My 18th birthday, the day I had intended to lose my virginity to my putative soulmate, turned out to be a fiasco. Instead of roses and romance, I discovered him involved with my own sister. Humiliation ached more than any hangover.
They call me Lyra. Born an omega, a lower caste in our werewolf civilization. I lack the wolf spirit within and am plagued with the fragrance of nothingness. Desperate to relieve the anguish of betrayal, I walked into a pub, looking for solace at the bottom of a glass.
The night became a blur. An accidental encounter with a darkly attractive stranger sparked a frenzy of clandestine kisses and reckless abandonment. When I awoke, my head pounding, I realized my one-night stand had been with Marco, the Alpha Prince, the most powerful Lycan in the kingdom.
News spreads quickly in our world. My family, however, saw a perverse opportunity. My stepmother used a positive pregnancy test as a weapon. "Pregnant, are we?" she sneered. "Dominic generously offers you a place as his mistress." Thanks to him, I live a life free of shame." Dominic, the aging alpha, was known for his unquenchable need. No she-wolf could keep up, and none survived a year.
Marco reappeared, just as despair began to drown me. He proposed a stunning solution: marriage. Some said, "A gilded cage." However, in comparison to Dominic's predations, it appeared to be a safe haven. I accepted, hoping that his proposal was motivated by true passion.
However, as time passed, a disturbing suspicion crept into my mind. Was Marco motivated by love, or something much more sinister? The answer would reveal a network of secrets that threatened not only my delicate happiness, but the whole foundation of our kingdom.