THE ALPHA WHO MARKED ME FOR DEATH

Arielle's POV I stood in the center of the Blood Court, my legs shaking so badly I thought I might collapse. The entire Silvercrest Pack had gathered in a massive circle around me. Hundreds of faces stared at me from the shadows, their eyes glowing in the darkness. Torches shone brightly, casting flickering light across the ancient stone platform where I stood. Tonight was supposed to be the best night of my life. The night I'd waited for since I was old enough to understand what it meant to be a wolf. Tonight, I would shift for the first time. Tonight, I would finally meet my fated mate. But all I felt was terror. My hands trembled at my sides. I tried to steady my breathing, but my chest felt tight. The whispers around me didn't help. I could hear them even though people tried to keep their voices low. My father died three weeks ago. They found his body in the woods, torn apart so badly they could barely identify him. Strange marks covered what was left of him, marks that no one could explain. The pack elders whispered about dark magic and old curses, but nobody would tell me the truth. Since then, everything changed. People who used to smile at me now looked away when I passed. Children who used to play with me were pulled inside by their mothers. Even the pack warriors crossed to the other side of the path when they saw me coming. They all thought I brought my father's death with me. That whatever killed him was somehow connected to me. But tonight was supposed to change everything. Tonight, I would prove them wrong. I lifted my chin and looked across the Blood Court. My eyes found him immediately. Kieran Silvercrest stood at the front of the crowd, tall and handsome. He was the future Alpha, the one who would lead our pack when his father stepped down. He had golden hair that caught the firelight and blue eyes that seemed to glow. He was also my fated mate. I'd known it for years, felt the pull toward him since I was a child. Whenever he was near, my heart would race. Whenever he smiled at me, warmth would spread through my whole body. He'd always been kind to me, always stopped to talk when he passed. I'd dreamed about this night so many times. About shifting for the first time and having the mate bond finally snap into place. About Kieran claiming me in front of the whole pack. About proving to everyone that I wasn't cursed. Elder Morrigan stepped forward, her ancient face lined with wrinkles. She was the oldest wolf in our pack, the one who presided over all the ceremonies. She raised her hands and the crowd fell silent. "Tonight, Arielle Blackwood will shift for the first time," she announced, her voice carrying across the court. "Tonight, she will take her place as a true member of Silvercrest Pack." The elder turned to me. Her eyes were sad, almost pitying. That look made my stomach twist with worry. "Are you ready, child?" she asked quietly. I nodded, not trusting my voice. "Then let the moon's blessing begin." The moment she spoke those words, pain exploded through my body. I gasped and fell to my knees. It felt like every bone in my body was breaking at the same time. My spine arched backward. My fingers turned into claws. A scream tore from my throat. This wasn't how it was supposed to feel. People had told me the first shift hurt, but they said it was bearable. They said it felt natural, like your body was finally becoming what it was meant to be. This felt like dying. My bones cracked and reformed. My skin burned like it was on fire. My teeth turned into fangs. I could feel my face changing, reshaping into something animal. I screamed again. Tears streamed down my face. I wanted it to stop. I wanted to go back to being human. I wanted my father to be here to tell me everything would be okay. But he was gone. And I was alone. The pain reached a peak that made my vision go white. Then suddenly, it was over. I was on all fours, panting heavily. My whole body felt different, strange and powerful. I could smell everything now, scents so strong they were almost overwhelming. I could hear every whisper, every heartbeat in the crowd around me. Slowly, I lifted my head. And that's when I heard the gasps. They spread through the crowd like waves. People stepped back, their eyes wide with shock and fear. Some made the sign against evil. Others grabbed their children and pulled them close. What was wrong? What had happened? I looked down at my paws and my breath caught in my throat. My fur was pure white. Not the normal brown or gray of Silvercrest wolves. Pure white that seemed to glow in the torchlight. And running through the white were silver markings that shimmered like moonlight, patterns I'd never seen on any wolf before. I turned my head and caught my reflection in a polished shining shield hanging nearby. My eyes were violet. Bright, glowing violet instead of the normal gold or amber. Horror washed over me. I looked wrong. I looked cursed. "No," I heard someone whisper. "It can't be." "She really is cursed," another voice said. "The prophecy," an old woman gasped. "The cursed bloodline." I didn't understand what they were talking about. All I knew was that I looked like a monster. My eyes frantically searched the crowd until I found Kieran again. He would understand. He would tell them I wasn't cursed. He was my mate. He would protect me. Our eyes met across the Blood Court. And in that moment, the mate bond snapped into place. It hit me like a physical force, stealing my breath. I felt Kieran's presence inside my chest, felt the invisible thread connecting our souls. The bond was supposed to be beautiful, supposed to feel like coming home. But all I felt was his horror. Kieran's face had gone pale. His blue eyes were wide with shock and disgust. He looked at me like I was something unnatural, something that shouldn't exist. "No," he whispered, but in the silent court, everyone heard it. "No, this can't be right." My heart broke. The mate bond let me feel what he was feeling, and it was worse than any physical pain. He was disgusted by me. Horrified. He didn't want me. Kieran stepped forward, his face hardening. The future Alpha pushed through the crowd until he stood at the edge of the platform, looking down at me where I stood on four legs, trembling. "The Moon Goddess has made a mistake," he announced loudly. Shock went through me. Through the mate bond, I could feel his determination. He meant it. "Arielle Blackwood is cursed," Kieran continued, his voice echoing across the silent court. "Tainted by whatever darkness killed her father. Look at her! No true wolf of Silvercrest has ever looked like that. Her fur, her eyes, everything about her is wrong." Tears filled my violet eyes. I wanted to shift back to human form, to beg him not to do this. But I was new and didn't know how to shift back. I was trapped in this strange wolf body. "She is weak," Kieran said, and each word felt like a knife in my chest. "She is unworthy. She is a threat to the pack's bloodline and our future." No. Please no. Not this. "As future Alpha of Silvercrest Pack," Kieran's voice rang out clear and final, "I, Kieran Silvercrest, reject you, Arielle Blackwood, as my mate." The words crashed over me like a physical blow. I collapsed, my legs giving out. I couldn't breathe. I couldn't think. The mate bond that had just formed was being ripped apart. Tab 2