Chapter 1 Yulia

A woman couldn’t be made Alpha, the tradition was infuriating, but it was so deeply rooted and nothing could be done about it. Because of that, I would be marrying my heartthrob of five years today. 

It was early in the morning when I stood in front of the pack’s mating ground, happiness etched across the sides of my face.

But beneath the smile I had been faking all this while was a sadness I was trying my best to hide.

Two hours had passed since the mating ceremony was supposed to begin, yet Dominic,my mate-to-be, was still not here.

I paused and turned my head backward, anxiety slowly creeping into my chest as I didn’t know what to say or do.

“Where is the Beta’s son? Why isn’t he here? Isn’t he the one supposed to be her mate?” I heard a whisper rise from the crowd that had already gathered.

“Isn’t she his mate? Why would he be ignoring her this way? Seems the rumors about their relationship is true..  But it’s still very outrageous for him not to attend his own mating ceremony, it's an abomination,” another voice added.

I swallowed down the insult, even though I had the power and authority to punish those who had just spoken.

Still, I said nothing, hoping against hope that Dominic would arrive just in time to prove them all wrong. He wouldn’t leave me hanging. Right? 

As an Alpha’s daughter, I needed a mate, especially after my father’s death.

Dominic was my fated mate, and he had constantly not wanted me. But suddenly, after my father’s death, he started proclaiming his love for me.. I was happy about that, and never thought too much about the sudden change. But now…

A few more minutes passed when the sky had gotten darker. I saw Dominic approaching the podium where our mating ceremony was supposed to take place.

My face lit up and relief crashed into me like a wave. He was finally here. The mating ceremony would still hold.

Alphaship wouldn’t leave my lineage, though I would only be made Luna once Dominic ascended the throne through me. 

Dominic walked toward me, there was a scowl on his face when he saw me, one I couldn’t miss. I didn’t understand why he looked that way. He wasn’t even dressed in ceremonial robes, nor did he appear like a man about to be mated.

Behind him was a group of warriors, dragging a man between them. He smelled of filthy melons and without being told, I knew he was a rogue.

“Dominic, what’s going on?” I asked, my gaze fixed on him, refusing to falter, even when I noticed my stepsister, Henna, walking into the mating grounds.

My chest tightened painfully. I didn’t even notice that she wasn’t here earlier. Why was she also only arriving now?

He said nothing in response to my question.

At first, I thought the push had been a mistake, but I clearly felt the full force of his strength, so I couldn’t deceive myself that it was. 

“Dominic, what’s going on?” I asked again, my voice trembling with shock and confusion.

“It's our mating ceremony today. Why did you come so late? And who is he?” I asked, my voice a mixture of confusion and urgency, pausing mid-step to stare at the rogue the warriors were holding behind him.

“Mating ceremony? To who, you? You?" he sneered mockingly, his gaze piercing me with disdain. There was something cruelly playful in the way he looked at me, as if enjoying the humiliation that I was feeling right now. 

I looked at him trying to find any sign that this was some kind of joke. My eyes flicked to Henna, and there was a satisfied smirk curling across her lips. 

The sight made my stomach twist. But before I could dwell on it, Dominic’s voice cut through the murmurs of the pack.  “Today was supposed to be my mating ceremony with Yulia, as everyone knows,” he shouted, his tone commanding and echoing through the clearing. 

“But instead of being at her mating ceremony, I had been forced to ride out at dawn to attack the rogues and protect the pack from an intel my men received about them wanting to raid us!”

I froze, staring at the rogue in front of me. He was bloodied, battered and held tightly by the warriors. My mind whirled with disbelief. Why hadn’t I been informed about this attack? My gaze instinctively sought his father, but even he looked stunned, confusion etched across his face. It was as if Dominic’s revelation had blindsided everyone.

“Luckily, the warriors and I were able to subdue the rogues,” Dominic continued, his voice steady and deliberate, “but we were shocked to discover that they had a map of the location of our pack’s treasury. And the map even included the secret exits of the treasure room!” His words drew murmurs of surprise from the crowd, a ripple of shock that seemed to energize him.

“Did you find out who betrayed us? Who gave the map to them? Someone wanted to betray the pack under my rule!” Panic edged my words. I took a tentative step toward the rogue being held, my mind racing with disbelief and anger.

Dominic’s voice rang out again, pulling my attention. “I had the men cut off his tongue when he lied to me the first time. But to save his life, his fellow rogues told the truth. I only brought this one back alive as evidence of the fight at the borders today!”

He was speaking to the pack, not me. The rogue struggled to stay upright, but that wasn’t what rooted me to the spot. It was his scent.

A filthy, foreign melon scent, one peculiar to rogues that clung to him. It was faintly chemical, almost as if he had been masking his true nature. This wasn’t just a rogue captured at the borders. This was a wolf masquerading as a rogue, someone deliberately hiding their identity. Why was Dominic lying that this man was a rogue?

“Why are you still standing there, Yulia?” Dominic’s tone cut through the haze of my thoughts. “Scared he has exposed all your secrets?”

I turned to face him, panic and indignation warring inside me. “Huh? My secrets?” My words were cut off as his voice thundered again, louder this time. 

“The traitor who has been selling out the pack’s secrets to the rogues is none other than Yulia MoonFang!”

What!? My mind refused to comprehend the accusation. 

And then, as if compelled by a desperate instinct, the rogue freed one hand from the warriors holding him. Swiftly, and with a precision that shocked me, he pulled a knife from his thigh and plunged it into himself, while shouting that he would never betray his master. 

Blood blossomed across his chest, a macabre display before my pack.

I remained frozen. The rogue bled out at my feet while the eyes of every pack member, including Dominic, pierced me with judgment, disbelief and disdain.

To them it seemed he had killed himself to protect me... I had fallen into a carefully dug trap.