I still remember the day the alien ships landed on Earth. More so, I remember the weeks leading up to it—the chaos, the anticipation, and the cruelty that almost broke me.
Two Weeks Earlier
"Did you watch the news? It's confirmed—alien wolves are coming to our planet. The Alphas are holding one big mating ceremony to pair any unmated wolves. We're gearing up for battle," Josie said, her voice smug as she sipped her coffee.
"I just hope I'll get a powerful mate," she added with a grin.
"Of course, Princess Josie," Melanie chimed in, her words dripping with sugary admiration. "Unlike your crippled sister, you're royalty. Any Alpha would be lucky to have you. Plus, you're the best warrior in the pack."
I wheeled my chair closer, collecting their dirty dishes. The tray on my lap wobbled under the weight, but I bit back my frustration.
"Quickly, you useless cripple," Josie snapped, slamming her mug onto the edge of the table so hard the contents splashed onto my face. Warm coffee dripped down my cheeks as the girls at the table erupted in laughter. "The mating ceremony is tonight, and Daddy promised to marry me off to the Lycan Prince. He needs a strong mate for the battles ahead, and that's me."
Their excitement grated against my raw nerves, but I stayed silent. I always stayed silent.
Our father was a man of power, revered by the pack as a visionary leader. To me, he was a tyrant—a man who saw my sister as his legacy and me as his shame. My disability meant I couldn't shift into my wolf. Without that connection, I was no better than a human. In this world, that made me a liability.
"Izzie," my father's deep voice barked from across the room, making me flinch. I spun my wheelchair too quickly, the tray on my lap tipping. Glass plates and cups shattered on the floor.
His eyes burned crimson as he marched over. The crack of his palm against my cheek came so fast I didn't have time to brace myself. The force sent me tumbling from my chair.
"You insolent child," he hissed.
"Dad, I'm sorry," I sobbed, scrambling to push myself upright. My arms ached, my palms scraped from the broken glass.
"You're useless! Even simple tasks are beyond you," he growled. "Tonight, at the mating ceremony, you'll serve drinks and disappear. No Alpha should know I have a cripple for a daughter."
"But what if my mate is there tonight?" I whispered, hating the tremor in my voice.
He laughed, a cruel, mocking sound that echoed around the room. Josie joined in, her voice louder and sharper.
"Oh, you stupid girl," he said, his words slicing through me. "Even the Moon Goddess wouldn't curse someone by giving them you for a mate."
The words stung like venom. I swallowed the lump in my throat and looked down at the floor. My reflection in the shards of glass looked as shattered as I felt.
"A war is coming," my father continued, his voice booming with authority. "Every Alpha, every warrior, every able wolf must be at their strongest. The mating ceremony is a sacred ritual to honor the Moon Goddess. It will strengthen our bonds and prepare us for the fight ahead. And you—" his crimson gaze bore into me with a hatred that made my stomach churn— "are a weakness, Elizabeth. Don't embarrass yourself—or me—by pretending otherwise."
I flinched as he stepped closer, looming over me. "Josie!" he barked. "Put her in her place," he commanded coldly, his tone devoid of compassion. "If she can't learn to stay invisible, teach her. Hard. Make her understand what happens when a liability oversteps their bounds."
"Yes, Father," Josie replied eagerly.
He left without another word.
Josie turned to me with a slow, wicked grin. "You heard him, cripple. You've been embarrassing our family for too long."
I tried to wheel myself backward, desperate to put some distance between us, but her hand shot out, gripping the armrest of my wheelchair.
"You think you can just roll away?" she sneered, yanking the chair to a stop. "Pathetic."
"Please, Josie, not again. I promise I'll be good." I whispered, my voice trembling. "I didn't mean to—"
"Shut up!" she snapped, slamming her palm against my cheek. Pain bloomed across my face as my head jerked sideways. "You don't get to speak. You're nothing. Less than nothing."
"Nothing but a stain on the pack," Melanie chimed in, her voice sugary and mocking as she stepped closer. The other girls followed, encircling me like vultures.
"I didn't choose this," I whimpered, tears burning my eyes. "I didn't ask to be born this way."
She laughed. "Choose? You're not even worthy of choice. You're a mistake. A disgrace to our bloodline."
I tried to move my wheelchair back, but Josie grabbed the armrest, stopping me. With a yank, she pulled me forward, and I tumbled out, hitting the ground hard.
"You're not going anywhere," she hissed, crouching over me. Her fist slammed into my ribs, pain exploding through my body. Laughter erupted around me as her friends joined in, kicking and shoving me into the floor. I begged them to stop, but their blows only grew harder, my cries drowned out by their amusement.
