HER RETURN

"I can't believe you let her leave like that. That's not how you judge. That's not how you rule." Allan said.

"Like I said, I've got no time for that. If she gets back to her clan alive, then she's lucky. Or, the rogue beasts, the rogue wolves should have eaten her. Don't you think?" Alden asked.

"Did you just say clan? how are we sure she's a wolf. You said it yourself, you couldn't smell her wolf. But, she's not a human. What if she's something else?" Allan asked as they made their way into Alden's office.

"Something else like what? A beast? I don't think so."

"Get the sentinels ready. We'll be heading to the moonlight pack by morning." Alden instructed, sitting on the swivel chair in his office as he sighed and placed his hand on his chin.

"You look troubled. What is it?" Allan asked.

“It's nothing serious, you can retire for the day.” He replied as Allan nodded and walked out of the office. Sighing loudly,he stood on his feet.

“Who are you?” He whispered, looking out through the window. “Who are you?” He whispered again.

Melissa ran to a stop at the foot of the big tree in which she had dropped when she escaped. She sighed tiredly, turning to look around to make sure she wasn't followed.

"I'm so tired." she mused, sighing tiredly as she dropped on her butt. Her eyes traveled the height of the fence round her father's house as she cursed herself for trying to run away.

Shaking her head vigorously,she stood on her feet and began climbing the tree. “I guess this is what I get for being a rebel.”

As she jumped down, she was glad there were no sentinels around or she'd have had some explaining to do. She made her way into the house and was about going to her bedroom when she bumped into her mother.

“Where were you? You weren't in your bedroom.” Carlotta said, raising her brows as she looked at Melissa skeptically.

“It's not a big deal mom, I was just out there taking my mind off what dad said this morning, concerning my marriage.” Carlotta sighed and placed her hands on Melissa's shoulders.

“It's for the best sweetie, that's all we can do to get more power and protection, without the help of Alpha Alden, our pack will go under without any traces left to it.”

“It's alright mom, I'll just be in my bedroom.” Melissa excused herself immediately, walking briskly up the stairs and as she got to her bedroom she locked the door and dropped to the floor.

"It's so funny what my life has become, under short while." she whispered and shook her head.

"I guess I'll just have to live with that reality."

A knock resounded through her door, two hours later, as she got up from her bed, lazily.

"Yeah, who is it? Come in."She said, enough for the person to hear. And she walked over to the bathroom.

"You should come down for dinner. Dinner is ready," a maid said as she nodded.

As Melissa walked down the stairs, her eyes took in the paintings on the walls, the artworks that beautified the hallway and the stairways.

"Come and have your seat, let's eat," Carlotta said as Melissa raised her eyes to look at her mother.

"I hope you do not have any other surprises for me. I can barely take the one you blasted in the morning." She replied and sat down.

Her eyes locked with that of her father, and she swallowed hardly, hoping he didn't know she left the house a while ago.

"We have something to tell you, Melissa. Something important. It's concerning your marriage to the alpha of Crimson Moon Park.”

"Really mom, I don't want any other surprises. Fine, you told me I'm going to get married to the alpha of one of the packs. What else is there to know?" Melissa asked.

"They will be coming tomorrow, they want to finalize the deal immediately and make sure our peace treaty is sealed, so you need to sleep early because tomorrow will be a big day."

"Were you forced to marry my mother? Isn't my mother your mate?" Melissa asked, locking eyes with her father.

"Melissa, have a care. He's your father and the ruling Alpha." Carlotta shouted.

"Leave her alone. Let her speak. By tomorrow, she won't be speaking here. She'll be speaking in her husband's house." Her father replied coldly.

She stood up on her feet and hit the table, closing her eyes as she nodded her head.

"That's what it is to you The price for making peace and for getting power, right?" she asked as tears pooled in her eyes.

"And you mom, of course you will sit and watch him do whatever he wants to do. I'm just a piece, probably like a furniture and not your daughter. How would you give your daughter out when she hasn't even transformed?"

"Don't be ridiculous, Melissa. You're going to transform in a few days. Your eighteenth birthday is around the corner, so definitely you will transform," her mother replied.

"What if I do not transform? Or what if I do not have a wolf? Tell me do you smell a wolf on me? And tell me the honest truth." She said as her mother's  eyes widened.

She smiled to herself as the realization hit her, so her parents had known all along that she didn't smell like a wolf and yet they kept it a secret from her. A single tear slid down her cheek and she wiped it away.

"Why didn't you tell me I didn't smell like a wolf?" She asked, looking from her mother to her father.

"We didn't want it to get you bothered. Definitely you're going to transform and you'll be a full-blown wolf. That's all that matters," her mother said, trying to reassure her. But she shook her head negatively.

"You both know that's not true. I may never get to transform. And even if I do, I may be a weakling. It's so nice having parents like you. It's really nice." She said and walked out on them,the tears running freely down her cheeks as her mother closed her eyes.