Chapter 3

Luciana's POV

I froze in my direction, still in awe of what I realized. Even though the area I'm standing up right now is a bit dark, it wasn't a hindrance for him to find my whereabouts. His eyes locked onto mine and it felt like the world suddenly stopped moving. 

It feels like it's just the two of us here. The way his facial expression softened, it gives me an undeniable joy deep within my heart. 

Massimo Sinclair, the future Alpha King of this pack is my mate. We could sense that we are mates, no matter how far we are with each other. Our distance is not the barrier for our scent to linger on our nose.

“Who is the Alpha King's mate?” 

“I can't wait to find out if he finally found her!?” 

The crowd started to be wild on finding who's that lucky she-wolf, without knowing that the girl they are looking for is just in the corner, hiding from their sight.

He stepped forward, and that made me stunned. I couldn't process what I had learned. The truth hasn't sunk in for me yet. 

I am Alpha Massimo's fated mate. The one that is being ridiculed is actually the luckiest to be chosen as the next leader's other half. But I don't know what I should feel right now.

“I want to know who that damn girl is. She can't be the Alpha King's mate!” 

And when I heard the angry tone of Scarlet, the little joy deep within my heart suddenly vanished. I know for a moment that she will ruin this and I must get ready for whatever happens.

“Alpha Massimo, who is your mate?”

“Why don't you reveal her to us? Everyone's dying to know her!” Scarlet uttered, but Alpha Massimo just glanced at her.

He was still looking in my direction and everyone followed him. 

They started gasping when they realized that the only girl standing where the Alpha looked at was me. I bit my lower lips, calming myself down as I began to tense with how they looked at me.

“They found out!” 

I did my best to prevent the overwhelming feeling deep within my heart and this is not good. There's no way I should allow my emotions to overpower me because this will bring me no luck.

The herbs I sprayed around my body will break. They will find out what my smell really is, and I don't want to embarrass myself. I don't want my mate to know about it.

I turned around, staring at the exit door near me. Running away is my last option, but before I could even run away, Scarlet's friends blocked my way.

“Where are you going, Girlie? Trying to run away from your mate?” 

I turned pale. My heart pounded so fast. I couldn't stay here any longer. My scent started to show off as my emotions already overpowering me now.

“Please, let me leave. I-I have to do something,” I beg, trying to find another way out.

“You're not leaving, mate.”

But I was stunned when I heard a familiar voice. A deep baritone voice who almost flew my soul away.

I shut my eyes down and in just one snap, my smell lingers inside the hall like a flash. Everyone started to cover their nose, their expression couldn't be explained. I could see some, acting like they were about to puke. 

I bend my head down. Tears are threatening to streamed down. I am a strong woman. I never let anyone bring me down despite how they downgrade me, but getting humiliated in front of your own mate is a different story. 

This is not what I wanted to happen. This isn't the story I wanted to have upon finding my mate.

“Damn, you smell so horrible! I couldn't believe you would bring chaos here, Luciana!” Scarlet exclaimed, covering her nose.

And at this moment, I found the courage to tilt my head. The first thing I did was to look at my fated mate. Massimo's expression remained the same. He stood meters away from me. Behind him are his family and some important visitors. 

The celebration had been paused because of that alarming scent coming from me. Yes, my scent is not pleasing and it's not new to the pack. Everyone knew about it already since I'm young. This was the reason nobody wanted to come close to me. Nobody wanted to make friends with me because my smell is unbearable.

And now, my fated mate already found out about this truth.

“I-I don't know what you're talking about, Scarlet. Do not make up stories about me!” 

I lied. It's because I have to.

“Oh wow! I am the liar now, Luciana? Everyone knows that you have a bad smell. This has been an issue ever since and whatever you do, there's no way you can hide it!” Scarlet replied, her tone increasing. 

I looked at her, my eyes begging for her to not say anything. I just hope that she will pity me. 

“Scarlet, stop. Don't humiliate her,” Aurora muttered, trying to defend me. 

“Come on, Aurora. I was telling the truth. Your best friend is a poison in this pack. She will kill the wolves with her scent and even if she poured all the perfumes on her body, it will never hide her true scent!” Scarlet responded to my friend.

“You're really a brat, Scarlet! You did nothing but to downgrade our friend. How could you do that to her? Where is your empathy!?” Calista interrupted.

My friends are doing their best to defend me from Scarlet's madness and her plan of humiliating me towards the visitors. 

But I am not paying attention to them anymore. I was looking at Alpha Massimo who's observing us. His expression darkened, and I just felt my body start to tremble upon seeing that. 

He looks mad. But I do hope he's not. I don't want my mate to get mad at me. He's my mate. The moment that we recognize each other from earlier, he's part of me now.

Alpha Massimo steps forward and everyone falls in silence. He continued walking in my direction and just stopped an inch away from my body. 

“Luciana Hart, your smell is horrible and as the Alpha King of this pack, I prohibit you from coming close to me because I reject you.”