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CHAPTER ONE

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"I, Christopher Morgan of the Blood Moon Pack, reject you, Pearl Xavier of the Mountain Hill Pack, as my mate and Luna-to-be," he declared with authority in his voice.

Loud gasps and whispers filled the hall. I stood there, puzzled and confused by this unexpected turn of events.

"He is rejecting us! The mate doesn't want us," my wolf cried within me. I felt sorry for myself, deceived into believing he would accept me as his mate.

I had waited for this day all my life. In fact, this was the day I had imagined freeing myself from my stepmother's web of perpetual wickedness.

She had finally manipulated my dad into thinking I was no good and would only bring shame.

I stood in front of the large crowd that had gathered for my mating ceremony. Tears welled up in my eyes when I realized he was serious with his words.

"What will we do?" Alice, my wolf, asked hysterically, panicking and sadly whimpering within me. She was deeply hurt, and so was I.

I was humiliated and disgraced publicly by the one person I thought would save me from this dungeon of lies, bullying, and deceit.

Tears welled up in my eyes, my feet became numb as I froze.

All eyes were on me, the crowd whispered and snickered between themselves.

I stood there, holding and tweaking the hem of the beautiful blue dress my stepmother had given me.

No wonder she was so nice; she knew this was going to happen.

I turned to face her, only to see a wicked smirk creeping along her lip.

She got me a dress—a dress of shame.

“Ladies and gentlemen,” My father's voice boomed from the microphone snapping me out of my trance.

"I present to you Alpha Christopher Morgan and his Luna, Moana,” he announced.

The crowd cheered and buzzed with excitement as my half-sister walked down the aisle to join my mate on the podium.

"I can't bear this shame," Alice said, her emotions hitting me hard.

The smile on my stepmother's face widened as her daughter assumed my place. Just when I thought I had heard it all, my father's voice rang out again.

"I hereby banish you, Pearl Xavier, from Mountain Hill Pack forever." The words weighed heavily on my shoulders. My chest tightened as I struggled to breathe. I stared at him in disbelief as the words echoed in my ears.

The unthinkable just happened. My father had always pushed me to find a mate. Now that I had finally found one, I faced rejection and banishment. "Why did he do this? What have I done to deserve any of this?" I pondered to myself.

"Boo," I heard as I tried to pass through the crowd. A leg suddenly stretched out in front of me, and I tripped. Thankfully, I caught myself in time, but it was too late as I heard raucous laughter from those who witnessed me almost falling.

I covered my face in shame and ran out of the hall in tears. The audience jeered and mocked me as I made my escape from the pit of rejection.

It was late at night with nowhere for me to go. I had to figure out a way to get out of this pack tonight, but on second thought, it wasn’t safe outside either.

The rogues aren’t out to play games with my kind. I went through the tiny back corridor leading to our main building.

I took the hem of my gown and held it in my hand as I tried to navigate the dark corridor.

Everything around me seems to annoy me. The chandeliers looked like large watermelons hanging from the ceiling. At this point, they didn’t look like decorations before my eyes.

As I approached my room, I heard a faint feminine voice speaking on the phone, or so it seemed. When I caught my name, I paused and edged closer to the door, pressing my ear against it, silently praying not to be caught eavesdropping.

"The good-for-nothing idiot has been rejected as planned; you can proceed with the rest of the plan," her voice rang out, confirming my suspicions.

I wiped my tears; if I wanted to get the bad news, at least I needed the strength to listen to all of it.

Those words pierced my heart like burning arrows. My stepmother had not only planned my rejection; she had also made transactions for my exit by this morning.

Hot tears streamed down my cheeks, and just then, I heard the screech of someone rising from a seat and the taunting click of heels on the marble floor.

I retreated and fled, seeking refuge under the stairs. Though it was dark, I used my eyes to illuminate the space to avoid hitting my head on sharp edges. Pressing my body tightly against the wall, I listened intently. When the door creaked shut, my heart fluttered. I bit my lip and held my breath as footsteps approached. Closing my eyes to prevent them from shining in the darkness, I prayed silently to the moon goddess for salvation.

As she descended the stairs, she paused halfway down, then turned sharply in my direction. She peered into the darkness as if sensing someone hiding. After a few moments, she departed.

I exhaled deeply, relieved she hadn't thought to turn on the lights. I thanked the moon goddess for accepting my prayers.

The switch was right in front of her, and she didn’t. I had not much time to waste; I rushed out of the dark and dashed into my room.

I typed the first three letters of her name, and her contact information popped up. I dialed it, and just at the first ring, she picked up like she was expecting my call.

Who was that? And why were they at my door?