NATALIE
I have been moving to and fro in my room after taking a shower and staring at the mate mark over my neck for a whole hour.
At first, I tried to cover the mark by wearing a high neck but when I realised that it was the middle of the summer and I was only going to make everyone suspicious by wearing it, I removed it and covered the mark with many layers of concealer.
I like to believe that I can keep it a secret but my mind is about to explode with anxiety.
For one, I have to find out who that man was.
For two, I am scared that I am going to die tonight.
For three, if I don’t die, my Dad will kill me with his own hands after finding out that I slept with a man who was an outsider.
All of this is weighing me down and there is nothing positive I can think about right now.
“ Natalie. ” The door to my room opens and Emilie strolls inside without permission.
I gulp my saliva and question. “ What do you want? ”
Although I try to appear fearless and unbothered, I know she can see right through me.“ Is what Mom saying true? ” She flutters her eyelashes innocently.
Mom must be listening in. That’s why she is talking so sweetly.
I purse my lips, choosing to remain silent.
“ I believed that you will change but you…you had to get caught and hurt Mom like this. ” Her voice has all the sympathy and hurt she can muster up.
And all I can do is to watch her lips displaying a smug smirk and her words turning sweeter so Mom can hear how good she is to me.
“ Why do you always do this? Mom and Dad are already disappointed in you. ” She sniffs, pretending to cry when no tears flow down her eyes at all.
“ Emilie…Please leave me alone. ” I whisper, wanting for her to get the fuck out of my room.
“ But I…I am here for you. Please talk to me. Please tell me why you can’t just wait for your mate? ” Her voice remains sympathetic but her smirk only widens.
She is provoking me. She is…I close my eyes, taking a deep breath to calm myself down but it’s impossible.
A lava is cooking inside me which is ready to explode like always.
“ Natalie…Dad will be… ” She starts and sniffs.My eyes snap open, burning to the point I feel as if blood is about to come out of them.
“ GET THE FUCK OUT OF MY ROOM! ” I end up yelling at her.
The door flies open once again and this time, the person who steps inside scares the living shit out of me.
“ Dad…I can…” I stutter over my words, stumbling back.
“ Why are you shouting at your sister? ” Dad asks calmly for once.Although, his usual black eyes are flashing Golden due to rage, he is trying to ask politely.
“ Dad…I just tried to make her understand that what she is doing is wrong but she doesn’t want to listen to me. ” Emilie doesn’t waste a second and runs into his arms, complaining and crying at the same time.
My gaze switches between Emilie and my Dad’s figure in disbelief.
“ What did she do wrong? ” Dad asks the dreaded question.
I walk backward, shaking my head.
“ Dad I can explain…I swear. ” I try to make his heart change.
“ She slept with a stranger yesterday night. ” Mom delivers the news from outside my room.
My blood freezes in my veins. Emilie looks at me and smirks hidden to my parents eyes.
“ I…It…it was a m—mistake. ” That’s all I can say to him.
“ Natalie…” Dad’s voice drops a few octaves.
His eyes disappear into those familiar burning golden eyes of his wolf’s. I stumble back once more, shaking my head from left to right.
“ I am sorry. I am sorry, Dad. I will never do it again. ” I cry out the moment he pushes Emilie aside and walks to me threateningly.
Before I even get the chance to defend myself, Dad’s hand reaches out to my neck. He squeezes it so hard that my eyes bulge out.
Despite the pain which makes me thrash, my mind goes to the mark which is on my neck. It burns bright. My soul departs from my body at the thought of anyone finding out about it.
I claw at my Dad’s hand while my body flaps uncontrollably.
“ You have decided to drag my reputation in mud. I will not allow this to happen! ” He sneers close to my face.
Tears well in my eyes as it becomes impossible for me to breath.
“ I will kill you! ” He tightens his hold around my neck and yells.
My head hits the wall behind me and black dots start to appear in my sight.
“ Nile! Leave her. She will really die. ” Mom rushes in, grabbing my father’s arms to pry him off me.My mind begins to lose focus on everything due to lack of oxygen. My hold around Dad’s hands loosens.
“ Dad. I will make her understand. She won’t do it again. Leave her please. ” Emilie doesn’t remain behind and comes to my aid so she can see it happening again and again.
They don’t let me live but they won’t allow me to die either.
My hands drop by my side, my eyes rolling back in my head.
Before I lose consciousness, Dad releases my neck from his death grip. I fall to the floor, coughing and wheezing for air.
