Chapter 2

Sophia's POV

"Yes,“ I answered shyly but the next moment I had goosebumps all over and I realized, he came from the left side, which was assigned to Alphas brought in by my stepfather, Alpha Victor.

"Is he the kind of mate that will save me from my stepfather? Or the one that will hand me over to him?" I asked myself, thinking of various scenarios of how this could turn out.

"Are you okay?" He asked, cupping my cheeks but I didn't move an inch or say a word. I just stared at his eyes, lost in thoughts.

Since I was still in utter shock, he turned around, grabbed a handkerchief, and cleaned his stained body. Once he was done, he grabbed my hand and walked me to the podium, with the spotlight still on us.

Whispers filled the hall as everyone stared at the Alpha and I, walking hand in hand. What does he want to do? Punish me? Or announce to the world that we are mates?

On our way, my eyes met with my stepfather's. My heart drummed louder in my chest and I had goosebumps from the death stare he shot me. His condition hammered in my ears, amplifying the fear coursing through my veins.

As we reached the podium, the Alpha's grip on my hand tightened, almost possessively, and he looked into my eyes with an intensity that sent shivers down my spine. 

The crowd fell silent, waiting for his next move, and I could feel their curious gazes burning my back. What is his intention for bringing me here?

"Everyone," the Alpha's voice boomed, commanding the attention of every person present. "I have an announcement to make." 

He paused for a moment, as if building suspense, and then continued, "Today, a dear Alpha of mine invited me here for this feast. Who would have thought fate brought me here to meet someone special instead?" He chuckled, building the suspense and chatter from the audience 

"Ladies and Gentlemen, I have found my mate," he said looking at me with a smile on his face. 

The heat of the moment and the attention on me made me red in embarrassment and the dizziness from before disappeared without a trace.

"I have a surprise for you mate," he whispered into my ears. "Promise me you'll give it your best smile?” he asked and I nodded with my wolf squealing in excitement. He was going to accept me!

Seeing as I smiled, we both faced the audience and although I saw my stepfather's face contorted with anger, I didn't regard him.

The Alpha, made me step forward and he began, "Today, I Alpha Caleb of Moon Stone Pack, reject you, Sophia Crescent of Crescent Moon Pack, as my mate and Luna!"

My heart dropped and everyone in the room burst into laughter. My smile fell as tears began to stream down my face. He could have just let me leave. Why did he have to do this? In front of everyone?

He laughed with them and then faced me who was staring at him, hurt and angry. "Did you think I'd accept you as my mate, Sophia?" He said into the microphone for everyone to hear.

"You're weak! You're worse than an omega! You're not worthy of being my mate, not to mention my Luna! You are not strong enough! To top it off, you reek of death! Your sick smell repulses me! Only someone worse than a loser would accept you as his mate!” he insulted with cold eyes, shattering my already broken heart with each sentence. 

His words made me unconsciously step back from him and the spotlight and before I knew it, I fell from the podium and landed on the floor with a thud while everyone laughed and mocked me. 

The pain and humiliation I felt in that moment was indescribable and the entire room seemed to spin around me as I struggled to pick myself up from the floor. 

The laughter and taunts of the crowd echoed in my ears, amplifying the first rejection I just experienced.

Alpha Caleb's words cut through me like a million sharpened knives, leaving me emotionally battered and vulnerable. I couldn't understand why he would bring me up here, only to publicly reject and disgrace me in a cruel and heartless manner. 

As tears blurred my vision, I managed to get to my feet, but the abusive words only became clearer.

"Get out of here, you disgrace!" someone from the crowd shouted, adding to the chorus of insults. I looked around, trying to find any sign of compassion or understanding, but all I saw were sneers and contempt, especially from my stepfather. 

"You're done for!” He said through mind link, laughing like there was no tomorrow. My heart shattered more knowing I caused a mess so goodbye to getting a doctor but most importantly, he was going to kill me for causing this huge disgrace. 

Not wanting to stay in here anymore, I mustered whatever strength I had left in me and forced myself to move, to run away from this nightmare of a life. As I made my way towards the exit.

The night breeze caressed my test-stained cheeks and I knew going back to the pack house was giving me to death on a golden platter. In my pain, I decided to run away, maybe I could find help or die peacefully. As I turned towards another direction, I felt strong arms grabbing me from behind. 

Before I could react, a cloth was pressed against my nose and mouth, and a pungent smell filled my nostrils. 

"Help!” I wanted to yell but my body became weaker than before as I inhaled whatever they put in the cloth and within seconds, my sight became blurry and the world around me faded into darkness as I lost consciousness.

When I woke up, I was out in the forest, under the moonlight, disoriented and groggy. 

My head throbbed with pain, and I could feel the remnants of tears on my cheeks. As my senses slowly returned, I realized that I was tied to a tree, unable to move or speak as I was gagged.

Fear gripped me as I looked around, trying to make sense of my surroundings. Where am I? And why am I being tied up in the forest? Is this my stepfather's doing or Alpha Caleb wanting to punish me?

I made different sounds for help and soon, I heard footsteps. A few masked men came out watching me intently with weapons in their hands. My heart raced, and I struggled to free myself from the restraints. One of them came closer and removed the gag from my mouth.

"What do you want from me?" I managed to choke out, my voice trembling.

One of the men stepped forward, removing his mask to reveal a face I didn't recognize. "We were paid to teach you a lesson," he said coldly. "To show you what happens when you dare to disgrace an Alpha."

Disgrace an Alpha? Well, I disgraced two Alphas today so who exactly is asking them to punish me?