Blood. My eyeballs are covered in red, my nose smells the strong scent of rust.

I can't believe it, just a moment ago, my brother who was originally on the stage receiving his coronation as an Alpha, is suddenly stabbed in the heart by an elder holding the alpha's scepter. He hasn't even had a chance to say his vows before falling on the stage with a tremendous sound.

Ah! Then comes various screams, omegas flee in terror, clutching their heads, and the high-ranking warriors who had been standing below the stage prepare to shift, but before they can shift, they are impaled by the rogues' claws. I stand below the stage, my legs shaking uncontrollably, a small hand pulls me under the podium.

It is my maid, Emma. She warns me in horror not to make a sound. I tremble, covering my mouth. With every shrill, agonizing scream from outside, I have to pinch my palm hard to force myself not to cry out, but Emma and I still shake uncontrollably as we huddle together. I don't know how long it takes, but I hear it grow quiet outside again. Emma and I crawl out from underground.

We try to make our way through the corpses, to check if any wolves have survived, but when I see everything in front of me, I can't hold back my tears anymore. Our pack house has been burned, shattered bodies lay everywhere - they haven't even spared the newborn pups. I look at one tiny body lying there lifeless, just the day before I had been cradling him and making him laugh. My tears flow harder, I bite my lip to stop myself, afraid the enemy might still be nearby.

I'm only 13 years old, I haven't even shift yet. I have to seek help from the alpha king, I swear when I come of age, I'll definitely come back and avenge these damned rogues!

But the moment I take a step forward, a sharp blade blocks my path. I see a huge man around 25 years old appear before me, with deeply chiseled features. His eyes bearing the royal signature color make me recognize him instantly. The alpha prince, Jax.

An evil grin spreads across his face, before I can even wonder why he is here, he speaks. "Yes, Aubrey. I'm the one who attacked your pack." As if my pain isn't enough, he licks the corner of his mouth and smiles, "And then, I killed everyone. Their struggles excited me."

Ah, I scream in anguish and lunge at him, but he just gives me a light shove and I fall to the ground, my ribs aching as if they have snapped in two.

"Why?! Why would you do this?! As a royal wolf, isn't your duty to protect the packs?!" I grit my teeth.

He crouches down like a wolf about to pounce on its prey, in my terrified gaze, he grabs my throat and says coldly, "Your parents, your brother, they all thought I wasn't fit to be the alpha king, so they refused to join my side. This is the price for their disobedience."

"You bastard! I swear I'll rip open your heart with my claws." I beat against his iron grip, his fingers tightening until my vision blurs. Am I going to die here?

"Avery, clean her memory, I need to make sure her memory is that the rogues killed her family." Through the haze, I hear alpha Jax's voice.

---------------------------------

7 years later

The crisp morning air nips at my skin as I stand in the training grounds, my leather armor creaking with each movement. Dawn's pale fingers stretch across the manor's stone walls, casting long shadows over the packed dirt where I've spent countless hours honing my skills. My fingers trace the worn grip of my sword, the familiar texture grounding me as memories threaten to surface.

In this world, female wolves are expected to bow their heads, to show deference to the males who claim to be our protectors. We're meant to tend to pups, maintain dens, and accept our "natural place" in the pack hierarchy. The thought makes my lip curl. I've seen what such protection is worth.

The other she-wolves at the manor watch me with barely concealed contempt, their whispered words carrying across the courtyard. "Pride comes before the fall," they say, smoothing their traditional long skirts and averting their eyes when males pass. But I stand tall in my fitted training garb, my shoulders back, my chin level. Let them talk.

My mind drifts to smoke-filled skies and desperate screams. The day the rogues came. Mother's final words, telling me to run. Father's roar cut short. I grip my sword tighter, forcing the memories down. They've made me what I am – a warrior who shows no mercy to those who deserve none.

"Your stance is weak." The mocking voice cuts through my thoughts. Marcus, one of Prince Jax's elite guards, circles me like a predator. His expensive armor gleams in the morning light, polished to perfection. "Your head's in the clouds again, little girl."

I shift my weight, but it's too late. His attack comes swift and brutal. Our swords clash once, twice, and then I'm on my back, the breath knocked from my lungs. The impact sends dust billowing around us.

Marcus looms over me, his lips twisted in a sneer. "See? This is where you belong – beneath your betters." His golden eyes flash with satisfaction. "Submit, like a proper female should."

Hot rage floods my veins. My fingers curl in the dirt as I prepare to launch myself at him, pride and protocol be damned. But a horn blast cuts through the tension – Prince Jax's summons.

Marcus steps back, adjusting his ceremonial cape with practiced arrogance. "Saved by the horn. Remember your place, Aubrey." He turns away, boots crunching on the gravel path.

I push myself up, my body aching less than my pride. The other wolves in the training yard pretend not to watch, but I feel their stares. Some smirk, pleased to see the "arrogant female" put in her place. Others shake their heads, as if my defeat proves what they've always believed – that females have no place wielding weapons.

The horn sounds again, more insistent this time. I brush the dust from my armor, squared my shoulders, and head toward the manor's grand entrance. The massive oak doors loom before me, carved with scenes of ancient wolf battles. As I approach, my reflection in the polished brass handles shows a face I barely recognize anymore – hard eyes, tight jaw, not a trace of the carefree girl I once was.

But I don't need to be that girl. That girl couldn't protect anyone. That girl watched her family die.

The guards flanking the doors eye me with barely concealed disdain as I pass. Their whispers follow me down the marble hallway: "Prince's pet project," and "uppity bitch."

