Chapter 1: The Cloaked Visit

The moist ground of the fields were a sharp contrast from the stone roads I had just ran through. I was running as fast as my legs could carry me but my heart inside my chest was running faster. 

It was in eager anticipation of catching up with him...a man I had yearned to see and speak with for hours since yesterday but he had refused me like I was worthless...I am Baela Rossi, the daughter of Lorgan and Hannah Rossi; the beta werewolf couples.

Oh!...I keep forgetting I have been publicly disgraced yesterday as not being their real daughter and with that I had lost everything except for one thing...one thing I was still grasping to hold onto with both my hands...one thing that would make all my pains go away in a moment.

A couple of werewolves zoomed past me in their werewolf form, almost shoving me onto the moist ground. I struggled but I regained my composure before I could fall. I wouldn't say I wasn't jealous of them sometimes but they were beginning to piss me off with their show offs and this was intentional.

I caught sight of the one I had wanted to see so desperately from afar, majestically walking towards the arena. The new Alpha...he looked more powerful with each passing day. 

I knew this was my only opportunity to speak with him but it was sacrilege. What I was about to do was abominable but I couldn't worry about the consequences now...if I failed to do this my life would be worthless.

I knew I made really poor choices and if I had run this through my adoptive parents they would have tried to stop me...they would have corrected me in love to know my place...but I didn't know my place. I had tried in the past several times but had failed woefully. I was neither good for a daughter, a sister, a werewolf or a Luna...the last part was all I had left to fight for and I had to try.

I steadied myself on the moist ground with my soiled boots on as I started to run again as fast as I could towards the Alpha. I was so close but knew I was not going to catch up with him at my pace, he was almost close to his beta werewolves and they would never let me get anywhere close to him. I did the first thing my instinct told me to do in my desperation...I yelled his name as loudly as my lungs could allow.

"ALPHA ABBADON!" I screamed. I heard his name echo in my ears as the others surely did too and it came out very rudely. 

I stopped running and froze where I was as I became the centre of attention. They were now all stirring at me but only one of them was visible to me...it was Alpha Abbadon himself!

I could see the hell in his eyes as he turned and stared hard at me. I know I made really poor choices but I think I had just broken my record yet again...but I couldn't stop now. I have gotten his full attention and even though everyone was staring at us, that was all that mattered to me.

"I need you to keep your WORD!...You promised me you would!...You PROMISED I would be your MATE!" I begged, as my voice shook, my emotions getting the better of me. There was a loud gasp from the news I had revealed...the pack had started to form around us. Alpha Abbadon had started to walk back towards me. He looked dangerously handsome in his all black outfit. He looked like he floated on the ground as his boots were without a visible stain on them.

"NO BAELA!" I heard my adoptive mom cry from behind me but she was stopped by some beta werewolves from getting to me. There was nothing she could do for me now. I was now on my own, at the mercy of the coldest person I have ever known...I could have sworn he had a spark for me the first time we met, the first time he saved me...

"I NEVER LOVED YOU AND I NEVER WILL!" His voice was as cold as ice as it pierced through my soul, giving me the chills. My heart froze and sank and so did the rest of my body on the moist ground.

"Your defiance of me as the alpha is a CRIME PUNISHABLE BY DEATH...but I can tell you are begging for it!" His eyes were now filled with hate, eyes I had sought love and comfort in.

"You won't have it easy, you will suffer. I hereby REJECT YOU AS MY LUNA. You will be by my side...but as my slave for life!"

A teardrop rolled down my left eye as I heard his heartbreaking words...I knew he meant every word he said as he stood ice cold in front of me...

***

BAELA

The streets were busy by this time of day as I squeezed my way through the crowd. I was walking through a busy market down to the lower parts of the walled city.

The sun was shining brightly overhead as it was midday but I was hidden underneath a white cloak. It was not for protection from the sun but to conceal my identity. 

I was under close supervision by my parents and I wasn't allowed to leave the house except at noon with the order to return home quickly thereafter. I had with me a food basket, which I was carrying to deliver to him. I had been doing this for 7 days since he arrived.

I got away from the crowd successfully without being noticed and came to the humble abode that was now his home. It was given to him by my father because he had nowhere to stay.

"Only he can gaze at my face". I whispered, with my heart pounding as I approached the door. I had gone the extra length to look pretty for him. His door was closed but I knew he was expecting me.

I pulled back the hood that had concealed my face, as I stood in front of his door. I didn't knock but the door opened immediately as I caught sight of him. Abbadon - his charming look was striking and caught me every time.

I had only known him for more than a week but that was enough time for me to read him but he was hard to read. I was really good at that but something about him was different. He had only one facial expression. He barely smiled or frowned...he was dispassionate. 

Aria; my invisible fairy friend seemed to like him. She was very cautious of me around strangers but not around him. Aria went with me everywhere I went and was with me now as she hovered in the air. 

"Come in". I heard him say with his baritone voice. He had the voice of a God and he could compel me with it to do anything for him...ANYTHING!

I went in immediately as he closed the door behind us. We were now alone, together in the house.

I placed the food basket on the table in the centre of the room. This should last him for the next 12 hours but something was eating me up inside. 

"Abbadon, why don't you stay with us? It could save me the stress of coming down here to bring you food everyday". I asked, as I turned to face him.

He gave me a quick look before ignoring me and going for the food basket.

"Why don't you answer me?" I demanded, seeing he was only interested in the food I brought.

"Remember, It wasn't my idea to stay in the first place, I was begged to...So I am not the one stressing you". He said, ignoring me, as he brought out the food in the basket and placed them on the table.

He was right. My parents had sought the permission of the Alpha of our pack to let him stay. He was a stray werewolf, a wanderer without a pack.

"I know...but you don't have to put it that way. Aren't you happy you are here?" He was in my pack - the Aurora Clan Pack because of me and I thought it would make him happy.

"Why do you care what happens to me? I am just a wanderer...I can be here today and gone tomorrow". He said, as he looked at me for the second time since I entered the house.

I swallowed my saliva, I couldn't give him an answer and he looked away, paying attention to the food basket.

"You should know by now, I don't really care for a pack. We had a deal...if I stayed, I stayed on my own terms....and staying here, in this SMALL HOUSE, was part of it".  

I watched him emotionlessly say those words without looking at me, as he took a bite of his meal. For a wanderer he had quite the table manners.

"Why are you so fixed on the DEAL? Why are you so stuck up on the RULES?!", I asked him, getting emotional, as he wouldn't bulge his stance. I didn't notice I had raised my voice at him.

"Young lady, you have delivered what you came here for...I think it is time you leave". He said, getting up from his seat, as he stared back at me.

"Abbadon, I didn't mean to shout at you but you are just difficult". I wasn't getting through to him and lost myself for a moment. 

"I thought by now, you should know better but to follow the RULES". I heard him say, as he scolded me. I knew exactly what he meant, he was talking about Lily.

"I know but this is different...you didn't have to remind me of her!" I said upset, as my mind flashed back to 10 days earlier. This was not the emotional connection I sought from him...I wanted to be understood.

I could feel the tears building up in my eyes but I couldn't cry in front of him. I had to leave quickly, even without my food basket. I rushed towards the door without looking back but he didn't try to stop me - he didn't care to apologise, he just sat there cold and watched me leave.