Chapter 1:

*Aviana*

I found him.

My mate, I bite back a giddy smile as I force myself to walk, not run, following the heavenly scent. There is no stopping the way my hands shake as his soft smell of tangy ginger and cedar grows stronger, coming to a stop right outside my own bedroom door.

A tiny squeal of excitement escapes me. I draw in a deep breath, smoothing the front of my blue sundress. Then I touch the handle and twist it. He must have traced my scent back here to my room in search of me.

Finally. Someone who will be all mine, someone who will choose me.

“What the hell do you think you are doing?” My stepmother hisses, yanking on my arm with force I stumble back, leaving the door unlatched but not yet open.

“You will ruin everything,” She grips me tight enough to make me gasp in pain, I struggle to get away from her, my foot tapping the door ever so slightly as it swings open.

Soft moaning flutters out from my room and my stomach churns. The sweet scent I was chasing is suddenly tainted, like an acid hitting my body as I recoil away from the smell.

“Mark me, please. I want you to mark me, my mate.” Odessa’s high-pitched voice is needy, and I peek up, heart broken by her betrayal as she glances over her shoulder at me, a victorious smirk on her lipstick smudge lips.

We are…sister…how could she do this?

“That’s my mate…” I whimper confused, my throat aching and my chest tearing in two as clutch my neck in agony.

“Oh, sweet heart, no. He is Odessa’s mate now.” My stepmom whispers in my ear, gripping my chin and forcing me to watch as tears spill down my cheeks.

“What? No, no…” The words float from my mouth before a hand clasps over my lips. How can he not tell that she is not me?

“Watch, Aviana. I want you to watch this so it’s seared into your stupid little brain.”

She forces me to spectate in silence as my mate, the man made for me, sits up and pulls Odessa’s head down and to the side. Then he bites into her neck, marking her as his.

My stomach drops, a burning in my throat as my wolf cries out in silent agony. My stepmother holds me upright, as my knees give out and I stop fighting. It feels as if my chest is shredding, threads fraying and snapping from every nerve as our bond stresses and is buried away.

His deep brown eyes swirl as they meet mine, the lust there washing away for a mere second, confusion, or maybe embarrassment taking over before they roll back in his head and he groans out and clutches her waist.

My legs stumble as I crumble and fall. My stepmother wrestles with me, annoyed with my limp state and she sinks her fake nails into my hair and pulls me along beside her.

Tears pour from my eyes, my heart broken, soul spiraling out, and my scalp stinging as I find the strength to fight her. It’s a weak attempt, my hands gripping her wrist and clawing at it to no avail. Pain laces through my arms as she throws me to the ground, my cheek striking it hard.

“He has marked Odessa, which means you are nothing to him now. The only place you could hold is his breeder.” She looks pleased with herself as she fixes her dress and hair. I know she has never liked me, never loved me, but she used to at least pretend, for the sake of my dad.

“Why would he agree to do this?” I ask, my voice cracking. “He is supposed to want me…”

Why doesn’t he want me? I am the Alpha’s firstborn daughter, even if I am treated like trash here, my bloodline is pure. The mate bond is supposed to make him want me…

“Agree?” She cackles, waving me off as if I were telling some humorous joke. “He doesn’t even know he is marking the wrong sister. That's the beauty of it.”

“What? I don’t understand” I whisper, tears in my eyes.

“Oh, the mate bond is fickle and easy to manipulate if you know how.” She grins. “With your scent and the sibling bond shared between a mate and the family he is mating into…it’s quite easy to cause confusion really.”

“And when he finds out you tricked him,” I ask her, forcing myself to stand, but I only make it to my knees.

“Ah, how will he find out.” She grins sickly, bending over to look into my eyes.

“My scent will fade eventually and he will feel it…” I whimper, hating how weak I sound.

“Your scent is already fading, but it’s too late, your bond with him is hidden beneath his bond with Odessa. Now he would have to touch you to know that you are his true mate. Which is why I have to get rid of you.” She gives me a fake pout.

My lungs seize up and I can feel the blood drain from my face. Get rid of me? Her words sink in and I start to sweat. She is finally going to do what she has always promised she would. She is going to kill me.

“You can’t kill me.” I swallow. “Dad may be your mate but he won’t let you kill me. He loves me.”

“Oh, sweetie, you underestimate the amount of control I have over your father.” She chuckles. “He may love you but he loves ME more.”

“Why are you doing this?” I ask, voice breaking. “I stay out of your way like you ask, I clean and take your beatings without complaining to father…why do you hate me? What have I done to deserve this?”

Her eyes grow dark, and she grabs me by the throat, glaring as she drags me close.

“What did you do to deserve this? You fucking exist, you leach. Isn’t that enough?” She hisses, then she tosses me away.

I stumble, trying to find my footing, but there is nothing there as I teeter at the edge of the top of the stairs then my ankle twists and I drop. I crash down the stairs.

Pain radiates through me as I hit each edge of the stair violently. My leg gets tangled up under me and a crunch echoes through the air. It feels like I fall for days until I slam into the wall at the bottom, my ribs cracking under the pressure.

I wheeze for air as a trickle of blood dribbles out the corner of my mouth. My eyes focus on her, waiting for her to laugh or taunt me again. Instead, like a dark angel, my stepmother descends halfway down the stairs and throws herself down the remainder.

