Her mate.

Cleaning the large hall where pack gatherings and parties were usually held, was a lot of work for Aurora. Still, the small hope that she might eventually leave the hellhole she had been trapped in kept her going throughout the night until she finally managed to clean the entire place.

After finishing her work, she headed over to the place that had been assigned to her as a room. It was the pack’s storage room for cleaning equipment. In that cramped space were stacks of cartons and piles of rags, which she used as a bed. The place was stuffy because of the strong smell of cleaning supplies, but to Aurora, it was the only space she could call her own.

As Aurora lay on her makeshift bed, she stared at the small wall clock, the only decoration inside the room. The time was already eight minutes past five in the morning.

With an exhausted sigh, Aurora placed her hand beneath her head, using it as a pillow as memories of her parents slowly filled her mind. They had been killed for a crime she still did not know. Whenever she tried to find the reason behind their deaths, there had never been any clear answer.

Nothing can justify the way they killed my parents, Aurora thought bitterly, letting out a soft hiss.

She closed her eyes as tears streamed down her cheeks, remembering the last look on her parents’ faces. Then suddenly, a thought crossed her mind. It was already a new day.

She was officially nineteen years old.

I hope the Moon Goddess will be kind enough to shine her blessing on me and give me a mate, Aurora thought quietly. Having a loving mate was something Aurora had longed for even before the death of her parents.

With one last tired sigh, she allowed herself to drift into sleep but barely an hour later, a bucket of cold water suddenly splashed across her face.

“Wake up, you bitch!” Aubrey’s cold voice rang out as she stood with her hands on her waist, her face twisted with rage.

Aurora swallowed hard. This was nothing new. She had grown used to this treatment from the very day she started living in the pack house.

Sluggishly, Aurora pushed herself up and wiped the droplets of water from her face before tucking a few strands of hair behind her ear. “What do you need this early in the day?” she asked, glancing at the small wall clock. “I have already cleaned the place Alpha Maverick assigned me, and the party is later in the evening. So why did you wake me now?”

Aubrey scoffed and rolled her eyes. “Don’t you have other duties? Like cleaning the warriors’ training equipment? Have you washed Alpha Maverick’s cars? And what about the clothes he wore yesterday and the…”

“I’ll get to work then,” Aurora said, cutting Aubrey off. The more Aubrey listed the tasks she had yet to complete, the more irritated Aurora felt.

With a slight frown, Aurora grabbed some cleaning supplies and walked out of the storage room.

“Oh, Aurora,” Aubrey called after her. “Since you share the same birthday as Alpha Maverick, I want you to work more than you usually do today.”

Her mocking tone was clear as a sly smirk spread across her lips.

Aurora scoffed quietly.

So she does remember my birthday but finds it hard to wish me. How pathetic, Aurora thought as she walked down the hallway.

The rest of the day passed with Aurora cleaning, running errands for the pack members, and completing one exhausting task after another.

Finally, under the quiet night sky, with the moon rising above, melodious music filled the pack hall. The place had been beautifully decorated with chandelier lights, champagne fountains, and elegant flower arrangements. Members of the Silverclaw Pack were already moving around the hall, greeting guests while the soft music drifted through the air. Visitors from neighboring packs began to troop inside, all dressed in sophisticated attire and among them were several Alphas and their Betas from other packs, their presence drawing curious glances as they moved through the gathering.

“Hello there.”

“Hi, how have you been?”

Warm chatter rolled through the hall as guests mingled and exchanged greetings.

Not long after, Alpha Maverick stepped into the hall with a glass of wine in his hand. He was dressed in a complete white outfit: white trousers, a long-sleeved shirt, and a suit jacket that perfectly matched, giving him the appearance of a white knight. But to Aurora, he was far from that. On his feet were polished black shoes, and a silver watch glittered on his wrist beneath the chandelier lights. Maverick brown hair was neatly styled, and he carried a composed presence that made him both intimidating and undeniably attractive.

Alpha Maverick walked to the middle of the hall and raised his glass into the air.

“Tonight marks another year of my life, and I want you all to celebrate in good spirits,” he said.

A thin smile that did not quite reach his eyes appeared on his face, making the audience cheer and clap. Since he was a man of few words, they were grateful for the brief speech.

Aurora scoffed as she walked over to pick up a tray and some wine. Alpha Maverick had already made it her duty to be in charge of serving drinks.

As Aurora move through the crowd, serving drinks with a fake smile on her lips, she tried to ignore the conversations of the elegantly dressed men and women around her, as well as the looks of disgust thrown her way by those who knew her story.

“Aurora.”

A warm, calm voice suddenly called out. It sounded soothing and strangely familiar, causing Aurora to arch her brows as she turned around in search of the person who had called her.

“Aurora, it’s me. Nyx.”

The soft voice spoke again, confusing Aurora even more as she turned around, only to accidentally bump into a lady.

“Watch it, you bitch!” the woman seethed through clenched teeth.

Aurora frowned and decided to ignore the mysterious voice.

“Aurora. I’m your wolf, Nyx. And our mate… he’s here. I can feel it,” Nyx said excitedly.

Aurora’s eyes widened as she tried to process Nyx’s words. Her wolf had finally appeared after nineteen years of silence.

Aurora’s heart began to race. Heat rushed through her body, and something deep within her stirred. A strange surge of power pulsed through her veins as the air around her suddenly seemed to change. Then a scent drifted into her nose. It was rich and intoxicating, warm and comforting.

It smelled like home.

Aurora quickly turned to follow the scent, but her head suddenly bumped into someone.

The last person she had ever expected.

Mat…