I kept my head down, gripping the hem of my worn dress as I moved through the crowded pack house, careful to avoid the warriors who stood talking in hushed, eager voices. Today was the annual summit-a day I had dreaded for as long as I can remember.

Alpha King Xander Black was coming.

The name alone sent a chill down my spine. Everyone knew of him. A warrior without equal. A ruler so feared that even the most hardened Alphas lowered their heads in submission. And the man whose family was destroyed by a betrayal that would forever stain my name.

Traitor's daughter. Cursed. Unwanted.

The whispers followed me everywhere, the scornful glances, the disgusted sneer. I had learned to live with them. I had learned to be invisible. But today, the weight of their hatred was suffocating.

I forced myself to focus on my task, arranging the ceremonial plates on the long banquet table. The Alpha King and his highest warriors would sit here, drinking fine wine and discussing politics-deciding the fate of wolves like me. I just needed to get through the evening without drawing attention to myself.

But fate had never been kind to me.

A sudden hush fell over the hall, so profound it sent a ripple of unease through my body. I didn't have to turn to know what had caused it. The air thickened with the scent of dominance and something far more dangerous-power.

He had arrived.

The doors swung open, and heavy boots echoed against the marble floor. I swallowed hard, but my body betrayed me, an involuntary shiver rolling down my spine. Every wolf in the room bowed their heads in submission, but I remained frozen, my heart hammering wildly in my chest.

I could feel him.

The moment was suffocating, an unseen force pressing down on my bones. I dared to lift my gaze.

Alpha King Xander Black stood at the entrance, broad shouldered and imposing, his piercing silver eyes sweeping over the room. The black coat he wore barely concealed the raw, lethal strength in his frame. Scars marred the back of his hands-evidence of battles fought and won.

I couldn't look away.

And then it happened.

A spark. A pull so strong it stole the air out of my lungs.

Mate! Mate!

My wolf howled in my head, and the room titled around me. The world shrank to the space between us, the invisible bond snapping into place like a chain forged in fire.

No. No, no, no.

I staggered backward, gripping the table for support. This wasn't possible. This wasn't happening. The Fates had to be crueler than I ever imagined because the most powerful Alpha in existence-the wolf who had every reason to hate me-was my fated mate.

Xander stilled, his expression darkening as if he, too, had felt it. His silver eyes locked onto mine, and for a split second, something unreadable flickered across his face. Shock. Recognition.

And then it was gone, replaced by something ice-cold.

Hatred.

The room held its breath as Xander took a step forward, towering over me like a storm about to break. His lips curled in disgust.

"You," he said, his voice laced with venom and so much hatred. "You're my mate?"

I couldn't speak, couldn't breathe. The entire hall watched in stunned silence.

Then he did the unthinkable.

Xander reached out, gripping my chin between his fingers, forcing me to meet his gaze. The moment our skin touched, a jolt of electricity surged through me, setting every nerve in my body on fire. But his touch was not tender-it was cruel, punishing.

His eyes bore into mine, filled with nothing but loathing.

"This is a mistake," he murmured, his voice dangerously low." The Fates have played a sick joke on me."

My chest ached, but I refused to let him see my pain. I clenched my fists at my sides, willing myself not to tremble.

Xander released me roughly, as if my very presence repulsed him and I'm sure it did. He turned to the room, his voice ringing with authority.

"She is mine," he declared, and for a fleeting second, hope flared in my chest.

Until he continued.

"But not because I want her." His cold gaze cut back to me. "I will take her with me. And at the next full moon, I will reject her before the entire kingdom."

A collective gasp rippled through the hall.

I felt the world shatter beneath my feet.

Xander turned on his heel and strode away, leaving me standing there-humiliated, hated and claimed by a man who despised my very existence.