Chapter 1: A HORRIBLE MISTAKE

Elara

I never thought I would lose my innocence in the most horrible way, and to a man whose face I barely remembered.

I was turning eighteen tomorrow, the age when one finally meets their wolf and shifts for the first time. But I found my mate tonight and to my greatest joy, he turned out to be Jace Ethon, the Beta's son and my long-time crush.

My case was rare. Not everyone got to meet their mate before they came of age, I must have been very lucky. That was new because I happened to be the most unlucky person in the entire world.

Jace was the love of my life, the only person other than my best friend Lori, who was nice to me in this pack. But all my dreams of having a happy ever after with a mate who loved me were flushed down the drain the moment he dragged me to this kitchen and told me his plan.

My mate wanted to poison the Alpha and he wanted me to help him do it.

“I can't do this,” I whispered, glancing between Jace and the opened door.

We were standing in the middle of the pack’s kitchen which was three times the size of the small and shabby closet I called a room but beads of sweat were rolling down my forehead.

I could think of a million ways how this could go wrong. If anyone walked in and saw us, we were done for.

“Jace,” I whispered a little louder, tugging at my mate’s sleeve.

“Don't make me do this, please. Let’s go—”

“Here,” He handed me a small bottle as he glanced at the door. “Add a little of it to the food you’ll be serving the Alpha’s family tonight.”

I shook my head. “I cannot do it. I can't poison my own family.”

“Your family?” Jace almost growled as he grabbed me by the arm. “You are forgetting the same people you consider family have done nothing but hurt you. I’m the only one who stood by an illegitimate thing like you all these years!”

I winced at his words.

Illegitimate thing… I've heard that word every day of my life yet it stings every single time.

For the past seventeen years of my life, I've been treated worse than trash, worse than the lowest-ranking omega in the pack under the watchful eyes of my father.

I was told my father, Alpha Asher, brought me to the Nightshade pack when I was just a baby. Although I was the Alpha’s daughter, I was never treated as such. The entire pack hated me, I was a mistress’ child after all.

An unwanted child conceived out of wedlock.

I was a mistake, a horrible mistake as Luna always called me, one that should have never been made and she made sure I never forgot that.

Father never cared to look at me after bringing me here. To him, I was nothing but a disgrace and a reminder of his affair.

I was forced to grow up all alone, enduring the never-ending torture of his family alongside the hatred of the entire pack.

“I’m sorry.” Jace let go and cupped my face instead. “Look Lara, your horrible family will never allow us to be together, neither will mine. I am the Beta’s son and you… they treat you lower than even the omegas here. If you want us to be together, you will have to do this for me… for us.”

“But Jace—”

“Once we get rid of the Alpha, I can become Alpha and you will be my Luna. I’ll make sure no one will ever mistreats you again, I promise. So don't mess this up, I beg you.” Jace dropped a small kiss on my forehead before walking away.

I was left standing in the middle of the spacious kitchen which had dozens of pots filled with food in preparation for tomorrow's event.

Emma was also clocking eighteen tomorrow and unlike me, a large party was going to be thrown to celebrate her coming of age. A lot of important guests had been invited and rumors have it that one of them was the Alpha Supreme of the BlackThorne pack, Hayes Thorne.

I knew who Hayes Thorne was… well, I've heard of him at least. He was one of the two sons of the Alpha King of the werewolf kingdom who ruled a fair share of lands on his own. Hayes Thorne was rumored to be an unforgiving monster who had hundreds of packs at his beck and call and my pack, the Nightshade pack was one of them.

I had no idea how Father was able to get the most vicious Alpha to walk the planet Earth to come to my sister’s party. It must have been his manipulative wife’s doing but I didn't care. She had been trying her best to pitch Emma up with the Alpha Supreme.

After all, becoming his mate meant possibly being the Alpha Queen one day.

But all that didn't matter because Jace was right. My horrible family deserved to die.

I walked towards the pot and opened it to reveal the food I had spent all day cooking. Agatha had purposefully exempted all other omegas from entering the kitchen today and sent me here after a couple of whippings. My back ached from both pain and exhaustion from having to cook the entire food for hundreds of guests tomorrow.

Thump, thump, thump, the sound of my pounding heart echoed in my ears.

‘I can do this… I can do this’ I told myself.

All I had to do was add the poison and I would be free of this hell. Once my family was dead, there would be no one holding me back. I would start a new life with Jace and live happily ever after. It was easier said than done because my hand refused to cooperate with me.

I couldn't do it. No matter how much my family hates me, I couldn't bring myself to kill them.

“What are you doing here?” A voice made me freeze. I spun around immediately to come face-to-face with the witch Agatha, my stepmother, and the Luna of Nightshade pack. Her eyes traveled to the hand hiding behind my back and she eyed me suspiciously. “What are you hiding? ”

“N-Nothing.” I stuttered, “I was just finishing up before I retired for the night.”

“Emma is waiting for you,” She reminded me. That was right, I was escorting my half-sister to town to pick up her dress for the party. “I don't know why my lovely child wants to take a smelly and cursed thing like you with her.” She threw me a look of disgust before walking away.

I quickly slipped the bottle into my sleeve and followed Agatha to the dining room where I was greeted by the sound of my father’s hearty laughter. I didn't hear what Emma said but whatever it was made him burst into laughter again.

Father rarely laughed but whenever he did, it was because his favorite child Emma was around. Only she was able to put a smile on his face, unlike me whose sight only made him scowl.

A dull ache tugged at my heart as my father’s disapproving eyes landed on me and just like that, the smile on his face disappeared.

“What took you so long?”

“I'm sorry, Alpha” I bowed, I was not allowed to call him father. “I lost track of time while tidying the kitchen and—”

“Tomorrow is an important day for my daughter,” He cut me off impatiently. “I have no idea why she insisted on taking you with her but If you pull any stunt out there, you will regret it.”

Father’s threat was clear.

I was to act as the good and obedient omega I was trained to be. Any mistakes would result in more whipping and more nights at the dungeon and at this point, I don't think my body would take it anymore.

“Don't worry Father,” It was Emma who spoke, “Lara would behave, right sister?” She flashed me a sweet smile but beneath that smile was something sinister.

Out of all the people who hated me, Emma was the worst of them all. She despised me and derived pleasure from torturing me but acted all sweet and innocent in front of our father.

I was beginning to think maybe following her to the town was a bad idea, not like I had a choice anyway.

“We would just pick my dress and be back before you know it.” She assured and just like that, I found myself sitting in the backseat of a car with Emma by my side.

Our packhouse was situated deep inside the woods so it took about an hour for our car to finally drive into town.

As someone who wasn't allowed to step out of the packhouse, I rarely got the opportunity to visit the town so my eyes took in as much as they could anytime I was here.

The scenery, the beautiful buildings, and the streets bustling with people, everything was breathtaking. I breathed in the fresh air and relaxed a bit, maybe following Emma to the town wasn't a bad idea after all.

The drive continued till the car took a turn I wasn't familiar with. I knew the way to Emma’s favorite store and this was definitely not it.

I glanced over at the dark-haired woman sitting next to me and found her smiling at me.

Where on earth was Emma taking me?