Emma's POV

The night started with heartbreak, but who would have thought it would turn into a nightmare? I never knew my life was about to be completely shattered.

There I was, standing in the middle of the Full Moon Pack's great hall, watching Alpha Damon—yes, my Alpha Damon—introduce Camila as his Luna. He held her like she was the greatest thing to ever happen to him. His arms wrapped around her like she was some delicate treasure he couldn’t bear to let go of. And the way he looked at her? Ugh. It was the kind of look that made you feel like you were in a cheesy romance movie—only it wasn’t me he was looking at.

It was her—Camila, the perfect, strong, and beautiful daughter of the Alpha of our neighboring pack, Red Moon Pack. And to top it all off, she had the audacity to smirk as the entire pack bowed in reverence. I swear, that girl’s ego was through the roof. Plus, whenever she visited our pack, she always made my life a living hell.

Now she's our pack’s Luna. My Luna!

"Don't worry, Emma. The Moon Goddess has someone better for you, someone who'll actually love you."

Andrea wrapped her arms around my shoulders. Andrea is my best friend, the only person who cared about me and treated me with respect in our pack. She didn’t care that I was a wolf less omega—no, not just any omega, but the lowest ranked omega.

She was wrong though. Damon wasn’t just the Alpha—he was The ALPHA, the kind of guy who didn’t just walk into a room; he owned it. Six-foot-four, broad shoulders, chiseled jaw, dark hair that looked like silk, and those intense brown eyes that could probably melt steel. He was a walking dream. My dream, to be exact.

Nothing and no one could top him!

I shot Andrea a look, but she just sighed like a disappointed mom. “Come on, Em. It’s only fair,” she added. “Alpha Damon’s mate was always going to be someone like Camila.”

And she was right. Camila was the daughter of an alpha—popular, beautiful, and strong. She had everything handed to her on a silver platter, while I was nothing but a poor, wolfless omega. A runt. Nobody cared about me.

My parents were slaves and had died when I was just a kid, leaving me with nothing but the weight of their debt to Alpha Damon’s family. They’d served the pack their whole lives, and when they were gone, that responsibility fell squarely on my shoulders. Cleaning, cooking, running errands—whatever needed to be done, I did it. And I knew I’d be stuck doing it until the day I died.

But none of that mattered whenever I looked at Damon. I couldn’t help it—I loved him. Every single thing about him. The way he spoke, that commanding tone that sent shivers down my spine. The way he smiled, rare but so devastating when it appeared. And his scent… it was intoxicating, like warm cedar and fresh rain. Just being near him made my knees weak.

If only—if only—I was his mate. He could’ve saved me. Saved me from this endless suffering. But no, the Moon Goddess had other plans. Alpha Damon wasn’t mine to love. And no matter how much my heart yearned for him, I’d always be invisible to him, just a shadow in the background of his perfect life.

And just when I thought I couldn’t feel more invisible, Alpha Damon leaned down, brushed a strand of hair from Camila’s face. “Come with me, my sunshine. I want the whole pack to see how much you mean to me,” he says.

I almost choked. Alpha Damon. Calling her sunshine. Alpha Damon, the guy who barked orders and never said a single word to me unless it was about cleaning something, was now Mr. Romantic. I couldn’t watch anymore.

“Why her?” I mumbled bitterly. “Why does she have to be his Luna? I wish she’d just disappear.”

“Emma…”

"I...I need some air," I mumbled, turning to leave. But Andrea grabbed my arm.

"Wait, Emma. Don’t—"

"I’ll be fine," I pulled away before she could stop me.

I made it to the bar area and ordered something strong enough to drown my pains and sorrows. The bartender raised an eyebrow but poured me a glass anyway. “Rough night?” he asked, sliding the drink over.

“You have no idea,” I muttered before downing it in one gulp. Three drinks later, my head was buzzing, and my heart still hurt like hell. So much for drowning my sorrows.

