EPISODE 5 - Anna

Anna Noelle’s POV

***

It was finally the day of the Mating Ball. I couldn't contain my bubbling excitement—it was going to be held tonight.I had been dreaming about this celebration for days, and the joy in my heart simply wouldn't fade.

"You're smiling today, Anna," Aura teased in my mind as I finished plating the food for the beta servants to take up to the mansion.

I shook my head. "No, I'm not. You're probably just seeing things," I whispered back.

Chasing away the stray thoughts, I offered a silent prayer to the Moon Goddess that the gathering at Silvermoon Claw tonight would go off without a hitch. After tidying up the kitchen, I hurried back upstairs to retrieve the dress I intended to wear to the Mating Ball.

But that bright, hopeful feeling instantly shattered into panic when Wendy's shrieks echoed from downstairs.

"Anna! Anna! Where are you, you wretch! Show yourself!" Her loud screech made me jump, followed closely by the sound of a plate shattering below. I dropped the dress I was holding and bolted down the stairs, only to find Wendy aggressively smashing things left and right.

I stood there trembling, paralyzed and unsure of how to stop her. Before I could even react, she lunged forward, grabbed a handful of my hair, and dragged me roughly out of the kitchen.

"Ouch! O-Ouch, Wendy! It hurts! Please, let go of my hair, I'm begging you!" I cried out in agony, but she didn't relent. Instead, she shoved me violently to the floor.

The impact knocked the wind out of me. A chaotic storm of emotions tore through my chest—I wanted to cry, to fight back, to defend myself, but I was entirely helpless.

"You shameless bitch! ! I only asked you to get this dress for me, and you couldn't even do that right?! You are so pathetic, Anna!" she screamed, blinded by fury.

I couldn't wrap my head around her accusations until Cindy tossed a navy blue dress right in front of me. My breath hitched in sheer horror when I saw a massive, jagged tear slashed across the back of the exact dress we had bought at the boutique alongside Josie.

"B-But I didn't do this—"

"And you're still going to play innocent?! Do you really think I'm stupid enough to fall for your lies, Anna?! I am neither blind nor a fool, so don't you dare act like you aren't the one who ruined my dress!" she yelled furiously.

Instead of believing my pleas that I wasn't the one who ruined her dress, Wendy completely ignored me. She stormed back into the kitchen, and my heart dropped into my stomach as I watched her sprint up toward the second floor. Panic surged through my chest, and I found myself scrambling desperately right behind her, tracking her straight to my bedroom.

There, I froze in the doorway as I watched her tear into the room. Hot tears instantly spilled down my cheeks, my lips parting in sheer shock and heartbreak.

"This!" she screamed, violently ripping apart the fabric of the dress I had planned to wear to the Mating Ball. "A dress like this deserves to be shredded so a good-for-nothing like you can never use it!" Her rage practically radiated in front of me.

From where I stood, I could see the ruined garment. To Wendy, it was just worthless junk belonging to a worthless person.

But to me, it was a precious, irreplaceable keepsake left behind by my father.

Weak and trembling, I sank to my knees to cradle the dress Wendy had just destroyed. I didn't know what to do next. I collapsed under the weight of the agony, completely unable to stop the flood of tears. My vision blurred, and an agonizing sob tore from my throat.

"How dare you sit there crying? Oh, well that's where you belong! It's your fault for ruining the dress I'm supposed to wear to the Mating Ball later! You're completely useless, Anna!" I heard Wendy shriek before Cindy dragged her away from my room. Just before they finally left, Wendy threw one last cruel parting shot over her shoulder: "Your mate will never accept you because you're nothing more than a pathetic, weak omega!"

I lost track of how many minutes I spent weeping alone in my room, or how many times I begged the Moon Goddess to just let me fade away.

I was so utterly exhausted from being mistreated and hurt over and over again.

I was so tired of crying and praying for an end to Helena’s family's cruelty.

