Chapter One: Thrown Away

Avery's POV

"Father! I will NOT accept the bond! I don't care what you owe him — I am not a payment or a political sacrifice!”

Zara's voice carried easily through the floor from the sitting room below. I sat with my back against the wall and listened.

“He’s blind, Father!” she continued. “His wolf cannot even see! What kind of Alpha leads without sight?”

"If you still want to remain in this house," Father's voice came, low and final, "you will accept the mating alliance. Or this family falls. Every last one of us.”

"There has to be another option."

"There isn't."

And then, right on schedule, Zara found her other option.

"Send Avery."

“She’s unmated. Unwanted. He's blind. He won't know the difference. She never does anything useful anyway. She's been rotting in that room for months, at least this way she serves some purpose.”

“Besides—" a pause, "she owes this pack. After what she did to Mia."

My jaw tightened.

"He asked for my youngest daughter," father said, unmoved. "You are not the youngest, Zara."

“Well,” Zara replied softly, “ I wouldn't be the youngest if Avery didn't kill Mia.”

The word killed hung thick in the air.

“Moreover, he is blind. He would never know."

Silence. Then: "Bring Avery. Now."

I am Avery Morrow.

First daughter of Dorian Morrow. A man who was once Alpha of Silver Ridge Pack before his greed cost him every alliance he had built, destabilized his own territory, and his title handed to someone else.

He lives in Nightfall Pack territory now. A subordinate under the very Alpha he stole from.

The chair scraped. The footsteps came down the hall heavy, unhurried, certain.

The door slammed open, and two of my father's guards filled the frame, and before I could even stand, they had me by the arms and were hauling me into the corridor like I was cargo.

"Move," one said.

I didn't fight. I let them drag me down the hallway, and I stared straight ahead.

They threw me down on the sitting room floor. The pain cracked through my ribs and stole my breath, and tears came before I could stop them.

Father crouched beside me. His fingers lifted my chin.

"You are going to be mated," he said softly. "To Alpha Lucian Draveth. The most powerful and feared Alpha across three territories.”

“You should be grateful."

I looked him in the eye and spat on his shoe.

"Never."

The slap came fast. My head snapped sideways, my body followed it to the floor, and for a second, all I could see was white.

My cheek burned. My ear rang. The taste of iron filled my mouth.

"You don't have a choice,” Father continued, like the slap had simply been a punctuation mark. "Lucian is owed a daughter.”

I pushed myself back up slowly. Shaking. But up. I laughed bitterly, wiping my face.

"Then you better prepare to bury me, Father. Because the day I stand before that man is the day I stop being your daughter.”

“I have lost one daughter already,” Father snapped. “You will not take this family down with your pride.”

"I am not Mia. You cannot put her name on me and send me to a stranger's house like I'm a replacement. I won't do it."

“You killed Mia,” he hissed. “You will use her name. You will go to the Alpha as Mia Morrow. You will not correct him.”

I stared at him. My mouth went dry.

"While you are in his house," Father continued. "You will find out what he knows about me. His weaknesses. The alliances I broke.”

“Lucian has been watching me. I need to know how much he suspects before he moves against me.” He straightened. "That is your purpose. That is why I am sending you instead of throwing you out."

"You want me to spy on him? Not just a mating alliance."

“You want me to betray the Alpha?”

“I want you, to keep this family alive.”

He turned and gestured to the guards." Take her back.”

As the guards pulled me away, Zara leaned in close, her voice dropping to something almost gentle, which was always when she was most cruel.

"Go be useful for once. It's the least you can do for Mia."

I didn't answer.

I just looked at her. Memorized her face exactly as it was at that moment and said nothing.

* * *

Back in my room, the silver bolts sealed into place. Dark. Cold. Silent.

The door opened but the hallway light didn't spill in.

The air shifted first.

"Take her away."

Zara's voice.

My blood went cold before my mind could process it.

I scrambled to my feet, but hands were already on me. Pack guards, strong, scented with pine and iron. They grabbed me by both arms and yanked me upright so hard my shoulder screamed.

"Zara?!" My voice cracked. "What are you doing? Where are you taking me?!"

“Zara! Please stop.”

Zara didn't answer. They dragged me down the corridor, through the main hall. My bare feet scraped across stone. My shoulder burned from their grip.

"Zara, please!" I screamed. "Stop — stop, please, say something — where are you taking me?!"

Still nothing.

They dragged me out of the house and into the compound and the night air slammed into me. I twisted and pulled but their grip didn't shift even slightly.

"Drop her there."

They did. My knees hit the ground so hard I cried out. The gravel tore the skin from my shins. I felt the blood warm, immediate, before the pain fully registered.

Zara stepped forward into my line of sight.

"Chain her hands apart," she said. "Let her feel what disobedience costs."