ANNABELLA’S POV ‘ You have always wanted to leave this pack and I guess this is it. I should have known how cheap and desperate you are. Who the hell did you think you were? ‘ ‘I’m sorry Summer, it’s my father’s decision and not mine ‘ ‘ I hope you will be happy with that ruthless beast. You both deserve each other ‘ I turned on my back to face the ceiling with tears stuck in my eyes as I recalled my conversation with Summer earlier. ” I wish this whole madness would stop,” I whispered, clenching my fingers tightly on the surrounding sheet. ‘ I have decided to marry you off to Alpha Roman instead of your sister because the pack will need her and her mate’, were my father’s exact words when he called me to his office. I pulled down the sheet from my body, stepped down from the bed, and walked slowly towards the window in my white night dress, my long black hair falling smoothly behind my back. The cold night breeze raced inside the room. Immediately, I pushed the window open, my skin feeling the coldness and my bleeding heart turning hopeless in my chest. Why me and not Olivia? I thought, my hand pressed against my chest in pain. ‘But father, I also have my mate, and we are planning to get married. ‘ ‘Summer is a beta wolf, and he doesn’t need a wolf-less mate.’ Father’s words hurt, and besides being wolf-less has never been a problem between Summer and me, but why now? I shut my eyes to let down my heavy tears. It couldn’t have hurt any less. The pain was ripping my heart out of my chest and I wish I could just make it stop. It hurts a lot to be told the truth, especially by the people you love. ‘ You will only get him killed if you mate him. Summer is a good kid, and I am planning on handing the pack over to him and making Olivia his mate, so better make up your mind’ I ran my hand on my aching chest while standing by the window with tears wailing down my face as I recall every conversation I had with my father concerning this marriage thing. ‘ Did Summer know this?’ ‘ Summer is aware, and you are the only person standing in the way ‘ I lowered my head painfully, and just then, a soft knock came through the door. I turned back before cleaning my face to receive whoever it was. ” Come in,” I said, folding my hands on my chest. ” Anna, a parcel has arrived for you.” One of my pack’s omegas informed me. ” Is my name written on it?” I asked with a nonchalant face. ” Not really, but it fits your description,” she said, and I frowned as I ordered her to leave it on my bed. I heard the door shut, back, and I sighed, letting myself turn to look at what it was that was sent to me and who it could be from. ” My Bride” I read it out loud with a deep frown on my face. I took off the tag angrily and shredded it into pieces before shoving the red box under my bed for good. I still can’t believe I am getting married tomorrow. I sat on my bed with tears welling up in my eyes. How could I get married and forget all my promises to him? I shut my eyes painfully and the door just opened. I cleaned my face and stared up at the uninvited guest” What do you want, Olivia?” I asked coldly, and she grinned” I can see how prepared you are for the wedding.” She teased,” I Am sorry to cut your fun; Mom and Dad request you join us for dinner since it’s your last dinner with us,” Olivia said,d, still having that stupid smile on her face. ” Before I forget, Summer and I will be having a date for our four-month anniversary,” she said, and I stilled, not knowing what to think. Four months what? My eyes widened.” Oh, sorry to be the one to break the news to you. Summer was supposed to tell you everything” she mocked,” Why are you doing this?” I asked, and she strode in, closing the door behind her. ” Summer and I are meant to be together, don’t you get it?” Olivia said angrily. ” Summer doesn’t like you”. I told her, we both knew how much he hated her because of her arrogant personality. Throughout our years together, Summer has not for once looked at her. The only time he talked to her was when he saw her bullying me in front of the whole pack. ” You think he will tell you if he is interested in me, how naive?” She rolled her eyes and turned to leave. ” I don’t believe you.” I let her know. Anyone in my shoes wouldn’t buy any word that comes out of her mouth. She was no better than a bitch, she grabbed every opportunity to make me look stupid, and I wasn’t going to give her the satisfaction she wanted. ” Don’t forget your last dinner,” she pulled the door closed, and once again, I was left to battle with my thoughts. If there was anything, I knew Summer would never do that to me. He wouldn’t betray me for anything, not the Summer I knew. I strode down to the dining room and sat on my seat without uttering a word.” Alpha Roman sent a message for you:” Father broke the silence, and I stopped chewing whatever food was in my mouth; the mention of his name brought a sour taste to my mouth just like it did with everyone else. My hands felt heavy as I could feel Mother and Olivia staring at me. ” He sends his apology for his absence from tomorrow’s event.” Father added, and I felt my heart tighten in my chest.” He said he had something important to deal with before your arrival” he finished, and my fingers unconsciously tightened around the fork, I could feel my tears threatening to leave my eyes, but I held them back with the last strength in me” It seems he is getting ready for his mate” Olivia said sarcastically and father hemmed in response as if impressed” He sure will be better than we expected” mother said with a smile shoving food in her mouth as she glared at me from the corner of her eyes with a smile. I lost my appetite. At this point, there was no single doubt in my head that I was a burden to them. They seemed to be very okay with the fact that they were pushing me to my death. Alpha Roman wasn’t your typical sexy alpha because rumors said that he was nothing good for the eyes. They say he was a giant and ugly as a beast, they say his face was decorated with numerous horrifying scares. Others say he was cursed because of his cruelty, and others say because he killed his uncle, who was good to him. It was a fact that his pack was the strongest with gold and diamonds, but I guess that wasn’t enough to make him attractive. It was Olivia who was supposed to be prepared, she was the one who was supposed to be in my place because he chose her and not me. He demanded Olivia to be his bride and not me, the Wolf-less Anastasia, daughter of alpha Christopher. But I guess my parents loved her more to see her run into such an uninterested fate. They appreciated her too much to let her marry such a beast. It has always been her, Olivia. Even when we were kids, they preferred her more, yet everything became worse when I didn’t shift on my eighteenth birthday. My wolf failed to show up even though the pack seer claimed nothing was wrong with me. She said I had a wolf in me, yet I