My lungs hurt, my eyes burn, my head pounds. All the energy has left my body, leaving me with only agony and the burning sensation of the mate mark.
“ If I find out you have done something like this again…I will kill you, Natalie. I will kill you before anyone else finds out about your shameful actions. ” Dad threatens me before he stomps out of my room, followed by Mom.
Emilie takes this chance to lock the door and come to me. I open my eyes and look up at her after regaining my breath.
“ Don’t — Don’t tell Enzo. ” I plead.
My teary eyes beg her silently, while she hums staring down at me maliciously.
“ Why not? ” Her lips morph into a grin.“ I…” I push myself on my weak knees.
“ I will do anything. ” I tell her.
“ Anything? ” She tilts her head, still grinning.
My breath hitches in my throat, understanding what she wants this time.
“ Give it to me, Natalie. I really need it. ” She lets out in a sugary tone.
“ Emilie I… ” I choke on my breath.
“ Are you refusing me? ” Her grin changes into a deep frown.
My heart skips a beat and I shake my head right away. “ I will give you the painting. You can use it however you want but please…please don’t…don’t tell Enzo. ”
“ How can I do it? You are my twin sister, after all. ” The poisonous grin returns on her lips.
Emilie turns around to leave and I can only watch her with my hate and tears filled eyes.
“ Drop it in my room. ” She directs me, stopping beside the door.
Opening the door, she turns to me again.
“ Oh My Goddess, Natalie. Your head is bleeding. Please get it bandaged from the pack doctor. ” Her tone is back to sympathetic and worried because she knows Mom and Dad can hear her now.
“ You know…you can’t heal like us so please get yourself treated. And make sure to not tell Doctor Yoona how his happened. ” She has to add it, to remind my parents that I am a disappointment.
I lower my eyes to the floor and exhale a heavy breath.
My fingers touch the burning mark over my neck. At least, they didn’t find out about it.
I have to get rid of this mark before anyone stumbles upon this secret and reveals it to Enzo. I can not take it — I can not live without Enzo. He is the only one who understands me and loves me despite my shortcomings.
NATALIE“ Okay! I agree with you two. Please help me find this man. ” I tell Anne and Giana who are both sitting on Giana’s bed.Worry and anxiety is clear in their eyes along with suppressed pity. I got my head bandaged earlier and as usual, Doctor Yoona insisted that I admit someone was abusing me but…I lied to her and told her that I had fallen off the stairs like I always do. This excuse is becoming ridiculous at this point, but no one in this pack gives a damn to what happens to a wolf less daughter of the Beta. For all they care, I should die soon.Instead of going home after getting my head bandaged, I came to Giana’s house. As expected, she and Anne were waiting for me to come. It’s like a routine. Every time I get scolded, I come here for comfort. Anne and Giana’s parents allow me to be in their house because they are the only one’s except Enzo who care about me.“ So you believe he is your mate now. ” Anne excitedly makes a statement.“ No. There is some error in this situat
NATALIE My mouth drops open, my jaw aching when I see the man — screaming trouble —sitting right over my bed. Gasping, I step inside and close the door before anyone from my family catches a whiff of his scent or hears the spike in my heart rate. “ What the fuck! ” I mumble under my breath. “ We have to work on that colourful language. ” He hums in a deep voice. Putting his hands on both sides of his frame, he stretches his muscles and leans back. I draw a deep, shaky breath. Disbelief makes me freeze on my very spot. “ Y…Y…You. What? I mean…h…h…how? ” I am at a loss of words. “ How am I here? ” His left eyebrow shoots up. His gruff voice does weird things to me. Heat tackles my body. When you are close to your mate, you get affected by heat season. Giana said this to me and I think…she was not wrong. “ Something bothering you? ” A fine smirk touches his lips. “ You! You stay there! ” I narrow my eyes, taking support of the wall behind me. This is a shitty time for this h
NATALIEWith my heart hammering in my throat, I pull the door open slightly. “ What are you doing? I heard noise coming from your room. ” She blinks at me, her droopy eyes screaming that she woke up from her deep slumber.How good is her hearing to be able to pick up noise from a soundproof room even in sleep?I swallow hard and look around. “ I — I was in the bathroom, taking a shower. ” I have never lied so confidently before, I can guarantee.Unconsciously, I fix my wet hair to hide the mark over my neck. “ At this hour? ” She narrows her eyes in suspicion.Fuck my life!“ I — Mom. ” Come up with something, Idiot.Finding me at a loss of words only confirms my Mom’s doubts. Without giving me the time to regain my composure, she pushes the door open with great force. The door hits my face, making me stumble back and cup my nose instinctively. Pain stabs my whole face. I wince and close my eyes.“ There is someone here, right? You are lying again. ” She accuses and strolls inside
