Chapter 1
Olivia's Point of View
A soft glow seeps in through the edges of my curtains. Casting a warm glow across my bedroom floor. Morning birds chirp outside, their songs bright and full of promise. I blink my eyes, stretch beneath my blankets, and let the truth of today settle over me.
Today is the day.
My eighteenth birthday.
My farewell party.
The beginning of the end of everything that I have known.
I smile to myself, a giddy flutter rising in my chest. In just a week, I will leave Moonshade territory to start training at the Lycanis Centre, the place every young heir dreams of. The idea fills me with nervous excitement, like standing on the edge of something vast and unknown.
I sit up slowly, rubbing the sleep from my eyes, and that’s when my bedroom door slams open.
“Liiiiiv!”
A blur of wild brown curls and bare feet charges across the room. I barely have time to laugh before Noa, my four year old brother, leaps onto my bed like a tiny warrior and he throws his arms around me.
“Happy birthday, Liv!” he squeals, his voice high and bubbling with joy. “I have a present!”
My heart melts. Noa was the surprise our family never expected. A wide eyed little miracle born when I was already fourteen. He smells like cinnamon and morning pancakes, and his energy is infectious.
He thrusts a small box into my hands, wrapped in dark blue paper and tied with silver string. His grin is nearly too big for his face.
“For me?” I ask, already feeling tears prick at the corners of my eyes. “You got me something?”
He nods his head vigorously, bouncing on the mattress with excitement. “Open it! Open it!”
I undo the ribbon slowly, savoring the moment. Inside the box rests a delicate silver chain with a pendant, a wolf mid howl, carved in intricate detail, standing beneath a crescent moon. My breath catches.
I run a finger over the cool metal, tracing the curve of the wolf’s back and the edge of the moon.
“It is beautiful,” I whisper.
“I thought you might like it,” comes a voice from the doorway.
I glance up to see Josh, my sixteen year old brother, leaning casually against the frame, his dark hair still tousled from sleep. He pushes off the wall and walks over, wrapping me in a quick side hug.
“Happy birthday, big sis,” he says, his voice soft but genuine.
I smile up at him, warmth blooming in my chest. “Thanks, Josh. This is perfect.”
He shrugs like it is no big deal, but I catch the tiny flicker of pride in his eyes before he turns to Noa.
“Come on, rugrat. Let’s let the birthday girl get dressed.”
“Noooo!” Noa whines, still clinging to my arm.
Josh sighs and ruffles his hair. “I will make you some pancakes.”
That is all it takes. Noa jumps off the bed and bolts out of the room with the force of a stampede. Josh gives me a smirk before following.
And just like that, the room is quiet again. I look down at the necklace still resting in my palm.
Today, everything begins to change.
I stand in front of my full length mirror, my hands smoothing down my dress for what feels like the hundredth time.
The fabric shimmers under the warm light of my room, bright blue, bold and vibrant, just like my eyes. The color was my mother’s idea, something that would make me stand out tonight, as if being the Alpha’s daughter and the guest of honor was not enough.
Still, I cannot deny how the dress clings perfectly to my frame, how it makes me feel both powerful and a little breathless. My fingers drift up to the necklace resting just above my collarbone, the silver wolf pendant, head tilted towards a crescent moon. It sits there like it was made for this moment, for this dress, for this night.
I take one last look in the mirror and inhale deeply.
This is it.
My first step towards becoming the Alpha I was born to be.
With a final deep breath and a shaky smile, I turn and step out of my room, my heels clicking softly on the polished wooden floor as I move down the hall. My heart beats faster with every step.
When I reach the staircase, I pause and smile.
At the bottom, standing proudly with his chest puffed out and a crooked little grin on his face, is Noa. He is wearing a tiny navy suit jacket, his curly hair slicked back in a way that makes him look completely adorable.
His eyes go wide when he sees me, and he gasps audibly. “Liv… you look like a princess!”
I laugh, the sound light and full of affection as I start to make my way down the stairs. “Thank you,” I say, reaching him. “My little prince.” I tap the tip of his nose gently, and he giggles, grabbing my hand in his tiny one.
Together, hand in hand, we walk towards the great hall where the party awaits, music, laughter, and the five allied packs gathered under one roof.
And for just a moment, I forget the weight of what is coming next.
For just a moment, I let myself enjoy the magic of the night.
