Chapter 1

[HOLLY’s Point-of-View]

I saw how Irina looked at the dress miserably. I could tell her indecisiveness about what to wear after Dad, Randalf Ambrose, Alpha of the Ivory Pack sent her so many expensive dresses for whatever occasion that was coming.

I couldn’t help but lean on the wall, not too far from my sister’s room. I sadly sighed while holding a broom in my hand. The calluses and blisters were nothing compared to the pain I felt for wishing Dad to love me as much as he loved Irina—for wishing that he could treat me the same way he treats Irina with so much adoration. I hated it. I wish I could change things.

But of course, I don’t have power over the destiny that was given to me. I was wolfless. Weak. A burden to my father’s pack and everyone. Maybe if I was in a different situation where my Dad wasn’t the Alpha, the people here had already thrown me away from this place. A wolfless like me was an embarrassment to everyone. A weakling that makes a pack look vulnerable to the enemies.

“Can’t choose?”

My heartbeat went fast when I heard that familiar seductive, horse voice. I frowned. Alec Aoki! What was he doing in my sister’s room?! With nervous feeling and a heavy chest, I was forced to peek at the small opening of the door and saw him embrace Irina behind her back and kiss her neck as she tilted her head flirtatiously, making her chuckle.

“I am not happy with Dad’s decision,” she sharply exhaled, looking so frustrated. She pulled herself away from Alec and sat on the side of the bed with her lips pouting, making herself look cute in front of my mate.

I shut my eyes tight for seconds, suppressing myself not to cry as my throat started to swell from the sob that was threatening to escape from it. So this was the reason why his heart was so cold to me! It was Irina and not because of me being a wolfless weakling!

Goddess! My heart shredded from the pain and it was killing me!

Alec sat beside Irina and gently caressed her glasslike smooth cheeks with the back of his fingers like she was some sort of an exorbitant gemstone, “Your Dad would never give you to a ruthless, bloodthirsty man, Irina. You know how much your father adores you. There is no way he would let you marry that man!”

Irina scowled, “How sure are you? The engagement will be arranged soon and it’s so unfair!” her eyes turned soft as she gazed into Alec’s handsome face and I felt my stomach wrenched, “You know that all I wanted was you, Alec. You know how much I love you, right?”

“Yes, of course I do,” Alec smiled, his eyes were on Irina’s lips. His thumb and index finger held her chin softly, “That’s why I don’t have second thoughts about my plan to reject that worthless wolfless b*tch, Irina. My eyes are only glued to you. You are the one I only want and no one else.”

Rage blazed inside me, burning away the remaining feelings I still had for Alec as I cursed him in my head. You…You *sshole!

Irina gave Alec a sultry grin as she leaned closer to him, so close that their lips were just inches away. I didn’t know why I stayed watching them. I didn’t know why I was torturing myself seeing Alec with Irina. How could Irina do this to me?! She knew that Alec was my mate!

She knew it would kill me. But she still chose to take the man I loved away from me…

“Trust me. I will do everything I can to make your Dad change his mind,” Alec whispered, his eyes half-closed as if bewitched by Irina’s beauty.

I thought my heart would explode as Irina and Alec kissed so passionately. Alec’s arms wrapped around Irina’s small waist. She held him closer. I saw how she grabbed his clothes and pulled him against her while their lips were kneading against each other. Moans escaping from their throats.

I realized it was enough torture for myself and decided to walk away as I silently cried. I was so heartbroken that Alec, of all women here in Ivory Pack, chose Irina, my sister, to destroy me. He was going to reject me. For her. A reality like a punch in the gut that I would never recover from.

To my haste, my foot tripped on the broom I was holding and I landed straight on the door of Irina’s room with a loud thud that made the two jump out of the bed with shock on their faces. Especially Alec, whose face turned paperwhite when our eyes locked with each other.

Irina’s gaze turned from Alec to mine and anger immediately etched on her face as she pulled me up so aggressively by my elbow. Before I could even realize it, my head tilted violently from the powerful slap I received from Irina followed by the stinging sensation that almost made half of my face completely numb.

“What are you doing here sneaking in my room, Holly?! Are you here to spy on me?! To tell Dad what you saw here?!” Irina’s angry wide eyes and grinding teeth made me shudder in fear as I shook my head, too baffled to speak a word to her.

“Stop it, Irina. Just let her go. There’s no way Alpha Randalf would believe a word she says,” Alec smirked and kissed Irina’s lips in front of me before he gave me a disgusted look on his face.

Irina hissed at me threateningly, “Tell Dad anything and I will cut your tongue! Stupid b*tch!”

I hid my face from her while sobbing terribly. I whimpered when she kicked me on the leg before she and Alec left the room. I glared at Alec and his eyes were dark and unapologetic.

I was shattered into thousands of pieces.

Alone and brokenhearted I lowered my head until my forehead touched the cold, concrete floor.

I softly cried a prayer, hoping that the Moon Goddess could hear the pain screaming inside of me.

“Please, Moon Goddess, mother of mercy and grace, if you can hear me, please grant my wish and let me have my wolf soon. Take me to the road where I could finally have my true mate who would accept me for who I am. Who loves me enough to take me away from here and end the suffering I had been enduring from my family…”