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Nova’s POV

The cold water hit my face like shards of ice, jolting me awake with a gasp. My head snapped up, and for a moment, I couldn’t tell if I was still dreaming. The images of my family, their silver-furred wolves fighting to protect me, blurred into the harsh reality of my surroundings. My heart pounded as the dream faded, replaced by the sting of betrayal.

“Wake up, princess,” a voice sneered.

I blinked, trying to focus through the haze of exhaustion. The gamma, a man my family once trusted, loomed over me. His wolfish grin sent a chill down my spine, and I felt a sickening twist in my stomach.

“Did you sleep well?” he taunted, crouching in front of me, his voice dripping with mockery. “You looked so peaceful, dreaming away while your life crumbled around you.”

I didn’t answer. My wrists burned where the ropes dug into them, and my body ached from the previous beatings. Every movement sent a sharp jolt of pain through me, but I refused to show weakness.

“You’re pathetic now, you know that?” His voice turned colder, laced with venom. “The great Nova Argent, youngest daughter of the Mooncliff Pack’s alpha. Look at you now—no wolf, no family, no power. Just a useless, broken girl.”

My blood boiled at his words, but I bit the inside of my cheek to stop myself from reacting. He wanted a response, a crack in my armor. I refused to give him the satisfaction.

“Say something!” he barked, his hand snapping out to grab my chin. His grip was rough, forcing me to meet his gaze. “Oh, right. You think you’re too good to talk to people like me. You always did. But guess what? Your family is dead. Your pack is gone. And you, Nova, are nothing. No one.”

I glared at him, my jaw clenched. His words hurt, but not because they were true; they hurt because they reminded me of what I’d lost. My family. My pack. My wolf.

“Still too proud to beg, huh?” He let go of my chin with a scoff, standing up and pacing in front of me. “Fine. Stay quiet. But you should know, this is all your fault. If you hadn’t been so blind, so trusting, maybe you wouldn’t have ended up here.”

I sucked in a sharp breath, my heart pounding with a mix of rage and fear. “Why are you doing this?” My voice was hoarse, barely more than a whisper.

He stopped pacing and turned to me, a cruel smile spreading across his face. “Why? Because I can. Because you were too stupid to see it coming. Did you really think I was loyal to your family? To you?” He laughed bitterly. “The Mooncliff Pack is finished, Nova. And you—you’re just a burden now. A cripple. No wolf, no future. You’re not even worth killing.”

I swallowed hard, forcing myself to stay calm. “My family trusted you. My father trusted you.”

His face twisted into a snarl. “Your father was a fool, and so are you. You think I didn’t see the writing on the wall? The Mooncliff Pack was dying, and I wasn’t about to go down with it. So, I made my own arrangements.”

I stared at him, my mind racing. “Arrangements?”

He smirked, his eyes gleaming with satisfaction. “Oh, you’ll find out soon enough. Let’s just say you’re about to meet someone very important. Someone who will remind you just how worthless you are.”

A chill ran down my spine. Whoever he was taking me to, it wasn’t going to be good.

The car ride was a blur of pain and dread. My wrists were tied behind my back, and every bump in the road sent a jolt of agony through my bruised body. The gamma and his lackeys laughed and joked, their voices grating against my ears.

“You think Diego will actually keep her?” one of them asked, his tone mocking.

The gamma chuckled darkly. “Oh, he’ll keep her, all right. At least for a little while. She’s carrying his child, after all.”

My stomach churned at their words. Diego Montenegro. The name alone was enough to make my blood run cold. The alpha of the Bloodshadow Pack. Ruthless. Unpredictable. Dangerous.

I had heard stories about him—tales that would make even the bravest werewolf tremble. And now, I was being delivered to him like a lamb to the slaughter.

I shifted uncomfortably, ignoring the pain that radiated through my body. I couldn’t let this happen. I couldn’t allow them to control me, to use me. I had to escape.

But before I could formulate a plan, the car screeched to a halt.

“What the hell?” the gamma muttered, peering out the window.

The air was thick with tension as the men stepped out of the car, leaving me alone in the back seat. I strained to hear what was happening, but the sounds of growls and snarls filled the air.

My heart raced. Something was wrong.

Suddenly, the door was yanked open, and I was dragged out by one of the lackeys. My feet barely touched the ground before I was thrown to the side, landing hard on the dirt.

“Stay here,” the gamma snapped, his eyes scanning the darkness around us.

I struggled to sit up, my body screaming in protest. That’s when I saw them—shadows moving among the trees, glowing eyes watching us. Rogues.

The first attack came swiftly. A rogue wolf lunged from the darkness, its jaws snapping at one of the lackeys. Chaos erupted as more rogues emerged, their snarls echoing through the night.

I tried to crawl away, but my body was too weak. My vision blurred as the sounds of the fight grew louder.

And then, everything stopped.

A figure stepped into the clearing, his presence commanding and terrifying. He was tall, his blond hair catching the moonlight. His green eyes glowed with an intensity that made my breath catch.

Diego Montenegro.

He moved like a predator, every step calculated and deliberate. The rogues hesitated, their growls faltering as they sensed the danger.

“Leave,” Diego said, his voice cold and sharp.

The rogues scattered without hesitation, disappearing into the darkness.

The gamma and his men looked terrified, their bravado crumbling in the face of Diego’s power.

“Diego,” the gamma stammered, his voice trembling. “We—”

Diego didn’t let him finish. In a blur of motion, he was in front of the gamma, his hand wrapped around the man’s throat.

“You dare bring her to me like this?” Diego growled, his voice low and menacing.

The gamma choked, his face turning red as Diego tightened his grip.

“She’s carrying my child,” Diego continued, his eyes blazing with fury. “And you thought you could use her to blackmail me?”

I watched in stunned silence as Diego’s Wolf, Luke, surfaced just beneath his skin. His canines elongated, and his nails sharpened into claws.

“Diego,” I croaked, my voice barely audible.

His head snapped toward me, his green eyes locking onto mine. For a moment, I saw something flicker in his gaze—recognition, anger, and something else I couldn’t place.

“Nova,” he said, his voice softer now.

My heart skipped a beat as he released the gamma, letting the man collapse to the ground. Diego took a step toward me, his presence overwhelming.

I felt a sharp pain on the back of my neck, where his mark burned against my skin. The bond between us flared to life, and I knew, without a doubt, that Diego Montenegro was my mate.

He knelt in front of me, his eyes scanning my battered body. “Who did this to you?”

I opened my mouth to speak, but the words wouldn’t come. The pain—both physical and emotional—was too much.

Diego’s jaw tightened, and I could feel the storm brewing inside him. “I’ll deal with them later,” he said, his tone deadly.

He reached out, his hand brushing against my cheek. “You’re safe now, Nova.”

But was I really safe? Was I safe with him?

His green eyes burned into mine, and I couldn’t help but wonder—what would happen next?