All I saw was darkness and towering trees stretching endlessly in every direction. My feet carried me forward through the forest, though I had no idea where I was going or why I was running. Everything was pitch black except for the silver moonlight filtering through the canopy above.
My pulse hammered in my veins, a primal warning that something bad was about to happen.
Then I heard it a soft thud in the distance. Small, but distinct.
I spun around, surveying the unknown landscape, but saw only shadows and darkness. My breath came in short, sharp gasps. The air felt heavy, oppressive, like the forest itself was holding its breath.
Another sound. Heavier this time. Definitely a footstep.
Something was following me.
Suddenly, two points of light pierced the darkness gleaming eyes that glowed golden in the shadows. My stomach dropped. A wolf. Before I could process it, another set of eyes appeared beside the first, burning just as bright.
Two wolves.
Fear seized me.
My legs pumped desperately, carrying me as fast as they could through the underbrush. Branches whipped at my face and arms. My heart pounded so loud in my chest I could hear its erratic rhythm thundering in my ears. A terrible headache built behind my eyes, making everything blur and spin.
Behind me, I heard them the heavy thud of paws, the snap of twigs, the wet panting of predators closing in.
I didn't see the trap until it was too late.
SNAP.
The metal jaws clamped around my ankle with a sickening click. White-hot pain exploded through my leg, so intense I saw stars. I stumbled and crashed face-first into the dirt, crying out as the agony radiated up through my entire body.
No. No, no, no.
I twisted around, trying desperately to pry the rusted mouse trap open, but my fingers slipped on blood and metal. The footsteps behind me slowed to a deliberate, menacing pace.
They knew I was caught.
I looked back and my blood turned to ice.
Two massive wolves emerged from the shadows, each the size of a small bear. Their snouts were stained with fresh blood—not their own. They moved in perfect synchronization, heads low, eyes fixed on me with terrifying intelligence. Their approach was slow, methodical, like they were savoring my fear.
These weren't ordinary wolves. These were werewolves.
"Please," I whispered, my voice breaking. "Please don't "
The wolves lunged as one.
I felt their fangs sink deep into my neck from both sides hot, tearing pain that stole my breath and my scream. Blood gushed hot and slick down my throat. The world started going dark, cold seeping into my limbs as my life drained away into the forest floor.
My eyes snapped open.
I stared at the wooden ceiling of my room, my body rigid with shock. My hand flew to my throat, expecting to find torn flesh and blood, but there was nothing. Just my own frantic pulse hammering beneath my fingertips.
A dream. Just a dream.
But I was drenched in sweat, my thin nightshift plastered to my skin. My entire body trembled with leftover terror, and phantom pain still throbbed in my ankle where the trap had been.
What does this mean? Why do I keep having this nightmare?
Before I could process it, a sharp knock rattled my door.
"Nessa! Get up! We have extra work to do!" Maya's voice cut through my thoughts clipped and impatient as always.
"Coming!" I called back, my voice hoarse.
I heard her footsteps retreat down the narrow hallway. I had maybe ten minutes before Overseer Garrett would come through with his whip for anyone still in their rooms.
I swung my legs over the side of the cot and stood on shaky legs. The nightmare clung to me like cobweb, but I forced myself to move. Dwelling on bad dreams wouldn't make my day any easier.
My bathroom was the bare minimum for a slave, a narrow cutout barely big enough to turn around in, with a bucket for rinsing myself and a drain in the concrete floor. I twisted the valve and icy water sputtered from the exposed pipe.
I stripped off my sweat-soaked nightshift and stepped under the frigid stream, hissing as the cold water hit my skin. Then I hissed againthis time from real pain as the water ran over the welts crisscrossing my arms and back. Fresh ones from yesterday overlapped the faded scars of years past.
I scrubbed quickly, trying not to look at the damage. Pain was just part of life here. You learned to swallow it, hide it, survive it.
I dried off with a threadbare rag and pulled on my gray slave dress shapeless, stained, and permanently smelling of barn hay no matter how many times I washed it. I finger-combed my damp hair into a quick braid and took a steadying breath.
Another day. Time to survive it.
I opened my door and hurried down the hallway toward the barn, keeping my head down and my steps quick
"You useless, lazy bitch!"
I froze. That voice made my blood run cold.
Lira appeared around the corner like a particularly venomous snake, her silk robe swishing around her ankles, her perfectly styled blonde hair gleaming even in the dim hallway light. The alphas sister, Twenty-three years old and the most spoiled, vicious creature in the entire pack.
"When was the last time you scrubbed my bathroom?" She stalked toward me, her blue eyes glittering with malice. "It's disgusting. There's a water spot on my mirror. Do you know how unacceptable that is? I have important visitors coming!"
I immediately bowed my head, trying to show proper remorse even though my teeth ground together with the force of my loathing. "I'm sorry, Miss Lira. I'll see to it that it's cleaned properly."
"See that you do." She circled me like a predator. "And do it right this time, or I'll make sure my dad knows about your incompetence."
I turned my cheek slightly, bracing myself. Lira loved to slap slaves for even minor infractions. But today, she just threw her head back and cackled a high-pitched, mocking laugh that echoed down the corridor.
"You really think I'm going to waste my energy on a filthy slave?" She examined her manicured nails with exaggerated boredom. "Don't make me laugh. You're not worth the effort. You're not worth anything." My wolf stirred, angry My jaw clenched so hard my teeth ached. I wanted to scream at her, to tell her exactly what I thought of her and her entire poisonous family. But slaves who talked back didn't last long in this pack.
She stalked away, her cruel laughter still echoing long after she'd disappeared around the corner.
