Chapter 002: Keep it a secret

Mila's pov…..

The days after the rejection were a haze of pain,Rina didn't speak to me and I was all alone with a full ache.

I had to ignore the whispers and stares that followed me as I went about my daily activities, I was like an orphan, my mum was dead and my father was very sick and in need of constant care and suppourt.

And since I was an omega I had to do some chores in the pack, it was all very humiliating.

I was taking supplies to the store room, when, some girls saw me and started whispering.

“She really thought the Alpha would mate with her” the blonde one said

“She finally found her prince charming” the other one said and they all chuckled

“Why don't you all find something better to do” Jenna said from behind me

“We didn't say anything” the blonde one said

“You don't need to, your face says it all"

I stifled a laugh.

They glared at her and walked away, giving me dirty looks as they passed.

“Why do you put up with that, Knox rejected you yeah big deal” she mocked

I couldn't help but laugh, she always found a way to make me feel much better about everything that was going on with me.

We spent the day packing supplies to the store room while I did my best to not run into Knox , and it seems he also did the same cause I didn't see him either.

Every morning, I woke to the same emptiness, the same hollow ache in my chest, the same whisper of the broken bond.

My father was weak and sick. I stayed by his side whenever I could, cooking, cleaning, tending to him quietly in our little room at the edge of the pack.

The mate bond was very powerful, my mum died while giving birth to me, and people say it was slime a curse, so I came out weak and fragile.

While since my dad lost his mate, he fell very I'll and I had to take care of him.

I was done giving my father his drugs when the Luna of our pack, Knox's mother came to my house.

Isobel Mercer was a picture of perfection, she was beautiful and always impeccably dressed , she was wearing a white short dress and black stiletto heels.

“Luna" I bowed

And my father tried to bow, while she just looked at him with a bored gaze

She raised a hand to signal him to not bother, while he coughed out blood a little.

“What brings you here, Luna,” I said softly, keeping my head bowed and my voice barely above a whisper.

Isobel’s lips curved into a faint, dangerous smile.

“I hope you are taking care of your father,” she said. “It would be a shame if something… unfortunate happened to him under your care.”

My stomach twisted and I nodded.

“I do my best, ma’am.”

She stepped closer, her heels clicking on the floor with each deliberate step. I could feel her power, her presence, and the way the aura of Luna was radiating of her.

She crouched slightly, lowering her gaze to meet mine — not warmly, not kindly, but with precision, like a predator assessing prey.

“I know about the bond,” she said quietly, so quietly I almost didn’t hear it. My heart stopped. I froze.

“You do?” I whispered, no one except the students at the party were supposed to know it.

She nodded.

“Knox told me about it, you will not speak of this. You will not draw attention to it. You will stay away from Knox. Understand?”

“Yes… ma’am,” I whispered, barely daring to breathe.

Her eyes narrowed, and she leaned back slightly.

“I am warning you, Mila. Step out of line. Make a scene. Let anyone else know of this bond, and you, along with your sick father, will be sent out as outcasts and rogues do you understand me?”

“Yes… ma’am,” I repeated, my throat tight with anger and shame.

She gave a sharp nod and walked away, her black stiletto heels clicking as she turned and left the room without another word. The door clicked shut behind her, leaving me in silence.

I sank to the floor beside my father’s bed, pressing my face into my hands. My wolf, Rina, stirred, agitated and restless. She growled softly, her voice low in my mind.

They can’t hurt him. We must survive.

We must hide. We must obey. But… I hate them.

I whispered back, I know, Rina. I know.

The following days were a blur. I moved quietly around the house, cooking, cleaning, running small errands. My wolf’s presence was always at my back, a soft constant thrum of energy, sometimes nudging me, sometimes holding me back. She sensed everything — Knox’s absence, the pack’s scrutiny, Isobel’s cold eyes watching even from afar.

When the Royal family announced that Knox would be leaving to Florida to continue his studies, the pack gathered to see him off. I stayed hidden in the shadows of the hall, barely breathing as dozens of pairs of eyes observed the Alpha in the making, the future leader of the Crescent moon pack.

Knox looking handsome and intimating as always.

without moving, stood tall among his peers,commanding attention effortlessly. His gaze swept over the gathering wolves,that were wishing him goodbye.

He looked back but never looked at me, not even once.

***