Chapter 1

Chapter 1

~ELANA~

Every year, I prayed for death.

I prayed to never see the next.

My Mother had disappeared when I was seven years old.

She'd gone out on a certain day but never returned and since then, I had just one drive: Find her if she was still alive, no matter what.

And if she wasn't, I'd made sure I got to the bottom of her death.

I held my book in front of me.

I'd scribbled in it, different activities, exercises and herbs that could help me unleash my wolf.

“You either provide your mate or… face whatever comes with it!” The Alpha's voice re-echoed in my head and the rage on his face resurfaced.

“But… I don't even know how to find my mate, Alpha” My voice cracked at the end even as i tried to keep it steady. “I have never shifted in my entire life”

He didn't care.

No one did.

Instead, he had laughed that day.

All he was concerned about, was me getting a mate.

Knowing too damn well that a mate wasn't a damn ball I could get from the market.

The Alpha had given me seven days. Seven days to find a mate or face whatever he said would be ‘my fate’.

And today was the fourth already.

Hope was dying.

Prayers were weakening.

A part of me had given up on ever getting my fated mate.

Maybe it was never in my destiny to have a mate.

Four years ago, I turned eighteen and I had never felt a connection of any sort towards anyone.

Even when everyone else shifted and unleashed their wolves at eighteen, I never did.

Not even till this moment.

The pack called me ‘wolfless’, ‘weak’ and all sort of names but I masked my pain and reaction, aiming at just one truth that would shift everything.

I am Elana Lancelot, the girl whose wolf never made a sound or mindlinked since she turned eighteen.

My parents had died mysteriously, just my Mom actually… my Father had walked away and never returned, since I was four.

So practically, he didn't exist to me.

When I was seven, my Mom's clothes were brought home with blood stains.

I remember vividly, how the Alpha had handed over her rumpled, blood stained clothes and told me, “She was torn apart by a wolf"

No proof or evidence whatsoever that backed his claims but I had to believe.

I believed because I was seven.

Because everyone else did.

But the older I got, I realized how all those stories didn't add up.

And that sparked my suspicion.

I began to suspect two people whose names i would never mention, until I had concrete evidence.

"Look who's trying too hard to belong here,”

Melissa, the Alpha's daughter snapped the book away from my hand.

“Give it back, Melissa!" I barked, chasing her around.

"Herbs to unleash your inner wolf.”She read aloud.

Laughter tore across the living room from everyone seated.

"You shouldn't even try.” She suddenly paused, her eyes glinting with malice.

She leaned in and muttered. “You're wolfless,"

I didn't say a word. Grabbed my paper. Turned back.

"You're twenty two, Melissa. Acting like a kid doesn't suit you."

"Well, fuck you then,” She snapped and before I knew it, her claws had stretched out and scratched my face.

A whimper tore from my chest. The scratch had traces of blood already.

"Now who feels more like a kid?” Her lips pulled apart in an open smirk, as she held her claws out like if I dared to say another word, she'd do worse than she already had.

Everyone laughed. No one stopped her.

They were always on her side, no matter who was wrong.

"Babe,”

My stomach turned.

Warner's voice travelled from behind us.

I watched her smirk widen as she drew back. When her claws receded, I released my breath.

"Thank your stars…” She smoothed my hair. "That I'm not in a bad mood today.”

Warner.

Her mate.

My high school crush who eventually didn't become my mate. He became hers instead.

He leaned against the door frame, his arms folded.

She turned to him, a wide grin on her face. “I was just giving Elana here a little advice on how she could get a mate." She pulled away from me. “Like I got you."

I raised my eyes to Warner. He didn't say a word but he also wore a tight smile.

"It's enough, Melissa. She should learn the rest herself”

I managed to hold my emotions together until I was out of the living room.

Laughter followed me from behind as I walked out.

I headed to my room and slammed the door shut.

I shouldn't have been outside by that time. It was 11 PM.

I wasn't pained because she was with Warner.

But because of that dirty little oppression she did with her wolf.

Everytime she did it, it always reminded me of when we were eighteen.

When the whole pack saw her shift into her silver wolf for the first time.

Everyone gushed. I did too.

Until it was finally my turn to shift, but I didn't know how to.

That was the day I hated myself the most.

I was disgraced. No one wanted me.

They all laughed.

It became a news that spread from the pack to school.

Everywhere.

I became a laughing stock.

And I almost took my own life, only that I had to remind myself I hadn't found my Mom.

I laid on my bed, sobbing my eyes out when I noticed.

I wasn't alone.

There was a dark shadow against the wall, and even though I was wolfless, I could feel someone's presence lingering in that room.

“Who's there?" I asked, my voice hoarse and breath shaky.

I heard no response, but an eerie cold washed me.

"Who are you?” This time, my knuckles folded right until they turned white.

My lips faltered, throat waiting for the slightest reveal so it'd tear out an agonizing scream.

"Are you that scared of the dark?"

Vance.

I recognized that voice. It was calm, and controlled.

“What are you doing in my room by this time?" I sat up, my fear clearing up as soon as he turned the lights on.

He was the Alpha's son, for heaven's sake and what did he want other people to say if—?

"We have to talk, Elana.” He sat on the edge of my bed but my body flinched against my will.

"I'm sorry. It won't happen again, I was drunk the other time,” He apologized after a what I took as a ‘quick observation’

"Fine. What's the problem?” I crossed my arm over my chest.

He looked around, as if we had eyes fixed on us. “I can't tell you here, wolves can hear from a distance, Lana" He leaned forward to whisper, and his gaze turned serious.

A snort slipped from my lips. “What do you think I am? A pimp?" I got up, reaching for the door so I could pull it open and tell him to get the fuck out of my room.

"Listen up,” He got up, his eyes holding soberness as he walked up to me.

“I'm not my sister and I swear, you need to hear this more than anyone else. It's about you" He held my shoulder still and whispered into my ear.

A pang of fear struck my chest. “What's it about?"

“It's my Father. The 7-day ultimatum is for a reason that might take your life," He whispered in a tone so low I almost didn't pick a word.

My pulse quickened with a fast pump as my chest tightened.

"Don't even ask me anything about it here, I won't say a word. Meet me there as soon as possible, Elana" He whispered, walking out of the room.

If Vance didn't have anything to say, he wouldn't have stressed by coming into my room.

I was about heading out, but he returned in shortly.

He held a leaf and a lighter in one hand. I was about to ask what he was doing, but his index finger pressed against his lips.

He lit the leaf and as tensed as I was, I could only stare and wait for him to talk.

That scent. That was the Silencer herb burning—was used to block other wolves from hearing and picking on conversations.

I was convinced. Whatever Vance had to say, was truly important.

"You know what this is, right?” He asked when the scent and smoke had gotten a grip in the room.

I nodded.

"In three days, Elana” He exhaled. "You'll be given off to Cassian Thorne,"

My heart shifted at that moment. Lord of the Rogues?

“What?"

“I have no reason to lie. I overheard the pack's council discussion" He wasn't joking. He had a note of seriousness in every word.

“If you have to run, run far away." He warned. “Because if you fail to find a mate before that day, then that'll be the fate he talked about" He walked out.

My knees buckled.

Cassian Thorne? The terror of packs.

The merciless rogue who had no boundaries.

The rogue who wiped out an entire region of fifteen packs in a single day, just because he felt “powerless" that day.

Yes. I hated life already, but why did Cassian ever have to get into the picture?

I'd rather die, because running from him wasn't an option.

Cassian would find his prey and feed on them.

I had just three days.

Three days to prove to anyone—literally anyone, that I was worth being a mate.

Because if I failed to, I wouldn't live long enough to regret it.