Ch. 5 Who are you?

Odette’s POV

Tears streamed down my face as I hastily gathered my scattered clothes from the floor, stuffing them into my bags. I couldn’t believe my own mother had done this to me. My heart was a pounding mess as my fingers closed around the handle. I made my way back to my car and drove off in haste.

The night road stretched out before me, leading me straight to the packhouse. The palace was where Alpha Dominic and his family lived. I tried to walk past the gate, but the royal guards stopped me. “What’s a lowlife like you doing here?” They sneered.

“I want to speak to your Alpha,” I told them, but they only laughed.

“Are you sure the Alpha is the one you are looking for? Because he doesn’t associate with low-class she-wolves like you. Besides, he has a beautiful fiancée, so move along.” They pushed me, and I staggered backwards, about to fall. But strong arms caught me, breaking my fall.

“Where are your manners? Is this how to treat a lady?” A deep voice shouted at the guards, reprimanding them for their behavior. The guards quickly bowed their heads, apologizing profusely.

I looked up, my heart skipping a beat, as I came face-to-face with Alpha Dominic. His eyes were a striking yellow hue, and it seemed like the word. “Mate.” was on the tip of his tongue. But instead, he asked, “Who are you?”

“I…. I’m the girl you had a one-night stand with a few months ago,” I stammered.

He stared at me, his expression shifting from confusion to stunned disbelief. “I have never seen you before in my life,” he said, his voice firm. “And I am not a fan of one-night stands because I have a fiancée. That’s a serious accusation, you know.”

I looked into his cold eyes, my own filled with desperation. “The person you slept with at Sunlight Hotel that night…it wasn’t…Mariposa,” I said, my voice cracking ever so slightly. “I-It was me, I—” He cut me off, his voice laced with suspicion.

“Are you doing this for money or fame?” he asked, reaching into his pocket. He pulled out a few dollars, then emptied his wallet, handing me the money. “Take it, it should be enough to get you out of my face.”

I shook my head, tears welling up in my eyes. “You are misunderstanding me,” I tried to explain. “I couldn’t stop you that night because I was drunk, why don’t you ask the woman you were expecting that…” He interrupted me again, his voice filled with frustration.

“I’m used to this scandal. Every day, there is always a she-wolf coming to claim that she is pregnant with my child. You are not the first.” He tossed the money at me, his expression unreadable. His words stung, making me feel like a whore and a gold digger. I grabbed the money and ran after him, trying to tell him the truth. But he walked into the gate.

The royal guards blocked my path again, this time with crossed swords. “I’m telling the truth!” I screamed, my voice echoing in the silent night. “Please hear me out! I know it doesn’t make sense, but it did happen!” But my pleas fell on deaf ears, swallowed by the darkness of the night.

***

The night breeze was a cold caress against my skin as I walked barefoot down the bridge. Hot tears streamed down my face, each drop hotter than the last. I couldn’t help but wonder why the moon goddess had forsaken me. As if lung cancer wasn’t enough of a burden.

I stood at the edge of the bridge, and my heart kicked into overdrive. I closed my eyes, the world around me fading into nothingness. I had nothing left to live for. As I jumped off the bridge, everything turned into darkness.

Was I dead? Maybe it was for the better. Hell couldn’t be much worse than this.

“Why would a beautiful lady like yourself want to take her own life?” A voice called out to me, pulling me back from the edge of unconsciousness. I slowly opened my eyes to see two royal guards gripping my hands, their faces carved with desperation. Their muscles strained as they struggled to pull me up, my shaking feet making their task even more difficult.

One of them pleaded, his voice trembling. “Why do you want to end your life so badly?”

“You wouldn’t…” Before I could respond, the Luna of the pack appeared—Alpha Dominic’s mother. Her shiny blonde hair was dancing in the wind. She looked down at me from the bridge, her eyes filled with a strange mix of emotions.

“Is it true, Miss Odette?” She asked, her voice barely above a whisper. “Are you really carrying my son’s child?”

I laughed, a bitter sound that echoed in the silent night. “What does it matter? How do you even know my name?” I retorted. “I won’t live long enough to give birth to the child anyway, and your son has already rejected it. I have lung cancer. It’s killing me. Instead of suffering some more, I would rather take the easy way out.”

Her gaze softened, and she sniffled. “I know,” she said quietly. “I know you don’t think you can make it, but I can help you.”

The last threads of my control shredded, and tears came in a torrent. Sobs tore from the depths of my soul. “No one can help me, I am already dead,” I cried. “Just let me go.”

The Luna’s voice was firm. “I can save your life; I have already talked to the doctor about the costs of the surgery. All you have to do in return is give your life to me for a year.” She pleaded. “Once you give birth to my grandchild, I will take it away from you, and you can go back to your normal life.”

Confusion clouded my mind. “I…I don’t understand,” I stammered. The guards began to pull me up, their grunts of effort filling the air.

Panic climbed up my throat. “No!!!” I screamed. “I won’t make any deals! I don’t want to be your slave, and life isn’t worth living anymore.”

“I can make it worth living for you,” she offered yet again.

“I said, let me go!” I yelled and pulled my hands out of the guard’s grip with all my strength. They tried to catch me, but it was too late, as I fell into the cold, icy water.