Chapter 2

       

       LAELA's Point of view.

       

       I spent the night crying my eyes out. I didn't know how I would return back to the house and let my uncle look at me. He would be pissed at me if he learned of what had happened tonight. 

       My uncle was a man who saw himself to prestigious. After my mother died giving birth to me and my father killed for reasons still unknown to me, I'd been put under my uncle's care. He was a cousin to my father and my only living family since then.

       I spent the next few hours crying before deciding to go home. Once I reached the house, I noticed everyone had retired to their rooms, so I snuck in. but before I could take another step from the door, I heard a voice from a corner, causing me to jump.

       "Now, where have you been all night?" I turned around to see Uncle John at one corner, his arms folded across his chest and a disappointed look on his face. 

       "I..... I was......"

       "I told you to come back early because you have something to do with Adam! Why didn't you come straight home after leaving the Alpha's pack house?!"

       'Becaus Alpha Mikhail convinced me to go to his beach house party where he could sleep with me, that's why' I thought in my head.

       "I'm sorry....i got carried away...."

       "That is fine. I understand if you want to spend more time with your mate."

       A few weeks back, after discovering that Mikhail was indeed my mate, I'd wasted no time in telling him about it. I was glad that I finally had something that would make him feel proud of me. All that I've caused him since living with him was disappointment. I wanted him to be proud that I'd found my mate.

       "Did Mikhail tell you when you would be getting married?" He asked. I felt a pain in my heart as Mikhail's words stabbed me once again. He didn't want me. His family didn't approve of me.

       "He has rejected me, uncle." I said, tears running down my cheeks.

       My uncle is stunned by the news and just watched me wide-eyed. He didn't speak as I just stood there and sobbed. Then he retired into his room without another word to me. Once again, I was a huge disappointment to him and my family.

       

       The next morning, like usual, Carol and I were at the pack house to make delivery of cotton. I would have refused ever showing my face at Alpha Mikhail's house, but I knew Carol would never let me sit this out. She was more than happy to see me getting humiliated. Once we reached the front of the mansion carrying boxes of cotton, we were checked properly.

       I didn't understand why the security had to do that as we were regulars here already. Once we got inside, we found out why. The largest hall in the house was sprawling with people. All sorts of people well dressed. The room was well decorated, like there was an event happening. 

       As the maid directed us towards the back room, Carol leaned down to whisper into my ear, "I thought the Alpha rejected you."

       I didn't know what to respond. Surely, whatever ceremony about to go down here was, it doesn't mean it's a luna ceremony. Once we put down the boxes, the maid asked Carol to follow her to move some delivered boxes into the room.

       After they left, leaving me alone in the room, I moved over to the floor length window and looked down. Below, I could see more cars driving in and very well sophisticated people getting off it. I didn't know what was going on, but I knew something was going to go down. 

       Scenes from last night crossed my mind, and I cringed in pain. I couldn't believe Mikhail would do that to me. He humiliated me. My heart was still hurt, and somehow, I still wished he would walk through that door and tell me that he loved me and he was wrong for what he did to me. 

       One of the maids walks in and on seeing me, she quickly becomes uncomfortable and walks out. Everyone who came across me would quickly move away, only looking at me from a distance as they whispered to each other. I guessed they heard about the humiliation last night.

       I decided to go look for Carol as I couldn't stay here any longer. Just as I was walking down the hallway, a hand pulled me into a room. I almost fell down, but I'm able to hold myself up before I could fall on my face, looking up to see Carol, worry written all over her face.

       "Laela! Do you hear what's happening here at the pack house?!" She asked angrily, her voice still low conspirationally. 

       "What?"

       "There's a rumor spreading all over the pack house that Alpha Mikhail, your supposed mate publicly marked another woman yesterday!"

       My heart stopped beating for a quick second. What? He marked someone else?

       "Laela!" Carol shook my head as she noticed that I'd spaced out."They said that this event is for their engagement! Laela! Everyone is talking about you, how you gave yourself to him even after he rejected you!"

       My heart started to beat rapidly, and I could feel the hurt against my ribcage. 

       "I..... we have to go...." I said and started to hurry out, only stopping when I went colliding into someone. I moved back to see two men dressed in black suits, their eyes hidden behind black shades. In front of them was the same maid who had brought us up here in the first place.

       She has a disgusted look on her face as she pointed towards me and said, "There she is."

       Before I could ask what was going on, the two men were dragging me, Carol calling my name as she was just as confused.

       I had no idea what was going on, but after fighting for a while, I remained calm and let them carry me down to the place where everyone were gathered. Everyone seemed to have been waiting for me to be brought in. As the men set me down, my heart slammed against my ribcage as it threatened to tear out of my body. I felt so little as all eyes watched me. What was going on?

