Ember’s POVThe courtyard was already filled with eyes when I emerged. Torches burned against the fading night, flames dancing as though eager to watch me fall. Wolves gathered in clusters, some sneering openly, others whispering, their voices carrying like wind through leaves.With each step I took, the entire pack followed. Of course they did. Silvercrest loved a spectacle, and what better entertainment than watching the disgraced omega march off like livestock?Children darted around the way to the gates, their laughter cruel.“She’s really going,” one boy whispered, eyes wide. “Good riddance.”“Maybe the Black Fang wolves will skin her alive,” another replied, loud enough for the group to double over in laughter.My steps didn’t falter. I refused to give them the satisfaction. But each giggle stung sharper than thrown stones.The adults were worse.Women leaned close, whispers laced with venom.“About time.”“She’ll embarrass herself there just as she did here.”“Imagine the shame of Silvercrest sending that to a rival Alpha.”Naomi ran towards me from the side. “I heard what happened. Do you really have to leave?” she whined. The silence stretched between us, interrupted by wolves hurling insults at me. I didn't say anything, I didn't need to. The look in my eyes were enough for her to understand. She hugged me tightly. “I’m sorry I couldn't do anything. I am just a serving girl and I'm overpowered.”“I understand. I would try to send you letters.”Warriors lined the path, their stances casual, their grins cruel. One spat in the dirt. Another muttered, “Should’ve put her down years ago.”My wolf pressed herself against the edges of my mind, whimpering like she wanted to vanish. I forced my chin high though my stomach twisted with every step. I would not break. Not here.Councillor Moren lingered near the path, his gaze heavy with something between sorrow and resignation. When I passed, he bent close enough for only me to hear.“Your father would be proud you stood your ground,” he murmured. “Hold on to that, Ember. Wolves rise from ashes, if their spirit survives the fire.”The words cracked my composure. My throat tightened, but I nodded once, unable to speak.Behind him, Lisa stood radiant in her silks, Jamie at her side. Her lips curled into the faintest smirk, one she knew I alone would notice. She had won—for now.But I clutched my pendant tighter. My father’s blood had watered these lands. His memory would not end in humiliation.The gates groaned open, revealing the dark road stretching into the woods. The guards motioned forward, their shadows long in the firelight.But I stopped at the sight of her.Lisa.She was draped in pale blue silk that shimmered like water, golden hair braided back to show her flawless face. She looked like the Luna she had been groomed to be. Posture perfect, smile radiant, though her eyes glinted with polished cruelty.The crowd hushed as she stepped toward me, each deliberate step a reminder of her place above me. She stopped before me, tilting her head as if she pitied me. Her hand lifted, fingers cool against my cheek.“May you finally be of use to someone, Ember,” she purred.The words sliced deeper than any blade. Behind her, laughter rippled through the crowd, someone even clapped as though she’d just offered a clever blessing.I swallowed, locking my gaze with hers. My voice was low, meant for her alone. “One day, Lisa, you’ll choke on that smile.”For a flicker, her mask cracked. But then it was back, radiant and untouchable. She stepped aside, spreading her arms as if presenting me like an offering. Sasha hovered close, her eyes glinting with satisfaction. This had always been her plan.The gates groaned open. The guards shoved me forward.I didn’t look back.My nails dug crescents into my palms, holding me together. If I loosened my grip, I might shatter.“You know the stories, don’t you?” the guard beside me asked, his grin full of teeth.“No.”He chuckled. “About Alpha Jayden. They say he killed his last mate.”The second guard snorted. “That’s not what I heard. They say she dropped dead from fright before he even touched her.” He leaned forward, his eyes gleaming. “Imagine that. Dying just from looking at him.”Their laughter echoed cruelly.I forced my voice steady. “Stories are stories.”