Arin opened her eyes as the first rays of sunlight crept through her small window. Today was different. Special. Her eighteenth birthday had finally arrived. She touched the small silver pendant around her neck—the only thing her mother had left her before disappearing.
"Happy birthday to me," she whispered, her voice barely audible in the tiny room at the back of the pack house.
Being an omega in the Bloodfang Pack meant living in the shadows. Omegas cooked, cleaned, and stayed quiet. They weren't supposed to be noticed or heard. Just useful.
Arin brushed her long black hair, staring at her reflection in the cracked mirror. Silver eyes—unusual for an omega—stared back at her. Those eyes had always made others uneasy. They whispered she didn't belong.
She slipped on her worn gray dress and headed to the kitchen. As omega, she needed to help prepare breakfast for the higher-ranking wolves. Maybe someone would remember her birthday. Maybe today would be different.
It wasn't.
"You're late," snapped the head cook, pointing to a pile of dirty pots. "Get those cleaned before the Beta family arrives for breakfast."
Arin nodded, keeping her head down as she should. Omegas who spoke out of turn were punished. She had learned that lesson years ago.
Hours passed. She served breakfast, washed dishes, and swept floors. Not a single "happy birthday" came her way. Not even a glance of recognition.
By midday, her hopes had faded. She slipped away during her short break, heading to the small creek behind the pack house. This was her secret spot—the only place she could breathe freely.
"There you are!" A cheerful voice broke through her thoughts.
Malik jumped down from a tree branch, landing gracefully beside her. Though only a year older, he moved with the confidence Arin had never felt. His dark eyes sparkled with mischief.
"Happy birthday, Arin!" He pulled a small package from his pocket, wrapped in a leaf.
Tears pricked her eyes. Someone had remembered.
"You didn't have to," she whispered, carefully unwrapping the gift. Inside was a bracelet made of leather strips woven with tiny wooden beads.
"Made it myself," Malik said proudly. "Each bead is carved with protection symbols."
Arin slipped it on her wrist, touched by her friend's thoughtfulness. "It's perfect."
Malik sat beside her on the creek bank, tossing pebbles into the water. "So, adult now. Any special omega duties they're giving you?"
Arin shrugged. "No one remembered. Not that I expected them to."
"Their loss," Malik said, throwing a bigger stone that splashed them both. "You know what we should do? Sneak into the Moon Ball tonight."
Arin's eyes widened. "The Moon Ball? Are you crazy? That's for high-ranking wolves only!"
The Moon Ball happened once a year, when the pack celebrated under the full moon. Betas and Alphas dressed in their finest clothes, danced, and feasted. Omegas served food and stayed invisible.
"It's your birthday," Malik insisted. "Plus, I heard Alpha Vaughn's triplet sons are finally returning from their warrior training. Everyone's talking about it."
The triplets. Arin had only glimpsed them from afar years ago—three tall figures with serious faces. They'd left for training when she was thirteen.
"Kael, Jaxon, and Rowan," she said, remembering their names. "They're coming back tonight?"
"Yep. And word is, they're looking for mates."
A laugh escaped Arin's lips. "As if any of them would look twice at an omega."
"You never know," Malik winked. "You're different, Arin. Those silver eyes of yours—they mean something."
Before she could respond, a shrill voice called from the pack house.
"Arin! Break's over!"
She sighed, standing up reluctantly. "Thanks for remembering my birthday."
"Wait," Malik grabbed her hand. "Meet me here tonight, one hour before the Moon Ball. I have a plan."
Arin hesitated. Breaking pack rules meant punishment. But the thought of doing something different on her birthday—something exciting—was too tempting.
"Fine," she whispered. "But if we get caught—"
"We won't," Malik promised. "Trust me."
The afternoon dragged as Arin helped prepare for the Moon Ball. She polished silver trays, arranged flowers, and listened to the excited chatter of the Beta girls. They all hoped to catch the eye of one of the triplets, especially Siena, the Beta's beautiful daughter.
"My father says one of the triplets will choose me as mate," Siena boasted to her friends, twirling in her new blue dress. "I've been preparing for this moment my whole life."
Arin kept her head down, wiping tables silently. Siena had been her friend once, long ago, before pack ranks pulled them apart. Before Siena learned that befriending an omega would hurt her status.
As the sun began to set, Arin slipped away to meet Malik by the creek. Her heart pounded with nervous excitement.
He was waiting with a bundle in his arms.
"What's that?" she asked.
Malik grinned, unfolding the bundle to reveal a dress—deep red with silver threads catching the fading light.
"Where did you get this?" Arin gasped, touching the soft fabric.
"My mother made it. Before she died." His voice softened. "She was like you—never belonged. She'd want you to have it."
Arin's throat tightened. "Malik, I can't—"
"You can and you will," he insisted. "Go change. I'll keep watch."
The dress fit perfectly, hugging her slender frame. For the first time, Arin didn't feel like an omega. The red fabric made her silver eyes shine brighter, her black hair more striking.
"You look like a Luna, not an omega," Malik whispered when she emerged.
"Now what? I can't just walk into the Moon Ball like this."
Malik's eyes gleamed. "The back entrance by the kitchens. They'll be too busy to notice. Once inside, just blend with the crowd."
It was a terrible plan. Foolish and dangerous. But something inside Arin pushed her forward.
"Let's do it."
They crept toward the pack house, keeping to the shadows. Music and laughter drifted from the great hall. The Moon Ball had begun.
As planned, the kitchen entrance was chaos—servers rushing with trays, cooks shouting orders. Arin and Malik slipped through unnoticed.
"Remember, blend in," Malik whispered. "I'll be watching from the balcony. If anything goes wrong, run to the creek."
With a final squeeze of her hand, he disappeared, leaving Arin alone at the edge of the great hall.
The sight took her breath away. Crystal chandeliers hung from high ceilings, casting golden light over dancing couples. Flowers and silver decorations transformed the room into something magical.
Arin hugged the wall, her confidence wavering. This was a mistake. If caught, she'd be punished severely. Maybe even banished.
Just as she turned to leave, a hush fell over the crowd. All heads turned toward the main entrance.
Alpha Vaughn entered first—tall, powerful, his presence commanding respect. Beside him walked Luna Calista, beautiful but cold. And behind them...
The triplets.
Three young men, identical in height but different in every other way. The first walked with authority, his green eyes scanning the room with calculation. Kael, the eldest. The second moved with easy grace, a charming smile playing on his lips. Jaxon, the flirt. And the third hung slightly back, his piercing blue eyes seeming to see deeper than others. Rowan, the mystery.
Arin couldn't look away. Something pulled at her—a strange sensation she'd never felt before.
And then, as if feeling her stare, Kael's green eyes found hers across the crowded room.
Time stopped.
A jolt of electricity shot through Arin's body. The noise of the party faded. All she could see were those green eyes widening in shock as they locked with her silver ones.
Kael took a step toward her, pushing past people who tried to greet him.
Panic seized Arin. What was happening? Why was he looking at her that way?
She backed away, bumping into a server who dropped a tray with a crash.
All eyes turned to her.
"Who is that?" someone whispered.
"Is that an omega?" gasped another.
Luna Calista's cold voice cut through the whispers. "What is the meaning of this?"
But Kael kept walking toward Arin, his expression a mix of confusion and wonder.
Arin did the only thing she could think of—she ran.
Behind her, she heard Kael's deep voice call out: "Wait!"
But she didn't stop, even as she felt something strange pull inside her chest, like an invisible thread trying to connect her to the Alpha's son.
What had just happened? And why did running away from him feel like tearing her own heart in two?