CHAPTER 3

I halt in my steps, turning around to face Lucas who is now standing too close to me.

“What do you want, Lucas?" I ask impatiently.

A flicker of sadness flashes through his dark orbs but I ignore it.

" I just want us to talk,Alora.”

" Talk? Talk about what exactly Lucas? There's nothing left to talk about between the two of us.” I snap, annoyed.

The audacity! He has the nerves to want to talk to me when I had tried talking to him after my father's announcement only for him to remain distant with me.

" I'm sorry,Alora. I didn't mean to ignore you.” He says and my anger spikes.

" You had every fucking intention of ignoring me Lucas. I would really appreciate it if you keep doing that.”

There's a time I wanted to hear him explain why he didn't turn down my father's offer of marrying Leah and becoming the Alpha. Now, I don't anymore.

“ Alora, I didn't have a choice. I couldn't say no to the Alpha." Lucas mumbles and I shoot him a glare.

“ You could have told him the truth. The truth that you are my fated mate but you didn't. You chose power over our mate bond." I snap angrily.

“ You see, I have come to accept that I'll never be good in anyone's eyes, not even to my mate. So I don't need you to explain shit."

Lucas looks at me with guilt in his eyes but I turn around with every intention of walking away.

" You still love me, don't yóu?” His words halt me in my steps. I turn around slowly, drinking in his hopeful stare.

" Excuse me?” I ask for clarification. He can't  be seriously asking me that.

" You still have feelings for me. That's why yóu came here.” Lucas says, his voice filled with confidence.

“ You are delusional." I reply, sending him a glare. Honestly, I don't know how and why I ended up here. I only know that my father's announcement earlier shattered me ànd I needed some time alone.

“ You don't need to deny what you feel for me.” Lucas says,taking a step closer and I move away.

" I love you,Alora. I want to be with you but there's no way I could refuse the Alpha’s orders.”

I scoff at hís words. Love me? Is that how cheap his love for me is? Willing to abandon me just because my father àsked him to be my sister's mate?

" I don't need your pitiful love Lucas. You are engaged to my sister now. She is your chosen mate. The further you stay away from me,the less trouble I will have with my family.”

If he didn't help me at school, maybe my sister wouldn't have felt threatened ànd my father wouldn't have arranged the mate selection party for me.

Sometimes, I get the feelings that my parents know about the mating bond between Lucas and I. However,that did not stop them from arranging his engagement with Leah. In their eyes, I don't deserve someone as outstanding as Lucas. I wouldn't be surprised if they end up pairing me with an old mate less Alpha or any random man desperate for a mate. Anything to get rid of me.

Casting one last glance at him, I turn around and walk away,not even looking back for once.

***

I wake up with a jolt as a moan slips past my lips. My stomach clenches and my lady bits throb.

My eyes widen and I scramble out of bed. Rushing to the bathroom, I turn the shower on and allow the cold water to cascade down my burning body.

The water does nothing to lessen the heat flooding my insides.

The sound of the door being banged heavily makes me flinch. Sure enough,my mother and sister must have smelled the scent of my heat.

I can't help but wonder what triggered the heat. As an unmated she-wolf who has reached her maturity,the heat is a phase that comes once a year.

It helps us to locate our mates but at the same time,it attracts any unmated male who finds it hard to resist the alluring mating scent that we produce.

I already had my heat early this year ànd wasn't expecting it until the following mating season.

“ Open the damn door, damnit!" My mother curses from outside my róom.

I hate my heat. It's the time my mother proves to me that I am nothing but a whore and a stain in my family. Without my wolf,it's hard to control it unlike Leah who can easily suppress her emotions.

Turning the shower off, I step outside,wrap a towel around my body ànd make a beeline to open the door.

What greets me is nothing but what I expected; a fuming mother and a disdainful look from Leah.

My mother's eyes scan my appearance as if she is looking at something dirty attached to her clothes.

“You really are a disgrace. You can't even control yourself!” My mother spats,not bothering to hide the disgust in her voice.

Just then,two maids appear from behind her ànd I take a step away in fright.

The silver coated chains in their hands sent dread throughout my body.

“ Take her away." My mother orders and the maids step forward,grabbing my wrists ànd pulling me out óf my room.

I try to fight and kick but I am stopped by my mother's hand connecting with my cheeks.

“ Do yóu want to embarrass us by sleeping with every available male that comes your way?" She hisses.

The heat can have someone throwing themselves to just anyone. That's why my mother opts to chain me in the basement until the period passes.

She can't risk the reputation of the family being stained by their weak mutt who can't shift nor control her heat.

I pass through the sitting room where my father is seated and he looks away,too ashamed to see his disgraceful daughter.

I spot Lucas seated next to him ànd unlike my father,he holds my gaze.

When someone shoves me from behind, I realize that I had been staring at him for a long time.

I am thrown to the basement with chains binding my legs and hands. The darkness takes over once the door is slammed shut.

I crouch on the floor,my knees supporting my face as the pain of silver chains on my skin burns through me.

Werewolves are prone to anything made of silver. My mother however prefers using silver chains to cuff me when my heat strikes. It's like punishing me for something I have zero control in.

I don't know how many days pass with me locked up in the basement. The only thing I get down here is a meal once in a day and a bottle of water which is delivered through a small opening at the door.

When the door finally opens,the two maids who threw me in here drag my tired ànd bruised body out of the dark and cold róom.

As I pass through the sitting room, my mother approaches me.

“ I have your dress ready in your room. Get ready,the party will be held tonight.” She announces and my eyes widen.

“ Don't act surprised. After the stunt you pulled, I can't stand dealing with your stupid horny self another time." She spats before walking away. I turn to look at my father and he ignores me. He always does. I don't even Know why I hoped he could say something in my defense.

I am shoved upstairs and into my room before the maids leave.

I head to my bed, slumping on it in exhaustion.

Judging from the time of the day, I could use a few hours of sleep before night falls.

Crawling under the covers, I make a decision.

Tonight during the party, I will take my chance to escape the pack. Since I'll need my energy to pull that off, I close my eyes and rest.