Chapter 5

LEONA’S POV

“No, please. I didn’t do it! Help me! No!” I woke up in tears and sweat. I dreamed of my life with the beast, my horrible life.

****

Dress in white, Ellen curled my hair and did my make-up. It’s Moonbeams. Our mates are waiting now. We have to look beautiful and wait until some wolf guy approach us.

“Whoa, you are gorgeous, Leona!”

“So are you,” I check myself in the mirror. Wow, Ellen did well and made a major transformation to my ugly face.

“Is that me?”

“Do you have doubts?” Ellen pinch me.

“Aw!”

“So it’s you,” she laugh.

“Do you think our mates will like us?”

“You are worrying again. They will like us and will probably want to make the bond and mark us.”

“Hey, naughty girl,” I laugh.

Bond and mark means we will surrender ourselves to our mate. Marking will happen if we have sex with them. The bond is when we become one—a spouse. I don’t know what comes first, but I’m pretty confident that is what they mean.

“All single she-wolves are now outside. I think it’s time to mingle,” Ellen peeks at the window and turn to me, “Are you good to go?”

“I guess? I’m nervous.”

“Don’t be. With that looks, I’m sure your mate will come running for you,” she teased, “Let’s go!”

I wrap my arms around Ellen’s. We found a spot under a tree away from the crowd. Ellen doesn’t want to blend in so our mate can easily find us.

“Here comes the long waiting again,” I whispered to myself. I’ve been waiting for years. Hopefully, my mate will show up and claim me this time.

Scott Moondale. The next Alpha of the Stone Moon pack. Handsome and smart. Everyone adores him, and all the woman in our pack has a crush on him. He joined the Moonbeams this year. Maybe he found his mate. Their pack is one of the closest allies of our pack.

“We are waiting for hours. I don’t think our mate will come,” Ellen whined.

“We should go home and try again next year.”

“Good idea. My feet hurt. Huh?”

“What?”

“Scott is heading this way!” Ellen fix herself. I think the world stops as he walks through the crowd. Women are giggling, and so is Ellen.

“I’ll see you later then, Ellen. Congratulations to your mate!”

“No, no! Don't leave me!” Ellen pull my arm.

To my surprise, Scott stops in front of me.

“High, Leona, right?”

“Ye~ Yes.”

“You look so gorgeous. I’m Scott, by the way,” he offered his hand. He has the softest hand ever! I felt shy with my callus hand.

“Thank you.”

“Let’s hang up later. I’ll come and find you. I need to do something.”

“Su~Sure.”

Scott flashes the sweetest smile. He left me speechless. I am completely blown away.

I saw Victoria’s jealous eyes. It‘s like a dagger that penetrates into my soul. All I know is that I’m in trouble again. She like Scott a lot, and I do not intend to steal him unless he’s my mate.

“I can’t believe it! Scott Moondale is attracted to you!” Ellen is giggling.

“He’s messing around. He’s not even my mate.”

“He maybe not, but he noticed you! Let’s go home and fix yourself. Maybe change something sexier!”

“Nah, he won’t come back.”

“He will! Come on!”

Ellen insisted on changing my clothes and fixing my make-up, so we returned home. But I was called inside Alpha Riley’s chamber to help him with his clothes.

Afterwards, Ellen quickly retouched my hair and make-up. Choosing a red dress that reveals my cleavage and hugs my figure. It was Mama Thelma’s gift on my birthday. She made it herself. We were about to go back outside when the guards entered our house forcefully.

“What the! You can’t just break in here!” Papa snapped. They kicked our door open which broke the lock.

“We are here in order of Ms. Victoria.”

“What for?” Mama towered in front of me.

“To collect your daughter,” the guard, my parent’s friend, hesitated for a moment, “Alpha Riley is dead. Ms. Victoria found him in his room, lifeless. He got a stab wound on his chest, and his throat was cut half.”

“Oh my God! Who would do this?” Mama clasp her chest in shock, “Wait, what do you want with my daughter?”

“Ms. Victoria is pointing her finger at Leona. She saw her coming out of Alpha Riley’s room.”

“No, you know she can’t do that!”