"Crying already?" Josie mocked, her voice dripping with disdain. "No wonder Father hates you. The Moon Goddess must have skipped you for a reason."
Her words cut deeper than the pain. I curled into myself, shielding my head, but the humiliation burned worse than the bruises.
When they finally stopped, Josie crouched beside me. Her nails dug into my chin as she forced me to meet her sneering gaze.
"You're nothing, Ezzie. Nothing but a shadow. You should just disappear."
She shoved me back down and walked away, leaving me bruised, shaking, and alone.
Alone in my pain. Alone in my shame.
Alone in a world that didn't want me.
The Mating Ceremony
I've never seen so many wolves gathered in one place. The waterfall at the edge of our territory gleamed under the full moonlight, its roar drowned out by the crowd's buzz. Thousands of unmated wolves filled the field, their anticipation thick in the air.
The VIP section glimmered with power. Alphas from every pack sat in deep discussion with my father, likely strategizing for the coming battle. Weeks ago, our scientists had confirmed the approach of a massive object—a fleet of alien wolves with strength and technology beyond anything we'd faced before. Every pack was here to form an alliance, and the mating ceremony was their first step.
The Moon Goddess herself would guide the bonds tonight, matching mates for love, strength, and survival.
I moved through the crowd, passing out drinks. The wheels of my chair squeaked with every push, and I could feel the weight of their stares. Pity. Disdain. Disgust. It clung to me like a second skin.
Suddenly, the murmurs ceased, replaced by a hushed reverence. The Lycan King had arrived.
He was breathtaking. Six-foot-five with golden hair and piercing eyes that burned like molten amber. Every she-wolf in the field turned toward him, their gazes filled with awe and longing. His presence was electric, commanding without effort.
I froze, captivated by the raw power rolling off him in waves.
The moon hung high and full, its silver light bathing the field. One by one, wolves began to find their mates, the sacred bond pulling them together like magnets.
"Ezzie," Josie's voice hissed, snapping me out of my daze. "What are you doing here? If Dad sees you—"
"I'm leaving," I said quickly, my voice trembling. "I just got distracted."
"Better hurry, little sister," she sneered. "If the Lycan King sees you, he might throw you off the cliff himself."
I turned to leave, but a low, dangerous growl froze me in place. The sound vibrated through my chest, awakening something deep and primal. My wolf stirred for the first time, her presence faint but undeniable.
I turned slowly, my heart pounding. My eyes locked onto his—the Lycan King. His gaze was wild, burning with an intensity that rooted me to the spot.
"Mate!" he growled, his voice rough and possessive.
Josie stepped in front of me, her face lighting up. "Oh, he's looking at me," she said, smoothing her hair.
But the Lycan King pushed her aside as if she were nothing. His eyes bore into mine, and my heart leapt with hope.
"Her?" my father's voice boomed as he rushed over. "This must be a mistake. Josie is the mate we agreed on. This—" he spat, pointing at me, "—this girl will make you weak. She's not just a cripple, she is stupid. The only thing she can do well is clean. She lacks basic education, unlike my worthy daughter Josie, who went to an Ivy Legaue School. Josie is a warrior, she's killed more than 100 wolves in battle. She the one you want. No my disappointment of a daughter. "
The King's expression darkened. "She is my mate," he said, his voice like thunder.
But then, his eyes turned cold. "Yet she is... unworthy. Why would the moon goddess curse me like this?"
My hope shattered. He looked at me the way my father always did—like I was nothing.
"Elizabeth Sultzman," he said, his voice sharp and cutting. "With the full moon as my witness, I reject you as my mate. I reject the bond between us and I cast you aside. I choose another."
Josie stepped forward, triumphant. "Josie Sultzman," she added, her voice dripping with false sweetness.
The King nodded. "You are my mate."
The bond between us snapped like a taut string, the pain unbearable. I gasped, clutching my chest as tears streamed down my face.
The crowd erupted in cheers, but their joy felt like nails in my coffin. I pushed my chair away, tears streaming down my face. His rejection burned through me, a wound that wouldn't heal.
"But," he continued, his voice turning cruel, "you will not leave unpunished. To honor the Moon Goddess, you will serve me—as my pet. My slave."
The words crushed me.
Josie smirked, stepping into his arms. "I accept," she said, kissing him passionately as the crowd erupted in celebration.
My father's laughter rang in my ears. "Go on, Izzie. Pack your things. You'll live out your days at their feet. It's all you're good for." he said, sending me away.
As I packed my meager belongings that night, I made a choice. I wouldn't stay. I wouldn't be their slave or their shadow. I would leave and never look back.
But no one defies the Lycan King—and lives to tell the tale.