Chapter ~ 1

"I don't want to go back..." Ayra's voice trailed off, her eyes darkened as she stared at the warm plate of rice before her. She had been quiet all morning and was on the verge of changing her mind about going back home.

"Nonsense, child!" Her grandmother reprimanded her, abandoning the eggs on fire and walking over to her.

"You've already missed out on four Blood moons. Don't you want to find your mate?"

"I don't need a mate. I'm fine just on my own." She replied, as though stating the obvious. The discussion only made her lose her appetite.

"Besides, what can they offer me? I'm pretty sure I'm stronger than most of those pompous douchebags." She spat bitterly, remembering her bitter arrival at the Grey Woods pack after the big incident.

"The cab will be here in five minutes. You are leaving my house today in search of your own destiny, and that's final!" She yelled and resumed her cooking.

"If you don't leave my house, you'll find yourself on the street." She declared.

Ayra just rolled her eyes, groaning back the urge to argue. But she knew there was no convincing her grandmother.

After a curt hug and goodbye, and a lunch box prepared by hers truly, Ayra was on her way to the airport.

The flight back was long and she had to sit for nine hours, which caused her a terrible headache and backache. But to her, no ache could compare to the one she was about to face once she got home.

Bullied... Rejected... Disdained...

"The daughter of a rogue beast!"

That's all she had known throughout her life.

Her mother, Helen, was from a prestigious pack but after running away from an arranged marriage, she was captured by rogues. She was forced to give their ruthless ruler an heir but the baby turned out to be a girl.

Ayra never experienced love from her father. He was abusive to her mother and always found an excuse to always injure her heavily. Ayra would comfort her crying mother every night and when she was of age, she too got her share of physical abuse.

Her father was a ruthless monster, a conqueror who killed anyone who opposed him. Other rogues lived in fear and anguish, nobody ever coming up to challenge him.

One day, they attracted trouble to themselves by attacking members of Grey Woods who were out on an expedition. That was how she and her mother were saved.

She ended up marrying the widowed Beta of Grey Woods and was happy along the line but Ayra? She was an outcast. And her step-siblings always made that clear.

Her mother, however, was somewhat loved because of her usefulness as the pack's native doctor. But Ayra had never felt at home.

Every hook and cranny of the pack reminded her that she was a stranger and would never experience the love of a pack.

The last time anybody ever saw her pitiful face was during the school's last dance for the year. She had asked a boy to the dance and he rejected her in front of the entire school and asked out another girl in her presence.

Her humiliation knew no bounds.

Everybody thought she was a freak. Why? —She had deep red eyes with flecks of gold. 'Red' had been marked the color of the beasts. And anyone with it was said to be associated with the devil.

But how was it her fault? She was born that way and there was nothing she could do about it. And being the daughter of a ruthless rogue king didn't make it any better.

She had always dreaded going back to Grey Woods pack because she wasn't welcomed by anybody, not even by the family her mother married into.

She ended up staying away for four years —Training and working on her weaknesses.

"Never again..." She growled, her present self buried deep in her ugly past. Her train of thought was interrupted by the air hostess who announced the landing of the plane.

After getting cleared at the terminal and claiming her luggage, she lazily dragged the single box and headed for the exit, popping her pink gum at intervals.

"Mom said she's busy. I wonder which mofo is picking me up." She remarked nonchalantly, dragging her feet through the transparent doors. Her eyes scanned the environment in search of who might be picking her up.

Her gum popped, spreading all over her mouth as her eyes landed on him.

Devin — Her stepbrother.

Her heart started to race, feeling like they would burst any time soon.

He stood there, leaning against the car, his eyes searching impatiently for a familiar face. He grunted, his eyes checking the gigantic airport wall clock before resuming to look for a particular small figure.

Ayra's breath caught in her throat. She wasn't expecting her brutal step-brother to pick her up. Her skin became pale, remembering how he treated her in the past. He wasn't the most notable bully in her life, but he always reminded her of her position in the pack —A weak, little girl who ached for love and attention.

He seemed much different from the past four years —he had gone from a thin-built boy to a huge man. His new build threatened to rip the black shirt off him, his hair slightly tousled. He was charming, more than she could have ever imagined.

With one hand propping on the other, he pulled his phone to his face and was about to make a call when his eyes landed on her.

She froze to one spot, memories flooding in. She hated the mere sight of him because she still felt a tingling tug of fear lurking within.

"No, I'm no longer that little girl." She resolved and clutched her box, like her life depended on it.

Not wanting to show the effect he had on her, she took bold steps toward him and walked past him to the back of the car, opening the boot, and forcing her bag into it before shutting it.

She pulled her phone from her back pocket and settled in passenger seat.

"What was that all about?" He poked his head through the window, his blue eyes glistening with rage.

"I've been waiting here for over 30 minutes and you walk in and act like you didn't see me?"

"I can always get a cab, you know. And I'd appreciate it if you didn't speak to me. That's the only thing you're ever good at." She fired back, removing her jacket because of the heat she felt. Her mind raced - She had never spoken back to him before, she didn't know where she was pulling her courage from.

He frowned with his eyes, she had gotten bold and sharp mouthed. And his eyes didn't miss how sweat trickled down her big breasts. And how they jiggled when she adjusted in her seat.

Her hair had gotten longer and more wavy, she had multiple openings on her ears and one on her nose.

'Wait, is this really that little girl?' His eyes glinted with doubt.

"Listen, you can stand there and be mad all day or you can get in and drive us home. You don't have all day, you know." She smirked, popping her gum. He wanted to hate this new side of her but he found himself liking it.

"Thank your stars I'm in a good mood." He got in and wanted to start the car but stopped when he noticed something — She hadn't put on her seat belt.

"You don't know how to do anything, do you?" He scoffed and let go of the keys.

She ignored his words and continued using her phone. He leaned in, crossing the seat belt until it locked unto its other half.

Her heart raced when his skin brushed against her open tummy. She looked up to see him looking at her without pulling away.

"Keep running that big mouth of yours and I'm going to enjoy taming this new baddie inside you."

Her knees weakened, the scent of his sweat clouding her imagination.

Blue eyes gazed deep into red ones. A gaze that lingered for a second too long, igniting sparks of something forbidden.

When she couldn't stand his inches-close intense gaze, she shut her eyes and repulsively pushed his face away.

"Don't you know what personal space is? Also, I mentioned you shouldn't speak to me. I can put on my seat belt myself."

She tried to control the racing of her heart so he wouldn't hear how nervous he made her feel.

They were supposed to be family, step-siblings, but she went overboard.

That was why she had to leave —She wanted a man she couldn't have.