3

Clara was almost hidden in a corner of the huge celebration room, where darkness hung over her entire body. She was tired and tense. The experience that she had lived through during the afternoon still resonated in her head, and although she had bathed, the smell of blood that had permeated her fur still remained. As well as the feeling in her stomach that was not going away from her. And she was both awkward and unknown.

Even so, the expression on her face was not good at all and sadness soured his mood as a result of all the ridicule and rejection she had received that night.

She was supposed to be happy and eager to find her mate, her mate, one half of her alpha, the wolf she would share the rest of her life with. It was a natural thing for those who had just turned 18. The moon goddess granted them this enormous pleasure. On the other hand, what was her problem... until now, she was already 22 years old and still on the loose, and from what she sensed, her mate would never appear. She wasn't among the members of the great pack, or she would have figured it out by now.

At first she thought that her image was an obstacle, but for the wolves the physical was not that important after all, not when there was a bond between them. Besides, she didn't consider herself so ugly, with her waist-length light brown hair that she had inherited from her father, a pair of big, very light blue eyes, a slim body, but with decent curves. to appear attractive, a fair complexion and what she believed to be a fairly normal face, it wasn't like it was a freak of nature.

Even so, she had no sentimental experience. Because of this, she was mocked by all her members, claiming that someone as weak and submissive as her would never find someone who was by her side. A flawed wolf like her had no right to be happy. And that depressed her even more, making her eyes, already diffused by nature, fill with tears, blurring her gaze even more.

She was so alone, she was not loved by her parents, in her years of life she had only received contempt from others. If she only received a show of affection she might not feel so miserable.

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, that didn't stop the tears from running down her cheeks. What was the point of her continuing to live like this? Without even finding the wolf who would at least love her.

What hurt her the most was seeing how the new youngsters in the pack almost fluttered from one side to the other and some of them were already finding mates, and other wolves snapped or took their time courting other wolves, but no one approached her. Not because she was almost hiding, she was doing it because they had already laughed and commented so much about her being, that someone else could destroy her.

She put her hand to her mouth trying to hold back a sob with her chest tightening when that year's party was almost over and everyone started to leave the room, completely oblivious to her. Again it was the same. She was alone, completely alone and humiliated.

She couldn't take it anymore. This suffering alone was in vain. Another year where she would only be used for her sense of smell and left aside, like an object, locked in a dark room, with no hope of being saved.

The tears by that time were so dense that they stained her face. Even when she had asked the Moon Goddess for a partner or some love in her life, she had been just as cruel as the rest around her. She couldn't trust her; she couldn't trust anyone…she didn't trust her or herself.

And with depression taking over her being, she ran off, bumping into some bodies, but without taking them into account. She cried desperately, empty, feeling useless and miserable. She did not recognize herself, she could not do it, she had never been valued or loved, and a being without receiving affection... was equal to nothing.

She ran, she ran so hard that her legs burned, that her lungs ran out of air, that her arms burned from the wounds caused by the branches. She wandered off senselessly, without a direction. She just wanted to get away from the pack, to a place so far away, where they couldn't blame her.

Only when she thought she would faint did she fall to her knees in front of a lake on the edge of the pack's lands. She hadn't gone far enough to be found, but enough to have a few minutes of peace.

There, with the soft night breeze hitting her face and moving her hair that fell in a wet waterfall down her sides, she broke into tears, one that would break the heart of anyone who listened to her. Her hands tightened on the soft earth beneath her and she felt her chest empty, until she felt lighter and lighter.

If no one loved her, why should she be alive?

And this was something she should have done before. Perhaps she would have saved herself so much suffering.

She slowly raised her hand letting out her claws. If she cut the veins in her wrist, she would only feel a slight pain and then everything would fade, turn dark and she would just rest at last. A slight smile appeared on her face. For the first time in years she felt happy to make a decision of her own. And so she did.

She raised her other hand, where the bluish veins throbbed, and brought her claws close to it. She would just have to rip them apart fast. One of her claws touched the thin skin of hers when.

–Stop– the voice in her head made her body stop dead in its tracks. Paralyzed and everything around her went black for a few seconds.

Only the tears ran down her face again shortly after and when she reacted her claws had completely retracted and she couldn't draw it. As if something wouldn't let her end it all at once.

-Why? Why can't I die? -She sobbed- The more I have to hold on- she totally broke.

Even her body betrayed her at that moment, not letting her meet her end. And that... was the greatest torture for her.

Her body went limp minutes later, so exhausted from crying that only a trail of tears remained on her flushed face. She lay there, sitting on the soft bed of leaves and thinking, thinking so much that her head ached.

-Perhaps you want to give me another chance- she exhaled with reluctance letting her head fall to one side leaning it on the tree that was there- Moon Goddess, if at least my mate is alive at least give me a sign. It's not fair that I have to wait for him so long suffering uselessly. If not, at least give me the opportunity to rest in peace- her voice was barely a whisper but her words were strong.

She didn't know how much time passed and she almost gave up when she noticed that the brightness of the lake in front of her became more intense since the clouds had moved, revealing a huge full moon. Her light washed over her almost blinding her more than she was. Clara felt the warmth of it on her skin and her heart began to beat.

Was that a sign...

It was then that a sound reached her ears that made her tense. As she tracked her, her senses except for her sight were highly developed. And her body twitched as she heard the branches snap.

For a moment it crossed her mind that it might be that strange wolf she had crossed paths with that might have found her. Her entire body shuddered and she jerked back up trembling. A scent began to envelop her in a possessive way that made her stop.

Clara bit her lower lip. The temperature inside her rose so much that she felt herself burn inside, she felt her own blood throbbing in her ears and not only that. The feeling of getting wet from sexual pleasure given those pheromones around her was completely new.

As well as the image of two golden orbs that came out of the darkness and growled when they were close to her. A loud, commanding growl. And this one said:

–Mine–