I bit my lips hard to suppress the sob that threatened to spill past my lips and the urge to burst into tears. I've always wished for a mate who would acknowledge me, love me, and care for me no matter what storm we may pass through.
Unfortunately, that said mate of mine isn't fated to be with me.
Why moon goddess? Why is fate cruel to me? Why do I end up losing the things I need most?
Alpha Oswald broke contact with me and looked away with a blank expression.
My mood fell, and the room seemed to have no space for my presence, suffocating me. The floor seems to be spinning almost making my leg give way. Only the moon goddess knows how I ended up not doing so.
"Who's she?" Alpha Oswald questioned with a slight frown donning his impeccable handsome features.
'Your mate,' Something in me wanted to cry out but unfortunately, I was too weak to do so. Instead, I could only fight the urge to cry because my mate didn't seem to have the intent to acknowledge me.
"Maia from Green Mist Pack," Wyatt replied and explained the details about how we met coupled with the lies I told him.
"Oh. Poor lady." Luna Lorelei smiled at me with sympathy in her eyes.
Although I knew none of what happened was her fault, I held a dislike for her.
Alpha Oswald eyed me from head to toe with a frown, "Did you make sure she can't endanger the pack?" He blurted out.
I was filled with mixed feelings. I wanted to cry and at the same time, I was filled with uncontained anger.
This jerk! Not only did he pretend as if we weren't mates, but now he's accusing me of being a danger. Can someone be more heartless?
Beta Wyatt walked toward an empty chair and sat next to Alpha King Hudson while I was left standing at the center of the huge office for them to evaluate.
"Yes." Beta Wyatt replied, and I squeezed out a grateful smile even though he didn't look at me. Despite how cold Beta Wyatt was, it turns out that he'll speak up for me about my identity.
Alpha Oswald leaned forward, a frown on his face, "You know the pack is at the stage where we can't just give anyone the chance to enter our pack, there are spies out there." Alpha Oswald paused and stared at me with a deep look.
I had the feeling that he just wanted to filter me out of the pack and hide the bond we both shared.
To be exact, Alpha Oswald had a perfect and beautiful Alpha Luna by his side already, so why would he want an arrogant and useless omega like me by his side?
But still, I'm not willing to get kicked out of the pack without a fight. I had a feeling that here lies the safety I needed, and I'm determined not to lose it. I clenched my fist and stared at him with determination.
"So, she'll have to go through a mysterious test for two weeks. If she passes it then she can stay at the pack and if she doesn't, she'll be punished before she's kicked out." Alpha Oswald uttered.
Luna Lorelei frowned slightly, "Babe, that's new. Don't you normally go with the motto of 'we are kinship, and we should accept one another'?" She leaned toward Alpha Oswald with an amused chuckle.
Alpha Oswald caresses Luna Lorelei's hair, "There are times when there's a dump for the motto." He replied and placed a kiss on Luna Lorelei's hand, staring at me with a provoking gaze.
My heart broke at the sight, I quickly looked up to send the tears back to their socket.
Wyatt stared at me, his gaze seemed to soften when staring at me. Perhaps it was an illusion. "Do you think you are up for it?" He asked.
.
.
.
"Eh, what was Alpha Oswald up to? A mysterious test?" Nancy bit her lower lips and paced around her pink-colored room, she seemed more anxious than I was.
Yes, I chose to accept the challenge... I meant the mysterious test my mate had prepared exclusively for me.
Currently, I was in Nancy's room thinking about what things Alpha Oswald was plotting since he seemed interested in picking me out rather than acknowledging my presence.
"We never had any before." Nancy muttered and stared at me sympathetically, "Did you know the details of the test?" She inquired and I shook my head.
"He said mysteriously as in, the test may come up any time within two weeks, so I should be prepared for it," I replied and cursed Oswald under my breath. 'That scum.'
Nancy sighed and patted my hair gently and pitifully, "I'll be back. I have to meet Luna." She said and began to make her way toward the door.
"Nancy?" I called and she stopped
"What's it?" Nancy turned to me.
I bit my lower lips, my stomach churning, "Erm, what's Luna Lorelei's character like?" I whispered, unconsciously holding my breath.