couldn’t feel it, and neither could anyone. Things I thought I had crumpled to my face, and the only person who held me and told me it was okay not to have a wolf was Summer, our beta’s son and my fated mate. He never abandoned me like my family did, he made me feel important even when my parents were acting all ashamed of me. I never felt this pain because I had Summer by my side. I blinked back my tears. They never took me to parties. It was always Olivia, the better one. I wasn’t allowed to leave the alpha space, and whenever a new alpha was visiting the pack, they would lock me up in my room like I was some smelling piece of trash. Olivia was the one they introduced as their daughter. No one cared about how I felt just because my wolf wasn’t showing up. ” Ana, eat your food. It’s getting cold” Mother said, and I slammed out of my thoughts. ” Summer and I will be going out on a date, so I don’t want to eat too much,” Olivia said, staring teasingly at me. I didn’t want to believe her, but I was scared she might be telling the truth. Summer was angry with me because he heard I was getting married to alpha Roman, but would he go as far as being with my sister? I wanted to discard the thought and call it stupid, but somewhere within me, I sensed some truth in Olivia’s words. Olivia was the biggest snob, but she would never make up stories like that if there wasn’t any truth in them. And Summer, he might hate Olivia for many things, but there was no doubt she was beautiful. Short black hair, pink lips, beautiful gray eyes, and her slender figure were quite a great catch. I could feel my stomach boiling in fear. I didn’t want it to be true, but Father did say he had plans to make Summer the next alpha of the pack. I didn’t know why but I was scared. ” Annabelle!” ” Yes, mother….” I replied, biting on my lips. ” What are you thinking about? You have been out for more than a minute”, mother complained. ” I don’t want to get married,” I said, staring at my father, and at that minute, I felt Summer’s presence. I noticed him walking towards us from the door and his pretty eyes fixed on me. My stomach twisted and tightened at each step he took. His short brown hair looked disheveled like always with a strand lying on his forehead. ” We have already discussed this,” my father said, and my eyes moved from Summer.” No, Father, we haven’t,” I said, shifting my gaze back to Summer, who was helping Olivia out of her seat, so they could leave for their stupid date. ” It’s tomorrow, and that is final.” Father slammed his hand on the table before standing on his feet. My heart hammered in my chest as I stared at Summer and Olivia stepped out. Were they going to deprive me of my mate too?
ANNABELLA’S POV I texted Summer and asked him to meet me at the small park near the border and I was happy he agreed. I hope he agrees to leave the pack with me because I couldn’t imagine my life without him, and the fact that he went out with Olivia made me want to pull her hair out, it set my heart ablaze and it hurts seeing mate with another. I walked out of the house carefully making sure no one was around to stop me, with my small bag hanging on my shoulder, making sure to empty my savings box. We would need the money once we were out of the pack. I got out of the house in no time and set off towards the park, happy to meet Summer. I ran my way through the darkness as I couldn’t wait, constantly looking back to be certain I wasn’t followed. I finally found myself in the huge clearing, the same place I used to play with Summer when we were kids. So many beautiful memories. Summer and I had been together since I could remember, and I was glad to be chosen as his mate and not only his best friend. A smile tagged on my lips as I recalled those days when I would spend the whole day with him on this field. He wasn’t entirely mean to me when we were kids because he would scold anyone who bullied me, even though he was my biggest bully. I stared around and noticed him walking towards me from the other edge. He was dressed in blue jeans and a black shirt with his hair looking like usual. My legs just couldn’t wait as I ran into his arms, wrapped my arms around his waist tightly and my head rested on his broad chest. I had wanted to do this the moment he showed up at the dinner” Summer”. I moaned his name, closing my eyes. Back then, my only fear was that Summer would leave me because I was Wolf-less, but now it was my father and Olivia. ” Why did you ask me to come here?” He asked impatiently as if he couldn’t stand my present, but that wasn’t possible because he loved me too much to hate my present. ” Summer, I am sorry about everything. I know I had always wanted to leave this pack, but not without you. Believe me, when I say I love you” I said, and he pulled away, slightly unwrapping my hands from his waist,” Let’s leave this pack, I know it’s crazy, but that is the only way we can be together” I pleaded, staring up hopefully in his eyes. His eyes widened a little as he glared back at me. ” Yes, I want us to leave this pack and settle somewhere. I don’t want to live without you, I don’t want to get married, I don’t want to stay in this pack, I’m tired of being the other daughter, I want to find a new life with you, I just want to be happy with you like we used to” I teared up. I missed those days when he would spend the entire day with me on this field and constantly remind me how much he loved me. He was the best thing that ever happened to me and just like I loved him. He loved and cherished me unconditionally despite me being Wolf-less. The kind of love I never got from my parents was given to me by him and I would appreciate it for the rest of my life. “Just agree and let’s leave together. I want us to settle somewhere else” I took his hand as I looked up at him.” You think it’s okay” It wasn’t a question but I nodded, willing to take the step “I promise we will be happy together ” ” Stop it, Anna”. He cut me off before I could finish. “How can you be this selfish? I thought you promised me you would stay in this pack” he said angrily, and I lowered my head.” Do you want to leave your family and run away? I never thought you could be this heartless?” He accused me, and I felt tears in my eyes. What was he talking about? He just called me selfish when he knew I wasn’t the problem here. ” The pack is going down, and you think it’s alright to leave?” he sounded as if I was the bad guy here.” Wait, did you expect me to agree to marry him?” A part of me wanted to know his answer while another part wished I didn’t ask” It’s okay to make some sacrifice for the people we love” he replied coldly, and I trembled back” You can’t possibly be serious” I shook my head with a painful smile on my face.” My family doesn’t care about me and you know it. You are not blind to not noticing how much the pack hates my guts.” I was only safe in this pack because the alpha was my father. I couldn’t tell