Erin's POV
I stared into the cold, predatory eyes of Derek Stone, the Alpha of Darkwood Pack, and felt my world shift irrevocably. His voice still echoed in the silence between us: "Trespassing into my territory, are you tired of living?"
The photograph of teenage Derek and Bradley lay at my feet where I'd dropped it in shock, the glass now cracked along the edge. How had a day that started so normally led me here, face to face with the most dangerous wolf in our territory, in his private bedroom no less?
Three hours earlier, I'd been sitting in literature class at Silvermoon Academy, watching the clock and feeling the familiar restlessness that had plagued me for weeks as my eighteenth birthday approached. The teacher's voice had faded to white noise as I stared out the window at the forest beyond the school grounds, my skin tingling with pre-transformation energy.
I'd noticed Lily's empty seat beside me, wondering about my best friend's mysterious absence. When the bell finally rang, I'd texted Bradley: [Lunch together?]
His reply had changed everything: [Not today, babe. Tomorrow is the full moon, I have to help in the estate. Miss you.]
That's when I'd made the impulsive decision that led me here.
[OK, focus on your work. Miss you too. XOXO] I'd responded, already formulating my plan.
If my brother Aaron knew what I'd done next, he would have locked me in my room until I turned thirty. I'd left school, taken a taxi to the Darkwood Estate, and somehow talked my way past the security checkpoint. "Just coming to see my brother. And to check out the ceremony preparations," I'd told Aaron's friend with my most innocent smile.
The Estate had been bustling with activity—Pack members carrying flowers, hanging silver and blue banners, arranging ritual items on long tables. The air had been thick with the scent of pine, lavender, and the distinctive musk of many werewolves gathered together.
When I'd asked about Bradley, someone had suggested waiting in his room. That's how I'd found myself wandering through the east wing, where the Stone family's private quarters were located. I'd never been to that part of the Estate before, but Bradley had described it enough times that I thought I could find it.
Five doors had lined the hallway, each made of dark wood with silver handles shaped like wolf heads. The second door had a small wooden plaque carved with waves—Bradley had mentioned he liked to surf, so I'd assumed it was his room.
But the moment I'd stepped inside, I should have known. The scent alone—cedar and leather, and something distinctly male and powerful—was nothing like Bradley's familiar ocean breeze and mint. The room was immaculately neat with dark charcoal bedding, a spotless desk with precisely arranged documents, and bookshelves filled with leather-bound classics and texts on Pack leadership.
Yet something had kept me there, a strange magnetic pull I couldn't explain. My fingers had tingled, and the wolf stirring beneath my skin had seemed suddenly alert, interested in a way it had never been before.
That's when I'd found the photograph and been inexplicably drawn to Derek's face. Even as a teenager, his eyes had held an intensity that seemed to reach through the glass and grip something deep inside me. I'd traced his features without conscious thought, a strange warmth spreading through my chest.
And now here I stood, caught red-handed by the Alpha himself, whose presence filled the room like a physical force—dominant, controlling, undeniable. My wolf, not yet fully awakened, howled in response inside me.
"I—I'm sorry," I stammered, my voice barely audible. "I was looking for Bradley's room."
Derek's eyes narrowed, the gold in them intensifying as he took a step toward me. "Bradley's room is next door," he said, his voice deceptively soft. "Which means you either have a poor sense of direction, or you're lying to me."
---
That morning, I'd woken to Aaron yanking my blanket off, already dressed in his Enforcer uniform. "Wake up, Erin. You're going to be late."
I'd groaned and pulled the covers over my head. "God, Aaron! Why are you always like this? I'm getting up."
"Tomorrow is your 18th birthday, remember? Why do you still love sleeping like a little wolf cub?" he'd said, his tone softening slightly.
I'd sat up, rubbing my eyes. "And the day after tomorrow, Bradley is coming to propose to me. We've been over this a thousand times."
Aaron's jaw had tightened at the mention of my boyfriend's name. "That Stone kid isn't good enough for you."
"He is the brother of our Pack Alpha, and I am just an Omega," I'd snapped, jumping out of bed and heading to my closet.
"You know I don't like him," Aaron had retorted.
I'd whirled around. "Please, he's my boyfriend, you don't need to like him. Bradley and I have been together for almost a year! We're in love."
"In love," Aaron had scoffed. "You're not even eighteen yet. You don't know what real love is in our world."
"Tomorrow is my first full moon as an adult. That magical moment when I might sense my so-called 'Soul Bond.' But I could feel Bradley is my love and soul bond," I'd shot back, yanking out a sweater and jeans. "Not everyone needs the Moon Goddness to tell them who they should be with."
As we'd driven to school, Aaron had lectured me about Pack duties and my insistence on attending Silvermoon Academy. "I don't understand why you insist on going to Silvermoon Academy. Most Pack members your age have already started training for their roles."
"Maybe because I want a normal education before diving into Pack duties?" I'd replied. "Besides, Bradley's there too."
Aaron's grip on the steering wheel had tightened until his knuckles turned white. "Bradley Stone. The little brother of the Alpha who thinks he can take whatever he wants."
"He's not like that!" I'd taken a deep breath. "Bradley is nothing like Derek. He's kind, considerate, and—"
"Weak," Aaron had finished. "Which is why he'll never be a leader."
My temper had flared. "Not everyone wants to be a leader, Aaron. Kindness isn't weakness."
"In our world, it can be," he'd said flatly. "Derek Stone understands that. That's why he's been such an effective Alpha since taking over from his father."
I couldn't argue with that. Under Derek's leadership, the Darkwood Pack had grown wealthier and more powerful. But his ruthless methods terrified most people.
Still, whenever his name came up, I'd felt a strange flutter in my chest that I couldn't quite explain—something beyond the natural respect owed to our Alpha.
And now, as Derek Stone stood before me in the flesh, that flutter had become a storm. My heart pounded against my ribs as he took another step toward me, close enough that I could feel the heat radiating from his body.
"You're Erin Blackwood," he said, recognition dawning in his eyes. "Aaron's sister."
I nodded, unable to find my voice.
"The girl who's been dating my brother for nearly a year," he continued, his tone unreadable. "The one turning eighteen tomorrow."
