Calla's POV
I couldn’t sleep. The weight of it all churned in my mind—the lies, the betrayal, the overwhelming scent of the werewolf realm clinging to me. This wasn’t my life. It wasn’t my world. I didn’t belong here.
While the mansion slept, I slipped out of bed, the cold stone floor biting at my feet. The path through the forest stretched ahead, dark and unfamiliar, but anything was better than staying. I wasn’t the daughter they claimed. I wasn’t their future Luna. I wasn’t anyone but Calla, the girl desperate to escape.
I hadn’t gone far when a voice cut through the stillness. “Running away already?”
I spun around to see Hera leaning casually against a tree, her smirk as sharp as the moonlight on her cheekbones.
“I’m leaving,” I snapped, fists clenched. “You can have it all—the pack, the parents, even Jacob. I don’t care.”
Hera tilted her head, amusement dancing in her eyes. “And go where? The humans don’t want you anymore, Calla. You don’t belong here, but you certainly don’t belong there.”
I glared at her, willing my voice not to crack. “I don’t belong anywhere. But at least I’m not you.”
Her laugh followed me as I turned and walked away. I told myself her words didn’t matter, but they lingered, twisting in my chest like a thorn.
Hours later, I reached the edge of the human world. My old mansion loomed ahead, but it wasn’t the sanctuary I remembered. A "For Sale" sign leaned crookedly in the yard, and standing in front of it were Heron and Vivien. Laughing. Together. Her hand rested on her stomach, his arm draped possessively around her.
I froze, anger and hurt warring inside me. But before I could step forward, a hand clamped down on my arm, pulling me back. I spun around to find Jacob, his golden eyes blazing.
“You think you can just leave?” His voice was low, dangerous. Before I could answer, he shifted into his wolf form, and with a swift lunge, his teeth caught the fabric of my shirt. I screamed as he dragged me back into the forest, his grip unyielding.
By the time we returned to the pack, I was exhausted, my voice hoarse from shouting. Jacob shifted back into his human form, his gaze pinning me in place. “You can’t keep running, Calla,” he said, his voice calm but unrelenting. “You’re mine.”
“What are you talking about?” I hissed, backing away.
His response was a kiss—fierce, possessive, leaving no room for argument. Then his teeth grazed my neck, and a searing heat shot through me. I gasped, stumbling back as Livi’s voice screamed in my head. He’s marking us!
“Too late now,” Jacob murmured, his smirk infuriatingly smug. “You’re mine.”
I couldn’t think, couldn’t breathe. Panic clawed at my chest as his guards seized my arms. Luna Selina and Alpha Garett were waiting when we arrived, their disappointment hitting me like a physical blow.
“You’re ungrateful,” Garett thundered, his fists clenched. “After everything we’ve done for you.”
Hera stepped forward, her voice syrupy sweet. “I tried to stop her,” she said, cradling a scratched arm. “She attacked me.”
“That’s a lie!” I shouted, my voice cracking. “I never touched you!”
But my protests were drowned out by Jacob’s commanding voice. “Enough. The ceremony will happen tonight.”
They dragged me to my room and chained me to the bedframe. I screamed, pounded against the chains, but it was no use. Hours stretched into eternity, my fear growing with each passing moment. When the door finally opened, it wasn’t relief I felt but dread.
The guards hauled me to the grand hall, where the entire pack waited. The elder began chanting, his voice deep and resonant. Jacob stood at the center, his eyes locked on mine with the confidence of someone who thought he’d already won.
Then I smelled it. Sharp, earthy, and unmistakable. My head snapped up, my pulse quickening.
Mate. Livi’s voice was soft but certain. He’s here.
I scanned the crowd frantically until I found him. Felix Windsor. Jacob’s twin. His eyes met mine, and the bond hit me like a bolt of lightning. My breath caught, my heart raced. This wasn’t just attraction—it was something primal, undeniable.
Jacob’s voice broke through the haze. “Calla.”
But I couldn’t look at him. My focus was on Felix, the man who felt like salvation. The pull between us was electric, an unspoken promise.
And yet, Jacob’s mark burned on my neck—a chain I couldn’t break. My mind raced. Was it too late? Or was there still a way out?
As Jacob stepped closer and the elder’s voice rose, I realized one thing: if there was a way out, I had to find it. And fast.