how long they would keep their claws off my flesh because now it was obvious my family didn’t care about me, since they were willing to sacrifice my life for the betterment of the pack and that of Olivia. What about me? ” Please do this for us. Let’s leave this pack together. I’m sure we will get another pack to join once we are out of this place” I have always wanted to live somewhere else, somewhere far from this pack, but not like this. I wanted it to be a journey, not a run. I stared pleadingly at him while holding onto his hand. “Let’s get married somewhere,” I said desperately, and he gently pushed me aside and turned to stride back.” Summer!” I ran after him, leaving my bag on the ground. I was determined to make everything right, I understood he was angry with me because I didn’t tell him about the marriage thing, but that was because I didn’t want to hurt him.” Can you hear me out first!” I yelled, and he stopped. I grabbed his shirt from behind, and he stopped.” Summer, I don’t want to marry him,” I said, with tearing eyes. I couldn’t imagine myself with that ugly beast.” Am scared, Summer”. I was terrified, not like there was anyone who would be happy being in my shoes. Alpha Roman wasn’t a good man. The rumor of him killing his uncle wasn’t a good one. I couldn’t imagine myself married to that said beast. ” Summer….” Murmured, pleadingly. ” Annabella” he called my name in full and my lips hung open. My wet teary eyes stared back at him in confusion. During my years with Summer, he only enjoyed calling me by my nickname. He never once called me by my full name, just like right now.” Don’t you get it?!” He growled. Startled, I trembled back.” Your marriage with that beast is the easiest way to save the pack from going south.” What? ” Summer” Someone called sweetly, and my eyes flew to my side and frowned the moment I saw Olivia walking towards us with a familiar smirk on her face. I watched quietly as she paused beside Summer and grabbed onto his arms tightly. Her smell hit me and the frown on my face deepened. She smelled just like him and Summer smelled exactly like her! Were they together? ” What are you doing here?” I asked, my heart racing in my chest.” Isn’t it obvious?” She leaned more against him with a smile that brought fear to my face.” I should be asking you that because you ruined my night with my mate” Olivia accused, and my gaze shifted to Summer who was letting Olivia touch him in front of me without any attempt to stop her.” He is my fated mate, Olivia” I reminded, frowning as she shamelessly slipped her hand into his. ” As if he thinks the same”, she rolled her eyes and my eyes slowly went to Summer’s cold face. I was expecting him to pull away from her or ignore her just like he usually did, but he didn’t do any of it. He seemed calm as if it was okay for my sister to hold hands with him, tears threatening to leave me. ” He will soon be declared the alpha of this pack, so learn to accord him some respect” Olivia scolded, and my lips parted with tears running down my face.”Alpha?” My gaze flickered to Olivia who was clutching onto my boyfriend like a second skin. ” Tell her the truth, Summer, unless you want me to tell her,” Olivia threatened, and I sniffed, wiping away my tears. ” T-tell me w-what?” I asked, confused.” I can tell her if you won’t tell her…” Olivia sang out with an evil smile” I’m sorry, Annabella” Summer started, wrapping his hand around Olivia’s shoulders” Olivia and I are getting married soon” he said nonchalantly, and I blinked, tears running down my cheek. I felt my feet shaking and my chest hemming. ” You promised me you would never break our bond”, I murmured pitifully and painfully, my heart shattered into a million pieces. His words were like a digger struck in my chest, right into my heart. ” Promises are meant to be broken, dear Annabella” Olivia teased, and I shook my head in disbelief. The Summer I knew wouldn’t do this to me. He would never hurt me like this because we were mates.” Summer will never hurt me” I protested and grabbed her hand angrily to pull her away from him, but he pushed me to the ground instead.” You have no right to touch Olivia. I won’t warm you again” he threatened, sounding like a different person. He was no longer sounding like the sweet and loving mate I was willing to live the rest of my life with. ” Did my father force you to do this?” I asked with tears stuck in my eyes. I didn’t understand why he could change and forget everything so quickly. He promised we would be together till death. He told me he would never stop loving me no matter what, but now, tears slipped out of my eyes.” Don’t be naive, Annabella Summer is done with a wolf-less she-wolf like yourself.” Olivia said dryly, but my attention wasn’t on her. I was trying to wrap my head around what just happened even though it was hard for me to take it in. He used to protect me from Olivia, but now it was the exact opposite. ” Let’s leave, Olivia” Summer, my best friend of fifteen years and boyfriend of three years, said to my sister and, just like that, they started walking away. I felt pain in my heart as I watched them walk hand in hand like love birds. It was as if my heart was on fire. Seeing him leave with Olivia felt like a goodbye, something I never thought would ever happen. Was it so easy for him to just let everything go? Did Summer mean what he said? I felt my throat dry up as I fought so hard to not break down.
ANNABELLA’S POV I didn’t know how long I stayed in the park crying, but there was one thing I was sure of, and that was I was hurting. I never expected it nor did I want to believe it because he loved me. What if he was forced by my father to do this? What if he didn’t mean what he said? So many things ran inside my head as I found it difficult to believe he was getting married to Olivia. I knew Summer too well. He would never hurt me on purpose. He might have said that, so I would stay in the pack. He promised me he would protect me no matter what, right? He told me he would never let anyone hurt me, including my father and Olivia. Maybe that was his way of fulfilling his promise. I stared down at my palm, which had a small bleeding cut and my heart squeezed in my chest as I realized I was hurt because of him. I felt my heart pulling apart at that instant just at the thought of the possibility of him telling the truth. Hurt and broken, I stared up at the path they took. I didn’t think for once that Summer would do this to me, to us, after everything we shared. He told me he loved me. He promised me he would never neglect me or be ashamed of me like my parents did, but he eventually did. Just like everyone else, he also went for Olivia. Everyone seemed to like Olivia more. First was my parents, and now Summer. Why couldn’t I be the one? I have lived in her shadows since we were kids and still do. I was always compared to her because, in my parents’ eyes, I wasn’t good enough to