Chapter 001

“Hurry, Hale!” Lydia, the head chef, barked my surname. 

A deliberate act to keep my father’s name alive— to serve as a constant reminder of his betrayal to the pack.

 “You don’t have to show the world how lazy you are all the time.” She mumbled under breath, but loud enough for every maid in the kitchen to hear. “Don’t keep the guest waiting!”

“Yes, Ma’am,” I said, before carefully grabbing the drink and walking out of the culinary wing.

I rushed, my legs moving as fast as possible, while my hands did all they could to stabilize the freshly squeezed orange juice in the tray. As usual, I was met with the same scornful looks as I walked down the hallway.

It’s been two decades since my Dad committed suicide after betraying the pack, and my mom— who couldn’t live without her mate— followed suit. 

 I had learned to hold my head up, though not too high, despite the endless gossip. It was the only way to survive this hellhole. Besides, for  how long would I  atone for a sin I didn’t commit?

As soon as I approached the entrance to the guest bedroom, the guard standing by the door  blocked the way with his hand.

“I was asked to deliver this to the guest,” I mumbled.

He asked me to hold on, then he  knocked on the door before going inside. He came out almost immediately.

“You can go in,” he said.

I gave him a weak smile before entering the guest room. 

A tall woman with strawberry-blonde hair had her back to the entrance. 

“Your drink, ma’am,” I announced respectfully.

As I lowered the tray on the small table in the side of the room, she spun to face me. A cynical expression I’d recognize anywhere plastered on her perfectly glammed face.

“Betty?” I whispered, coming out as more of a gasp of terror than a greeting of surprise. 

Her glossy, ruby lips stretched into an arrogant smile as she catwalked toward me.

“Long time no see. When did you return?” I blabbered nonstop, forcing a polite smile to conceal my nerves.

In a blink of an eye, she smacked me hard on the cheek. My head snapped to the side. I quickly messaged the spot, trying to soothe the burning sensation her fingers had  left behind.

“That’s for talking casually, as if  we belong in the same hierarchy” she gritted, before landing a second slap on the  other side of my face. “And this one is  for taking an eternity to bring my drink.”

“What the—” 

“Another word from you and I'll have you kicked  out of this territory. You know who my father is, don’t you?” she bragged.

My mouth clamped shut in defeat, but my eyes  still remained possessed by a  rage  that could kill.

She dropped onto the couch and crossed her legs, picking up the glass. She was about to take a sip but stopped suddenly. “How sure am I that this isn’t poisoned?”

“And what would I stand to gain by poisoning you?”

She leisurely uncrossed her  legs and sprang up. “Your parents were ostracized for betraying the pack 20 years ago. How sure am I that you don't resent me and my father? After all, he took over the Beta position after your father’s shameful death.”

My hands clenched on  my sides as I fought the urge to punch her.I watched her drink, secretly wishing I had poisoned it.

“Ewww!” she spat the liquid onto my legs. “Did you make this?

“Yes” I mumbled.

“No wonder it tastes like shit,”  she sneered, returning to her seat.“Now, get out of my sight now.” 

My lips pressed together in a desperate effort to keep from retaliating.I stepped forward to carry the tray, but  she smacked my hand.

“The hell are you doing?” She snapped.

“Taking it away. You said it tastes like shit.”

She scoffed, blinking as if uttered something insane. “Have you always been this dumb? I said get your stinky ass out of my sight!”

I grabbed the tray and walked. Once I was around the first corner and away from the guards,  I hissed. “Stupid bitch. You just wait; I’ll make you eat your words once I’m up there.”

As I walked back to the kitchen, one  of the doors in the hallway flew  open. Jason yanked me into the room with ease, slamming the door shut behind us.

The moment  my back hit the wooden door, he pulled me into a searing kiss. 

The tray slipped from my numb fingers, clattering to the ground as I wrapped my arms around his neck, leaning in to deepen the kiss.

our bodies pressed against  each other, my soft breast crushed against his firm chest.

He broke  the kiss and flipped me around to face the door. His  hands worked  restlessly, yanking up the black skirt of my kitchen apparel.

“Not here, Jason. Have some decency,” I pleaded. My voice muffled as his hand pinned my head against the door. His other hand was already searching  for my core.

“I can’t help it, Viv. I want you as much as I can,  wherever I can,” his  throaty voice breathed into my ear as he leaned on my back.

He hiked my skirt up,  and as bare skin came to  view, he  let out a lustful grunt. His fingers shifted  my pantries to the side, grazing my moist entrance.

“You are so fucking wet, Vivica. Are you always horny or something?” He panted, his fingers massaging me from underneath.

“I…I… don’t know,” I managed to say through  ragged breaths, my focus shattering as his thumb pushed inside me.

“Ah!” I squirmed.  

“Keep your voice down, you don’t want the pack members to see us like this, do you?”

Too overwhelmed to speak, I simply shook my head.

