The Bloodfang Packhouse glowed like a jewel under the rising moon. Lanterns hung from every pillar, flickering with golden light. Fresh pine filled the air, mixed with perfumes, excitement, and the restless energy of unmated wolves preparing for the most important night of the year.
The Alpha's Choosing Ceremony.
Girls in shimmering gowns swirled through the hallways in waves of color—silver, rose gold, midnight blue—each one eager to catch the eye of the man who would soon step onto the stage and choose his Luna.
Every conversation whispered Kael's name.
"The Alpha looks so handsome tonight!"
"Do you think he'll choose someone powerful?"
"My mother said the Luna must be refined, elegant—someone like Lila."
Lila.
Beautiful, ambitious, adored by many.
And then there was Omeira… the forgotten sister, the invisible omega.
Except tonight, the invisibility wasn't an accident.
She simply wasn't there.
---
At the top of the grand staircase, Alpha Kael Blackthorn stood like a statue carved of steel—tall, broad-shouldered, dressed in a formal black coat with silver threading that marked his rank. The light caught on his dark hair and the sharp line of his jaw, giving him an ethereal, dangerous beauty that made half the hall swoon.
But Kael didn't notice any of them.
His golden eyes were fixed on the crowd below, scanning slowly, searching for something—or someone.
His Beta, Rowan, followed his gaze. "You look like you're hunting," he teased. "See something interesting?"
"No," Kael answered too quickly. His eyes didn't stop moving. "Just checking the crowd."
Rowan smirked. "You've been checking for the past ten minutes."
Kael ignored him.
Something felt wrong.
A strange, faint emptiness pressed against him, as if a thread tugged somewhere deep inside his chest—pulling him toward the one person who wasn't there to answer it.
Where is she?
He scowled.
Of all the females who could occupy his mind tonight, why was it her?
Omeira.
Quiet. Forgettable.
A background shadow he'd barely spoken to in years.
But tonight, he felt her absence like a missing heartbeat.
He tightened his grip on the balcony railing, trying to shake it off. He had a pack to lead, a ceremony to preside over. Omeira was irrelevant.
And yet… the hollow feeling in his chest only grew heavier.
---
Down below, the music quieted as wolves shifted to form neat lines across the hall. Mothers straightened their daughters' gowns, brushing invisible dust from their shoulders. Warriors nodded respectfully at the Alpha's family banners hanging overhead.
The Choosing Ceremony was tradition. Ancient and sacred. Tonight, Kael was expected to choose a partner—someone who could stand beside him as Luna.
The pack was buzzing. Expectant. Hungry.
But Kael's focus was still wrong.
Where was she?
He had always sensed her weak heartbeat during pack gatherings—a faint rhythm he barely noticed until now, when its absence scraped painfully at his senses.
Rowan sighed. "Alright, spit it out. Who exactly are you looking for?"
"No one," Kael said again, but the tension in his voice betrayed him.
Rowan raised a brow. "Is it Omeira?"
Kael's eyes snapped toward him. "What makes you say that?"
"You've been scanning for someone small. Someone who keeps to herself. And Lila mentioned she'd be here tonight."
Kael's expression hardened. "She's avoiding the ceremony, most likely."
"Why would she avoid it? She's been following you like a puppy since we were kids."
Kael didn't answer.
He didn't know why he expected her to be here. Omeira never missed pack events—mostly because Lila dragged her along, but still. There was a pattern. And tonight, that pattern was broken.
The pull in his chest tightened again, a warm, irritating tug.
"What is this…" he muttered under his breath.
Rowan chuckled. "Maybe the Moon Goddess wants you to check on your pack omegas for once."
Kael shot him a glare that silenced him instantly.
But Rowan wasn't wrong.
Something was shifting inside him. Something primal, instinctive. It made no sense, and Kael hated anything that stripped him of control.
Before he could dwell deeper, a soft, melodic voice pulled him back.
"Alpha Kael."
Lila approached gracefully, silver gown sparkling under the lantern light. She offered a practiced smile—the kind meant to impress elders, not him.
"You look troubled," she said sweetly.
Kael didn't bother to hide his annoyance. "Where is your sister?"
Lila's smile faltered for the briefest moment—barely half a second, but Kael caught it.
"Omeira?" she repeated, placing a delicate hand on her chest. "She… wasn't feeling well."
Liar.
Kael felt the truth instantly, though he didn't know how. Something inside him recognized the lie as clearly as a wolf recognizes danger.
"She's sick often," Lila added lightly. "She didn't want to embarrass anyone tonight."
Kael's jaw ticked. "She doesn't embarrass anyone."
Lila blinked in surprise. "Well… you're kind to say that." She laughed nervously. "But really, Alpha, you shouldn't worry about her. She's just—"
But before she could finish, the ceremonial drums thundered across the hall.
The air shifted.
Hundreds of wolves turned their gazes toward the grand stage where Kael was expected to stand. The moment he descended the stairs, the Choosing Ceremony would officially begin.
Rowan touched his arm. "It's time."
Kael forced himself to step forward.
But as he moved, his eyes swept the hall one last time.
Still no sign of her.
Still that irritating, hollow tug in his chest.
Still the sense that something about tonight was… wrong.
By the time he reached the bottom of the stairs, the crowd had gone silent. Heads bowed respectfully. Girls blushed, straightened their backs, and prepared their most elegant smiles.
But Kael's mind wasn't on them.
It was on a pale, timid omega who had done the unthinkable tonight—
she had broken her pattern…
…and he couldn't understand why it bothered him as much as it did.
---
Far away from the music, laughter, and hopeful whispers of the hall—
Omeira sat alone beneath the quiet moonlight, listening to the celebrations from a distance.
She didn't regret staying away.
For the first time in years, she breathed freely.
Without Kael's cold eyes burning her.
Without Lila's shadow suffocating her.
Without the familiar ache of longing dragging her down.
She hugged her knees to her chest, feeling the cool night breeze on her skin, feeling her life begin again.
Her fingers brushed over the faint spot on her chest where she had once been stabbed.
This timeline will be different.
She made the promise silently, but fiercely.
And inside the packhouse
Kael felt a shiver crawl down his spine.
As if someone he'd never noticed before… had just slipped out of his reach.