Chapter One
SHADOWS BEHIND THE MASK
Amber
“To us!” Father’s voice boomed across the grand hall, rich with pride and authority. His glass of crimson wine glittered under the chandeliers as though the universe itself bowed to his command.
“To us!” the crowd echoed in unison, their voices blending into a thunderous chorus. Crystal glasses clinked, laughter rang, and the celebration roared with life.
Everyone but me.
I stood alone in the shadowed corner, clutching my untouched glass. No one spared me a glance. No one stretched a hand to clink mine. If I had vanished into thin air, I doubted anyone would notice. So I sipped silently, swallowing the bitter taste that had nothing to do with the wine.
The orchestra struck up a gentle melody, and almost instantly, couples swayed onto the dance floor. The waltz began fluid, rehearsed, mesmerizing. Wolves and their mates twirled with ease, while others paired up simply for the joy of it.
Everyone belonged.
Except me.
A tight knot twisted inside my chest as I grabbed another glass from a passing waitress, pretending to be unconcerned. But the truth gnawed at me, I was one of the few mated wolves without a partner out there. My humiliation burned hotter than the wine sliding down my throat.
I wished I could disappear. Better still, I wished I never had to attend these gatherings at all. They left me emptier, lonelier, more painfully aware of how little I fit into my father’s world.
But wishes meant nothing in this pack.
My father, Alpha Reagan of the Wolfsbane pack lived for nights like these. To him, alliances were forged with handshakes and smiles, with overflowing wine and polished shoes. He believed strength meant connections, that a united front with neighboring packs was the only way to prevent another tragedy.
A tragedy like the one that took my mother.
I was three when rogues tore through our lands, when Father’s strength failed to save her. He has never forgiven himself. And he has never forgiven me either for surviving, for being weak, for not being the daughter he wanted.
Because while he was an Alpha… I was an Omega. His Omega daughter. A living disappointment.
To Father, I was a curse wrapped in skin. His rage often found me as its target, leaving bruises and scars I could never hide from myself. He never let me forget: I was a stain on his legacy.
And my wolf… my wolf was another disgrace. When I shifted at seventeen, she was smaller, frailer, weaker than even the lowest-ranked wolves. Father’s fury that night scorched me deeper than any wound. He swore he never wanted to see me in that form again.
The shame still lingers.
I turned nineteen a few months ago. That was when fate gave me a mate, the only time the Moon Goddess ever seemed to pity me. But even that didn’t happen like the stories. No intoxicating scent. No spark when our eyes met. No soul-stirring bond that sang through my blood.
No, he simply approached me, and Father confirmed it.
Alpha Reece.
The strongest Alpha in our pack. The golden heir my father adored. To Father, my bond with Reece was my single redeeming act, the one miracle that made my existence tolerable. He was everything I wasn’t: powerful, respected, revered. And he was mine.
At least… that’s what I kept telling myself.
“Do you need anything else, Mistress?”
The voice jolted me from my spiraling thoughts. One of the Omega waitresses stood beside me, her eyes lowered respectfully.
I shook my head quickly. “No. Thank you.”
She bowed and drifted away. My palms were clammy, my nerves frayed. My gaze flicked across the hall where visiting Alpha daughters laughed together, radiant in their gowns. They were graceful, dominant, confident the very definition of what I was not.
And every time I saw them, the same hollow ache grew inside me. Would life have been different if my mother had lived? Would she have loved me despite my flaws, or would she have looked at me with the same disappointment in her eyes as Father?
The thought stung. I blinked hard, refusing to let tears ruin my façade.
“Amber!”
The giggle rang before I saw her. One of the Alpha daughters swooped in, pulling me into a quick, perfumed hug. Two others followed, all smiles and sparkling laughter.
“Hello,” I said stiffly, forcing a smile.
“Loosen up, sweetie. We don’t bite,” Lyna teased. I’d known her for years, though we were never truly friends.
I chuckled awkwardly. “Too much wine, I guess.”
“You look pretty tonight,” another, Ciara, chimed, hugging me lightly.
The compliment made me flush with discomfort. Pretty? Hardly. My short brunette hair, soft face, and ordinary amber eyes didn’t compare to their striking beauty. I was average at best and they all knew it.
“Where’s your mate?” Lyna asked slyly, her voice dipping with false innocence.
“Yes,” Ciara added, “I don’t see Reece anywhere.”
The question sliced deep. I’d been searching for him all evening, and he hadn’t appeared once. But I couldn’t admit that. Not to them.
“He stepped out. He’ll be here soon,” I lied, forcing my lips into a smile.
The third girl, Brianna, I realized-arched a brow. “Is it safe to let him wander off? You know how these she-wolves are. Being mated doesn’t always stop temptation.”
My throat tightened.
“Exactly,” Lyna smirked. “You should hold onto him. After all, he’s the only real thing you’ve got.”
Her words struck like daggers. I blinked back tears, refusing to give her the satisfaction of seeing me break.
“You’re right,” I said quickly. “I’ll go find him now.”
I walked away before they could see my trembling hands, before the pain twisted my expression. Outside the hall, the cool night air hit my skin and I finally exhaled.
Why did I always have to be their target? Their barbs slid under my skin like claws.
I wandered toward the poolside, seeking quiet, but froze when I caught voices drifting from the shadows. Low, hushed, urgent.
I knew one of them instantly.
Reece.
Relief surged through me, and I almost stepped forward until his words pinned me to the ground.
“Don’t worry about that. I can sell this pack to you easily. Amber is stupid, and her father trusts me completely. Taking over will be child’s play. Just don’t forget your end of the bargain.”
The smug malice in his tone drained the blood from my face. My mate. My supposed protector. My father’s heir.
My betrayer.
I stood frozen in the dark, unable to move, unable to breathe. The shadows seemed to close in around me as the truth clawed its way into my bones.
And for the first time in nineteen years, I realized
I wasn’t just weak.
I was prey.