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

I mean, every girl had their preferences. Some want the bad boys—because bad boys can love hardly too. 

Some girls dream 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 dreams—who could take them around the world. 

As for me, I wanted one that belonged in pages. The perfect male lead who dotes on the female lead in the romance books I've read. 

If only wishes were horses. Instead, I stood ten feet away from Álvaro. He was bigger than most men his age, with his broad shoulders and posture that practically screamed DOMINANCE in caps. 

His eyes were sweeping around as though he were searching for something… or someone. 

Me.

When they finally found me, I stopped in my tracks, feeling the heat clouding over my body. 

What does he think of me now? Am I just another beauty he could cast aside—as he had with Rosa and Camilla, my elder sisters?

Álvaro's gaze remained on me for a while, and I felt a sharp spasm of discomfort. He hadn't changed, I realized—still distant, still spoiled, still utterly different from what I wanted in a mate.

Juana, my personal maid and best friend, nudged me forward, and I heaved deeply, forcing myself to move toward him. 

"María José," he breathed, nodding approvingly. "You look... perfect, as always."

The words should have been a compliment, but they felt like a cold remark. Like he was sizing me up, not seeing me. 

"Thank you. I suppose you've been waiting long," I replied stiffly. 

He shrugged, the casualness of his movements making him seem as though he had all the time in the world. "It's not like I have anywhere else to be. You look ready. For what's next."

What's next; that... I dreaded.

I tried to push that thought away. There was no space for me here. Not in Álvaro's world. 

"Shall we?" he asked, extending his hands. 

I nodded and took them. "Sí, vamos." 

*****

When we arrived at the Packhouse, nearly the entire pack was in seats, awaiting us. Usually, the Luna candidates were to arrive last, and in the end, the Alpha would escort his favorite Luna candidate to the gala. 

Today was the Luna wolf's hunt, where girls like me who had just clocked eighteen in the pack would one after the other follow Álvaro into the selection room until the full moon was out, and his wolf picked its mate. 

My father was the pack's Gamma and was seated amongst the other nobles. When our eyes met, he gave me a sharp nod, acknowledging my presence. 

It was the same look he always gave—expectant, as though everything was in its place. As though everything was going according to his plan. 

I was about to look away when I noticed Camilla whispering something to Rosa beside Father. I glanced their way and saw the disdainful looks they were both shooting me. 

My hands fisted beside me as I clenched my teeth. My sisters hated me, and it was all thanks to Álvaro.

Rejecting them publicly to wait for me to be of age—just because he didn't perceive them as 'good enough'—had sown a seed of discord in their hearts toward me. 

"I can't wait to claim you, María Jośe," Álvaro whispered, kissing my cheek before leaving me on 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 my skull with their bare hands, yet they were all waiting for the same thing. 

Maybe, just maybe, this time around, the tables would turn. Maybe the Luna wolf wouldn't be found in the De la Vega family, and the chain would break.

However, they were met with disappointment as our family continued to make Father proud. It was a great honor for him as the pack's military leader.

It'd be an honor for anyone, honestly, but I wasn't like them. I didn't want this.

The three pack elders stepped forward.

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

Another raised his hands in a melodramatic style. "Shall we begin, folks?!"

"Sí! Let's begin!" roared the pack members, many of whose eyes were on me.

I shut my eyes and reopened them. Didn't want to be a Debbie Downer, but this sucked.

First, Álvaro went into the selection room to begin the process. The thumping of my heart—and that of the other girls—might have been enough to create a live music band.

It was almost comical, really. Everyone already knew who the Luna wolf was going to be—or at least, they thought they did.

"She's just standing there, like she doesn't know," someone muttered a little too loudly. "Typical María José."

I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. If only they knew how little I wanted this. But no, I was the perfect De la Vega daughter, wasn't I? My life was a shining example of how to smile sweetly while being paraded around like a prize cow.

One by one, the other girls shuffled into the selection room with their heads high and their hopes even higher. And one by one, they emerged with the contrasting look of utter defeat, like someone had slapped them with a cold fish.

It was almost entertaining—almost.

"María José," Juana hissed at me from where she stood. "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 as her predecessors, only I and Emilia Vasquez were left. The two daughters of the two most powerful families after the Alpha family in the pack.

"There's only two left," someone said.

"It's obviously María José. Why are we wasting time?"

I glanced at Emilia, who avoided my gaze, probably internally willing the chandelier to drop on me. She knew, just as I did, that this wasn't going to end in her favor.

And then, like the dramatic Alpha heir he was, Álvaro himself 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. "María José, come with me."

The murmurs turned into a communal gasp. Of course, Álvaro wouldn't bother with protocol. Why should he? He'd already decided I was his, and what the Alpha heir wants, the Alpha heir gets.

Except me.

"Wait a moment!" Emilia's father, the Delta, shot to his feet, his face as red as a ripe tomato. "This is highly irregular! The process—"

Diego De la Vega, my father, stood abruptly, cutting him off. "The Alpha heir has spoken. His command is final, and as Delta, you must not interfere."

Hehehe… I could already see the invisible peacock feathers growing out of my father's back.

"The Gamma is right," Alpha Tomás said, his authoritative voice quelling any further objections. "If Álvaro is certain, we will honor his decision."

Before I could even react, Álvaro was in front of me, holding out his hand like he was some knight in shining armor. I stared at it for a moment, considering my options.

Running? Probably not a good idea.

Slapping him? Tempting, but also unwise.

With a sigh, I placed my hand in his. "Fine. Let's get this over with."

He didn't even flinch at my tone, just tightened his grip and led me toward the selection room.

The moment the doors closed behind us, he turned to me, his eyes thinning with the kind of hunger that made my stomach churn.

"I've been waiting for this day for two years," he mumbled, cupping my cheeks like a bloody pervert.

"Two years? Wow, what dedication. I feel so special."

He either didn't catch the sarcasm or chose to ignore it because he closed whatever distance was between us and let his hand find my waist.

I stiffened, the heat of his touch nauseating me. "Álvaro, Let's not rush. We have forever, don't we? There's no need to—"

"I've waited long enough," he interrupted, sucking on my neck.

I'll have this arrogant motherfucker's head if I step out with hickeys.

"Álvaro," I grunted, placing a hand on his chest to stop him. "Please. Let's do this properly. You'll have all the time in the world to kiss me once the ritual is complete."

He paused, his jaw tightening as if he wanted to argue, but finally, he nodded. "Fine. Let's get this over with. I'm still going to fuck you tonight either way."

Bloody dickface.

He stepped back, and I watched as his fangs elongated. That was the process—the Alpha heir would try to mark the eligible girls. If you have the Luna wolf, your wolf would respond and sprawl out.

Then, it'd be up to him to decide if you were worth his mark or not. In Álvaro's case, Rosa and Camilla weren't.

I gasped when the Alpha wolf in him surged out. What magnificence. The aura immobilized me as he leaned in, ready to mark me.

But then… nothing happened.

The silence was deafening. Álvaro pulled back, confusion dancing across his face.

"What's wrong?" he demanded, like I was supposed to know.

I blinked at him. "I… I don't know."

Álvaro's wolf growled low in his throat, frustrated. He pressed closer again, waiting for my wolf to respond—to rise and claim her place as Luna.

But I remained still. Empty.

What's with the delay? I gulped down, smothering my dress like it was the problem.

I staggered back, horror dawning on me as the realization set in.

"I... I don't have a wolf," I whispered, slapping a hand over my mouth.

Álvaro's jaw tightened, disbelief and anger flashing across his face. "What the hell are you saying?"

"I'm an Omega."