Chapter 1
“Marissa, we’ve arranged a Mateship. Ceremony for you,” her mother’s voice echoed through the mind link. “Your blood is becoming more volatile every day. Only the strength of an Alpha mate can keep your blood stable and keep you safe.”
Marissa sat alone in her dimly lit room, her gaze fixed on the shadowy corners. Silence stretched between them, filling the air with an unspoken weight. She knew her mother was about to speak again, offering her a way out as always.
“If you don’t want this, I’ll speak to your father and cancel everything. We won’t force you,” her mother finally said, her voice softening.
But Marissa’s lips parted as she answered, voice steady and unyielding, “I’m
willing, Mom. I’ll go through with the arranged mateship.
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There was a stunned silence on the other
end, and then her mother stammered in disbelief. “You…you agreed?”
“Yes, I agreed,” Marissa repeated, her voice calm and devoid of any visible hesitation. “But I need time to wrap up some things in the Shadow Pack first. Please start preparing for the Mateship Ceremony.”
She ended the mind link without asking a single question about the Alpha her parents had chosen. She didn’t care who he was or what he‘ d heard about her fragile health, only that he was willing to mate with someone everyone believed was dying.
Though, Marissa wasn‘ t dying. Not yet. Her blood, the powerful Lycan bloodline coursing through her, was more than her body could handle without a mate’s mark to stabilize it. She was growing weaker every day, struggling against the surging strength within.
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Just as the connection faded, loud music from the packhouse carried up through her walls. The faint sound of voices singing “Happy Birthday” mingled with the clinking of glasses and laughter.
Downstairs, Hunter and Caleb, her oldest friends and the Alpha s sons, had thrown a celebration for Ivy, the newest member of the Shadow Pack. The orphaned omega had arrived only a month prior, mourning the loss of her parents after a rogue attack left her alone.
a
A soft knock at her door interrupted her thoughts, followed by the quiet creak of it opening. Ivy entered with a shy smile and slice of blueberry cake; remnants of frosting smudged on her carefully made–up face. She stepped closer, her eyes wide and pleading.
“Marissa,” she began in a soft, sweet voice, “won’t you come down and join us? I’d love to have you there with me.”
Marissa’s gaze hardened. Beneath Ivy‘ s
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innocent expression, she’d seen flashes of something else–a slyness she hadn’t
missed. “I have work to finish, Ivy,” she replied, her tone icy. “Go enjoy your party.”
A flicker of hurt crossed Ivy‘ s face, tears welling in her eyes. “Marissa… do you not like me? Is that why you always keep your distance?”
Marissa clenched her jaw. She hadn‘ t even done anything, but Ivy was already playing the victim. The act felt so transparent it was almost laughable.
“Ivy,” she said, voice laced with warning, “save your performances for Hunter and Caleb. They may fall for it, but I don‘ t.” And with that, she turned to close the door
But Ivy, not to be deterred, reached out to stop it, catching her hand painfully
between the door and the frame. She
gasped in pain, her hand already swelling purple.
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“Aww-”
At that moment, Hunter and Caleb rounded the corner. Their eyes fell on Ivy, cradling her injured hand, and they rushed over without sparing Marissa a second glance. Caleb’s face turned red with anger as he looked at her.
“Marissa, if you don‘ t like Ivy, fine, but you didn’t have to hurt her!” He snapped, his words sharp with accusation.
“When did you become so cruel?”
Hunter, ever the quieter one, regarded her with a cold, disappointed gaze. “Today‘ s her birthday, Marissa,” he said in a low voice. “There was no need for this.”
He turned back to Ivy, instantly switching to a gentler tone. “Let’s get that hand of yours looked at. Does it hurt much?”
Hunter led Ivy away, Caleb following close behind. Marissa watched them dote on her, whispering promises to lift her spirits. She felt as though she were watching strangers
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rather than the two friends who‘ d once been her everything.
As they disappeared down the stairs, Marissa closed her door and leaned against it, memories flooding in from a time when she had been the one those two always protected.
They’d all grown up together in Shadow Pack, childhood friends who had once. been inseparable. Hunter and Caleb, the Alpha’s sons, had always been by her side, ready to defend her or make her laugh. On the other hand, Marissa, the daughter of the Beta, born with an unstable Lycan bloodline, was fragile from birth, prone to bouts of weakness that left her bedridden in the damp climate of the pack territory. At five, her parents had sent her to a city known for its warmer weather to help her recover under the guidance of a skilled healer.
But it was more than just her frail health; her blood held a rare strength, the power
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of an ancient Lycan lineage, a force that pulsed through her but was far too much for her body to withstand alone. The only solution, the healer said, was to find her fated mate–an Alpha strong enough to mark her and anchor the power within her.
She had been close to Hunter and Caleb all through childhood. They were her protectors, her friends. When she’d left for the city to recuperate, they‘ d practically begged her not to go, vowing to stay by her side, no matter what. The bond between them was unbreakable.
But that bond was crumbling, and it had all started when Ivy arrived.
The first day Ivy joined the pack, she had sat alone, avoiding eye contact and refusing to join the pack for meals. Marissa had pitied her then, hearing of her tragic. past and feeling the urge to protect her as she’d once been protected. She invited Ivy to join her, introducing her to Hunter and Caleb, who welcomed her into their
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circle without a second thought.
And Ivy, with her doe–eyed innocence, had captivated them.
Hunter, once the silent, steady presence at her side, now laughed and joked at Ivy‘ s every word. Caleb, who used to spar and train with her, dropped everything the moment Ivy needed something.
It was painful, the realization that she had been replaced, and yet, in a twisted way, it also freed her. She could walk away from them both without regret now. Her decision to accept the arranged mateship was more than just a means to stabilize her blood.
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