My husband wanted a divorce because his mistress was pregnant. I looked at the liver cancer diagnosis in my hand and the positive pregnancy test, then let out a sigh of relief. The liver cancer was Marcus’s. The baby was Marcus’s best friend’s. To keep me from getting suspicious, Marcus had put the house and all our savings in my name. I looked at him with feigned sympathy. “Marcus, aren’t you worried I’ll actually divorce you?” He smiled gently. “Then I’ll just have to accept it.” I shook my head. Poor guy. I turned around and married his best friend instead. Marcus couldn’t believe it. “Ava, don’t you love me anymore?” I clutched my wallet. “Don’t be ridiculous! I’m not your wife anymore. I don’t owe you anything!” My husband, Marcus Reed, was gentle, attentive, and incredibly good to me. But that didn’t stop him from cheating with Chelsea Lane, his junior from college. When I first found out, I felt like my world was falling apart. But Marcus worked in investment banking, pulling in a hefty annual salary. He earned so much, I just couldn’t bear to give him up. Plus, he had a best friend, Julian Price, a rich second-gen who was handsome and polite. I really liked him. Before, I’d felt bound by my marriage vows, only allowing myself to fantasize. But after finding out Marcus was cheating, those moral restraints just vanished.

Marcus’s best friend was Julian Price. They were colleagues. Whether it was after working on a project or when Marcus got drunk, Julian was always the one who brought Marcus home. I actually found out about Marcus’s infidelity because of one of those nights. Julian had brought a completely plastered Marcus home and said to me, “Ava, you should really go out with Marcus more often. You know how easy it is for guys to lose their heads.” After settling Marcus in the bedroom, he left. I rushed after him, demanding, “What do you mean by that? Explain yourself.” Julian sighed, then showed me intimate photos of Marcus and his junior, Chelsea. Chelsea was a repulsive woman who’d been after him since their college days. But Marcus had always been firm about being with me, so I never paid much attention.

I went through Marcus’s phone. His main SnapChat showed nothing, but he had a burner account, tucked away deep in a folder of random apps. The two of them often exchanged explicit photos and private messages. I recorded all the chat logs. I thought about compiling it all into an exposé, to blast them both online. But then I felt like that would be too easy on him. And he earned so much, I really couldn’t bring myself to let him go. I’d found out about Marcus’s cheating two months ago, and I’d been dragging my feet ever since. During this time, Julian had started showing me an unusual amount of attention.

One time, he brought Marcus home again. Marcus was absolutely wasted. We both struggled to get him onto the bed in the bedroom. As I was trying to undress him, I suddenly felt a hand on my waist. Then, a warm body pressed against mine. I gasped softly. “What are you doing?!” Julian held me close and whispered, “Ava, I’ve liked you for a long time. Haven’t you noticed?” I struggled. “Let go of me first.” “Marcus is cheating on you, why are you still with him? I’m younger, richer, and I’d never cheat on you. Ava, be with me. I’ll treat you right. What do you say?” I was about to refuse when he already leaned in and kissed me. After three years of marriage, Marcus and I barely had sex anymore. Once a month, at best. And we rarely kissed. I used to wonder if his job was draining him. Later, I realized Chelsea was probably doing the draining. Now, Julian’s fervent, lingering kisses sent shivers down my spine. With Marcus passed out right beside us, it only made it more thrilling. But I hardened my heart and slapped him! “You… you get out!” He clutched his face, which was flushed. Then he left.

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The rain poured as I rode my scooter with my daughter on the back, delivering a package of condoms. The destination? My ex-husband’s house. We’d been divorced for seven years. A woman, barely covered in a flimsy bathrobe, peeked out from behind Julian Hayes. He looked embarrassed, quickly pushing her head back inside. “It’s pouring outside, Elara. Camilla couldn’t possibly leave in this weather,” he mumbled, trying to explain. I ignored him, turning to leave immediately. Julian’s face darkened. He called out, “That’s it? You have nothing to say?” I simply said, “Don’t forget to rate your delivery.” The smile on his lips instantly froze. He grabbed my wrist tightly. “It’s been seven years. Don’t you have anything you want to ask me? Like, about me and Camilla…” My next delivery was due to be late in ten minutes. “No.” Julian was desperate to see a flicker of jealousy on my face. He frantically snatched the package bag. Several condoms and some almost transparent lingerie tumbled out. Unlike seven years ago when he was so brazen, Julian fumbled to pick them up, his face flushing crimson. “Listen, Elara, I can explain. Camilla bought these, the store assistant must have made a mistake.” But I just listened quietly until he finished. “My delivery is going to be late. If there’s nothing else, I have other customers waiting.” A rare crack appeared in his composure. His lips moved, pale and trembling. But in the end, he said nothing. Only then did he speak, “It’s still raining heavily outside. Are you going to be okay alone?” I looked at him, confused and baffled. Julian, who had never cared about such details, was now suddenly pretending to be concerned? “Mom! Why aren’t you coming down yet? The delivery’s going to be late!” My daughter, wearing her helmet, came pattering down from upstairs, her innocent little face peeking out. Julian’s eyes widened, shock evident on his face as he looked from me to my daughter, then back again. “You’re married? And you have a daughter?” Let him misunderstand. I hugged my daughter, calmly replying, “Yeah.” The color drained from Julian’s face, as if he couldn’t process this new reality. When he finally snapped out of it, my daughter and I were already heading downstairs. Julian followed, his eyes quickly turning red as he looked at my worn-out electric scooter. “How have you been all these years? Where’s your husband? How can he let you and your child deliver food in this weather?” “How can you be so careless with your safety? This broken-down scooter, it’s completely unsafe.” “Your husband is an absolute jerk.” “Forget it, stop delivering. I’ll find you another job…” He was suddenly playing the doting, responsible family man, a role he’d never genuinely embraced. If he knew whose child Hazel really was, he would chase me relentlessly. “But Julian. We’re divorced. Seven years ago.” The pounding rain suddenly felt like a bucket of ice water dumped over Julian. “Julian…” Camilla’s saccharine voice floated from the room inside. “My robe belt is tangled. Can you help me with it?” Julian’s expression froze.

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The day I announced my relationship with Liam Hayes, the CEO of Hayes Corp., my parents blew up. They exploded, declaring I wasn’t their biological daughter. They brought their true daughter, Chloe , back from a small remote town. I fought hard to keep the real heiress out of the Sterling household, even earning a reputation as a vicious villain. It was useless. Chloe stepped into my life, her eyes shining with triumph. From that day on, my parents became my adoptive parents. They cut me off from all family affairs and kicked me out of the company. Chloe even said to me, “You’ve enjoyed a privileged life long enough. You have no idea how hard my life has been. I don’t blame you, but please, stop trying to prevent me from reuniting with my parents, okay?” Ultimately, I chose to leave the Sterling home, observing their drama from a cold distance. But barely two weeks later, Chloe was crying, begging for my help. “You have to save me! I don’t want to marry that monster!” I was Aria Sterling, the family’s golden child. At school, I was a model student, top of my class. At home, I was polite and obedient. Everyone said the Sterlings had raised a perfect daughter. But when my parents chose Victor Thorne as my future husband, I rebelled. I clashed with my parents three times over Victor, even running away from home. Everyone was talking about the good girl gone rogue. My parents played the helpless victims in public. But in private, they hired bodyguards and private investigators, obsessively trying to drag me back. Eventually, I returned on my own terms and publicly announced my relationship with Liam Hayes, the head of Clover City’s wealthiest family. When my parents confirmed the news, there was no joy about marrying into high society. Only fury. They swept the entire dinner table onto the floor and watched with cold eyes as a piece of shattered porcelain cut my leg, blood streaming down my skin. “Aria Sterling, you’re unbelievable! Your father and I raised an ungrateful viper!” I sat silently in the dining chair, already accustomed to their theatrics. “So, are you still forcing me to marry Victor? Because if you are, I can’t promise the Sterling Corporation’s survival, but I can absolutely guarantee its demise.” I was Liam Hayes’s girlfriend now. Even if the Sterlings tried to force the marriage, the Thornes wouldn’t dare take me. The Thornes might be arrogant and think themselves above everyone, but even they wouldn’t dare cross the Hayes family. My parents gritted their teeth. My adoptive mother’s voice was cold. “Aria Sterling, you are our daughter, but not by blood. Our true daughter is coming home. And the Sterling Corp. shares you hold? They all belong to our true daughter. I expect every last share returned.” This was unexpected. I never looked much like my parents, a fact often noted while I was growing up. They were decidedly ordinary, my father bordering on plain. The contrast was obvious. I was striking. So striking that an offhand photo from my middle school years went viral, and my family was suddenly flooded with inquiries from entertainment agencies. I used to think it was a genetic mutation. The truth, it seemed, was that I simply didn’t share any of their genes. And from their tone, they seemed to have known all along that I wasn’t their own. I frowned, sending this piece of news to Liam. “Oh, and who knows if the Hayes family will still acknowledge you once you’re no longer ‘Miss Sterling.’” My adoptive mother, who had raised me for over two decades, now looked like a wicked stepmother from a fairy tale, glaring at me with a twisted face. I promptly forwarded her message to Liam too. His reply came almost instantly. “Even better. I won’t have to worry about you having Sterling genes and us ending up with an ugly child after we get married.” I immediately relayed Liam’s words. He was backing me up, and I wasn’t about to waste the chance to leverage his power, ensuring that while I was still in the Sterling house, they wouldn’t dare lay a finger on me because of the Hayes family. I’d asked Liam to track down the real Sterling heiress, and he hadn’t disappointed. He’d found her. I immediately set off for a remote, forgotten town, deep in the countryside. There, in a dilapidated farmhouse, I found Chloe, covered in grime, feeding pigs, alongside my birth parents, Mr. and Mrs. Miller. I stood before Chloe. She sized me up and said, “You must be Aria Sterling. Hello. From today on, my name is Chloe Sterling, as in ‘glorious’ Chloe.” I nodded slightly. It seemed the Sterlings had already filled her in on the truth. I looked at her, speaking seriously. “The Sterling family isn’t a good place, Chloe. If you’re willing to abandon this idea of going back, you can name your price.”

Chloe’s expression immediately hardened. She pressed her lips together, clearly annoyed. “My parents raised you for over twenty years, and this is how you talk about them behind their backs?” “Didn’t my parents raise you for over twenty years too? And you’re just cutting ties with them right away?” I shot back. Chloe slammed the basin in her hands onto the ground. “Look at the difference between us! What kind of life did you live in my house? And what kind of life did I live in yours? You want this life? You can have it!” I had to admit, it was because of her identity that I had my current capabilities. The Sterling family had indeed elevated me. But I didn’t feel guilty. I simply looked at her, asking calmly, “Was your childhood happy?” Before I arrived, Liam had already sent me a background check on my birth parents. They weren’t wealthy, but they owned a farm, and their daily income was substantial enough that they never lacked food or clothing. And my parents had only one child – Chloe. Growing up, Chloe also had everything she wanted. While not extravagant, her life was one of comfortable contentment. Chloe gritted her teeth, glaring at me. “Life without money isn’t happiness! You’ve been Miss Sterling for two decades. How could you possibly understand the struggles of ordinary people like us?” I lowered my head and chuckled bitterly. Humans truly are interesting; they always envy the lives they haven’t lived. Chloe envied my privileged, comfortable life as a rich girl. And I envied her free, cherished life with her parents. “From the age of three, my life was a relentless cycle of dance, piano, and foreign languages. While other kids played, I was shuttled between tutors and instructors, trapped in various classrooms.” “Until six months ago, I never knew freedom.” “I..” Before I could finish, Chloe raised her hand, cutting me off. “Enough! Are you trying to brag about your life as a rich girl? You’re sick!” She pushed me away. After taking a few steps, she turned and added, “Aria Sterling, I don’t hate you for taking my life. I know it wasn’t your fault. But if you try to stop me from going home, then you’re just pathetic and evil.” Chloe might have a temper, but she knew right from wrong. And that’s precisely why I wanted to stop her from going back to the Sterlings. Because the Sterling heiress was destined for sacrifice. I didn’t learn all those things growing up because I liked them; it was because the Sterlings needed a perfect daughter. Besides me, the Sterlings had a son, Julian. He was the one they truly intended to elevate. To ensure Julian could mingle in elite circles, I had to be the perfect, obedient daughter. Whenever my parents took me to gatherings, I was expected to charm every adult, to be flawlessly agreeable. Even at kindergarten age, I had to learn to sit quietly. If they told me to perform, I performed. If they allowed me to speak, I spoke. If I failed, I faced the dreaded dark room and the sting of their ‘discipline.’ Most of my childhood was spent in that dark room. That pitch-black environment remains a nightmare I can’t shake, even now. Even as an adult, I couldn’t escape the Sterling’s control. Julian, the Sterling heir, had developed a dangerous gambling addiction six months ago. He’d lost hundreds of millions and was now being held by the casino’s enforcers. The Sterlings were desperate to get him out. The Thornes were their chosen saviors. This family had deep ties to the city’s underworld, controlling the shadowy parts of society. A marriage alliance would clear Julian’s gambling debts and give the Sterlings an untouchable, illicit powerful ally. But everyone in their circles knew Victor Thorne’s reputation: brutal, sadistic, taking perverse pleasure in humiliating others. The women he’d been involved with almost always ended up with severe psychological issues; some had even taken their own lives. For Julian’s sake, the Sterlings were willing to push their daughter into a fiery pit. I had already found a way to save myself, but I wanted to save Chloe, this innocent girl. Seeing her today, knowing her temper, I could already imagine how difficult her life at the Sterling house would be. I wanted to keep persuading her, but Chloe had already given me my marching orders. “This is still my house. Please leave.”

I didn’t leave. Instead, I waited for my birth parents, Mr. and Mrs. Miller, to return. Their expressions were incredibly complex when they saw me. There was longing and affection in their eyes, but also guilt towards Chloe. After all, from their perspective, their biological daughter had taken someone else’s happy life. “Aria, could you please leave for now? I hope you understand, darling. It’s not that your mom doesn’t love you, it’s just that… we did take advantage of the situation.” My mom spoke very gently, persuading me to leave. I couldn’t be too forceful. I stayed in a hotel, looking out at the endless night, feeling a strange loneliness. And by chance, as I was gazing at the night view, I saw Chloe on the street, laughing and playing with her friends. “Soon I’ll be a rich heiress! Don’t worry, once I’m back with the Sterlings, I’ll make sure you all live the good life too!” Watching her bright, uninhibited smile, I genuinely hoped she would have a good ending. If the Sterling family was a good place, I wouldn’t stop her. But the Sterling house was a den of wolves. She would be stripped bare, left with nothing but bones. After much thought, I bravely went downstairs. I never used to go out at night. I was terrified of the dark, a severe phobia. But this time, I wanted to stop another girl from becoming like me. I hurried out to follow Chloe. Her group was making noise and taking their time, so they hadn’t gone far. When I caught up to her, the bright smile on her face withered instantly. “Are you done yet? Are you really that scared I’ll go back to the Sterlings and steal your good life?” Chloe frowned, her eyes filled with hostility. Her friends clustered around her, glaring at me. “Your biological brother owes hundreds of millions in gambling debts. The Sterlings can’t handle it, that’s why they’re bringing you back.” I tried to keep my explanation as concise as possible. I knew Chloe had a preconceived notion of me and wouldn’t have the patience to listen. “Oh, please. You’re just terrified she’ll take back your status. Honestly, you’re shameless, wanting to hog all the good life yourself and making up stories. A billion? What’s that to the Sterlings?” Chloe completely agreed with her friend’s words and took a few steps towards me. “Aria Sterling, I promise that once I’m home, your life won’t change. I won’t let the Sterlings kick you out. So, can you please stop harassing me? You’re incredibly annoying.” I maintained my patience, explaining, “Most of the Sterling family’s assets have been squandered by Julian these past few years. You can just search online to see how extravagant he is. The Sterlings truly can’t handle this situation, so they want to use a marriage alliance…” “Hey, are you deaf? She said you’re annoying, didn’t you hear her? Can you just shut up?!” A few guys, fists clenched, started closing in on me. I instinctively stumbled back, right into a solid chest. I looked up. It was Liam Hayes. “What are you doing here?” Liam wrapped his jacket around me, speaking softly. “My security team said you’ve been down. I came to see who upset you.” I shook my head, looking at Chloe with deep concern. I wasn’t upset. I was just worried. Worried that she would fall into hell. Chloe met my gaze, then looked at Liam, her eyes seeming to understand something. She sneered, “You don’t need to waste your energy trying to convince me not to go back. I’m not interested in taking other people’s things. I just want to reclaim what’s rightfully mine.”

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I carry the rare “Phoenix Bloodline,” making conception incredibly difficult. Yet, when I do conceive, a golden phoenix emblem appears on my abdomen. Legend says, if the phoenix emblem fully covers the lower abdomen, it heralds the birth of a child blessed with “Divine Fortune.” A child of Divine Fortune holds the key to mastering the future. Julian Thorne defied his family to make me his wife. One month later, the phoenix emblem on my abdomen bloomed in full, and I was pregnant. The day our son was born, Julian’s gene company stock soared to a historic high, solidifying his reign as the new titan of the business world. But on the very day he became CEO, he personally ordered the harvesting of our son’s bone marrow to save the life of A-list actress Serena Vance’s son. I cried until I passed out. Yet, he was unmoved. “Your son’s purpose is served. He died for a greater cause. I couldn’t let him threaten Leo’s position. Don’t worry, Skylar, if you’re needed, I’ll put another child in you.” Less than a month after I gave birth, Julian took Serena to Dubai for a vacation. There, she was kidnapped by a local gang. In a brutal exchange, Julian’s men dragged me from my home and delivered me to black-market organ traffickers to secure her release. As he handed me over, he told them. “She’s the only daughter of the Miller family. She carries the Phoenix Bloodline. Her body is a treasure trove. Take it all apart.” He then whispered to me, “Skylar, Serena isn’t like you. She’s fragile and can’t endure torture. Don’t worry, once Serena is safe, I’ll get you out immediately.” I held onto those words for months. The news that finally reached me was of his lavish, highly anticipated engagement to Serena. Around the same time, I found myself pregnant again. A cold smile spread across my face as I caressed my swelling belly. Julian had no idea that with each conception, the child born is a hundred times genetically superior to the last. This child was different.

The day after Julian learned of my second pregnancy, he personally led a raid on that black market stronghold and rescued me. He wrapped me in his expensive suit jacket, holding me as we got into the car. “Skylar, you’ve suffered these past few months. Anyone who dared touch you, I’ll make them vanish from the face of the earth.” “No one will know about what happened to you here. You’re still Mrs. Thorne.” I looked up at him, as if watching a bad joke. “Mrs. Thorne?” He had held me just like this and made promises when he first found out I was pregnant. “Skylar, once I take over the group, you’ll be the most celebrated CEO’s wife in the world.” He seemed to grasp my mockery and quickly explained, “Serena grew up in the spotlight; she’s sensitive and fragile, unlike you, who’s always been strong and independent. If I don’t give her a legitimate status, she’ll completely break down.” His voice was gentle, as if I were the irrational one. “Skylar, I’m taking you home.” Just as he was about to tell the driver to go, Mr. Jenkins’ call came through. The speaker-phone’s voice was jarringly loud in the confined car. “Mr. Thorne, Ms. Vance has been crying buckets these past few days, just waiting for you to bring Mrs. Thorne back.” “Dr. Albright says young master Leo’s ‘Hermes Syndrome’ shows signs of recurrence. Only continuous treatment with live blood from a genetically stronger, closely related newborn can suppress it.” “Mrs. Thorne is pregnant again, so…” Julian snapped, interrupting him, “Shut up!” He hung up, and the air in the car instantly solidified. So that was it. He needed the child in my belly to be a living blood bank for his other son. He cautiously observed my expression, his voice softening further. “Serena almost died giving birth to Leo for me. If anything happened to him, she wouldn’t survive either. Skylar, you’re always the most understanding one. Just for me, okay?” A cold dread filled my heart, yet a forced smile appeared on my face. “Mr. Thorne, do you mean for me to give birth, then use my child’s blood to save Ms. Vance’s son? For my child to live in endless fear of blood extractions from birth, is that it?” Julian’s face tightened before he slipped back into his ‘devoted husband’ facade. “Serena’s body was ruined during childbirth; she can’t conceive again. Skylar, you’re different. If you wish, I promise we can have many more children. Okay?” When my silence stretched, the facade finally shattered, his voice turning icy. “Skylar, I’m the CEO of Thorne Group, and this is an order no one dares defy.” I nodded. “Okay. I agree.” A relieved smile immediately appeared on his face. He leaned down, intending to kiss me as a reward. But as he got closer, he seemed to smell something, his movement abruptly halting. He merely kneaded my hair with a look of disgust. The message was clear: to him, I was contaminated. They all believed that after being in a place like the black market, I had been defiled by countless men. Yet, when he himself had thrown me away, a masked man rescued me from those hungry wolves and brought me to his private island. Every night was like this after that; I didn’t know who he was, only that the entire black market revered him as king. He was powerful and mysterious, forcing me to beg for mercy every single night. My thoughts snapped back to reality as Julian’s voice rang out again, laced with condescending approval. “I knew my Skylar was the most obedient.” I lowered my head, hiding the silent sneer in my eyes. He didn’t know that with each conception, the offspring of the “Phoenix Bloodline” increases its genetic value exponentially compared to the previous one. When this child is born, it will be the day Thorne Group changes forever.

