Prologue

I was an exiled Luna from Hawthorn pack.

My life there was great. I had a loving family, a supportive long-term boyfriend, and the pack members respected and painted me as the perfect future Luna.

I was the perfect girl everyone looked up to... until I got away from that pack because of a tragedy that caused miserable events in my life.

"Mae! Get that order in table nineteen please!" Madam Lavender, the owner of this pizzeria that I've worked for the past months, shouted at me.

Immediately, I went to the customer and smiled widely.

"Good afternoon, sir!" I greeted him.

But my smile eventually vanished when I saw who it was. It's the maniac customer who has been pestering me for the past weeks. He's a middle-aged man who wants to offer a big amount of money on the table just for sex.

I am not like that kind of girl.

"Why the deep sigh?" he taunted. "Don't want to cater to a customer?" His grin was menacing, and I couldn't help but notice the glint of a golden, crooked tooth when he smiled.

Clutching my pen and notebook tightly, I forced myself to take his order. "Your order, sir?"

"I want Katrina Mae Brown, please."

I heaved a deep sigh, my legs shaking because of fear of what he might do again this time. The last time he went here, he caused chaos by throwing tables and chairs. We were lucky police officers were patrolling outside the pizzeria house.

"Sorry, we don't have that here, sir. Now, if you may excuse me."

My heels turned back towards the kitchen because I didn't want him to cause any chaos anymore. Madame Lavender will handle him. After all, he's my boss's ex-husband.

"Hey, I'm not done talking yet, you bitch!" The man shouted and threw the table napkin on my back.

I halted and clutched my notebook on my chest tightly.

If I get fired from this job, how will I sustain Rosie's needs? She's still a child. I can't afford to lose my job!

He was about to grab my arm when someone interrupted. "Hey, hey, hey, old man. Easy there!" a familiar voice echoed in my ears.

As soon as I saw Jasper, my only friend in this small town, appear in front of me, I felt like a nail was plucked out of my body.

"How many times have you tried to harass Mae here? You don't learn a lesson!"

Jasper has always been a loyal friend of mine since the day I moved here. He was the one who helped me get off the cruise ship when I arrived.

I knew he had feelings for me; I was just waiting for him to confess just so I would turn down his feelings.

Jasper is the leader of a gang in this pack. Tall, dark, and handsome, and I'm sure that he will find someone who would love him unconditionally.

"J-Jasper... aren't we friends?" The old man stuttered when Jasper exerted dominance over him.

I glared at him. Madame Lavender was already at my side, asking if I was alright. I nodded at her and held Jasper's arms.

I didn't want him to get into trouble because of me.

"Can't remember. I don't befriend an old man, you stink," Jasper replied sarcastically and gazed at him.

"Leave it, Jas. I'll talk to him." Madame Lavender intervened because it would only take a minute before Jasper exploded.

"Mae, you get Jasper to the kitchen."

"Yes, madame," I answered to my boss and immediately dragged Jasper's arms out there.

"I should've killed that man before!" Jasper hissed. I tried to make him relax by making him look at me.

"Hey, I'm alright. I'm not harmed, alright?"

"Almost harassed! If I didn't want to visit you here, you would've let that man harass you again, Mae!"

I smiled at him. "Thanks for the concern, but I'm really okay. Don't think about it anymore, okay?" I said and removed the checkered apron on my shoulder.

"Anyway, why are you here in the pizzeria?" I asked Jasper, smiling at him right now.

He shook his head and said. "Rosie was crying and asking to see you."

My body froze and looked at him with concerned eyes. "What happened?"

"Well, uhm, her skin was burning of fever - Mae! Where are you going?"

I didn't wait for him and immediately ran towards our apartment complex. It's near the pizzeria house. I asked Jasper to take care of Rosie today because I plan to work overtime. She had a fever last night. I thought she was getting better today!

The moment I arrived, I picked up Rosie in my arms and catered to her needs. She slept after an hour when Jasper arrived at my apartment.

"The coast is clear in the pizzeria house. Madam Lavender put a restraining order on her ex-husband. You don't have to worry about working there anymore." Jasper said and looked at me worriedly.

