry box and picked up my golden necklace, the only valuable thing I owned. It was engraved with my name, and that was how most people in the pack learned who I was.

I was found beside the river when I was three years old, with my mother lying dead next to me — or so I was told. I had no memories of that day. Everyone believed my mother had fled her rogue pack. Female rogues suffered far worse treatment than I ever did, so it made sense. Lauren’s parents found me and asked the Alpha for permission to raise me as their own. They loved me like a true daughter, and I would always be grateful to them. Lauren has been a caring sister since day one, and after our parents passed, she took on a mother’s role for me. She was now thirty-one, and she and James had yet to have children. It was a shame; they would have made wonderful parents.

The necklace slid down my chest because it was too small. I tugged at my dress to cover the burn mark on my skin. I’ve had this mark since childhood, and I have no idea how I got it. It looked almost like a brand, though it was not. Kids used to tease me about it growing up, saying the brand proved I was the lowest of the pack. I already rank at the very bottom — an Omega, and even among Omegas, I am a runt. Weak, shunned, rejected by everyone except Lauren and James.

I dabbed concealer under my eyes to hide my tired, beaten look, then tried to tie my thick curly hair into a ponytail. It was no use; my hair still looked like a wild dark lion’s mane. I thought about cutting it — long curly hair was such a hassle to maintain.

Soon after, James returned home from his farm work, where he tended to the livestock. We ate dinner together, then Lauren and James got ready, and the three of us headed for the pack house.

The festival was already in full swing when we arrived. My heart began to pound wildly. I knew I would have to face him again.

"James, how are the cattle doing?" Beta Christoph walked over to greet us. He was a strict man, but fair.

James was in charge of the farm, so the two men fell into conversation about livestock. Another high-ranking warrior interrupted them soon after.

"Speaking of cattle, is it true? Did the warriors bring back prisoners this time?"

"It’s true," the Beta replied. "The Dark Fang Pack attacked the wrong encampment. They never expected our warriors to be there, and now we have prisoners of war."

A chill ran down my spine at the mention of the Dark Fang Pack. They were like a bogeyman to us growing up — except they were very real and dangerous.

I turned away, trying to tune out their conversation. But when I saw someone walking toward me, I instantly thought I would rather face the entire Dark Fang Pack instead.

It was my mate.