"Not your sister. I was never your sister to begin with," Olivia whispered.
Olivia was the brightest, most positive and loving person, yet she couldn't stop feeling like an outcast in the very pack she grew up in. She used to blame her genetics, especially since everyone claimed she was an albino. While nearly everyone in the pack was tan and had darker features, she was but a snowflake in a pile of coals.
But standing on that stage, Olivia found out that her hidden fears and doubts were genuine. She wasn't the daughter of the Midnight Blood packs' late leaders. Alpha Ares and Luna Mira had lied to her. Though there was a significant chunk of her life that Olivia couldn't remember- the part she could recall was nothing but a lie.
The pain, regret, confusion and anger boiled in Olivia's heart, creating a mess of emotions she couldn't contain. For the first time in her life, Olivia faced the pack with anger so great it could burn cities to ashes.
And even worse, the one person she once called her hero stood in front of her without a hint of regret on his handsome face. Noah, now the Alpha of the pack, used to be Olivia's utopian dream that became a dystopian nightmare.
She held back the tears as her gaze focused on Noah. Olivia felt like her heart might stop. Like she couldn't breathe whenever she faced the stranger she had called her brother for years.
A loud, threatening snarl broke out of her, but Olivia didn't bother to acknowledge the mistake she had just made. She was angry, hurt beyond limits, and on top of that, scared. A tear slid down her cheek as she unleashed her anger. "You manipulated me into thinking you had my best interests at heart. For what? To twist and bend my reality, to make me think there's someone who cares about me?" With each word passing her lips, Olivia's voice became louder. She poured out her hurt in front of a pack of liars and strangers, but she didn't care. All Olivia needed was one answer- why?
"My parents took care of you!" Noah growled at her. His body shook with rage. How could that brat act like someone hurt her? His parents took her in, cared for her and made her their lawful heir, and this was the gratitude she'd show to the pack? To him?
"That's right, your parents!" Olivia screamed at the top of her lungs. "I was stripped of a chance to find my parents while you made yourself comfortable around people I thought were my family. My life's been nothing but a lie!" While Olivia keeps screaming at the new Alpha, his pack members watch them in silence. Not a single soul dared to intervene in their argument.
As much as she'd want the man before her to act like the silent audience, Noah was far from calm or quiet. "Can you stop being such a child? Get over it; nothing will change, even if you don't drop that attitude for years." The Alpha crossed his arms in front of his chest, visibly done with his adoptive sister's temper tantrum.
Olivia couldn't believe her eyes and ears. Was it really so hard for him to understand why she was hurt? "You think I don't have anything to be upset about, do you?" She asked, hoping he'd find it in him to understand her position and pain.
Noah didn't take more than five seconds, which he used to glance at his watch, and answered. "Correct."
"So, you're telling me I should accept that the people I called my parents were nothing but strangers to me? That my real parents got rid of me as soon as they saw the chance? And on top of that, I should be happy that my supposed brother bullied me once I turned sixteen? Should I be happy that I know why you did it? Should I smile since you never hurt me because of my looks but did it because I'm not your sister?" Olivia took a step closer to the Alpha while he watched her, unfazed by her words.
Unable to control her anger, Olivia kept stepping closer to the man she feared. But not anymore; she'd be damned if she ever feared Alpha Noah. "You tortured me for fun! You forced them to send me away and hid their death for two years. Everyone here lied to me to keep me away. You took away my chance to say goodbye to the only parents I've known just because you felt like it." Olivia pressed her finger against his chest. "You came up with a list of rules and persuaded your friend to scare all the men away from me so that I'm as useless in everyone's eyes as I was to my biological parents. And if that's not bad enough, you stand in front of your pack and claim me as 'yours' after all you've done? How could you?" Unstoppable tears streamed down Olivia's cheeks while the Alpha stood there grinning.
She wanted to slap that grin off his face. She wanted to hurt him the way he had hurt her. And if she ever could, her revenge would hurt him a thousand times worse.
Once Olivia registered what she had said, she slapped a hand over her mouth to silence the gasp. "Every step you took, everything you did to me was intentional. No one but you would want me. You were driven by greed and desire to destroy me, and now, you have the audacity to stand in front of me and talk about feelings?" She shook her head and backed away. "You are no Alpha to me and never will be."
Though she finally found the courage to say those words out loud, facing Noah, she didn't feel any better about what was happening. Olivia knew she wouldn't find the words capable of releasing her heart from the chains of pain tearing her apart.