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He “died a hero” and left her drowning in debt — so I married her. I streamed day and night, worked until I was coughing up blood to pay it off. Then my chat dropped a screenshot: her “dead” husband was overseas on vacation — with her. I stormed home. She smiled into the phone: “Honey, that idiot wired another $200k.” My mind went completely blank. I fought with all my might to steady my phone and aimed it at her blissful face. You think you can make me raise another man’s child? I will make your names dirt. Watching Scarlett’s blissful expression as she looked at the man on the screen, I clenched my fists so hard my knuckles turned white. In my phone’s live stream chat, the comments were still scrolling wildly. “Holy crap! Host, look! Scarlett’s smile is so sweet, but it’s not meant for you!” “Isn’t that the ‘late husband’ from the photos? Didn’t he die serving the nation?!” “Host! Go in there! Catch them red-handed! Destroy these two pathetic cheats and ruin their lives!” I gritted my teeth, wanting nothing more than to kick the door down and expose their dirty secrets. But my feet felt like they were filled with lead. I stood frozen at the door, forcing myself to hold back. Scarlett had betrayed me. But I still wanted to hear her explain it herself. We’d been married for five years, and she had always been the most perfect wife in my heart: gentle, kind, strong. Her husband had “died for the nation,” and she’d been raising Angle all by herself, burdened with massive debts, never once complaining. All my friends told me I’d hit the jackpot, marrying such a loyal and devoted woman. I couldn’t just let it go without getting a clear answer! I took a deep breath, opened SnapChat, and tentatively sent her a message. “Honey, my live stream finished early today. I’m at the grocery store downstairs. What do you and Angle want for dinner?” On the other end of the video call, Scarlett’s face instantly went stark white. She frantically waved at the man on the screen. “Hang up! Quick! Ryan’s back!” The man frowned, looking annoyed. “What’s the rush? I haven’t even talked to my baby girl yet!” Scarlett pressed a hand to her chest, a flicker of panic crossing her face as she lowered her voice. “There will be plenty of chances later. If he finds out, everything’s over!” With a dark expression, the man’s screen went dark. Scarlett only then quickly sent me a voice message. “Honey! You’re back! Angle and I were just watching cartoons; we both fell asleep and lost track of time. I missed you so much when you weren’t home!” Her voice was soft and sweet, with the slight huskiness of someone who’d just woken up. The viewers in my live stream heard it too. “I’m gonna puke. Her acting? Even the Oscars would owe her an award!” “Host, how can you stand for this? You’re being utterly cuckolded!” “She’s so good at lying, it’s definitely not her first time!” My heart felt like a massive wad of wet cotton had been shoved inside it, choking me, making it impossible to breathe. I forced myself to suppress the disgust and replied in a normal tone. “Really? Your voice sounds pretty energetic, though.” Scarlett’s expression flickered. She quickly ran to Angle’s room, picked up sleeping Angle, snapped a picture, and sent it to me. In the photo, Angle was rubbing her sleepy eyes, looking bewildered. Scarlett immediately followed up with a voice message, a hint of playful blame in her tone. “Oh, you! Angle was just being fussy, so of course I had to be a little more awake!” She was sure I wouldn’t suspect a thing. And just like always, she petulantly rattled off a long list of groceries. She finished with: “Honey, you worked hard today! I’ll make you something delicious to make up for it when you get back!” “She’s guilty, absolutely guilty!” “I just want to jump through the screen and slap her! She’s such a faker!” I gripped my phone tightly. Through the crack in the door, I watched her put Angle down, her face instantly turning cold and calculating. A towering rage boiled within me, fueled by the humiliation of being fooled. What was I, after five years of marriage? A tool to earn money and pay off debts? An idiot helping raise another man’s wife and child? I haphazardly typed ‘Okay’ as a reply, forced my contorted expression back into place, and pulled out my keys. The comments were all urging me not to end the live stream; they wanted to see me tear that scumbag apart. I knew they just wanted a show. But a flicker of vengeful satisfaction made me, against my better judgment, listen to them. Before opening the door, I thought of a million ways to confront Scarlett. But I never expected that as soon as I walked in, her eyes were red-rimmed, and she was pointing a finger at me. “This is all your fault!” I was used to her occasional tantrums. I instinctively stepped forward, reaching out to wipe her tears. “What’s wrong?” She looked up and handed me her phone. On the screen was an email. “Angle got into that incredibly prestigious private school in the UK! But we have to pay a five hundred thousand dollar deposit first!” “You have to take care of it!”

I was almost swept away by this “good news.” Angle getting into such a good school was a dream come true for me. But when Scarlett pulled my hand to the email, pointing at that astronomical sum for the deposit, I suddenly sobered up. My hands trembled with rage. The daughter I’d painstakingly raised was now going to the UK to meet her biological father! And I, the idiot, still had to fork over one last massive payment for their reunion! Nothing could be more humiliating, more infuriating than this! Seeing me silent, head bowed, Scarlett shoved me hard. “What’s with that attitude? You don’t want Angle to go, do you?” I opened my mouth, looking up at her. “Can we delay this payment?” If she was willing to give up this plan, to cut ties with that man. I wasn’t completely against forgiving her. Who doesn’t have a past? I loved the woman she was now, and our adorable daughter, Angle. But when she heard that, she instantly blew up, staring at me as if I were a monster. “What are you talking about?!” “This is Angle’s future! Why delay it? Shouldn’t you be finding the money immediately to send us to the UK?!” She was still lying to me. I forced out a smile that was more like a grimace. I hated her shamelessness. Even more, I hated myself for still clinging to a shred of hope for her, even at this point. Before I could answer, Scarlett covered her face and began to sob bitterly. “See? You think we’re a burden, don’t you? You’ve wanted to get rid of us for a long time, haven’t you?” “Ryan, I’m telling you! Even if her dad is gone, Angle is a hero’s daughter! She deserves the best education! You can’t mess with that!” “If you can’t come up with the money, then we’re getting a divorce!” My heart felt like it was being tightly clenched by an invisible hand, and began to sink, deeper and deeper.

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WREN’S POV I smiled as I looked at the cake. It was perfect. I had decorated it myself, soft pink roses made of icing, golden beads lining the edges, and Anneliese’s name written in the middle in curly letters. It took me hours, but for once, I felt proud. Maybe she’d like it. I turned around to clean up the mess of frosting tools and empty bowls. But when I turned back… Smash. I froze. Anneliese stood there, smirking, her hand still raised after shoving the cake onto the floor. The beautiful cake I made… ruined. “Oops,” she said with a fake pout, licking the frosting off her finger. “My hand slipped.” My chest tightened, and I knelt down, trembling. I wanted to scream. I wanted to ask why she hated me so much, but I couldn’t. I couldn’t speak. I never could. The kitchen door slammed open. Gertrude. “What is this mess?” she barked. She didn’t wait for an answer. Her sharp eyes landed on me, then the cake, then Anneliese, who already had her innocent face on. “Wren did it,” Anneliese said quickly. “She got clumsy again.” I shook my head fast, trying to point to the floor, to Anneliese, but it was useless. “Get up, you useless girl!” Gertrude shouted, walking over. Then… Kick. Her foot hit my ribs hard. I fell back, gasping silently. She leaned down, her face cold and cruel. “Clean it up, and clean yourself up while you’re at it,” she snapped. “You smell like trash. But don’t you dare use the shower.” I swallowed the pain and reached for the notepad I always carried. My hands shook as I scribbled a few words: “I’ll go to the nearest creek.” Anneliese peeked at the note and burst out laughing. “Oh, right,” she giggled. “The nearest creek is in Alpha Hunter Silver’s territory. You know, the one who eats virgins for breakfast.” She mimed a bite and laughed louder. “Don’t forget to scream,” she added with a smirk. “Oh wait… you can’t.” They both laughed as I grabbed an old towel and ran out the door, the cold air slapping my face. I didn’t care. I just had to get away. I ran through the trees, not stopping even when my lungs burned. The creek wasn’t far. But just as I got close, I saw something move in the shadows. A tall figure. Watching me. Waiting. And I froze, heart pounding. I shook my head as I got to the edge of the creek. Anneliese was lying. There was no Alpha Hunter Sliver who ate virgins. That was just another story to scare me. I looked around. The forest was quiet. The water moved softly, and the wind brushed through the trees. It was peaceful. For once, I could breathe. I slipped off my dress, careful not to be fully naked. I wore a thin slip under it, and I knelt near the water, using my towel to clean the dirt and cake icing from my arms and face. Then… A hand grabbed me. I didn’t even hear him coming. I gasped, my body freezing as he yanked me away from the water and threw me beside a tree. My back hit the bark, rough and cold. It was Nicholas. Anneliese’s fiancé. The same man who stood in the kitchen earlier. Watching. Smirking. Saying nothing when the cake hit the floor. His eyes were dark now, full of something I didn’t understand. “I’ve been waiting to get you alone,” he whispered, a sick smile on his lips. “After I marry the Alpha’s daughter, I’ll be the next Alpha. And you…” His fingers moved slowly from my shoulder down to my waist. “You’ll serve me. From the kitchen… to my bed.” I shook my head fast. My heart raced. I wanted to scream. To yell. But I couldn’t. My voice was silent. Always silent. He leaned closer. “You can’t even scream,” he whispered against my cheek. “That makes it more fun.” No. I bit him. Hard. His hand jerked away and he cursed. “You little…!” He raised one hand and suddenly… Two strong men appeared. Like shadows out of nowhere. They grabbed my arms tight, holding me still. Nicholas licked his lips and stepped closer. He was about to rip off my slip when… Crash. A body flew across the forest. Nicholas hit the ground hard. The men holding me turned around, but it was too late. A tall stranger, fast as lightning, knocked one out. Then the other. He fought like no one I’d ever seen. Like a real wolf in human form. Strong. Furious. Deadly. Nicholas stood back up, blood on his mouth. “How dare you touch me?! I’m going to be the Alpha of the Wolfhart Clan!” He charged at the man, but he was too slow. Punch. Kick. Slam. Nicholas fell again, this time not moving. The stranger turned to me, breathing heavy, then came closer, slowly, as if not to scare me. “It’s okay,” he said gently. “I’m not going to hurt you. I just want to make sure you’re okay.” I backed away, afraid. But when his hand reached out to touch my shoulder, it was soft. Warm. No one had ever touched me so gently before. He was… handsome. Too handsome. He took off his jacket and wrapped it around me. My hands trembled as I held it close. Then, he reached out his hand. “Come,” he said. I stared at his palm. I didn’t know why, but I took it. And then… A red glow circled our hands. Mate bond. I gasped. My knees gave in and I fell into his chest, but he caught me, holding me steady. He looked just as shocked as I felt. Before I could write anything, a second man, his Beta, rushed over. He paused, sniffing the air. “You okay, Alpha?” Wait… Alpha? The stranger looked at me and smiled slightly. He leaned closer and sniffed my hair. “You smell like… cake?” He reached out and wiped a little icing from my cheek. Then, he licked it. “Mmm. I like it,” he said softly. I blinked fast. My eyes stung. At least someone liked it. I looked down at his wrist. A shiny gold watch. My eyes widened. I had lost track of time. I was going to be late for the party. I grabbed a pen from my pocket and quickly wrote my name on his hand: Wren. Then, without looking back, I ran. Ran fast, heart pounding. I had to make it back before anyone noticed I was gone. The lights were bright. Laughter filled the air. Music played softly in the background. Everyone was smiling, dancing, and drinking. The engagement party had started. I walked carefully, holding a tray of drinks. I wore a plain dress. No jewelry. No makeup. Just the same old shoes I’d been wearing for two years. People turned to look at me. But not with kindness. “She looks dirty,” someone whispered. “I heard she’s mute. Can’t even talk.” “Is that the Alpha’s real daughter? Doesn’t look like it.” They laughed behind their glasses of wine. But when Anneliese walked in wearing a silver gown, everyone turned to her. “Beautiful.” “She looks like a true Luna.” “Alpha blood. You can see it.” I held my breath. I kept walking, my eyes low. I didn’t want trouble. Then, I saw him. Nicholas. Standing near the table. Laughing. Talking. Like he didn’t try to hurt me earlier. My hand shook as I reached for a glass. I stepped closer to him, trying to give him a drink. But when my eyes met his, the memory hit me. His touch. His words. The fear. I froze. The glass slipped from my hand and crashed to the floor. Smash. The party went silent. “WREN!” Anneliese screamed.

WREN’S POV Before I could move, her hand slapped across my face. “You disgusting thing!” she shouted. “Can’t you do anything right?!” I pointed at Nicholas. My fingers trembled. She looked at him. Then looked at me. And slapped me again. “You will not ruin my night because you’re jealous!” Everyone around started shouting. “She’s useless!” “She probably did it on purpose!” “Get her out of here!” I couldn’t take it anymore. I pulled out my pen and paper and quickly wrote what happened at the creek. How Nicholas tried to touch me. How I fought him. I gave it to Anneliese. She looked at it, and laughed. Then she tore the paper and threw it in my face. “I don’t have time for fairy tales from a filthy maid.” Tears stung my eyes. But I wasn’t done. I wrote again and handed it to a woman nearby. She read it slowly. For a second, there was silence. I thought they believed me. Then… Laughter. Loud and cruel. “Did she just say Nicholas tried to…? Oh please!” “Nicholas? That sweet boy?” “She’s making up stories for attention!” I wanted the ground to open and swallow me. Gertrude, my stepmother, clapped her hands for attention. “I think it’s time,” she said with a fake smile. “Time to throw this useless girl out of the Wolfhart Clan. We don’t keep traitors.” My blood ran cold. “No…” I wrote, dropping to my knees. “Please…” I held her dress. Begging. Crying. “She’s no Alpha’s daughter,” Gertrude said. “She’s just a mistake. She doesn’t even have her wolf. She doesn’t belong here.” Guards came forward and grabbed me by the arms. “No!” I tried to pull away. “Please, I don’t want to be a rogue. Please…” They didn’t care. They dragged me toward the gate. Toward the edge of the territory. The rogue’s land. Wild. Dangerous. Death for a wolf without her shift. I cried harder. I was shaking. And then… A deep, powerful voice stopped everyone. “Let her go.” The guards froze. Everyone turned. Alpha Hunter Sliver. He stepped forward through the crowd. Tall. Broad shoulders. Black hair. Silver eyes. He looked like power and danger. People whispered. “I thought he was a beast…” “He’s so… handsome.” “He’s real?!” He didn’t look at anyone. He walked straight to me. His hand brushed over my cheek, checking if I was hurt. His touch made me feel warm… safe. Gertrude stepped forward with a fake laugh. “If you’re here for Anneliese, I’m afraid you’re too late. She’s taken.” He didn’t even glance at her. “I’m not here for Anneliese,” he said coldly. He looked down at me. “I’m here for Wren. My mate.” Gasps. Whispers. “What?!” “Her?” “That can’t be true! She’s just a maid!” “She was just banished!” Everyone stared. I stared too. Did he just say I was his… mate? My heart raced. My knees shook. Gertrude looked like she’d seen a ghost. Anneliese’s mouth dropped open. Alpha Hunter’s eyes never left mine. “I came to claim what’s mine,” he said. “I said,” Alpha Hunter’s deep voice rang out, “Wren Wolfhart is my mate. My Luna. The queen of the Silver Pack.” Everyone at the party froze. The music stopped. The whispers started again, louder this time. “Her? The maid?” “No way…” “So what if she’s your mate?” someone shouted. “You’re just a cursed Alpha anyway! A beast! We bet you don’t even have anything to offer her.” The crowd laughed. I looked at the ground, heart racing. Why did they always have to laugh at me? But Alpha Hunter didn’t blink. He raised one hand calmly and turned to his Beta. “Hugo. Bring the gifts.” The tall man nodded and walked out of the hall. Seconds later, he returned with a group of warriors carrying boxes, big, heavy, glowing boxes. Hunter opened the first one. “Five million dollars. For my Luna, Wren.” Gasps filled the air. Another box opened. “A ring… worth twelve million dollars. For her finger alone.” People started murmuring. “She’s just a maid…” “She’s mute…” “Why is he giving her all this?” Hunter didn’t stop. He walked to the third and final gift. “This one is worth seventy-four million dollars. Custom-made. From the bloodstone mines of Darkhorn territory. The most precious gem in all werewolf clans.” He turned to me. “Because you’re worth this much, Wren. And more.” Gertrude stepped forward, face red like fire. “Are you kidding us?!” she shouted. “You expect us to believe all this… all this is for WREN? That filthy little maid?” Alpha Hunter looked at her like she was a bug under his boot. “Yes,” he said slowly. “It’s all for my mate. My Luna. My queen. And now…” He turned back to me. In front of the entire crowd, in front of the pack that rejected me, he knelt down on one knee. He opened the twelve-million-dollar ring. “Wren Wolfhart, you are my mate. My Luna. My one and only. Will you marry me?” My heart stopped. Everyone stared. Even Anneliese looked like she forgot how to breathe. I looked down at this man, this powerful Alpha, kneeling just for me. I whispered to myself, “Maybe… I could have a real family again.” I nodded, smiling through tears. “Yes.” The crowd gasped. Anneliese stomped her foot. “Gosh! She doesn’t deserve ANY of this! She can’t even speak!” Alpha Hunter stood and smiled coldly at her. “Trust me. She deserves all of it. And I’m not done.” He turned to face Nicholas. And without warning, punched him straight in the face. Crack. Nicholas dropped to the ground with a bloodied nose. “WHAT THE HELL?!” Anneliese screamed, running to him. Gertrude shouted, “Alpha Hunter, you may be powerful, but this is still my home, and my territory! You can’t…!” Hunter growled low in his throat. “It is my right. For what he tried to do to my mate. He tried to rape my Luna.” Gasps again. People turned and stared at Nicholas, who was groaning on the floor. Anneliese screamed louder, “That’s a lie! Nicholas would never do that!” Hunter’s voice was calm but dangerous. “I was there. I was the one who stopped him. He ran like a coward when I appeared.” Hugo, his Beta, stepped forward. “I saw it too. Nicholas ran when Alpha Hunter beat him.” Someone in the crowd mumbled, “He does have that black eye… and he refused to say how he got it…” Another said, “So the mute girl… wasn’t lying.” I felt my heart swell. For the first time in my life… they believed me. I smiled to myself. Finally, Someone is on my side. Then Hunter spoke again, his voice cold and sharp like a blade. “Nicholas Gerwulf must pay for what he did. I challenge him… to ritual combat.” Everyone froze. Nicholas’s head snapped up, eyes wide with fear. Anneliese screamed, “No! You can’t do that!”