I stumbled outside, needing air or space—or maybe just a miracle—and ended up by the riverside. That’s when I saw her. Camila. She was on the phone, pacing and looking...nervous? Weird. Camila never looked nervous. Curious (and maybe a little tipsy), I walked over.

"Camila?" I called out.

She spun around so fast I thought she might fall over. Her eyes narrowed. "What the hell are you doing here?"

"I just...you looked upset. I wanted to check on you," my voice wavered slightly.

"Don’t act all innocent, you low-life omega. Were you eavesdropping?"

"No! I swear, I wasn’t—"

Before I could finish, she shoved me hard. I stumbled, and my head spinned hard. I don’t know if it was the alcohol or something else, but suddenly, everything felt wrong. My legs turned to jelly, and black dots danced in my vision. The last thing I saw was her sneering face before everything went dark.

When I came to, I was soaked and freezing. I couldn’t make sense of what was happening at first. My head was pounding, and the crowd around me was yelling so loud it was like being caught in the middle of a thunderstorm. I blinked, trying to focus, and that’s when I saw her.

Camila.

She was lying on the ground dead. No, she wasn't just dead—she was butchered. Her throat was slit so deep it was like someone tried to decapitate her, and her chest...oh goddess, her chest. Her heart was gone. Just an empty, large hole where it should’ve been. I gagged, and my stomach twisted like it wanted to turn itself inside out.

And then I saw him. Alpha Damon.

He was angry….devastated. His knees were on the ground by her body, long fingers trembling as he brushed her blood-matted hair from her face. His jaw was tight, his chest heaving like he was barely keeping himself together. But his eyes...those beautiful brown eyes that I’d adored my whole life...they were filled with something I’d never seen before. Pain. Anguish. And then they locked onto me, and the pain turned into pure, blazing hatred.

“Why?” His voice was low, deadly, shaking with fury. “Why the fuck did you kill her?”

“I—I didn’t—” I stuttered, scrambling to sit up. “Alpha, please, I didn’t do this! I swear!”

“Liar!” His roar shook me to my core. He shot to his feet and stormed toward me. “You’re covered in her blood, Emma! Do you take me for a fool?”

I looked down, and sure enough, my hands were smeared with it. The sight made me dizzy, my breaths coming in short, panicked gasps. “I don’t know how—please, you have to believe me—I would never hurt her! I would never—”

“Shut the fuck up, you murderer!” His hand came out of nowhere, slamming against my cheek with such force that my head snapped to the side. I hit the ground, the sting burning through my skin. Tears blurred my vision as I cradled my face, but the pain was nothing compared to the crushing weight of his rage.

“Take her,” he snarled, turning to his warriors. “Throw the murderer in the dungeon. Now.”

“No, no, no!” I screamed as rough hands grabbed me and hauled me to my feet. “Alpha, I didn’t do it! I swear on the Moon Goddess, I didn’t kill her! Please, you have to believe me!” My voice cracked as I twisted and struggled, but they dragged me toward the dungeon like I was some rabid animal.

The crowd didn’t make it any better. Oh no, they were out for blood. People I’d served, cleaned for, cooked for—they all turned on me like I was some monster. They cursed me, calling me a murderer, a filthy omega, a disgrace. Rocks and spit flew at me, hitting my arms, my back, my face. Each word, each stone, felt like a dagger to my heart.

“Traitor!”

“Killer!”

“You don’t deserve to live!”

“Please!” I begged, looking around desperately for anyone—anyone—who might believe me. My eyes found Andrea, my one and only friend, but even she stood frozen with an unreadable expression. She didn’t step forward. She didn’t defend me. My heart broke all over again.

“Alpha, please,” I whimpered one last time, looking back at Alpha Damon. He stood over Camila’s body, sobbing. He didn’t even look at me.

“I didn’t do it!” I screamed again, even though my voice was hoarse. “I didn’t kill her!”

But no one listened.