Chapter 1

My life has been a living nightmare since I can recall. I have been mistreated, harassed, and emotionally and even physically abused; their cruelty knows no bounds.

I have been a servant to the pack, doing all sorts of menial tasks such as cooking and cleaning.

Last week, I was in the pack's garden, admiring the beauty of the area and listening to the melodious humming of the butterflies.

Suddenly, I heard a group of pack members coming my way. Collins, the Beta's son, jeered with derision as he poured his cup of juice over my head.

Laughter erupted from his friends, and a chorus of snickers and chuckles followed.

I clenched my fists, stood up, and tried to keep my balance as I stumbled away from the garden. I have been subjected to their torment for years, and this was just a glimpse of the kind of treatment I have received from them.

Why?

Simply because I am an orphan and I do not have a wolf, which made me an easy target for them to take advantage of.

And as absurd as it sounds, this has been the story of my life.

Lost in my world, I heard a loud voice calling my name. "Violet, where the heck are you?" the Beta shouted, his voice echoing through the air.

I sighed because I didn't know what to expect, but I had no choice but to answer him anyway. I ran to him, and I almost got slapped, but I was saved because I bent to greet him.

"Why haven't you taken the decorations to the hall?" he shouted, his voice laced with annoyance.

I was wondering what he meant by that, and I slammed my hand on my head when I remembered. I had forgotten what today was.

Today was the traditional age ceremony, and it had escaped my mind.

In my pack, the Alpha organizes this ceremony every year for every member of the pack who is over the age of 18.

It is a party to welcome the wolf into adulthood. In our werewolf community, it is a tradition for every young werewolf to witness their first transformation into their wolf form between the ages of thirteen and sixteen.

But they are still seen as little pups until they reach the age of 18, and at that age, they are celebrated.

I quickly ran to the store and picked up the decorations that would be used for the hall, and as I arrived at the hall, I noticed it was dirty, so I swept and started the decorations.

I was busy decorating the hall when some pack members came to assist me because it was soon time for the party.

As I was done with the hall decoration, it was adorned with blue and white roses, which made the hall look beautiful.

And as I was done admiring the hall, I ran to the kitchen to help them with what they were doing before I got called again.

And because today was a special day, they invited a special cook for the day.

I was done with all I had to do with the preparations for the event, so I went to take my bath and prepare for the party.

I was standing in front of the hall, my heart fluttering with nervous anticipation, and I clung to a desperate glimmer of hope.

I prayed that today would finally be the day I would see the reflection of my inner self in the form of a majestic wolf.

After all, today was my birthday and I had just turned 18 years old, so I hoped I would transform into my wolf today.

As I got to the hall, it was crowded and noisy. People were talking to their friends while some were taking pictures of themselves.

They were all doing different things until the Alpha came to the podium and began the ceremony.

"I welcome you all to the party and I congratulate you all for making it to this adulthood phase," said the Alpha.

And the crowd erupted with "Yay, yay, yay" and "Thank you Alpha!"

So now I wanted them all to shift into their wolf form for the ceremony to begin properly.

And they all started shifting, and the sound of howling echoed in the hall.

But here I was, standing alone amidst a sea of wolves, with all eyes turned towards me, filled with a mix of pity and amusement.

My heart ached from seeing different types of wolves and being judged by them.

But as the ceremony was about to come to an end, I saw Jake, the son of the Alpha, heading towards me.

He stopped in front of me and said, "Mate".

Jake's eyes turned red in anger, then back to his regular eyes. He grabbed my arms and dragged me out of the party.

"You can't be my Luna," he shouted.

"B-But you are my m-mate," I stammered.

"Doesn't matter what you say, I can't have a weak girl as my mate and Luna, and the worst of it all is that you don't even have a wolf," he spat.

But before I could respond, he cut me off with what is rarely heard of in our werewolf community.

"I, Jake Adams, the son of the Black Moon Pack's Alpha, reject you, Violet, a member of the Black Moon Pack, as my mate and future Luna, and I command you to accept the rejection."

With a shaky voice, I replied, "I, V-Violet, a member of the Black Moon Pack, accept the r-rejection of Jake Adams, the son of the Black Moon Pack."

His words cut through my heart like a knife. The pain was unbearable, and tears started streaming down my face, as the weight of rejection and abandonment consumed me.

I left for my room, started packing my bags, and made a decision to leave. I couldn't stay in this pack anymore; it was like a part of me had left. I didn't think I could cope.

I went to meet our Alpha and asked him to permit me to leave the pack. I explained the reason, and luckily, I was granted permission.

As I got to the border of the pack, I cut all ties with the Blackmoon Pack and began my journey.

The first thing on my mind was to get some information about my family; I needed to know who I was and where I belonged.

And the only clue I had was my birthmark, as I couldn't even remember my surname. But I was determined to get information about them.

I had been walking for three hours without a destination in mind and I couldn't seem to know where I was.

All I knew was that I was far away from my pack. I decided to take a rest under a tree. But as I sat under a tree to catch my breath and my legs, I heard the sound of feet moving silently in the bush.

Suddenly, a group of rogues came from the bush with swords and knives. They surrounded me and started attacking me.

I fought with all my might, but I wasn't strong enough to handle them. I braced myself, my heart pounding with a mixture of fear as I expected the worst to happen. I closed my eyes, expecting the wolf to land on me and strike, but nothing happened.

I slowly opened my eyes only to see someone in front of me fighting with the rogues.

The stranger fought with the grace and power of a true warrior, dispatching the rogues. He turned to me and I saw how handsome he was. His eyes were soothing; he was tall and built, and his dark hair complemented his look.

But as I was about to stand up and thank him for the rescue, I fainted.