Nancy smiled happily, "Luna Lorelei is simply an angel in a werewolf skin. She's so gentle, caring, and nice and I think she's perfectly made for Alpha Oswald. It's so sad they weren't mate. Anyway, they've solved that by promising to stay with each other forever." Nancy revealed with a grin.
I froze immediately as I processed all that I just heard. I was so lost in thoughts that I didn't even know when Nancy left the room.
"Maia, what do we do?" I bit my lips with panic. My chest was throbbing with pain, loss, and many emotions I couldn't recognize.
Tears were streaming past my eyes due to the fact that I may go mateless because my fated mate wasn't patient enough to wait for me. No, he had fallen in love with someone else, and that someone seemed to be more perfect by his side than I was.
While lost in thoughts, the familiar agarwood scent suddenly pervaded my nose. I guess that Alpha Oswald and Beta Wyatt were done with the meeting.
My wolf purred and suddenly began to stir, which made me grit my teeth. I rubbed my chest with the hope of calming her, "What's wrong with you?" I gasped while trying to resist the urge to walk out of the room.
But the more I tried to resist the urge, the more Maia grew intense. I hissed and stood up, having no choice but to leave the room.
I wondered why Maia was being impatient. Maia is always calm and collected and for the first time she's acting unusually, and it piqued my curiosity.
I wiped my tears and began to follow the path Maia directed me to, but the more I did so, the more the musky agarwood scent invaded my being, making my legs turn to jelly.
Soon I found myself walking out of the pack, going deep into a forest where the chirping of birds and the flow of a lake invaded my ears. The dried leaves and sticks kept on cracking under my steps. The scent of earth, trees, and flowers alike invaded my nose.
My wolf stopped stirring when I was deep into the woods, in front of a flowing lake. And right there was Alpha Oswald staring at me as if he was awaiting my arrival.
I gritted my teeth and took a deep breath to steady myself. Perhaps, he's about to reject me.
"May I know the reason you led my wolf out, Alpha Oswald?" I questioned him with a slight bow while keeping away from him to prevent my enthusiastic wolf from jumping on our mate.
"Maia?" Alpha Oswald pronounced with his sexy voice, A tinge of pleasure ran through my spine and my leg almost gave way in front of him. Maia smiled foolishly which made me roll my eyes.
"Mate?" He called again in an undecipherable tone.
And not knowing what he was thinking or planning made me frustrated.
But what I knew is, he led me out because he was about to reject us.
"I have a partner, you can't stay in the Power Axis pack." He said, which made my mood fall.
Even though he was blurting words that should have made me spark with anger
His calm and sexy voice made me unable to do so.
"I think that's what rejection stands for." I retorted in a calm voice.
Something seemed to snap in me due to the rejection words which made me wince in pain. I stared at Alpha Oswald but he looked indifferent. Perhaps, the pain didn't affect his bond.
I never thought of my mate rejecting me or expecting myself to tell him to reject me but right now if it'll guarantee my stay in the power axis, I don't mind the pain.
"And don't worry, I'm not attracted to you anyway," I whispered to his hearing only for him to glare daggers at me. 'So I won't come between you and your Luna.' I thought.
But seeing Alpha Oswald provoked by my words made me giddy with happiness and made me decide not to complete my words.
I was the one suffering due to his proposal, and I'm glad that I was able to make him feel the same.
"I'd rather go for your Beta," I whispered again.
Alpha Oswald's pressure suddenly wrapped me from all sides, almost suffocating me. He strides toward me, his pressure tightening.
"You'll not take interest in other men or else I'll see to it that you're kicked out of the power Axis pack." He growled a warning, his face blanked which showed his seriousness.
I stared at Alpha Oswald in disbelief. How come my mate is this type of jerk? He doesn't accept me nor is he willing to reject me, and yet he's preventing me from interacting with others.
Is he crazy?
Alpha Oswald chuckled, "Crazy?" He whispered in amusement.
My eyes widened slightly; I didn't expect him to know my thoughts or did I blurt my thoughts out by mistake?
