Forsaken by My Mate, Chosen by the BeastCHAPTER ONE
They say fate is carved into our bones before we even take our first breath. If that’s true, then I was destined to suffer from the very beginning.
My father had once been a powerful Alpha, respected and feared. But when betrayal struck, he lost everything. Some claimed he had conspired with rogues, others whispered of a crime so grave it warranted exile. Whatever the truth was, he vanished, and my mother—loyal to the end—followed him into the unknown.
I was left behind, an unborn child carrying the weight of his sins.
From the moment I could walk, the pack saw me as a burden. I wasn’t just an orphan—I was a disgrace. And when I failed to shift at sixteen, the whispers turned to open mockery.
"An Alpha’s daughter who can’t even shift? She’s nothing but a weak Omega."
I learned to live in the shadows, to lower my head, to expect nothing.
Then, on my eighteenth birthday, the impossible happened. I shifted.
The power that surged through me was undeniable. I wasn’t weak. I wasn’t an Omega. But after years of being told I was worthless, I hesitated. What would they do if they knew the truth? If they had already cast me aside as an Omega, how would they react to a secret I had kept from them?
So, I hid it. No one knew. No one, except Owen.
Alpha Owen. My mate.
He promised me everything—acceptance, love, a place by his side. Tonight was supposed to be the night he kept that promise. Tonight, after his father’s retirement ceremony, he would claim his title as Alpha. And once the celebrations settled, he would announce me as his mate.
At least, that was what I believed.
I made my way to his quarters, my heart pounding with anticipation. The halls were still filled with the echoes of celebration, but I barely heard them.
I reached his door. Took a breath. Pushed it open.
And the world as I knew it ended.
Mara lay on the floor, motionless, her lifeless eyes staring at nothing. The scent of blood hung thick in the air. Owen stood above her, his hands trembling, a bloodied knife clutched between his fingers.
I couldn’t breathe.
“What… what happened?” My voice barely came out.
Owen’s eyes darted to me, wild and desperate. “Ariana. It’s not—it’s not what it looks like.”
A pause. A shaky inhale. And then, “She came onto me. I told her no. She wouldn’t stop. There was a struggle, and—I didn’t mean to.”
I swallowed, my throat dry. “Owen…”