"Hector said you want to be discharged?"
"Yes, Dad. My wounds are already treated, and I'm healing fast. I'm also missing Shamia," Andrick replied, sitting on the hospital bed with a book in hand.
Gregor's expression darkened at the mention of Shamia. He shouldn't have let Andrick find out what happened, but if he went home, he wouldn't be able to keep it a secret anymore.
And as expected, when Andrick got home:
"What?!"
Andrick exclaimed in shock. "How did she leave? What do you mean? Where did she go?"
The servant bowed her head. "Alpha, when we went to Ms. Shamia's room, she was nowhere to be found. But we did find this letter."
When the letter was brought to Andrick, he immediately read it with one hand, since the other was in an arm sling. He crumpled the paper when he read that Shamia left because she had met someone better than him. "No, this can't be true..."
Gregor stepped forward. "What don't you believe? The letter's right in your hand. Every woman you've liked has betrayed you, like Ingrid–"
"Don't bring her up," Andrick cut in, his voice cold. "She means nothing to me now. But Shamia... how could she?" Andrick's fist tightened around the letter, his anger and hurt palpable.
Gregor gave his son a reassuring pat on the shoulder. "You'll get over that woman, Andrick. None of them are good enough for you. You're the Alpha, and your Luna should be someone worthy of you. How's the search for your mate going, by the way? Want me to help you out?"
"Dad, please, just leave me alone for now," Andrick's only replied. His disappointment clear on his face.
Gregor let out a sigh before turning to leave. As he walked past a female servant, their eyes met briefly. The woman quickly bowed her head. Gregor whispered something to her as he passed by.
.
.
After wiping the sweat, Shamia picked up the water she brought and took a drink. She had no other belongings except for the clothes Andrick had bought for her, which she was currently wearing, and the patched-up dress she had worn when she arrived at the mansion.
Feeling drained from walking for a while, she was about to take a break when she realized she had reached a border. Her spirits lifted as she hurried over.
When she left Andrick, Shamia had resolved to put as much distance between them as possible and live off the money Gregor had given her. Though this place wasn't terribly far, she intended to take her time and move further away to avoid being found by Andrick, just as she had promised his father. She approached the guards and asked politely.
One of the guards asked if she was human or a Werewolf. Shamia fell silent, suddenly unsure of what she was, since although she was a Werewolf by birth, she couldn't transform and didn't have a wolf spirit. In the end, she simply said she was human. Upon hearing this, she was immediately allowed to enter.
As she entered, Shamia discovered that the community was comprised entirely of humans. She was grateful for her response, as she likely wouldn't have been let in if she had said she was a Werewolf. Feeling a sense of peace as she walked, she thought that perhaps living among humans was the best decision she'd made so far. However, her problems weren't entirely solved as she still had no idea where she would settle.
Buying land or renting a place was an option, but she should pay cash. The problem was that her money was still in checks, and she didn't have any cash on hand. While Shamia was thinking about solutions to her problem, she spotted some tents in the distance. She approached them and inquired. She discovered that, like her, the people there were also without homes.
An elderly couple lent her an extra tent, which Shamia gratefully accepted. They got along well and started chatting. The old woman shared that they came from a wealthy werewolf family and ended up there after being freed from servitude, along with their only daughter.
"You have a daughter? Where is she?" Shamia asked.
When Shamia asked this, the couple fell silent. The old woman suddenly burst into tears. "To be honest, we're not sure if leaving was a mistake, because we lost our daughter in the process."
According to the couple, those who wanted to live in the community had to pay taxes, and if they couldn't, they would be forcibly taken and enslaved by the authorities. The couple's daughter had served as their payment to stay in the community, and it was done with her consent.
Shamia clutched her bag tightly, feeling a surge of worry and fear. It seemed she might have made a mistake by entering this community, thinking she could start a new life.
A spark of hope lit up her eyes as she suddenly remembered she had money. She quickly pulled out the check and asked how much they were being charged for their taxes. She was overjoyed to learn that the money on her check was more than enough, and with the surplus, she promised the couple that she would help them get their daughter back. The couple were thrilled to hear this and thanked Shamia profusely.
Shamia fell asleep due to exhaustion, but her rest was short-lived, as she was awoken by the arrival of some people. Her sleepiness vanished when she realized they were tax collectors. They immediately tracked her down and demanded payment for her stay in their territory. Shamia pleaded with them, saying she would withdraw the money.
The tax collectors took her to a bank, but her world nearly crumbled when she was told the check bounced. "W-what? That's not possible! How...?"
As a result, Shamia wasn't taken back; instead, the two men took her to their headquarters. She was mixed in with others who also couldn't pay their taxes. Shamia could do nothing but cry, never thinking that Gregor would deceive her like that and give her a bounced check just to get rid of her.
While the confidant was thinking about what to do and where to put Shamia and the rest, the clerk arrived and announced to everyone's hearing that the Alpha of the Lunar Claw pack would be attending an auction house.
Shamia's crying stopped when she heard this. What was the Lunar Claw pack? It was the strongest and most influential pack in the entire state, and it was said that the Alpha who led it was feared by all.
"This is our chance to gain their favor, but what can we give as a gift?" said the confidant, suddenly looking troubled.
When the clerk glanced at Shamia, his eyes gleamed, he turned to the confidant. "Why are you worried? Aren't all werewolves the same? Since they're of a different breed from the l*cherous race, why don't we give them a woman?" He gestured to Shamia who was now terrified.
"No! Please... I'm pregnant!" Shamia begged the people taking her, but they didn't believe her. That day, she was taken to the auction house.
.
.
Andrick sat up from his bed and suddenly clutched his chest. He was in his room, feeling down because of his second heartbreak.
'Our mate is suffering! You can feel it too, can't you?' Kirr said.
Andrick ignored him, his anger flaring up as Shamia's face flashed in his mind - someone he was trying to forget. Just as he was about to step out of his room for some fresh air, Hector appeared at the door, about to knock:
"Alpha, your father wants you to go to the auction house to represent our pack."
Despite being in a bad mood, Andrick forced himself to oblige.
At the auction house:
"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen..." the auctioneer greeted. "Before we begin, we'd like to show our loyalty to the esteemed representative of the Lunar Claw pack–Alpha Alexander."
Everyone's gaze shifted to a private box where the person inside couldn't be seen.
"Alpha Alexander, we hope you'll like this small gift of ours."
At the auctioneer's signal, a red curtain was lifted on a small stage. A beautiful woman wearing an alluring outfit appeared. Despite her tear-stained face, her beauty and gentle features were still visible.
In the private box, a masked man's eyes narrowed as he saw the woman on stage. At his signal, his beta approached the auctioneer and announced that they accepted the gift.
The auctioneer seemed to breathe a sigh of relief and instructed his staff to "pack up" their gift. However....
"Wait!!"
A voice drew everyone's attention. When they turned, they saw a handsome man hurrying towards the stage, out of breath.