“Not these,” the first guard murmured. “They say he doesn’t speak to women at all. He only orders them around. No warmth, no kindness. Just ice.”The other leaned closer. “And his wolf… they say it has no voice. That he’s cursed. Half-beast, half-shadow. Alpha Jamie is a saint, Alpha Jayden is a demon.”My wolf whimpered again, retreating into silence. The silence was worse than fear—like a hollow where her steady presence should have been.Fear coiled inside me, but I clenched my teeth. I would not let them see it. Still, their words burrowed deep. A cursed Alpha. A killer. A man whose wolf did not speak.And I was being delivered to him. By Jamie. By the so-called saint who once loved me.By the time the sun dipped low, Silvercrest lay behind us.The air shifted the moment we crossed the border. It thickened, pressing against my chest like invisible hands. The trees grew older here, twisted and skeletal, their branches clawing at the sky. Shadows stretched longer, jagged across the ground.Then came the howl. Low, guttural, edged with violence. Nothing like Silvercrest’s rehearsed chorus of unity. This sound was raw, wild.Figures emerged from the trees, one after another, blocking the path. Black Fang warriors.They were nothing like Silvercrest’s polished soldiers. These men wore scars like trophies, their armor dented, darkened, worn from battle not ceremony. Their eyes glowed faintly, feral and unblinking. Predators.One sniffed the air, his lip curling. “So this is the gift Silvercrest sends?”Harsh laughter followed.Their gazes skimmed over me like I was nothing. Not a woman. Not a wolf. Just an object, a pawn to be exchanged.The Silvercrest guards shoved me forward without a word. Relief glimmered in their eyes. Their burden was gone.The Black Fang warriors didn’t speak to me. They didn’t need to. Their silence screamed louder than words: You don’t matter.The Black Fang pack house loomed ahead, a fortress of shadow and stone. Towers pierced the sky, walls thick and unyielding, windows narrow like slits.Inside, the hall was vast, lined with warriors standing rigid, their gazes heavy as chains.At the far end, Alpha Jayden sat upon a raised platform.He didn’t rise, didn’t move. Yet his presence filled the room, heavy and suffocating. Dark hair shadowed his face, but his eyes—gray, sharp as steel, cold as winter—cut through me instantly.He looked at me once, then turned to his Beta. His voice was low, rough, but carried through the hall. “This is what Silvercrest sends me?”Laughter rippled.His gaze returned to me, stripping me bare in silence. Finally, he spoke again, loud enough for all to hear.“You are not my mate. You are not my Luna. You are here to breed me an heir. Nothing more.”The words landed like a physical blow.I thought I was numb to rejection. I thought Silvercrest had wrung me dry. But here, in this place where I had nothing, it cut deeper.My second rejection. My wolf curled into herself, whimpering. I swallowed the lump in my throat, forcing myself not to flinch. I would not cry. Not here.The hall emptied, leaving me standing alone in his shadow.A peace treaty. That’s what they called me. A pawn dressed up as diplomacy. A bridge between enemies. If I failed, I’d be discarded. If I displeased him, I’d be crushed.Jayden’s gaze lingered, sharp and suspicious. To him, I wasn’t a gift. I wasn’t even a woman. I was a spy or even a trap. A burden.That night, when shadows thickened, Jayden came to me.The air chilled before he entered, frost seeping into the room. He stopped a foot away, towering, his steel eyes unblinking.“Listen well, Silvercrest girl,” he murmured, voice quiet but lethal. “You may fool others with your meek eyes and trembling hands, but you will not fool me.”I clenched my fists. “I never asked to be here.”“Nor did I ask for you.” His gaze cut deep. “You breathe when I say breathe. You move when I say move. Disobey me, and I’ll send your corpse back to Silvercrest as my answer.”His words slammed into me like ice. For a heartbeat, my wolf whimpered, ready to cower.But then—she growled. Low, soft, steady. The sound startling even me.I lifted my chin. “I won’t break.”Jayden’s eyes narrowed, the first flicker of emotion on his frozen face. “Interesting.”He stepped closer, voice dropping. “Your wolf has more spine than you do.”“Maybe you don’t know me as well as you think.”For the first time, the corner of his mouth twitched. Almost a smile. “We’ll see about that. Tomorrow, you start training with my warriors. If you survive the week, we’ll discuss your purpose here.”Training. Not just breeding—training. What game was he playing?As he turned to leave, I called out, “Why?”He paused at the threshold.“Because broken toys bore me, Ember Lane. And I suspect you’re far from broken.”The door slammed, leaving me in the dark with more questions than answers.