Chapter 2

A horrified gasp broke out from her maw. Her shuddering hands were clasped by her mother, soothing her somehow.

"Why do I have to be his mate? Why can't I reject him?" she whispered with quivering lips.

Solar caresses her daughter's back. "I wish that you can do that Tatiana, but the odds were not in our favor. The Alpha is the strongest among all, you can't reject him even if you want to."

Croft was fidgeting in the alcove, frightened for his sister's life.

Furthermore, the three were silent the entire period as they proceed to their dining after heeding everything.

Tatiana swirls the spoon in her cup of tea, staring blankly at it without even fluttering her eyes.

Thus, Solar cleared her throat dry before stretching out her daughter's hand and lightly stroking it.

"Everything will be okay, Tatiana. I will contact your father's pal to train you the day after tomorrow. This is something urgent that we can't neglect."

"Mom..." Tatiana breathed sharply after lifting her head to gaze at her mother.

Her eyes were misty with tears threatening to fall from the socket of her orbs. Solar rubbed her hand once more.

"Do this to redeem our clan's name and uphill yours, too. I don't wanna see you dying right before my eyes, okay? Please do everything to save your life, Tatiana."

Tatiana was reluctant to agree but she nodded regardless.

"I will come with you. After the three allotted days, you'll be crafted into a warrior and reclaim your throne." her brother meddled.

But I don't want the throne. I don't want everything when it pertains to the Alpha. I don't matter to him like he is to me! She seethed in anger in her mind.

"Can't I abide this decree, can I?" she helplessly whispered with a contorted countenance.

Her kin only shook their head deliberately at her.

The next day came so quickly in a wink. The dawn dominated the sky and leaked the luminous glow coming from it. While the clouds leisurely got their stride above, sluggish in stirring their wide nautical mists.

Tatiana was restless early in the morning. She was reluctant to depart from her bed but the knocks coming from her door ravaged her deep slumber. However, the boisterous din downstairs made her senses fully stir. Fluttering her eyes clear, she kneaded her eyes in an inert manner and hopped out from her bed.

After then, she strolled to the bathroom and took a shower to freshen up. Minutes later, she leaned toward her closet and was pondering with her thoughts for a while.

"Why am I fighting for a man who doesn't even like me? There's no connection between us. It was just... this bullshit bond." she whispered to herself and shut her eyes tight.

Leaving her mother here alone in their house was the hardest decision she will ever do just for the sake of grasping the throne. Augmented by her brother's persistent remarks to escort her throughout the way.

Much more, battling with the other she-wolf wasn't her forte. She might be born weak but fighting against her own race was the last thing she have in mind.

"To seize the throne and kill for him... isn't that absurd?" her eyes dilated with a frantic expression on her face.

Tatiana shook her head before wrapping everything up and descending downstairs.

There's a bunch of foods lining up in a row in their lanky table that greeted her sight. Gaping, a small gasp fled from her mouth after discerning everything.

"Mom? What is this?" she mumbled after settling herself in her stool.

Solar looks at her with tears in her eyes. Then, Solar sobbed loudly and whizzed a bit.

Tatiana's lips parted in shock. She was startled by her mother's sudden whimpers.

"I-I prepared these for you."

Tatiana swallowed the lump cropping up in her throat.

"T-thank you, mom," she uttered, her voice was trembling a little.

"Can we dine gaily for the last time? I don't want our parting to be this sad." Croft abruptly intruded in their conversation.

There's still a faint daze in her eyes but she nodded at her brother's request regardless.

Hence, their meal was crammed with mirth throughout the course.

But the time couldn't be paused. The moment of her abandoning wasn't suspended. She can't withdraw from the fact that hound her without a brief calm.

"Tatiana..." Solar wept on the sideline while almost deterring her from steering away.

"Mom..." her tears oozes from her eyes like a brook without a lull while looking at her mother, unwilling to part ways.

"Tatiana, my daughter. I love you. Please take care of yourself."

"Mom, I won't let anything nor anyone harms her. I'm with Tatiana, remember?"

From her brother's statement, Solar cried even more.

"Please... come back safely."

They nodded in unison with tears surging from the corner of their eyes. With such a depressing farewell, they left with a heavy heart.

The person that her mother contacted was her father's pal, a companion before the war between the humans had kindled. He was ahead of them, strolling in his human form. It was a relief for Tatiana because unfortunately, she can't summon her wolf which was an arduous feat for her to do.

The origin of her wolf was still a puzzle for her. Since she was born, mustering her wolf would lead to a fiasco. But the question that baffled her the most was why did the Alpha know that she is his mate?

The whole thing was confusing her to the extent that finding an answer would bring her to a deep pondering of thoughts about this case.

Tatiana exhaled sharply to the point that her brother gazed at her.

"Are you alright?"

She let out a small smile to assure him. "I'm fine. Just out of shape because of this twisted circumstance I never wanted in the first place."

Croft paced next to her and ruffled the strands of her hair in his fingertips.

"We can sort this out. We're on this together, remember?"

A sprout of smile seized her lips once more.

"Yeah. We're on this together, brother."