Rowena's POV
My room was small and unforgiving. A narrow bed, a worn desk, and a creaking wardrobe made up all of its furnishings. The walls were bare, untouched by pictures or memories, as if time itself had never truly lingered here. Pale light filtered through the window, illuminating the single pair of shoes left on the floor, tucked into the corner like a shadow.
This was my home.
Or rather, a place where I hid.
Since my father's death, silence had become my constant companion. Not the peaceful kind that soothes the soul, but the suffocating kind, heavy and oppressive, reminding me over and over that no one was waiting for me to return. Sometimes it felt as though the walls were watching me, counting my breaths, until I, too, became part of the stillness.
My life had never been perfect.
But the truth was, I had never wanted it to be.
I wasn't particularly beautiful or popular, and I wasn't born into any noble family. I didn't excel in combat, nor did I possess anything the pack found worthy of admiration. I wasn't surrounded by friends. I was quiet, invisible—and that suited me just fine. Living in the shadows meant safety.
I had never known my mother. I'd never seen a picture of her, and my father had refused to speak about her. Whenever I asked, he ended the conversation with the same sentence: the separation had been too painful to revisit. He never wavered. I had no living relatives that I knew of, and he took all his secrets with him when he died in a car accident two years ago.
The Blood Moon pack knew nothing more about my origins either. There was only one certainty: I wasn't born here. I was eight years old when my father brought me to this place, shortly after the divorce. We were outsiders, strangers, and so we were never granted any rank. My father worked as a caretaker until his death, and I shared this cramped staff room with him in the packhouse.
Then he was gone too.
And I was left alone.
I never liked standing out. Being unnoticed was a shield—it spared me from the judging stares of others. I hadn't yet taken the ranking test either, though I was required to complete it by my twentieth birthday. The pack decided what you were fit for, not you. It was an ancient order, merciless and unquestionable. Fortunately, I still had time—and I wasn't in a hurry.
Most had already gone through it, especially the girls. The higher your rank, the closer you could get to the Alpha's favor. That was how things worked here. Most girls dreamed of catching the attention of the young Alpha, Derek Scott—or at the very least, his Beta, Orlando Moore.
Everyone did… except me.
I had to admit, they were handsome. But their manners? Crude was far too gentle a word—especially when it came to the Alpha.
Today was my eighteenth birthday. I celebrated alone, which had long since stopped feeling unusual. My only friend was Emily, Derek's sister, but since she came of age, she'd been surrounded by suitors. Being born an Alpha carried its own kind of attention. Perhaps she had forgotten my birthday altogether… but I didn't mind. That made things simpler.
After breakfast, I headed into the forest.
The path behind the packhouse was long abandoned. The treetops arched densely above me, as if trying to hide the sky itself. The air was cool, rich with the scent of damp earth and moss-covered bark.
Here, I didn't have to be anything for anyone. There was no rank, no expectation—just silence and me.
With every step, I moved farther from the packhouse, and my chest felt lighter with each breath. The forest did not judge. It did not question. It simply accepted. I hoped today would be the day of my first shift. That I would finally find my wolf. And if I did… I wouldn't be alone anymore. Maybe I wouldn't feel like an outsider in this pack either.
Alpha Derek's gaze always held disgust whenever he looked at me—as if I were nothing more than a useless servant. I never understood why. But today, it didn't matter. Today, only one thing mattered.
Finding my wolf.
The clearing opened before me in a perfect circle, as though the forest itself had marked the place. The grass lay flattened, leaves thick upon the ground. The wind barely stirred. The birds fell silent.
The quiet was too deep.
I felt tension creep beneath my skin, as if my body already knew something was coming—even while my mind resisted it.
"You can do this, Rowena," I whispered to myself. "Find your wolf."
I closed my eyes, emptied my thoughts, and waited.
Nothing.
Then a growl tore through the silence.
It came from everywhere at once, not a single direction. The forest turned hostile. Shadows stretched unnaturally, trees leaning closer, as if eager to witness what was about to happen.
The dark brown wolf's gaze was cold and calculating. Not the eyes of a beast—but of a ruler.
"Alpha Derek…" I said, bowing my head slightly.
In response, he stepped closer. In a heartbeat, he shifted into human form, standing before me in nothing but his briefs. His sculpted body was imposing—marred only by the disgust written across his face.
"I told you to shift!" he snapped.
"I can't, Alpha," I answered, my head lowered.
"What do you mean you can't?!" he barked. "What kind of werewolf are you?"
"One who only came of age today," I lifted my gaze. "One who hasn't had her first shift yet."
"Show some respect, girl! Do you know who you're talking to?"
"Respect is earned," I stepped closer, ignoring the consequences. "And you, Alpha, have done nothing to earn mine. I am not your slave!"
In the next instant, his hand was around my throat.
"Enough!" he roared. "I am your Alpha!"
My skin ignited. Pain flared within me—the transformation had begun.
"I command you not to shift today," he said coldly, then released me.
The pain became unbearable. I collapsed to the ground like a discarded doll.
He loomed over me, his smile cruel.
"This is how you learn your place," he hissed. "You're nothing but a servant. And you'll never be more."
Then he left.
The forest closed in around me. The clearing vanished. There was only pain and darkness. The ground was cold beneath my skin, leaves tangled in my hair. My tears soaked silently into the earth.
I was alone.
Truly, completely alone.
Hours dragged by. The sun set. The pain eventually turned into fire within me… and when the clock struck midnight, it happened.
When the pain faded, the darkness did too. The world sharpened, became clearer. Every scent, every sound intensified.
And then I felt her.
I was no longer alone.
"Welcome, Rowena," a deep, clear voice spoke. "My name is Selene."
Before me stood a massive, snow-white wolf… myself.
"I'm sorry you suffered so much," she said gently. "I promise, it will be easier now."
"It's not your fault," I whispered. "The Alpha stopped the transformation."
"The Alpha?" Selene's voice darkened. "Then he is not my leader."
She started running, her anger blazing like newly lit fire.
"I will not accept this."
"Then a darker fate awaits us," I replied softly.
"I do not surrender without a fight," she growled. "Never."