WREN’S POV The whole hall went quiet. Everyone was waiting for Nicholas to answer Alpha Hunter’s challenge. He stood up slowly, holding his broken nose. Blood was running down his face. He looked around, but no one stepped forward to defend him. Not even Anneliese. And then… he dropped to his knees. “I…I surrender,” Nicholas muttered, his voice shaking. “I don’t want to fight. I give up.” Gasps filled the air again. I heard someone whisper, “He’s the next Alpha? What a shame.” Another voice said, “I can’t believe we chose him to lead us one day. Look at him now.” Alpha Hunter didn’t speak. He was only staring, eyes burning. Nicholas looked up at him, desperate. “I didn’t know she was your mate! She…she came onto me! Yes! That’s it! She seduced me! She stripped for me first!” My hands shook. I quickly grabbed a napkin and a pen from the table and started writing fast. I gave it to Alpha Hunter. He read it slowly. His jaw tightened with every word. “I went to the outdoor bath area,” I wrote. “Because I was not allowed to shower inside the pack house. I was alone, trying to wash. Nicholas followed me. I didn’t even know he was there.” Alpha Hunter looked up. His eyes were no longer just eyes, they were glowing silver. He took a step forward. Someone screamed. His skin rippled. His breath came out in sharp growls. I saw something behind his eyes. Something ancient. Fenris. His cursed wolf. People backed away quickly, tripping over themselves. “No,” someone whispered. “He’s shifting.” “Get back! He’s going to kill him!” But I ran forward, stepping in front of Hunter. I placed my small hand on his chest. I looked into his silver eyes and slowly shook my head. “Please,” I whispered in my heart. “Don’t become a monster for me.” He blinked once. Then twice. And slowly… he came back. His claws retracted. His breathing slowed. Fenris went quiet inside him. He turned to Nicholas, eyes still dangerous, and punched him again—this time breaking his nose completely. Then he turned to me. “Let’s go, my mate.” Before I could react, he scooped me into his arms and walked out of the pack house like a king carrying his queen. The wind hit my face as he placed me gently on his midnight black motorbike. He climbed behind me, wrapping his arms around my waist protectively. He didn’t say a word, but his actions screamed louder than any words could. He drove fast, the road winding beneath us, the trees flying past. I rested my head on his chest, feeling safe for the first time in my life. After a long ride, we reached a gate guarded by two warriors in silver armor. They bowed when they saw him. “Welcome back, Alpha.” The gate opened, and I gasped. His house… no, his estate… was like a palace. There were fountains with glowing water, golden statues of wolves, marble stairs, and shining lanterns everywhere. Flowers I had never seen in my life lined the path. The house was tall, beautiful, and sparkling under the moonlight. “Welcome home,” he said softly, lifting me off the bike. Home. No one had ever said that to me before. He carried me inside, past guards and maids who all bowed to him. The floor was warm under my bare feet. The air smelled like roses and rain. I was still trying to believe this was real. “You’re safe here,” he said, putting me gently on a couch in front of a glowing fireplace. “This is your home now, Wren.” He knelt in front of me again. “I promise you, no one will ever hurt you again.” I smiled, tears falling silently from my eyes. But just as I felt peace for the first time… a howl echoed from outside. Hunter stood up sharply. His eyes narrowed. He walked to the window and opened it. Another howl answered the first one. “Trouble.” He growled. “What is it?” I tried to write, but before I could, he turned to me. “They found us,” he said. “Someone followed us from Wolfhart territory.” My heart dropped. He looked at his Beta, who had just entered. “Prepare the guards. Keep Wren safe.” “Who followed us?” I managed to write on the back of a receipt he had. Alpha Hunter read it. His eyes darkened. And then he said: “Wren… I think your stepmother made a deal with a dark pack. They want you dead.” After the howls stopped, everything went quiet again. But Alpha Hunter didn’t relax. He stood by the window, watching the forest with sharp eyes. His Beta, Hugo, had sent guards to patrol the area. Still, something didn’t feel right. Then suddenly, Hunter grabbed the side of his stomach. “Alpha?” Hugo asked, stepping closer. “I’m fine,” he growled low. “It’s nothing.” But I saw it. The way he winced. The way his hand pressed tighter against his ribs. The blood. There was a cut. Deep. Hidden under his shirt. It must’ve happened when he fought Nicholas. I rushed to his side, my fingers brushing his hand. I looked up at him and shook my head gently, then pointed to the wound. He looked down, a soft smile forming. “You worry too much,” he said quietly. “But I’ll be fine, Wren. As long as you’re by my side… I’ll heal.” But I didn’t believe that. Not fully. Later that night, in his massive bedroom, Alpha Hunter walked toward the bathroom. I followed him without saying a word. He looked over his shoulder and raised a brow. “You want to help me bathe?” he asked. I nodded. He chuckled. “You don’t have to, little Luna. I can manage.” I shook my head again and gave him a look that made him sign in surrender. “Alright. But don’t blame me if I pull you into the water.” The bathroom was like a dream. There was a giant tub made of black marble. Steam rose from the warm water. There were rose petals floating on top and soft lights glowing along the edges. It smelled of cedar and lavender. Hunter removed his shirt slowly. I looked away shyly, my cheeks heating up. But when I turned back, I saw the wound clearly. It wasn’t just a scratch. It needed care. He stepped into the water, his muscles flexing slightly as he sat back with a low sigh. The warm water eased some of his pain. I took a deep breath and stepped in after him. He looked surprised. “You’re serious about helping me, aren’t you?” I nodded. He leaned back against the edge of the tub, letting me get closer. The moment I touched his skin, he tensed. Not in fear, but something else. Something deeper. My hands moved slowly, washing the blood from his side. I used a soft cloth, gentle on the wound. He didn’t speak. He just watched me, his eyes intense, like he was seeing into my soul. The air between us became heavy… but not in a bad way. In a way that made my heart race. “Wren…” he whispered. I looked up. He reached out and tucked a wet strand of hair behind my ear. His fingers brushed my cheek. Water dripped from his skin to mine. “I’ve never had anyone care for me like this,” he said. “Not even when I was a boy. I didn’t know what it felt like… to be touched with kindness.” My throat tightened. I leaned my forehead against his chest. His heartbeat was strong. Warm. Safe. And for a few moments… We stayed like that. Just two broken souls in warm water, holding each other like we were the only two people in the world. His lips brushed the top of my head. My heart felt full. I didn’t want to ever leave this moment.

WREN’S POV The warm water surrounded us, and the scent of wild pine and soap filled the air. Alpha Hunter leaned back in the tub, his eyes half-closed as I gently rubbed his back with the sponge. He looked at me and gave a small smile. “Thank you, Wren… for helping me with my bath.” I shook my head softly and signed, “We’re mates. It’s okay.” He stared at me for a long moment, then spoke again, voice low. “Are you really okay… being mated to a cursed alpha like me?” I froze for a second. Cursed? He thought he was cursed? I touched my throat and signed slowly, “I’m cursed too. That’s why I can’t speak.” His golden eyes flickered with something… sadness, maybe. Pain. Maybe even hope. “You too?” he whispered. I nodded. He took a deep breath and said, “My curse… it’s turning me into a beast. My wolf, Fenris, he’s taking more control over me every day. Sometimes, I feel like I’m not me anymore.” I looked at him. This man… this alpha. The one they all feared. He didn’t feel like a monster to me. He felt gentle. Kind. I touched my chest and thought to myself, I can’t imagine someone so kind being the beast people call him. Then he turned to face me, serious now. “I know this sounds crazy, Wren… but I think you’re the key. You’re the key to breaking my curse.” My eyes widened. “Maybe,” he added, “when we’re bonded… maybe your curse will break too.” Could it be possible? Could my voice come back? Could I be normal again? My heart started racing. I wanted to believe it. I wanted to hope. For the first time in so long, I felt something real. But Alpha Hunter wasn’t finished. He smiled again, softer this time. “But before we talk about bonding… I want to know you better. Do you have any hobbies?” I nodded and began signing. I mimicked turning something with my hand. Stirring. Mixing. He tilted his head. “Cooking?” I smiled. He grinned. “What are you cooking? Looks like you’re beating something… eggs?” I took his hand and showed him how to turn his fingers like I do when whisking eggs. He laughed, a deep sound that made my chest feel light. “You’ve turned my fingers into a fork!” he said, chuckling. I covered my mouth, laughing without a sound. He stared at me, surprised. “You can still laugh even though you can’t speak?” he said gently. “I like your laugh. I want to hear it more often.” His words made my heart flutter. He was so kind. And I… I was so soft around him. Then he leaned forward, brushing my wet hair over my shoulder. “Turn around,” he said. “Let me wash your back too.” I turned slowly, my cheeks warm even though we were already in the hot water. I’ve never felt like this before, I thought. I feel strange… but it feels so good. His hand moved gently, slowly and careful, But just as I closed my eyes, I let myself relax… The next morning, the sunlight streamed through the large windows. I blinked slowly, my body still sore but warm under the soft blanket. Memories of last night came flooding back. The way he held me. The way he looked at me like I was something precious. He’s so handsome, I thought, turning to the empty side of the bed. And so kind. I want to prove to him that he should keep me around. I slid out of bed quietly and tiptoed to the kitchen, brushing my fingers over the smooth marble counter. I opened the fridge and stared inside. What should I make Hunter? I wanted it to be something special. Something that would make him smile. I want to impress him. Just as I was pulling out some eggs and vegetables, a voice cut through the room sharply. “You’re the new Luna?” I turned quickly and saw a woman leaning against the doorway. She was tall, with glowing brown skin, straight jet-black hair, and lips painted red like blood. Her eyes looked me up and down. “Can’t say I’m impressed,” she said coolly. “Why would he choose you over me?” She’s interested in Hunter too, I thought, swallowing hard. She’s gorgeous… She took a step forward, crossing her arms. “What makes you think you’re good enough for our Alpha?” Before I could even react or sign anything, a deep voice cut in from behind her. “She’s good enough… if I say she’s good enough.” We both turned. Alpha Hunter. Bella quickly lowered her gaze. “Alpha, I was just…” “Leaving?” His voice was sharp, like a knife. “Good. And don’t let me catch you with her again.” Bella hesitated, then stormed out of the kitchen without another word. I could still feel the heat of her judgment lingering in the air. I stared at the floor. Even strangers know I’m not good enough for him, I thought. I need to show him… that I can earn my keep. I turned and reached up to the top cabinet, trying to grab a pan. My fingers barely touched it before I felt someone behind me. “What do you need?” Hunter asked softly. Before I could answer, he reached over me, easily pulling it down and handing it to me. Then he took my hand and led me to the dining room. “Wait here,” he said. A few minutes later, he returned, with a table full of food. Different kinds. Sweet. Spicy. Toasted. Baked. Meat. Fruits. Pastries. My eyes widened. I looked at him, confused. He gave a small smile. “I didn’t know which one you’d like… so I ordered a lot so you can pick.” I tilted my head. Why? He sat beside me and said gently, “Because you deserve it.” My chest tightened. He didn’t see me as broken. He didn’t care that I couldn’t speak. To him, I was enough. BELLA’S POV I slammed my glass on the table. “What does she even have that I don’t?” I growled. Ivy and Acacia sat across from me, sipping their drinks like they weren’t watching my entire world crumble. “She’s mute, Bella,” Ivy said with a smirk. “Too bad about losing out on Luna.” Acacia laughed. “Yeah, I still can’t believe Alpha Hunter chose some random quiet girl over you.” “She’s not even a warrior. Not even pack blood,” I hissed. “And yet he acts like she’s gold. Won’t even let me breathe the same air as her.” Ivy leaned forward, eyes glinting. “So what now?” I narrowed my eyes. “We get rid of her.” WREN’S POV Alpha Hunter gently brushed his thumb across my cheek and smiled. “I’ve got some work to do,” he said. “But… we’ll go over wedding plans later, okay?” He kissed my forehead. “See you later, beautiful.” I blushed as he left the estate, my heart fluttering in my chest. Wedding. The word echoed in my mind like a sweet melody. I stayed inside, humming quietly as I cleaned up the kitchen table. Then, a knock. I walked to the door. Two girls stood there, smiling sweetly. “Alpha Hunter said we should come and get you,” one of them said. “Wedding prep, you know,” the other added. He did say we were going to talk about the wedding later, I thought. Maybe he sent them to help. “The Silver Pack has a tradition,” the taller girl said as we walked. “Every future Luna must take a bath in one of our sacred springs to purify herself before forming the mating bond.” Like the spring from last night? “It’s really important to our people,” the shorter one said. “It bonds Luna to her mate’s pack.” I smiled and nodded. I do want to fit in here, I told myself. And they seem so nice. We walked deeper into the woods, and the air became cooler, quieter. Suddenly, one of them asked, “You can’t talk, right? Like… no voice at all? No way to call for help?” I stopped in my tracks. Something about the way she said it made my stomach twist. But she quickly smiled. “Just confirming. Sorry, we’re just curious!” I hesitated… then nodded. We kept walking. They led me to a hidden spring, much larger than the one I’d seen before. The water was dark and still. “Go ahead,” one of them said. “You need to get in.” I shook my head quickly, stepping back. The water looks deep… too deep. I pointed to my chest and shook my hands. I can’t swim. They looked at each other. “Oh,” one of them said, pretending to frown. “Too bad.” Before I could react… They shoved me. My feet slipped. My hands reached out. Splash. The cold water swallowed me whole. I kicked, thrashed, but the weight of my clothes pulled me down. I couldn’t scream. I couldn’t breathe.

Alpha Hunter POV “Hey baby, I’m home”. Hunter announces while walking into the house. Silence engulfs the atmosphere. He walks into the bedroom and doesn’t find his Luna. He begins to feel skeptical and his wolf starts feeling uncomfortable. He heads into the kitchen and finds some maids cleaning up but Wren is not there either. “Where is Wren, my Luna?”, He bellows. “Alpha,earlier today, while I was drying clothes outside,I saw the Luna going out of the house with Ivy and Acacia, they said they were going to the sacred spring” one of the maids replied in fear. Hunter quickly calls Hugo, his Beta and some guards and they begin the search for Wren. Hugo summons the two girls, Ivy and Acacia. They denied not ever meeting Wren. After torturing them for sometime, they confessed to leading her to the deep spring in the pack and leaving her when she had drowned. “We were scared when she wasn’t swimming anymore. We did not know she couldn’t swim in deep waters. We ran out of fear. We are sorry Beta” Ivy lied. Hunter rushed to the spring and found Wren floating on the water. On seeing the state of his mate, Fenris, his wolf was furious and was at the edge of shifting in order to destroy anyone that could have dared to harm his Wren. “Call the pack doctor now” he ordered the guards with him. He picked Wren and rushed back home to meet the doctor waiting for him already. He laid her on the bed and the doctor asked him to wait outside the room while he began treatment. After some minutes of pacing uncomfortably, the door opened and the doctor came out. “Fortunately, she is out of danger, but she is still unconscious. She will wake up soon. When she is awake, give her the medications on time and everything will be alright” . The doctor said after giving Hunter the drugs. Then he left with his bags. Hunter rushed into the room and found Wren still in the state of unconsciousness. He felt his chest tighten as he sat on the chair beside the bed and held her hands. “I’m sorry I could not protect you. Please come back to me. I will punish and destroy everyone that tried to hurt you”. He said while rubbing Wren’s hands. His phone rang and he stood up and went to the window. “Keep them in the dungeon till I arrive”. He said to the person on the other side of the line in a dangerously low voice. Wolfhart Clan Pack Nicholas POV “I will kill him, he dares to make a mess of me in front of my pack” Nicholas fumes to himself while pacing in his bedroom. Annelise walks inside the room and sits on the bed. She has not gotten over how Wren is being chosen as a Luna. “How is it possible?, Will she expose us, we will be doomed” She keeps thinking “The blue moon ceremony is approaching. Hunter will be present as the Alpha of the silver pack. You hate Wren and I despise Hunter. As soon as Hunter is out of the way, Wren will become vulnerable to us. Killing two birds with one stone sweetheart” Nicholas says while approaching Annelise on the bed with a devilish smirk on his face. “That is perfect, I knew you were such a genius baby, what’s the plan” Annelise face perks up as she listens to her fiance,Nicholas. Gertrude POV Annelise rushes to meet her mother in their home at WolfHart clan pack. She tells her mother about Nicholas plan and how they would benefit from the whole idea. “Good, go ahead with the idea. That nobody called Wren will soon be back in the control of my hands”. Getrude tells her daughter with an evil glint in her eyes. Silver Pack Wren’s POV I slowly opened my eyes and allowed it adjust to the brightness of the room. My body felt so heavy. I looked at the cannula on my wrist and remembered what had happened previously. Trust easily. That was my problem. I should have known they weren’t any good. I winced in pain and turned. Only then did I notice Hunter’s jacket on the chair beside the bed. He was here, I smiled. I knew he would save me. I tried to stand up and stumbled a couple of times but I held on to things and was able to make my way to the kitchen. I met Hunter in the kitchen preparing food. I smiled and made my way to him. I tapped him on the back and he turned. “Wren, you’re awake. You shouldn’t be here, you should still be on the bed, sit my love”. He said, dragging out a chair from the kitchen island. He continued Making the food but kept turning back to look at me. I could see the concern and slight guilt on his face. It warmed my heart to know that there was someone who genuinely cared for me. He brought the food and made me sit on his laps. I signed that I could eat on my own but he wasn’t having any of it. “How are you feeling?, Should I call the pack doctor?”. He asked after I signed that I was okay with the meal. I shook my head in the negative and signed that I’m fine and was filled up. He carried me in his arms to the bedroom and even though I protested, I loved every bit of it. He dropped me on the bed and went into the bathroom. “I’ll prepare the bath tub for you baby”. Hunter said. I felt shy even though I knew he had helped me wash up before. “Look at me, you’re mine. I’ll do absolutely anything for you. You’re perfect and I want you to know that you’re beautiful”. He said while caressing my face. I smiled shyly and laid back on the bed waiting for the bath tub to be ready.