be their daughter. Just like I had never been wealthy enough to be called their daughter. Everyone in the pack, including my parents, thought of her as the better one. I was ignored throughout my whole life like I didn’t exist. They never gave me a reason to see myself as good enough, as I have always blamed myself for the way the pack and my family treated me. The special moment of my eighteenth birthday when his wolf recognized me as his mate greeted my memory and I felt like running after him. We were both excited as he kept thanking the moon goddess and praying I wouldn’t leave him. The moment when he begged me to never leave him brought enough pain to my chest as I walked slowly toward the entrance of the park. He told me I was the center of his life. I pushed my hair back and at that instant, I felt pain in my chest and a weird noise coming from behind one of the trees. I paused, cleaning my face with the back of my hand. Curiously, I took my steps closer, and to my surprise, it was Summer and Olivia! I didn’t know if they did it on purpose, but I felt pain. His face was buried deep in between her legs while his hands held tightly onto her naked thighs to push them apart. I gaped and trembled back in shock, feeling my feet numb. They were having a moment, and they seemed to be enjoying each other. ‘ Summer’ I thought, as tears blurred my vision, and as if he heard my thoughts, he stared away from Olivia, who was busy moaning her throat out. His eyes turned black like his wolf was pushing forward. And I guess it recognized me, he shoved him away and went back to suck Olivia’s pussy like he couldn’t stay away from her. My lips parted in shock. My face paled like a thousand times. Summer and Olivia? My legs started shaking as if they couldn’t take my weight. I shook my head in tears as I remembered what Olivia said to me earlier ‘Sumer and I would be having a date for our four-month anniversary’ How could he do this to me? Why did my life seem difficult? I turned back to run, feeling like a fool. Could it be that Dad knew Summer and Olivia were together and that was his reason for wanting to make him the alpha of the pack when he knew he was my mate? So many years with him and he did this to me. He lied and deceived me. He treated me like a fool, just like everyone else. Rain suddenly started pouring as I ran into the woods with tears and silent sobs leaving my mouth. It hurt a lot. I could feel my chest wailing in pain. After running for a few minutes, I stopped by the lake and fell on my knees as my sobs resounded in the quiet night. What about me? Why was I always the one hurting? Summer was mine but I was the one hurting. Since when have they been fooling me? Was it their plan to hurt me? When did Summer change this much? I couldn’t grab hold of my senses anymore. Nothing was making sense to me, the only thing that I understood was the pain in my chest. ” Why did it hurt this much?” I whispered to myself, touching my chest. Was it because we were fated mates? I could feel the heat of his fornication. I could feel unending tears in my eyes, but I couldn’t cry anymore because I was tired and drained. My hand climbed up to my chest and grabbed hold of the necklace around my neck. It was a gift from Summer for my eighteenth birthday, the night we discovered we were not only best friends but mates. Back then, I thought nothing would ever separate us because I believed him when he told me fate had declared my position in his life. How easy it was for him to forget all that. I smiled painfully, squeezing the necklace in my hand. I let him do this to me. I pulled the necklace from my neck and shoved it in the lake with a heavy heart. Summer has made a choice. It should be over for me by now. I turned to head back to the pack. There was no future for me anywhere, everything was gone. The moment I pushed the door open, I came face to face with my father, Alpha Christopher. He seemed furious; beside him stood the disgusting Olivia.” You dare try to run away. How dare you try to disobey me!” He growled as he pulled me by my hair and shoved me onto the cold floor.” You planned to get us all killed, didn’t you?” He asked furiously, and I shook my head immediately with tears running down my face. I was already exhausted.” You ungrateful child, did you think Summer would need a useless she-wolf like you? Did you possibly think I would hand this pack to you?” He growled, and I covered my head with my hands in panic, curling myself on the floor.” Why can’t you be a little considerate towards your parents and this pack?” He scolded me and I felt like laughing. What was there to be considered? They never loved me, and now he wanted me to be considerate and sacrifice myself for them. Wasn’t he being selfish by asking me to do that for the pack? Olivia was the one he wanted, but instead, he chose to protect her by using me and why was that? I parted my lips as I felt breathless. The pain in my heart was becoming unbearable. I was betrayed by my parents, my fate, my sister, and my pack. How did I end up like this? ” Lock her up in the cell until she comes back to her senses,” Father ordered, and I felt myself being pulled up from the floor. I was dragged out of the living room in the dark and into one of the pack’s cells. I was hurt, broken, and betrayed by everyone I grew up knowing. I felt alone and abandoned and, at that moment, I felt there was nothing left to fight for. I realized there was no point fighting. I felt my eyes heavy as I drifted off to sleep. I picked up the clicking sound of the opening cell and I flipped my eyes. ” Have you made up your mind?” He stepped inside the cell with his cold, nonchalant face, ” Good morning, alpha Christopher”, I said, pulling myself from the floor, and I saw a scowl on his face. ” Does that answer my question?” He demanded, and I sniffed, pushing my hair back. I could feel my eyes swollen from the heavy tears I heard last night but does it matter?” Do I have a choice?” I asked, sitting up straight, and his silent gaze lingered on me, and for a second, I thought I saw something like regret in his eyes. It was as if he was having second thoughts, but that wasn’t it. Just my imagination.” Get inside your room; the pack will be waiting for you in the church,” he said coldly, and I nodded with my back leaned against the wall.” I have a favor to ask, Alpha Christopher” He was about to walk out when I spoke. ” What do you want?” He turned back toward me and I smiled bitterly. He was indeed ready to use me as a bid for the peace of the pack, how unfortunate life could be. I wished he would protect me like he did with Olivia, but that would always be my dream.” Can there not be a wedding?” I asked and he narrowed his eyes. I mean, what was the point? I was sure the pack members wouldn’t even attend it, so why waste the money? ” If that is what you want, then fine” he agreed, and a tear slipped down my eyes. It’s settled.
