At some point during the night, exhaustion finally dragged me into sleep.

But peace never followed.

I dreamed of the black wolf again.

He stood between the trees exactly as he had in the forest, enormous and terrifying beneath the moonlight. His crimson eyes remained fixed on me, glowing against the darkness.

Yet this time… he wasn’t threatening.

Slowly, the beast approached.

One step.

Then another.

Careful.

Almost hesitant.

As though he feared frightening me.

A strange ache twisted inside my chest as he lowered his massive head and released a long, haunting howl into the night sky.

Warning me.

I could feel it deep in my bones.

He was trying to warn me about something.

But before I could understand

I jolted awake with a gasp.

Cold sweat dampened my skin as I sat upright in bed, my heart hammering violently against my ribs.

The dream had felt too real.

Too vivid.

For several seconds, I simply stared into the darkness of my tiny room while unease crawled beneath my skin like insects.

Outside, dawn had already begun to creep across the sky.

I groaned softly and forced myself out of bed.

As expected, the cottage was silent.

Father was still asleep or unconscious after another night spent drowning himself in ale. Ever since his injury, the proud warrior he used to be had slowly disappeared, replaced by a broken shell of a man who barely left his room anymore.

Livia was still asleep too.

Quietly, I cleaned the cottage and started preparing breakfast.

The scent of bacon soon filled the tiny kitchen.

Right on cue, Livia peeked around the doorway moments later, her wild red curls a complete mess.

“Is that bacon I smell?” she asked hopefully.

I laughed softly. “Maybe.”

She grinned before wandering toward the table. “Father’s going to complain he missed breakfast again.”

“When doesn’t he complain?” I muttered.

Livia snorted.

I placed a plate in front of her before sitting down beside her with my own food.

For a moment, things almost felt normal.

Peaceful.

Then Livia studied my face more carefully.

“You fought with Enzo again, didn’t you?”

I sighed heavily.

“He wanted us to…” Heat crept into my cheeks despite everything. “At the hut.”

Realization crossed her face instantly.

“And you said no.”

I nodded.

“He got angry and left.”

Livia’s expression softened sympathetically. “Men are idiots.”

A weak laugh escaped me, but it faded quickly.

Something heavy settled inside my chest again.

“I’m scared,” I admitted quietly.

Her brows pulled together. “Of what?”

I stared down at my hands.

“What if he rejects me?”

Livia nearly choked on her food.

“Gianna!”

“What?” I gave a bitter little smile. “I’m practically an omega.”

“You are not an omega.”

“Close enough.”

Her expression hardened immediately.

“Enzo cares about you,” she insisted. “He protects you. He wouldn’t reject you.”

Wouldn’t he?

Dante’s voice echoed through my mind from the night before.

*Enzo won’t mind sharing.*

A sick feeling twisted inside my stomach.

For the first time since falling in love with Enzo, tiny cracks were beginning to appear in the fantasy I had built around him.

And I hated it.

Livia reached across the table, squeezing my hand tightly.

“Listen to me,” she said firmly. “Enzo knows what rejection would do to you.”

I swallowed hard.

Every wolf knew.

The mate bond was sacred. Powerful. Life-altering.

For strong wolves, rejection caused pain.

For weak wolves…

It could destroy them.

The elders always said the Moon Goddess created mates to strengthen one another. Most bonded wolves became stronger together but not always. Sometimes one mate drained strength from the other instead.

That was why powerful wolves often rejected weaker mates.

Especially omegas.

Especially wolves like me.

A shrouded wolf without a fully awakened spirit had little protection against the agony of a severed bond. Some survived it.

Many didn’t.

Livia’s grip tightened around my fingers.

“He won’t reject you,” she repeated softly. “Once he feels the bond, nothing else will matter.”

I wanted to believe her.

Goddess, I wanted to.

“I hope so,” I whispered.

“You’ll see.” Suddenly, a mischievous smile appeared on her face. “Now stop worrying and come look at your dress.”

I blinked. “My what?”

“The dress I bought you for the ball.”

Shock flooded me instantly.

“You bought me a dress?”

“Obviously.” She rolled her eyes dramatically. “You’re not attending your first Mating Ball dressed like a depressed servant.”

I laughed despite myself as she dragged me toward the bedroom.

And for the first time all morning…

I smiled genuinely.

---

By the time the Blood Moon rose that evening, my nerves were completely shattered.

Every step toward the castle made my stomach tighten harder.

Livia walked beside me, calm and confident as always, while I struggled not to trip over my own feet climbing the massive stone staircase leading into Alpha Fabio’s estate.

The castle was breathtaking.

Golden chandeliers illuminated towering marble walls while music echoed softly through endless corridors filled with beautifully dressed wolves.

Everything about this place screamed power.

Wealth.

Status.

A reminder that ranked wolves lived in an entirely different world than the rest of us.

Even the strongest warriors could never truly stand beside the Alpha bloodline unless they were born into it…

or chosen by it.

I glanced down at the white dress flowing around my legs.

It was the most beautiful thing I had ever worn.

Soft fabric hugged my body perfectly before cascading elegantly to the floor, shimmering beneath the candlelight every time I moved. For once in my life, I didn’t feel invisible.

Livia had claimed my pale blond hair and blue eyes made me look like the Moon Goddess herself.

I had laughed at her then.

Now…

I almost understood what she meant.

We stepped into the ballroom, and my heart instantly began searching for Enzo among the crowd.

The mate bond ceremony would begin in less than an hour.

Soon, wolves across the room would discover their fated partners.

Soon, everything would change.

Livia eventually disappeared after spotting Niccolo across the ballroom, leaving me alone among curious stares and quiet whispers.

Most people looked confused by my presence.

No omega-level wolf willingly attended a Mating Ball.

The risk was too high.

But I had come anyway.

Because I loved him.

I wandered away from the crowd, trying to quiet my nerves, until I found myself moving through a quieter marble corridor lined with gold-trimmed walls and partially opened doors.

Then I heard a familiar voice.

“I’m telling you, this Alpha was enormous.”

Dante.

I froze immediately.

“He slaughtered them like they were nothing.”

My pulse quickened.

Slowly, I stepped closer to the cracked doorway.

“And Gianna somehow summoned this beast?” Enzo asked with a laugh.

My breath caught painfully.

Dante survived.

Of course he did.

“I don’t know what your little bitch did,” Dante spat, “but that monster came for her.”

My stomach twisted violently.

What?

That was insane.

I had never seen that Alpha before last night.

Enzo scoffed softly.

“Maybe that’s why she refused to sleep with me.” A pause followed. “Claimed she was untouched, but maybe another Alpha got there first.”

The words slammed into me like a blade through the chest.

Pain exploded behind my ribs so suddenly I physically staggered backward.

He couldn’t possibly believe that.

Not Enzo.

Not him.

I loved him.

I trusted him.

“I told you she was a lying whore,” Dante sneered.

I pressed a trembling hand against my mouth to stop the sob threatening to escape.

Then Enzo spoke again.

And shattered me completely.

“It doesn’t matter anyway.”

A cold laugh followed.

“If she isn’t my mate, I’ll get rid of her eventually.”

Silence.

Then

“And if she is?”

Enzo didn’t hesitate.

“I’ll reject her.”

My heart stopped beating.