Chapter 1 Find My Mate Tonight

“What the...?”I was completely shocked, and my mouth dropped the first moment I slightly pushed open the half-open door of my college dorm room. I'm 100% sure I locked the door before I left, and checked it before leaving, twice!

“Some robbers just break in...?”

A wave of despair washed over me as my eyes scanned the room, my heart plummeted into my stomach. It was a scene straight out of a horror movie, a twisted nightmare come to life.

My corner of the room had become a chaotic battleground, a war zone of overturned furniture and shattered belongings.

It was my corner affected alone as my bed, desk and dresser had been overturned with everything in disarray. On the floor were my books torn into shreds, dusty clothes and fabrics scattered all over the place and the flower vase knocked over, spilling both its contents and the mud within on the ground.

I was horrified at the sight I was witnessing as I turned over to the opposite corner where my roommate sat on her bed.

“Grace my dear, what happened here?”

I noticed her uneasiness.

“I don’t really know… They came in and…and…?” She said but could not complete her statement.

“Who came in?”

She looked up at me like she was close to breaking down.

“I shouldn’t. I don’t know.” She said and it became clear to me that she had been threatened. I needed to draw the answers from her if I was going to get to the root of this occurrence.

“Grace, I am certain there was no alien invasion here today unless I missed them on my way here. So definitely some people did this. Want to tell me who?” I asked, putting up a convincing smile on my face.

“If I tell you, we would both be dead.” She said and I instantly had my guess around the one person that could be guilty of such an invasion.

“Wait! Is it....”

I remembered something as I dashed to my wardrobe as I checked on my dress. I let off an horrified gasp as I saw my efforts wasted. What had been a really beautiful dress now hung on the hanger like a tattered rag. Some malicious had clearly vested their energy with a scissors and cut it at awkward places leaving large unmendable holes in it.

“I knew it!” I exclaimed.

My heart just broke into pieces!

I recalled how many long hours it had taken me to piece the dress together over the summer break and I had used the money which I earned from doing several part-time jobs.

Not excluding the odd ones, just to buy the materials!

The entire process had me staying up late at night under the dim light of my reading lamp so as not to draw so much attention to achieve the outcome.

Tonight was supposed to be the school's new semester party and I had been hoping to look decent with something I had made myself. Even more, it was my birthday.

I felt my hands shaking as it sent its jitters down my spine, causing me to shake all over in anger as I fought back the tears that were threatening to explode.

“Are... are you okay?” My roommate asked carefully, like I will blow up in any minute.

I put on a big smile to her.

“Good question Grace, how about we talk about something else? Like the second world war? "

For god sake! How is it possible for me to be OKAY??

All that sweat and hard work, gone in a puff. Was there a limit to the wickedness of Melissa and her cohorts?

But I never cry in-front of people, not today too. I am supposed to be strong and never sell myself as weak.

I rushed to the bathroom where I eventually broke down. To prevent anyone from noticing, I turned on the shower as I sat underneath it letting the warm water and tears flow freely over me.

Perhaps, I should welcome you to my world.

My name is Clara and I am an orphan.

I have been in foster care with Beta Benson and his family since I was eight years old and it was not always like this. I used to be happy with my father until he had betrayed the pack after deserting during a war. I however would say that I could not believe that story. I knew my father to be the Beta to the pack. One would say my defense is wrapped around the fact that he is my father and I would seek to put him in the right light but if for anything, he was not a coward. He would not turn and run from a fight as easily as the legend was said.

Sadly, my mother had died while giving me birth and I grew up with my father beside me every step in my childhood until I turned eight and this tragedy struck.

And then, Benson returned with his misleading tale.

His story was backed up probably as the Alpha had admired his courage and had him promoted to the position of the Beta over my father who until now is remembered for being a failure.

I was eight and Beta Benson was legally allowed to take me in after he had demanded that I be put under his charge. It was a nightmare, having me being put under his care. I could remember looking over my back from time to time just in greater hopes that my father would turn up but alas, he never did.

I cried until I recalled my father's name in a stain which forced me to stop crying. I had been determined to prove that my father was no coward and it had to start with me proving that no matter what, I too was the same stock as my father.

I am not a coward!!!.

I turned off the running shower, shook off the droplets of water from my body as I tried my best to see ahead of my terrible memory. I was better than this and I knew it.

Save for me, it would seem that the rest of the pack had forgotten every inch about his statement upon acquiring me.

He said he will treat me much more better than his own daughter, Melissa.

Otherwise, they should have been able to draw comparisons enough to understand that had it been a joke to him, it was not funny one bit.

The reverse of what he said was the case as in reality, Melissa got everything she wanted whilst I got nothing and was constantly given things I did not want.

A good instance was today. I did not want to wear the old clothes which had been forcefully passed onto me from Melissa's disposal to the welcoming party which if you recall is also my birthday. 

Well, it was just as the esteemed princess wish. Guess who will be the winner of the worst costume at the party?

To avoid getting busted for flashing at the party, I had to quickly dig through my closet and find a somewhat fitted tank top from the few decent clothes I had left. I grabbed the wrecked dress and did some impromptu cutting and sewing to turn it into a short skirt, using every last bit of fabric. Hair styling? well, I just let my chestnut curls hang loosely over my shoulders. I didn't get any free time take care of them.

As for jewelry? Yeah, right. I didn't have the spare cash for that. But you know what? I rocked my confidence like it was the hottest accessory ever. It shone brighter than any bling could, trust me.

My hopes and expectations were hanging on one wish...

That I find my mate tonight and he should be one willing to protect me as expected.