CLAIRE'S POV
Tonight was my senior prom. But only one thing mattered: Adrian was finally going to propose.
My name is Claire White, and I’ve been Adrian’s for three years—ever since our mating bond ignited, sending sparks of raw desire burning through my veins. We shouldn’t have worked. Adrian Thorne, heir to the largest North American pack, the Crescent Moon Pack, was power, dominance, and old-money wolf aristocracy wrapped in a six-foot frame. And me? Just an Omega from a no-name pack, lucky to be breathing the same air as him.
But fate didn’t care about status.
Tonight, our love would be official. Eternal.
Last week, while cleaning our apartment, I stumbled upon the ring—a velvet box hidden in his tie drawer. Inside, a platinum band with a diamond so massive it made my knees weak. My wolf, Eve, had nearly howled with excitement.
“He’s going to claim you!”
I’d immediately called my best friend, Jennifer, and we’d spent the week preparing—strapless lace lingerie, a dress that clung to every curve, and enough hairspray to survive a hurricane.
Now, standing in front of the mirror in our shared apartment, I turned for the hundredth time. “Jen, tell me I’m not dreaming.”
She smirked, adjusting the slit on my dress. “Oh, you’re definitely not. The second Adrian sees you in this, he won’t just propose—he’ll sink his teeth into your neck and claim you right there in front of the whole pack.”
A spark ran down my spine. Good.
“Let’s go.” I couldn’t wait another second.
The graduation party had already started when Jennifer and I walked in. The hall buzzed with laughter, clinking glasses, and the kind of music that made me feel very excited.
I scanned the crowd.
“Where is he?” I asked Jennifer for the third time.
She glanced around. “I don’t see him either. Maybe he’s backstage, getting ready for the big moment?”
“I hope so.” I tried to smile, but I kept having this feeling about something going wrong tonight. I brushed down my dress nervously as gasps suddenly rippled through the crowd.
They were clapping as if to usher in someone important.
“What’s happening?” I turned toward the commotion, and my heart flipped in my chest.
I saw Adrian Valmont. My boyfriend. My mate. My everything.
Down on one knee.
But not in front of me.
But in front of Nicole Montgomery. The Alpha’s daughter of the Moonlight Pack.
My breath caught, and my legs trembled.
“No,” I muttered. “No… this can’t be—”
“Claire…” Jennifer’s voice was hesitant, even scared, as she held me.
“What is he doing?” I whispered. “Why is he kneeling before another woman?”
But the universe had narrowed to just two people—and neither of them was me.
“Will you marry me?” he asked.
“Yes, I will.” Nicole—radiant, smug, victorious—flashed the most dazzling smile as Adrian slid the ring onto her finger. My ring. The same platinum band I’d found tucked away like a secret. The same diamond that had made my heart stutter just days ago.
The crowd erupted in cheers, their voices sharp as claws shredding through me. Every “Congratulations!” was a blade twisting deeper. My wolf, Eve, recoiled, whimpering inside my chest like a wounded animal. Betrayal. Humiliation. Agony.
I stumbled back, pressing myself against the wall, eyes squeezed shut—as if that could block out the pain. But when I opened them again, Adrian and Nicole were gone.
Dazed, I pushed through the crowd.
“Claire!” Jennifer caught my arm, her grip tight. “Jesus, are you okay?”
“I need to talk to him.” My voice was raw, barely human.
“Claire, stop. You’re shaking—”
“I don’t care.” I wouldn’t swallow this lie.
I stormed down the hallway, throwing open doors until—there.
Adrian stood in the shadows, waiting. Like he knew I’d come.
In one brutal motion, he yanked me into a dim storage room, slamming the door behind us.
“You bastard.” I swung at him—but he caught my wrist effortlessly, his grip iron.