Chapter 5: LILA

"Lila, you should go outside like the rest. Don't tell me you're going to miss the moon feast this year." Helene had been talking non-stop in my ears.

She was trying to convince me how much fun it would be to go to the moon feast and mingle with other wolves, and since it was the full blood moon, she thought my 'wolf' might be triggered to come out.

"Mummy, can I come to the moon feast too?" Marcy looked up from her colouring book, giving Helene a hopeful look.

"Of course not, sweetheart. You're still too young to go to such events," Helene gently told her. "But Lila isn't young, and she's not getting any younger. You're not 18 anymore, dear, and at that age, other girls are already being marked."

I felt like sinking my head into my pillow. Here we go again... like there was no other meaning to life than being marked by your mate.

"Lila, why don't you want to go to the moon feast? It sounds like fun. I can't wait to be eighteen so I can attend such parties." Marcy pouted.

I couldn't help but ruffle the girl's head. "You just enjoy your youth and don't rush growing up."

She scoffed in reply, focusing her attention back on her coloring book. The little girl had always admired the grown-up life. She thought it was fun to find your mate, getting married, and starting a family. Maybe for a wolf, it was a good thing, but for a null, even marriage felt like a nightmare.

A cream-white fabric suddenly fell in front of my face.

"What do you think?" Helene had an excited smile on her face as she dangled a white dress before me. "I stayed up for nights, sewing you these perfect clothes with the little money I saved."

"Mom..." I dragged her name, but she didn't let me finish before continuing.

"I've never been more sure of anything like I am about this night. It's like the Moon Goddess is giving me a sign to let you go to the moon feast. You never know what could be in store for you," she said hopefully.

I was starting to feel bad. Helene really did care for me, but I didn't like feeding her false hope. It didn't matter anyway because the more I lived with them, the more I fed into the delusion.

Releasing a defeated sigh, I finally gave in. "I will go to the moon feast," I said, and Marcy snapped up excitedly.

"Oh dear." Helene pulled me into a tight hug. "I'm so happy you decided to give this a chance. I promise that you'll never regret it."

I had no choice but to force a smile.

"Put on your dress." Helene handed me the gown.

A few minutes later, I was all dolled up. I looked nothing fancy, but it felt good to actually be dressed in decent clothes and not smell like mechanic oil. I left the house and headed to the den where the moon feast was taking place.

The building was wild. I could hear music from outside, and I could see how lively the place was through the glass walls stretching from the floor to the ceiling. I braced myself before walking in. Everywhere smelled of beer, ginger, and spices. I squeezed my palms together as I quietly stepped inside in my white sneakers. I hadn't even started, and I already felt like an intruder.

Everyone was having a good time. Some men and women were drinking and chatting. I could see their glowing eyes and fangs, while some giant black dire wolves lay comfortably on the couches. There was a pool a few steps beside me that reflected the blood moon. I didn't even know where to head or who to talk to because I was a freaking nerd.

Suddenly, a black dire wolf was gritting its teeth and walking toward me, and I just stood there, fear tightening in my chest as I braced myself for what would happen. The wolf circled me like I was prey it was assessing before stopping in front of me. Then it began to move strangely, its body stretching, expanding in height, and before I knew it, the dire wolf had turned into Brielle.

She was dressed in a sleeveless blue gown, her hair falling down her shoulders and her makeup perfectly done. She looked the same as she always did whenever she stepped into my space, staring at me like I was an overfilled trash can.

"Everyone, look who we have here. It's the wolfless girl!" she announced loudly, and all attention turned to me.

Someone kill me now. I didn't even want to come to this feast in the first place, and now I was attracting unwanted attention.

"Wolfless girl is how old this year again?" She stared at me with mocking eyes.

"Twenty-two," Andrea answered, coming to stand beside her.

"That's right, she's twenty-two without a wolf. Isn't she so pathetic?" Brielle announced, causing a ripple of laughter from everyone.

I didn't have time for this. I tried to walk past her and excuse myself, but she grabbed me by the wrist, her sharp claws tugging through my fabric and digging deep into my skin.

"You don't leave when I'm talking, you wolfless low-class omega," she snarled at me, showing off her teeth.

I winced at the pain, and what was even more painful was seeing the white fabric on my wrist staining red with my blood.

"Besides, where are you running to, wolfless girl? You came to this moon feast to trigger your wolf and perhaps find your mate, didn't you? Come on, let me introduce you to people." She pulled on me, dragging me to a group of high-ranked male omegas.

I tried to pull myself back, but just as my origin implied, I was very useless.

"This is Jace," she introduced me to a young half-shifted man dressed in a white and black tailored suit. He was drinking and chatting with other men.

"Jace, this is Lila. She came to this feast to find a mate. Do you think she stands a chance?"

Jace stared at me with disgust in his eyes. "She's so trash, but if she shows any sign of her wolf coming to her, then I might manage a one-night stand." He shrugged simply, thinking he's a prize as well.

"Let me go." I tried to pull my wrist from Brielle, but she grabbed my jaw, tugging at it hard like she was about to rip out my teeth.

"You ungrateful wolfless girl. I'm just helping you. Finally, a man has agreed to sleep with you, so don't be ungrateful," she snarled.

"Yeah, don't be ungrateful," Jace piped in, and I couldn't stop myself from glaring daggers at him.

Brielle dragged me to the moon pool. "Let's see if you have any sign of a wolf in you. And if you don't, then this feast is not for you." She pushed me into the pool.

I was not very good at swimming, but I managed to keep myself from drowning. Usually, if the water glowed, it meant your wolf was there, but the water remained still, and the wolves watching burst out laughing.

That was it. Even if I was going to be killed today, I would put this Brielle bitch in her place. I pushed my body out of the pool and attempted to go at her, but she grabbed me by the neck and slammed me to the floor at a go.

"A wolfless girl like you thinks you can come at me? In your dreams. This feast is meant for real wolves only." She kicked me on the floor, and I winced in pain.

Suddenly, the music stopped, and everywhere tensed up. I saw a pair of black canvas shoes approach. A man with a strong presence stepped in, but it wasn't Alpha Reis, because he felt stronger than this. Instead, it was his scarred-eyed beta. His eyes searched the room like he was looking for someone.

"Beta Vane, welcome to the feast" wolves greeted him but he ignored as he passed his announcement.

"The main cooling system of the obsidian chamber just got fried. I need a technician right now," he announced.

My heart skipped a beat at the mention of the obsidian chamber. I heard the room was cold enough to freeze a person to death within seconds, and also hot enough to melt anyone in seconds. I don't even know how a place could be cold and hot at that same time but I heard only Alpha Reis was and still is able to survive that chamber.

That was practically his home every blood moon.

Then all of a sudden, I was picked up from the floor and pushed forward.

"Beta Vane, take her. She's a technician, and she's also wolfless. If she dies, she's not going to be missed," Brielle suggested heartless and other wolves murmured in agreement.

Oh no. I was being sent to the obsidian chamber.

That was it. My life was officially over.