Chapter 1 Heartless

• Yvonne's POV:
• His powerful hand tightened around my waist, pulling me against him with a force that left no room for escape.
• The thin fabric between us did little to mask the solid strength of his body, the heat emanating from him like a furnace.
• His hand traced a path between my thighs, and I couldn't suppress the moan that escaped my lips. "Bryan, claim me, mark me! "
• A rare softness flickered in Bryan Lockwood's eyes as he gave a faint smile. It was a tenderness I had never seen before.
• His fingers lifted the hair from the back of my neck, and he leaned in close, his breath hot against my ear, making my heart race uncontrollably.
• This was the moment I had longed for, the day when my mate would finally mark me as his own.
• His lips brushed against my neck, and I closed my eyes, trembling with anticipation, waiting for his bite to seal our bond.
• But instead of the sharp sting of his fangs, I felt a sudden push, cold and hard, sending me reeling.
• The hand that had caressed me so intimately just moments before now gripped my throat with brutal force. "Yvonne, you will never be worthy of being my mate! "
• I screamed, my eyes flying open as I gasped for breath.
• The room was empty, the silence deafening. It was only a dream, another cruel reminder of what would never be.
• A bitter laugh escaped me before I could stop it.
• Three years of marriage, and Bryan couldn't even bear to touch me, much less mark me.
• Yet I still yearned for his touch, still longed for him to hold me like in my dreams, to feel his warmth against me ...
• Because I had loved him for seven years, and that love had become my curse.
• I was an Omega of the Shadow Pack, a half-blood, caught between the worlds of werewolves and witches.
• This cursed lineage had made me a target, enduring endless torment from the pack's werewolves.
• One day, on my way home from school, a group of them cornered me.
• They wanted revenge for the Shadow Pack, and I was the half-breed they sought to destroy.
• "I've never hurt anyone! You can't do this to me! "
• Two decades ago, witches attacked the Shadow Pack, poisoning the pack with wolfsbane and unleashing dark magic that nearly wiped out the werewolves.
• Only the intervention of the the Blue Moon Pack's Alpha saved them from total annihilation.
• Years passed, and the Shadow Pack slowly recovered, but the hatred for witches remained.
• And as someone with witch blood, I became the embodiment of that hatred.
• But I was blameless—twenty years ago, I wasn't even born.
• I was raised in the Shadow Pack, loved my pack, and would never harm it.
• But my pleas fell on deaf ears as the werewolves closed in. They shifted into their fierce wolf forms, towering over me, and with a single motion, they had me pinned to the ground.
• Claws ripped into my arm, and instinct urged me to use magic to defend myself.
• But I had sworn an oath, never to harm my own kind with the power I possessed.
• I let the magic drain from my fingertips, allowing the wolf's fangs to press against my throat without resistance.
• The vision of my blood staining the earth beneath me was almost tangible, a bitter end that seemed strangely fitting.
• Perhaps death would be a release.
• My father had always viewed me as a blemish he could never quite erase.
• In his twisted mind, my death might finally bring him the peace he sought.
• And for the Shadow Pack, my passing could mean the end of their scorn and loathing.
• Memories of every sneer, every whispered insult, flashed before me as I closed my eyes, surrendering to whatever fate awaited.
• A sharp sting pricked my neck, warmth pooling from the wound as blood began to flow.
• But just when I was ready to accept the darkness, a thunderous howl tore through the night air.
• The werewolf on top of me froze, his fangs retracting as if burned.
• The weight lifted from my chest, and I opened my eyes to see the others around me shifting back into their human forms, fear etched into their faces as they knelt on the ground.
• A man stepped forward, tall and imposing, his presence commanding absolute attention—Bryan, the new Alpha of the Shadow Pack.
• "The law forbids attacking a werewolf who does not possess wolf, " he said, his voice steady, leaving no room for defiance.
• In that moment, as he approached, bathed in the glow of the moon, I felt as though a divine force had descended upon us.
• One look at him, and I was lost, as if the entire world had narrowed down to just him.
• It was a feeling I couldn't explain, a connection that made no sense.
• How could I sense this when my wolf had never awakened? I carried my father's werewolf blood, yet my own wolf remained silent.
• Perhaps it was nothing more than the folly of first love.
• Even under the oppressive weight of his alpha aura, I found the strength to lift my gaze to him.
• He was clad in a black shirt and perfectly tailored pants that accentuated his powerful build and impossibly long legs.
• His chiseled face held a pair of deep blue eyes that fixed coldly on the werewolves who had assaulted me.
• "You've violated the pack's laws, " he continued, his tone icy. "Are you prepared for exile? "
• "Alpha, Yvonne is just a lowly witch! She isn't worthy of being called a werewolf! We were only trying to avenge our people … "
• The cowards who had tormented me scrambled to justify their actions, but Bryan remained unmoved. With a wave of his hand, he summoned his guards, who promptly dragged the offenders away to face punishment.
• Not once did he look at me. As he passed by, his words were extremely cold.
• "If you ever use magic within the Shadow Pack, I will see to it that you're buried without a trace. "
• His voice was cold enough to send a shiver down my spine.
• Without another word, he continued on his way, not bothering to look back.
• I could feel his disgust, his disdain.
• After all, he was the Alpha of the Shadow Pack, and I was nothing more than a lowly Omega, cursed with the blood of a witch—a bloodline the Shadow Pack loathed with every fiber of their being.
• I never dared to hope for much. To simply admire Bryan from afar was enough.
• But I never imagined that...Maybe I was blessed by the goddess Selene.
• I unexpectedly became Bryan's mate one day...