ANNABELLA’S POV Fate has thrown a dark shade on me that I doubt I will ever recover from this betrayal. Standing beside my window dressed in a long red gown that showed enough of my cleavage and had a long cut up to the middle of my left thigh. My two packed luggage standing beside my bed, my hand crossed against my chest in silence as I stared out of my window, waiting to say my goodbye. Even though everything was taken from me by my twin sister, Olivia, I still feel sad because I was leaving. Besides, this pack had been my home right from the beginning. Every single tear and laughter I experienced happened right in this pack. No matter how much pain I think this pack has cost me, I still can’t help being emotional. I would be leaving any moment from now. It was just a matter of time, I just had to wait a little longer. Soon I won’t have to deal with Olivia again. I blame myself for my difficult life, but I hated Olivia for everything. ” Annabella”. I turned back from the window and guessed who it was. ” What do you want?” I asked coldly with an unhappy face,” I just want to make sure you don’t run away,” Olivia said sarcastically, making herself comfortable on my bed, and I could feel my face turning cold in anger. ” I hope you are not blaming me for your misfortune,” she said lazily as if she was innocent. Who else did she want me to blame if not her? After all, she was the reason Summer left me and the reason I had to get married to that beast in the first place. ” Isn’t it obvious I’m not planning to run?” I asked and she chuckled. ” How can I be sure? You tried that last night?” she teased, and I wiped tears from the corner of my eyes.” Can I ask you something?” I swallowed.” I will try to answer your questions if they are reasonable.” She rolled her eyes, and I nodded, feeling the beating of my heart.” How long have you and Summer been together?” I asked, my stomach twisting in discomfort as I stared painfully at her.” Are you sure you want to know that?” She glared from the corner of her eyes.” Don’t you think you owe me an explanation?” I asked and she stared back silently at me. “Four months now,” she said dryly, and I pushed back my tears. I turned to face the window. That was our birthday month, the month we both turned eighteen. How could my sister and mate decide to betray me like this? Why did he do this to me? Why cause me so much pain? “Summer didn’t want to hurt you. He thought you would die if you found out your twin sister and your mate have a thing for each other. Not as if he was wrong,” she murmured the last part, and I could feel her rolling her eyes; that was Olivia for you. ” Don’t worry, I won’t run. Besides, where will I go?” I said and smiled bitterly before cleaning my face. ” Anna”, the door busted open, and my father strode in. ” It’s time. Your ride is here” he said, his gaze drifting to Olivia. ” Take care, Olivia. I hope you will be happy”, I wished her and pulled my stuff with me as I exited the room. The drive to the park wasn’t as short as I thought. It was, so far, the longest journey I have ever been on, even though I wasn’t used to traveling out of the pack. After hours of jumping from one car to another, the car suddenly halted in front of a tall white building that looked exactly like a modern castle. As I stepped from the car, I was in awe, forgetting everything about the ugly, cruel beast I was going to live with. My eyes were busy admiring the modern structure when someone addressed me as Luna. I didn’t pay attention at first or maybe because I wasn’t used to it. ” Luna ” I turned to my side to see a tall, well-built male standing with his strong hand on my luggage, his upper body naked with tiny balls of sweat sitting on his smooth chest and his flat, charming stomach. His excellent green eyes stared at me as if he was amused, or should I say surprised? ” Ah. I’m sorry”, I pushed my long black hair from my face after clearing my throat. I stepped back unconsciously from him as I realized how close he was standing beside me.” I’m beta, Vincent” he said with a smile, and I stared away from him awkwardly.” welcome to turners pack” he said, and I gave him a small smile that didn’t reach my eyes” Shall we?” He pointed to the brown door with a welcoming smile on his good-looking face and I hesitantly led the way. Everything I saw exceeded my expectations. The Turners pack was rich, but I didn’t expect to see such luxuriousness. Their packhouse was insanely huge and beautiful. The height of the building was crazy. I watched as beta Vincent pressed twenty-six of the elevator bottom before it shut. I couldn’t help wondering where the ugly beast was. My eyes were constantly looking around as if I could avoid him in his pack.” The alpha isn’t here at the moment, and I think he is in the best position to explain that,” he said, and I frowned. What was there to explain? I was glad he wasn’t around. At least I could have a moment before my torture began. ” This is it.” he pushed the door open, and my lips parted slightly as my eyes widened a little bit. The room was top-notch, everything was like a good dream. Was I in for torture? ” I think you can figure the rest out yourself, ” Beta Vincent said, pulling me out of thought.” Thank you” I said calmly, and he smiled,” Don’t mention it”, he told me, and I heard the door shut behind me. I signed. Staring down at my luggage. After unpacking my stuff in the huge closet, I felt exhausted, and minutes later, I found myself on the cozy bed. The warm smell did calm my nerves down. I wouldn’t say I was nervous because what I was feeling was a mixture of fear and excitement. A part of me was glad about my departure from the shadow pack; that way, I wouldn’t have to see Olivia and Summer, while the other part was scared of the unknown. I couldn’t help wondering what my life would be like in this pack even though I didn’t expect to be treated like a princess. I soon drifted off to sleep without much realization. The smooth warm scent that was lingering in the room turned heavy on my nostrils. I felt cozy as I turned on my side, enjoying the new comfort that seemed to be making my sleep interesting. My eyes flipped open when I felt my hand pressed against something hard, something that seemed to restrict my movement. The room was dark, and I felt someone beside me. Immediately, I pushed my eyes open.” Don’t move ” a deep stern voice ordered, as I tried to run from the bed and I froze. Was I in the wrong room?” You smell good,” he said, pulling me to himself, and I felt my clit trembling in my underwear with his warm breath fanning my face and his strong hand wrapped around my waist. I couldn’t move as I could feel myself obeying his command. My eyes moved around the darkness for a long while before drifting off to sleep again. When I woke up the next morning, I found myself sleeping alone. I frowned when I touched the other side of the bed and found it cold. ” Was that a dream?” I whispered to myself as I glared at the other side of the bed with a frown on my face. How was that dream? I dropped from the bed after discarding the thought, it might be my imagination or something close. I arranged my bed like I used to do when I was in my old pack before striding to the bathroom to take a shower. The bathroom wasn’t anything less. The bathtub was a modern one with strange features like the ability to warm water. I enjoyed my bath, forgetting what fate lies ahead of me. In a short white dress and my hair tied in a ponytail behind my head, I stepped out of the room. And since I was feeling a bit hungry, I just thought it would be wise to make use of the huge kitchen space I saw the previous day. As I took the stairs one after the other, I was immediately engulfed by a sweet aroma that made my stomach growl shamelessly and feel starving. Who could it be? I thought as I stepped down toward the kitchen. ” Who are you?” a brown-haired woman who seemed to be in her late thirties questioned me and I stopped, looking silently at her. My eyes took in her appearance, and instantly I felt a familiar feeling in my chest. And as if I sensed someone, my eyes immediately flew to the door as it pushed open. I gulped air as my eyes met with a pair of cold blue eyes that seemed more like the deep ocean” Good morning.” He strode towards me and placed a soft kiss on the corner of my lips shamelessly. And I felt a shiver the moment his warm tiny lips connected to my skin. He smelled just like my room, and he didn’t seem to be old. ” Alpha Roman,” the brown-haired woman greeted him with a bow, and my mouth flew open in shock.