HUNTER POV I walked into the torture cave, it was meant for rogues who were caught trespassing in the pack and other offenders. I walked to the cell where Ivy and Acacia were kept. They were being tased by lasers from electronic sources on the wall and were screaming in pain the whole time. I asked the guard to switch it off and i stepped into the room to question them myself. I wanted to know why they left Wren in the spring. I knew something was fishy and I was not going to buy the bullshit Ivy told my beta earlier. “Are you ready to talk now?”. Hunter asked in a dangerous voice walking towards the two girls sitting on the bare floor in the corner of the room. They had been kept for 24 hours now and were under constant torture, but still refused to say any other word. “We have said everything we know Alpha, we ran out of fear. We are deeply sorry” Acacia said in a confident tone but her head was bowed in fear. Hugo, the beta of the silver pack, suddenly rushed inside the dungeon and whispered something in the Alpha’s ear. The blue moon ceremony was approaching. It was in a fortnight and the whole pack was really excited as it was during this period that the new Luna was going to be crowned and introduced to the silver pack and both packs will become one. Hunter turned back at the girls, gave them one last glance and ordered the guards to release them. “Why are you letting them go, they obviously have something up their sleeves?”. Hugo, his better asked. Hunter nodded with an evil smirk. “That’s why I’ve sent a spy after them, they need to be caught in the act. Every one who as much as scratches my Luna must pay and suffer deeply”. “Let’s meet at the pack house. We have to start preparations immediately” Alpha Hunter tells his Beta to summon the rest of the cabinet. WREN’S POV After Hunter had washed me up, he dried my hair and laid me on the bed. He said he had a meeting to attend and left the house. I got tired from laying on the bed and decided to go to the kitchen to drink water. On getting there, I met some maids talking to each other. The blue moon ceremony is in 14 days, our Luna will officially be announced.” one of the maids said excitedly.. “Could it be Bella or the lady Alpha brought to the house”? The other maid asked back. I mistakenly pushed the chair and they turned and were visibly afraid. They quickly apologised and concentrated on the work they were doing. “We are so sorry, we didn’t see you.” They apologized with their heads bowed. I smiled and left the kitchen. On my way up the stairs to the bedroom, I kept wondering, is it possible that the blue moon ceremony is in a fortnight ?. Will I truly be crowned Luna?. I felt so nervous. I opened the door, and saw the bags on the bed. I approached the bed and opened the bags and saw the beautiful gowns in the bag. Wear it and check if it fits, my love. From Hunter. The note in the bag said. I felt butterflies in my belly as I admired the gown. I went into the closet and dressed up. The gowns were so pretty on me as I swirled around in the mirror. I kept admiring myself when I heard a voice behind me. “You look so beautiful, and I am sure the pack would be happy to know that they have a beautiful Luna.” Hunter’s voice came from behind as he wrapped his arms around my waist, pecking my neck at the same time. He led me to the bed and told me that the blue moon ceremony was in a fortnight. Different packs would be invited and I would be introduced as the Luna of the pack. I felt so nervous and he noticed it but he assured me that I could do it and that he would be by my side till the end. All I needed to do was to dress up, walk down the aisle to him. And be his Luna and mate forever. Hunter gave me my medications and made me lay on the bed. He said he had some work to do at the pack house in preparation for the ceremony. I slept shortly after he left the house. WOLFHART CLAN PACK “What do we do now?” Annelise asked, pacing around in Gertrude’s room. Gertrude who was sitting calmly brushing her hair by her mirror in her dark themed but sophisticated room. “We kill them”. She said as her expression turned cold immediately. “What??……no, no, no, we can’t shed blood”. Anneliese stuttered in shock. “You can’t be Luna while that mute girl lives, her hot tempered puppet is already constituting nuisance, if two of them are joined together, both packs will become one strong force and they won’t just destroy everything we’ve worked for, but we will be ridiculed, and reduced straight to grass level”. Gertrude fired, walking towards Anneliese. “My love, you were born to be Luna, you were made to be Luna, you were trained to be Luna, you’ve already walked the path of Kings, commanded power and built your own legacy. All of this would not just be washed down the drain all because of one dirty, mute, orphan girl. You’re my daughter, my blood, you know what this family did to me, you’re also a descendant of the Alpha, you’ve worked for this, you deserve it and we will have our revenge and you will be Luna. You have my word”. Gertrude said calmly this time, holding her daughter’s face reassuringly. “So how do we go about all of these?” Anneliese asked “Live that to your mother”. Gertrude reassured, patting her back as they entered into a warm lovely embrace

BELLA’s POV “Why did you have to tell him the exact spring you went to?” Bella fumed to Ivy and Acacia after they had explained the whole ordeal to her. From the spring to the dungeon. “That is not the issue here Bella, that useless nothing called Wren knows we pushed her, although she is mute, she could sign or write to Alpha when she remembers and we will be doomed.” Ivy replied while shaking in the fear of what Alpha Hunter will do to them if she and Acacia are exposed. Bella was determined not to let Wren get in her way of being introduced as the Luna of the Silver pack. She picked her phone and made a call. After the call, she left the room. Ivy and Acacia were still worried but Bella had assured them that nothing of sorts would happen to them. They calmly went to their houses. Bella drove to the pack house where her Intel had told her that the Alpha was alone in the office and was going through some work. She arrived and came down in a seductive and provocative dress. Adjusting the length slightly, she made her way to the office of the Alpha. She knocked and waited. “Come in.” Hunter replied to the knock outside. He was shocked to see Bella walk into his office. He had an affair with her but that was before he found his mate. He had no intention of touching another woman or talking more of cheating on his mate. He ignored her and continued going through his emails. “Why are you in my office Bella?” he asked after she had sat for a few seconds without saying anything. He was already uncomfortable and Fenris, his wolf, smelled something fishy and was becoming furious. Bella said she had come to ask about the ceremony that was going to happen the next day. “I love you and you know it. I’m fit to be the Luna of the pack, we have all it takes to be together” Bella began as she stood up from the chair and walked to the other side of the desk and began touching and caressing Hunter. Hunter had never felt more disgusted and the rage that was building in him was at a faster pace. “Get out of my office this instant.” Hunter angrily said and pushed her from his side. Bella got pissed and hit the table with her hands. “What does she have that I don’t? I am a warrior and she is a useless thing that can’t even spe..” Bella had barely finished speaking when Hunter grabbed her throat, lifting her up in the air. Fenris, his wolf, had gotten control over him and was furious hearing Bella talk about his mate in that manner. At that moment, Hugo entered the office and on seeing the incident and realizing that Hunter’s eyes were red and his claws were coming out, he saw that it was his wolf that was in control. “Let her go Alpha, it won’t be right for this to happen when the blue moon ceremony is just around the corner.” Hugo, the beta pleaded With a growl, Hunter shifted back into his normal form and threw Bella across the room. Bella was so scared as she had heard that Hunter was a beast when he was not in control of his wolf but she had not experienced it ever. She held her neck where there were visible marks on it. She cleared her throat and stood up. “Get out now.” Hunter and Hugo said together. She quickly left the office and went down to her car. Still amazed at what had happened a few minutes earlier, she sat down and held the steering wheel for some minutes then she drove home. WREN’S POV The moon goddess. There she stood in her full glory beckoning on her to come. She approached her slowly. When Wren got closer, she saw a large grey wolf watching her keenly. It started walking towards her and laid by her feet. She thought it would attack her but it just laid submissively and when she reached and touched its head. It growled softly. “The curse can be broken. You need your mate.” The moon goddess said then turned around and walked away into the darkness. Wren did not understand what had happened. She called but no one answered. “Wake up baby”. She opened her eyes and saw Hunter tapping her. It was just a dream or more of a vision. She sat up leaning on the bed. She checked the little clock and saw that it was already past 10 in the night. She picked the pen and paper on the bedside desk and wrote on it asking Hunter when he had returned. “Just now, you had a dream and were tossing on the bed. That is why I woke you up.” Hunter replied. Wren smiled and with signs, asked him if he had eaten. He replied in the affirmative. “I’ll quickly shower then I’ll be back” He said, making her blush shyly. She laid back on the bed and waited. A few minutes later, Hunter came out and was drying his hair after putting on a pair of grey joggers . Wren could not take her eyes off him. She kept admiring his body and wished she could tell him how hot he looked. Hunter caught her staring in the mirror, he turned and with a smirk, slowly started walking towards her. “Like what you see?” Hunter asked. Wren smiled shyly and tried covering her face with her palms. She felt the bed sink beside her, she turned and there he was. Her knight in shining armor, he laid beside her, holding her close and tight. Then, she realized. She loved him. She had never loved anyone but she had also never felt the way he made her feel. “In a fortnight, you will be officially introduced as the Luna of the pack. You deserve it. You will be respected by everyone in the pack and from surrounding packs.” Hunter said and felt her stiffen a little in his arms. She was nervous and he knew. With a kiss on her forehead, he assured her she would do perfectly fine and the whole pack would love her as their Luna. Thus, the two love birds slept off in each other’s arms peacefully.

WREN’S POV I woke up to the feeling of a warm hard torso underneath my head, it was Hunter’s. We obviously fell asleep in each other’s arms while discussing the blue moon ceremony. There was something about him, something about his presence that made me feel safe and protected, it made me feel peace. I didn’t have to worry about what to do and how perfect to execute it. I didn’t even have to try so hard to impress him, to him, everything pertaining to me was art. I smiled at my thoughts, looking at his cute sleepy face, with his hair scattered over his face. I love it here, and I’m never going to leave. I pecked his forehead and was about to get down from bed, when suddenly I felt a tight grip around my waist; “Where are you going to baby?” he asked in a sleepy voice with his eyes still closed. “Shhh”…….i signed, shutting his mouth and giving him another peck on his lips. I went into the bathroom, showered and brushed. I wanted to make breakfast for Hunter since the ceremony would be starting by 5pm in the evening. I searched his wardrobe and got one of his shirts, I smiled at the thought of how tiny I really am. The shirt literally covered my thighs and I didn’t have to wear any shorts underneath. I went down into the kitchen and prepared omelette and coffee for my mate. I loved thinking of him as that. I was barely done setting the table when he came down and was already dressed in a navy blue shirt and black trousers. I knew he was going to the pack house to prepare for the other packs that would be coming for the ceremony too. I admired him as he came down the stairs. He really was hot. He came into the kitchen and pecked me on my forehead. “Good morning baby, you didn’t have to stress yourself”. He said smiling. I smiled back and he sat and started eating. I loved that he enjoyed my meal. He fed me in between the meal. “I’ll be on my way now. Just rest. The ceremony is in the evening, I’ll be home before then, be safe sweetheart”. He said and pecked me on my forehead. “By the way, you look really hot in that”, He added winking with a flirty smile and shut the door behind him. I shook my head at his naughtiness and smiled to myself. We were going to have a get together ceremony for different clans later in the evening. I knew there were guards that surrounded the house,so I would be safe. I decided to walk around the compound to pass time. The compound turned out to be really big, and true to my words, there were guards at every turn I made. I smiled and kept walking. After some minutes, I headed back into the house and decided to rest. I laid on the bed and slept off within minutes. WOLFHART CLAN “Is it ready? No mistake must be made.” the person on the other line of the phone said. She replied that everything was ready and Gertrude ended the call. She smirked devilishly. “Today ends it all.” she said to herself. She went into the closet and brought out a beautiful gown. She showered and started her make-up. The Wolfhart clan was also Invited for the ceremony and she would be there with her fiance,and her daughter. Gertrude walked into Anneliese’s room and sat on the bed. “Are you sure everything is going to be okay?” Annelise asked her mother, Gertrude. “Yes babygirl, everything would be fine. Trust me on this, we will have our way again.” Gertrude smirked and replied. Gertrude went out of the room to allow her daughter prepare for the ceremony. Nicholas called to ask if he was coming to pick Annelise from their house and she said yes. She was done already. She took her clutch and went down to eat. HUNTER POV Since Hunter left the house, he had been feeling uneasy about the whole ceremony that was about to happen. He told Hugo, his beta and friend who assured him it was due to stress. After they were done finalizing the preparations, Hunter decided to head back home to meet Wren as he would be taking her to the pack house where the ceremony would be held. He left his office and drove him. He got home and met Wren already preparing. He had sent a makeup artist and a hairdresser earlier for her. She looked absolutely amazing when they were done adorning her. “You look so beautiful my Luna”. He said. Wren smiled and sat on the bed fiddling with her purse. He quickly showered and changed into his outfit which was a black tuxedo that made him look like a god. When he was done, he came out of the closet and held out his arms. She took it and they walked down the stairs into the car. The driver opened the back seat for them and Wren entered followed by Hunter. The car started and they were moving. Throughout the drive, Hunger held Wren’s hand and kept assuring her she was amazing and that the pack would love her. The mate bond between them was growing deeper and it brought them even more inseparable. Wren felt less nervous and was excited to meet the remaining members of the pack. She smiled and leaned into Hunter’s embrace. BELLA POV Bella was pacing in her room angrily while Ivy and Acacia sat on the bed watching her. They were aware that her plan to seduce the Alpha had failed. “What are you going to do now Bella, the ceremony would start any moment from now, the sooner, the better, we do not have to wait till the blue moon.” Acacia asked. Just then, Bella got a thought and smirked. “Dress up guys, we have a ceremony to attend”. Bella said surprising Ivy and Acacia. They looked at each other, shrugged and went home to prepare. “I will always have my way.” Bella said to herself as she got into the bathroom to shower. The girls would meet her at the pack house. She did her makeup and dressed up. The driver was already waiting for her downstairs. She got into the car and left.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “302701”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster

Ava stood in front of her window looking at how the streets were completely transformed, it was vibrant and everyone was filled with joy, the long-awaited day which every wolf looked forward to had finally arrived. Preparations for the big event had already begun. She could hear the gossip and giggle about who would be the lucky girl the Alpha was going to pick. All the girls in the pack were doing their very best to stand out when the time came, but some more than others. And speaking of others, there goes Madison, passing by with her group of minions. Rumor had it that she had booked almost every beauty house in the pack just so she could stand out. But as the saying goes, no amount of makeup can ever cover up a dark soul. Ava hated almost every single member of her pack because of the way they treated her, there was nothing to look forward to, nobody would choose her, and they all looked down on her and bullied her because she was weak and easy to prey on.  She had always wondered what life would have been without her best friend, Alora.  They had been friends for as long as she could remember. Since childhood, Alora had always tried her best to protect Ava whenever she was around, no one dared to bully her. Alora was very beautiful, brave, and very kind to her. She didn’t listen to the rumors accusing Ava of being a jinx and that was why she had always admired Alora. Tri!! Tri!! Tri!! The alarm clock rang as Ava snapped out of thoughts. She had been looking outside for so long that she almost forgot how significant the day was for her. It was her father’s death anniversary she hurried to the bathroom to take a shower.  She had long silver smooth hair which she always styled in a ponytail; she had an oval face, soft jaws, groomed eyebrows, and brown eyes that shone in the natural light of the sun. She was born with a crescent birthmark on her forehead which was one of the reasons she was bullied. After showering she came out of the bathroom with a pink towel wrapped around her chest, she picked a simple outfit, one in which she was comfortable and fit her slender body perfectly. As she took her purse from the table, her gaze fell on the scar on her right arm which she had no memory of how she got but had been there since she was a child. She shoved the thought aside as she headed out of her house. As she walked past the street, she could hear others whisper and curse, she was already used to it. She ignored them and headed straight to Flora Flowers where she bought a bouquet of Lilies for her dad. As Ava head towards the graveyard, she could hear more whispers  “Hey! Freak an unfamiliar voice yelled she knew he was talking to her but she ignored him. “That’s right keep walking demon!” he added spitting on the floor. Tears threatened to fall from Ava’s eyes “It’s fine Ava, it’s nothing you’re used to this already” Ava tried to console herself as she continued to walk. After a couple of minutes, she arrived at the cemetery. She looked to make sure that she was all alone. She had already taken enough curses and insults just for one day and she wasn’t sure if she could take anymore. After confirming that there was no one else around she felt more relaxed as she found a good spot to sit in between the grave of her parents.  As she stared at the worn-out grave of her parents, she tried to fight back the tears that had already welled up her eyes, she remembered the promise she made to them the last time she came. She had promised to never shed a tear no matter what but here she was again, crying uncontrollably like a little child, but she couldn’t help it, her parents were dead and there was  Nothing she could do about it, she was all alone, and it was her against the world. Taking a deep breath she dried her tears with the back of her hands. She had finally summoned enough courage to speak to her parents. She placed the fresh lilies which she had bought earlier on their grave. “Mom, Dad, it’s me, Ava. I know that it’s been a while since I last came here to pay my respects but please, don’t be mad at me. It’s just been tough for me. Nothing much has changed though, everything is still the same, they all still hate and bully me as usual but its fine, because I’ve already gotten used to it. I don’t let their insults get to me any longer just like you would have wanted”. She adjusted her sitting position to get a clearer view of the graves. “Dad, another year has passed since you’ve left me all alone in this miserable world. Maybe what they all say about me is true, just maybe if I didn’t come into this world you and Mom would still be alive today”. As soon as she made the last statement, heavy winds began to blow causing the trees to rustle, causing a disturbance to the serenity of the cemetery. Ava always took this as a sign that her parents were trying to communicate with her. Judging from how hard the wind blew across her face, it wasn’t hard to tell that her parents disagreed with what she had just said or maybe she was just over thinking things but whatever it was, it made her feel calm and set her mind at ease. It took a few more minutes before the wind finally settled down. “Well mom, dad I have something important to tell you”. She paused, feeling a bit shy about what she was going to say. Her eyes twinkled and the corner of her mouth lifted, showing how excited about how about the news. “A few months ago, I told you about Damian, the Alpha of our pack, well today, he is finally going to choose a mate who is going to be the new Luna of Moonwood pack. I know that there is nothing for someone like me to look forward to but honestly, I can’t help but feel something special for him, it’s like any time I see him, and I feel this special bond between us just like we were made for each other, my inner wolf always acts up whenever I see him”. She had already started daydreaming about Damian again. She paused again, returning to reality, as her smile gradually faded and darkness clouded her features, “Who am I kidding” she realized that she was only lying to herself. The one she had admired for almost half her life, he had never cast his gaze upon her. He had always treated her coldly and never showed any kind of emotion towards her.  Ava spent a few more hours in the cemetery before heading back home. Later that evening Ava sat ideally in her room doing nothing in particular. The pack was almost empty as everyone was already gathered for long long-awaited moon mating ceremony which was taking place at Moon Square. A sudden knock at the door interrupted her thoughts. Who could that be? She thought to herself as she made her way to the door, she opened it revealing a really beautiful Alora, her gorgeous dress and exotic makeup, showed that she was all ready for the event. “Wow Alora, you look so beautiful”. Ava complimented. Yeah, I already know that, but why aren’t you ready yet”. She asked making her way into Ava’s house and headed straight to the closet. Ava didn’t have an answer, she wasn’t even sure about the reason she decided to not attend the event. “Let me guess, it’s because you’re scared right, you don’t want others to talk bad about you. But you don’t have to worry cause am here for you”. Alora assured her making her feel more at ease. “So now let’s get you ready “cause we have a party to wreck” Alora teased making Ava smile, for the first time since that day.

“There you go”. Alora said, after applying the last touch of makeup on Ava’s face you look stunning” Alora commended Ava after taking a close look at her. Ava was stunned when she finally looked at the mirror, she couldn’t believe that it was her very own reflection she was looking at. She had always known that Alora was very good at fashion but this was just unbelievable. “Thank you so much Alora, you’ve helped me out. I don’t know what I’d ever do without you by my side “How many times do I have to remind you that you don’t have to thank me for every single thing I do for you, we’re friends and we always have to look after each other, besides I’ve always loved fashion and I’m kinda thinking of taking it as a profession”. Alora added. “If one day I become a famous designer, I will choose you to be my model”. Alora teased and they both laughed. The sound of a loud bell signified the beginning of the mate selection and the end of their daydreaming. They made their way out of the house and headed straight to Moon Square. They had wasted a lot of time on make-up and petty conversation that they had lost track of time. It was almost midnight, the streets were bubbling, filled with lots of decorations and performances. The moon was unusually bright that evening, it was shining more than it did before, everyone was celebrating and the air was magical. “I feel like there is something strange going on this evening, just look at how the moon is shining brightly, this has never happened before, do you think it’s a sign that something bad is going to happen? Ava asked, unable to shake off the uneasiness she had been feeling since they left the house. “Oh come on Ava, do you have to be such a pessimist”. Alora asked. “Look, the whole pack is celebrating and the atmosphere is just extraordinary, I think that the moon’s presence is an auspicious sign that tonight will be one of the most unforgettable days of our lives, so just chill and enjoy the night cause you never know, you might never get this chance again”. Aloha’s optimism always had a way of rubbing off positively on Ava’s mood, but this time it didn’t work, no matter how hard she tried to shake off the negative feelings, it always came back to disrupt her happy thoughts. Ava’s deep thought was interrupted when Alora took her hands and before she knew it, they were dancing under the moonlight. A few minutes later, they were both laughing and trying to catch their breath. “Do you feel better now” Alora asked as they continued their journey to Moon Square. “If I say no, are you gonna make me dance again”.  “Probably” Ava teased and they both laughed They continued talking and walking until they finally arrived at Moon Square. The atmosphere in Moon Pack was breathtaking. The decorations outside was nothing compared to the one inside the main square. All the wolves were gathered everyone dressed with elegance. The celebration had already started, loud music filled the air, drinks were served and the dance floor was filled with entertainers but the Alpha was nowhere in sight. Ava and Alora found a good spot to sit and Alora ordered a drink for both of them. “This is crazy right”. Alora spoke at the top of her. “What?” Ava replied trying to understand what Alora had just said. The loud music was interfering with their hearing. “The party, I said it’s crazy, they went all out for the preparations” Alora said, speaking louder. “Yeah, you’re right about that. The future Luna is going to be lucky,” Ava commented. A group of girls passed by, they said hello to Alora but ignored Ava as if she was invisible. It’s better than being insulted all over again she consoled herself. Alora excused herself from the table and followed her friends leaving Ava all alone. Ava didn’t feel comfortable sitting alone without Alora, she was already getting bored. The selection was about to begin and Alora was nowhere in sight. “Whatsup freak” A familiar voice called from behind. Ava turned to see Madison and her group of minions standing behind her. “Please, I don’t want any trouble”. Ava pleaded. Madison moved closer and dragged Ava by the hair. “You don’t want any trouble? Then why did you show up here in the first place, you’ve got some nerves coming here, acting all high and mighty. It seems you have forgotten your place in this pack so why don’t I give you a little reminder? Madison pushed Ava to the floor at that time, the other pack members had already taken notice of what was happening but all they could do was laugh at her. Ava was down on the cold floor, crying her eyes out as the others made mockery of her, she wondered what sort of joy they derived from making her life miserable. A loud growl was heard from a distance announcing the arrival of the Alpha. The members of the Moon pack all took their positions to greet the Alpha. Ava pulled herself together and tried to stand up, she was about to fall again when a hand caught her.  “What the heck happened to you while I was gone?” Alora asked, supporting Ava to stand on her feet. “It’s nothing, I accidentally slipped and fell that’s all”. Ava lied trying to cover up the bullying. “Accident? Take a good look at yourself, you can barely stand on your own and you tell me it’s an accident” Alora scolded. “Tell me, who did this to you am going to make sure they don’t get away with it”. Alora threatened. “You don’t have to worry so much about me, I already told you I’m fine and if anyone dares to bully me, I’ll tell you right away, I promise”. Ava said giving a reassuring smile. All the girls between the age of 18-20 were instructed to stand in a queue, Ava and Alora joined the other girls and stood in the line, Ava was nervous her palms were sweaty and her heart was beating fast, Damon was the first to pick since he was the Alpha. He walked past a lot of girls and he was getting closer to where Ava was standing, Ava couldn’t help but admire him, he was very handsome and she had always had a crush on him since she was young. Though they’d never spoken to each other, it felt like he hated her for some reasons unknown to her.