By late afternoon, I forced myself to carefully fold the dress Wendy had ruined earlier that morning. I had expected to see them lingering around the house all morning and afternoon, but they had all cleared out—even Helena was nowhere to be found.

I gently set the ruined dress back down on my bed, then reached for a pale green dress instead—the very same one I wore when I first found out I was invited to the traditional Mating Ball at the Silvermoon Pack House. I wiped away my tears and quickly fixed myself up. I refused to let Wendy and Cindy's cruelty rob me of attending the ball.

Standing before the mirror, I brushed out my long black hair and applied a light layer of makeup to mask my swollen, tear-stained eyes. Once I was done, I headed downstairs to finish a few final chores before leaving. Soon after, Josie walked in—the beta servant who had secretly befriended me.

"Anna!" she called out, a gentle, reassuring smile slowly spreading across her lips as she walked over. "I honestly thought you weren't going to make it to the gathering at the Silvermoon Pack House."

I shook my head with a faint smile. "I'm still going, Josie. I have to. Who knows? Maybe tonight's the night I finally meet my fated mate," I joked softly, making her laugh.

"Oh, alright then. Anyway, they've all cleared out, which is why I was able to slip away to see you. Do you want me to accompany you to the Silvermoon Pack House?"

Hearing her offer made me nod gratefully. Together, we slipped out of the small house and made our way toward the Silvermoon Pack House.

As we stepped out of the vehicle, I was instantly awe-struck by the sheer scale and luxury of the venue. I had no idea so many members of the Silvermoon pack would turn out for this. Looking around at their exquisite attire, my eyes widened; everyone looked breathtakingly stunning and handsome. I couldn't help feeling a bit out of place in my simple pale green dress paired with basic white low-heeled sandals.

Josie gently placed a hand on my shoulder. "I'll have to drop you off here, Anna. I need to head back to the mansion right away; Helena will be furious if she notices we're gone."

I nodded understandingly and gave her a warm smile of gratitude.

"Enjoy yourself, Anna. And I hope you find your fated mate tonight."

I lost track of time. As I stepped through the massive gold doors adorned with intricate gold designs and pendants, a man stopped me to ask which family I belonged to, just to verify if I was part of the VIP guests. When I gave him my name, "Anna Noelle," a pack warrior was assigned to escort me to my seat.

Once I finally settled in, I instantly felt small under the weight of everyone's gazes. I overheard someone whisper, "She's a VIP guest, but she's just wearing a simple pale green dress?" I chose to ignore them.

And now, I was outside, grabbing a bite to eat and soaking in the much-awaited ceremony.

According to my father's stories, once the moon shines brightly, the Mating Ball officially begins. The tradition dictates that the scent of your fated mate will suddenly magnify in the air. The moment you catch it, you'll know he's there, and that scent will completely consume your senses until the ball—or the sacred mating bond of fated mates—comes to an end.

What happened next is history. I decided to wander around for a bit, still completely mesmerized by the Silvermoon Claw pack house. It felt as though ordinary citizens could never have built something so breathtaking. The designs and structures were exquisite, right down to the magnificent ceiling and the grand chandelier.

As I admired my surroundings, I lost track of time and found myself wandering into a quiet hallway of the pack house. The noise from the venue had faded into a soft murmur, and I was just about to head back when a deep, baritone voice caught my attention.

"Okay. We'll meet them tomorrow," a voice answered. I froze, stopping in my tracks as a man suddenly stepped out from around the corner.

I was about to turn back toward the venue when my breath hitched in my throat.

An intoxicating, overwhelming scent suddenly flooded the air. My knees went weak.

Pine, smoke, and rich, dark cedarwood mixed with a sharp hint of winter mint—a scent that screams raw power and untamed dominance.

I gripped the wall beside me for support as that scent intensified with every passing second. I couldn't make sense of what was happening to my body. A fierce, consuming heat flared deep within me. My heart hammered wildly against my ribs. I felt an intense, aching throb down there, and I had no idea what to do.

But the moment I felt someone step up right behind me, I spun around to ask for help—and my breath caught in a sharp gasp.