Alpha Oswald suddenly moved toward me and stopped right in my presence, his blue and black eyes staring down at my soul. I swallowed hard.
Being so close to him, I was able to take in his sharp and impeccable features, and I was lost in it.
Alpha Oswald suddenly took hold of my hands, and unconsciously I let out a purr due to the tingles that ran through my skin upon making contact with my mate.
I have never felt so whole as I do now. I felt a sense of comfort and security by just being with Alpha Oswald, and it made me want to submit myself to him but...
Upon seeing the mischievous smirk on his face, I recalled myself and tried to withdraw my hand from his hold but unfortunately, his lock tightened, making me unable to break through.
"If you dare stay within three meters of the opposite sex, I'll break your leg before kicking you out." Alpha Oswald threatened, which made me more infuriated than I've ever been.
"Just reject me already!" I cried out.
"No, it's more fun that way. Besides, I hate that pain." He said and withdrew his hold. I winced slightly due to the separation and that was enough to make me unbottled all the emotions I was suppressing.
I glared and yelled at him, "If you intend to kick me out then don't expect me to stick by your rules. I…"
Before I could complete my rejection words, soft lips suddenly crashed on mine.
Even though I wanted to break away from the kiss, I couldn't and instead drew closer to him, my mate and I purred in delight—the temptation caused by the mate bond.Alpha Oswald's lips curled with mockery, yet he deepened the kiss. His hands reaching for my hair and running his hand through it jolted me awake.I pushed Oswald, parted from me, and glared at him. "What are you doing to me?" I yelled in fury.How dare he play tricks on me? Not only did he invite me over by stirring up Maia, but he dared to kiss me when he had a partner, and he was intent on kicking me out of the power axis.Oswald shrugged, his face was calm as if he wasn't the one who just cheated on his Luna. This man is simply a jerk and I can't believe that I was mated to such a person like him."A deep warning, mate." He says in that deep, sexy voice of his which weakens my resolve again. What's happening to me?"You don't want to be on my bad side." Alpha Oswald warned.I sighed knowing he was right but asking me t
They both exchanged pleasantries before Luna Queen turned to me."You must be the new lady Wyatt brought in." Luna Queen says with a gentle smile and sits on the sofa, instructing Nancy and me to do the same.My hands were stuck to my lap, and I nodded demurely. "Yes, Luna Queen.""I heard about your circumstances; I'm sorry for all you've been through." She says patiently and grabs a hold of my callus hand with her soft hand."Thank you, Luna Queen." I appreciated, and withdrew my hand quickly. I don't want her to feel suspicious of me. I didn't mention myself as being a slave, so I don't want her to be curious about the reason behind my callous hands. The lies about my identity are enough; I don't want to make another one in case it becomes hard to cover up.Luna Queen smiled and tilted her head. "You looked so identical to a childhood friend of mine. Unfortunately, she died a few years ago. She says and a trace of sadness flashes past Luna Queen's eyes.My heart skipped a beat. 'I
"Maia. Maia." Nancy called behind me. She was trying hard to run after me but unfortunately, she was unable to catch up which I know she won't.She couldn't!I've been used to running and hiding in the past few years; stealing food and running to my favorite yellow mountain to eat the meals.I've been used to trying to run away from the maids whenever they caught me or running from the pack members who intend to humiliate me all because I have once done them wrong when I was a princess.I won't deny it, I was arrogant during my parents' lifetime as the only princess and future Alpha, but everything came to a stop ever since their death. I became a slave, so I need to shelve my arrogance if I don't want to die of hunger.It was hard for me at first, to see my favorite uncle who promised to take the place of my parents in my life in taking care of me, only for him to ascend the throne and make my life a living hell.It silently began with ignoring me or punishing me for no reason or ask