Ava’s wolf was both excited and nervous, but who wouldn’t be after seeing your crush your long-time crush up close everything about him was just mind-blowing, perfect. Damon moved past the line of girls with caution and full focus, trying not to miss anything important. Damon stopped in front of Alora, after observing her for a while; he gave a half smile and shook his head in approval as he continued moving along the line. As Damon moved closer to where Ava was standing, she began to feel uncomfortable. She didn’t understand why but something felt off, all her excitement turned to anxiety either way, she didn’t want to wait any longer, all she wanted at that moment was to go back home. As she turned to leave, she came face to face with Damon, she had been so engrossed in her thoughts that she bumped into him.  “Am sorry, I didn’t mean to bump into you please forgive me.” Ava pleaded, bowing her head. Damon didn’t say anything but stared at Ava his expression was a mix of confusion, surprise, and disgust. Ava’s wolf was going insane it was screaming Mate! Inside her head, she was surprised, Damon was her freaking mate. Damon’s wolf was not left out as he tried to keep his wolf calm, how could this be possible? Was the Moon goddess playing a trick on him? Why her of all people? He hated her with every fiber in his being and now she’s his mate?  “Follow me” He said roughly dragging Ava from the line to the front of the platform. Confusion swept past the face of the crowd. They all had different questions in their mind but had to wait for the Alpha to clear the air. Confusion was also written all over Ava’s face, why was he dragging her onto the stage? Was he going to claim her in front of everyone? Several thoughts were going through Ava’s mind with the feeling of uneasiness creeping in. Damon gave a loud growl to get the attention of the crowd.  “I welcome you all to the official mate selection ceremony of Moonwood pack, As you all know this ceremony doesn’t come by often, as tradition dictates, our mates are chosen by the Moon goddess and no one can go against it. The mate who has been sent to me is none other than Ava Sterling”. He announced. The crowd went wild, disbelief written on the faces of many on how Ava, the weakest and most hated werewolf in Moonwood pack could become the Luna. Disbelief and confusion were written all over Ava’s face. She didn’t know what she was supposed to feel about the news but one important lesson she had learned from life is to never be hasty to make decisions or jump to conclusions so, she waited to hear what else Damon had to say. “I, Damon Harrighton reject the will of the moon goddess and reject you, Ava Sterling as my mate and Luna of Moonwood Pack” Tears wailed up Ava’s eye did he just bring up here to shamefully reject her, she was used to being treated badly but this was different she just got rejected by her mate, she knew he didn’t like her particularly but what did she do to him to make him treat her such manner. “Why?” Ava asked with her head bowed, lower lips trembled and her voice was barely audible tears were already falling down her cheek “Is it because am an Omega? Is it because am not powerful like everyone else, tell me Why!?” she yelled this time her voice echoed stopping the crowd from murmuring. All eyes were now on Ava and Damon everyone wanted to know where this was going.  “Don’t you ever get tired of pretending to be weak? When exactly do you plan on apologizing for the life you took?” Damon shouted at the top of his voice, and rage pulsed through his veins. “I don’t understand what you are talking about”. She replied, still unsure where this conversation was heading. Flashback “Dad, Dad please wake up! Please Dad stay with me” young Damon cried holding onto his father’s almost lifeless body. Little Ava stared blankly at the almost lifeless body with blood stains on her dress and a bleeding wound on her right arm unable to comprehend what was happening. “You! You did this” Damon growled pushing Ava to the ground and tried to strangle her, there was no form of struggle or resistance from her; it was as if she was in a deep trance. Damon continues to put pressure on his hands all he wanted to do was kill Ava. “Damon” A weak and faint voice called, he turned to see his father gesturing him to stop. He rushed over to where his father was. “Son”, He managed to say “Promise me that no matter what you’re not going to blame or harm her because of me, it’s not her fault he said coughing out blood “But dad….” He cried trying to protest. “Promise me” He added using his last breath to say. “I…. I promise” More tears streamed from his eyes to his cheeks as his father gave up the ghost. End of flashback “My father died because of you, you killed him” Damon said “Me? What are you talking about? I did no such thing” Ava added in disbelief. Why was he accusing her of killing his father, she has never seen and doesn’t have any memory of the previous Alpha so why would she kill him  “Stop pretending Ava! What will you say about the scare on your right arm huh!? Damon yelled grabbing her right arm roughly she was scared and confused she looked over to the crowd tears dripping endlessly from her eyes nobody was saying anything, they all just stood there watching with utter disgust, nobody would speak up or defend her after all they hated her, she looked over at Alora but she had a blank expression.  “I don’t know what you’re talking about” Ava managed to say  “Still, feigning ignorance? He asked scoffing “You’re only alive because I made a promise to my dad not to kill you” he added shoving her aggressively making her land on her butt. Ava wined in pain because she fell on the hard floor, her right arm was in pain because of the way Damon held her there was nothing she could say at this point nobody would believe her. “I will never accept you nor will I ever forgive you” Damon said leaving her on the platform and heading back down to the queue he went straight to Alora and held her hand, he walked her to the platform confusion written in the face of everyone no one knew what their Alpha was up to. “I, Damon Harrighton take Alora Mcgrave as my mate” he announced.

The crowd gasped in shock no one saw that coming, Ava was completely dumbfounded what was happening? Why would he choose Alora instead she looked over at Alora who was happy about the news, more tears trickled from Ava’s cheek she was really on her own now. “If anyone objects, I dare him to speak” Damon asked as the cold tune in his voice echoed no one would dare object to the Alpha’s decision, and besides they’d rather have anyone else as Luna instead of Ava the crowd howled in support of Damon’s decision “Good, let the ceremony continue” Damon added as the crowd howled even more loudly. Ava shamefully pulled herself up from the floor her body was aching because of the hard fall but more importantly, her heart was broken. She took a glance at Alora one more time before leaving the platform. She dragged her sore body along the quiet street everyone was in the ceremony no one was home, the cold breeze blew fiercely goose bumps appeared on her skin she was cold. Ava’s wolf Pam was devastated, hurt and in pain she was most excited about meeting her mate but she was rejected; “Pam I am sorry, sorry you’re stuck with someone like me. Because of me, we got rejected” Ava said trying to apologize to Pam as fresh tears rolled down her cheek “He’s an idiot for rejecting us, we didn’t do anything wrong and it’s not your fault Ava, let’s just get home” Pam replied trying to cheer Ava. Ava’s relationship with her wolf was very unique, they communicate with each other and share feelings and emotions. Ava walked home, heartbroken and defeated.   The next day Ava sat ideally in her room staring into space, she glanced at the untouched food she had prepared earlier but didn’t have the appetite. For She had locked herself up in her house, she didn’t have the guts to show her face outside not after her disgrace. A loud knock on the door interrupted her thoughts. “Who could that be?” She wondered standing up from where she was seated and made her way to the living room, as soon as she opened the door; she was standing face to face with Alora. Before she could say anything else, Alora had already made her way into the room and shut the door behind her. “Oh my dear Ava, I am so sorry that I couldn’t drop by earlier, you know, I’ve been so busy lately, I barely even have time for myself, so how have you been?” Alora said, faking a smile. “If you came here to mock me, you can just say it, am weak but not stupid, you don’t have to put on an act for me anymore. I understood your intentions from the very beginning but I still choose to live in a fool’s paradise. I saw the signs but I chose to ignore them and I guess this is the punishment for my ignorance. “You never really saw me as a friend but just a puppet you could manipulate and control. Every single time I was bullied, I always felt that someone was watching from the shadows, someone who hated me so much but remained faceless it was you all along wasn’t it”. “Well I guess you aren’t as stupid as I thought, but you still have a long way to go to get where I am today, since you’ve already taken off my mask, there’s no reason to be nice to you anymore. You know what Ava all my life I’ve never hated anyone as much I’ve hated you, well apart from my parents. Ever since we were kids, my parents always compared me to you. Even though you were so weak, they still admired your cheerful and smart character and then one day I overheard my dad speaking to my mom, back then, my dad was the most trusted aid to the Alpha, they were like brothers so I always believed that I would become the future Luna not until that day my father told my mother that “the one born with the crescent birthmark will be the future Luna of our pack”. “I didn’t need anyone to give me the name before I realized it was you and that was the day the new Alora Mcgrave was born. I started strategizing on how to change my fate. I knew that if I wanted success I needed to be smart and scheming. To change my future, I intertwined my fate with yours. I came into your life as a good and protective friend, you trusted me without suspecting anything but I guess that’s what you get from being a loner”.  “I was the one who started the rumors around town, destroying your name and reputation. I manipulated every single one in this pack and turned them against you and made you an outsider, and since I couldn’t go after you myself, I used Madison as my puppet to do so. “After I became strong enough to stand on my own, I got rid of my parents just to make sure they wouldn’t hinder me in the future” Alora added chuckling Ava gasped in surprise and fear; she never actually thought that Alora would go to such lengths just to become Luna. She knew that a few years ago, Aloha’s parents died so mysteriously but she never really thought that Alora had a hand in their deaths “How could you do such a heartless thing to your parents?” Ava asked still in shock. “You don’t have to look so surprised about it, they never actually saw me as their flesh and blood, nothing I did was ever good enough for them so, I decided to put an end to their pitiful lives so that I could finally have peace and be free to do whatever I wanted. My original plan was to use you to get close to Damon and when the right time came, I would get rid of you too and by then, he would have already fallen for me. But I never expected that Damon’s hatred for you was more than mine and he would even go as far as defying the Moon goddess just to get rid of you. Wanna know why Damon chose me, it is because he believes that we are friends, and by choosing me, you wouldn’t have anyone else by your side that’s how much he despises you, Ava. Either way, it still worked in my favor. I didn’t just use you as a puppet but more like a tool I could use to achieve and am glad you didn’t disappoint my expectations. “You’re a heartless monster!” Ava said backing away from Alora as terror overtook her face “Point of correction, its heartless Luna to you” Alora corrected giving her a dirty look “I took you as a friend, I genuinely cared for you, I trusted and followed you, I would have gladly given my up my life for you, but instead, you manipulated and deceived me, you ruined my life all because of your greed and selfishness. You’re getting married to him knowing full well that he doesn’t even love you, tell me now, is it all worth it?” Everything felt so wrong, everything was a lie the one person that she thought had her back was the one who destroyed her life, and Ava wondered what she had done so wrong to deserve such a life. Alora was a complete monster, it was like she was another person entirely she hid her true intentions all these years just to ruin her life. “It doesn’t matter if it was worth it or not, I’ve gotten everything I have ever wanted but you’ve lost everyone and everything you’ve ever had and that’s enough satisfaction for me. Maybe it’s your fate to end up alone, just accept it” Alora gave a half smile as she turned to leave but stopped. “Damon and I will be getting married in two days, I would love to invite you but I don’t want any problems at the wedding so I guess I’ll be seeing you around”. And with that, she stormed out of the house leaving Ava in a state of shock and disbelief.                

She returned to her bedroom immediately Alora left the house, as soon as her back touched the bed, she wrapped herself in her own fur and cried herself to sleep. Ava’s hair was a tangle and her eye bags were heavy when she woke up the following day, with a painful headache, she walked slowly to the bathroom, and changed into a comfortable outfit.  She looked at the bruise from Damon’s hard grab, which was starting to heal thanks to the ointment she had applied. She cleaned her face and went back to her room. She turned to face the window to see what was going on when she heard a noise coming from outside. The news of the Alpha and his soon-to-be Luna’s wedding was being announced by park Custodian. The custodian’s words seemed to be prearranged, since he only had good things to say about Alora as if she were a goddess of some sort. Ava rolled her eyes in disgust, Alora had once again succeeded in ruining her day. Her eyes shifted from the window to the pictures hanging on the wall. It was she and Alora together, and they brought back many wonderful memories. However, the anger she was feeling at that moment overshadowed whatever happiness they had once shared. Ava angrily knocked the photos off the wall, breaking the glass frame into tiny pieces. ‘Fuck!’ She was trying to pick up the glass shards when a piece of glass pierced her her finger. She let out a loud curse, but the pain from the wound was nothing in compared to the pain she felt in her heart. As she watched her wounds heal, she realized that being a werewolf still had its benefits.  Ava was filled with even more rage as she saw her blood all over Alora’s totn picture. She slumped in the corner of her room and cried once again. At that moment, the thought of running away didn’t seem like a bad idea. She just couldn’t take the torment any longer. Ava wiped the tears from her face, realizing that leaving would be the wisest thing to do because staying would just make her life more miserable. She didn’t think it would be a horrible idea to be a stray. How bad could it be, considering her current situation? She immediately headed to her closet and removed a tiny backpack, filling it with everything she owned, after finally deciding to take matters into her own hands, she would make her move tomorrow when everyone was busy celebrating. She didn’t know if the choice she was making was the right one, but at the moment, all she wanted was to escape as quickly as possible; she would consider the other options later. All she had to do was wait for tomorrow, when her problems would finally be resolved. The next day Ava’s plan began at exactly 7:45a.m., having gotten up early due to her lack of sleep the previous night and finished all her preparation for the journey ahead. She had already packed her backpack with enough food and clothing for her trip. The wedding was not until midnight, to be celebrated under the moonlight, she was unable to leave the house until members of the pack finished getting ready for the Alpha and his Luna’s union. Ava had planned to go to her parent’s grave to say goodbye to them before she left, but she was unable to buy flowers this time since she didn’t want to draw attention to herself. She covered her face with a hood and wore simple clothes. She walked for an hours after leaving her residence until she reached the grave.  Many things crossed her mind as she looked at her parents’ graves. Perhaps her life might have turned out differently now if her parents hadn’t passed away when she was born. If her uncle hadn’t abandoned her and choose to run away or if he had just taken her with him, she might not have suffered as much. Instead, she would have had no worries in the world since they would have been there to love and protect her.  Perhaps people wouldn’t have looked down on her if she weren’t simply so weak, or perhaps if she had been born a strong werewolf. She wouldn’t have to go through as much suffering if things had gone differently. However, that was not her reality. She was a broken friend, a weak omega, an abandoned daughter, a rejected mate, and now she would have to add a soon to be rogue to her list of failings.  “Mom, Dad, it’s me Ava” She paused “I came here to say good bye, but this time, I don’t know if I’ll be able be able to visit your graves again. I did all I could to endure all the attacks and humiliations for so many years but now am worn out, I can’t take it anymore. I know that there’s nothing left for me anymore, so I have to leave this place while I still have a chance.” Tears rolled down Ava’s cheeks, she didn’t want to abandon her parent but leaving was her only option.  “I am sorry because I know am letting you down once again and I hope that this is the last time I will ever disappoint you ever again.” A strong wind blew across the entire cemetery as she turned to go after giving the two graves one last glance.  With every step she took, the sound of falling autumn leaves sounded loudly. What mattered was the plan ahead; she couldn’t afford to look back, therefore it didn’t matter if her parents were trying to discourage her from leaving or to support her. Later that evening The wedding had officially begun and the street was empty. “It’s time,” she thought to herself, inhaled deeply, and gave her room a quick look before heading out. Ava became curious about the union after hearing the loud howls that seemed to be coming from Moon Square. It was a sign that the union had already begun, and the streets were deserted, much like the night of the mating ceremony. A part of her wanted to see Damon and Alora. She spent the next few minutes deliberating if she should leave immediately or watch the wedding, her curiosity got the better of her, and she stopped to watch from a distance. The color drained from her face as she watched one of the eldest Ancient join Damon and Alora in union.  “This is the last time am ever going to shed a tear because of anyone and this is the last time am going to let anyone hurt me like this, that’s a promise” Ava swore to herself that night. She turned her back and walked away, leaving everything and everyone behind. And from that day her fate was sealed

Ava ran into the woods as quickly as her legs, could carry her but she had no idea how far she still had to go since it seemed like she would never stop. She had only heard that a cliff marked the boundary of Moonwood territory; she had never visited the actual territorial boundary. She realized that she was standing on a steep cliff and stopped.  “This is it, the territorial borderline ” she muttered, She partially smiled realizing the freedom she had always desired had finally appeared. It was almost like a forest as she looked over the height of the cliff, with nothing but trees in sight below it. Ava released an irritated sigh. “I can’t chicken out now” She said tying to motivate herself.  “Fuck, here goes nothing” she yelled and jumped. She landed on her right elbow and hip after jumping, and she screamed in pain as she felt a stinging ache on her shoulder. She was standing with her left arm supporting her right arm due to a dislocated right shoulder. She pulled out one of her tops from her bag pack, wrapped it around her right arm, and tied it around her neck. After tending to her shoulder, she zipped her bag and slung it over her left shoulder. The injuries she sustained was not unexpected, being an omega not only made her one of the weakest wolf in her pack but also meant that her healing process was far slower than an average wolf. She was officially a stray and had no idea what to do. Although the injury would definitely slow her down, there was no going back at this point.  She strolled for what seemed like an eternity, moving past trees. “Where the fuck is this place!? Ava yelled out in frustration, “What’s the plan now?” She thought in her head. She had the audacity to pack her bags and run away from home without hesitation, but now she found herself stranded, without any destination or plans, in the middle of nowhere. She was almost certain she was lost, she didn’t even bring a map. She started to question whether leaving Moonwood was the correct decision once more. She had been walking all night, and since it was almost dawn and she was probably already far from Moonwood, she made the decision to take a nap. Even though it was midday, Ava was already making her way across the mountains. Because of her injuries, she was unable to move at her best speed, and on that, most of the rocks were high. It was almost dusk when she finally found a tiny cave where she could spend the night. The next morning….. Ava was woken up by the sound of persistent sound of chirping birds. Knowing that she wouldn’t be getting any more sleep made her grumble, so she made the decision to eat some snacks and carry on with her journey.  After she finished her preparation, she continued her journey. She walked for a long time, already feeling lost. Then she found a path that split into two roads. She stood there, not sure which way to go. Both roads were seemed very strange and this made her feel very uncomfortable. It was difficult for her to decide which way to choose because she didn’t know where the roads led to. She decided to take the route that goes around the Forest’s path. As far as her head her eyes could see, the trees seemed to touch the sky. As she walked deeper into the forest, the world around her began to blur. Was this real, or was she dreaming? The forest felt alive, as if it knew she was there. She could hear it whisper and move. Fog covered the air making it almost impossible to see anything. She wasn’t sure what was real and what was just her imagination. She could hear curses and insults she had once experienced while at Moonwood came back to haunt her, replaying in her mind and refusing to go away. “No, no none of this is real” Ava said repeatedly shaking her head, she was trying to shake off the thought and come to her senses. “Get out my head” Ava shouted covering her ear immediately the fogs disappeared and all the hallucination and voices stopped. She was surprised to see how everything had halted so suddenly and wondered what was going on. It seemed as though nothing had happened, was she dreaming? Only moments before, fog covered the entire area and she was hallucinating. Her face was full of fear, as she rushed as fast as she could to escape because she was afraid of having to stay there any longer. She was grateful to the moon goddess for her kind the ability to move quickly, even though she was not as fast as others. She came to a stop when she came across a meadow. “How much longer can I continue? Ava thought. Her right shoulder injury was still healing slowly, she had hardly slept, and she was already feeling weak and in unbearable pain. She needed urgent treatment as well as enough rest and food. She pulled out her water bottle from her bag pack and took a sip, but it was not enough to satisfy her thirst, she still needed to save some for later. She sat under one of the oak trees to hide from the sun. It wasn’t long after she rested her body on the oak tress that she began to hear the sound of footsteps moving close to the place she was sitting. She quickly hide herself and carefully peeked invented the branches of the oak tree to see who it was. “Who are they?” she whispered to herself as she kept observing from a distance till the approached. Ava felt a wave of fear as soon as she realized that those individuals were hunters, equipped with firearms, a silver bullet-filled cartridge belt holder, and werewolf fangs hanging around their necks. Ava was frozen, unable to move at all, having heard about the horrible things that hunters had done to werewolves

