Shattered Mate

Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Grace pov

The morning sun filtered through the grimy windows of Crescent Falls High School, casting long shadows across the hallway as I hurried toward my locker. I kept my head down, dark auburn hair falling like a curtain around my face—a shield I had perfected over the past year since my parents' death. At seventeen, I had learned that invisibility was my best defense against the cruelty that seemed to follow me everywhere.

"Well, well, look what crawled out of the woods this morning."

My stomach dropped at the familiar voice. I didn't need to look up to know that Jace Storms was approaching, his heavy footsteps echoing off the linoleum floor. The soon-to-be Alpha of the Moonrise Pack had made my life a living hell since I had been forced to transfer to the pack's territory after my parents were killed in the rogue war that had torn through the northern territories.

"I'm talking to you, orphan." His voice carried that distinctive Alpha authority that made my wolf whimper and retreat deeper into my mind. Even though he hadn't officially taken the title yet—that wouldn't happen until his twentieth birthday in six months—the power radiating from him was undeniable.

I slowly raised my eyes to meet his piercing blue gaze. At nineteen, Jace had the build of a warrior and the confidence of someone who'd never been denied anything in his life. His dark hair was perfectly tousled, and his expensive clothes marked him as pack royalty. Everything about him screamed privilege and power—everything I would never have.

"Good morning, Jace," I said quietly, hoping to avoid a scene. The hallway was filling with other students, most of them pack members who would never dare intervene on my behalf. A few human students attended the school as well, but they were oblivious to the supernatural dynamics that governed the social hierarchy.

"That's 'Future Alpha Storms' to you," he sneered, stepping closer until I could smell his pine and leather scent—annoyingly appealing despite my fear of him. "I don't remember giving you permission to use my first name."

Heat flushed my cheeks, but I bit back the retort that burned on my tongue. Challenging him would only make things worse. I had learned that lesson the hard way during my first week at Crescent Falls, when I had dared to stand up to him and ended up with a twisted ankle and a week of detention for "starting a fight."

"Sorry, Future Alpha Storms," I muttered, the title tasting bitter in my mouth.

He smiled, but there was no warmth in it—only the satisfaction of someone who enjoyed wielding power over others. "That's better. Now, I heard you've been working at that pathetic diner downtown. Tell me, Grace, do they make you wear one of those ridiculous uniforms? I bet it really brings out the desperation in your eyes."

Several of his friends had gathered behind him now—his usual pack of sycophants who laughed at everything he said and treated his word as law. Among them was Brittany Chen, a gorgeous shifter who'd been trying to catch Jace's romantic attention for years, and Marcus Reid, whose family served as the pack's enforcers. They all looked at me with varying degrees of amusement and disdain.

"Leave me alone, Jace," I said, my voice barely above a whisper. I tried to step around him to reach my locker, but he moved to block my path.

"I don't think so. You see, I'm curious about something. My father mentioned that your parents left some debts when they died. Apparently, the pack has been covering your living expenses out of the goodness of our hearts. That makes you charity case, doesn't it?"

The words hit me like a physical blow. It was true—I had been placed in a small apartment on the outskirts of pack territory, and Alpha Storms had arranged for my basic needs to be met. But hearing it thrown in my face like this, in front of half the school, made me feel smaller than I ever had.

"My parents died protecting this pack," I said, a spark of my old fire flaring to life. "They fought the rogues that would have torn through our territory and killed innocent families. They were heroes."

Jace's expression darkened dangerously. "Heroes don't get themselves killed and leave their pathetic daughter as a burden on the pack. Heroes win their battles and come home to take care of their responsibilities."

The cruel words shattered something inside my chest. My parents had been everything to me—loving, strong, dedicated to protecting their community. They'd raised me to be proud of my heritage, to understand that being a werewolf meant being part of something larger than myself. But in one night, everything had changed. The rogue attack had come without warning, and my parents had died fighting alongside other pack warriors, buying time for families to evacuate.

"That's enough." The voice came from behind Jace's group, and I looked up in surprise to see Emma Rodriguez pushing through the crowd. Emma was one of the few students who'd ever shown me any kindness, though they weren't exactly friends. As the daughter of the pack's healer, Emma held some status that afforded her a measure of protection from Jace's worst impulses.

"Mind your own business, Emma," Jace warned, but his tone was less harsh than it had been with me.

"This is my business. Grace hasn't done anything to you, and you know it. You're just being cruel for sport." Emma stepped beside me, her presence offering a small comfort.

Jace's eyes narrowed. "Careful, Emma. Don't let your bleeding heart get you into trouble."

The warning bell rang, echoing through the hallway and breaking the tension. Students began moving toward their first period classes, and Jace stepped back with obvious reluctance.

"This isn't over, orphan," he said to me, his voice low enough that only I could hear. "Remember your place in this pack. You're here on sufferance, and that can change anytime."

He walked away with his entourage, leaving me shaking by my locker. Emma touched my arm gently.

"Are you okay?"

I nodded, though we both knew it was a lie. I wasn't okay—I hadn't been okay since the night my world fell apart. But I was surviving, one day at a time, and that would have to be enough.

As I gathered my books and prepared for another day of classes where I would sit in the back, speak only when called upon, and count the minutes until I could escape back to my empty apartment, I wondered how much longer I could endure this existence.

Something had to change.

I just hoped I would be strong enough when it did.