ALPHA ROMAN’S POV “ She is in your wing,” Vincent, my beta and right-hand male, informed me. My back facing him with my front facing the window. “ She seems calmer than I expected, though she is a beauty, “ he said in amusement, but I didn’t flench. She was just a part of our deal, her place in this pack wasn’t permanent because she would be out of here in a year! Alpha Christopher was just a desperate man who would do anything to sustain his position and respect in his pack. It would be interesting to say he loved his pack, but a man like him couldn’t love anything apart from himself, and that was an advantage for me. He could fuck up all he wanted. I wouldn’t mind as long as he didn’t fuck with me. He didn’t care much about his family or should I say his daughter? He was a fucking asshole, a power-hungry beast who was more interested in his position and respect in his pack than his position in his family. I expected him to oppose when I demanded his daughter be my mate for a year and carry my heir but guess what, the man fucking agreed without a second thought, not like his pack was in bad shape. And here she was. I gave him a week to deliver his daughter to my pack but he did it in two fucking days! “ She….” “ Enough” I cut him off before he could add more. I wasn’t interested in anything about her after all, she was the daughter of her father. Men like Alpha Christopher deserve no respect, nor could they be trusted; nothing from them could be reliable. It was easy for them to do anything for power and look away from the right things, not like I was any different but I wouldn’t fucking sell my daughter. “ Make sure the money is sent to him immediately. ” I ordered since he had honored his side of the bargain there was no need to delay his money. Though I could decide to not send the money to him after all his daughter was already in my pack and my room waiting for me to fuck her and release my seeds into her through her pussy I was a man of my damn words and I didn’t intend to look back from what we agreed on. I would do exactly as promised, but if he took any wrong fucking step, I would fuck him up. I wouldn’t hesitate to have his head if he tried something funny. “ Sent,” Vincent said and my phone immediately started ringing. “ Alpha Roman ” his cunning tone reached my ears the moment I attached the phone to my ears. The joy and the excitement weren’t hideous. “ I want to thank you for honoring your words. It is a pleasure to have a deal with you, alpha Roman” he said as if I was the kindest man on earth. I wasn’t a fool to believe his polished tone. I knew how the world looked at me and the names that were laid out there for me, but I was pleased that none of these alphas spoke their mind before me. I was well aware of how they addressed me behind my back. I was indeed the beast of the night but how could they call me that when none of them have set their eyes on me? How sure were they that I was a beast? “ You did your part,” I said, my cold deep voice slicing through the quiet room. I was labeled as the beast even though not many of them had seen me before. I ate and slept in darkness because I was a rear bleed and almost impossible. One of the things my uncle tried to use against me and stop me from taking part in the pack issues after my father died was my wild wolf. He tried to get me locked up for eternity, but I didn’t let that happen. Thanks to him I got used to darkness. My wolf wasn’t a pure breed because of the different supernatural blood racing through my bones and that was more of a curse than a blessing. Demons have no business with werewolves! “ I hope Annabella hasn’t created any scene,” he said and my lips parted, my eyes turned to gold hearing her name. “ Annabella,” I whispered her name in silence and shut my eyes to imagine what she looked like, and for the first time, I felt myself relaxing in my imaginary world. Her name seemed to flench something in me, something foreign yet part of me. “ I wouldn’t mind if you decide to punish her for every wrong she may do in the future,” he said and his eyes flipped open. “ She is no longer your responsibility!” I growled on the phone and the line went silent. “ Annabella..” “ Say her name one more time and I will fuck you up!” I cut him off, and once again, the line went dead silent with only his breathing. “ Our deal is close, “ I said in a warning tone that surprised me. I didn’t understand why I was overprotective of a woman I hadn’t seen yet, but I guess I had every right to be because he fucking gave her away without trying to find another way to rescue his pack. Besides, I paid a huge amount of money. For her to be in this pack. I was sure other alphas would lend him as much help as he needed but he chose the rough path, the darkest but easiest path. “ I don’t want to hear from you again,” I said coldly and handed the phone to Vincent who in return gave me a shocked expression. “ You don’t mean what you just said,” he said but I didn’t need to reply to him to assure him I meant it because I fucking meant it. Until the one-year deal was over, he had no fucking right to call me and ask me about her, and even at that, she would have to fulfill her side of the bargain,n, which was to give me an heir! “ What if he calls her?” He asked but I didn’t let out a word because I knew he wouldn’t dare. He wouldn’t try to go against me on purpose; he knew what I was capable of, hence I doubt he would ruin his luck. “ What about her?” Vincent asked and I turned to face him. “ What do you mean?” I asked with a frown. “ What if she calls him instead?” he asked. “ He can’t answer, ” I said sternly and he nodded. “ I will make sure of that, ” he said before turning to leave my office. Until the entire deal is done, he has no right to call or speak to her. Alpha Christopher couldn’t be trusted, who knows what might be going on in his head? I waited for night to fall before exiting my office. I headed to the alpha building and straight to my wing. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to see her but I guess it would be fair to show myself to her. I was curious about the woman I was possessive of, I wanted to know what kind of a daughter alpha Christopher has even though the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. I pushed the door open, and her sweet strawberry scent hit me, and my wolf growled in my head. ‘Mate, ‘ the word rang in my head, and I narrowed my eyes, trying to spot her in the darkness. Her scent was quite addicting, it was nothing I had smelled before, and I guess it had a lot to do with the fact that she was my fucking mate. Was this the best that could happen? The woman I purchased with my money to carry and bear me an heir within a year was my destined mate! At that instant, my wolf pulled forward and I didn’t fight him because I wouldn’t win. Whatever he wanted, he got and I have long come to understand that. My wolf took over completely the instant I pushed the bedroom door open. My gaze landed on the part of the room where her scent was heavy and that was the bed. She was fucking sleeping at this time, did she even have something to eat? I stepped closer and stared down at her through the darkness with my hands caged in my pocket. I could make out her faint breath aside from her beautiful innocent smell. Staring at her through the darkness and listening to her faint study rhythmic breath. I was amused by her innocent thinking, I doubt she was anything like her coward of a father. I was expecting to see her awake and waiting but I guess I was wrong. I dropped beside her on the bed as my hand went into her silky long hair. My eyes shut on the spot as I let myself inhale deeply her scent and a lot of growl slipped down my throat. My left hand slipped to her tiny waist and pulled her to myself, my dick already standing erect and affected. I felt her body move and I shut my eyes open. “ Don’t move,” I commanded, and I felt her body stiffen. “ You smell good “ I complimented in a deep husky tone. My body pressed against her and my face buried in her hair. Her strong strawberry scent engulfed me and I didn’t know when I fell into slumber. By the time my eyes opened, I felt the chipping of the birds and the sneezing of the early morning breeze. My eyes shifted to the window, and I noticed it was still dark outside, and she was still sleeping. I slipped out of bed quietly, making sure not to wake her up. I headed to my office where I met Vincent waiting for me. “ Should we be expecting an heir soon?” His voice crushed into me the moment I opened the door. “ Get someone to make her breakfast “ I instructed, shutting the door behind me. “ Your wing?” Vincent asked but I ignored him. “ Why do I feel you are bending your own rules?” He asked and I stared up at him while I sat comfortably on my chair. “ Leave,” my cold voice made him shut his mouth, and the next minute he was out of my office. For the first time in my life, I wished the blood moon was fucking over so I could leave the darkness in which I was bonded to. I wanted to see her often and I couldn’t believe how I fucking missed her scent. Day broke in no time, and all I could do was stare at the huge, packed building from my dark office. The process felt like an eternity for the first time; my wolf was restless for the second time in decays, and I knew she was the reason.
