Chapter 1: Birthday

My wolf has been scratching at the inside of my chest since the moment I opened my eyes. It wasn't her normal, soft hum. It was a nervous, pacing energy, like a caged animal sensing a storm heading our way. I sat up on the edge of my bed and let out a deep breath. Today was my eighteenth birthday. For any normal werewolf, turning eighteen was the best day of their life. It was the day your wolf fully awakened, and more importantly, the day you could finally recognize your true mate. But I wasn't normal. I was a runt. In a werewolf pack, being a runt meant you were the bottom of the food chain. I was smaller, slower, and physically weaker than even the lowest-ranking omegas. My wolf was small, and my body barely had enough strength to handle a full shift. In the Solstice Pack strength is everything. Because I lacked it, almost everyone in the pack treated me like trash. The snarky comments, the cold glares, the "accidental" pushes in the hallway, I endured it all for as long as I could remember. The only reason I wasn't completely broken was my family. My father was Beta Thomas, the second in command of the entire pack. My mother was Elena, one of the kindest women alive. And my older brother, Lucas, was a high-ranking warrior and also beta to be who would throw hands with anyone who looked at me wrong. They loved me unconditionally. They never treated me like a mistake or a burden. "Birthday girl. Wake up" my brother's loud voice boomed outside before he pushed it open, holding a plate of pancakes. My mom and dad walked in right behind him, with big smiles. "Happy eighteenth birthday, sweetie" my mom said, rushing over to pull me into a tight hug. She kissed the top of my head and placed a small wrapped box in my lap. "Eighteen," my dad said patting my shoulder. "My baby girl is officially an adult. Today is going to be a big day, Maya." "Thanks, Dad" I whispered, giving him a small smile. "Are you excited?" Lucas asked, taking a bite off my pancake plate before I could even touch it. "Who knows? Maybe you’ll find your mate today." My stomach instantly twisted into a tight knot. That was exactly what I was terrified of. "Honestly? I hope I don't," I admitted, looking down at my hands. "Who in this pack would actually want a runt for a mate? They'll probably just reject me on the spot." "Don't talk like that," my dad said sternly. "If anyone rejects you, they’re a fool. Your mate will see how special you are." "If he's from our pack, he won't," I muttered. Deep down, I prayed to the Moon Goddess that if I did have a mate out there, he was from a completely different pack miles away. Someone who didn't know my reputation. Someone who wouldn't look at me like I was a shame to his bloodline. "Eat up" my mom cut in quickly, trying to lift the heavy mood. "We have a massive night ahead of us." Right. The Ball. Tonight wasn't just my birthday, it's the night our old Alpha steps down. His son, Ezra, who has been away for years, was returning home to take over as the new Alpha. But everyone already knew the rumor making its way around the territory. Ezra has already chosen Hope, the Gamma's daughter, to be his Luna for political power and pack status. Their official alignment was the talk of the entire pack. Ezra has been away since we were children and no one has seen him in nearly ten years. Everyone in the pack was practically vibrating with excitement to welcome the new generation of leadership. Everyone except me. I just wanted to hide in my room with a book. By six in the evening, my best friend Chloe burst into my room carrying a garment bag like a woman on a mission. Chloe is an omega, but she's fierce, loud, and doesn't care about pack hierarchy when it came to protecting me. "Get up, Maya. We have two hours to turn you into a goddess" she declared, zipping open the bag to reveal a simple, stunning emerald-green dress and I'm surprised she brought something I could wear because she usually brings the most revealing clothes which ends up with us fighting and I end up wearing what I want to wear but this time she went all out. "Chloe, I really don't think I should go" I sighed, pulling the covers higher. "You know how people get when the whole pack gathers in one room. They’re going to stare and make comments." "Let them stare" Chloe scoffed, dragging me out of bed by my wrists. "You are the Beta's daughter. You have every right to be in that ballroom. Besides, don't you want to see the mysterious prince? Word on the street is that Alpha Ezra is ripped and handsome, just something out of a movie" "I don't care about Alpha Ezra" I said even though a strange, warm spark flared up in my chest at the mention of his name. My wolf let out a low whimpering howl in my mind. What is wrong with you today? I asked my wolf, but she just kept pacing around. "Just come for an hour" Chloe pleaded, giving me puppy-dog eyes. "If it sucks, I'll sneak you out through the back kitchen doors. Deal?" I sighed, giving in. "Deal." An hour later, I was standing at the entrance of the main pack house's grand ballroom. The room was packed with hundreds of wolves dressed in tuxedos and formal gowns. Crystal chandeliers hung from the high ceilings, and loud music playing. The moment Chloe and I walked inside, the mood shifted near the doorway. A group of high-ranking females turned their heads, their smiles instantly dropping into disgusted sneers when they saw me. "Look who showed up," one of them snickered loudly enough for me to hear. "Did she really wear a nice dress just to look like a dressed up runt?" "Careful, her brother might hear you," another whispered with a cruel laugh. "Doesn't change the fact that she's useless to the pack." My hands clenched into fists at my sides. A year ago, those words would have sent me running to the bathroom in tears. But tonight, I took a deep breath and held my head high. My parents loved me. My brother loved me. I didn't need the approval of people who only cared about physical strength. "Ignore them," Chloe muttered, glaring at the girls until they turned away. "They’re just jealous you look better in green than they do." Before I could reply, the doors at the front of the balcony slammed shut, and the room went dead silent. Alpha Marcus stepped up to the railing, his presence commanding the respect of every wolf in the hall. "Members of the Solstice Pack," his voice echoed loudly across the room. "The time has come. Today, I step down, and hand the future of our pack over to stronger, younger blood." The crowd erupted into cheers and howls. "I give you your new leader, Alpha Ezra and his future Luna, Hope" The doors opened once more. A tall man stepped out onto the balcony, and the room seemed to lose all its oxygen. Broad-shouldered, sharp jawline, pitch-black hair, and an aura so thick and suffocatingly powerful that several lower-ranking wolves in the crowd instinctively bowed their heads just from his presence. He wore a black suit, but nothing could hide the lethal power of the warrior beneath it. He was breathtaking. Absolutely terrifying, yet effortlessly handsome. My heart slammed against my ribs and I couldn't pull my eyes away from him. And then, as if feeling the weight of my stare, Alpha Ezra’s head snapped in my direction. Across a room filled with hundreds of people, his dark, piercing eyes locked directly onto mine. It felt like an electric shock hit my chest, burning straight down to my soul. A rich, intoxicating scent washed over my senses, cedarwood, fresh rain, and cinnamon filled my nose and made my knees go weak. My wolf was going crazy. MATE! MATE! MATE! My blood ran cold. No. No, no, no. Ezra’s eyes flashed from dark brown to a glowing, fiery amber and his nostrils flared as he inhaled deeply, catching my scent across the room. The cold, ruthless expression on his face shattered, replaced by shock and an intense, dangerous possessiveness. He didn't wait for his father to finish speaking and his voice broke through the hall. “Mine.”