“Yes, she would never do that! Alpha Riley called her to assist with his clothes, but that’s it! It was only a minute!” Ellen defended, but the guards shoved her away.

 “I’m sorry. You need to tell that to Ms. Victoria. We are just doing our job,” the guards seize me. They put my hands behind me and tied them.

“Mama! Papa! I didn’t do it! Help me!”

“I’m coming with you, Leona! I’m sure there’s a big mistake here. This is all wrong!”

In the Alpha’s house, I face the leaders. Victoria attacked me. She pulled my hair and slapped my face.

“Murderer! You ingrate! We took you in! How could you do this?!” she cried while slapping my face and pulling my hair. She drew a sword and was about to stab me, but the elders stopped her. The pack has its way of dealing with a crime.

I was questioned. I pleaded not guilty, but Victoria insisted that I was the killer. They searched our house but couldn’t find any evidence that could point to me. Even so, Victoria accused me. They needed a person to blame, and it was decided to put the crime on my head.

“No! Please, I didn’t do it!” I kneeled.

Mama and Papa kneeled in front of the council, begging to show me mercy.

“I have shown you enough mercy by allowing your adopted human in our pack. She doesn’t belong here in the first place. Put her in the silver cage and don’t feed her. Tomorrow her sentence begins,” Victoria ordered.

“No, no, Ms. Victoria, please…,” Mama hugs his feet only to be kicked.

“Your daughter is a murderer, and I won’t let her get away with this.”

Mama held on to my hands while Papa fought the guards. They beat him, so I let go.

“My baby!”

They drag me into the silver cage. I know I am a human, but why is my head throbbing?

“Don’t,” I shook my head, “Don’t leave me here! Mama! Papa!”

I pulled the bars. Bump myself to break free, but they are too sturdy.

“Stop! Don’t hurt yourself. I’ll find a way to get you out of here, okay?” Mama and Papa were advised to go. The guards escort them out and lock the main door.

“Don’t leave me here!” I sobbed. It’s the end of me.

****

I put the past all behind me. But those painful memories still haunt me at night. My regret is letting Mama and Papa stay, and Ellen too. I’m wondering how they’ve been doing. Or are they still alive? I hope they are. One day, I will go home for them. They don’t deserve to be there.

Whenever I dream about my past, I feel exhausted, which ruins my mood the whole day. It feels like all the wounds and the pain comes back. I’m stuck between the past and reality. I wrapped up the project that the marketing manager gave me. It was only a proposal, and the marketing team will present it to the CEO once he’s back.

Good thing I don’t need to face my boorish fiancé. I packed all the documents and headed to the office. Sometimes I regret applying to this company and being stupid enough not to check the company’s profile. But I think I can still hide from Darren for two months. That would be enough, and I will then render my resignation.

“Leona? Gosh, you look awful. What happened to you? Does the project drain you?” Sophie met me in the lobby to get the documents. She arrived early, and the manager demanded to review it before the presentation.

“Nah, just some random dreams again.”

“Wow! Did you finish it all in one night? The manager would be happy to see this.”

“Yeah, give it to her. I’ll be in my cubicle. I will catch some sleep. I’m exhausted.”

“Sure thing. I’ll call you if Meriam needs you. Relax your mind and stop daydreaming because seriously, that is so weird.”

The marketing office was next to the CEO’s office, but since we are under probation, we are settling at the back with other office clerks. We don’t join the meeting. Sophie and I answer my supervisor directly, but sometimes Sophie does the errands for her.

I breathe profoundly, staring at my desk blankly. My mind is floating away to my Mama, Papa, and Ellen. My guilt is eating me. I don’t know what to do if Victoria hurts them while I live a good life here in the human world.

I rest my head on the desk. I forgot where I was and fell asleep.

I woke up with my phone beeping wildly in my pocket. I check the screen, and it flashes an unlisted number.

“Wow! Twenty missed calls. Who the heck is this?” the number called again, so I pick up the receiver.

“What the fuck are you doing in my company?!” a man’s fiery voice woke my sleepy head. I know that voice.

“Da...Darren?” I felt a cold wind run all over my body. His angry voice makes me shiver.