Chapter 3: Daphne

My lips opened, but no sound came from my mouth. Do I understand him correctly? What if this is all a dream? A nightmare, perhaps?

“A-are you sure?” Finally, I found my voice.

“Surprised? Well, it looks like I'm the next Luna."  Alaine let go of her scarf, which showed a bite mark on her shoulder. "Look, Lennon marked me two years ago. Don't you also want to see the mark I put on his shoulder as well?"

“This is impossible!” I yelled, my tears stinging my eyes.

She pulled Lennon closer, then looked at me as they walked away. "Will you excuse us? There's a big announcement coming up in a few minutes. You should come inside too."

I only froze as I stared at both of them. If I moved, I’d be shattered into a thousand pieces.

Of all the people, why would the Moon Goddess pair Lennon with the most difficult being in this whole world?

As I went back to the grand lobby, I was still trying to find out what was going on. Just a few hours ago, I thought I was the most beautiful girl in town. But now, all of my self-respect was gone, and all that was left was shame and self-pity.

Should I return home? What was the point of going to an event that wasn't for me? It hurts my eyes to see Lennon and Alaine in such intimate company. Then there was my brother and his bitchy wife; they were having a good time chatting with the Alpha. By his gestures, it looked like they were planning for the future—Lennon’s future, to be exact.

If I could shapeshift like other girls my age, I would run away into the woods and hide from everyone. But since I couldn't, I just stood there silently, feeling like an outsider in my own pack.

‘Run? No way. Confront the jerk!’

I let out a gasp when someone spoke. But it seemed like no one was talking to me as I looked around the busy hall. "Perhaps, I'm just tired?" I muttered.

‘Give him a taste of what he did, girl!’

I massaged my temples and realized that the voice was only coming from inside my head. Hold on. So, that means... “A-are you my wolf?” I asked hesitantly, feeling a bit foolish for even considering the possibility.

The voice chuckled in response, saying, "Yes, I am. And it's about time you acknowledged me. My name is Reina.'

“Reina?” I couldn't believe it, after all these years of feeling like something was missing, I had finally found my other half. It was a surreal moment that I will never forget.  But as much as I wanted to celebrate, I couldn’t. Every cell in my body was weeping because of what Lennon and Alaine did to me. “I’m glad you're finally here, Reina. But forgive me, I can’t chat with you right now.”

I felt her wrinkle her nose. "Why's that?"

“I’m sure you know why,” I said, staring at Lennon from afar.

‘Then go tell the jerk how stupid of an idiot he is!’

I grimaced as Reina continued to cuss in my head. Her anger towards Lennon was palpable, and it was clear that she wanted to confront him about something. I was a bit stubborn, but I think Reina was better, or worse. She appeared to be a feisty and carefree wolf—traits that I loved the most.

‘Just go! Give him a piece of your mind.’

“A piece of my mind or a piece of ‘your’ mind?” I clarified.

‘It’s just the same. We’re a single machine, anyway.’

And now I find myself pursuing her thoughts as I stomp toward Lennon, ignoring everyone's expressions, including Jaime's and Alpha Darius's.

As I approach Lennon, my heart is pounding with anger and frustration, but I take a deep breath and remind myself to stay calm and composed. I know that losing my temper won't solve anything, and I need to choose my words carefully to make sure he understands the gravity of his actions.

“Hi, Daphne.” Lennon smiled, but it was more of a smirk.

“Why?” I gritted my teeth, completely ignoring the notion that I should control my temper. "You should have told me earlier. How dare you play with my emotions!"

Everyone’s attention was drawn to us the moment my voice rose. I was about to step toward Lennon when Jaime grabbed my arm. “Stop this nonsense, Daphne!” he muttered in my ear.

“No!” I countered and pulled my arm away from him. “I started this, I wouldn’t turn back!”

“What do you think you’re doing, little pup?” Alpha Darius huffed.

The Alpha's voice caused my heart to beat a little bit faster. Lennon stood a solid six feet tall, but his father was taller, not to mention, larger. Even though he had gray hair and fine lines on his forehead and around his eyes, he still appeared to be the strongest one in our pack.

Although he was agitating the living daylights out of me, my hatred for his ill-mannered son was much stronger. “Why am I doing this?” I stared at him in disbelief. "Your son has found a mate, but he refused to let me know and persisted in fooling around with me. Why the hell is that, then?”

"Is what you're fighting for worth the scandal?” Alaine glared at me. “Wow, it's obvious why the Moon Goddess didn't pick you as his mate. She is aware that you are not a good fit for the pack, just like you are not a good fit for my family.”

“I’m—what?”

“Enough, Alaine,” Jaime grumbled at his daughter. “This isn’t the right time to talk about this. Wait until we go home.”

“Let her. This is the right time to tell Daphne the truth.” Yvette intervened between her daughter and her husband. Then she smirked at me secretly.

Confusion flooded my mind, making my stomach seem to churn even more. I glared at my brother. "What truth are you guys hiding from me?" I demanded, feeling like my own family had betrayed me. "I deserve to know what's going on."

“Tell us,” Alpha Darius demanded, eyeing Jaime. “We are going to be one house, so hidden backgrounds are not going to be tolerated.”

The strange silence gave me goosebumps on my skin. Jaime’s eyes welled with tears as he looked down at me. “Alaine is right. We don’t share the same blood. I…” he paused, clenching his teeth. “I just found you in the woods.”

I tilted my head at him, his words slowly registering in my head. Reina, on the other hand, became more restless. Her low groans became dangerous growls.

‘Hell, no!’

“T-that isn’t true,” I chuckled bitterly, my misty sight wandering at each one of them. Reina, on the other hand, continued to deny our origin. “You are my brother. And our parents are the previous high-ranked werewolves in this pack.”

“They were,” Jaime said, staring down at his feet. “But you are not one of us. I have no idea where you come from.”

"This is bad news," Alpha Darius said harshly as he looked at me. "You know what we do to werewolves who don't belong in this pack, right? Who knows, maybe your parents were rogues."

I tried to speak, but nothing came out of my trembling lips. My heart was as cold as if someone had just stuck an icy dagger into it.

“You. Leave.”

I blinked. “W-what?”

Alpha Darius looked over at Jaime. "I won't say what I just said again. So you should tell her, or I'll take away your Beta rank."

I turned to Jaime, giving him a begging look. “I have nowhere to go!”

He avoided my gaze. “This is the best for you, Daphne. Now that they know, everybody in this pack will mock you. Worse, they will torture and kill you. So set yourself free.”