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“Stupid and ungrateful child, that is what you are!” The sound of slap echoed throughout the room after those words was heard. Maria Anderson didn’t fall. She didn't cry out. She simply felt her head snap to the side, her skin burning from the force of her mother’s hand.
"You are a disgrace to this pack," her mother hissed. "Your sister was lost in the wild woods for nineteen years. She survived without a family, without protection. And the moment she comes home, you try to steal her mate? Have you no heart?"
Maria slowly turned her head back. She didn't cover her face. She didn't flinch, her green eyes flashing with a cold, hard light. "Mom, Brandon is my boyfriend and my mate. He has been mine since we were pups. How can you stand there and talk about heart when you're helping him rip mine out?"
Maria had just returned from a scouting mission at the edge of their territory. She expected a warm welcome. Instead, she walked into a nightmare.
There, on the sofa, sat her long-lost sister Alice. Alice was leaning into Brandon Owen—the Alpha’s son of the Silver Moon pack and the man Maria was supposed to marry. Alice looked small and fragile, her hand resting on Brandon's muscular arm.
Across from them, the parents were already drinking wine, smiling as if a wedding was already planned.
Brandon and Maria surprisingly knew they were mates since they were like six years. They had shared their first shift together. They had run through the woods under a thousand full moons. He had promised her, over and over, that she would be his Luna one day.
Maria walked toward them, her boots clicking loudly on the floor "Brandon," she said, her voice steady and low. "Explain this. Now."
Alice shrunk back, looking terrified. "Mom, please! Don't let Ria hurt me. It’s my fault... I shouldn't have come back. I didn't mean to fall for him."
Brandon immediately wrapped an arm around Alice's shoulders, pulling her close. He looked at Maria, but there was no love in his eyes. Only cold indifference. "No, Alice. Don't blame yourself. Maria, I’ve always seen you as a sister and not someone who I love. I think you just misunderstood my kindness for something more."
The world felt like it was tilting. Maria felt a roar of anger building in her chest.
A sister?
"A sister?" Maria repeated, her voice cracking. "Did you kiss your sister behind the tree? Did you tell your sister you couldn't wait to mark her as yours? Did you hold me every night for three years because I was just a 'sister'?"
"Shut up!" Her mother shouted, stepping between them. "How dare you speak to him like that? Your sister has suffered for two decades. She was cold, alone, and hunted. The least you can do is show some respect. Can't you be a little selfless for once?"
Maria looked at her mother, then at her father, who was watching with a disgusted look on his face.
"Selfless?" She laughed, and the sound was dark. "You want me to give up my mate because she had a hard time? That’s not how the world works. That’s not how the pack works."
Her father stood up, his presence filling the room. "Enough! Brandon doesn't want you. He wants a woman with a lot of love, not a bitter girl who picks fights. We are busy planning the engagement party. If you can't help out, get out of here. You’re an eyesore."
Maria looked at Brandon one last time. He didn't even look at her. He was busy whispering something into her sister's ear, making her giggle.
The pain was there, deep in her chest, but Maria refused to let them see it. She wouldn't give them the satisfaction of her tears. She grabbed her bag, then turned to stare at them one last time.
"Fine," she said, "You want her? Take her. But don't expect me to be there when the moon turns red."
She turned around and walked out of the house. She didn't run. She walked with grace. She climbed into her car and tore out of the driveway.
The Light Pub was a dark, loud place on the edge of the city. It was where werewolves went when they didn't want to be found by their pack.
By the time her best friend, Daisy, arrived, Maria had already finished a bottle of red wine. She wasn't drunk—her werewolf metabolism wouldn't allow it—but she was feeling the fire in her blood.
"You look like you're ready to kill someone," Daisy said, sliding into the booth.
Maria pushed a bottle of beer toward her. "Drink. We aren't leaving until the sun comes up."
"What happened? Did Brandon do something stupid?"
Maria’s grip tightened on her glass until the wood of the table groaned. "He’s dumping me. He’s getting engaged to Alice. My parents told me to 'get lost' because I was ruining the mood."
Daisy’s jaw dropped. "Are they insane? You and Brandon have been together forever. Everyone in the pack knows you're the next Luna. They can't just... swap you out like an old tire!"
"They think she's a victim," Maria said, her eyes glowing a faint amber. "They think because she survived the wild, she deserves everything I have. They told me I should be tolerant."
"Tolerant of her stealing your man? That’s trash!" Daisy slammed her hand on the table. "You’re the strongest female in the pack. You’ve won every duel. You’ve led the hunts. Alice can barely shift without crying. Brandon is an idiot."
Maria leaned back. "I loved him, Daisy. I really did. But watching him hold her... I realized he never deserved me. He wants someone he can control. He wants a pet, not a partner."
"So, what's the plan?" Daisy asked. "Are we going to burn his house down? Because I have matches in my purse."
Maria laughed, but it wasn't a happy sound. It was the sound of a woman who was done being nice. "No. Burning a house is too easy. I want something better. I want to make them crawl."
Daisy looked around the bar, her eyes scanning the crowd. Suddenly, she froze. She nudged Maria hard in the ribs. "Hey. Look over there. In the corner."
Maria looked.
In the darkest corner of the pub, sitting alone, was a man. He wasn't dressed like the other wolves. He wore a crisp, black suit. He had his eyes closed, his head leaning back against the leather seat.
Even from across the room, Maria could feel his power. It wasn't the loud, shouting power of her father. It was quiet. It was heavy. It felt like a storm waiting to break.
When the light hit his face, Maria caught her breath. He was beautiful—sharply defined jaw, dark hair, and a presence that made the air feel thick.
"So what?" Maria muttered. "He’s handsome. I'm not in the mood for a crush."
"No, you don't understand," Daisy whispered, her voice shaking with excitement. "That’s
Jack Owen."
Maria froze. The name hit her like a punch. "You mean, Brandon’s uncle?"
"The one and only," Daisy said. "The 'Black Wolf.' He moved away years ago to run the international business side of the family. My brother says he’s a genius—and a monster. He’s the only one Brandon’s father is actually afraid of. He just got back to the city today."
Maria stared at the man. Jack Owen. The true powerhouse of the Owen bloodline. He was the man who held the keys to the family's fortune and their seat on the High Council.
If Brandon was a prince, this man was the Emperor.
A slow, wicked smile spread across Maria’s face. She looked at her sister’s face in her mind—the fake tears, the smug look. Then she thought of Brandon’s betrayal.
"Daisy," Marina said, her voice dropping to a dangerous purr.
"Yeah?"
"If I marry Brandon’s uncle... what would that make me?"
Daisy gasped, a spray of beer flying from her mouth. "You... you'd be Brandon’s aunt."
Maria stood up, smoothing out her leather jacket. She looked at the powerful man in the corner.
Exactly," Maria said. "If they want to play dirty, I’ll play dirtier. I’m going to make that man mine. And then, at the engagement party, Brandon and Alice will have no other choice but to bow down and call me 'Auntie'.”
- Writer