       People moved to whisper into each other's ears, their eyes sweeping my entire being. What exactly was going on?

       As the man set me down in the front, I looked forward to see Alpha Mikhail himself turning around to see me, his lips quickly lifting into a broad smile in delight as he saw me. He is well dressed in grey suits and he had a half full wine glass between his fingers stylishly. 

       "Welcome!" He says to the population before gulping the last content in his glass and handing it over to someone.

       My eyes never left his and he held my gaze too. I was trying to understand what else he was trying to pull right now.

       Carol's voice resounded in my head. She'd told me he had marked a woman yesterday. Wasn't this whole set up for their engagement? So why am I at the front lines?

       Mikhail tears his eyes away from mine and said "everyone! Welcome the woman of the day! My one true mate and your beloved Luna!......" 

       Please, please please......call me..... I shut my eyes as I foolishly and mentally begged for him to call me to him, tell me all that happened yesterday was a mistake or a prank....anything.....and.....

       

       "........Nakisha Raquel Noel!"

Mikhail's voice drove a spear into my heart as the name left his mouth. Gently opening my eyes, I'm met with Mikhail who's face and arms are turned towards the stairs at his right side. Everyone's head is turned towards there too and I joined them to see someone walking down the stairs gracefully, glittering red dress adorning her perfect body beautiful. She smiled gracefully, like a queen.

         This was Nakisha, Mikhail's arranged mate? I do not remember ever seeing her before. 

         Mikhail walks to the bottom of the stairs, his arm arched for her to take. I saw how he watched her with so much love, how they smiled at each other. I felt my heart drop to my stomach. They both walk back to stand right in front of us.

         Suddenly, the room erupted in a round of cheers and applause. Mikhail showed her off so easily. Everyone loved her so much. Why? Suddenly, I was filled with a feeling of regret and self hate. How could I have ever imagined that he would choose a weak omega like me.

         Nakisha emitted goodness. She must be from a wealthy family, a higher rank of some prosperous pack. She must be an Alpha female.

         At a point, my eyes caught the trace of a mark on the side of her neck. It was so obvious, and she showed it with pride. So even that wasn't a rumor. As if Mikhail knew that I was watching the mark, he plants a firm hand around Nakisha's waist, pulled her into him and lowered his face until his lips were connecting with the mark he had left on her neck. And he kissed it multiple times, softly. Almost like he was purring over it and licking it. He was giving everyone a show. He was giving me a show, trying to hurt me.

         Whilst kissing her neck, Mikhail throws me a look and not even a slight form of remorse in them. Why would he? Nobody in this room seemed to give a flying fuck about me.

         

         Mikhail's mother, Denise walks towards them and stands in front of the crowd. She holds up a hand and everywhere went silent. 

         "I would like to give a toast to the new beginning of our pack," he looks towards Mikhail and Nakisha, who stood at the side. Then she looked towards me again and continued, "and to announce something very important. "

         Suddenly, the man who was holding me in place bundles me and hauled me to the front. He makes me go on my knees. I was still confused as to what I did wrong. I'd thought that I'd just been brought down here to witness Mikhail's engagement to hurt me, but now, I didn't understand what was going on.

         "This girl right here has been a threat living here," Denise started. "She is an enemy to our pack as she has been discovered to have Black Blood running through her veins!"

         The entire crowd gasped in shock.

         My heart beat accelerated. How did they know? Would I be killed?

         The black blood has been something of a curse from my ancestors. 

         The people of the black blood were a member of an ancient pack who dealt in the practice of black magic. It was said that they were forsaken and cursed by the moon goddess since the last 5 centuries, suppressing their ability to ever shift into their wolf forms. It was a form of punishment, rendering them to their most vulnerability and exposing them to predators (enemies).

         My mother had been a full member of those clans who had fallen deeply in love with my father. This had caused my father his life. I always wondered if my connection to this clan was my reason for not shifting yet. I was cursed, and now even my mate was a curse to me, not a savior.

         

         "She tried to manipulate your Alpha into mating with her, her ploy to end our clan! But the Alpha discovered this and brought it to our notice quickly! " What? I looked up to find Mikhail's eyes... but they looked away. Did he really do that? How could he? 

         "We all know what her penalty would have been," Denise continues. "She is to be burnt alive! But I've had enough plea from my councilmen and the Alpha came with a conclusion. She is to be exhiled from this pack and land at once, never to show her face again!"

         As the words left her mouth, it felt like a heavy weight had been put on top of

my chest, and I couldn't breathe.