“Good girl. Be as quiet as possible” he whispered. I nodded, whimpering like a lost puppy.

He released his shaft—the thick, veiny length that always  left me wrecked  and unable to walk for days. With a slow, teasing  motion he circled the tip around my opening, making my core pulsate with anticipation. When he shoved his full length inside me, my eyes almost popped. I felt myself stretching, my body forced to accommodate him until I was completely filled. 

Jason gathered a handful of my hair in one hand, while the other held my waist in place as he rammed into me. 

The study was no longer quiet; it was filled with the wet, rhythmic slosh of him slamming in and out of me and the shattered, uncontrollable cries I couldn't hold back any longer. 

My body constricted, my walls clenching around him as I drew closer to climax. From the  tremble in his grip, I could tell we were in sync. 

A loud moan  escaped my lips as I exploded, my juice, thick and warm, seeped down my thighs in a slow, heavy trail as my legs went wobbly. 

But Jason didn’t stop, he held me upright and  kept  pounding like his existence depended on it. Not long after, a guttural moan filled the room and his tempo doubled, followed by his crazy pull out game.

Jason  staggered to a couch and fell back on the  cushions. I leaned against the door for support, my legs still trembling from the experience. Once I regained myself,  I wobbled over  to him and  plopped down into his arms.

He stroked my hair gently. “ I hate that we have to be discreet. I want to hold your hand in public and flaunt you to the world”

I giggled softly, snuggling closer to his chest.“Well, all of that will be over tonight.”

“Yeah. I can’t wait to see the look of shock on their faces when I declare you as my mate,” he chuckled mildly.

“I’m worried, though,” I muttered.

“It’s normal. Your father’s history alone is enough reason for them to object, not to mention you haven’t shifted yet."

“I know,” I sighed. “What if I don’t ever get my wolf?” I abruptly sat up to look him in the eyes.

He stretched an arm to the side table, reaching for a tiny gift box I hadn’t noticed before.

“You’ll get your wolf tonight, I am certain. Most late-bloomers shift at twenty-five, and you just clocked twenty-five, didn’t you?” He asked, handing me the box.

“I thought you forgot” I pouted dramatically before leaning in to kiss him. “Thank you.” 

“We’ve come too far to let everything go down the drain, Viv. Don’t let them ruin what we have” he kissed my forehead, and I nodded.

“I love you Jason, I don’t know what I’d have done without you,” I cooed.

He sighed softly, pulling me closer in a warm embrace. 

***

Night fell, the entire  pack assembled in  the Grand Hall for the Full Moon party. 

The air  bubbled with excitement. Members who had just turned eighteen looked  forward to finally meeting their other halves, while those who already found theirs were there to celebrate.

As I trudged through the sea of werewolves in their human forms, someone poked my side. I spun quickly, a smile glinting  on my face when I saw who it was—my only friend Celia.

Celia’s mate had died a couple of years ago. She  was grieving and at the verge of suicide when I found her. After a lengthy, emotional tirade,I managed to convince her to step down from the edge of the rooftop. Ever since that day, we had been inseparable. 

“I’m glad you are finally ready to leave the past behind you,” I said to her.

She beamed. “Thank you. And I’m confident you’ll get your wolf today.”

“Exactly what Jason said too!” I  squealed, covering my face in excitement.

“By Jason…you mean the Alpha?” Celia’s eyebrows shot up. 

Shit. How could I be so careless?

A sudden roar of commotion echoed through the hall, a perfect distraction to prevent Celia from questioning me further. 

“What’s happening? Let’s go to the front!” Celia grabbed my hand and pushed her to the front. 

As I trailed behind in the suffocating heat of the room, something inside me snapped.

“Celia… I can’t breath” I muttered, but she was too carried away by what was going on in the forefront to care.

I peeled my hand from hers, slouching over to steady my racing breath. My heart pounded so hard I feared it would explode, and my inside stirred as if a new force had suddenly occupied the hollowness.

“My wolf?” I gasped in disbelief. My sense sharpened and everything turned vivid, clearer than it had ever been.“Celia, I have a wolf!” I screamed, catching the attention of everyone, but I didn’t care.

“Jason, I need to tell Jason!” I said frantically.  My eyes rummaged through the crowd like a maniac, desperate to share the news—that I was finally whole.

I found him, eventually.  He was standing at  the Centre of the hall, the centre of everyone’s focus. But he wasn’t alone. He was with… Betty?

“What is he doing?” I asked myself, my eyes gradually welling up with tears when I saw the ring.

My heart, which was fluttering seconds ago, sank to my stomach.

Betty squealed, holding a hand over her mouth while Jason slid a ring on the other one.

The crowd erupted with cheers and laughter. But for me, the world went dead.

Jason turned his head towards the crowd, his eyes sweeping over faces until it landed on me.

The moment our eyes met my wolf let out a gut- wrenching cry in the back of my head. 

“Mate!”