“Why did you suddenly decide to be a maid?” Nancy asked me while making breakfast for the both of us in the pack kitchen. Except for Nancy and I, none were in the kitchen.I sat on the pack dining chair, finding everything surreal.I've been degraded to eating leftovers at the red flame pack servant's quarters. Now that I can eat freely without mockery, my heart speeds up.Although I was the one in charge of cooking, I was always strictly watched by the maid, so I wouldn't have a taste of it nor sneak any of it. Instead, they'll combine the leftovers and throw them at me, so it could be a blow to my ego.'They almost destroy our lives, we'll never let them go.' Maia scowled upon remembering the red flame pack.Many times, Maia always wanted to retaliate, being the hot and impatient omega wolf she was, but I always prevented her from doing so because we were weak then and were hoping my uncle would stick to his promise.Unfortunately, that bastard didn't.'We will.' I replied to her, c
Beta Wyatt nodded slightly to Lorelei, “Luna.”Oswald gave me a suggestive gaze as if to tell me to greet Lorelei, but I looked away and pretended not to comprehend the meaning behind his gaze.“I'm quite curious about who will accompany Beta Wyatt this time; every pack member is interested in it,” Lorelei said while holding Oswald's hand. “Or are you attending your show partnerless like previous ones?” She questioned with a faint teasing smile on her face.“That's against the rule, isn't it? As the Beta, you need to have a partner with you on every success you hold.” Alpha Oswald arched his brows and stated.Beta Wyatt nodded, looking calm. “I have one.” He revealed, which made us stare at him in disbelief.Lorelei looked stunned for a second, but her expression slipped, and a smile blossomed on her face again, “May I know who it is…”“It's a secret.” He brushed her off, but Lorelei let out a laugh filled with understanding.“Ok. I'm quite curious about it. I'll wait until then, I ho
I bit my lower lips and wrapped my hand around my almost-naked body with multiple and chaotic thoughts running through my mind.Fay and the other ladies' eyes roamed through my scarred body in disbelief.Their continuous shocked gasps filled my ears, making me more ashamed than I already was.Fay stepped forward, with different sad expressions on her face, “Maia, I'm so sorry. I never expected this. We never expected this.” Fay said, ashamed. Her hands reached out to me.“Don’t touch me,” I screamed, nearly breaking down in tears. Fay sighed and withdrew her hand.My arms were wrapped around me tightly. I turned my back toward them to hide the tears that were beginning to stream down my face.I bent over in a corner and cried out to myself.I never expected Fay to pull off my clothes forcefully, resulting in them seeing my scarred skin.The torture marks of all I've gone through in the red flame pack were still vivid on my skin, and that's the last thing I want anyone to see. Unexpect
"My mate, huh? Maybe he has someone he thought was more perfect than me?" I quietly whispered with a careless laugh to their hearing.One of the maids grabbed my shoulder hard and said seriously, "If there is a possibility of that, then your mate is blind because you're truly one of the most beautiful women I've ever met." She said and quickly covered her lips, which made me amused inwardly, only if she knew that my mate was their Alpha king.Her hands flew to cover her mouth. "Oops, sorry for the curse word." She apologized, and I shrugged it off nonchalantly.They were right after all. I am more beautiful than Lorelei, and Alpha Lorelei wasn't only dumb; he was blind.'Our mate isn't blind,' a provoked Maia growled at me.'Does that mean we are the ugly ones?' I teased her in return, which made her flare up.Maia scolded me a lot before she clarified with a grumble, 'Our perfect mate isn't blind, and we're the most beautiful women in the world.' After completing her words, she block
“Now, it's time to be the beta partner for the night. You can do it.” Fay encouraged and walked out of the room with the other ladies after giving them an assuring smile.I stared at myself in the mirror, my heart in a bliss that I had never remembered feeling in a decade.I was dressed in an openwork high-neck body-con long-sleeved lace dress that fell just above my knees. My silver hair fell to my back.Fay mentioned that I was an exquisite beauty, so there was no need to go with the exaggeration of much makeup, so they went with minimal makeup. Nevertheless, looking at my gorgeous self, I couldn't contain a smile.My eyes lowered with hatred upon remembering the bitter memories in the red flame pack.One day, I'm going to get each of them solved. I'll make sure of it. I clenched my fist hard and tried not to bite my lower lip.'We looked so hot; our mate will fall over us tonight.' Maia giggled.I snorted, 'In your dream. I won't give him a chance to touch us. Even if…' I retorted