As a pretty girl in her prime, having standards isn’t a bad thing, is it?

I mean, every girl had her preferences. Some wanted the bad boys—because, well… I don’t know.

Some girls dreamed of the perfect gentleman—the kind who opens doors and knows how to make them feel special. Others might be drawn to the one with big ambitions, the kind who could take them around the world.

As for me, I wanted someone who belonged in the pages of a story. The perfect male lead who dotes on the heroine, just like in the romance books I’d devoured.

If only wishes were horses. Instead, I stood ten feet away from Ronald Barron. He was bigger than most men his age, with broad shoulders and a posture that screamed DOMINANCE in bold, all-caps letters.

His eyes scanned the room as though searching for something—or someone.

Me.

When they finally found their target, I froze, feeling heat rush through me.

What does he think of me now? Am I just another beauty to discard, like he had with Rachel and Aria, my elder sisters?

Ronald’s gaze lingered on me for a long moment, and I felt a twinge of discomfort. He hadn’t changed—not distant, still spoiled, still utterly different from what I wanted in a mate.

Julian, my personal maid and closest confidante, nudged me forward. I took a deep breath, forcing myself toward him.

“Liana Nash,” he said, his voice approving. “You look… perfect, as always.”

The words should have been a compliment, but they felt cold—like he was sizing me up rather than seeing me.

“Thank you. I suppose you’ve been waiting long,” I replied stiffly.

He shrugged, casual as ever, as if time had no meaning for him. “It’s not like I have anywhere else to be. You look ready. For what’s next.”

What’s next… that I dreaded.

I pushed the thought aside. There was no space for me here—not in Ronald’s world.

“Shall we?” he asked, extending his hand. I nodded and took it. “Sí, vamos.”

When we arrived at the Packhouse, nearly the entire pack was seated, waiting. Usually, the Luna candidates arrived last, and the Alpha would escort his chosen Luna to the gala.

Today was the Luna wolf’s hunt—where girls like me, who had just turned eighteen, would step forward one by one to follow Ronald into the selection room until the full moon rose, and his wolf chose its mate.

My father, Nick Nash, the pack’s Gamma, was seated among the nobles. When our eyes met, he gave me a brief nod.

The same look he always gave—expectant, as though everything were proceeding according to his perfect plan.

Someone, please, tell my father the world didn’t revolve around him.

I was about to look away when I noticed Aria whispering to Rachel beside Father. They were shooting me disdainful looks, as if the weight of my impending selection rested solely on their pride.

My hands fisted at my sides. My sisters hated me, and it was all thanks to Ronald. Rejecting them publicly to wait for me to come of age—because he didn’t find them ‘good enough’—had sown discord in their hearts toward me.

“I can’t wait to claim you, Liana,” Ronald whispered, brushing a kiss across my cheek before leaving me at the altar.

Beside me, fourteen other eligible girls stood, all with the same nervous, hopeful glimmer in their eyes—girls who looked like they could crush me with their bare hands, yet were waiting for the same thing.

Maybe, just maybe, this time the tables would turn. Maybe the Luna wolf wouldn’t be found in the Nash family, and the chain would break.

However, the pack elders approached, and our family continued to shine proudly under Father’s guidance.

Three pack elders stepped forward.

“Today, we gather to witness the awakening of the Luna wolf,” one announced. “Fifteen eligible maidens stand before us, each hoping to be chosen.”

Another raised his hands theatrically. “Shall we begin, folks?!”

“Sí! Let’s begin!” roared the pack members, their eyes trained on me.

I closed my eyes, reopening them with a sigh. Didn’t want to be a downer, but this was dreadful.

First, Ronald entered the selection room to begin. The thumping of my heart—and that of the other girls—might have been enough to power a live band.

It was almost comical. Everyone already assumed who the Luna wolf would be—or at least, thought they did.

“She’s just standing there, like she doesn’t know,” someone muttered. “Classic Liana Nash.”

I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. If only they knew how little I wanted this. But no, I was the perfect Nash daughter, the living example of polite smiles while being paraded like a prize.

One by one, the other girls entered the selection room, heads held high, hopes higher, and emerged with the look of utter defeat. Almost entertaining.

“Liana,” Julian hissed, “you’re going to be called soon.”

“No kidding,” I muttered under my breath.

Finally, after the last girl returned with the same sour look, only I and Tanya Vale remained—the daughters of the two most powerful families after the Alpha family.

“There’s only two left,” someone whispered.

“Obviously Liana. Why are we wasting time?”

I glanced at Tanya, who avoided my gaze, probably wishing the chandelier would fall on me. She knew, just as I did, that this wasn’t going in her favor.

Then, like the dramatic Alpha heir he was, Ronald strode out of the selection room. He paused, letting the room bask in his magnificence before speaking.

“I see no reason to drag this out any longer,” he declared. “Liana Nash, come with me.”

Murmurs erupted. Of course, Ronald wouldn’t bother with protocol. Why should he? He’d already decided—I was his, whether I liked it or not.

“Wait a moment!” Tanya’s father, the Delta, shouted, face red as a ripe tomato. “This is highly irregular! The process—”

Nick Nash, my father, stood abruptly, cutting him off. “The Alpha heir has spoken. His command is final. As Delta, you must not interfere.”

I could already see invisible peacock feathers sprouting from my father’s back.

“The Gamma is right,” Alpha Derek said, his authoritative voice silencing objections. “If Ronald is certain, we honor his decision.”

Before I could react, Ronald was in front of me, extending his hand like a knight in shining armor. I stared, considering my options.

Running? Not a good idea.

Slapping him? Tempting—but unwise.

With a sigh, I placed my hand in his. “Fine. Let’s get this over with.”

He didn’t flinch at my tone, simply tightened his grip and led me toward the selection room.

As the doors closed, he turned to me, eyes narrowing with a hunger that made my stomach churn.

“I’ve waited for this day two years,” he murmured, cupping my cheeks.

“Two years? Wow. How special,” I replied sarcastically.

He either ignored it or didn’t catch it, closing the distance to find my waist with his hand. I stiffened.

“Ronald, let’s not rush. We have forever, don’t we? No need to…”

“I’ve waited long enough,” he interrupted, pressing his lips to my neck.

Bloody arrogance.

“Ronald,” I grunted, placing my hand on his chest to push him back. “Please. Let’s do this properly. You’ll have all the time in the world to kiss me after the ritual.”

He paused, jaw tightening, then nodded.

“Fine. But I’m still marking you tonight, either way.”

He stepped back, and I watched as his fangs elongated. The process had begun—the Alpha heir attempting to mark the eligible girls. If she was the Luna wolf, her wolf would respond.

Then… nothing happened.

The silence was deafening. Ronald pulled back, confusion and anger flickering across his face.

“What’s wrong?” he demanded.

“I… I don’t know,” I whispered.

Ronald’s wolf growled low, frustrated, pressing closer, waiting for my wolf to respond. But I remained motionless. Empty.

Then the horrifying realization hit me.

“I… I don’t have a wolf,” I whispered, hand flying to my mouth.

Ronald’s eyes darkened, disbelief and anger flashing.

“What the hell are you saying?”

“I’m an Omega.”