Werewolf Hunters Ava was only thinking about how she could run without attracting their attention after watching them for almost an hour, the men had finally vanished from view. She moved slowly and looked around to make sure no one was nearby before coming out from her hiding spot. Once she was sure, she hurriedly packed her belongings and resumed her journey, Even though she was exhausted, she couldn’t afford to relax just not until she was certain of her safety. As night drew near, Ava still hadn’t found a comfortable place to spend the night. She chose to take a short break because her legs were starting to hurt. She took a seat under a little shade tree and stayed there for some time.  After a while, she decided to take a quick nap. but not long after, she heard footsteps coming from different directions . She glanced about, but saw no one. It was almost to nightfall, making it difficult to see moving figures. She was in too much of a hurry to find out who or what it was. She hastily packed her belongings, and the moment she entered the wide field, a thick, metal chain dropped upon her. She tried to struggle free, but nothing she did was working. “Why am I unable to cut myself free ? I should be able to escape this chain even if I’m not strong enough to do so right now” Ava thought to herself as she tried in vain to free herself from the chains, her body beginning was already weak due to the chains apparent physical effects. If the chains had been normal, she ought to have been able to free herself, but this was abnormal in every way. “No! It’s a silver chain” Ava saw a clear glimpse of the chain and knew she was doomed. To her species, silver was akin to poison; it could destroy any werewolf and could take a werewolf down with a single silver bullet. The sound of footsteps in front of her interrupted her thoughts. “Well, well, well, look what we have right here, ” A tall, unclean-looking hunter with a false golden tooth spoke first, his face plastered with a smile. It would be hard to get away from them, Ava realized as she looked around and saw that there were six of them.  “Please let me go” Ava tried pleading “Why would a werewolf hunter let go of his prey?” He grabbed her hair violently in response. Ava screamed in pain, feeling as though her hair was being pulled out of her head.  “Boss, we caught a good one this time” another voice said “We sure did, let’s take her back” he replied letting go of Ava’s hair.  “Get up” .He ordered and Ava obeyed and stood up , one of the hunters violently took the chain off her, she was in pain no doubt about that and had bruises all over her body; she just wanted to cry. Now that her right shoulder was completely wrapped in chain, the pain was killing her. Ava was taken back to their camp and placed in a cage that was still secured with silver chains. She was shaking with anxiety already. Growing up, she heard horrific stories about werewolves being hunted by wolf hunters. She was certain that whatever they planned to do to her, it wouldn’t end well. They might sell her for money, skin her alive for her fur and skin, or maybe just murder her. The light from the burning wood was the only source of light as it was almost midnight. The men were eating and drinking like barbarians, laughing and talking among themselves. They spoke about what they were going to do to her as soon as the daybreak.  A couple of hours later The firelight was already out. The surroundings were peaceful but the air was very cold. The night owls were crying somewhere around the tress. Ava was unable to fall asleep, but how could she when as soon as day break she would already be as good as dead. But on the other hand, the men were sleeping soundly inside their tents. “Perhaps this marks the end of my journey; perhaps I will never be able to achieve the freedom I long for in this life, and perhaps I will only be completely free when i finally leave this world.” Ava thought to herself as she let out a heavy sigh, she gave up on her faith and closed her eyes, allowing tears to run down her cheek. A few minutes later, she began to hear the sound of footsteps close to her cage and before she knew what was happening, the door of the cage flew open. “Who’s there? She whispered looking around trying to see who was there but got no reply. Looking over her opened cage she was hesitant to escape her prison. She didn’t know if someone was trying to help her escape or maybe It might just be another trap. She sniffed around trying to get the person scent, but she couldn’t smell them plus it was still dark to see who it was but she was sure that she felt someone’s presence. Before Ava could think of anything else, she suddenly heard a strange voice, “Run” The presence she had sensed before disappeared as soon as a voice spoke. She would definitely find time to thank whoever or whatever had freed her later, but for now, she had to get away quickly. At once she was on her heels, running as fast as her legs could carry her. The night was gradually giving way to full sunshine as morning approached. Ava was running barefoot and was already tired but she couldn’t stop. As soon as she was sure she had reached a safe distance, she stopped to rest and take a moment to regain her strength.  “There she is, catch her at once.” A voice called from a distance . How did they find me? Ava muttered under her breath “I can’t let them catch me again” she thought as she continued running, her injuries made it difficult for her to keep moving, as the voices were getting louder she was unable to move much faster. Ava arrived reached the edge of the mountains top. She was standing over a massive waterfall and was unable to move forward for fear of drowning.  The only possible option now was to go back. As soon as she turned, she came face to face with the werewolf hunters. “How dare you make us run this far? You sure do run fast for a girl.”  A harsh voice said. “What are we going to do to her, boss?” another questioned “We’re going to give this bitch a lesson, I suppose.” He grinned. “Take her.” The men started to approach Ava as he gave the order. Ava continued to slowly move backyard until she got to the brink, she knew that there was no way out for her, she was already surrounded and she couldn’t swim, but still she decided to take matters into to her own hands and take the risk rather than being taken prisoner once more. She then jumped into the flowing river

Ava fell into the flowing river, She tried to swim up, but the water was too strong and she was already running out of breathe. She fought hard, but eventually, she started getting tired. Her lungs were hurt as she tried as much as possible to swim up. She was very tired and couldn’t fight anymore. The water felt heavy. As she sank down as it got dark. The last thing she remembered was being pulled from under water and before she knew what was going on, she found herself lying on soft grass. Her chest felt very heavy. Ava coughed up water, She blinked several times and tried to look around to see where she was surprised to be alive. Her whole body was hurt and felt heavy. She shook, not from cold, but from the shock of almost dying. “I’m alive!” she shouted. She had been through many bad things since leaving Moonwood. Everything had been hard and scary. She supported her right shoulder with her other hand, finally realizing that if she didn’t find a safe place soon, it was not going to end well for her. Her stomach made a loud noise. She was very hungry because she hadn’t eaten in a long time so she decided to stay where she was for the day. Her clothes were wet, so she waited for them to dry in the sun. While she waited, she was still hungry. She looked around to see if there was any place she could get food from, her eyes rested on a nearby river. The thought of catching some fish to eat came to her mind. She hesitated for a while before summoning up enough courage to go close to the river. The water was moving fast but she was careful not to fall in again. She tried to catch fish with her hands. It was hard, but she finally caught some. “Finally, I’ve got something to eat”. Ava said happily eating her hard earned food. After eating, Ava found a good spot to rest. She was still alone and far from home. But she was alive, had food, and could rest. All she hoped was things would get better soon. The next day, Ava started walking again. She had been walking for hours. It felt like her journey would never end. She couldn’t stay in her human form anymore. She changed into her wolf form. This helped her move faster. But her hurt shoulder made it hard. She had to be careful not to touch her right paw to the ground. Ava walked through the forest for a long time. As she moved further into the forest, she began to see something on the ground. They were footprints, but not normal ones. They were werewolf footprints. Ava knew immediately this was a dangerous place. Rogues lived here. They didn’t follow the rules unlike the Werewolves. Suddenly, Ava heard a loud noise of growling and leaves moving. She stopped walking immediately. Three angry werewolves jumped out of the shadows. Their eyes looked very scary, they moved around her, trapping her in a circle. “Look what we found. A hurt little wolf.” A big dark wolf was the first to speak. “I don’t want to fight. I’m just walking through here.” Ava replied, trying to be brave for the first time in her life. “You can’t just walk through our land. You’re wrong, little one and we are going to make you pay for it.” “We don’t like wolves like you here. You look weak.” The third rogue added. Ava looked at each of them. She wanted to find a way to escape but she was trapped and couldn’t fight them either. “Please listen. I’m not doing anything wrong. I told you, I’m not dangerous. I just want to keep walking. Please let me go.” Ava hoped that her plea would make them leave her alone but instead, it only made them very angry. The first rogue jumped on Ava with his sharp teeth. He almost bit her neck. Ava made a scared noise and moved her head. The werewolf’s teeth just missed her. Ava’s hurt shoulder felt very bad as she moved back. Little wolf, you can’t fight us. There is no use struggling”. Then all three Rogues attacked Ava at the same time. Two of them bit her legs. The other one pushed her down on the ground. Ava screamed because it hurt so much. The rogues seemed happy to hurt Ava. They kept biting her and laughing. Ava was bleeding a lot from the bites but they didn’t stop. They had injured her so much that she was already loosing a lot of blood. Suddenly, they heard a loud growl which came from the forest. A werewolf came out of the trees. He was very big and strong. He looked stronger than the rogue. His eyes looked very angry. “Let her go now! Or face my wrath !” He spoke with a lot of authority. The rogues looked at each other. They were scared of the new werewolf. “You heard me. I said let her go.” He repeated, but this time with more force. The rogues slowly moved away from Ava. They made angry noises, but they were afraid of the big werewolf. “Let’s go.” The dark rogue ordered and they all ran away into the dark forest. They knew they couldn’t fight the big werewolf and the best thing for them to do was retreat. The big werewolf watched to make sure that all the rogues had left. Then he looked at Ava. “Hey, are you okay?” he asked, as he tried to help Ava stand up. But Ava was very hurt. She closed her eyes and fell asleep. He looked worried and didn’t know if the wounded stranger would be okay. He wanted to help her. He thought about what to do next. Should he take her somewhere safe? Or try to wake her up? He knew she needed help fast.

Ava’s was trapped in a nightmare inside her own body. She was taken to the same terrifyingly dark forest that she knew as home in her dream, but it had become a nightmare version of itself. The whole forest was alive and as it seemed, it was out to get her. Her pack mates still tormented her even in the nightmare, they still had the same hatred for her. In the dream, Ava tried to argue and beg them, but as they circled about her, laughing and raining curses on her. “You have no value, you are a burden to the pack and you will always be at the bottom.” One of them mocked her. She ignored his words and tried to escape instead, but they wouldn’t let her go. “Why even try? You will never belong here.” Ava struggled hard and finally managed to escape from them but things around her kept changing. She saw her house, but it looked wrong. Things inside were not normal. Chairs and tables looked weird. The walls of the house seemed to move. They got closer to her. Ava felt stuck. The scariest part was feeling like someone was watching her. She couldn’t see who it was. She heard mean voices, but couldn’t see who was talking. Ava tried to run, but her feet felt very heavy. It was hard to move. She wanted to yell for help, but no sound came out. The nightmare changed again and this time, she found herself in a graveyard. She saw graves with her parents’ names. This made her very sad and scared. Before she could say anything, the ground opened up. Ava fell into a deep, dark hole. She kept falling and falling and couldn’t stop. Even though Ava was asleep, her body knew she was scared. Her heart beat fast, she was sweating. Ava’s mind was her trapped in the dream, She couldn’t wake up. The nightmare went on and on. She wished someone would wake her up. She wanted the scary dream to end. But she was stuck in the nightmare. “You’re not helpless. You underestimate your strength. You are not alone, and you just have to believe that you’re are special. I am here for you, don’t be scared anymore. The calming, quiet voice spoke to her everyday trying to give her the strength to fight on. Ava battled until she felt that she could no longer bear it anymore. She lost count of the number of days she spent in this state.  However, as the voice continued to reach out to her everyday, she started to gather strength to try to fight back and to be able to finally put an end to the torment once and for all. Finally, Ava found the courage to overcome her fears. When the her pack mate came to attack her, she felt brave. “I am not weak. I am strong. which means you can’t hurt me anymore.” Ava said bravely holding her head up high. The dream started to change. The rogues started disappearing . Ava was standing in the forest, feeling happy. She had won! Then Ava woke up. She opened her eyes slowly. She was in a place where sick wolves get better. It belonged to a group called the Starry Howlers Pack. Ava felt confused. She didn’t know how long she had been asleep. “I’m glad you’re finally awake. “I’ll inform Hendrix about this new development, you’ve been through a lot, but you’re safe now.” A girl with a soft voice said before leaving the room. A tall guy entered the room shortly after; he looked familiar, but Ava couldn’t remember where she had seen him from but she was curious to know who he was. “Hey there,” Hendrix said softly, offering a smile. “You’re awake.” As soon as Ava saw him, she began to panic as she remembered the tragic incident that caused her to fall into a coma. She tried to scream, but her voice was stuck. “Hey, hey, it’s okay, you’re safe I promise”. The stranger tried to assure her. However, Ava’s fear was beyond her control She tried to move her lips in an attempt to form words, but nothing came out. “Take your time and recover, if you don’t feel comfortable having anyone around yet, I’ll leave and check on you later, I have some business to attend to anyway, but I’m glad you’re okay really.” He added smiling before leaving the room. Ava wondered why he was nice to her, no one has treated her nicely but she wasn’t about to open up or disclose who she was to these people she doesn’t trust them at all. She made the mistake of trusting Alora before she wasn’t planning on making the same mistake again. The girl form earlier came into the room “Are you hungry?” she asked. Ava didn’t respond but stared at her blankly “Even if you can’t talk am sure you’re hungry, I’ll go get you something to eat” she added before leaving the room again. A few minutes later she came back into the room with a plate of food and placed it on the table next to her. “I don’t know the type of food you like to eat so, I just picked something simple. Eat it while it’s still hot, try and get some more rest, I’ll check on you tomorrow.” She said before leaving the room. Ava stared blankly at the food, thinking about the worse things that could happen to her if she eat the food given to her by a stranger “Is it poisoned?” She thought to herself. “If they wanted me dead then why did they bother to save me” She thought to head, looking at her situation now, she was in no place to question anyone or anything. “Poisoned or not, she was starving and she needed to eat. Better die with a full stomach rather than an empty one” she muttered before digging into the food, she eat like her life depended on it, god knows how many days she had gone days without eating anything

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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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Nadia’s pov “Hurry up Nadia, I don’t want to be late.” Trina screamed at me, she was preening at the giant mirror in her room. All morning, I have been busy ironing out plenty of clothes for my sister Trina and mom, they were going to the biggest party of all time. It had been the talk of the pack for the last one month, the Golden Alpha of the Western four kingdoms was getting married, every alpha of the kingdom had been invited to come with his entire family. It was an honor to be invited, my father is Alpha Zora of the Blackgem pack of the western kingdom. I was his first child, but I have been treated with contempt ever since I turned sixteen and hadn’t wolfed yet. To my father, it was the biggest embarrassment to come on an alpha, my other siblings found their wolf wat before that age. I was made a laughing stock in the house, made to work like a slave for years. It didn’t stop me from fighting for myself, anytime mother and my other siblings, especially Trina tried to bully me. Most times it earned me severe punishments from my father, I would be chained and flogged till I became to weak to move. Running away had never been option to me ever since I was beaten to the the point of coma, besides alpha Zora is powerful, the only thing I have was my fierce nature against him, which always annoyed him. “You are wasting time Nadia, where are the dresses.” Trina shouted again, this time increasing the tempo of her voice, it would only be a few more shouts before mom would barge in. I puffed my cheeks, and blew out air, as I gathered the clothes she handpicked for me to press earlier. “Here you go?.” I dropped the neatly folded clothes on her bed. I was about to leave when my eyes caught a particular dress in between Trina’s, it was a sea green dress I planned to wear for the occasion. I picked it up the exact time Trina touched it, none of us willing to let go. “What do you think you are doing?.” Trina’s voice dripped acid. “It’s mine,” I explained calmly, tugging at it, it was a cotton material, if I wasn’t careful it would rip apart. Trina’s grip on the dress tightened. “Then why is it amongst my stuff, I want this dress and I’m taking it. I’ve decided to wear this instead.” That would be impossible, it was the only decent dress I have and I won’t let Trina take it from me. “No, give it back Trina!” I shouted, trying not to use force on the dress, when I saw how tight her grip was on the dress, I yanked at the dress. It tire in half, Trina held on to the other end like it was a piece of trash. “Oops,” she covered her mouth giggling. “I guess none of us would be wearing the gown after all.” She threw the piece at me. My eyes flashed red at the sight of the torn dress, “You brat,” I yelled, giving her a shove. It was a hard shove, but coming from me it wasn’t supposed to affect Trina who has her wolf since the age of twelve. She lost her balance, and went straight for the huge mirror behind her. The mirror broke in half, and Trina screamed in pain, claiming that the glass sliced into her skin, which I know was a lie. Mom entered the room at the sound of Trina’s cry. “What have you done again Nadia, why are you so jealous of your sister?.” I wasn’t surprised mom would take her side, she didn’t even stand up for me when dad always punished me, saying I deserved it. “Trina started it,” I defended myself, the next I received was a stinging slap across my face. I stood not flinching even though my face burned from the heat of her slap. It wasn’t the first time, and crying was something I couldn’t do anymore no matter the pain. “Don’t you ever touch her again, or I’ll make your father banish you from the pack.” Mom shouted at me. “That would be a dream come true for me,” I shouted back, turning away. I came face to face with alpha Zora who stood glaring at me with intense hatred. I bowed my head immediately, kneeling down. I could hear him breathing hard. Mom told him what happened. I was already expecting a thorough beaten, instead he said. “I’ll punish her when we get back, for now she stays behind, I won’t let this living shame to be with me at such important ceremony.” He walked away leaving me on the floor, mom was busy helping Trina to another dress, when they finished she came to me. “Get some groceries before we get back, be sure to receive the worst punishment of your life when we return.” She spat. I never cared for any party, I just wanted my freedom. As soon as they left, I picked up the grocery bag, and headed out. A car drove past me slowly, the windows down. I felt the eyes of a man on my body, I paid him no heed. The car came to a halt, and I notice three strong men come out, they did not look friendly. One of them pointed at me. “There she is, get her.” The grocery bag I carried dropped to the floor as I did the first thing that came to my mind. Run. My feets barely touched the ground as I sprinted, raising sands that splashed on my body. If there was ever I day I regretted not wolfing, it was today. The men caught up with me soon enough, I slapped one hard, it was no use. I was swung over his shoulder like a bag of grain. The man who looked like the leader brought out his phone. He called someone. “Alpha, we have lady Helena here and we are bringing her back to you.”

