Chapter 1 THE MATE BOND

[ARIA'S POV]

I knew better than to look up.

Head down. Eyes on the floor. That was how someone like me survived in a pack like this. But tonight was different. Tonight, the packhouse buzzed with an energy I'd never felt before.

The Mate Recognition Ceremony.

My fingers were raw from scrubbing the dining hall floors all afternoon. The scent of roasted venison and honeyed wine hung thick in the air, making my empty stomach twist. I hadn't eaten since dawn. Servants didn't get to eat until the wolves they served were satisfied.

"Aria! Where's the wine?" Beta Thomas's voice cracked like a whip.

I wiped my sweaty palms on my already-stained dress and grabbed the nearest bottle from the kitchen. My hands shook as I pushed through the swinging door into the grand hall.

The sight stole my breath.

Wolves in silk and leather filled every corner. Laughter echoed off the stone walls. The chandeliers cast golden light across faces flushed with excitement and wine. This was the night unmated wolves dreamed of-the night the Moon Goddess revealed your destined partner.

I'd turned nineteen three months ago. Old enough to have a mate. Old enough to hope.

Except I had no wolf. And without a wolf, I had no future.

"Move faster, you pathetic thing," someone hissed as I wove through the crowd.

I kept my head down and focused on not dropping the wine. Just get through tonight. Just survive.

Then I felt it.

A pull. Deep in my chest. Like an invisible thread tugging me forward.

My feet stopped moving. My head lifted before I could stop myself.

And I saw him.

Alpha King Daemon Blackthorne stood at the front of the hall, and even in a room full of powerful wolves, he commanded every eye. Tall-so tall I'd have to crane my neck to meet his gaze. Broad shoulders filled out his black jacket like he was carved from darkness itself. His hair fell just past his collar, black as midnight.

But it was his eyes that trapped me.

Silver. Cold. Ancient.

Those eyes found mine across the crowded room.

The wine bottle slipped from my fingers.

Glass shattered. Red wine exploded across the pristine white marble like blood at a crime scene.

But I barely noticed. Because something was happening inside me. Something that felt like waking up after sleeping my entire life.

Heat bloomed in my chest and spread outward. My skin tingled. Every nerve ending came alive. The air between us seemed to shimmer with invisible energy.

Mate.

The word whispered through my mind in a voice that wasn't mine. Deeper. Wilder. A voice I'd never heard before but somehow recognized.

My wolf.

Mate. Ours. OURS.

No. No, this was impossible. I didn't have a wolf. Everyone said so. The pack healers, Alpha Gregor, and even Elder Moira, who knew everything about wolves and magic.

But I watched Daemon's nostrils flare. Watched his chest expand as he pulled in a deep breath. Watched shock flash across his stone-cold face before he could hide it.

He felt it too.

The mate bond. The one thing the Moon Goddess promised every wolf. The connection that transcended logic and choice and everything else.

"Well?" Beta Thomas snapped. "Don't just stand there gawking! Clean up this mess!"

Laughter rippled through the nearby wolves. Heat flooded my cheeks. I dropped to my knees and started gathering broken glass with trembling hands.

Of course. Even if the impossible had happened, even if the Alpha King himself was my mate, I was still just the clumsy servant girl everyone pitied.

"Is that the defective omega?" A sweet voice cut through the noise like poisoned honey.

I didn't need to look up to know who it was. Celeste Thornhart. Beautiful, blonde, powerful. The daughter of Alpha Marcus from the Western Territory. She'd been circling Daemon for months, making it clear she'd be the perfect Luna Queen.

"Just the orphan girl," another voice added. "No wolf. Barely even pack, really."

"How charitable of Alpha Gregor to keep her around," Celeste purred. I heard the rustle of silk as she moved closer to where Daemon stood. "Though I suppose every pack needs someone to scrub floors."

My throat tightened. Keep your head down. Don't react. Don't give them the satisfaction.

"I would speak with her."

Daemon's voice rolled through the room like distant thunder. Deep. Commanding. Absolute.

The hall went silent.

My heart stopped. Actually stopped beating for three full seconds.

"Your Majesty?" Alpha Gregor's voice came out strangled. "Surely there's been some mistake. The girl is nothing. She can't even shift. We only keep her out of-"

"I said I would speak with her." Each word carried the weight of an Alpha command. "Stand up, girl."

My body obeyed before my mind could process the order. Legs shaking, wine staining my hands and dress, I stood.

Daemon crossed the distance between us in four long strides. The crowd parted like water before him. No one dared stand in the Alpha King's path.

He stopped right in front of me. So close I could feel the heat radiating from his body. His scent hit me like a physical force-pine and smoke and leather and something wild that made my knees weak.

My wolf whimpered with longing.

For one heartbeat, his expression shifted. The ice in his eyes melted just slightly. His hand lifted, fingers reaching toward my face like he couldn't help himself.

Hope. Stupid, foolish hope bloomed in my chest.

Then his jaw clenched. His hand dropped. The ice returned, harder than before.

"Your name." It wasn't a question.

"A-Aria," I whispered. "Aria Winters."

Something flickered across his face. Pain? Recognition? It vanished before I could be sure.

He turned to Alpha Gregor without taking his eyes off me. "How long has this girl been in your pack?"

"Since she was five, Your Majesty." Gregor's voice held barely concealed irritation. "An orphan. We took her in as an act of mercy, but she never shifted. The healers believe she's defective. Some wolves are just... broken."

The word hit me like a slap. Broken. That's what they'd called me my entire life.

"Defective." Daemon's voice was flat. Emotionless. "And you use broken wolves as servants?"

"It's tradition, Your Majesty. Those who cannot contribute through strength contribute through service-"

"Enough."

The single word cracked through the air. Every wolf in the room flinched. The temperature seemed to drop ten degrees.

Daemon's silver eyes bore into mine. I couldn't look away. Didn't want to look away. The mate bond hummed between us like a living thing, warm and insistent and terrifyingly real.

"Aria Winters." My name in his mouth sent shivers down my spine. "Do you know what you are to me?"

The question hung in the air. Around us, I heard whispers. Gasps. Someone saying "No way" in a shocked voice.

They all knew. Everyone could feel it now. The mate bond wasn't something you could hide.

Say yes, my wolf begged. Tell him yes. He'll take us away from here. He'll love us. Protect us. We'll finally matter to someone.

"Yes," I breathed. My voice came out stronger than I expected. "You're my mate. The Moon Goddess chose-"

"Wrong."

The word was a knife between my ribs.