She cries out in pain, wailing as if she has been attacked, and warriors and my dad come running. Dad’s eyes grow wide and he rushes to me first, touching my cheek with a tenderness I’ve never received from him.

“Aviana…” he whispers.

“Why Aviana? Why did you shove me? All I did was explain that Odessa found her mate. Is it so horrible to want you to congratulate her?” My stepmother shrieks, clutching her side putting on a show as she tries to stand.

My dad instantly looks at her and then glares down at me, taking a step back as I reach out for him, lips trembling.

“You shoved your mother?” He asks, hurt.

I try to grab his hand, but he pulls away from me in disgust, and I lick my bloodied bottom lip.

“D-dad. No, I didn’t. ” I croak out, pleading with him as I shake my head.

“Aviana attacked me, she looked feral and clawed at me until we both fell down the stairs.” She holds up her wrist like a toddler looking for a kiss on their boo boo. There in thick, deep red are the scratches I made trying to release my hair from her clutches.

She is frantic with her theatrics, throwing herself into my fathers arms, and my father falls for every lie. My cries bubble in my chest, breaking free in my mouth. I can’t focus on words, everything hurts too much. My soul is shattered, my body is aching, and my heart…my heart is shredding.

“Bruce!” my father screams, glaring at me. Our beta rushes out, eyes wide when he looks at me.

“Shit, Aviana, are you okay?” He asks, rushing to my side.

“Leave her. She tried to kill Agatha,” Dad grinds out, a hatred in his once soft green eyes. My nose stings as sobs wrack my body.

“No, I didn’t. I swear.” But I am drowned out.

“Momma!” Odessa cries out from the top of the stairs, wearing her fresh mate’s mark and his shirt. She rushes down the stairs, stepping directly on my strangely bent leg. I can’t help but cry out in pain. “Shut up, you murderer. Killing your biological mother wasn’t enough, you have to try to kill mine too?”

I catch the scent of him on her and I look away to keep from gagging. My eyes are pulled to the man standing topless at the top of the stairs, eyes locked on me. Watching with curiosity. He is more handsome than I could have ever hoped.

His cheeks are high and sharp, eyes that look like they are as deep as the sea. His dirty blonde hair is a mess, and yet…my fingers crave to feel it. To stroke his face and tangle in his hair. Can he feel this pull like I do?

Odessa leans down a smug look on her face, daring me to tell him. To claim that he is my mate. But the smell of their mixed scents is acrid as it wafts from her skin. It's a disgusting mixture of sweat, sex and something that once was so pure but has now gone sour.

“Please…” My voice is soft, eyes pleading. There is something there as we lock eyes, and my breathing hitches. Maybe he can tell…

“Alpha Kian, I am so sorry you had to see this,” my father says, glaring down at me before turning away “This will be dealt with according to the strictest of laws.”

“I see.” Kian says, his voice igniting an ache in me.

I whimper, hating that even now he seems so beautiful. He is mated to my evil half-sister. The one who has spent years turning everyone against me, convincing everyone I was the conniving one. And I am the foolish one who thought everyone would see through it all.

“So she will be sentenced to death then?” Odessa asks, mouth falling open with gleeful surprise and my father’s shoulders fall, his head drooping before he turns and looks back at me.

“That seems harsh,” Alpha Kian says, trying to avoid looking at me. Odessa seems to notice so she steps in front of him, drawing his eyes.

“She attacked the luna, Babe. And this is far from the first time she has acted like this too. Right daddy?” Odessa protests, her whiny voice filling the stairwell.

“Yes. She is right, my love.” Agatha cuts in, feigning pity. “How many more times will you have me at her mercy? I know you held onto her for so long because you held her mother dear in your heart…But well, how many Luna’s will you lose to her?”

“I was thinking we would exile her.” My father says, Alpha Kian nods in agreement.

“That seems fair.”

“But what if she sneaks back in, daddy? Think about it, you exile her and now she has a reason to come after all of us. You see how far she went this time with Mom.” Odessa whispers, looking concerned but it’s all fake as she squeezes out a smug smile just for me.

I look up at my dad. Tears spilling from my eyes, chin quivering. He meets my gaze and for a moment, one shared, tender moment, I think he will finally stand up for me.

“You are right. We will hunt her in true form,” he announces.

He doesn’t stand up for me, he hasn’t since Agatha showed up. I see the hurt in his eyes, the way he hates this, but yet he doesn’t try to see my side or understand the truth. Like always, he takes his mate’s word at face value, and I am the one dealt the ugly hand.

“Allow Kian and I to lead the hunt, father.” Odessa begs, putting on a pitiful act. “Give me the chance to get to her first so I can take mercy on her and make it quick, for you daddy.”

“Even in your anger you are too kind, my sweet girl.” My father croons, stroking her hair before stepping over to Odessa and kissing the top of her head. “Aviana, if only you had loved them half as much as they have tried to love you. Your mother would be so disappointed.”

His words sting instantly and I swallow the pain down. Odessa shashays to me and stoops down lifting me up as she leans close.

“I already took your mate, now I get to take your life.” She whispers, so pleased with herself. “Better run fast, big sis, I already took your mate, now I'm coming for your life..”