~ Isolde POV ~
Being a latent sucked.
But being rejected because I was a latent? That was worse.
Three days ago, I found my mate—Trey Blackwood, Alpha of the Raven Pack. He'd come to our pack for a political meeting, aligned with my father. I hadn't planned on running into him. But the moment our eyes met, I felt it—the pull. He was mine. I had spent years quietly holding onto that hope, dreaming that my mate would find me, see me, and finally pull me away from this place that never felt like home.
But he didn't. Instead, he looked at me like I was dirt beneath his boot. No hesitation. No confusion. Just... disgust. He rejected me before I could even say a word.
And just like that, the future I'd imagined shattered into something sharp and cruel.
Since then, I've been holed up in my room. Licking my wounds. Not physical ones—I didn't shift, so I didn't collapse—but the kind that sit heavy in your chest and refuse to leave.
Then this morning, my father sent for me. That never meant anything good. I made my way to the front of his office and, as always, found Silver standing guard. He was built like a tank, with a face half-covered in beard and a jagged scar that made him look like he'd survived a dozen wars. I'd never heard him speak a word, but it wasn't because he couldn't. He just didn't bother.
Maybe that's why I liked him. He never looked at me with contempt like the others. He just... existed. Quietly. Without judgment.
"You in?" I asked him.
He gave me a slow, complicated nod. I recognized the gesture. It meant my father wasn't alone.
Of course not. He never was.
I sighed and opened the door. A wave of moaning greeted me, and I immediately regretted not knocking.
Peter Coleman—my father, and unfortunately still Alpha—was tangled up with some new woman I didn't recognize. They were halfway to devouring each other on his desk. Disgusting.
"Alright. Enough of that," I said, stepping inside without waiting for permission.
My father shot me a look, somewhere between irritated and murderous. The woman pulled herself together, smoothing her clothes and tossing me a glare.
I knew her.
Nancy. The so-called healer he'd recently brought into the pack. The woman who now held my title, even though her healing was mediocre at best. My father couldn't stomach the idea of relying on me, the latent daughter, even though I was the one who saved his life after a rogue tore him open. He hated that. Hated needing me.
So he replaced me. Again. This time with someone who'd clearly auditioned for the role horizontally.
"How rude," Nancy sneered. "You could've waited until we were finished."
I gave her a long, bored blink. "What, tired of men your own age not being able to keep up, so now you're chasing fossils?"
"Who the hell are you calling a fossil?" my father snapped.
"Oh, sorry—meant to say Grandpa."
"You little bitch. How dare a latent speak that way to her Alpha?"
I tilted my head lazily. "That's exactly why I can. When you're at the bottom, there's not much left to lose."
Nancy didn't take kindly to that. She marched up to me, trying to get in my face like she thought she could intimidate me. My wolf stirred, restless beneath my skin.
"Back off," I warned, voice flat. "You're making my wolf twitchy."
She scoffed. "Do you even have a wolf? Or are you just pretending like the pathetic fraud you are?"
I did. And she was clawing at the edges, begging to be let out—to tear this woman apart. But I couldn't afford that. Not here. Not yet.
So I compromised.
I dropped my head slightly, then whipped it upward and slammed it into Nancy's nose. Hard. The crunch was satisfying.
She staggered back, clutching her face as her eyes watered.
"You—! I'll kill you!" she spat through gritted teeth.
I shrugged. "I warned you. Besides, if you're really a healer, I'm sure you can patch that up. No need to cry over a broken nose."
Nancy looked like she was about to launch herself at me, but Peter finally stepped in.
"That's enough. Get out of my office."
She hesitated, burning with humiliation, but obeyed.
"You'll regret this," she hissed before slamming the door behind her.
I was left alone with Peter. He studied me in silence, his expression unreadable. I didn't like that.
"If you dragged me out of my room to scold me about Trey, don't bother. I'm already dealing with that disaster."
He sighed, slow and deliberate. "This isn't about him."
I crossed my arms. "Then what?"
"I think it's time you left this pack."
I blinked. "Wow."
I couldn't even fake surprise. The writing had been on the wall for years. The moment I turned out to be a latent, he'd practically disowned me. The first thing he said when the test came back was 'useless'. Not 'we'll figure it out.' Not 'you're still my daughter.'
Just 'useless'.
So no, I wasn't shocked. But something in his tone made me uneasy. Like he wasn't finished.
"I assume you've heard of Tao Beaumont?" he asked casually.
I frowned. The name was familiar, and not in a good way. Tao was the heir to the Sunless Pack. I saw him a few days ago at the General Meeting. Creepy guy. Smiled like he was wearing someone else's face. Made my skin crawl.
Why bring him up?
"When he came for the summit, he saw you," my father continued. "Apparently, he liked what he saw."
My stomach twisted. I already didn't like where this was going.
"No," I said.
He ignored me. "He made an offer. A mating bond in exchange for a political alliance. And as your Alpha, I've accepted."