The grand ballroom hummed with the nervous energy of hundreds, a suffocating blend of anticipation and dread. I stood near the ornate doors, trying to melt into the shadows, the silk of my gown feeling like a shroud rather than celebration.

Today, Colton, the man I’d secretly adored since childhood, was to be crowned Alpha King. And today, I turned eighteen, the fated day I was meant to find my mate. The irony was a bitter taste on my tongue.

My heart hammered against my ribs, not with excitement, but with the raw ache of unrequited love. I knew he would never look at me, not when his eyes were fixed on Patrina, his chosen Queen. To witness his coronation was a torment, a stark reminder of all I wasn't. Dylan, my twin, my anchor, was away for his Alpha training, and his absence was a gaping hole in my already fragile world. He was the only one who ever truly saw me, the only family I had, since my parents had long since ceased to care.