"Whether you like it or not, you'll be bound to marry the feared Alpha!"My heart almost skipped its beat, realizing that my Alpha father had betrayed me. He once told me my wolf, and I could choose the right guy to be mated with. Yet, his decision suddenly changed, and I couldn't protest. I didn't want him to pick any Alpha out there I could marry."Please! Don't do this to me, father! Give me freedom!" I begged, almost kneeling before him, standing at the door with three guards and the beta on his back.Tears already fell on my cheeks, but it seemed my father hadn't moved. He remained staring at me ruthlessly and treating me like an average pack member, not his daughter. I always dreamed of escaping in this prison-like pack. I mean, in my teenage days, I was so free, but things turned upside-down unexpectedly."I….I don't want to be married to whoever that Alpha is! This is not the life you promised me!" I yelled.Father moved closer to me and didn't hesitate to slap me in the face
"Let me out of this prison! I didn't do anything wrong!"My voice echoed inside the dark prison cell they locked me in. It was unfortunate to wake up after I had collapsed from all the encounters I had last night. I had no idea how the hell I ended up here as I lost consciousness and was imprisoned like a slave. "Anyone, please help me!" I shouted again, but it was still the same. No one came, and no one seemed to hear me. I was too weak, shaking, and almost couldn't stand as my knees couldn't support me. Even my inner wolf, Nila, had been too weak, almost unresponsive whenever I called her. Well, that was because I was too weak, and we had shared the same body that almost weakened her inside me. After minutes of waiting, still no one arrived, not until the sound of the door opening did I sense help was coming. I expected it would be the prison guard I would see, but it wasn't. It was an old lady in her servant uniform, thoughtfully staring at me. "Oh, you're finally awake. Lucky
'It's not you that they're referring to as the runaway mate. Don't assume too much that the Alpha will choose you as his mate.'I shook my head and sighed after I reached the Alpha's room on the second floor, wearing a servant uniform and some equipment for cleaning on my hand. Those words echoed in my mind, and I accepted it wasn't me. Well, I am over the moon with that, yet Nila, inside me, felt saddened and told me we and the Alpha had a connection and it shouldn't be cut. The time the Alpha was hurt, Nila and I were also affected, like a true bound mate. Was he the man I was about to be married to? Those almost made me damn crazy, so I shook those thoughts away and entered inside the Alpha's room. As I roamed around, nearly all things were scattered all over the floor, even a woman's sexy underwear. He was indeed a womanizer. "Is this the Alpha's room? Am I mistaken?" I murmured, thinking I had chosen the wrong room. Yet, scanning everything inside, I concluded it was his room.
"It is the first time Alpha Hadar defends a slave. Does it mean he loves her?" One pack member asked someone, standing a bit far from my direction. Sometimes, they glanced at me, but I tended not to look at them, pretending I hadn't heard any single detail they were talking about. "I am not certain, but I hope not. She looks like she is not a slave. Something is off about her."I continued to broom the dried leaves outside, with the air continuing to brush my skin, and a loud shout of pups who were marching in the training ground, as well as the shout from the audience of the duel. It made me more uncomfortable staying here after the Alpha saved me from death. Yet, right after that day, I hadn't met him personally to thank him. That night, I was about to knock on his room, but guess what? I heard a loud moan.That made Alpha Hadar a walking red flag, not a perfect mate for me. I mean, it was at least half-proven that he was indeed my mate when he saved me, but he wouldn't admit it.