Brayden’s pov. I tapped on the chair impatiently, waiting for my men to call me, Helena knew better than to break a deal we had. This was a very important moment for me, our wedding was in a few hours, and she chose today of all days to act like a fool by running away. I was almost out of my wits when I discovered she’d run off. My phone rang, I was in no mood for calls, I glanced at it, it was my beta Diaz, I picked expecting to hear good news. “Tell me you found her.” I held my breath. “We found lady Helena, we are bringing her.” “Good,” I disconnected the call. I’d make sure Helena pays for trying to double cross me. It didn’t take long before my men dragged a struggling Helena into the room. She looked haggard. “Let me go you bloody fools.” She fought and scratched ath my men. Of course my men were being tolerant of her behavior because of who she is to me, but it as surprised by Helena’s audacity to throw insults at my men. I allowed her to put on a show with my men, she had changed totally, becoming feisty, putting up a fight when she was no match for them to begin with. She must have forgotten so soon how cruel I can be, because I have been too soft on her. I took longstrides to where she was, hoping to change that stupid mindset of hers by teaching her a bitter lesson. My huge hands circled her neck, catching her off guard, not like she stood a chance before. “You’ve got some nerve ditching me like that.” Acid dripped from my voice. I studied the woman in front of me, she tried to remove my hand from her neck, there was something different about her eyes, not just the darker shade, but the defiant look she had on. Her fierce look made me want to rip her in half so badly, but I needed her, or I would have given in to my beast. “How dare you Helena, how dare you betray me like this after the agreement we made, were you trying to make me look like a fool to the werewolf kingdom.” I shook her body hard, trying to instill fear into her, she only coughed due to my hands on her neck, I could feel her muscles strain. Little spittles splashed on my wrist. I released her neck, and she crumbled to the ground whizzing for breath. “Don’t ever try to run again, or you’ll regret the day you were born.” I was Brayden Oscar after all, the golden Alpha, and the most feared in the werewolf kingdom. “I’m letting you go because of the wedding.” My tone was menacing as I sent deadly stares at her. There was something odd about Helena, she didn’t even shiver despite my threats, did she really want to get far away from me as possible?. She straightened after gaining her strength. “I don’t know who the fuck you think you are, but you can’t go about kidnapping people the way you please. FYI, I am not Helena, so you let me go this minute.” Her voice was stern, without a trace of fear. I threw the table and rushed at her, my breaths coming out hot on her face, she didn’t flinch or blink once. It disturbed me, but it would be weakness for an alpha of my ranking to show I was disturbed by her. “Why are you doing this?, where you paid to run away?. What did you do to your body?.” She crossed her arms on her chest. “Whatever this is, I am done, you’ve got the wrong girl, i am not Helena, my name is Nadia.” “Impossible,” I growled, trying to instill fear in her again. “We made an agreement to be married for six months, you can’t be done until I say so. This marriage is to please the elders, once I get what I want, you can go about your stupid life for all I care.” “Urgh,” Helena scoffed. She never scoffs, at least not to me. “For a big guy, you must have a problem with your hearing.” My men rushed at her immediately, ready to deal her a couple of blows. No one dares speak to me rudely, let alone insult me, I raised a hand commanding them to stop. I picked up a document and tossed it at her. “Sign it, now.” I ordered quietly. She took one look at the document, then kicked it away. That was it, she had crossed the line this time, I have been to soft on her, if I don’t do something now, my men will think I have become weak. I raised my hand ready to strike at her, but stopped in mid air, it was not her unflinching looks that stopped me this time, it was something that emanated from her, like a force pulling at me. My men looked on, wondering what made me stop, slowly my hands dropped to my sides. “You are not Helena.” I said slowly. “Duh, that’s what I have been trying to tell you.” I could see it clearly now, the slight difference between them, her eyes were a darker shade of brown, and her hair longer. Something else still drew me to her. “Who are you?.” “Nadia Gardner,” she said flatly, “I was on my way to get groceries before your men ambushed and kidnapped me.” “From the way you speak and act, it is clear that you are not Helena. But you are my mate.” as I spoke, some kind of intense emotion whirred inside me. I watched as her jaw slowly dropped, “What the heck is happening?.” She asked dumbfounded I raked a hand through my hair, as much as I don’t like this situation, it turns out that I have finally met my mate, and that person is Nadia Gardener.

Nadia’s pov “Holy shit,” I muttered under my breath. Did he just say am his mate? Now that I can concentrate on his face, he was really a delicious looking man, his blonde hair shun like the sun, and his bright blue eyes piercing. Now that I was over fighting my abductors I could see him fully, since he claims to be my mate, getting abducted might not really be a bad idea. “Impossible,” his voice broke into my thoughts curtly. “How can you look so much alike?” He gasped, from the way he sounded, he obviously wasn’t pleased to find out that I am his mate. “Beats me,” I shrugged. He called the man who led my abduction. “Diaz, run a background check on Nadia Gardener, I want to know everything about her.” Diaz nodded before turning away. “You,” he called to me sternly. Since you are not Helena, you are basically useless to me. I can tell that you don’t have your wolf yet.” At that I squeezed my face, how was he able to tell by looking at me, he emanated a powerful aura which depicted his prowess. Most of the times when I talked back at him, I didn’t have control, I just didn’t want to be treated by outsiders the way my own family treated me. That was why I braced myself, when he almost killed me. Before I could say anything, he looked me straight in the eyes. “I, Alpha Brayden Oscar, the Golden Alpha, rejects Nadia Gardener as my mate, I can’t have a wolfless and weak person as my mate, it would be the most disappointing thing to ever happen.” A sharp pain seared across my heart at his rejection, this was unbelievable, getting rejected by my mate the same day he found me, I must be worthless after all. Another thing that caught my attention was his name, especially his title. How it didn’t click in the first place took me by surprise. I wondered if he had the title because of the color of his hair, I was so curious I almost asked. “Well, since you’ve rejected me, then I’m leaving.” A man opened the door, “Brayden, everyone is waiting for you outside.” His eyes rested on me. “Why is Helena not dressed yet?.” “She isn’t,” Brayden paused. He studied me for a brief moment, then sucked his teeth. “Get the make-up artist to be here immediately, we’d be out in thirty minutes.” “Woah,” I exclaimed as the man left. “What do you think you are doing, there’s no way in hell I am getting married to you.” “You are going to be my wife,” he voiced out, not caring about my opinion. Was he being serious right now?, asking that of me when he just rejected me only a few minutes ago. “No, I refuse.” I said stubbornly. He pulled me roughly by the arm, turning my face to him. “Listen to me, Nay,” he paused trying to recollect my name. Of course he already forgot. “Nadia,” I completed for him. “Right, Nadia, this wedding has to take place whether you like it or not. You don’t have a choice. You are replacing Helena until she is found.” I tried to pull out of his hold. “You aren’t even begging me, that’s no way to talk to someone you so desperately need her help.” “I’m an Alpha, I don’t ask for favors, I give you an order and you go along without any complaints. I can as well kill you now and no one will do anything about it.” The look in his eyes made me believe he was dead serious. I swallowed, “What’s in it for me, at least you get a bride,” “You get to be the Luna to the Golden Alpha king for six months of your life, that should be enough reward for you, don’t even think about asking for anything else.” I thought about it for a minute, it was indeed cool, besides I could play out the role of this Helena chick. Everyone already took me for her, so it shouldn’t be a hassle. “A contract would be prepared for you to sign, you will replace Helena until she is found.” He stated. It was all just amusing to me. “What if I,” I was not able to complete my question before a group of women trooped in. “Dress her up.” Brayden ordered them. I was taken by the women, and led to another room, where I was thoroughly washed and dressed up as the bride of the Golden Alpha. I couldn’t recognize myself when I turned to the mirror, I have never been dressed so beautifully before. A few minutes later, I was brought out of the room, fully dressed, ready to meet my groom. Brayden was outside waiting for me. He looked so dashing, with us hair parted sideways and a golden lock covering his forehead, he frowned when he saw me ogling at him. I definitely would not marry someone who looked down on me so condescendingly, but who would give up being a Luna for six months, definitely not me. This was a chance for me to live well. “Why are you smiling?.” Brayden asked as I reached him, I didn’t even know I was smiling. “Nothing,” I whispered back. “Ohh shoot.” I clapped my hands together. This was the wedding my folks were coming to, and they had no idea that I was the bride to the alpha. “Get your acts together, we are about to be wed.” Brayden said through clenched teeth. “You don’t have to tell me twice, I can handle this.” I shot back. He hooked his arm into mine, and I felt the zing coarse through my skin. I could hear the murmurs coming from the outside as we waited for the doors to be opened for us. The door opened and a sea of faces welcomed us with smiles. “Time to get married.” I muttered.

Nadia’s pov. I thought I had it under control, but the way the guests looked at me made me feel uneasy. I felt Brayden’s hand on me, supporting me to move on towards the pulpit, where the elder stood. “I can do this,” I convinced myself slowly. I put on a brave face till we arrived at the pulpit. We were made to stand looking at each other, while the elder made us take out vows. “Do you, Brayden Oscar, take Helena Marshal to be your wife?” The elders’ voice rang out through the open field; everywhere was silent. “I do,” Brayden replied curtly; he wanted to get it over with. The elder turned to me, “Do you, Helena Marshal, take Brayden Oscar the Golden Alpha king to be your husband.?” I looked at the crowd; they were all waiting for my response. Slowly, I turned to Brayden; a smirk curled up my lips, and I could see sweat of agitation forming on his forehead. It felt good to make him feel uneasy. There he was, the almighty Golden Alpha, scared that I might say no and ruin everything for him. It turns out that I have a little power after all. His eyes begged me to answer, and I wanted to tease him some more, but the elder repeated the question. “I do,” I replied with a smile. “You may now kiss the bride.” My eyes rested on his cute lips, then they closed, waiting for him to kiss me as I pouted. I felt a light brush, and that was it. My eyes flared open, just like that. Brayden looked away, ready. I put my arms around his neck, pulled him close, and gave him a deep kiss. I could feel him holding back against the kiss. He tasted strawberries, and I liked it. Brayden pulled away amidst the cheers that erupted from the crowd. I knew I was going to get an earful for that. I stood beside him at the reception hall, smiling at guests as they came in an orderly fashion to pay their respects to us. My family approached; I tried looking away so they didn’t see me, but they didn’t seem to recognize me. I wondered if the outfit and makeup changed me that much. “Congratulations, my queen.” Mom, dad, and Trina chorused after greeting Brayden. They bowed in respect to me. My heart did a little jig; I wished for one second that they knew it was me. Especially Trina. I smiled at them, feeling on top of the world; they rose at my command. It was so cool, it took all of my restraints to stop myself from laughing. Trina fixed her gaze on me, unmoving; for a second, I thought she recognized me, then Diaz nudged her. “Make room for another party.” His deep voice came out. Brayden raised his hand. “That’s enough visitors at the high table. My queen and I will like to walk around the reception.” Something tells me that Brayden suspected something, but I didn’t say a word. “You seem to recognize those people.” He said immediately we started walking. “They are my family.” “Your father is Alpha Zora?.” he asked, and I nodded. From the sound of his voice, he didn’t like that. “You’ll have to stay away from them; remember, you are Helena now. I’d send you a file to learn everything you need to know about her, her character, and all. Plus, we’d have to shorten your hair.” I touched my long hair. “I can’t cut my hair.” “You have to. We have to make you look the perfect picture of Helena. No trace for doubts.” I had to give in to that; this was my chance to pay my family back for the ill treatment of the past years. “Hey Brayden,” a chirpy voice came through the crowd. A stunning blonde walked through and hugged Brayden, to close for my liking. I frowned as Brayden’s hand rested on her slender waist. “Congratulations friend.” “Friend?” I spat in disgust. Her eyes rested on me. “Helena, darling, you look ravishing as always.” I could not even force a smile; I didn’t like this lady one bit, and the fact that she was a stunner made it all worse. “I just arrived. Hope you aren’t upset about my late arrival.?” “Not at all,” I replied. “Can I borrow your bride for a little while, Brayden? We ladies need to catch up.” I expected Brayden to say no, but he left me with this strange woman I didn’t want to be with. She led me to a corner, far from where the guests could see us. Immediately we were alone. His look changed to a hostile one. She gripped me hard until her nails dug into my flesh. “What the hell are you doing? You seem to have forgotten our agreement.” I couldn’t wrap my head around what she was saying. “First of all, bitch, get your claws off me.” I saw her eyes widen; maybe Helena never used that tone on her, but I will not stand to be bullied on my own wedding day. She released me at once, a sly smile curving up her face. “I see you’ve garnered some balls; what did Brayden promise you?.” She definitely was spot on with the difference; Helena must have been bullied by this lady a lot for her to expect some kind of fear from me. “Brayden didn’t promise me anything, and don’t you dare put your hands on me again, or I’ll make you pay for it.” I was no match for her; from her grip, I could tell that she was really strong., it would be wrong to get into a fight with her now. “You are making a big mistake, Helena. Get out of Brayden’s life and the Eastern Kingdom, or I’ll make your life miserable by spilling your tea.” I saw that people were already walking towards where we stood. I used it to my advantage. “Bring it on, girl, you just messed with the wrong Luna.”

Nadia’s pov. Brayden appeared just as she was about to shove her hands into my face. She quickly pretended like she was dressing my hair. “Hope I’m not interrupting you ladies?.” His eyes were on her. “Not at all, I was just about leaving,” she hugged Brayden again, this time kissing him lightly on the cheek. Brayden waited for her to leave. “What did Crystal say to you.?” “Crystal?” I asked, my brows furrowing together. Then it occurred to me that the lady’s name was Crystal. “Ohhh, it’s nothing; we just chatted briefly; I played along. I just lied to Brayden. I wasn’t sure he knew of the deal Helena struck with Crystal. I just prayed I was not in a lot of shit. “I’d send you a document about everyone, so you’d know about them to a great extent. That should help in playing your role as Helena.” I was silent. Of course that was all he cared about. “Just be careful around the elders; they are really wily, and you should not mess around with them, anything, or anyone that bothers you; come to me first, understood?.” His voice came out really authoritatively. “Yes, well understood, and I can handle myself.” I clicked my tongue at him. “I can’t really say that for sure. Just don’t mess things up for me.” He warned. Nighttime, I was in my room, nursing my bruised arm, when I heard a knock on the door. I opened only to see a maid standing before me. I gave her a questioning look. “I’ve come to prepare you for your king.” She stated calmly. “Woah, what?” It felt like a heavy wind landed on my face. I was speechless. I totally forgot about the whole marriage rights thing at night, and Brayden didn’t talk about it either. The maid changed my clothes and took me to Brayden’s room. He wasn’t inside yet. So I sat on his bed, waiting. The door opened; I knew it was him. “What do you think you are doing here?.” He sounded surprised. “It’s our wedding night. We are supposed to be together.” I blurted out. A low chuckle escaped his lips, making his eyes spark in the dimly lit room. “The moon goddess sure has a sense of humor for sending you to me; do you really expect anything to come out of this marriage?.” I didn’t like the way he was speaking to me. I came because I had to. “You told me to play my role well. This is part of it.” “Is that why you drew me in for a longer kiss at the wedding? I can see that you are a lowly, miserable, wolfless person. I never took you to be an easy person that throws herself at the sight of an attractive man.” My ears burned, and steam evaporated from it. I thought he wouldn’t mention it at all. I was fuming, my face already tight. “I am not an easy woman, and I won’t tolerate you insulting me.” He crossed his arms on his chest. The way his lips curled and his eyes twinkled showed that he was up to something mischievous. I had seen similar looks in the faces of the males at Blackgem Pack; I had an inkling of what he was up to, only that Brayden’s seems devilish. “What if I prove you wrong?.” My face relaxed a bit. “Prove me wrong about what.?” “How about I show you how much of an easy woman you are?” He challenged me. My mind shouted at me to decline his challenge, but my ego wanted so much to take him on and prove to him that he isn’t all that just because he is some Golden Alpha king. I raised my chin up defiantly. “I accept your challenge.” With two long strides, Brayden covered the gap between us. I sat still on the bed, both hands gripping the sheet tightly. Brayden’s face was just inches away from mine. I could smell the wine he drank at the ceremony on his breath. Now that he was close, I saw little freckles on his nose, which made him more cute up close. His hair wasn’t even blonde but actually gold in color. His seductive eyes held mine to a fixed point, drawing me in and locking me in an enchantment. I kept whispering to myself. “Don’t fall for him; do not fall for him.” “You know that’s impossible,” he whispered harshly into my ear. He tucked a strand of hair slowly behind my ear, which made me hold my breath, cupped my chin, then crushed his lips on mine. It was nothing like I ever imagined. Even with my mouth clamped shut, fighting against giving in, I could feel the pressure of his lips on mine, forcing mine open until his tongue swept inside. I felt weak instantly as my hands gave way and spread flat on the sheets. Brayden’s hand was on my stomach, slowly tracing it’s way down my thighs. Every touch of his hands felt like an electrical current zinging through my skin. He wasn’t even touching my bare flesh yet, and I was already weak, Immediately his hands came up and cupped my breast I let out a soft moan into a kiss, hating myself instantly for giving in so easily. The moan was the que for Brayden; he pulled away from me, ending the kiss. My eyes showed disappointment as I looked away, avoiding his eyes. He wiped at his lips with his thumb. “You don’t have to blame yourself. Every woman loves to have a taste of the Golden Alpha, and you are no different.” My chest was heaving as I tried to catch my breath from his passionate kiss. I looked around until my eyes settled on a pillow. I grabbed it and threw it at him, shouting. “Arrrghhh, fuck you, Brayden.” He caught the pillow in midair, smiling evilly at me. “Good night, new bride, and don’t wait up for me.” He went out, slamming the door as I shouted into the night again. “Arrgghhhhhhh.”

Brayden’s pov. The sound of Nadia screaming behind the slammed door made a smile curve up my face. It was good seeing her tense like that. The thing is, she wasn’t the only one tense in the room. My whole body was sparked up in flames as well. She had shown nothing but defiance since she got here, and it did nothing but piss me off. Now she knows better than to challenge me, although for a second I almost gave into the beast inside of me to devour her; it took all of my restraints to pull back. I looked down at the bulge between my legs. Thankfully she didn’t notice it, or I would have been screwed. I didn’t know she was such an excellent and tasty kisser. It would be difficult to control myself around her. I just hope she doesn’t cause trouble for me. Those brown doe eyes of hers were just too tempting. I had to get out of there immediately or I would make a fool of myself. I’d just sleep in another room for now. “Alpha, lady Crystal awaits you in her room.” A maid announced before I could make for another room. An idea crossed my mind. A good way to cool off the pressure pulsing against my pants. Crystal was on the bed smiling when I entered. Her shiny blonde hair tumbled over her bright skin. “I thought you’d be with your new bride?” She teased, revealing more of her thighs. My gaze narrowed to the movement of her finger tracing her thigh. Crystal definitely knows her to keep a man happy. She has been one of my longest friends, but a sexual relationship sparked between us. There had been other women. None of them stayed as long as Crystal, which could be because of the friendship we have. It has been like that for a while now, and I don’t intend to stop now, married or not. “The new bride can wait; tonight is for us.” I pulled off my shirt in a hurry and joined her in bed. Her welcoming arms wrapped around my back as I trailed her body with my tongue. She let out a chuckle as she grabbed my bulging cock, sending sparks to my head. In that instant, Nadia’s face flashed before my eyes, and I backed off, landing on the end of the bed. “What is it?” Crystal asked, concerned. I shook my head to make sure I wasn’t seeing things “Nothing,” I lied quickly. Crystal placed a finger on my chin. “I can tell it’s something; you’ve never stopped in the middle of having sex before.” She was right. I don’t know what got into me; seeing Nadia’s face just turned me off. Instead of giving her a reply, I pulled her closer for a kiss. I couldn’t even go on for long before pulling away. I felt disgusted. ‘What is wrong with me?’ “Is this about Helena?” Crystal asked, scowling at me. My head whipped up instantly. “What? How dare you insinuate such?” “Answer my question, Brayden. Since Helena came into your life, you’ve been avoiding me,” her voice shook. In a different situation, I would have felt bad, but right now, all I wanted was to be away from her. “I don’t have a clue of what you are talking about; I came here on my wedding night; isn’t that something to you?.” “You came here with a hard on.” She pointed between my legs; the bulge was no longer visible. I stood up in haste, putting on my clothes. “Whatever, I’m out of here, think what you like.” I should have taken a rain check with her. I passed by Nadia’s room, and I could still hear her complaining, obviously to no one but herself. My hand was on the doorknob. contemplating to go in or not. No, it’ll be best if I was alone for the night. Sleep eluded me for the greater part of the night; my mind centered fully on what would have been with Nadia; I rejected her already. I don’t understand why I was still drawn to her. Enough of her already; I have a meeting with the elders by morning, so I forced myself to sleep. I didn’t need Diaz or any of the maids to wake me up; I was already in the meeting hall before the elders. “A wonderful ceremony you had, Alpha Brayden.” The elders chorused. I could tell something was off. They didn’t just come to congratulate me on getting married. “I thought we wouldn’t have a meeting today, seeing that I fulfilled the condition to be a part of the Alphas competition. Silas, the oldest of the eldest, rose to his feet. “On the contrary, you’ve only fulfilled a part of the condition. Seeing that you just got married, the new Luna has to have a child or become pregnant before the competition,, as only alpha’s with heirs are allowed to partake.” My fist tightened, and I banged it on the chair. “You’ve got to be kidding me; that is highly preposterous.” “It’s the rule.” Silas replied calmly. “We cannot change it.” This new information kept my head in a buzz; there was no option then. I have to get intimate with Nadia. “Fine, are there any other unmentioned rules I should know about, or will you spring it up another time?” “Nothing related to the competition, but there’s been a case of shortage in tributes from the alphas under you; something has to be done to keep them in check.” “Hmmm.” I was quiet thinking about it when, suddenly, the doors to the meeting hall flew open, and in came Nadia, walking like she owned the place. Everyone stared, gaping at her audacity; only the elders and I are allowed in here; everyone else was forbidden. She came straight for the chair next to mine. I clenched my teeth and whispered furiously “What do you think you’re doing?” She flashed a smile to the elders, ignoring me. “Hello everyone, I’m your new Luna, and I’ll be joining your meetings from now on.”