I nodded at him and started cleaning the apartment. He turned on the television in silence and let the voice of the anchor make a noise inside our room.

"A high-profile is looking for a lawyer for a criminal case. Didn't you get a law degree, Mae?" Jasper innocently asked me. I paused in my place while vacuuming the floor under the dining table.

"Yes," I replied honestly.

"Oh shit! I knew this high profile. He's the Alpha in our town!"

"How'd you know? The Alpha of this small town doesn't even make any noise. No special events or what."

"That's because he works under the table. He needs to keep it low while doing business, you know? He has to provide for our pack. Actually, I idolized him so much. It would be an honor to meet him in person."

Ah, our Alpha works with criminals in the black market.

I just nodded at Jasper and finished it clean.

Jasper kept on talking about what he saw in the news.

"How about you apply for this job, Mae? The pay is good. No, it's excellent! It can cover your expenses in a year without working in that pizzeria anymore!"

I smiled at Jasper. "I don't think I can get the position, Jas. There are so many good lawyers out there. The job is highly publicized, so the competition is tight."

"And I'm betting on you!"

I let out a small laugh and shook my head at Jasper. "I'm just a single mother with no strong connection and a bland resume, Jas. Nothing interesting about me other than I graduated law school."

Jasper crossed his arms and licked his lower lip. "We all know that Rosie is not your child, Mae! You just picked her up on a random day, on a random ship, because her mother wanted to abandon her!"

"Jasper! Rosie might hear you!" I hissed at him.

He looks angry and sad. I smiled at him.

He was right.

I shouldn't have taken the obligation to take care of this child, but Rosie was the ray of light when I was in my darkest time. In my heart, she is my biological daughter.

Jasper turned off the television quickly and I checked on Rosie in her room.

She was fast asleep. Her fever had already subsided, so I tucked the covers closer to her sides. I silently left the room after taking time to observe her calm breathing.

It took me a lot of convincing for Jasper to take care of Rosie while I worked in the pizzeria.

Madame Lavender acknowledged my presence when I arrived and I wasted no time at work.

It was a cold Sunday morning.

I thought it was just an ordinary day of my life hiding in this small town near the coast. But it wasn’t.

"Good morning, ma'am! May I take your order?" I asked the middle-aged woman who has been our loyal customer.

"The usual, please," she smiled at me and gave me a tip.

The sea air kissed my skin as I stood outside. The air was chilly. I need to get this order ASAP.

I easily catch a cold. This is not the time to get sick!

I was about to get inside when I noticed a man wearing a black cap. He was playing with the orphaned and street kids outside.

The scene touched my heart as I hugged the serving plate of my chest, smiling heartily at the man.

When he noticed me, he raised his hand and I immediately attended to him to get his order.

"Good morning, sir! What's your order? Would you like to have our bestseller?" I asked, my tone friendly.

He takes off his black cap and places it on the table before turning to face me, only to have the corner of his smile vanish after just one glance.

The sight of someone I knew brought my body shivering.

No, this is not happening.

To get away from that dark past, I left behind my profession, goals, family, and the Luna title of that popular pack.

I was beginning to fucking let go. All of those memories.

Archer's eyes bulged out as soon as he recognized who I was.

"Katrina..." he whispered; he blinked and pursed his lips.

My body froze in my place. I couldn't form the right words!

"Sorry, I think you mistook me for someone. I'll have someone to take your order, sir..."

I didn't let him speak another single word because I was already running towards the kitchen.

"Mae! Alpha Archer is here! Oh my, he is rarely seen in our pack! And now he's in my pizzeria!" Madame Lavender hysterically said.

My vision started to blur; I forgot how to breathe!

Clutching the fabric near my chest, I remind myself to breathe and be calm. There is no way in hell that man is the Alpha of this small town.

I tried so, so, hard, to find a country and a small pack just so I could hide my identity.

There are many Archers in the country.

There's a tiny chance that he's the Archer, the criminal that I knew in my past, my boss was talking about!

"No way..." I whispered, looking at the man outside the pizzeria.

But I know I was just fucking lying and convincing myself that it wasn't him.

The man I saw earlier was indeed him.

My mate that I rejected seven years ago.

His name is Archer Ellington.

The criminal Alpha that I loved.