There was a lot on my mind regarding what I had witnessed. Although I got some clues, he cried over his dead mate. It made me wonder what happened and how she left him. I almost couldn't sleep that night, overthinking about things I shouldn't have had anything to do with me. And instead of running away, I decided to stay from this damn pack and unlock all the puzzles.As I woke up, everyone was busy. The maids and slaves prepared the chairs, some decorated the mini-stage, and others cleaned the hallway. I was confused about the event as no one notified me, not even Marga. She was gone from her bed already.I was about to ask someone, but I happened to walk past a room where the door wasn't that closed. Accidentally, I heard voices from old men, probably the elders, talking.I was invested in listening, so I halted walking."You must understand that Alpha Hadar isn't in his mood. It's the second death anniversary of Hera!""I know. That's why I don't make this an issue anymore. I'm awa
His words hit me hard, making me want to throw painful words at him. But I couldn't voice it out and pretend I didn't hear him nor believed we were a mate. It was apparent, but rejecting me sounds better to give me peace of mind looking for another deserving mate to love me. He had a standard I couldn't meet, but would he change his perspective on me if he knew I was a Luna before on our pack? Telling him my real identity sounds off, and it wasn't the time for him to know it. After the Alpha told me those, he returned to the club. Hera would be as disappointed as me, but I couldn't blame Hadar for acting like that. It might be his way to cope with the sorrow within his heart. 'This seems to be our destiny already, Nila. We better wait for the Alpha to take an oath to reject us,' I said, walking back at the pack with my shoulders slumped. 'He's fortunate he's our mate. If not, I will fight him, even though he's an Alpha,' Nila replied, dismayed with him. I nodded, reached th
"I'm so sorry I leave you with Mark. I'm thankful that Alpha Hadar came. Mark wants to claim you as his mate!" Lori felt sorry for what I had encountered, but I had already assured her it wasn't her fault but mine. Nothing was wrong in testing the bond between Mark and me, but claiming me as his without assuring if we were destined would end up in a mess. He was a red flag. Luckily, I still wasn't marked. That made me think, if he was successful, would our bond with Alpha Hadar be ended? It was unclear whether it was."We shall go back now," I said, roaming my gaze around the nearby woods. "I can sense it. The Alpha is still around.""He's guarding you, probably. Aw, that sounds sweet. But he still wants to reject you! What's wrong with him?!" Lori almost shouted. I waved my hand, signaling her to refrain from mentioning him. His senses were strong. I am sure he heard her comment. "Ssh. Remember, we're only nothing here in his pack. I'm afraid he'll hurt you," I explained.She nodd
"Are you sure she's the woman who appeared in your dream? Why does it look like the late Luna Hera?" Lori held the sketch with her eyes, scanning the details of my drawing. Hera's goddess-like allure lingered in my mind, which might be why she looked like Hera. "I've been thinking a lot lately," I admitted, getting the sketch from her hand. "I've been confused with how Alpha Hadar treats his previous courtesan for choosing me, but he is still too cold. And now, this damn dream keeps bothering me all night.""I'm not an expert to tell you what to do. But it's better you consult an elder's opinion. You better tell it to the Alpha—"I didn't let Lori continue what she was about to tell, knowing the Alpha wouldn't dare to believe me. Besides, I distanced myself from him since he argued with his woman. I didn't want any drama or to be blamed for why the Alpha loathed her. For sure, Carol blamed me and indeed hunted me to death. "I don't want him to know this. I better tell the elder abo
The next day…."You are all here for this plan, to capture Hash dead or alive, and use Nyla as bait…."I sat next to Alpha Hadar's chair, staring at all the trusted pack guards and warriors gathered at the long study room table.Hadar had a sudden change of plan, and instead of forbidding me, he would use me. It was risky, but I was interested and ready to be part of this mission. Since if I didn't cooperate, Hash would keep messing with my life, our lives here in the pack, to be specific."No one still knows how accurate that letter is. What if it is part of Hash's big plan of attack?" Beta Andrew, sitting next to me, asked. "I'm sorry, but I'm also concerned with the pack members left here.""The fact that Nyla is with us in the woods, I'm certain Hash or his trusted warriors to chase her there," said one of the warriors."You got the point. This is a risky mission. We need to make sure Luna Nyla's security.""How can we conceal our scent? Most probably, Hash wants to meet Nyla ther
Alpha Hadar comforted me all night as I remained inside the room, too uncomfortable to go outside. As much as I wanted to be present at the burial of the fallen pack members today, almost all of them encouraged me to stay hidden and away from the family's sight, just to not trigger their outrage at me.Like what Lori had told me, there were grapevines around that after the burial, everyone who would side with the bereaved family would protest against me. However, I disregarded everything and remained as calm as water, thinking about possible solutions to alleviate their anger with me.From morning until this evening, I was inside the Alpha's room while Hadar was out to attend the burial and conduct inspections at the border and the pack territory. Beta Andrew was with him, including the elders, but there were a lot of guards around the mansion, so I had nothing to worry about."I was bored as hell…." I muttered, heading into the door, opened it, and almost jumped in surprise, not a
"I didn't know…"My eyes fixated on the ground, unaware of how they could react. The blame was all on me, and seeing those dead bodies on the floor, I couldn't help but feel guilty. If it was not because of me reaching the pack, no one would die, and Alpha Hash, Hadar's brother, wouldn't dare tell his warriors to kill, just so Hadar would be scared stiff.Cheering myself up, I didn't want to cry with them witnessing it. Everything almost wouldn't be processed on my mind like I was still in a dream. Soon after I slapped myself, I felt the pain, reminding me it was indeed transpiring."Nyla, don't blame yourself," Beta Andrew tapped my shoulder. He smiled and continued, "For sure, everyone, even the families of those who died, will not blame you. Instead, everyone will blame the spies on this pack.""There are?!" I questioned, with my eyes broadened. Never did it cross my mind that someone out there could do it. Knowing Hash, cooperating with him seemed like offering their soul to th
As days passed by, I was over the moon that Alpha Hadar kept his trust in me. He halted Elder Mario from spreading such speculations and held the dagger himself. It had been proven that it had Hera's blood on it, including my scent. However, I speculated it was because I was Hera's reborn, making my scent mixed with it. There was a part of me believing they might be right. I might have killed Hera but got amnesia, so I had forgotten everything. No one could prove it, not unless I would ask my father about this. I wouldn't want to be back in our pack. I abandoned it and wouldn't want to be wedded to a stranger….I came back from my senses after hearing Alpha Hadar.“We are here,” announced Alpha as he stood atop the cliff. “This is my go-to place when I am sad and have a lot on my mind. You know, to refresh my mind from stress.”I nodded and looked around the view of the entire woods and Alpha Hadar's pack, including the other neighboring packs.“But it's no longer part of your pack.
