Amelia Miller thought she'd endured the worst life had to offer. Rejected by her mate, betrayed by her own blood, and cast out from her pack, she had nothing but the scars. When Alpha Kaelan of the Shadow Moon Pack comes to her rescue, Amelia dares to dream of a new beginning. But the shadows of her past are unwilling to set her free. Amelia's vengeful half-sister Caroline and her first mate Jackson finally unite for one purpose-to bring Amelia to ruin and tear down the Shadow Moon Pack along with her. But when Kaelan's trust falters, Amelia's world comes crashing down all over again. This time, she has to dig deep for a strength to rise, not only to save the man who gave her a second chance at love but also to put an end to the circle of betrayal and pain once and for all.
The air was cold and bitter that morning, but Amelia Miller barely felt it. Hurrying down the path to the packhouse, she clutched the bundle of freshly laundered clothes to her chest. Her fingers were numb from washing in icy water, her cheeks raw and red from the chill, but her mind barely registered the discomfort. She had grown used to it-used to being ignored, used to being invisible.
Today, though, was different. Today she turned 18, a day she had hoped would bring change, finally. The day she finds her mate.
The pack had always made Amelia feel like an outsider. Her half-sister, Caroline, was the golden child, the favored daughter of Alpha Miller and Luna Hannah. Amelia, the product of a short, regretted relationship before her father had met Luna Hannah, had never belonged. Her father seldom spoke to her, and Luna Hannah treated her with thinly veiled disdain. The rest of the pack followed suit, making sure Amelia knew she was only tolerated and never loved.
The idea of finding a mate had been Amelia's hope, her one wish. Perhaps he could see her and understand her-even love her. Maybe this was the one to break chains binding her in loneliness since childhood.
She reached the door of the packhouse, took a deep breath, and smoothed tangled brown hair, adjusting the plain brown dress. The door opened abruptly, and she found herself face-to-face with Caroline, who smirked in her smugness.
"Oh, look, the little servant girl thinks she's part of the family," Caroline sneered. Perfect blonde curls bounced as she crossed her arms. "Don't forget your place, Amelia. You're not wanted here."
Amelia's eyes dropped to the floor, her heart sinking in her chest. It was her birthday, yet somehow, the sting of Caroline's words felt as if it could never get any different-as if there was nothing she could do to fit in. But she swallowed her pride, clinging to the one hope she had left: her mate.
As she stepped into the main hall of the pack, an overwhelming presence nailed her feet to the ground. She spun around, her heart jackhammering in her chest, her gaze setting on him-the Alpha himself, Jackson Rainer. His gaze was piercing, and at that moment, as their eyes met, something lit in her chest. Her heart beat wildly.
The bond. It was true. Alpha Jackson Rainer was her mate.
She didn't even have time to process the shock before a scornful laugh cut through the silence. Caroline stepped forward, her hand slipping possessively onto Jackson's arm. Amelia's blood ran cold as she watched her half-sister entwine herself with the Alpha, looking at Amelia with a satisfied smirk.
"Isn't it sweet?" Caroline cooed, glancing up at Jackson with adoration. "I've waited so long for this day.
Jackson's eyes held on Amelia's for the span of a heartbeat, before turning to ice. He glanced at Caroline and back to Amelia, and in that instant, Amelia felt the knife of betrayal pierce her chest.
"Amelia Miller," he said, his voice cold, "means nothing to me."
And in that instant, her world came crashing down. The connection that had bound them, the hope she had held on for, disappeared in less than a second. She opened her mouth to protest, but words wouldn't flow. Her Alpha was hers, her partner, yet here he was dismissing her as if she didn't mean more to him than the speck of dust on the floor.
Then Jackson turned to Caroline and, in front of the whole pack, pressed his lips onto hers. The room was filled with gasps, but nobody came to intervene, because they knew exactly what it meant: he chose Caroline for his Luna.
Amelia's heart wrenched in pain as the rejection seared right through to her very soul, a dull ache settling within her chest as Jackson and Caroline simply walked away, leaving her there, humiliated and abandoned.
Her half-sister had taken everything: the love of her family, her place in the pack, and now her mate. Amelia turned to run out of the hall; though behind her, the laughter echoed on. The packmates formerly ignoring her now looked upon her with sneers, mocking grins.