Nadia’s pov. The look in Brayden’s face was priceless as I took my seat beside him, as were the elders. I couldn’t care less what they think of me. Not after what Brayden did last night, I was determined to give him a sweet payback. My whole body still tingled after he left. I couldn’t understand the feeling. I hate him and want him so badly at the same time. On an impulse, I decided to follow him, knowing it was a stupid idea. I just had to follow my heart. That was when I saw him talking to a maid about meeting that stuck-up bitch Crystal. I knew they were more than friends. It was still a big insult to be ditched on my wedding night for a girl that threatened me a few hours earlier. I felt highly embarrassed, and I wouldn’t let it slide; I was his Luna now and more powerful than that crystal whore. It took me just a few minutes to find my way to the meeting, as I already asked for Brayden’s whereabouts. The guards tried to stop me, and I dared them to lay a finger on the Golden Alpha’s mate. The feeling was so surreal as their outstretched hands withdrew immediately; I couldn’t help but let out a snicker. It was the power of authority. Now facing the astonished elders, I flashed them a beautiful smile. “In case you don’t know, only the elders and the Alpha are allowed to be here.” An elder objected. I expected this, but from Brayden. I relaxed my body into the chair. “Well, I am here now, and I want to be involved in matters that concern the kingdom as well.” “This is no place for a female. You have no business here.” The elder shouted, his voice rising. The remaining elders were in support of his statement as they all nodded in approval, looking up to Brayden for his input. I stiffened my ass on the chair; there was no way I was leaving here, not even if Brayden said so. I could hear the click of Brayden’s fingers on the chair’s arm. “You have to excuse us, Helena; whatever you want to tell me, you can do that once I’m outside this place.” I turned to look into his face. He was dead serious. If I obeyed him, then I haven’t achieved my aim. “No, I’m staying, and I won’t leave except you carry me out of here.” The elders gasped loudly at my audacious refusal. They started murmuring among themselves. Brayden was already livid, smoke steam coming out of both his ears. Exactly the reaction I was expecting. He faces the elders. “Let’s get back to business.” So he ignored me, my heart pricked due to his negligent behavior towards me. I just defied him in front of the kingdom elders, and he didn’t say a word to me. The elders uncomfortably went on with their discussion like I wasn’t there. I couldn’t make sense of what was being said. So I sat there, lost for more words. When the meeting was over, they filed out while throwing horrid glances at me. My attitude was obviously unbecoming of a Luna, especially as Helena Marshal. Immediately the last elder left. Brayden was in front of me, his eyes staring daggers. “Do you derive pleasure from embarrassing me in front of the elders, making me look like a fool?” He puffed hot breath on my face. This was the reaction I expected; a smug smile appeared on my face. “That’s what you get for playing me last night and going back to that whore you said is your friend.” I spat back. Brayden ran his hands through his sun blonde hair. “Is that what this is about?, Crystal?.” I bit my lower lip until it bled. I hated that he went to her. “I don’t care about her; she can have you for all I care.” “It still doesn’t give you the right to defy me in front of the elders; I must punish you for that.” He said cooly. My eyes widened. It was the first time he ever mentioned punishment to me. “You want to have me flogged and locked up?” Brayden doubled over laughing, clutching his stomach. It was actually sweet hearing him laugh. “No, little birdie, I have better ways to punish you than that. We are going to finish what we started last night.” It was my turn to laugh. I stepped back, giving us some space. He must definitely be joking. “No chance in hell will I let that happen, and you aren’t going to force me.” “Who said anything about force? You were ready to let me fuck you last night. I could smell your arousal all night.” He stepped closer, his nose close to my ears as he sniffed my hair. I held my breath, hoping he could not hear my heart beating wildly. “Even now, you are aroused.” He whispered slowly in my ears. My knees were trembling, as were my hands; I wasn’t seeing or thinking anything at that moment. My right hand came up on it’s own and dealt Brayden a stinging slap. The prints of my palm reddened his face as I covered my mouth in shock at what I just did. He’s definitely going to hit me back. I know it. My eyes squeezed shut, preparing myself for an incoming strike when I felt my body raised in the air and slung over powerful shoulders. I opened my eyes. Brayden was walking out of the meeting hall with me over his shoulder like a sack of rice. “Let me go now.” I yelled at him, hitting his back with all of my strength. My blows did nothing as he opened the door. Everyone stared at us. My face was white with humiliation as the maids giggled at the sight. “Brayden, let me go now.” I ordered him again. Crystal was also out, and with the look she gave, I knew she would definitely kill me. I felt the hot spank from Brayden’s hand on my butt. “Time for your punishment.”

Brayden’s pov. For someone with so much for in her, she weighed nothing as I slung her over my shoulders without any ounce of strength. Her screams of protest tingled my ears as I slammed open the doors of the meeting room. She was drawing too much attention by shouting. The soft punches of defense felt like light breeze on my back. I had to do something about her frenzied attitude, so I adjusted her on my shoulder and spanked her butt. Her butt was tremendously soft. I wondered how it would feel on my bare hands. The spank seemed to silence her a bit as it caught her by surprise, then she continued protesting. Most of the maids came out watching the drama, pointing and whispering. I don’t even give a hoot about them. I felt that was just part of being a maid. Crystal was among those lined up to watch the spectacle, her eyes wide in surprise at the scene before her. I was already at the entrance of the room. Nothing mattered, not the maids staring or Crystal’s conspicuous eyes that threatened to rip me in half. I dropped Nadia easily on the bed like a throw pillow. She was breathing hard, and the right part of her gown was down, revealing her milky flesh. She looked really angry and cute at the same time. “This is where you will be punished.” I peeled off my shirt in one slow move. Then I proceeded to walk on my belt. Her face held something similar to fear and defiance. “If you want to whip me, then get on with it; I’m not sorry for what I did.” She folded her arms under her breast, pressing them together. My fingers stopped in the middle of working the belt. Where on earth did she get that idea?. If there was ever a time such thought crossed my mind, it was before the night of our wedding, before I kissed her. “Don’t get to excited, little birdie; I have a better punishment for you.” She opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out. The belt made a whooshing sound as I removed it. “Now, I want you to undress.” I ordered with my eyes locked on hers. She jerked up from the bed. “Like hell I would, my after doesn’t even whip me naked.” I grabbed her neck gently, rubbing my thumb against her chin. Her lashes fluttered as I drew her in. “Do not compare me with such a lowly Alpha. Beside, my punishment is one that you will enjoy.” I breathed on her face, taking in her scent. It was a blend of lavender and chamomile. She sucked at her teeth before answering. “What do you want?” “I want to make you quiver beneath me; I want you to be in your most weakened state while I claim you and beg me in your most seductive voice to take you.” I withdrew my face from hers, and before I could say another word, I caught her hand flying in midair. She was aiming for a slap. “You are a stubborn little birdie.” I chuckled, shaking her hand. She tried pulling her hand away. “Let go of me, you scum. I will rather tool with the pigs than quiver beneath a scum like you.” Her words made me wince; I took it as a challenge. “We’d see about that.” I pulled her in. Her breast touched my chest as I crushed my lips on hers, knocking the air out of her lungs. This time she pressed her hands against me, resisting me, but I wouldn’t give up so easily. I claimed her mouth with my tongue, sucking on her lips like cherry until she softened. Then came the sweet moan I was waiting for. My hands circled the small of her back, tracing it down until it cupped those soft butts. I squeezed them lightly. They felt so good, but I wasn’t having enough. I raised her gown slowly. She was wearing just lace panties. ‘Shit’ She’s so freaking hot, my head was swooning right now. Her hands went through my hair, then my neck, making my skin tingle. Never, ever have I been so lost in a kiss before. We started moving backwards to the bed slowly until she was lying flat, one of my hands on her breast, the other on the small of her waist. I pulled away from the kiss, and she inhaled as my tongue traced her ears down to her neck. I kissed her neck passionately as I tried to free those plump breasts from the gown. The gown refused to open, so I ripped it in half, and she gasped. They were finally free. Free for me to suckle on, the pink nipples perky and shiny as my tongue circled one and tweaked the other. “Are you ready to be punished, little birdie?” I mumbled as I bit her nipple softly. “Hmmm, hmm.” She replied while trying to hold herself from squealing in pleasure. Not the response I was expecting. “I can’t hear you.” I bit her nipple a lit bit harder before sucking on it. She almost screamed. “Yes, I am ready.” Good. I tugged at the gown till she was completely free from it, just the black lace panties she had on. She was breathing slowly and looked incredibly beautiful with her tousled hair and invitingly swollen lips. With one snap, the panties were off her slender waist. I kissed her thighs and slowly opened her legs. It was so inviting, I could feel the strain on my loose pants already. I wanted to punish her so badly that she would beg me for more. “There are four stages of your punishment. We are just about to start the first stage.” I said huskily. I slowly trailed a finger in her thighs till it got to her pussycat; her eyes sparkled as she held her breath, fascinating about her first punishment. Immediately, I slipped a finger into her already wet pussycat. I watched as she gripped the bedsheet tight.

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My name was scrawled on a card and tossed into the dating draw. Suddenly, I, Asher Stone, a scholarship student at A-list University,became the latest prey in the most exclusive social scene on campus. The one tasked with playing me was Lucy Vance, the Student Council President. She was gentle, thoughtful, and generous, everything everyone imagined a perfect girlfriend to be. Everyone whispered I’d snagged myself a sugar mama, skipping a decade of grinding. They placed bets behind my back, wagering on how miserably I’d cry on the final day of the one-month challenge. But what they didn’t know? The most cunning predators often disguise themselves as their unsuspecting prey. My sole purpose for coming to this university was to assess the true character of my intended fiancée for an arranged marriage. Now, the assessment was complete. My name is Asher Stone. According to the university’s records, I was a student on full financial aid, no doubt about it. On the first day of school, my roommate, Liam Carter, pulled me aside, secretively filling me in on A-list University’s unwritten rules of survival. “Asher, listen up, there are two kinds of people at our school.” He lowered his voice, nodding towards a pink Porsche zooming away outside the window. “There are regular folks like us, who worked our butts off to get in.” “And then there are the heirs, rolling up in luxury cars.” “Especially Lucy Vance’s crowd, the Student Council President. You absolutely, positively, have to stay clear of them!” Liam’s expression was dead serious. “They’re devils!” “They love playing this disgusting game called the ‘Love Lottery’!” My hand, holding a water cup, froze mid-air. I looked at him. “What game?” Liam saw I wasn’t taking it seriously and his voice trembled with urgency. “They collect the names of handsome guys with normal family backgrounds, write them on cards, and put them in a box.” “Whichever rich girl draws a guy’s name, she has one month to make him fall head over heels for her. To make him completely devoted.” Liam’s face was filled with disgust and fear. “Then, on the last day of that month, they dump the guy in the most humiliating way possible, right in front of everyone.” “They call it ‘taming the prey.’ Whoever makes their prey cry the hardest during the breakup wins.” Liam gripped my arm tightly. “Last semester, a senior from our department got picked. That rich girl sweet-talked him, made him think it was true love.” “But when she got bored, she not only publicly humiliated him, she also spread rumors that he was a pervert trying to extort money.” “The senior couldn’t defend himself, got disciplined by the school, and then the rich girl’s fiancé broke his leg.” “He couldn’t cope, fell into severe depression, and ended up dropping out!” “So, Asher, you’re so good-looking, you absolutely have to be careful not to get targeted!” I raised a hand and patted Liam’s tense shoulder. “Don’t worry. I just want to focus on my studies.” I offered him a reassuring smile. Liam looked into my eyes and inexplicably shivered. That same evening, at a private club. Bailey Reed playfully shook a box. “Lucy, it’s your turn to draw! Let’s see which lucky guy gets to bask in your favor?” Lucy Vance lounged on the sofa, sipping red wine, looking effortlessly chic and bored. She glanced at the box, completely uninterested. Bailey, not giving up, practically shoved the box in her face, smiling obsequiously. “Come on, Lucy, just draw one! I put a real gem in there this time!” “A scholarship student from the Arts department, Asher Stone. He’s drop-dead gorgeous, almost otherworldly. Chasing him down and then dumping him will be an ultimate thrill!” At that, Lucy reached out and drew a card from the box. Asher was emblazoned on the card. Lucy stared at the card, a knowing smile playing on her lips. “Alright,” she said. “Then this month, I’ll play with him.”

From that day on, my university life suddenly became… exciting. No matter where I went, I’d “accidentally” run into Lucy, the Student Council President. At the dining hall, while waiting in line, she’d stand behind me, insisting on paying for my meal: “Hey, we keep bumping into each other, it must be fate. Dinner’s on me.” In the library, she’d sit across from me, and whenever I’d furrow my brow in faux concentration, she’d slide over a note full of problem-solving steps, accompanied by a radiant smile. I went to the coffee shop my dad had opened for me near campus, feeling a sudden urge to learn how to make lattes. She thought I was working a side job, and promptly bought out my entire shift’s stock, practically shutting down the shop so I could leave early. “Don’t work so hard. I can help you lighten the load.” I was practically rolling my eyes into the back of my skull! In just one week, the entire university was buzzing. The Student Council President was reportedly chasing Asher, the scholarship student, like crazy. I became the object of every guy’s envy and resentment. Every time I returned to the dorm, Liam would look at me with that “my brother’s gone over to the dark side” look. “Asher, didn’t I tell you to stay away from her?!” I shrugged helplessly. “I don’t know, she just keeps showing up.” “Don’t you dare fall for it!” Liam exclaimed, his voice laced with that ‘why can’t you see this?!’ frustration. “They’re just playing games!” I nodded. “Don’t worry, I know what I’m doing.” Of course, I knew what I was doing. Every time Lucy would put on one of her dramatic, heartfelt displays for me, my peripheral vision would catch Bailey Reed and his buddies not far off, phones recording. Let them record. My face was perfect from every angle. That day, Bailey was throwing a birthday party at The Sovereign Club. Lucy texted me, asking me to be her date. I intentionally replied, “That place is too fancy. I don’t have a suit for it.” Ten minutes later, she appeared outside my dorm, carrying a luxury shopping bag. Inside was a custom, galaxy-blue suit that cost six figures. “Put this on. Tonight, you’ll be a prince.” Gasps erupted from below. “Oh my god, isn’t that designer couture? That suit alone is more than our tuition for a year!” “Asher is so lucky!” I was so “moved” I almost cried. Honestly, my socks probably cost more. I changed into the suit and walked into the club with Lucy. The Sovereign Club was my eighteenth birthday gift from my dad, one of the least conspicuous properties under my name. The moment we walked in, the club manager saw me, his eyes lighting up. He hurried over, ready to bow. I shot him a subtle look, and the sharp-eyed manager, catching my cue, smoothly redirected his attention to other guests. The birthday boy, Bailey, saw me, and his jealousy was plain to see. “Asher, you look really handsome today. Lucy certainly has good taste.” He paused, lowering his voice. “But be careful with that rented suit. You wouldn’t want to damage it, you know, you can’t afford to replace it.” I just smiled, saying nothing. At the party, Lucy was incredibly attentive. She blocked drinks for me, cut my steak, and straightened my tie. Every detail was perfect, like a scene ripped from a romance novel. She led me to her friends, introducing me with a possessive air. “This is my boyfriend, Asher.” Her friends immediately started teasing, offering congratulations, but their eyes were full of contempt and amusement. I felt like a puppet on strings, playing my part in her act. Midway through, I went to the restroom. Just as I turned the corner, I overheard Bailey and his friends talking. “Bailey, Lucy’s really going all out this time, isn’t she? Giving him designer couture? Is she actually serious?” Bailey scoffed. “How could she be? That suit was my dad’s, Lucy just borrowed it from me.” “Once she’s done with him, he’ll be stripped of that suit and forced to hand it back to me!” “It’s all about the thrill of the hunt, right? The fancier the bait, the sweeter the catch.” Another guy chimed in obsequiously: “You’re brilliant, Bailey! Letting that broke kid wear a prince’s outfit, then personally ripping it off him – that’s pure evil!” Bailey’s voice was filled with vicious glee. “Just you wait, there are only a few days left in the month. Then, I’m going to make him cry in front of the entire campus as he strips off that suit!” In the corner, I pressed the stop recording button on my phone.

After Bailey’s birthday party, Lucy’s pursuit of me intensified. Every morning, she’d be downstairs promptly, holding a beautifully packaged breakfast. She skipped her own major classes to accompany me to my incredibly boring general education lectures. When I dozed off, she’d discreetly draw a tiny cartoon pig on my palm. On a random birthday I’d casually made up, she presented me with a limited-edition luxury watch, right in front of my roommates. Liam’s eyes nearly popped out of his head. He dragged me onto the balcony, his face full of worry. “Asher, be honest with me, are you really falling for her?” My fingertip traced the watch on my wrist. I gave him a reassuring smile. “Why would I?” “Then why are you accepting such expensive gifts from her?!” Liam’s voice was sharp with urgency. “People like them, anything they give you, you’ll have to pay back with interest later! How are you ever going to repay that?” I patted Liam’s shoulder. “Don’t worry.” “Oh, she’s going to regret it, big time.” The next day, Liam and I were eating in the dining hall. Bailey, with a few other guys, passed by my table, trays in hand. He angled his wrist, and a steaming bowl of spicy noodles tipped over, spilling onto me. Even though I dodged quickly, some of the broth still splashed onto my arm. “Ah!” Liam shrieked, frantically pulling out napkins to wipe it. Bailey looked down at me, sneering. “Oops, my bad, my hand slipped.” His gaze swept over my T-shirt. “What, did you grab that shirt for ten bucks at a thrift store? Here, I’ll give you a hundred. That’s enough for ten more.” God, he was infuriating! This blind idiot! This ‘cheap’ tee alone could probably buy his entire outfit, car included! I’d gone through my entire closet of custom-made clothes to pick out the most unassuming T-shirt, and he just ruined it. He pulled three hundred-dollar bills from his wallet and threw them in front of me, like I was a beggar. Dad, seriously, the things I do for your grand plan! Just then, a figure rushed over. Lucy shoved Bailey hard, sending him stumbling backward a few steps. Her face was etched with concern as she scanned me from head to toe. “Are you okay? Did you get burned? How bad is it?” “Bailey, are you insane? Apologize to Asher!” Bailey’s eyes instantly reddened. “Lucy, I didn’t mean to.” “I said apologize!” Bailey, startled by her intensity, grudgingly mumbled, “I’m sorry.” The words had barely left his mouth when Lucy, supporting me, quickly led me toward the campus clinic, all eyes in the dining hall on us. “I’m so sorry, Asher.” “I failed to protect you.” I lowered my gaze, my shoulders trembling. “It’s not your fault.” My voice was thick with a feigned sob. Lucy hugged me tighter. “Asher, trust me, no one will ever dare to bully you again.” I leaned against her, the overpowering perfume mixing with the spicy noodles was truly awful. If my dad found out I’d gotten hurt putting on this act for them today, what would he say? Good thing the assessment period was almost over.

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