While one realisation after another washed over Olivia, Noah didn't take her words kindly. The Alpha stomped toward her and stopped right in front of Olivia. "Your biological parents didn't want you; get over it! Stop acting like a child; you're a grown woman, for fucks sake!"
Olivia's teary eyes found his angered gaze. "And that's all you heard? That's all? All those things I said, and you only heard the part about the parents. You know what? I know. I know my parents didn't want me, so yours had to step in and accept a disappointment that wasn't welcomed by the same people who brought it into being." She shook her head to fight off the next wave of tears welling in her eyes.
Olivia knew there was no point in talking anymore; even her screams and anger wouldn't show how hurt she felt. The Alpha wouldn't listen unless the mess Olivia called her life directly affected him. Noah never listened.
"Olivia, I didn't mean it like that," Noah tried to grab her wrist, but she quickly stepped aside.
The last thing she wanted was his hands on her. Olivia would rather accept death than let this man touch her. "Drop it," she let out a bitter laugh and turned his back on him.
There was nothing left holding her in that God-forsaken land anymore. She'd rather return to England and live with her aunt than stay and endure the torment Noah had planned for her.
"Don't turn your back on your Alpha!" Noah growled at Olivia, using his newfound Alpha voice.
Olivia had been away for so long that the bond between the pack and her weakened. Especially after the death of the Alpha couple. If Olivia hadn't spent so much time abroad, she would fall to her knees and submit to the true Alpha.
Fortunately, there wasn't even a bit of that need in her- no matter what Noah did, he couldn't hold her back. She chuckled and faced the Alpha, hopefully, for the last time. "In that case, I, Olivia Black, cut ties with the Midnight Blood pack and refuse to acknowledge you as my Alpha. I declare myself a free wolf."
A smile spread across her lips as she felt the weak thread break. The crowd gasped, feeling the same sensation Olivia did. She did it- she got rid of her ties. "Now, if you'll excuse me, Alpha Black, I should pack my bags; your own law grants me twelve hours to leave your territory. Not to worry, I'll be gone in thirty minutes. Goodbye." She bowed to pay Noah the respect she was sure he didn't deserve. A farewell gift.
However, Olivia didn't take into consideration his unpredictable nature. She didn't expect the lengths he would go to keep her caged near her.
Noah stood before her right as Olivia straightened her body. He grabbed her by her shoulder, placed a hand on her cheek and tilted her head away from him. The action was so fast that Olivia couldn't react until his canines pierced her skin, and a blood-curdling scream escaped her.
The crowd of wolves gasped in horror. Some screamed, and many women burst into tears while their Alpha licked the blood from Olivia's skin. Olivia shivered when his disgusting lips left her neck. Noah's hand ran through her hair, grabbing a fistful of her snow-white curls; he pulled her against his body and whispered, "Good luck avoiding me now, rogue."
Noah barely had enough time to slump into his office chair when Enzo, his second-in-command, stormed into the office and slammed the door. "Dude, what the hell were you thinking? Have you lost your mind?" He screamed at the top of his lungs. Though Enzo was walking on thin ice, Noah took a deep breath and clenched his fists to calm down. It was his best friend, not Beta, who stood before him now. "First of all, you may be the Beta, but I have the power to change that in a matter of minutes, so next time, better knock before you barge into my office like that. And second, calm down; I did what I had to do." Noah did his best to sound calm and collected, despite how wildly his heart pounded against his ribcage and how much he wanted to tear his friend apart. "I don't give a shit if I lose the Beta position; I never wanted it in the first place, so you have nothing to hold against me!" Enzo kept screaming, unbothered by the possibility of the pack members standing near their Alphas' o
Perhaps it took too much time for Noah to react, but once he shook off the initial shock and the weight of his careless actions, he stormed out of his office and took off. He didn't acknowledge the pack members in his way as Noah ran towards the stairs and up to the second floor. Noah thought the only place where he could find Olivia had to be her bedroom, but once he reached the door and kicked it open, he couldn't do as much as sense her presence. The room was neat and clean, but empty. If Olivia came here to grab her belongings, she had to leave some mess behind because Noah knew she would rush to get out. Moments later, Enzo stood behind him and scanned the room the same as Noah did. They didn't speak or share their thoughts, staring blankly at the room. Noah gulped and stepped inside to check if anything was missing. He was one of the few people who knew Olivia better than anyone else, and whenever she had to go somewhere, there was a handful of things she would always take w
