Chapter 1: Forsaken
Evaline:
Tonight was supposed to be beautiful.
The full moon was bathing the garden in silver light, illuminating the celebration in the pack. Laughter and music was filling the air as wolves danced, drank, and cheered for the future Alpha of the Bloodmoon Pack - Ethan Blackwood.
My Ethan.
My heart swelled as I watched him from the shadows, noticing how his golden eyes gleamed with pride. He stood tall, confident, like the very embodiment of strength and everything I had ever wanted. He was my beacon of light in this cruel world.
For as long as I could remember, my life had been a never-ending nightmare. My mother died when I was young, and my father remarried a woman who despised me.
My stepmother made sure I knew I wasn’t wanted, and my stepsister, Lillian, took every opportunity to remind me of my worthlessness. As for my stepbrother, Damian... at his very thought, fear gnawed at my insides. He was the monster in the shadows, and the reason for my deepest fears.
But Ethan... he had always been my escape, my sanctuary. He had cared for me when no one else did. And last night, he had made me believe I was his.
I was still able to feel his touch on my skin, his lips on mine, the way he made my body and soul come alive.
And tonight, I was here to confirm what I already felt deep in my soul last night. Ethan was my mate.
My hands trembled as I stepped forward, pushing through the crowd. I could feel their eyes on me, their sneers and murmurs. I had been the laughingstock of these two packs ever since my sixteenth birthday when I failed to shift.