ALPHA ROMAN’S POV My wolf was restless; he was going wild with the distance between us and Annabelle, but I couldn’t overlook the situation; many lives would be at risk. The blood moon wasn’t yet over; hence, it would be dangerous to step out. I spent half of my years locked up in darkness in the hope of taming my wolf. I have long believed my existence was with darkness, it has always been the same procedure over and over again. I go through the same thing every year in fact, it has been a routine, a way to keep my wolf in check since the blood sun happens to be his doom. The daylight that comes after every night was our curse, The Blood Sun! I have to avoid daylight for six months every two years during the blood moon. The last time I stepped out in the blood sun, I lost control and killed someone close to me. Since then, I have resulted in this measure. The darkness was the only way to avoid the blood sharing. My wolf, Xade, gets out of control on the last day of the sixth month which was why the underground room was built with unbreakable metals. The funny thing was I have never felt this restless nor tired of the dark because I have always loved being away from the world, but this time, I couldn’t let myself feel the same way. I wanted to smell her, touch her, and feel her presence. I wanted to be closer to her more than I have ever been and I wished the blood moon was fucking over. “ Alpha Christopher is still adamant about your warnings. He claims to have rights over his daughter.“ Vincent’s voice broke through my thoughts but I immediately restrained myself from doing what I knew how to do best. My cold face faces the small opening at the window that displays the huge pack building. I want this to be over so I can deal with things my way. Six months in this tiny room have suddenly become stressful. “ Call her number,” I ordered, and Vincent pulled out his phone from his pocket. “ She isn’t answering, ” he informed me after a few seconds and I turned towards the door in cold anger. I warned him not to call her or fucking speak to her! “You can’t leave this room, Roman, “ Vincent reminded me and I halted at the door. “ It’s the last day of the sixth month, “ he pleaded, but I ignored him and went ahead to open the door. Her brown eyes shifted to me the minute I stepped into the room. “ Alpha Roman. “ I guess she was the one Vincent arranged for Annabella; my gaze didn’t leave hers. I noticed a confused look appear on her face but that didn’t stop me. “ Good morning” I placed a soft kiss on her forehead before stepping back with my hands caged in my pocket, my cold eyes staring back at her. I couldn’t hold back my growl when her arousal sprayed in the air. My eyes turned gold while I stared at her with lust. Her face flashes in embarrassment, and she immediately runs back into the room. My eyes narrowed as I stared at her juggling ass. ANNABELLA’S POV A pair of cold dark blue eyes, short white devil hair, and a cold, perfectly sculptured face. “ Luna ” a knock on the door pulled me out of my thoughts as I suddenly stood up from the bed. “ W-who is there?” I stuttered, my gaze pointed to the door with a pale face as if I had seen a ghost. My shaking hands clenched onto my white dress, my heart throbbing in my chest. “ The alpha has left, and I just thought I should let you know, and your food is getting cold.“ she spoke, and I bit hard on my bottom lip. I didn’t know why I ran off like that nor did I know why my body reacted the way it did towards his touch. It was very embarrassing, uncultured, and very mannerless. Why was the scared? The chill that ran through my spine, the tangles that crawled on my skin like mahouts, and the throb that I felt in between my legs. My heartbeat smashes in my ears like a playing drum, and my throat… Ahhhh……. I blew out a mouth full of air as I fanned myself with my hand. Something like this has never happened to me, even with Summer, who was my fated mate; I never felt this way with him or anyone else. It was a strange feeling yet my body seemed to accommodate it very well. Why was I worried? Summer’s touch has never made me this vulnerable and embarrassed before. We were mates but not once did a mere peck from him make me feel this stupid. What just happened? I swallowed and stared around the room restlessly, I couldn’t believe it happened. How did it happen, I just didn’t know what came over me or why his touch aroused me in the first place. Goddess, I feel like locking myself in this room forever because I doubt I would be able to face him. I pushed my hair back from my face, I couldn’t stop myself from feeling embarrassed. Staying in the room without food was he; I didn’t know what to do, nor did I have the peace I wanted. My stomach wouldn’t stop growling nor could I stop myself from walking to the door. I traced my steps towards the kitchen only to freeze at a sudden nose that seemed to be arriving from there. “ Luna ” the brown hair woman whom I met in the kitchen early this morning stepped out of the huge kitchen space with two plates in her hand. “ Thank goodness you are here, I was starting to worry.” She dropped the two plates on the table. “ You didn’t eat anything during breakfast, so I decided to serve you something for lunch, and I hope you like it. ” I watched as she pulled out more plates from the kitchen with a smile on her face as if she enjoyed what she was doing. She didn’t look like the defensive woman I met in the morning but what changed? “ I hope you enjoy my cooking, ” she said and my gaze shifted from her face to the countless beautiful dishes that were showing on the table. I couldn’t agree less; I was sure I would love them, but my gaze went up to the door, and she smiled. “ Alpha Roman doesn’t come here often.” She said and I narrowed my eyes. Wait, what did she mean she didn’t come here often? “ Don’t get me wrong. You need to eat,” she said, discarding the topic as if telling me not to ask any questions, and I nodded, understanding what she meant. “ Enjoy your meal, “ she said but for some reason, I wasn’t hungry anymore. I sat on the chair and grabbed a fork but I couldn’t get something right. If he doesn’t come here often then was his coming here in the morning a coincidence? What about last night? “ You can tell me what you like to drink during lunch, and I will make it for you,” she requested politely, and I stared up at her in a daze. “ I’m fine, thank you.“ I said in a low tone and started stuffing food into my mouth even though I had lost a huge part of my hunger.“ Okay, Luna” she left my side in the kitchen. I wondered why they said he was an ugly beast because he wasn’t. He was charming and very handsome looking but I doubt he was any friendly. He was something else, very different from all the men I had seen, and I didn’t know why, but I guess something was weird.
