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~ Judy ~

Life is really a cruel joker.

Sighing, I step off the rickety bus at the edge of the Twilight Pack’s border, my suitcase standing on the ground beside me. My heart is pounding against my ribs as I stare at the sprawling outskirts of the pack.

The same pack I left two years ago.

Needing more air in my lungs, I breathe in, but the air around me is filled with the scent of rain-soaked asphalt and the distant howls of sirens blending into the night. It has been two fucking years since I left this godforsaken place.

Back then, I was banished, broken, and burning from the inside out.

But now, I am back.

And honestly, I wish I never had to come back here.

The funeral notice arrived a few days ago, informing me that my parents are dead because of some “strange illness.”

No details.

Just a curt demand from the pack elders to return and pay my respects as if I owe them anything after what they did to me.

Right then, the memories hit me hard. That fateful day, I was forced into silence when Eliza, my foster sister, wove her web of lies and stole him.

Alpha Kieran Carson.

The man fated to be mine. My mate.

Deep inside me, I felt our bond the moment our eyes met at that fateful gathering.

But somehow, he never felt it. He never acted like he was bound to me.

And even now that I think about it, I still feel shocked.

Maybe he truly didn’t feel it. Or maybe even if he did, he probably ignored it because that day, Eliza made sure she blinded him with her lies against me. She lied that I was trying to seduce the Alpha and illegally rule the pack with him.

And well, since no one believes a weak Omega, I was punished and even banished.

Pushing back the memories, I clutch the handle of my suitcase tighter, the plastic biting into my palm as I navigate the crowded sidewalks. I am wearing dark glasses and a hooded zip-down sweatshirt, which for me is the perfect mix of camouflage.

I really don’t have the strength to handle being recognized by anyone for now.

I keep walking, my heart still pounding in my chest. I can still feel my mate bond with Kieran, though for two years I felt nothing, probably because I was away and obviously, he doesn’t know I am mated to him, which is still weird to me. The bond is like an invisible chain locked around my heart, now reminding me of the lonely nights I spent all by myself writhing in agony on my bed with my body craving a touch that was never mine to have.

After Eliza accused me of trying to seduce Kieran, she married him, became his Luna, and I was cast out for “treason.” She even made sure I was flogged with barbed whips that scarred my back before I was exiled into the human world where I managed to survive as a waitress, scraping by and hiding my wolf under suppressants that dulled the pain of exile but never erased it.

Now, I am back. Judy Hale. The forgotten omega.

Finally, I arrive at the pack’s private cemetery where the funeral is being held. The venue is tucked behind a glamorous hotel that serves as Kieran’s headquarters, and I find myself slipping through the back entrance, my hood pulled low.

Being here feels twisted. It feels wrong and also right at the same time. To these people, I am just an omega. A weak and unworthy trash in their eyes.

I still can’t believe I am back into the den of the same people who devoured my future without mercy.

Seconds later, I find a spot at the fringes and I perch there. The scent of wet earth and decaying flowers assaults my nostrils, but I endure the sting. There are mourners clustered in their black attires and paying their respects.

Just then, I spot Eliza immediately.

She is dressed in black, her golden blonde hair cascading down her back in perfect waves, her body curves accentuated by the form-fitting black dress that looks like it is worth over thousands of dollars.

Also—and instantly painful to me—she is clinging to Kieran’s arm, her fingers digging into his black tailored suit jacket like possessive claws.

Kieran.

My heart flips at the sight of him. He is standing right there beside Eliza at the front of the crowd, his broad shoulders straining against his suit jacket. His dark hair is tousled as if he just emerged from fucking someone before coming here.

Instantly, I think of Eliza, my blood suddenly boiling inside me.

But what can I do? Even if I am angry right now, even if I want to march over there and tear them apart from each other, I can’t.

She is his Luna now. She is the one standing there beside him.

Not me.

Just then, I see his eyes suddenly scanning the crowd, those piercing green eyes flecked with gold. At six-foot-four, Kieran is a wall of muscle and raw power. The kind of raw power that makes my knees weaken even now.

His eyes are still wandering, searching.

And right then, our eyes lock.

Fuck.

The bond surges inside me, my heart nearly exploding out of my chest. For a split second, I am almost afraid that he recognizes me, but immediately, I remember that I am wearing dark glasses and even covered in a hoodie.

However, he is not looking away from me. His eyes are still pinned on me.

Why?

Does he recognize me despite my camouflage?

My breath hitches at the thought, heat pooling low in my belly despite the fear burning through my veins.

Seconds pass.

And suddenly, he looks away.

Thank God.

He doesn’t recognize me.

Or maybe, even if he did recognize me, he probably dismissed it.

Afterall I am just the exiled trash.

The ceremony begins. I linger at my spot, listening to the boring hollow eulogies. My parents are lying in matching coffins, their faces looking so pale and gaunt.

Actually, they are my foster parents who took me in after my real mother’s mysterious death. When they were alive, Eliza was their real darling, not me.

Right now, their bodies in those coffins still look so strange to me. I still can’t believe they are really dead. The funeral notice I received stated that the “strange illness” that took them first came with symptoms of sudden weakness and unexplained fevers before they finally died.

However, I hope they are at peace wherever they are.

As the ceremony drags on, I feel nothing but a hollow void of resentment in my chest. The graves are filled, and next, rain begins to fall in earnest, drenching us all.

After the ceremony is finally over, I turn to leave.

But right then, a firm hand suddenly clamps down on my shoulder.

I spin around, my heart still slamming in my chest.

And instantly, my eyes land on Kieran.

Fuck.

My heart slams harder. He is standing right in front of me, his hand still resting on my shoulder. Up close, his scent hits me: cedarwood mixed with something darker like black coffee and sin. The combination is intoxicating, making my wolf whine internally and begging to be closer to him.

“Judy,” he whispers, his voice a low rumble that vibrates through my bones. “You came back.”