Chapter 4

Andrea’s POV

The guards at the border of the pack were scanty. I didn’t even bother going back to the pack house to collect my clothes because I knew my mother would meet me there.

When I got to the border of the pack, I started to shift. I looked up at the moon. It was the full moon today, which meant that I could shift without breaking the bones in my body.

I removed my clothes on the way and tied them around my neck, knowing I would need them later when I shifted back. The woods were cold and in case I needed to spend the night there, I don’t sleep naked.

My wolf, Kira, started to howl unnecessarily. I could tell she was hurt by the pain of being rejected by two people at the same time. But if she continued, my mother could track me down.

I didn’t want her to know where I went.

“Shut up, Kira.” I hissed, as my body started to freely rush through the woods, just as I passed the pack’s border.

Most of the pack guards were in the pack hall where the mating ceremony was going on. Even from this proximity, I could smell all of the happiness oozing from the hall.

It meant that a lot of people got mated. My chest tightened into a dull ache. Everyone was going to forget me and it would be like I had never existed.

I wanted to cry. I wanted to fall to the ground and let out ugly sobs, and pull my hair until I felt the pain slip away from my chest, but I didn’t have the time to.

I felt bad that I didn’t say goodbye to my mother, but it was for the best. She would survive without me.

Most of the pain she was facing was because she decided to keep me. If I wasn’t there, then people might stop treating her that way.

Maybe some of them might even decide to have an interest in her, and she might finally get mated.

I was still running in the woods when I came across a border of a pack I never knew of. It wasn’t like I came out to the woods that much, because I was always busy with work.

I felt fear coursing through my veins, because I didn’t know the type of people that were in the pack. Were they nice, or were they like the people I left back at home?

My wolf came closer, and I sniffed in the air just to make sure that it wasn’t a rogue pack. My wolf was little and frail, which was probably because I was like that in my human form too.

I wouldn’t survive a day with the rogues who had spent their entire lives doing rough work and training to become bigger and better to survive in this cruel world.

I sighed in relief when I realized that it was a werewolf pack. Rogues smelt like rotten eggs. I could remember how disgusting it was back when I was young and living with them.

They were weird.

Lycans had a stronger scent, while werewolves had a slightly milder scent than them.

I stepped forward, calculating on how I was going to get into the pack when someone abruptly charged out of the border, then came straight at me.

My heart paced as I turned to run away, but I acted too late because he had already captured me, and he picked me up like he would pick a human baby.

I wanted to curse at him. He looked slightly older than me and from his uniform, I could tell that he was a pack guard.

“Tell me if you are a rogue or I am going to snap your neck right this second.” He snarled.

I whimpered as I stare into his intimidating eyes. Even in my state, I felt inferior to him.

“Let me go you fucking idiot, or I won’t be able to shift,” my wolf, Kira said.

It seemed like he had heard her. He dropped me down on the ground and allowed me to shift, then I picked up my clothes and tried to cover my nakedness.

I raised my head to look at him, and I could see the discomfort in his eyes as he looked away. I slipped back into my black dress before I stood up to my feet.

“You don’t look or smell like a rogue. What are you doing here, young woman?” He raised a brow.

I let out a sigh before I answered him.

“I want to join the pack,” I stated. “Please take me to the Alpha.”

“Why do you want to join the pack? What will a rather innocent-looking Omega like you do to have herself banished?” He raised a brow.

I opened my mouth to speak when I smelt something familiar in the air. It was the scent of someone that I knew, but I couldn’t pinpoint who exactly it was because they were a bit far away.

I didn’t have time on my hands. I needed to get in and convince the Alpha to go through with the pack link ritual before whoever it was came for me. I had a strong feeling that it was my mother, because she was really the only person that cared about me.

“Just take me inside, guard. Please.” I pleaded.

He stared at me for a moment. I could tell he was contemplating, and when he smelled the restlessness I was oozing, he decided to let me in.

I let out a breath I didn’t know I was holding as we got into the pack. From the borders, I could already tell how glamorous it was.

It was so freaking beautiful.

From the beautiful flowers planted around to the interesting modern technology that even the Shadow Moon pack had not yet progressed to, all I could do was say wow.

He took me to the pack quarters where I guess was still functioning even at this hour. It was luck, I guessed, because it was quite late.

There were howls of wolves coming as we progressed into the quarters.

“Full moon.” The pack guard sighed.

“Why aren’t you shifting?” I turned my head to face him.

There was surprise painted on his face. I could tell he didn’t expect me to ask him that question.

I waited for an answer but didn’t get one. He just ignored me. I could hear his heart racing.

Maybe he was an abomination like me too. My wolf wanted to comfort him, but I was quick to push that thought behind my mind.

I didn’t even know him.

When we got to where I supposed the Alpha lived, a gasp escaped my lips. It felt like I had just stepped into another planet.

A flowery planet, which just the right amount of modernization that it didn’t necessarily need.

This was the place for me. I felt safe in its walls, even though I didn’t know a soul there. It felt like I was in a place where I belonged.

Amongst the creatures that were like me, not those that were superior, and didn’t hesitate in telling me that. These people are werewolves like me.

My lips tugged into a smile. It seems that my birthday wish might just have been accepted.

“Go ahead.” The pack guard gestured.

“Thank you.” I smiled at him.

I never even thought I could smile genuinely ever again in my life, but here I was. The night that I got the biggest rejection of my life, I was also going to get accepted into a pack that I started to love at first sight.

Kira was excited as I opened up the door, revealing a spacious office. I didn’t have time to look around. My eyes fell on the man that was sitting on the seat behind the table, which was the first point of attraction.

“Who are you?” He asked, even before I came into the office.

He was the Alpha. I could tell from his scent. He had a kind look on his face, which now looked tired.

“I… I am Andrea. I want to j…join your pack, Alpha.” I stuttered, going deeper into his office.

He nodded, “Okay. Which pack are you coming from?”

“Shadow Moon pack,” I replied.

I could see the confusion on his face. I was sure he was wondering why I left the pack, because it was powerful and stable.

“Why did you leave?” He asked.

I cleared my throat. The thought of it alone made my chest burn.

“I was rejected by the Alpha's sons.” I blurted out, looking down at my feet.

“Oh, I see,” he stood up from his seat, then headed towards one of his drawers. “Do you understand that after going forward with this, you can’t join another pack until after a decade?” He questioned, then brought out a dagger from the drawer he opened.

I nodded. Both my wolf and I were in agreement with this. Whenever she agreed with me, I could tell that I was on the right path.

“Yes,” I nodded. “I understand.

He made a low sound in agreement before he headed toward me. He straightened his hand and slit it, his face void of any emotions as he did that.

He was going to drip it into my mouth, and I had opened it when a sound came from the threshold of the entrance that stopped the Alpha in his tracks.

I turned to face the entrance, and my heart nearly stopped at the sight of who had just stopped me from taking the pack link ritual.