Let them talk. Let them all talk. I am what I chose to be, what I had to become. And no male – noble or common, warrior or prince – will make me bow my head again.

"Aubrey, my office. Now."

The voice in my head cuts through the rage like a cool morning breeze, instantly dousing the fire in my blood. My heart stutters then races for an entirely different reason. He must have sensed my turmoil – his royal Alpha bloodline giving him that intimate connection to the werewolves' emotions. Something warm unfurls in my chest at the thought of him reaching out to me, wanting to help.

"On my way, Your Highness," I reply through our mental link, already hurrying toward the manor's weathered stone facade. Despite my exhaustion, each step that takes me closer to him feels lighter, my skirts rustling against the dewy grass of the training yard.

Prince Jax, firstborn of the Alpha king, is the only reason these training ground vultures limit themselves to whispers. Without his protection, they'd have torn me apart with more than just their words long ago. He'd rescued me that bloody night, then paraded the rogues who'd attacked me before my eyes, letting me be the hero who brought the blade down on their necks.

The anguish of losing my family was indescribable, and I often woke from nightmares, with Jax bursting into my room to soothe my anguish each time. He was like a father to me, a brother—filling the void their care had left. I knew I shouldn't, but from the first time I heard his powerful heartbeat, I couldn't help but fall for him.

Still, my traitorous heart races at the thought of seeing him. He thinks I view him merely as my savior, my protector – if only he knew how my pulse quickens when he's near, how I memorize every detail of his face during our training sessions. His strong jaw always set with determination, the way his dark hair falls across his forehead when he demonstrates a new fighting technique, that rare smile that makes his eyes crinkle at the corners.

At twenty-one, I'm no longer the trembling thirteen year old he rescued, though that's all he seems to see. He maintains a careful distance, his affection never straying beyond that of a concerned mentor. The ache of it sits heavy in my chest, but I tell myself that time will change things. Once I prove myself worthy of standing beside him, once I solve the mystery of my family's murder and clear my name... then, perhaps, he'll see me as the woman I've become.

"I pray that day never comes," Aria, my wolf, whispers through our bond. Her voice carries a mixture of sympathy and stubborn determination. "Those feelings are meant for our mate, Aubrey."

"Jax saved us," I argue back, the familiar debate rising between us. *"He deserves—"

"He deserves our gratitude, yes. But not our heart. That belongs to our mate, whether you wish to accept it or not."

"We're not having this discussion now," I cut her off, my hand already raised to knock on the heavy oak door of his office. "He's waiting."

I rap softly against the wood, the sound echoing in the empty corridor. No verbal response comes. Since he summoned me, I push the heavy door open without waiting longer – and instantly wish I hadn't. The scene before me stops my heart mid-beat, the air rushing from my lungs as if I've been struck.

Prince Jax has Witch Avery perched on his lap, his fingers tangled in her perfect golden curls as he kisses her. Her expensive emerald silk gown pools around them both, a stark contrast to my training-worn attire. The intimacy of the moment pierces through me like a blade between my ribs.

"Breathe," I reminded myself inwardly, clearing my throat.

"Aubrey, you're here." Jax's deep voice cut through my spiral of anguish. He casually shifted Aubrey from his lap with familiar ease, then looked to me. His eyes returned to clarity..

"Yes, Your Highness, you called for me." I replied steadily, swallowing the lump in my throat.

Jax nodded, then settled behind the broad wooden desk, steepling his fingers beneath his chiseled jaw as he said flatly, "You've been assigned as Prince Nox's personal guard."

My eyes widened, my stomach dropping. He knew how dangerous this was! Prince Nox—the king's legitimate son and Jax's half-brother. The enemy.

"Calm your horses, Aubrey." Jax rose from the ornate desk, his boots clicking on the polished floor as he neared, his large palm gripping my shoulder.

He murmured, "Nox's pack is poised to subsume ours. I won't allow it. Will you help me?"

I could feel the heat of his palm searing me, nearly setting me aflame. I jerked away at once. No, he was too close, I was afraid he would see the more-than-daughterly feelings I harbored—something he would never allow.

But Nox was our pack's greatest threat. If I was discovered as a spy, I would be put to death instantly. I searched Jax's eyes for any hesitation.

But he leaned in, reminding me of my place. "Aubrey, I saved your life when it was nearly taken. When I ask something of you, you should not look as if you'll refuse my command. All you must do is—obey. Without question." His fingers dug into my shoulder, as if his claws would sink deeper should I say no.

My shoulder bled, but my heart ached more—reminded that I did not deserve deeper feelings for him, that he saw me only as a tool.

"Yes, Jax, you're right." The words tasted like ash on my tongue, and I felt the color leech from my lips as I longed to flee. Especially with Avery sitting there, toying with her hair, as if she could sense my inner turmoil and found it laughably pathetic.

I couldn't bear it, as if caught as a thief. I plastered on a hollow smile, lifting my chin. "May I leave, Your Highness?"

"Of course." Jax's claws retracted, his palm smoothing over where he'd gripped me as he leaned in, his lips brushing my ear as he murmured, "I'm sending you there because you're the only one I trust."

Fireworks exploded in my chest. Alpha Jax trusted only me. I glanced at Avery, the whore, but I was the one his heart needed most. My doubts vanished. I met Jax's gaze, resolute. "I won't fail you."

Clapping my back, he dismissed me with a smile. I closed the door behind me, struggling to focus on the task rather than the image of him and Avery seared into my mind. This was my chance to prove my worth to him. For him to finally see me not just as the broken girl he'd rescued, but an equal wolf—or perhaps a woman—worthy of his heart.