NATALIEThe next morning brings me a new kind of nervousness and fear that I have never experienced before.I get ready and sneak out of my house before anyone sees me and eventually stops me from going out.Contrary to my expectations, I find Giana and Anne already waiting for me around the street, still dressed in their pajamas.“ I told you! ” Anne tells Giana as I get near them.“ You can’t tell him. ” Giana folds her arms over her chest.“ He has the right to know. ” I don’t know from where these words are coming.“ Natalie. I knew you will do this when guilt hits you again. We have been waiting here for two hours so we can stop you. So please…listen to us and give up on this stupid idea. ” Anne insists, gripping my wrist.“ Anne…Enzo has always been good to me. I can’t hide this from him anymore. At least not after, I have done this twice. The first time, I could let it slide as a mistake but…I can’t anymore. He needs to know what’s going on. ” I get my hand out of her grip.“ H
NATALIEWhen you think you are breaking apart and can’t hold yourself together, you find yourself running back to your home — the safe haven.I did the same. After running away from everyone I had considered dear once, I came back home and dashed to my room before locking myself inside.I can feel those pointed looks directed at me. Those people make my skin crawl. They make me feel disgusted.It was not my fault. They did this to me. I want to run to everyone and tell them one by one but I know no one will believe me.I sobbed, pulled my hair out, and asked myself the same question.Why was this happening to me? They all had loved me once. Everything was fine — I had a happy family, good friends, a standing in this werewolf society for being a beta’s daughter. I had a future — a bright one.But Moon Goddess fucked up everything when she decided she didn’t want me to have my wolf.What’s a werewolf without her wolf? I can’t be loved, I can’t be seen as someone respected, I can’t eve
NATALIE This only makes me cry harder. The little restraint I had over myself is gone.“ This is pretty annoying. ” He hums when I don’t stop crying.“ You are not even asking what happened to me?! ” I hiss, placing my burning forehead on my right knee.“ I don’t need to know. But I do need you to stop crying. ” His irritated voice sounds from the speaker.I sniff, shaking my head. Why am I only getting all these assholes in my life?“ I won’t stop crying! ” I declare.Tears blur my vision worse than before. Talking to him seems to be having an even more negative impact on me. I want to cry so much that I pass out and when I wake up, I might not even remember what happened today. It might feel like a dream.Silence falls on the other side.“ He lied to me. Everyone…all of them lied to me. ” I sob quietly.My body is slowly turning cold now. It seems to be happening due to the plaguing emotions which are hurting my heart.“ Okay. ” Equally disinterested.“ Are you not going to ask wha
NATALIEIt feels nothing new to wake up in the pack hospital bed with Doctor Yoona breathing down my neck.“ The Alpha is visiting the hospital today. Tell him what’s wrong with you. ” She tells me robotically as soon as I blink at her.Why does she even care? And why would Alpha care either?Pain hits me after these questions do. I sit up in the bed and my hand instantly wraps around my neck. Doctor Yoona hands me a glass of water without even asking. I grab it, deciding to say thank you later.“ I gave you the healing potion. How do you feel? ” She questions when I gulp down the water and place the glass at the side.“ I am fine. ” I give her a small smile.“ How did you fall off the stairs this time? ” She is clearly mocking me.“ The usual stuff. ” My voice drowns as a huge lump gets stuck in my throat.“ You will die. Someday, you are going to die if you keep this up. ” She tells me before fixing her thick rimmed glasses over her nose.I nod my head and stare at her, barely ho
NATALIE“ Caught you, thot. ” The rogue hisses close to my ear, with his heavy body covering my small frame.Taking in a shaky breath, I place my hands over the ground. Closing my eyes, I think about the possible ways of getting out from under him.He grabs my waist, ready to turn me around. I hit him in the side with my elbow as hard as I can. The crunch noise makes me sure that I hit a bone, straightHe groans, rolling off me. I get up on my feet quickly.“ Get this — Get this, slut! ” He growls from the ground.I look down at him and up at the rest of the seven men. They are close, too close.If I make a run again, one of them might shift and attack me.I place my hand over my right shoulder which hurts from the impact with the ground earlier.“ Where will you run from here, bitch? ” The buff man scoffs.“ Stop — Stop right there. ” I wave my hand at them.Sound stronger. I tell myself.“ I mind linked the patrol guards. They will be here any moment. So, if you want to save your li