ALPHA ROMAN’S POV In the dark cell, my wolfish golden eyes were what stood out; my wolf was completely in control, and my huge black wolf was lying on the cold floor with its head on its lap. Its tongue stuck out as it studied breath resound in the dark cell. It was the last day of my imprisonment, and I couldn’t wait for it to be over; I couldn’t wait to step out in the open again. It would be over after tonight, I thought to myself as my gaze ran around the familiar dark space. Darkness was a world that perfectly suited me and this cell was like my normal room to me because I spent more time here than I did in my room. It was the only place that accommodated me and my wolf, it prevented him from breaking boundaries and stopped me from spitting blood. I shift, growl, and endure all the pains that run through my veins during this time of the year, The Blood Moon! A loud growl erupted from my throat that shook the building and I immediately knew it was midnight. My wolf raised its head to look up at the small window that sits at the left side of the cell. Though it wasn’t purposely for light I could see the light of the moon entering space through the small open. My wolf walked up from the floor, and a cold, malicious look appeared in his eyes. It was a sight to be scared of, a view to run away from. My wolf wasn’t a pure breed and for some reason, it lost control whenever it was that time of the year. When it was that time of the year, Xade would come out with or without my permission. He got to do whatever he wanted for six months, and during this time, I avoided walking in the light or moving in the open because I didn’t want to be the one to send my pack to its grave. My wolf was a beast! A beast that needed to be tamed. I have never for once let him out, I work and rule in my human form. My pack was better off without Xade and I wouldn’t risk it. I get angry and lose control often, he attacks without listening to anyone. He was a violent piece of shit; sometimes, I fear for my pack’s well-being. What if what happened fifteen years ago happens again? What if Xade break out of these fucking chains one day and stepped out of this room? I didn’t want to think about it because I wouldn’t let something like that happen but Xade was getting violet with each passing day that passes. He let out a growl that managed to tear the heavy chain around his neck leaving the one around his waist. My father spent years trying to find a cure and a remedy for this but I guess not all curses could be cured. I was bound to hide my wolf for life and I didn’t have a problem with the reality of it. I just didn’t trust those witches enough to ask them for anything nor did I want to trust anyone. This curse was related to my birth, my existence, and everything that had to do with me. I never believed it when the revelation was made but it was too late for me to doubt. It has something to do with the different bloodlines that run through my veins. The wolf blood, witch blood, and the fucking demon blood! The curse chose me for some reason. He believed I was stronger but I didn’t want to know why. At least my father managed to find out where the curse came from before I killed him with my own hands. The terrified look that gazed at me the night I broke free from the cell, his shocking statements, and the blood that painted my pawn that night. I killed everyone in that house including my stepmother and her daughter! I could hear Xade’s painful growls and violet snarls. He turns into a complete animal, a violet beast, during this time of the year; I doubted a soul would be left to breathe if he managed to break free. Sometimes I wonder why. Why did this curse have to exist? Nobody realized how hard I found it to breathe when I recall how I destroyed the entire alpha building that night. The servants, the warriors including my father! I could feel the pain that was ripping through my bones and yet my flesh. It felt as if someone was burning my flesh, the pain was familiar yet very feign. “ Roman, “ Vincent’s voice reached me, and I immediately knew it was time to get out of this fucking hole. After a few seconds of bone cracking, I found myself standing on my feet naked. “ Good morning,” he greeted the moment he unlocked the chains from my waist, but I didn’t respond since I wasn’t knee to greetings. “What happened last night?” I asked because of the look on his face. “ I didn’t sleep last night; that is what happened,” he said, and I chuckled. It wasn’t something new so why was he complaining? “ I saw her in the garden, and it seems she didn’t sleep either,” he said, and I stopped suddenly.” Why?” I asked with a frown and he shrugged. “ She probably didn’t feel like it,” he said, but I didn’t buy it, nor did I allow myself to get busy with it. I stepped into my office naked only to find her scent dancing in the room. It was a pleasure to feel her again but what was she looking for in my office? Didn’t anyone tell her not to fucking wander around? I wasn’t sure what it was but I guess she was here. My eyes stared around for anything unusual after all, she was related to a man like Alpha Christopher. I turned back to Vincent who only shrugged his shoulders like he didn’t know anything. I grabbed the white pants hanging on the chair and shoved my legs inside.” I have checked…” I slammed the door shut before he could finish his words. I stepped into the main pack building and the alpha wing. I pushed the door to the bedroom open but much to my dismay, she wasn’t there to explain herself. My eyes snapped in the direction of the bathroom hearing the sound of running water. My gaze pulled back to the bed where her dress was neatly placed. I glared around for a while, but she didn’t interfere with my room like I thought. The only thing that has changed is the smell. Her scent was lingering strong in the room. I gazed up, back to the bathroom door when the sound of the water stopped. The door pulled open in no time, and her cute, clean face ran into view; she only had a white towel around her body. Her smooth damsel skin was wet from the shower and her face stared, shocking at me as if she had seen a ghost. My eyes went down to her exposed legs and I had to stop myself from pouncing on her. “ Ahh..” she stepped back when I did the opposite. My eyes narrowed at her little action. She looked quite innocent and deceiving. A frown settled on my face when I recalled who she was. I dropped my hands in the pocket of my white pants and pointed my gaze to her face. “ You were in my office,” I said coldly, obviously demanding an explanation. “ I-i..” she stuttered and I took a step forward. “ I wanted to bring you ….” “ Don’t bother next time, “ I warned, and she parted her lips to say something but lost the courage after meeting my cold gaze. I needed to know something I didn’t know about her. There was so much I had to know about her before trusting her as my mate. “ How old are you?” I asked and she squeezed the edge of the towel. Her scared act didn’t go unnoticed. “ Eighteen” she answered, dropping her gaze. I furrowed my brow wondering why she wasn’t smelling her mate. She was eighteen and obviously, she has passed the shifting stage. Why was she not recognizing me as her fated mate?
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