Chapter 1

—“I thought he loved me... until I heard him say, ‘Once the fire starts, we can replace that container.’”

That night, the fires atop Firefang Mountain burned brighter than ever, casting shadows like claws over the altar.

I was kneeling at the foot of the Moonstone, trying to calm my pounding heart.

The chants of our pack echoed across the cliffs when Alpha Emery, our Alpha and leader, stepped forward through the flames, dressed in a crimson ceremonial cloak.

He walked straight to me and knelt—yes, the almighty Alpha Emery knelt before me.

“Omega Caroline,” he said softly. “Will you become my Oathmate?”

I was frozen. “I... I’m not worthy.”

He smiled, lifting a silver chain. “You’re the one I chose. That’s all that matters.”

The moment the chain touched the back of my neck, I felt its warmth seep into my skin. All around us, murmurs erupted.

“She’s a low-tier Omega.”

“She failed her Awakening ceremony, didn’t she?”

“She has no bloodline, no family...”

Alpha Emery didn’t flinch. He gently tucked my hair behind my ear, then took a slice of roasted deer heart—the ritual meat—and brought it to my lips. I opened my mouth and swallowed without protest.

“You’re mine now,” he whispered, “and no one dares question that.”

After the ceremony, I was moved into the eastern wing of the Alpha's quarters. I thought it was an honor, a sign of his affection. Maybe... just maybe, he truly cared for me.

He would personally bring me calming tea each night.

“I added moon petals. Helps you sleep better.”

Sometimes, I’d wake up and feel fingers brushing my neck. Once, I caught him.

“You startled me...” I whispered.

Alpha Emery chuckled, warm and gentle. “Just checking your scent glands. You’re so delicate. I worry.”

Luna and Liam were brought to me on the third day. Two little wolf pups with golden eyes and snowy hair.

“They’re not mine,” I’d told Alpha Emery the first time.

He cupped my cheek. “I know. But they respond to you. They need someone nurturing. And I want to see you as a mother.”

They weren’t my children. Everyone in the pack knew they were born of Alpha Emery and a mysterious she-wolf who vanished years ago.

Still, they clung to me, called me “Omega Caroline sister,” and sometimes, in their sleep, “Mama.”

It pierced my heart every time.

One night, I couldn’t sleep and left my room for water. As I passed the western wing, I heard voices behind a door.

“Don’t worry about the pups,” came Alpha Emery’s unmistakable voice. “Once the fire starts, the container goes with them.”

My legs turned to ice.

“Are you sure?” Beta Derrick, the Beta, asked.

“She thinks I love her. She’s nothing but a vessel. Beta Sasha’s ready. Once Omega Caroline dies, we can transfer the bond.”

I staggered back. I didn’t know how I got to the nursery—I just ran.

“Luna! Liam!”

They were limp in their beds, faces flushed, breathing shallow. The room reeked of sleep powder.

Was it the tea? The one I gave them?

A red glow flashed outside the window. Flames. Real flames.

I wrapped the pups in a curtain and tied them to my back. The only way out was the window.

“Hold on… Please.”

I jumped.

When I awoke, my hands were scorched and bound in healing wraps. The pups lay beside me, unconscious but breathing.

“They’re alive?” I rasped.

The healer didn’t look up. “Barely. The Alpha isn’t here. He’s with Beta Sasha. She’s... shaken.”

Beta Sasha?

Alpha Emery came three days later, holding a bowl of soup like nothing happened.

“You’re awake.” He sat beside me. “You’ve been through a lot.”

I stayed quiet.

“Here, drink. You need strength.”

I took the spoon he offered, my fingers trembling.

“I was wrong to leave you alone,” he murmured. “After this, let’s go to Silvermoon Peak. Just us.”

I nodded, softly. “Okay.”

But in my heart, I was drowning.

I didn’t tell him what I heard.

I didn’t ask what “container” meant.

Because I didn’t dare.

Because Alpha Emery was still smiling at me like I meant something to him.