Chapter Three: Marked by Fate

Elena didn't sleep well that night. She tossed and turned, dreaming of vibrant, piercing blue eyes. She woke feeling exhausted. Lying in bed, she mused over the events of the previous night.

Silverpine wasn't all that big, and there was only one Alpha here. That meant the wolf she saw last night was an outsider. It wasn't entirely unheard of to have high-ranking visitors to their small town. The county seat was just a few hours' drive, or run, away. 

Elena had been to the Alpha King's estate once before when she was around six. Her parents, as esteemed leaders of their own pack, were invited to a banquet celebrating the prince's birthday. 

But that day quickly turned from one of merriment to anger and tragedy...

Elena and the Alpha Prince, Damien, were playing in the garden when suddenly, a bloodcurdling scream ripped through the air. The children dropped their toys and clung to one another in fear. 

Suddenly, the estate was full of action, with the children all but forgotten. Damien, being the older child at eight, immediately took charge. He grabbed Elena by the hand and all but dragged her out of the garden and toward the trees.

"Come on," he whispered. "There's a safe place we can hide."

Trying to sniff back the tears that threatened to fall, Elena bravely nodded and followed Damien through the thick underbrush. After what felt like forever to her, they arrived at the most elaborate tree fort she had ever seen.

It was obviously carefully crafted with an intricate arched doorway. It even had real glass windows. Damien opened the door with the real handle and led Elena inside. The interior was too much for her terror to compete with—she was in awe. Damien had hundreds of toys and practice weapons all neatly lined up around the room. Everything had its place, but it was clear this was a well-loved space.

"We can wait here until our parents come," Damien said.

"Okay," Elena whispered with a sniffle.

Damien led her to his oversized armchair. The two climbed in and snuggled together for comfort. Eventually, they both fell asleep, only to be roughly woken by Damien's father and Elena's parents.

"Oh, thank the Moon Goddess!" All three parents exclaimed together.

"We thought something had happened to both of you," said Maria, Elena's mother. "We have to go home right away. Something has happened, and it's not safe."

"Where's mommy?" a perplexed Damien asked.

"Come on, Damien. We'll discuss it later. We have to get you to safety now!" Alpha King Roland shouted.

Everything else from that memory was a blur. It wasn't until she was almost 16 that she learned what had actually happened that day. Her parents were always super protective of her.

There had been a plot to overthrow the Alpha King. Not much was known about him for this very reason. He aimed to keep his family safe, but despite all his efforts, his wife was slaughtered in their room on the day of the prince's eighth birthday party. The assassin was making her way to the garden, searching for Damien, when she was apprehended by the Alpha King.

Later that night, Damien was sent away for his own safety, and the assassin was put to death at the King's hand. Elena never saw them again.

Surely, that wolf outside her door last night couldn't have been Damien after all these years? No. There's no way the Moon Goddess would bless her. Ever since her 16th birthday, her life has gone nowhere but downhill.

Between constant bullying in high school and being stuck in this dead-end town, her life is definitely not one that she imagined. She can't even go back to her pack because her wolf never showed up. James already made it clear she had no home there.

So much for being her father's right-hand man—she had entrusted him with her pack and believed he would do what was best for everyone involved. The second he found a way to cut her off, he did. And she couldn't help but wonder how honest he was in all his dealings with her father. After all, he was there for every one of their momentous occasions, from their wedding to Elena's birth to their funeral.

Well, she could continue to feel sorry for herself, or she could go to work and earn another dollar toward getting out of this dump. Every day, it got harder and harder to do the right thing. She took a quick shower, got dressed, and hopped in the car.

With the full moon over, she should have a much less eventful night after work, but the weather forecast was clear. That could only mean the locals would be out in force. Aunt Gail's restaurant was pretty much the only place to go most nights.

Elena always worked the night shift. She was never a morning person. Something about the night always called to her. She had hoped it meant she'd have the strongest wolf in her pack. Unfortunately, it seemed to symbolize the absence of one.

At the restaurant, Gail met her at the door. "Glad to see you."

"Ugh, that doesn't sound good," Elena replied.

"Chrissy's sick and Mark's late," Gail said with a roll of her eyes. 

Well, at least the tips will be good, Elena thought as she tied her apron on. She made her way around the counter to start taking orders. The place was already buzzing.

Gail asked her to hit a large group. They were around Elena's age, but she'd never seen them before. The girls were dressed in designer clothes with expensive bags and heels to match. It was something Elena could only dream of wearing, something she hadn't seen in three years.

The table held four girls and two guys. Before she could even get to the table, the women had eyed her up and down, made snide comments to one another, and started laughing. One of the guys smirked in response, while the other stared at her with smoldering green eyes.

"Hi, I'm Elena. I'll be taking care of you tonight. Is there anything I can start you off with?"

"Wow, you reek of low-class disease. Don't you know how to address your betters? Have a little more respect!" One of the women snarled at her.

"W-what do you m-mean?" Elena stammered.

Everyone at the table broke out into laughter, except the man with green eyes. 

"Come on, Mona, don't pick on the help. She's obviously too common to understand what you're saying. By the looks of her, she's just a lowly Omega who's not worth our time," said the other male.

"If you need more time, I can come back," Elena said and started to leave. The man with the green eyes reached out and snatched her wrist, stopping her. Immediately, she felt a violent spark of recognition.

MATE!

The word swirled through her mind. She looked at the man again, and his eyes flashed that penetrating blue for a brief second. She gasped and fell backward onto the floor, causing the entire room to laugh at her. Elena stood, mortified, and ran from the room in tears.