CHAPTER 5

Natalia's Pov.    ~FLASHBACK 2YRS AGO: DAY OF THE GATHERING~

She was done crying and howling in the garden. The night had not even started and she was already having a terrible time, she laughed in agony, the tears trickling from her eye to her beautiful gold gown.

Other times when this happened, it was more discreet as the maids talked behind her back never in front of her, but here in this gathering with other Alpha's, Beta's and Gamma's and their kids, it wasn't so. They didn't give her that privilege. They said it in front of her, sneering and grunting at her in hate and disapproval. 

Most of the females actually knew what her pack was responsible for whilst the others just went along with the crowd to judge and mock her for what she had no hand in.

"Look at her, daughter of the killer, she thinks she's better us because her Pack is wealthy from the invasions, loots and deaths of the Bloodmoon Pack members." Sasha said scoffing. 

She was their leader, they followed her around like flies, doing whatever she asked of them, loving who she loved and hating whomever she hated. She couldn't fathom why Sasha hated her with an overwhelming intensity and went as far as recruiting others to hate her too with as much intensity as she did.

They were friends whilst growing up, she would always beg her parents to let her visit Sasha's Pack and Sasha also did same, they would play together, rolling in the sand and running in the rain. But one day she just stopped coming over and wouldn't come out to see her when she came over to her Pack. 

She was too young to understand it then, she wondered why Sasha constantly ignored her and now had new friends. Whenever she tried to join and play along with her and her new friends in school, it was always met with hostility, Sasha would push her to the ground and her friends would laugh and make fun of her.

"They are a disgrace! They shouldn't be among this gathering of reputable Southern Packs." One of her other minions said.

She ignores them like she was always did, acting like they meant nothing and were just specs of dust. She dust's her shoulders to further assure them that there words meant nothing to her. 

She was done getting the air she needed from the garden as they had contaminated it with their presence, she starts to walk past them when the infuriated Sasha drags her back by her hair. 

She couldn't believe that even when she ignored them and swallowed all their insults they still wouldn't take the clue and let her be. Now very upset at the Audacity of Sasha, she turns around and takes a hold of the hand still clutching her hair and drags them off, twisting them roughly and fast making the girl wince and shout in pain.

"Don't you ever touch me again! I'll break your fingers the next time you try it." She said, storming out in anger leaving a speechless Sasha to wallow in her pain and shame. 

She doesn't get very far when the emotions begin to surge fiercely through her, breaking her. she chokes in her tears, crying her eyes out. No matter how hard she tries to be strong and block all the negativity out they still find their way to her heart, making her feel worthless and alone.

She's still crying softly, sniffing and feeling sorry for herself when someone passes a handkerchief to her, she looks up trying hard to seen who it was, her tears and puffy eye's makes it a little difficult to see clearly. She takes the hanky from the stranger wondering why anyone would stop to be nice to a crying lady hiding in the dark. 

Before she can turn around to offer her thanks, she notices his absence, the man is already leaving without even uttering a word to her. It's a bit weird but she doesn't think more of it. First taking a sniff of it and realizing how nice it smelled she proceeds to clean her face and blow her nose, she felt a little sorry for having ruined the strange man's handkerchief that had beautiful patterns and unique designs. 

Adjusting her gown and plastering a fake smile on her face she proceeds to enter inside the event hall when she sees her cousin Kathrine calling out for her, she almost runs unladylike to her dearest cousin enveloping her in a hug, they exchange pleasantries and enter inside together.

She ignores the eyes of the numerous guests present as they follow her to her sit, she's used to it already the constant stares and judgement in everyone's eyes whenever she steps into anywhere...so why does the strange man sitting at farthest corner's stare bother her?.

Wearing a black tuxedo, sipping a red wine, he looks formidable and ruthless, like he can snap her neck with one of his finger. He keeps his eyes glued on her not blinking or looking anywhere else, his stares felt like he could see directly into her soul and find out all her fears and secrets, she suddenly felt her skin crawl in fear making her feel smaller than she already was.

It doesn't take long before she's invited to the podium to play the piano, much to her dismay as she could feel his eyes burning holes into her back. She played the cover of one of her favourites songs by Ed Sheehan- Perfect, putting her heart and soul into it and bringing the rhythm to life in everyone's mind.

Opening her eyes after she was done, she could see lots of the guests on their feet, clapping and whistling at how good her performance was. She looked out to the direction the man was just at but he wasn't there any longer. She felt relieved at the sudden absence of the stranger silently praying she did not encounter him again throughout the night.

Something about him felt very wrong and terribly dangerous. It was extremely rare for anyone to make a future Alpha of a pack especially one as strong and dangerous as the Silvercrest to be shaken and scared to the bones, even if it was a fellow Alpha it was almost impossible, others could only hurt us physically and emotionally but never to make us chill with dread and fear like that man made me feel. 

She left the podium to her sit her eyes couldn't help but wander to Sasha and her minions who were sending death glare's to her, she ignores them walking directly to her cousin who is also giving Sasha and her minions death glare's and stink eye's.

After some hours the party ends and all the Alpha's kids are forced by their parents to exchange pleasantries with one another, she unwillingly does so barely acknowledging Sasha an her minions with an almost unnoticeable sneer. She does it in a hurry, finds Kat and drag her out of the hall before they are both suffocated by the toxic nature of all the guests.

They sneak out before their parents can stop them for anymore unnecessary greetings, running outside hand in hand when they were out of sight, not caring if the appeared unladylike they run out the hall before the other guests to be the first to witness the fireworks before it gets crowded by people, amazed and impressed at how beautiful it was and viewing to their heart content, they begging to head back inside. 

And that was when she saw him again, they held eye contact for a minute or two before he quickly removed his eyes shyly. She could have sworn this was the same person that made her recoil in fear and sent chills down her spine, Although she didn't get to see his face properly as a result of how dark the place he sat was but from his body structure and clothing, she instantly knew it was him, even though the person she was looking at now looked like the strange man, he in no way seemed like him and this disturbed her greatly.  

Either he was a twin or her eyes were playing tricks on her.

She turns to her cousin to enquire about the strange man hoping it was not the person she feared him to be.

"Who is that Katie?" She asked, using her eyes to point at the man so others do not notice.

"Hmmm...It's Alpha Grey, the future Alpha of the Whitefang Pack, isn't he breathtaking?" 

Hearing that she subconsciously gulped in fear and dread mixed with reproach. 

"Naah..I don't see it, he's just seems very strange" she answered scrounging her eyebrows intently at the man that had his back to them making light greeting with some guests."

It seemed like he could hear what she had said because it didn't take long after she said that for him to turn around and look directly towards her with an angered gaze, making her almost squirm with reignited fear.