LILA’S POV

I’m Lila Winter, daughter of Alpha Sauro of the Bloody River Pack. My life was turned upside down when rogues killed my father. In the aftermath of that night, Alpha Roderick, Caelan’s father, found me, saved me, and took me in. He raised me as one of his own, and over the years, the Bloody Scar Pack became my family.

Caelan, his son, became my closest friend. But what they didn’t know, what no one knew, was that I had always loved Caelan. From the very first time I saw him, I knew that he was the one for me. We were supposed to be fated mates, it had always been that way in my mind. I didn’t need some ceremony to know that. I thought, with all my heart, that when the time came, we’d claim each other.

And tonight was supposed to be that night. The night I’d finally be claimed.

The clearing was alive with energy, the air thick with the scent of roasted meats, the sound of celebration ringing through the trees. The pack had gathered in full force, eager to witness the ceremony that would bond me and Caelan as mates. I could barely contain my excitement as I stood next to him.

Caelan stood tall and proud, his silver eyes focused ahead. His strong, muscular frame seemed to draw the eyes of everyone around us, but it was only him that I saw. I glanced at him, unable to hide the warmth that blossomed in my chest.

His gaze flicked to mine, and for a brief moment, I saw something—a spark of recognition, a flicker of affection—before he looked away. My heart skipped. This was it. The moment I had been waiting for. I thought I could hear my heart beating in my ears, pounding with anticipation. This was the night everything would change. Caelan and I would be united. Fated.

But then, it all fell apart.

Without any warning, Caelan took a step back. The warmth of his hand on mine disappeared, and for a split second, I thought I imagined it. But the cold reality hit when he pulled his hand away completely, his body tense.

I froze. Something was wrong.

The music faded as Caelan stepped forward, away from me, and the clearing fell silent. My stomach twisted. I looked around, searching for something—anything—that would explain this strange, sudden distance. But I found nothing.

Only eyes on me. Eyes full of pity.

Caelan’s voice cut through the silence, and the words he spoke were like daggers in my chest.

“I, Caelan of the Bloody Scar Pack, reject this bond.”

My world came crashing down.

I couldn’t breathe. My chest constricted painfully, and my head spun as I struggled to comprehend what was happening. No. No, this couldn’t be real. It had to be a mistake. But then, his next words shattered what little hope I had left.

“I love Leonora,” Caelan said, his voice firm, unwavering. “She is my first love, the one who knows me, understands me. I cannot bond with Lila. She’s too weak. Too fragile. She doesn’t have what it takes to stand beside me, let alone lead a pack.”

I blinked, disbelief clouding my mind. Weak. Fragile. The words echoed in my head, drowning out everything else. His gaze didn’t soften, didn’t hesitate as he compared me to Leonora.

“Leonora is strong. She doesn’t need to hide behind others or seek validation. She’s capable of standing in the light, while you—” He paused, shaking his head, almost pityingly.

“You’ve always been beneath me, Lila. You’ve always been someone who needs saving, someone who couldn’t even hold her own without the pack’s protection. You’re nothing like Leonora. She’s my equal. You? You’re just a shadow of what I really need.”

His words stung harder than any physical blow.

My mind reeled, the hurt cutting deeper with every syllable. My chest felt like it might implode. I was too weak. Too much of a burden. I was nothing. Not even worthy of his love.

The murmurs of the pack filled the air, but I couldn’t focus on them. I could only hear Caelan’s voice in my head, louder and louder, as if it were a drumbeat hammering away at the fragile pieces of me that had still dared to hope.

Weak.

I was weak.

My heart thudded painfully in my chest, as if it were trying to escape my body. I couldn’t breathe. The pitying eyes of the pack were like blades. I wanted to scream, to fight, to show him he was wrong. But I was frozen.

The quiet whispers of the pack grew louder. My mind buzzed with confusion.

The man I had loved for so long—who I thought was mine—had rejected me, and in front of the entire pack, no less. And he hadn’t just rejected me—he had called me weak. He had chosen Leonora, his first love, over me. The girl who had always stood by him. The girl who had dreamed of this day for years.

I wanted to run, but my body wouldn’t obey.

The tears pricked at my eyes, but I refused to let them fall in front of everyone. I turned away from Caelan, from the pack, and I stumbled back into the shadows, away from the firelight. The heat of the flames did nothing to warm the coldness that had settled in my chest.

I could barely breathe as I walked, my steps unsteady. I couldn’t look at them anymore—their pity was too much to bear. But then I saw her—Leonora.

Standing beside Caelan with a smirk of triumph, her eyes gleaming with satisfaction.

I couldn’t stop myself. I rushed toward her, my hands clenched into fists, my heart screaming in pain.

But before I could reach her, Leonora shoved me. Hard.

I stumbled, my foot catching on uneven ground, and I crashed onto the dirt.

Gasps rippled through the crowd, but worse—worse than anything—was the sound that followed.

Laughter.

Some of them were laughing. Mocking.

“Pathetic,” one scoffed.

“She can’t even stand her ground,” another jeered.

“Caelan made the right choice,” a woman sneered. “She’s nothing but a joke.”

I pushed myself up, my hands trembling, my pride in shambles. The humiliation burned hotter than the rejection itself. My vision blurred, my pulse roaring in my ears. I couldn’t stay here. I wouldn’t give them the satisfaction of seeing me break.

So, I did the only thing I could.

I ran.

I ran into the forest, away from the clearing, away from the pack, away from the pain.

My body moved instinctively, my legs pumping as I sprinted through the trees, desperate for any escape from the suffocating weight of rejection.

The cool night air hit my face, the scent of pine and earth filling my lungs as I pushed myself harder. I wasn’t sure where I was going, but it didn’t matter.

As long as I was away from him, away from the pack, away from everything that reminded me of how weak I was—of how much I had been wrong.

The sounds of the pack’s celebration were distant now, fading into the background.

But then, I heard it.

A howl.

I froze, my blood running cold.

It was distant at first, but it quickly grew louder.

Another howl followed, and then another, closing in.

Wolves. A pack.

I wasn’t alone.

I wasn’t sure if it was a wolf, a rogue, or something far worse.

But whatever it was, it was coming closer.

And I was no longer sure I was going to make it out of this night unscathed.