No Alpha But Myself

"You're no daughter of this pack," my mother hissed, her golden eyes flashing in the firelight. "If you can't support your Alpha sister, then get out."

I should have seen it coming. In the Ashveil Pack, family means everything—unless you're me. Vera Darkthorne, the disappointment. While my perfect sister Eris got the love, the title, even my mate Cain, I got a mating ceremony where nobody showed up. Not even the man who swore he'd always be mine.

That night, I ran.

Now I've built a new life in Berlin's underground werewolf syndicate, where strength is the only law that matters. I've learned to fight, to lead, to make wolves twice my size back down with just a look. But when a message comes that Eris's dying, the pack demands my return.

"Come home, Vera," my father's voice crackles through the phone. "Your sister needs you."

I almost laugh. After everything?

But this time, I'm not the weak wolf they left behind. This time, I have fangs of my own.

And when wolves hunt you down, you don't run—you rip their throats out first.

Today was supposed to be my mating day.

The day Cain Blackfang would mark me as his Luna, in front of the whole Ashveil Pack. We’d trained together since we were pups. Everyone said we were the perfect match. Future Alpha and Luna. Balanced. Predictable. Safe.

I smoothed down the front of my cloak for the hundredth time and glanced toward the entrance again.

Still no one.

Not a single soul had shown up—not my parents, not my brother Dax, not even Cain.

Just me, standing alone in the silence.

I pulled out my phone and checked for the fifth time. No new messages. My thumb hovered over Cain’s name before I called again.

It rang twice, then went to voicemail.

I stared at the screen, unsure whether to laugh or throw it against the stone wall.

Then the pack announcement flashed across it:

[WELCOME HOME ERIS DARKTHORNE]

A video auto-played.

There they were—my family. All of them. Gathered at the arrival gates of the northern ridge, where the skycrafts landed. My father beamed, my mother teared up, and Dax had lifted Eris into a spinning hug. Even Cain was there, standing just behind her.

Eris’s golden hair glinted under the lantern lights. Her arm curled tightly around Cain’s like she belonged there.

She always did.

My chest burned.

A moment later, my phone buzzed again. This time it was Cain.

“Stop being dramatic, Vera,” he said, his voice dry, like I’d called to complain about the weather. “We’ll do the ceremony later. Eris just got back from Alpha training at Wolfsbane Academy —”

The line cut.

I stared at the screen, my claws itching to come out.

Around me, the ceremonial hall remained silent, filled only with the soft rustle of moonflower petals falling to the floor.

I looked down at the cloak I’d spent hours sewing silver threads into. It pooled around me now