Chapter 1 The Fake Silver Wolf

Aurora's POV It was hard to imagine that I, Aurora Snow, a rare Silver Wolf and former Luna, was now lying beneath a vampire. I could feel his sharp fangs piercing the skin on my neck, and fear made me tremble uncontrollably. However, I was more ashamed of the desire rising from deep within my body. I clutched the bed sheets tightly and said gaspingly, "Mr. Redthorn, do you still remember the pact we just made?" Silas Redthorn paused and lifted his head from the side of my neck. Only after greedily licking away the speck of my blood at the corner of his lips did he look at me and smile. "Of course," he replied. "I want you to swear to the moon," I whispered. The moment he heard my request, a grim look settled upon his handsome features, and a dangerous air filled the space between us. I swallowed nervously and forced myself to meet his gaze with composure. Finally, he agreed. "Fine, as you wish." Silas locked his crimson eyes that were filled with scorching desire onto me. He solemnly made an oath in an ancient-sounding voice. "I shall appear whenever Aurora needs me. In exchange, Aurora's blood shall be mine to taste." Before I could even breathe a sigh of relief, Silas had already run out of patience. He bent down abruptly and kissed me somewhat roughly, ravaging and biting without restraint. Pleasure surged through my body, and my mind couldn't hold a single coherent thought anymore. I could only let the tears that had welled up due to shame or pleasure—I couldn't tell which—flow freely from the corners of my eyes. … "Is she really the Luna?" In the school hallway, someone whispered, "She looks so weak. Why did Alpha Damian make her the Luna?" "Of course it was because of the witch's prophecy about the Silver Wolf. Otherwise, why would Alpha Damian ever choose a woman like that? But looking at her, I think she's just a loser who can't even turn into a wolf." As soon as those words fell, raucous laughter followed. I walked past them without giving any explanation or defense. Ever since I failed to take my wolf form on my 18th birthday, I had heard those mocking words everywhere I went. To add insult to injury, I was the child of a human and a werewolf. So, I was considered inferior even to the lowest Omega in our pack. Yet, I somehow became the Luna. The rest of the pack looked down on me, and they would never acknowledge me. Sometimes, I couldn't help but wonder. These wolves went on and on about the unity of the pack every day. If they valued unity that much, why did they still hold such prejudice against me? In the entire pack, it felt as though I was the only one who still remembered that the blood that flowed within me belonged to my mom, the previous Silver Wolf. When I was five, I saw her transform into a Silver Wolf and die at the hands of vampires to protect the pack with my own eyes. Still, it didn't matter. One day, I would transform beneath the moon into a Silver Wolf just as powerful as she had been. Then, my pack would accept me like family. That was the thought I always held on to as consolation. I walked to the lawn where I usually ate lunch. It was unusually crowded today. Worried that trouble might arise, I carefully picked up my lunch tray and tried to leave by walking along the edge where no one was nearby. But just then, someone pushed me from behind. Werewolves were incredibly strong, and my current physical condition was no different from a human's. I couldn't withstand that kind of force at all. I stumbled, and my lunch spilled. I widened my eyes in panic as I lost control and plummeted forward. Everyone around me watched as I hit the ground. I could see the faint smile on their faces. I could imagine how pathetic I looked right now with food scraps, dirt, and grass clinging to my clothes. It was humiliating! All I wanted to do was run away from the scene. Clumsily, I tried to get up from the ground. But the moment I looked up, I froze. Standing at the center of the crowd was a young man. He stared at me with a displeased frown. It was Damian Blackwood, the Alpha of the Blackwood pack and my mate. Joy rushed through me at once. In the next moment, what followed immediately was a wave of unbearable grievance. It was obvious that someone had pushed me on purpose to humiliate me. If it had only been me dealing with it alone, I would have swallowed it and moved on. But since Damian was here, I hoped he would punish those who bullied me. As my mate, he should stand up for me. He opened his mouth and ordered, "Come here, Aurora." I suppressed my urge to cry and walked toward him. Damian didn't immediately call out the wolf who pushed me. Instead, he led me away from the crowd. He walked quickly, and I had to endure the pain in my knees and jog a few steps to catch up with him. "Where are we going?" I asked. Damian didn't answer. He didn't even glance at me. He only kept walking. I didn't mind his frosty attitude toward me. He was the Alpha, the one who ruled the entire pack. He was supposed to be calm, rational, and reserved with his emotions. He brought me into an office. Inside sat the principal and a young woman whose posture radiated arrogance even from behind. I stared at her. My heartbeat quickened before my mind even processed it. Wasn't this Damian's childhood sweetheart, Nicole Whitlock? What was she doing here? Damian seemed to have guessed my thoughts exactly. For the first time that day, he answered my question directly. "Nicole has joined our pack." "What?" I exclaimed in shock inwardly. Before I could even understand what that meant, Damian had already walked to Nicole's side. I watched as he reached out like a gentleman and helped her to her feet. They shared a smile. He continued, "She will finish her studies at this school." I had never heard Damian speak in such a gentle tone before. It was as if he had become a different person. Still standing by the door and clutching the hem of my clothes, I forced a smile and said, "Is that so? I'll take good care of her." In my heart, I reminded myself firmly, "Listen carefully, Aurora. Damian is the Alpha. He only did what he should to welcome a new member. Vampires attacked the Silverpaw pack that Nicole belonged to. She has nowhere else to go but to seek refuge here. "I shouldn't have any doubts about anything. I shouldn't feel sad either. As the Luna, I must put the entire pack first." "No." Damian spoke again. I met his gaze and saw that the softness in his light hazel eyes had vanished. In its place was a cold and stern look. He warned icily, "I brought you here to tell you that Nicole is the true Silver Wolf. You had better not pull any dirty tricks on her when you're out of my sight."