The accusations I threw at Alpha Hadar weighed a lot. I understand he wouldn't confirm it, but I needed clarification before throwing the accusations at someone suspicious. “It is not me, Nyla. Our bond with Hera is strong, and I didn't reject her either. You know how mate bonds work.” He sighed as he faced me. “You can't kill your mate. Otherwise, you'll suffer the pain. And the time she died, I felt like I was also dying. How come it is true?!” Right. Hadar got the point. I had been taught how those bonds work before to prepare me to be a future Alpha's wife. And now, it has come true, but I have many problems to face. “So sorry for accusing you,” I replied, and I couldn't look him in the eyes. “You know, I just had it in my mind, everything about Hera's death.” Instead of hiding the details about Hera's death, I discussed with him what that man said when killing her and how Hera responded as if she knew him. I also explained having this unique ability to recall every scene li
I was back in human form. Elder Mario and I argued about the pack's future. He insisted that I marry Alpha Hadar when we found evidence that it was indeed him who was responsible for her death. “Is this the right way?” I asked Elder Mario as I led the way towards the area where exactly she died. Marga and Lori joined us but didn't know why we were heading there. At first, they were skeptical, questioning why I got too interested in it. They were terrified, but I assured them to protect them. No one from us should be punished for not abiding by Alpha Hadar's rule.“Go left!” Lori suggested. “After that, you turn right. If you see many flowers, that's the spot!”“Lori, did you forget the way? It's all on the right. After turning right, turn right again, that's it,” Marga corrected Lori.They still kept arguing about where exactly it was, so I paused and turned to them. “Guys, can you both stop it? Tell me!”“Here on the right!”“It should be on the left!” Both shouted in unison. I s
I sat at the edge of his bed, feeling slightly uncomfortable with his presence. As much as I wanted to be with Marga and Lori in the servant's room, Alpha Hadar forbade me. I wasn't one of the servants, so he wanted me here instead. To demand going back in the room would be spine-chilling. No one knew when Hash would re-appeared to mess with me. “Sleep now. Don't overthink about him. Besides, I am here,” said Alpha Hadar. He lay in the bed while his eyes fixed on me.“I know. It's just that I am not used to being here,” I replied.Still, I laid on the other side of the bed, facing the side window. My inner wolf rejoiced at being near my mate, even wanting me to face the Alpha, but I chose not to. I had a lot in mind about Hera, Hash, and my future in the pack. “Just sleep and think about me. If you still can't, embrace me instead,” added Hadar. Both of my cheeks were burning hot. It turned red like tomatoes, but he wouldn't see it. The light was turned off. The room would be to
Problem closed. Everyone was aware I wasn't pregnant. I hadn't had sex with anyone, not even Alpha Hadar. It was ridiculous. Elder Rico thought something like that, but I couldn't blame him either. As concerned as Hadar, he had let me rest inside the unused room upstairs, a supposed room for visitors, but he allowed me to occupy it instead. Since I was also tired and wanted to calm down after those scenes appeared again, I slept, but another scene from the past appeared in the middle of my sleep. It reminded me how that familiar woman, now confirmed to be Hera, kept on running in the woods, shouting for help until it reached the scene where someone had stabbed her to death.“Help! Someone help me! Please, please stop, and don't kill me!”Those were the words I heard until I opened my eyes. Sunlight was hitting my face, so I had to cover my hand. “Hera, you're not killed in the war…you're murdered!” I said while biting my lower lips. I figured it might be one of the reasons Hera wa
Alpha Hadar requested them all to give us privacy to talk inside the room. I was astounded he wasn't like that before, and at the same time, thankful I had seen changes in him just because of that accident.“My brother Hash is a fool,” Alpha Hadar began while he sat on the edge of the bed. I didn't know what to respond to, so I was silent.“Despite him being my brother, it wouldn't be an excuse for me not to punish that idiot!” His voice was raised a little while his jaw tightened in his wrath. “I know you didn't know how I saved you. You're unconscious at that time, but I attacked him. He got weakened, but I'm sure it wouldn't make him die.”I blushed. He was indeed a hero who saved me from all the circumstances. But I was oblivious to our status. “Alpha…I am curious. Why are you all doing this if you keep on hating me?” I questioned out of my curiosity. He chuckled and looked at the ceiling. “You don't get it, don't you?” My brows furrowed, trying to understand every single deta