I stood there for a moment, fists clenched so tight my nails dug crescents into my palms. The rage I could never express, never release, burned hot in my chest. But I swallowed it down like always and forced my feet to move.
The pack house kitchens were already in chaos when I arrived. Cook was barking orders at a dozen slaves, all of us scrambling to prepare what looked like enough food to feed an army.
"You! Nessa!" Cook pointed a wooden spoon at me like a weapon. "Start on those vegetables. They need to be chopped fine—fine, you understand? Not the chunks you made last time."
"Yes, Cook."
I took my place at the preparation table and began chopping, keeping my head down and my hands moving. Around me, the other slaves worked in tense silence, all of us knowing that one mistake could mean a beating.
There you are!" A cheerful voice called out. "I was starting to think Lira had murdered you in the hallway."
I couldn't help the small smile that tugged at my lips. Elena.
My friend appeared from behind a stack of hay bales, her curly brown hair escaping from its braid in wild tendrils, a smudge of dirt across her freckled nose, and a grin on her face that could only be described as mischievous. Elena was one of the few good things about this horrible place a fellow slave who somehow managed to keep her sense of humor despite everything.
"She tried," I said dryly, grabbing a pitchfork. "Verbally, at least. Apparently, there's a water spot on her mirror."
"Oh, the horror!" Elena clutched her chest dramatically. "How will she ever survive such trauma? Quick, someone alert the pack council. This is clearly an emergency."
I snorted, actually laughing for the first time all morning. "Stop. If anyone hears you—"
"They'll what? Make me muck more stalls? I'm already doing that." She hefted her own pitchfork and fell into step beside me as we headed toward the back stalls. "Besides, someone has to keep you from becoming a completely miserable human being. It's basically my life's mission."
"You're ridiculous."
"I'm delightful. There's a difference." She tossed a forkful of soiled hay into the wheelbarrow with practiced ease. "But seriously, you look like death. Another nightmare?"
I hesitated, then nodded. Elena was the only person I'd told about the recurring dreams. "Same as always. Two wolves. Golden eyes. They always catch me."
"Creepy." Elena wrinkled her nose. "You know what you need? A distraction. Something exciting to think about instead of murder wolves."
"I'm a slave, Elena. Excitement isn't exactly on the menu."
"Ah, but that's where you're wrong!" Her eyes lit up with barely contained glee. "I have news. The kind of news that's going to make this entire pack lose its collective mind."
Despite myself, curiosity stirred. "What news?"
Elena leaned in conspiratorially, even though we were alone in the back of the barn. "Maddox is coming home."
I blinked. "Maddox? The Beta?"
"The very same." Elena practically vibrated with excitement. "He's been fighting a war for what, five? Four? Anyways he's coming back. Tomorrow. Can you believe it?"
Actually, I could barely remember what Maddox Thorne looked like. He'd left when I was seventeen, and back then I'd been too focused on surviving day-to-day to pay attention to pack politics. I vaguely recalled a tall young man with dark hair and the hazel eyes all high-ranking wolves seemed to have.
"Why does this matter to us?" I asked, mucking another stall. "He's the Beta. We're slaves. Our paths aren't exactly going to cross."
"Speak for yourself." Elena's voice went dreamy, and I looked up to find her staring off into space with a ridiculous expression on her face. "I plan to cross paths with him as much as humanly possible."
"Elena!!!"
"Have you heard?" one of the kitchen girls whispered beside us. "About the ceremony?"
"What ceremony?" I whispered back, not looking up from my cutting board.
"The Mating Solstice. It's in two days. They say elder mariah received a prophecy about it.
My hands stilled for just a moment before I forced them to keep moving. That was never good news.
"What kind of prophecy?"
"I don't know the details, but"
"Silence!" Cook's voice cracked through the kitchen. "This is a workplace, not a gossip circle! Get back to work before I report you all to Overseer Garrett!"
We fell silent immediately, but my mind was racing. A prophecy about the Mating Solstice. Two days away. Whatever it was, it had the entire pack on edge. Elena had gone quiet beside me.
I looked up to find everyone staring at the doorway. My heart sank.
A pack guard stood there, his expression grim. The same guard who'd been there the day they'd executed my father. The same guard who'd dragged me to the slave quarters seven years ago.
"Nessa," he said, his voice flat. "Come with me."
The kitchen fell into shocked silence. Guards didn't come for slaves unless something had gone terribly wrong.
"What did she do?" Elena demanded, already distancing herself from me.
"That's between the slave and the Alpha," the guard replied coldly.
The Alpha.
My blood turned to ice. My hands started shaking so badly I nearly dropped the knife I was holding.
"Now," the guard commanded. "Alpha Kade doesn't like to be kept waiting."
I set down the knife with trembling fingers and wiped my hands on my apron. Every eye in the kitchen watched me as I walked toward the guard, my legs barely supporting my weight.
This was it. After seven years, they'd finally decided I wasn't worth keeping alive. Or maybe I'd done something broken some rule I didn't know existed. Either way, being summoned by the Alpha never ended well for slaves.
The guard led me out of the kitchen, through the main corridors of the pack house. Wolves stopped and stared as we passed, their whispers following us.
"Isn't that the traitor's daughter?"
"What did she do?"
"About time someone dealt with her..."
I kept my eyes on the floor, my heart pounding so hard I thought it might burst from my chest. We climbed stairs I'd never been allowed to climb before, entering the private wing of the pack house where only the highest-ranked wolves lived.
Where the Alpha's chambers were.
The guard stopped in front of a massive oak door, carved with the pack's symbol a silver moon surrounded by wolves. He knocked twice.
"Enter." came Alpha Kade's voice from inside, deep and commanding.