CHAPTER 2

CHARLENE'S POV

 

I didn't waste my time with Jaxton's foul words and actions. I desperately ran outside of the pack house as soon as I escaped him, and fortunately, Xavier was already waiting for me in the corner of the street. 

 

I performed a mind link with him successfully while I was on the verge of death at the hands of Jaxton a while ago.

 

My tears automatically fell from my eyes the moment that I saw his worried expression.

 

Xavier went near me, then placed his hands on my shoulders, which he softly pressed. "Shh… Everything would be alright, Charlene. I trust the two of you, and I just know that this won’t be sufficient to ruin your relationship," he confidently said.

 

Xavier and I have been in touch with each other since a few years ago. He didn’t think of me differently, even if he was a mere human, a mortal who was supposed to be afraid of supernatural creatures.

 

Minutes later on, after Xavier drove me to the pack where I originally belonged, the Mystic Moon Pack.

 

I sped up as I headed to my parents’ room with a heavy heart. I can't even imagine how I'd be casually talking to them after I took Jaxton's side and lived with him.

 

"Why are you here, Charlene?" Luna Ciara was the first one to notice my arrival as soon as I crossed the door's threshold.

 

I bowed my head for a short while as a sign of respect. "Mom…" I wasn't sure what words I should first say to her now that I'm back here.

 

A gunshot almost made me deaf as it came out of nowhere. That’s what I wanted to believe.

 

"M-mom… Why? Why do you have a gun filled with silver bullets?" My voice almost cracked while I tried my best to stop myself from sobbing.

 

Luna Ciara swore to herself that she'd never use any weapon against her own pack, especially against me and the alpha.

 

"You may not have had the ability to awaken your wolf until now, but you're smart enough to fear the power of a silver bullet," she replied.

 

Mom’s right. Since the day that I was born, I never felt my wolf inside that urged me to shift with me. If I wasn’t able to link our minds, I would have been considered a human.

 

A human has no authority to belong in the Mystic Moon Pack, which means that I could’ve been executed since the first minute that I got to this world.

 

"Ciara! Drop the gun; you’re going to get her killed," hurriedly said Alpha Clayton, my father and my only protector. "Charlene, why did Jaxton tell us that he'd search for his second mate? Is it true that you mated with a stranger?"

 

"It's not true—"

 

"Get that whore out of my sight, Clayton." Luna Ciara sounded pissed off.

 

First, it was Jaxton who disappointed me. And now it’s my parents. The only ones I expected to be able to help me even though we weren't on good terms.

 

I covered my ears and crouched to the ground when she tried to shoot me once more. She’s obviously missing her target on purpose.

 

"Go out for now, Charlene. Your mother’s not going to listen to any of your excuses right now," Alpha Clayton said, then gestured to his butlers to take me away from their room.

 

Two brawny men held me side-by-side to drag me out of their house. I kept on pounding my chest, which felt occupied. No amount of tears would suffice for the pain that I have to endure.

 

"Charlene, over here!" I heard Xavier’s voice from afar. "Did it go well..? I guess not." He discarded his query when he noticed how down I was.

 

I sighed. "Let’s go." I invited him to accompany me to Chandler’s place. It wasn't that far from my parents' home.

 

All the houses that were in the Mystic Moon Pack were built close to one another, which is why there's rarely a vehicle around.

 

It felt kind of unusual when I sensed several eyes that kept on following me while we were walking, as if they were all gossiping about me. Xavier had to switch places with me countless times just to make me comfortable until we successfully reached our destination.

 

"Are you sure that you’re going to be alright on your own? I still have a few hours to spare before I return home," Xavier asked with a hint of concern.

 

I gave him a tender smile that I had to force on myself, along with a nod of my head. "Chandler's been one of my close friends since I was a child. You can go home now; she won’t do anything disgraceful to me," I answered.

 

As soon as Xavier left, I entered Chandler’s house. Her parents gave me a duplicate key since I’ve managed to gain their trust for over a decade since I befriended their sole daughter.

 

"Oh, Charlene… What’s up?" Chandler greeted me from the crimson couch that she sat on.

 

"Can we talk in private? I don’t want your parents to hear our conversation," I said.

 

Chandler rose from her couch with an eyebrow raised. "This is the first time that you want to keep a secret from Calix and Crystal. Follow me to the observatory."

 

She led the way downstairs from their living room, where their hideout was located, which they call the observatory. This was the same place where they preserved the flesh of those humans who violated their laws. But now, it’s often used for the purpose of private meetings with whoever is among their pack.

 

"Is this about Jaxton again?"

 

My lips parted for a while. "Y-yeah… I plan to accept his order."

 

"What?! But isn’t he the father? How could he insist on abortion? Can’t he at least sense how he’s blood-related to the child?" Chandler complained about how thick-headed Jaxton was.

 

"Whatever the case was, I’m sure that the moon goddess wouldn’t let Jaxton live his life without any sense of guilt," I responded with a shrug of my shoulder. "I'm left with no other choice. I have to survive..."

 

She lent me a piece of paper that she got from their drawer. "Read and sign that contract once you’ve totally made up your mind. I’ll call Calix over to discuss the procedure with you later on," she mumbled while I examined its contents.

 

Chandler’s father, Calix, was the head of the Mystic Moon’s Hospital. I won’t have any complaints if he’s going to be the one to operate on me someday.

 

I clenched one of my fists and then positioned it on my chest, where my beating heart was. I slit through my wrist, then let my blood drop on the contract, which I used to write my signature on. I returned the contract to Chandler, who had this smirk on her lips.

 

"You never learn, huh? You’re still this easy to deceive." She chuckled as she hid the contract. "Now, your beloved Jaxton will be mine for eternity, and you won’t be able to do anything about it."

 

Why…

 

Just why did everyone that I had faith in only end up showing a flawless facade?