The Girl Without a Wolf
The howl of the Alpha echoed across Blackthorn territory.
Every wolf in the courtyard lowered their head.
Every wolf except Amara Vale.
She stood at the very back of the crowd, her fingers tightly gripping the worn sleeves of her dress as hundreds of golden eyes turned toward the enormous stone platform.
At the center stood Lucian Blackthorn.
The future Alpha.
Even from a distance, he commanded attention.
Tall. Broad-shouldered. Dressed entirely in black, with dark hair falling carelessly across his forehead. The silver Alpha mark on his wrist gleamed beneath the moonlight.
Amara had spent years pretending she didn’t stare at him.
Tonight, she failed.
Her heart betrayed her the moment his eyes swept across the crowd.
For one terrifying second, she thought he was looking directly at her.
She quickly lowered her gaze.
Don’t.
She reminded herself of the truth everyone already knew.
Lucian Blackthorn was the future Alpha.
She was Amara Vale.
The wolfless girl.
They belonged to completely different worlds.
“Amara.”
She flinched.
Her cousin, Mira, leaned toward her with an irritated expression.
“What are you doing standing here? The ceremony is about to begin.”
“I’m watching.”
Mira scoffed.
“You shouldn’t be.”
Amara frowned.
“Why?”
“Because people like you aren’t supposed to dream above their station.”
The words stung.
They always did.
Amara had heard them since childhood.
Wolfless.
Weak.
Useless.
Defective.
She had never understood why being born without a wolf made everyone look at her as if she were less than a person.
She had never chosen this.
But in the supernatural world, nobody cared about what you chose.
Your wolf determined your status.
Your strength determined your value.
And Amara had neither.
A murmur moved through the crowd.
Lucian had stepped forward.
The old Alpha raised his hand.
“Tonight, my son will officially be recognized as the heir of Blackthorn Pack.”
Cheers erupted.
Amara’s heart squeezed painfully.
Lucian’s eyes moved over the crowd again.
This time, they stopped.
On her.
Amara froze.
His expression changed.
Only slightly.
But she saw it.
Confusion.
Recognition.
Something else she couldn’t name.
Then his gaze moved away.
Amara released the breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding.
“Why does he keep looking at you?”
Mira’s voice was suspicious.
“He doesn’t.”
“He did.”
“He probably wasn’t.”
Mira narrowed her eyes.
“Don’t embarrass yourself, Amara.”
Amara looked toward the platform.
Lucian was speaking now, his deep voice carrying effortlessly across the courtyard.
“I accept the responsibility placed upon me.”
His words were formal.
Cold.
Perfect.
Exactly like him.
Amara had admired that about him for years.
She remembered the first time he’d spoken to her.
She had been sixteen, sitting alone beside the training grounds after a group of young wolves had mocked her for failing to shift.
Lucian had found her crying.
He hadn’t laughed.
He had simply sat beside her.
“You don’t need a wolf to prove you’re worth something.”
Those words had stayed with her.
Perhaps that was when she had fallen in love with him.
A sudden cheer pulled her back to reality.
The ceremony was ending.
People began moving toward the feast hall.
Amara turned to leave.
Then someone grabbed her wrist.
She looked up.
Lucian.
Her breath caught.
He stood before her, his expression unreadable.
Up close, he seemed even more intimidating.
“Alpha,” she whispered.
His eyes studied her face.
“You’ve been avoiding me.”
Amara swallowed.
“I haven’t.”
“You have.”
“I thought you were busy.”
“I am.”
His fingers loosened around her wrist, but he didn’t let go immediately.
Something strange happened.
His expression changed.
His nostrils flared slightly.
For the briefest moment, Lucian looked almost startled.
Then his jaw tightened.
“Do you smell that?”
Amara’s heart raced.
“What?”
He stared at her.
“I don’t know.”
His voice had become strangely quiet.
Before she could ask what he meant, someone called his name.
“Lucian
He looked over his shoulder.
A beautiful young woman stood near the entrance to the hall
Selene Ravelle.
The daughter of a powerful neighboring Alpha
The woman everyone expected Lucian to choose.
Lucian released Amara’s wrist.
His face became unreadable again.
“Go inside
Amara nodded.
He walked away.
She watched him join Selene.
Something inside her cracked.
She knew she should stop hoping.
She knew a man like Lucian could never belong to a woman like her.
Yet as she turned away, a strange warmth suddenly spread through her chest.
Then came a whisper.
Not from the crowd
Not from anyone standing nearby.
It came from somewhere deep inside her.
A voice she had never heard before.
Run.
Amara stopped.
Her heart hammered.
She looked around
Nobody seemed to notice.
Then the voice came again
This time, clearer
Run before they discover what you are.
Amara’s blood turned cold.
Because for the first time in her life
something inside her had answered back.
