CHAPTER 1

MILA's POV

Mila woke up with joy and happiness. All her dreams of the future are looking so promising after she found her mate at the mating ball ceremony that was held over the weekend.

It turns out that Arnold, her childhood friend and the son of Alpha Albert is her fated mate. Arnold was also excited to be mate to her. Mila’s father is the beta of the Duskfire pack,which makes their mating a strong union for the pack and is celebrated by all the members of the pack.

The sudden loud bang of the door sent chills down my spine as I ran out to see the cause of the commotion.

“Find him and bring him out here!!! Alpha Albert, the Alpha of Duskfire Pack, dressed in an expensive-looking silver tunic that did almost a good job at hiding his chubby physique and big belly, thundered at the guards as they moved away to drag my father out of his room.

I flinched at his voice as my blood ran cold. I have never seen this version of Alpha Albert before. At fifty years old, he was already sprouting several gray strands of hair on random parts of his head. His sunken pale gray eyes matched perfectly with his charming but slightly wrinkled round face that made him look like a kind man. Even though I knew that he wasn't. I saw his wrath on full display today as he glared at my father who was dragged out with invisible question marks on his face, wondering what could've made Alpha Albert act this way. We all bow our heads to show subservience to him.

“How can you betray your pack like this? How can you be this wicked and selfish? I can't believe you are the traitor, Beta Jackson,” Alpha Albert shouted at my father in an angry voice.

“I don't know what you are talking about my Alpha. I will never do anything to betray you and the pack. Believe me, my Alpha. I can’t betray this pack.” My father replied with an anguished voice to the accusation made against him.

“All the evidence I have pointed at you and I have witnesses who confessed to your involvement in the plan against my leadership and the pack,”. I couldn't believe it myself until I saw the proof and heard the confessions of those caught. He shouted at my father as he threw the paper evidence at him.

“This evidence is false, Alpha, this is a setup by someone to defame me. I have always been loyal to you and this pack, I am innocent ” my father defended, his voice mixed with anxiety and frustration after he glanced through the paper evidence thrown at him.

With the gravity of the offense committed by you and your family against your Alpha and the Duskfire pack.

“I, Alpha Albert of the Duskfire Pack, with all the evidence I have of you being the traitor, hereby pronounce you to be sentenced to death.

As for your daughter, Mila, she is henceforth reduced to an Omega,” Alpha Albert commanded with his Alpha authority.

I slumped on the floor immediately after the verdict was made, as tears streamed down my eyes. A pang of pain shot through my heart as I quickly bowed and kneeled before Alpha Albert pleading for my father.

“Please Alpha, can we… investigate more, my father cannot betray you…, you know your beta is…loyal, my father cannot…, I swear to the moon goddess, I spoke incoherently as tears streamed down my eyes. My heart is full of anguish and pain at my father's verdict.

“What nonsense are you spouting Mila,” If I hear one more word from you, you will join your father in his death sentence. He growled at me with an angry look.

I was feeling so weak and helpless, thinking of what next to say to convince him of my father's innocence and save his life when my dad told me to stop blabbering so I wouldn't get the Alpha angry at me through the mind-link.

“Guards, Take them away.” Alpha Albert commanded the enforcers and left.

I watched them drag my father away in an undignified manner, leaving me to wallow in pain at the face of my father's predicament.

Amid the chaos, while lying on the floor crying at my fate and lost in the sad memory of my dad's accusations, I was jolted back to reality when I saw some guards come in.

I felt my pulse quicken, wondering why they were here again after dragging my father out to the pack dungeon.

“You’ve been ordered by the Alpha to vacate this place and follow us to your new abode. One of the pack enforcers said in an arrogant tone.”

“No! Please I beg of you. Let me stay here with the memories of my father and mourn him in peace. This is the only place I have ever known and called home.” I cried the more, pleading with them.

“That is the Alpha’s order and we cannot disobey him, " the other enforcer snorted coldly.”

Before I could say anything, they both grabbed me and dragged me to the cottage, a far distance away from the pack house. Many of the pack members witnessed this but hid themselves and peeped secretly as I was being dragged away, afraid to do anything to avoid the Alpha's wrath. 

When we got to the entrance of the cottage, one of the enforcers warned me sternly before leaving.

“You are to avoid visiting the Alpha and his Luna, they don't want to see your face ever again.”

I fought back tears staring at the dilapidated cottage I would be living in. 

Who would have thought that Mila Shaw, the Beta daughter and mate to Arnold, Alpha Albert's son and future Alpha of Duskfire Pack would be caught living here? I gestured with my hands, muttering to myself.

The very thought of my mate, Arnold, brought a smile to my face as I felt a sense of relief for the first time since the incident of my father's accusation.

Arnold is my closest childhood friend, and I was so excited to find out after my eighteenth birthday at the mating ball that he is also my mate. My mate is gonna help me plead with his father and help me investigate my father's innocence.

I bet he is not aware of all that happened because he traveled for a peace treaty to Wildfire Pack and will be back today.

I felt a glimmer of hope as I planned on sneaking out to see Arnold without being seen by the guards after the warning they gave me.