The great hall is alive with music, laughter, and the steady hum of voices. Golden lights twinkle from above, strung like stars across the ceiling beams, and the scent of fresh pine and vanilla cake lingers in the air. Every corner of the room is filled, pack members from across the alliance mingling, smiling, celebrating.
I move gracefully through the crowd, offering small smiles and polite conversation to every elder, warrior, and family friend who stops me. It has been like this all evening, and strangely... I do not mind. For once, I am not just Olivia, the Alpha’s daughter. I’m Olivia, future Alpha. And tonight, I feel ready for it.
Everything about today has been perfect, from the way the morning sun streamed in through my window, to Noa’s gift, to now, surrounded by my people. I feel grounded, cherished… seen.
As I pause near the refreshment table, I spot Kael weaving his way through the crowd towards me, a relaxed smile on his face and two drinks in his hands. He has traded his usual training clothes for a crisp gray button up and dark jeans, but the easy confidence in his stride is unmistakable.
He reaches me and offers me one of the glasses. “Are you surviving all the small talk, future Alpha?” he teases, eyes gleaming.
I take the glass from him and give a soft laugh. “Barely.”
His grin softens a little. “Are you ready to leave your home next week?”
I pause, taking a sip from the glass, something fruity and fizzy and then nod my head. “To be honest,” I admit, “I am extremely excited… and really nervous all at the same time.”
Kael tilts his head, observing me for a moment before his smile returns, warm and solid. “You are going to do great, Liv. And hey, at least I will be there too. You will not be alone.”
I smile at that, genuinely grateful. Kael has been my best friend since we could walk. He is the one person who knows the real me, the girl beneath the Alpha name and Moonshade expectations.
Just then, Josh strolls past us, a plate in one hand and his mouth half full of cake.
“This is the best cake ever,” he declares, muffled through frosting. “You have to try it.”
Kael chuckles. “Well, that settles it,” he says, already turning. “I am finding that cake.”
I laugh and watch him disappear into the crowd with purpose.
I lift the glass again, letting the bubbles tingle on my lips, and glance around the hall. The music shifts into something slower, softer. The lights flicker like fireflies.
Everything feels right.
Everything feels perfect.
But something inside me stirs, faint, like a whisper carried on the wind. There is a shift in the air.
I start to feel restless, like something is about to happen, but I do not know what.
The glass is halfway to my lips again when it happens.
A breeze slips in through the open doors of the great hall, curling around me like a whisper and I freeze.
My heart stutters, skipping a beat for a second before it starts racing.
Because there it is.
A scent unlike anything that I have ever known. Warm, wild and intoxicating. It crashes into me like a memory that I have never lived. The sharp tang of pine after rain, smoke curling from a bonfire, something rich and masculine and undeniably mine.
My favorite smell in the world.
And I have never even smelled it before.
I do not have to wonder what it means. I know.
It is him.
My mate.
The glass slips from my hand and lands safely on the table beside me, forgotten. My body moves before my mind catches up, instincts taking over. I weave through the crowd, ignoring the voices calling my name, heading straight for the doors and out into the night.
The cool evening air brushes against my skin as I step outside, and the scent grows stronger, leading me away from the music, the laughter, the party meant to celebrate my future. I follow it across the front lawn, my heart pounding, hope clawing at my chest with every step.
I follow it down the gravel path towards the edge of the pack house grounds and then it stops.
I look down.
All that is left are tire tracks.
Fresh, still imprinted clearly in the dirt.
I stare at them in disbelief, the realization hitting me like ice water.
He was here.
So close.
And now… he is gone.
A lump rises in my throat as I take a step closer, my eyes scanning the darkness like I might catch a glimpse of him anyway, a shadow, a movement, anything. But the woods are still. The scent is already fading.
I crouch slowly, my fingertips brushing one of the tire marks. It is stupid. He would not have left anything behind. But I cannot stop myself.
Tears prick at the corners of my eyes, sharp and unwanted.
How could fate be so cruel? To bring him here, to the place that I have waited my whole life to meet him, and then to let him leave before I even had a chance to see his face.
A deep ache settles in my chest, heavy and hollow.
I stand slowly, brushing my hands off, and look up at the stars. The moon is high and bright, casting a silver glow across the trees. Somewhere out there… he is driving away. And he has no idea what he is leaving behind.
I swallow hard, square my shoulders, and turn back towards the house.
This was supposed to be the perfect day.
And somehow… it still ended with goodbye.