My Songs, Her Fame, My Revenge

An accident during my Bloodline Awakening Ceremony made me miss the chance to awaken my wolf.

My inner wolf was severely injured as a result. To survive, I had to rely on suppressants, barely clinging to life.

I lost my staunchest supporter—my father, the Alpha of the Moonfire Pack.

After my father's passing, his best friend, Matthias Kane, took me into the Shadowpine Pack.

As the most powerful Alpha on the continent, he had the ability to protect me.

Just as I was at my most vulnerable, my most trusted friend, Scarlett, stole the music I had composed in my youth.

These songs became a massive success in both the human and werewolf worlds, and she became the industry's hottest new artist.

The songs were about a charming Alpha. She claimed he was her secret crush.

Now, my three mate candidates are tripping over themselves for her, each arguing that he was the muse for her songs.

When they mention me, their tones turn impatient, filled with contempt for the weak.

"Her wolf will never awaken. How can she still dream of being our mate?"

"The princess of the Moonfire Pack? Ha! She's nothing more than a charity case living off Matthias's generosity!"

"Should we provoke her again? Maybe she'll finally lose control of her wolf and go feral."

"Haha! Then none of us will have to marry her, and we can just divide up her territory."

I stood outside the door, the wolf that had lain dormant within me for years beginning to stir.

They didn't know that the suppressants' effects were fading, and my true awakening was just around the corner.

I had never loved any of them.

They were merely pawns, ready to be discarded.

The communication crystal chimed. It was Matthias.

"Aurora, have you decided? Of the three candidates, who are you going to choose as your mate?"

"Alpha Matthias," I said. My fingers traced the patterns on the doorframe, a cold smirk playing on my lips. "Are these three my only options?"

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1

"The muse Scarlett sings about in her songs is definitely me!"

"Dream on! Blonde hair, blue eyes, tall and strong. She's obviously singing about me!"

I stood in the doorway, the joy and anticipation I'd felt for our reunion instantly crumbling to dust.

On the other end of the communication crystal, Matthias heard every word. His breath hitched, but he remained silent.

"You can choose someone else. I trained them, hoping one might prove worthy of you," Matthias said.

The three of them—Derek Cross, Nathan Rivers, and Marcus Stone—were my mate candidates.

When he was alive, my father had doted on me. He hoped someone would protect me and help me lead the Pack in the future.

Matthias Kane, my father's most trusted friend and the Alpha of the Shadowpine Pack, selected three wolves from his Pack.

He trained and mentored them so that I could one day choose one as my mate.

We had grown up together and were incredibly close.

However, the appearance of Scarlett Hayes shattered everything between us.

Ever since my wolf was injured, my status in the Pack had plummeted.

They began to ostracize me, taking cruel pleasure in my torment.

I had returned from my recovery, hoping to surprise them, only to overhear them plotting my downfall.

"Alpha Matthias," I asked softly, a playful hint in my voice, "since none of them will do, could... you be my mate?"

Silence stretched on the other end of the line.

After a long moment, his voice came through. "Aurora, don't worry. They have failed you. I will find a better solution. You don't have to rush your choice." I could hear the suppressed anger in his voice—anger directed at those three idiots.

Ending the call, I crept quietly downstairs, pretending I had just arrived.

Suddenly, the door upstairs was thrown open.

Seeing me standing in the first-floor living room, all three of them froze, staring as if they'd seen a ghost.

"How is she back?" Derek snapped out of it, his hand flying to his mouth in horror. He whispered in Nathan's ear, "If Aurora Sterling is here, Alpha Matthias must be back too."

"We're so screwed. She's already going to choose a mate!" Nathan clutched his forehead, his expression twisted with worry.

"Derek, you're the oldest. You should step up," Marcus said, turning his gaze on Derek.

"Don't you dare try to pin this on me. You think I'd take someone's leftovers? A weakling with no wolf," Derek retorted, the disdain in his eyes undisguised.

I pretended not to hear, letting them continue their pathetic little charade.

They treated me like a pitiful burden to be passed around.

"Stop arguing. I want nothing to do with her. Let's just slip out the back," Marcus suggested, gesturing for them to leave.

"She's already here. If we ignore her, Alpha Matthias will have our hides," Nathan said, pointing in my direction.

The three of them continued to shirk responsibility, finally deciding to draw lots.

"Aurora, what are you doing back?" Nathan, the loser of the draw, asked helplessly, forcing a smile that looked more like a grimace.

"Nathan! I missed you all so much, so Alpha Matthias arranged a car for me," I chirped, feigning excitement and surprise.

"How long have you been back?" Nathan pursed his lips and waved his hand, signaling the two hiding behind him to get lost.

"They have missions today, so I'll take you to your place. We can throw a welcome party for you when they get back," Nathan lied without batting an eye.

"It's okay. Alpha Matthias said he'll come to pick me up later," I said, feigning concern as I watched their reactions.

"Alpha Matthias is coming?"

All three of them looked horrified, their faces draining of color.

"Yes!"

I flashed a brilliant smile, the very picture of innocence.

"He said he's going to arrange my bonding ceremony."

A dead silence fell over the room.