Chapter 3

ARABELLA

Everything happened so fast. One moment I was a respected Luna but in a snap, I became a criminal in their eyes.

I understand their rage. Adrian’s unborn child was at risk but how can they take Stephanie’s words over me who cared and protected them while Adrian was gone?

“Don’t make this hard for us, Luna Arabella. Get inside your room before we drag you,” Kael said.

I shook my head. I will never let them convict me for the crime I didn’t commit.

Before they could get near me I ran, heading towards the huge window at the end of the hallway.

“Shoot her,” Kael cruelly ordered.

A bullet was fired in my direction hitting my right leg.

“Get her! Kill her if you must!”

I felt tears at the corner of my eyes. It wasn’t because of the wound that they gave but because of the sharp words they uttered.

I love them. I love my pack. I cared for them genuinely. I devoted my life to serving them and becoming a perfect Luna but everything I did was put in vain.

Gathering my last ounce of strength and courage I dive towards the glass window. Sharp edges cut my skin. The pain that I felt doubled when I fell on the ground.

“Don’t let her escape! She must be punished for harming Alpha Adrian’s heir!”

If Adrian were here I wonder what he would do? Would he save me and protect me just like he said in his vows? Would he defend me from the pack? Would he even feel sorry for me? I guess not. I guess if he were here he would just watch and let me get killed by the pack I cherished.

Another bullet was fired in my direction almost hitting my head but I didn't stop. I continued running towards the forest ignoring the blood dripping down my legs.

The sound of dried leaves that I stepped into filled my ears. In the distance, I can still hear them shouting.

“Crossed the border and you will be thrown out of the pack!”

That voice. I can recognize it even from afar. Even if my eyes are closed I know it was him. It was Adrian. The man that I married.

The man who promised to protect me and love me as if we were fated mates but it turns out all those words were lies.

When Stephanie showed up he completely forgot about me. He didn’t even give me a chance to explain myself to prove to them that it wasn’t me who pushed his psychotic mate.

“Come back here, Arabella!” he demanded. His tone was filled with authority but I didn’t budge.

I stood near the border. One more step and I will be out of Blood Fang territory. The territory that Adrian ruled. The place where I thought I belonged but ended up getting betrayed.

I haven’t crossed yet. I watched their silhouette heading in my direction and when their faces became clear I uttered the words I never thought I would say.

“I, Arabella Hale, sever my ties with Blood Fang Pack. I renounce my place as your Luna…” I paused turning to Adrian whose looking at me with his blazing eyes, “and as your wife, Alpha Adrian Voss,”

I didn’t wait for a response. I didn’t even dare to read their reaction. I run as fast as I can without any direction in my mind.

Bullets were continuously fired in my direction but I kept on running until all I could hear was my breathing.

I have no idea on whose territory I landed. What matters to me is that I am far from those who betrayed me. I am far from everyone who sees me as a criminal.

I finally stopped running and hid behind the huge tree. I winced in pain as I pressed my wounded leg to stop it from bleeding.

I hadn’t regained my strength yet when I heard footsteps nearing.

I listened to the footsteps, quietly counting how many they could be.

One.

Two.

Two men were approaching me. I lay my back flat on the cold ground and squeezed my body against the root.

I held my breath not wanting to make any sound. I thought I could hide from them. I thought I wouldn’t be seen but the smell of my blood gave it away.

“She’s here!” a man with long black hair shouted.

Another man showed up and stood in front of me.

“Are you lost? Which pack did you come from?”

I didn’t utter a word. I slowly rose from the ground and leaned against the root.

I squeezed on the roots even more hoping my body would shrink so I could escape but that would be too impossible.

“Are you a rogue?” The man bent down and leveled my gaze. “You will be unlucky if you are. Alpha Lucien is here to haunt rouges. He kills your kind without mercy,”

He was about to hold my chin but a chilling voice echoed in the forest enough to make him stop.

“What’s happening here?”

The man who was about to hold me stood up. The two of them bowed to the man who was approaching in our direction.

“Alpha Lucien,” they greeted in unison.

At first glance all I could see was a silhouette of a tall man with a perfect physique but when the moonlight hit his face my jaw almost dropped.

I thought it was a different Alpha that shares the same name but I was wrong. Alpha Lucien Drake the future Alpha King was standing in front of me. He was always the talk of the town. His name was frequently uttered by women in the Blood Fang pack as if he were news that would never get tired of being told.

From what I heard he was a notorious Casanova. In every place he set foot, women fell into his bed and the next morning he would discard them carelessly as if changing women was no different from changing clothes.

Despite those rumors women in the Blood Fang pack still hope that he will visit the territory. They don't care how ruthless he may be. All they care about is how he looks.

But now I have stopped questioning their way of thinking. Seeing his perfectly tanned skin shines under the soft glow of the moon. His face which was perfectly sculpted in every corner and his eyes in a deep shade of black that was too drowning to look at made me think irrationally.

I was never fond of tanned skin man. Adrian was the only man I found attractive. His pale skin and blue eyes were the perfect combination for me but tonight I started to question my preference.

“Who are you?” he asked but I didn’t answer.

Earlier I simply refused to answer but this time I can’t even formulate a single word. I was stuck staring at him like a complete fool but as I stared at his face longer I felt something inside me was about to come out.

‘Arabella,’ there’s a voice inside my head. Voice I haven’t heard before. ‘I’m Aurora, your wolf. It was nice to finally meet you, Arabella,’

I covered my ears and shut my eyes hoping the voice would fade but it didn't. It keeps on calling me.

I feel like my head was splitting into two and my skin was being ripped off from my bones. A burning sensation crawled on my skin as if I were thrown into fire.

I tried to fight but I felt my human form slowly being swallowed. White fur started to cover my skin and before I could even process everything I started howling to the moon.

How did this happen? They said I will live wolfless? They said meeting my wolf at this age would be impossible?

“How is this possible?” I asked completely puzzled about whatever is happening.

‘It was thanks to him,’ Aurora answered turning to Alpha Lucien who seemed to be watching us the whole time. 'Our mate helped us to meet,'