THAYER POV
I'm going to destroy Elowen Creste.
The thought hits me the second I see Seren run out of the cafeteria with tears streaming down her face, and it shocks me because I'm supposed to HATE that girl.
But watching her get slapped? Watching her stand there and take it like she deserves it?
Something inside me snapped.
"Thayer, wait!" Daxion grabs my arm, but I'm already moving.
I catch Elowen in the parking lot. She's surrounded by her friends, laughing about what just happened.
"Did you SEE her face?" one of them giggles. "She looked like a kicked puppy!"
Red floods my vision.
I'm known for being charming. Smooth. The Voss brother who talks his way through problems instead of fighting.
Not today.
"Elowen." My voice cuts through their laughter like a knife.
She spins around, and her smile falters when she sees my expression. "Thayer! I was just—"
"Assaulting my stepsister in front of the entire school?" I step closer. "Is that what you were doing?"
"She's not your REAL sister," Elowen says quickly. "And she deserved it for—"
"For what? Existing?" I'm in her face now, and she backs up. "For being brought into this situation against her will? For doing absolutely NOTHING to you?"
Elowen's eyes narrow. "Since when do you care about the wolfless freak? Two days ago, you were telling everyone she didn't belong!"
She's right. I was. We all were.
But that was before I understood what she is. Before Jove showed us the DNA results. Before my wolf started screaming MATE every time she's near.
Before I watched her accept abuse like she's used to it.
That's what's killing me. The way she didn't fight back. Like she believes she deserves to be hurt.
"Touch her again," I say quietly, "and I'll ruin your family's business contracts. All of them. Your father's company will be bankrupt within a week."
Elowen laughs nervously. "You're bluffing."
I pull out my phone and make a call. It's answered on the first ring.
"Marcus? It's Thayer Voss. Yeah, about that deal with Creste Industries? Cancel it. Immediately." I keep my eyes on Elowen while I talk. "I don't care about the penalty fees. Bill them to my personal account."
Elowen's face goes white. "Wait, no—"
"Also, I want you to pull our investments from any company currently partnered with Creste. Yes, all of them." I smile, but it's not friendly. "Consider it a favor to me."
I hang up.
"That was twelve million dollars in contracts," I tell Elowen. "Want to go for more? I can make more calls."
"You're insane!" she shrieks. "Over HER? She's NOTHING!"
"Wrong." The voice comes from behind me.
I turn. My brothers have followed me out. All four of them looking ready for war.
Daxion steps forward, pure Alpha authority rolling off him. "She's under our protection now. That makes her everything."
Korrin cracks his knuckles. "And anyone who hurts her answers to us."
Jove's calm mask is terrifying. "I've already compiled a list of your family's vulnerabilities. Would you like to hear them?"
Lysander doesn't say anything. Just stares at Elowen with those violet eyes until she flinches.
We're a united front. Five Voss brothers defending a girl we barely know.
It should feel wrong. It feels RIGHT.
Elowen looks between us, panicking. "This is crazy! She's wolfless! She can't be your—" She stops. Her eyes go wide. "Oh my god. You think she's your MATE."
None of us answer.
"All of you?" Elowen's voice rises. "You ALL think some defective wolfless girl is your mate? That's IMPOSSIBLE!"
"Get out of our sight," Daxion commands. "Before we do something we'll regret."
Elowen and her friends scatter like roaches.
We stand there in the parking lot, and nobody speaks for a long moment.
Finally, Korrin breaks the silence. "We need to find her."
"She ran," Lysander says quietly. "She's scared of us."
"Can you blame her?" I run my hand through my hair. "We told her she was nothing. That she didn't belong. And now we're defending her like she's—"
"Like she's our mate," Jove finishes. "Which she is. The DNA doesn't lie."
"But she doesn't KNOW that," I point out. "To her, we're just the five guys who made her feel like garbage. Now we're suddenly protective? She probably thinks we're insane."
Daxion's jaw clenches. "We need to tell her the truth."
