Chapter 3 Avery Hale POV

I pressed my back firmly against the rough bark of an oak tree, trying all I could to not draw any attention to myself, while hundreds of pack members around me filled the courtyard, their voices combining in a choral union to create a loud, echoing buzz of nervous energy.

There I was, lost among them in the designated section for wolfless teenagers, tightly squeezed between two guys sweating through their formal suits.

We were all here for the same purpose.

A sign from the Moon Goddess.

My eyes drifted across the lit courtyard from where I was, drawn straight toward the center platform where the royal family stood waiting, with Lucas impossible to ignore from where he was in their midst.

He stood with his hands tucked loosely in his pockets and his posture relaxed, as though he owned the ground beneath his boots, while his face bore the look of confidence of one who had never doubted his place in this pack—not even for a second.

Chloe existed beside him, barely noticed, but practically leaning on his shoulder, her manicured fingers twirling a strand of her blonde hair as she whispered something in his ear. 

He did not react to whatever it was, and she threw her head back and laughed at her own joke, clearly trying to get him to look at her without success.

I swallowed hard and my thoughts returned to myself. 

How pathetic of me to even watch them.

Lucas had never shown a shred of interest in me, and my condition was so dire I knew he never would. To him, I was just a ghost from eight years ago, or worse, just another fat, wolfless girl clogging up his hallway.

The thud of a wooden staff striking stone echoed across the square, cutting off the noise, and the High Priest stepped forward to the altar, his long white robes trailing behind him.

"Tonight, we gather under the crimson light of the Red Moon," he announced, his booming voice echoing off the surrounding stone walls. "This is the sacred night when the boundaries between our realm and the Goddess thin, and we are close enough to her, to feel her.”

The atmosphere was charged by his words, and as though he was aware of the powerful effect they had, he continued, raising his arms to the dark sky. 

“Tonight, the dormant spirits within the wolfless may awaken, and true fated mates shall be revealed.”

A collective gasp swept through the crowd and one by one, the priest began calling the wolfless candidates forward to stand near the stone pillar.

He was still speaking when a loud gasp cut through the air, all the attention drawn towards a youth two spots down from me whose eyes suddenly glowed a pale yellow, his shoulders broadening.

Loud cheers followed when this happened.

His wolf had finally woken up.

It was a truly joyous moment, and I felt happy for him as I spotted his family crying with relief in the front row, his mother the most obvious.

Somewhere down my right, another girl stepped up, and a soft silver light wrapped around her hands before pointing directly toward a young warrior in the second row.

They were fated mates, and they rushed toward each other, embracing warmly while everyone clapped, praying for the new couple.

I waited for my turn, my heart hammering against my ribs so hard it began to hurt. Seconds ticked by into long minutes, and more people experienced their own changes, but nothing happened to me. No glowing light, no surge of strength, no voice whispering in my mind.

Nothing at all.

The wind whipped through my dark green dress, chilling my skin as a bitter wave of disappointment washed over me.

What had I been expecting?

Why would I expect tonight to be any different?

The Moon Goddess hadn't remembered me when my parents threw me out, and she certainly hadn't remembered me tonight. It was as though I was made by her to stay broken and wolfless forever.

I took a quiet step backward, ready to slip away into the tree line before the ceremony officially ended and the mocking started, because I just could not think of how best to take another year of taunting—

My breath caught and held in my throat.

Before I knew what was happening , a wave of heat hit the center of my chest, and it was so hot it felt as though a burning ember had been shoved under my ribs. 

My heartbeat became deafening, ringing in my ears like a war drum.

I gasped, lost control of myself, and stumbled sideways as what felt like an invisible rope hooked itself around my spine and pulled me forward. My legs moved on their own, taking three steps toward the aisle. 

My mind was barely aware of anything—all I knew was that I was moving and the people in the crowd were turning towards me and pointing at me and whispering things I was too dazed to hear.

Only a fraction of them reached my ears.

"Look at her," I heard someone sneer near the back. "What is she doing?"

I wanted to tell them that I did not know and I wanted to stop it myself, but I couldn't even have answered them if I wanted to.

If all that was not enough, I felt the invisible pull growing even stronger, yanking my gaze away from the floor and dragging it directly across the crowded yard, while my eyes locked straight onto Lucas.

The moment our eyes met, a sound like a snap reverberated inside my head. A thread of gold and fire slammed into me, binding my breathing, my pulse, and my existence directly to his. 

The High Priest gasped, his staff dropping. 

"The Goddess has spoken,” he declared, his voice echoing across the silent square. "A fated bond has been forged."

My body finally came to a stop and I stood frozen, my mouth hanging open in sheer disbelief. The bond was roaring through my veins and filling the empty, hollow spaces inside me with a strange, warm light.

There we were…

Lucas Ravengod—the Lycan Prince, the hockey captain, the boy I had secretly loved in silence for years—was my fated mate.

For one second, my chest swelled with overwhelming relief and joy. I found myself thinking that this was the moment my life had finally turned around and I had something to hold as the Goddess’ reward for every insult and every bruise I had ever endured.

My wolf hadn't awakened, but it didn't matter anymore.

The Goddess had given me him.

"Lucas..." I whispered quietly, taking a step towards the altar.

He was looking down at me from above, and the expression on his face killed everything I had felt since he was shown to be mine. His usually cold eyes were turned towards me, and they did not hold wonder or affection, but unhidden disdain.

His jaw was set rigid, and his face looked as pale as one who had just been handed a death sentence. His eyes threaded down my cheap green dress, the figure it hung upon, and stopped at my face.

I had never seen disdain become disgust until then, and it tore me apart.

Beside him, Chloe shrieked in horror, clutching his arm tightly. 

“No! That's impossible! She's a wolfless freak!”