Chapter 1

The day I was born, the midwife who touched me aged ten years in an instant.

Every servant who made contact with me withered rapidly, their bodies collapsing into dried husks.

The pack whispered I was a cursed thing—a creature that fed on life force itself.

Father ordered me drowned in the lily pond.

The moment they tossed me into the water, the pond dried up. Every water lily shriveled to ash. Fish and frogs became bone.

Terror swept through the estate.

Father's face went from pale to green. Finally, he had me locked in the abandoned wing to die alone.

I thought that would be my end. Then my sister Elara saved me.

Every day, she'd slip me her own scraps—pastries, stew—feeding me through a wooden spoon so she wouldn't touch my skin.

Against all odds, I survived on Elara's kindness.

Mother and Father knew she was keeping me alive. They turned a blind eye.

When I turned three, a traveling witch came through our territory. She cured my affliction. I finally became a normal pup.

My parents breathed easier. They let me move out of the abandoned wing but still barely acknowledged my existence.

Only Elara held me close, crying tears of joy.

From then on, I followed her everywhere, her loyal shadow.

But it didn't last. When Elara turned eighteen, she was sent to the Inner Court to become the Alpha King's consort.

The day she left, Elara wiped my tears.

"Don't cry, Lyra. I'll send for you soon."

I never saw her again.

A year later, servants from the palace arrived carrying a coffin.

Inside was Elara's body.

The head steward said Elara's wolf had turned feral in the Inner Court—that she'd lost control during a shift, gone mad, and drowned in the lily pond.

I didn't believe a word.

Elara perfect controlled over her wolf. She'd never lose herself to the beast. This was no accident.

I tried to see her body. The attendant blocked me.

"Insolent! This coffin was bestowed by the Alpha King. Once sealed, it must not be disturbed—any violation would be a grave insult to the Alpha!"

I stared at that heavy black coffin, nails digging into my palms.

A royal gift—a coffin that denied me even a final goodbye.

How could I rest without seeing her one last time?

That night, I slipped back to the mourning hall.

Candles flickered. Two old servants dozed by the door, their voices drifting:

"Such a waste. Lady Consort Elara was so beautiful. Only a year in the palace and she's dead."

"I heard she crossed Luna Selene. They tortured her beyond recognition."

"Good gods. She died like that and the Alpha King did nothing?"

"The Alpha allowed it. Otherwise, would Luna Selene dare? Hush! Walls have ears."

So Elara was murdered.

Rage erupted in my chest like wildfire.

I stormed into the hall, shoved past the servants, and pried open the coffin.

A rotting stench hit me.

I saw.

Elara's clothes were torn. Her body covered in blood.

Trembling, I lifted her sleeve. Whip marks carved into her arms. Her fingers bent at unnatural angles. Her legs twisted—shattered, deliberately broken.

I bit down on my lip to keep from screaming.

A single thought crystallized with absolute clarity:

Luna Selene and the Alpha King will pay in blood.

***

To get revenge, I had to enter the Inner Court.

Soon, the Alpha King announced a new selection of consorts.

I knelt outside Father's study, begging to be sent.

Mother and Father had only two daughters. With Elara freshly dead, Mother refused to let me go. She had me confined to my quarters.

So I disguised myself and snuck out to the selection ceremony.

The great hall was empty except for two figures behind silk curtains.

Luna Selene's voice dripped with mockery.

"Another daughter from the Hale family. Your sister just died, and here you are. Does your family think the Inner Court brings good fortune?"

Each word a needle, aimed to wound.

I kept my head down, voice steady.

"What happened to my elder sister is a loss to our family. I come only to serve, with no expectations beyond that."

Selene laughed coldly.

"But I've heard you were born cursed. That you drain the life from anyone near you. And you dare present yourself here?"

I stayed calm. "Curses are nothing but superstition. My sister was known throughout the pack as blessed—before she entered the palace."

Behind the curtains, Selene's breath caught.

The Alpha King, who had been silent until now, let out a soft laugh.

Then a pale hand parted the curtains.

He was younger than I'd imagined. Sharp features, cold eyes that studied me with curiosity and something darker—amusement.

He watched me for a long moment, then spoke, his tone light. "Interesting. Since you're here, you might as well stay."

Just like that, I was accepted into the Inner Court and assigned to Moonward Hall—one of the residences closest to the Alpha King's own chambers.

That very night, Kael took me to his bed.

The entire encounter was mechanical, cold, devoid of feeling. Yet utterly inescapable.

I closed my eyes, swallowed my nausea, and buried my hatred deep.

Afterward, he didn't leave immediately. Instead, he leaned against the headboard, watching me. "Aren't you afraid?"

I knew what he meant. Elara had died here. Was I not terrified of becoming another corpse in the Inner Court?

I met his gaze.

Kael's eyes held no emotion. Only pure, detached curiosity.

I lowered my lashes and leaned into him.

"Alpha, to serve you is my greatest honor. My sister simply lacked the fortune to enjoy such privilege."

He studied me in silence, then let out a low laugh—impossible to read.

Then he moved, sliding something off his own wrist.

A bracelet.

Blood-red, with thread-like patterns swirling inside it, glowing faintly in the candlelight.

He slipped the bracelet onto my wrist. It fit perfectly.

The crimson looked striking against my skin—beautiful and ominous.

"Wear it. Don't lose it."

"Thank you, Your Majesty." I touched the cold, heavy weight at my wrist and bowed my head.

Kael said nothing more. He rose and left.

Within days, the Alpha's Decree arrived. Kael elevated me to the rank of Lady Consort—skipping every rank between me and a nameless selection candidate.

Overnight favor. Unprecedented elevation.

In the Inner Court, this kind of attention was rare.

I stared at the blood-red bracelet on my wrist, a chill settling in my bones.

This wasn't favor. This was Kael painting a target on my back.

Sure enough, the next morning, Selene arrived.

Selene swept into my chambers in full regalia, frost in her gaze.

"Sister, you have quite the talent," she said, her smile cutting like ice.

"One night, and you're already a ranked consort. It seems the women of the Hale family are gifted at servicing men."

The servants held their breath, frozen in terror.

I stood and offered a respectful bow.

"You flatter me, Luna. The Alpha praised how fresh and appealing I am—the perfect age. Unlike you, who has served him for years. That must be exhausting."

Selene's smile froze.

Fury flashed across her carefully maintained face.

"You—" Her voice choked. Then her eyes landed on my wrist.

Disbelief flickered across her features, followed by deeper rage.

She lunged forward and grabbed my arm.

"Why do you have this bracelet?!" Her voice turned shrill, dripping with jealousy.

"He gave you this? You filthy little bitch—you don't deserve to wear it!"

She reached to tear it off my wrist.

I yanked my arm back, hard and decisive.

Selene stumbled forward, nearly crashing into a flower stand.

She caught herself, trembling with rage.

"How dare you!"