Tears pricked at her eyes, and she did not stop running until she was outside on her knees in the snow. The rejection oozed into her heart like a chunk of ice-cold, unyielding.
"I, Sophia Addison, of the Crescent Moon Pack, deny your rejection, Jacob Carter." I smiled triumphantly at him and he just glared at me. I can hear loud gasps and whispers throughout the place. They cannot believe that their goody-two-shoes of a senior year president is rejecting me in front of everybody. What goody-two-shoes? More like a two faced jerk! That is why, here I am, denying his rejection. Oh well, I refuse to suffer alone. So...let us both suffer together my dear mate.
Rejected by her mate, who had been her long-time crush, Jasmine felt utterly humiliated. Seeking solace, she headed to a party to drown her sorrows. But things took a turn for the worse when her friends issued a cruel dare: kiss a stranger or beg her mate for forgiveness. With no other choice, Jasmine approached a stranger and kissed him, thinking that would be the end of it. However, the stranger unexpectedly wrapped his arms around her waist and whispered in her ear, "You're mine!" He growled, his words sending shivers down her spine. And then, he offered her a solution that would change everything...
In their three years of marriage, Chelsea had been a dutiful wife to Edmund. She used to think that her love and care would someday melt Edmund's cold heart, but she was wrong. Finally, she couldn't take the disappointment any longer and chose to end the marriage. Edmund had always thought that his wife was just boring and dull. So it was shocking when Chelsea suddenly threw divorce papers at his face in front of everyone at the Nelson Group's anniversary party. How humiliating! After that, everyone thought that the formerly-married couple would never see each other again, even Chelsea. Once again, she thought wrong. Sometime later, at an award ceremony, Chelsea went onstage to accept the award for best screenplay. Her ex-husband, Edmund, was the one presenting the award to her. As he handed her the trophy, he suddenly reached for her hand and pleaded humbly in front of the audience, "Chelsea, I'm sorry I didn't cherish you before. Could you please give me another chance?" Chelsea looked at him indifferently. "I'm sorry, Mr. Nelson. My only concern now is my business." Edmund's heart was shattered into a million pieces. "Chelsea, I really can't live without you." But his ex-wife just walked away. Wasn't it better for her to just concentrate on her career? Men would only distract her—especially her ex-husband.
Rena got into an entanglement with a big shot when she was drunk one night. She needed Waylen's help while he was drawn to her youthful beauty. As such, what was supposed to be a one-night stand progressed into something serious. All was well until Rena discovered that Waylen's heart belonged to another woman. When his first love returned, he stopped coming home, leaving Rena all alone for many nights. She put up with it until she received a check and farewell note one day. Contrary to how Waylen expected her to react, Rena had a smile on her face as she bid him farewell. "It was fun while it lasted, Waylen. May our paths never cross. Have a nice life." But as fate would have it, their paths crossed again. This time, Rena had another man by her side. Waylen's eyes burned with jealousy. He spat, "How the hell did you move on? I thought you loved only me!" "Keyword, loved!" Rena flipped her hair back and retorted, "There are plenty of fish in the sea, Waylen. Besides, you were the one who asked for a breakup. Now, if you want to date me, you have to wait in line." The next day, Rena received a credit alert of billions and a diamond ring. Waylen appeared again, got down on one knee, and uttered, "May I cut in line, Rena? I still want you."
For two years, Ashton had poured his heart into his marriage, yet Emalee's heart remained cold. Despite his dedication, Emalee presented him with divorce papers. She bluntly stated she could not remain married to a man whose net worth was less than a million dollars. Ashton signed the papers, closing one chapter of his life and stepping into a new beginning. Then, Ashton revealed his secret identities: a music mogul, a medical expert, and a martial arts master—each persona impressive enough to stun the world. As Ashton’s true capabilities came to light, Emalee was overwhelmed with deep regret.
Madisyn was stunned to discover that she was not her parents' biological child. Due to the real daughter's scheming, she was kicked out and became a laughingstock. Thought to be born to peasants, Madisyn was shocked to find that her real father was the richest man in the city, and her brothers were renowned figures in their respective fields. They showered her with love, only to learn that Madisyn had a thriving business of her own. "Stop pestering me!" said her ex-boyfriend. "My heart only belongs to Jenna." "How dare you think that my woman has feelings for you?" claimed a mysterious bigwig.