"About being a Lunar Omega?" Korrin shakes his head. "She won't believe us. Hell, I barely believe it and I've seen the evidence."
"Then we show her," I say. "Slowly. Carefully. We prove to her that she matters."
"How?" Lysander asks. "She ran from us."
I look back at the school. "We start by making sure no one EVER hurts her again."
We split up. Daxion goes to inform the principal that Elowen is expelled (Alpha Supreme's son has that power). Korrin goes to "talk" to Elowen's friends (I don't ask what that means). Jove goes to ruin more of the Creste family's business deals.
Lysander and I stay to search for Seren.
"She's not in the building," Lysander says after checking with his wolf's senses. "Her scent trail leads toward the city."
"She went home," I realize.
I head back into the school to grab my things from my locker. That's when I see it.
A piece of paper on the ground. I pick it up.
It's Seren's class schedule. She must have dropped it when she ran.
I stare at it, and something warm spreads through my chest. Her handwriting is neat, careful. There are little notes in the margins—reminders about assignments, encouraging words to herself like "You can do this" and "Just survive today."
She's been giving herself pep talks just to get through school.
My wolf whines. MATE IS HURTING. PROTECT HER. MAKE IT BETTER.
I fold the schedule and put it in my pocket.
That's when my phone buzzes. Text from Jove in our brother group chat:
"Emergency. Get home NOW. Seren's wolf is trying to break free. She's in pain."
My blood turns to ice.
I run to my car, Lysander right behind me. We break every speed limit getting home.
When we burst through the front door, I hear screaming.
Seren's screaming.
We follow the sound to her room. The door is locked.
"Seren!" I pound on it. "Open up!"
"Stay AWAY!" Her voice is raw with pain and fear. "Something's wrong with me! I'm—AAAHHH!"
The lights in the hallway flicker. The walls shake.
Power is radiating from her room. Ancient, massive power that makes my wolf drop his head in submission.
Daxion arrives with a key. We burst through the door.
And freeze.
Seren is on the floor, glowing. Silver light is pouring out of her skin. Her eyes are blazing violet. The air around her crackles with energy.
"Make it STOP!" she sobs. "Please! It HURTS!"
Her wolf is trying to emerge. But she's not ready. The seal is breaking too fast, and it's tearing her apart.
"We have to help her," Korrin growls.
"How?" I demand. "We don't know how to—"
Jove pulls out his tablet. "According to the texts, Lunar Omegas can only safely awaken through their mates' bonds. We need to mark her. NOW."
"We can't just bite her without permission!" Lysander protests.
"She's DYING!" Jove shouts back. "The power is consuming her from inside!"
Seren screams again, and the windows shatter.
Daxion makes the decision. "Seren! Listen to me! We need to mark you! It's the only way to stop the pain!"
"I don't... I don't understand!" She's crying, shaking, glowing brighter.
"TRUST US!" I yell. "Please! Just trust us!"
Her eyes meet mine through the silver light. Terrified. In agony.
Then she nods.
We surround her. Five brothers. Five Alphas.
Five mates.
"This is going to feel strange," Daxion warns her. "But we've got you."
We each place a hand on her. The moment we make contact, the bond SNAPS into place.
I feel it. Feel HER. Her pain, her fear, her confusion.
And underneath it all, I feel her wolf.
She's MASSIVE. Ancient. Powerful beyond measure.
And she recognizes us.
MATES, her wolf purrs. FINALLY. OURS. PROTECT US.
Seren gasps. "I can... I can hear her. My wolf. She's real. She's REAL!"
"Yes," I breathe. "You're not wolfless, Seren. You never were."
The silver light explodes outward, and everything goes white.
When my vision clears, Seren is unconscious in Daxion's arms.
But on her skin, glowing softly, are five marks.
One from each of us.
The mate bonds.
"What did we just do?" Lysander whispers.
Jove's voice shakes when he answers: "We claimed the Lunar Omega as ours. And when she wakes up..." He looks at us. "Everything changes."