Her life, her future and every dream were ruined. Olivia had hoped that breaking the ties with the pack would free her, but the plan backfired in the worst way possible. She became damaged goods: a marked woman who ran away. No pack in their right mind would take her in now, and no man could ever look her way. And worst of all, Olivia knew that even if a pack took her in, they had to announce her arrival to the man who marked her. The chances of getting away from Noah were close to none, but that didn't mean she would give up. No, she wasn't the scared little girl anymore and knew better than to give Noah what he wanted. She would fight for her freedom. So, once she saw a chance, Oliva stormed to her room, grabbed her wallet and sneaked out the window. Noah had gone to his office and would probably discuss what he did with his best friend- Olivia intended to use every minute they wasted to her advantage. She loved Enzo. He was Noah's best friend, but he was nothing like the feral
Two days had gone by since the day Olivia escaped her worst nightmare and ran straight into the arms of another one. She couldn't believe how drastically her life had changed in a matter of a few days. If Noah's doings weren't enough, now, she awaited a trial. Yes, exactly, a darn trial about her future inside or outside the territory she was kept as a prisoner. The funniest part of the mess was that Olivia couldn't understand how a man with such an honourable reputation and name could be so mean. He didn't spare a moment to listen to her or even consider letting her explain what had happened. "So much for the sanctuary for the lost and forgotten," she whispered, pulling her knees to her chest. The cells were cold and smelled worse than some public toilets she had used back in England. Olivia sat on the ground, which didn't have as much as concrete to cover the dirt; her back was pressed against the rock wall, and her eyes were closed. After two days without water and food, her sto
He tried to find her. Noah tried more than he had ever before, and if anything his mother used to tell him was true, it mattered if he tried his best. Yet, each of his attempts to look for her ended up with him stuck facing a dead end. Olivia disappeared; she managed to fade into thin air without one lead to track her down. "God fucking damn it!" Noah screamed as he grabbed a photo frame and threw it against the wall. He went as far as to spread Olivia's photos across the nearby packs, and against every instinct he had, Noah sent them to Landon's territory. He hated the man with passion, but he was so desperate that he had to cave in. Never before in his life had Noah felt so powerless. He was sure Olivia couldn't leave him even if she wanted to, but he knew he had to know better. Since he could remember her entering his life, she had always been as stubborn and unmovable as a brick wall. After everything he had already done, Noah decided to fly to England. If Olivia had somewher
When Olivia woke up, the first thought that crossed her mind was that she had to be dead. How else would she end up in such a bright space and sleep on something that felt like a cloud under her body?The last time she had slept so peacefully was back in England while she lived with her aunt. The memories hurt her; it was nothing but a constant reminder of how fake her happiness was. Luna Mira was the only mother Olivia had known, and she loved the woman, but the connection she had with Anne was something out of this world. The woman Olivia had called her aunt for years became another mother figure. Olivia didn't notice how she teared up until the tears started sliding down her cheeks. An annoying beeping sound next to her became louder, which alerted someone in the room."Thank God you're awake. You gave us some serious scare," a smiling woman hovered over her. Noticing the gentle look in her eyes, Olivia couldn't hold back the need to hear Anne's voice. She needed the reassuremen
Olivia sat up in the bed as she kept gazing at the stranger standing before her. She wasn't sure if she had ever met him before, but the more she tried to come up with any instance she might have met him- there were none. Surely, she would remember a man as inhumanly handsome as this stranger. If she thought Noah looked like a demigod, this man had to be too close or even better looking than her fake brother. Olivia's eyes darted to the nurse, who picked up some papers from the nightstand, bowed and left the room. Only when the woman was gone did Olivia dare to look at the man again. Yep, still nothing. She had no idea who he was and how he knew her name. Arching an eyebrow, she cleared her throat and reminded herself she must remain polite to prove them a point. "My apologies, I feel sincerely bad for saying this, but I don't think we have ever met before, so I have no idea who you are, sir." The man flashed her a blinding smile and shook his head. "No need to apologise, Oli
Once the confession left her lips, Olivia wasn't sure what she feared more: the possibility of making Logan angry or him sending her back to Noah. Though Logan looked like a good man, she couldn't tell if he had any ulterior motives when it came to her. All her life, Olivia had to be careful around people and hide her identity so that no one would think of using her against her parents. But then again, Logan knew who she was, and it didn't look like he needed more money than he had, so Olivia dared to assume he wouldn't act like this was some kidnapping case. Come to think of it, that was something she had to find out: how did Logan know who she was? Her parents had a habit of hiding her because of her unique looks, so there weren't many people who knew Olivia existed. Logan had an expression on his face that Olvia couldn't read, yet when he muttered 'so that's why', she had to question him. "Logan, may I ask how you know who I am? And what's why?" Olivia raised an eyebrow but t