Standing right in front of me was a tall man, his glowing green eyes staring down at me with burning intensity.

My throat went bone-dry. I didn't know who he was, because the sheer potency of his scent was clouding my mind. But I knew the Mating Ball had truly begun, the brilliant moonlight radiating right behind his broad shoulders.

"Mate," his voice echoed deeply in my mind before he pulled me into a breathless, unyielding kiss.

It was a harsh, dizzying, consuming kiss. His tongue plundered my mouth, robbing me of the last remnants of my breath. I completely lost track of reality.

All I remember next were those glowing, hypnotic green eyes. I heard myself whimpering as he completely consumed my bare body spread out before him.

"Ohh... more... please..." The words slipped past my lips on their own, wrung out of me by the man hovering over me.

I didn't know him. Yet my body, my heart, and my mind were irresistibly drawn to him. I felt like I was drowning in a sea of raw, unadulterated desire. I wanted him to take me, to claim me, to mark me.

"Fuck... you are so beautiful, my mate."

The moment those words left his lips, his hands gripped my hips, and he drove deep inside me in one swift, ruthless motion. I cried out in a shattering mix of ecstasy, pain, and pleasure.

A lone tear escaped my eye as he thrust into me over and over again.

“What’s your name?” he asked in his hoarse voice.

He cupped one of my breasts and squeezed it, sending another wave of sensation through me. My body trembled beneath his touch, every movement leaving me more breathless than the last.

“Uhh... A-Anna...” That was all I managed to whisper before he kissed me again, his lips drowning out whatever words I might have tried to say.

My eyes rolled back as he moved against me, his warm, damp skin brushing against mine. It was as if he knew exactly what he was doing.

I gripped his shoulders, my nails nearly digging into his skin as an unfamiliar, overwhelming sensation tightened low in my stomach.

“Anna...” he murmured between ragged breaths. “Fuck, even your name is so fucking beautiful.”

I no longer knew what to do. All I could manage was a broken moan escaping from my hoarse throat as the sensations overwhelmed me.

lost count of how many times this man claimed me, or how many times I cried out for him.

The last thing I remembered was how completely consumed I had been by desire that night. We lost ourselves in the darkness of that room, swept away by the intensity of everything we shared.

I was utterly intoxicated by the desire coursing through me, overwhelmed by the heat of the moment and the intensity of our intimacy. By the time everything finally ended, I could barely remember anything except the way he had made me feel.

In that moment, it felt as though every ounce of pain I had carried since my father's death vanished, swept away by the man who had suddenly entered my life and loved me with such fierce, overwhelming possession.

To me, it was the greatest night of my life. I never wanted it to end.

Then, morning came.

I felt a dull ache radiating through my lower back. At first, my half-asleep mind assumed Helena had piled on so many chores that my body was paying the price. But when I opened my eyes, pure shock paralyzed me. My heart slammed against my ribs because I felt someone breathing softly right behind me. I swallowed hard as a heavy, muscular arm draped across my waist.

A man?! There's a man in my bed?!

But the shock didn't end there. As my eyes darted around the unfamiliar room, I realized with a jolt—this wasn't my bedroom! Where am I?!

Wasting no time, I carefully and quietly slid out from under the man's embrace, scrambling to grab my scattered dress and underwear. I nearly jumped out of my skin when the man shifted on the bed—and my eyes widened in sheer disbelief as I finally saw his face.

Alpha Lucian?!

What... how is this possible? Alpha Lucian is my mate?!

Before he could wake up and see me, I quickly slipped out of the room. I returned to the Silvermoon Pack House, carrying the information I had learned with me.

My heart was pounding hard as I hurried out of the large hall, my mind racing with everything that had happened. I couldn't stop thinking about what I had discovered, even as I made my way through the venue.

I fled the Silvermoon Pack House in a chaotic blur of confusion, shock, and disbelief.

Alpha Lucian is my mate?! And everything that happened between us was real?!