Chapter 1 - Twisted Fate

Natashian Rynne Elboser’s Point of View

I stood alone – at the center of the town as two familiar faces stood before me. The Stylynx brothers – my greatest nightmares.

“A woman from the slums… I reject a mate with no dignity – banish her this instant!” The spoiled son of the Stylynx pack announced as he stood beside his brother.

Shivers traveled up my spine as I kept my head down, “Great Alpha, please – let me live! I shall never show my face in front of you.”

However, I knew this situation all too well – no matter how much I beg – this man never fails to throw me out in every scenario. I would lose all that's left of me, and I would die every single time.

“Damn…” I was about to curse at him while I could, however –

“Damn bitch! Wake up!” I flinched as I felt cold water being thrown straight to my face. It’s another day in the slums, and the same old things happen repeatedly as if we are enclosed in a pathetic cycle.

I sigh as I stood on the cement floor, the bed I have been sleeping on for almost my whole life. The vile leaders of the slum continue to spray cold water as the sun was barely even up.

“Ugh,” people were groaning as they stirred awake.

I stood alone, the alleyway seemed to be getting narrower and narrower for me as I felt unusually insecure. I have a bad feeling about this day.

“The ship will arrive today, make sure you acquire the items undetected. You can’t fuck this up today, or else you’ll really die – but the blood won’t be on my hands,” I rolled my eyes.

The same exact threat is being repeated every single day, I’ve become immune to this at this point. No matter what he says, he’ll always have the blood on his hands.

A cycle wherein even my dreams are repeated, a prophetic dream of dying at the hands of the pack’s center of power.

After a while of standing around, they finally gave us our individual jobs – I was designated to take the goods from the ship.

The light blinded my eyes as I took a step outside of the gloomy slum – people were going by their day normally. “Hmm,” I hum as stepping out of the slums will always cheer me up.

People were carrying freshly bloomed flowers – young wolf children were playing around, the whole town smelled of morning dew and a combination of roses, perennials, and everything good. The town looked like a standard medieval town, however, a somewhat modernized one.

The insignia on my left arm started to sting, “Ah,” I hissed as I felt the familiar burning pain.

I knew what it meant, “Fine fine, I’ll do it quickly.”

Although all I wished for is a little more time in indulging with the peaceful environment of the privileged.

I ran towards the ship they mentioned, took the goods, and quickly handed it to them. We needed to move discreetly, everything we’re doing now is illegal – and being found as a slave could get you killed.

This is the reason why we wear severely torn clothes which, for some reason, are designed to fully cover the insignia they marked on us.

As I was walking away from the ship, I stopped – I’ve dreamed of something like this before, I sense a déjà vu.

I looked to my right, my eyes widened – my hands unconsciously gripped the box tighter. “Lady, out of the way!” I heard the man shout.

Instead of turning away, I extended my arm out to push the box out of my way. Even if my hands get fractured, nothing can be worse than death.

The man looked at me in awe – “Don’t look at me like that, I contemplated for a long time how to escape this type of death,” I said before walking to the town center again.

“Hail the youngest Alpha of our great pack, Maximus Vethor Stylynx!” I froze in my spot as I heard it, the name I’ve been dreading for my whole life. “The graceful Alpha Zonner Xuer Stylynx has also come to grant us an audience!”

The people were rejoicing, throwing flower petals onto the paths of the pack’s territory – the center of the pack was lit with radiance. Members from different walks of life were gathered as they await the youngest Alpha’s blessing.

“The goddess’ blessing…” I mumble – I’ve never seen anything like it nor do I have the chance of being bestowed of something like that.

“Fuck! I need to do this quickly,” I mutter to myself as I ran as fast as I could. I got so distracted by the happiness they were exuding, a complete opposite of the life I’ve been living.

How stupid could I be? There was a reason why people were carrying flowers, today is the youngest son of the Stylynx’s coming of age!

I was cursing myself all the way; my task hasn’t even been done halfway – it’s either I get beat up to the brink of death or I would starve for a whole month.

I tightly shut my eyes, “I’m going to die either way.”

“Well, at least, I need to try,” I bit my tongue sheepishly as I brought my hood all the way down – covering my entire face. I’m sure he wouldn’t even notice me… right?

I stopped dead in my tracks, I caught a whiff of a unique smell – something I can’t even begin to describe. It smells of sweet caramel and something else I can’t comprehend, a sweet smell luring me in with temptation.

I turned my head – and there he was, staring at me with curiosity in his eyes. My eyes widened, I knew it…

In my eyes, he was glowing with a turquoise accent – a glow only visible to each other.

“My mate,” I could see his mouth moving as he slightly stepped forward. I fancied the idea of getting near him, I was severely tempted.

“Fuck!” I muttered as I slapped myself – I closed my eyes and barred my nose from inhaling any more of the malicious scent he was exuding.

For the last time, I looked back – his eyes were still stuck on me. His brother was holding him back – I must not let them see my face, I can’t afford to die right now.

I shook my head, “Natashian, wake up!”

I ran away, however, unlike in my dreams – I wasn’t being chased by a mob of angry wolves. I ran into the slums – something I never did voluntarily.

I continued running away, reaching the deepest part of the forest, where I hide my elusive secret.

“I knew it – I knew this would happen.”