Chapter 1
I am Elara Sterling, the only pureblood heir to the Blood Moon Pack. My birthright is the most resource-rich territory on the continent and the Alpha title.
My mother, fearing the crown would break me, adopted and trained three elite warriors to be my chosen mate candidates. She announced it to the Pack Council: whoever I marked would share my throne.
But behind closed doors? They hated my Alpha blood. They refused my bond, flocking instead to Chloe—a weak, low-ranking Omega, and the daughter of our pack's caretaker.
"Your bloodline doesn't mean you can force a bond!" they sneered. "Chloe is the perfect mate. You? You aren't even fit to grovel at her feet."
Fine. They broke my heart, so I froze it over. I turned my back on them and signed a mating contract with the Royal Pack. I was going to marry Lucian Blackwood.
Yes, he was the Alpha King's heir. And yes, a border war had put him in a vegetative state five years ago. But I'd rather tie my soul to a comatose wolf than beg three parasites to love me.
The kicker? The moment the mating edict was announced, the three warriors who threw me away completely lost their minds.
Elara
"Are you out of your mind, Elara?" My mother, the reigning Alpha, stared at me in disbelief.
We stood in her study, the heavy scent of her distress suffocating the room. "Lucian's wolf was shattered five years ago. He is a shell. Bonding with a comatose wolf is a death sentence for your own spirit. You'll be a widow before you're a wife."
I kept my voice deadpan. "It doesn't matter if he wakes up or rots in that bed. What matters is the Royal Pack's military backing. Blood Moon needs their alliance."
She sighed, rubbing her temples. But she never denied me. "If you ever regret this... I will tear that contract up myself. Your three Chosen Mates will wait for you. They're loyal to you, Elara."
I shook my head, flashing a bitter smirk.
Loyal. Right.
After my father was killed in a border skirmish shortly after my birth, my mother carried the pack alone. To give me a safety net, she plucked three orphaned boys from the wastelands: Kael, Zane, and Finn. To her face, they were my devoted protectors, the perfect adopted brothers.
But in the shadows? I was the dirt on their boots. I just never had the heart to shatter my mother's illusion.
The second my mother's SUV pulled out of the packhouse gates for a summit, the three of them swarmed me in the foyer, ready for a fight.
Kael took point. He was the eldest, the strongest, and cold as ice. He was also the one I'd wasted three years of my life chasing. I'd thrown pack resources, time, and my very pride at his feet, and he'd only ever treated me with a polite, icy distance.
Now, he stepped up, shoving his brothers behind him like I was about to shift and rip their throats out.
"Running to the Alpha to whine about us again, Elara?" Kael's voice was a low, disgusted rumble. "If you're pissed, take it out on me. Leave Zane and Finn out of your tantrums."
They were always a pack within a pack. Bound by shared trauma. I was just the outsider footing the bills.
I let out a harsh laugh.
"Relax," I said, leaning back against the banister. "Once my mating ceremony with Lucian is finalized, you're all off the hook. I'll cut you a massive severance check, and you can pack your bags. You can finally leave Blood Moon."
The air snapped tight. They didn't look relieved.
Kael's eyes flashed amber. "Is this your new game? You're bonding with a corpse just to prove a point? You know I don't want you, so you stoop this low?" He sneered. "It's pathetic, Elara."
My temper snapped. My palm met his jaw, the sharp crack echoing through the grand hall.
"Are you completely dead inside, Kael?" My Alpha aura flared, pressing down on them. "Blood Moon fed you for twenty years. I swallowed my pride for three. And this is what I get?"
Kael didn't flinch. He wiped the blood from his split lip, flashing a defiant smirk. "Who the hell wants to be your prize pet?"
Zane and Finn lunged. Zane shoved me hard. My boots slipped on the marble, and I hit the floor, pain shooting up my arm.
They glared down at me, fangs bared.
"Who gave you the right to hit him?" Zane snarled. "We'd rather go rogue than take orders from a spoiled princess like you!"
I didn't yell. I didn't cry. Grabbing the edge of a side table, I hauled myself up. I dusted my jeans off, flashing them a cold sneer.
"If staying here was such a nightmare, you should've spoken up sooner. Why play the loyal, tail-wagging dogs for my mother?"
They looked away, their scents spiking with sudden panic.
Kael puffed his chest out, stubborn to the end. "If you're going to keep forcing us into this twisted game... then we're leaving. We'll pack our bags and go rogue today."
I pointed at the front doors. "There's the door. Walk."
Silence hit the room.
Nobody moved a muscle.
Finally, Zane broke the quiet, shooting panicked glances at his brothers. "Kael... Finn... wait. If we just walk out now... what about Chloe? If she stays here alone, Elara will tear her apart."
I gave them a deadpan stare. "Pack her bags too. Take her with you."
All three of them froze. Finn stared at the floor with a heavy sigh.
I saw right through their bluff.
Without Blood Moon's wealth, status, and the protection of the pack warriors... what kind of life could three stray mutts actually offer their precious little Omega?
