Chapter 1

LUPE'S POV

"Who else do you think is born under the purple moon?" I suddenly heard dad ask. “The sooner we hand her over, the less problem we are going to face. He is offering a lot. It seems like he is desperate. It scares me.” He yelled.

"Liar! You are being tempted by what he is offering. I don't care what this has on your reputation! But this is my daughter's life and future we're talking about here. My daughter is going nowhere and that’s final!" My mother growled.

My ears perked up at her words. They were surely saying something concerning me. Although I have a step sister too, we do not share the same blood from either maternal side. Her mother was the alpha's mate whom I was told cheated on him with her former lover after giving birth to Kiera, my step sister. But the way she said it, it has to be me.

They were glaring daggers at each other as I entered the living room. The moment I cleared my throat, they broke it off.  

"Who is not going anywhere?" I gave them both an unnerving glance.

The bright fake smile on my mother's face melted into a sympathetic look.

"No one is going anywhere, Lupe. I was only discussing with your father about… a pack warrior. Yes! A pack warrior." She answered almost immediately.

If there was one thing she sucked at, it would be lying. Her facial expression, composure and everything would give away the fib in her words when she does it.

"Why not tell her the truth and get it over with? You know the Lycan King would do anything to get what he wants. There's no room for conviction when he has his icy claws on something." He commented after a minute of awkward silence.

The moment he mentioned 'Lycan King', my heart literally flew out of my chest. I'm hardly scared of anything, but even a toddler would fret at the mention of his name. That Lycan King single-handedly takes out a troop of wolves when an uprising happened against him.

"The Lycan king? What does he want with us? And Mom, what is the truth you're hiding from me?" I inquired already feeling uneasy.

"Should I do the honor of breaking it to her?" My father said, I'm not surprised at the hard tone he used in talking about me. We were like an Alpha and his pack member, always reminded of how he wasn't my real father.

"You have been chosen as a breeder for the Lycan king." Mom said avoiding my face.

It was like I am in a dreamland. And when reality hit me, my whole body went numb. The words kept playing repeatedly in my head.

"W-what?" I stuttered. "Why the hell would I be his breeder when the moon goddess must have paired him with someone already? There's no shifter without a mate!" I yelled, looking straight into my step father's eyes.

“You can’t run from it. You're the only unmated female born on the night of the purple moon and that's his specification. You know what the Lycan king can do to this pack if we deny him what he wants. Your details have been sent to him already.” He said with a smirk. 

That every minute I knew there was something in for him. He can’t be this pleased if he wouldn’t be gaining from it.

"Are you meant to be a father figure to me even if I’m not your biological child?! Why do you hate me so damn much? I've done nothing but be obedient to you. An alpha hating on an omega has to be the most hypocritical thing to hear but here I am, experiencing it." I cried out.  

"What about my mate? You think anyone would want to mate with me after I've been used as a breeder for the Lycan king?!" I yelled.

"You only need to be the carry his heir. Shouldn’t you be grateful for being the one who was chosen to breed the future king for our kingdom, you ungrateful brat!" He spat on my direction with so hatred in his eyes.

A loud sound resonated in the room. It took me sometime to see that my mother had just slapped him. She panted heavily as her own expression mirrored the anger on his face.

"That's my daughter's life we're discussing here, not some rogue. I'm sure as hell you wouldn't wish that on your daughter. After all, she's your precious princess. And here you are, about giving mine out as a breeder. You're nothing but selfish and I regret even coming across you. You're the worst mistake I ever made!" mum cried out angrily.

My mother kept screaming at him, although what I could make out was only the outline of their faces. Everything else was very blurry. Suddenly, my eyes closed on their own will, as I felt body sliding down the wall. I tried everything within my power to not lose consciousness, but eventually, darkness became the only think I could see.

"Lupe! Lupe!! Answer me…. Why is going on? You can't leave me like this." The voice kept getting farther as each second passed until I couldn't hear anything else.

I gave in to darkness, willingly. It looked like the only escape I could get from this madness around me. 

"She went into shock, but she's all good. Nothing a few hours of rest won't do." The man who is supposedly a doctor, said.

Sniffles met my ears, I snapped open my eyes fully when I saw that it was Mom who was crying. "Thank you, Doctor Archer. It's just so overwhelming that she has to go through all this. My baby girl did not deserve all this." She uttered.

Doctor Archer is the head doctor in the pack's infirmary. He only attends to people whose situations are critical. I'm not in a critical condition, am I?

They still had no idea that I was awake and could hear what they were saying, as they weren't facing me.

"You might need to take it easy, Luna. Lupe is all grown and can make decisions herself. Let's hope the Lycan king reconsiders his decision. I see no reason why he's hell-bent on getting a woman born on the purple night. Might be some fetish desires. Who knows?" The doctor said with an extreme calm tone.

I'm surprised he could say such things about the Lycan king, especially to someone in a high position, like my mother, who could sell him out in no time. The Lycan king is one whose name is mostly whispered and rumors said, he would sometimes pop out of nowhere and beheading those who talked ill about him.

"I'd rather die than see Lupe go through the torture of even staying in the same room with him, talk less of having sex with him to breed his pups." Mom's tone grew hard as she talked with disgust dripping off her tone.

My ears perked up at her words. I sat upright on the bed, my mouth hung open in shock. "I am never going to accept what your husband is suggesting. The Lycan king should do his worst." The words came out of my mouth before I could caution myself.

I've gotten wary of calling that man my father. I only thought it would be a sane thing to refer to him as one since he's married to my mother.

"Lupe, you're awake!" Mum rushed over to my side on the bed, hugging me tightly as she sobbed quietly.

I gently detached from her. Her words from earlier still ringing in my head. "I'm fine, Mom. Was I dreaming about me going over to The Lycan King? It can't be true, right? For how long have I been unconscious?" I burst out to her with questions.

"I'm sorry. I failed you as a mother." She replied in a shaky voice.

"Oh Lupe, it's a good thing that you're awake. You're discharged. We only needed to see to it that you're awake and okay. You've been here for three hours." He stated, interrupting mum and I from saying anything else and I turned to face him. "You only need premium rest. Your panic attacks are getting too rampant, which isn't good. Medically, I'd advise you to stay out of overwhelming situations, it's different seeing as the situation surrounding you needs precarious answers. I'll advise you just take it easy. Let fate take its course." Doctor Archer advised.

"I'm free to go now?" I asked him, feeling the need to run away from the pack. The earlier the better. Mum would be safe since she was the Luna and, the Alpha truly cares for her.

"Yes." He replied.

I took the covers off me and without taking off the hospital gown worn on me, I walked to the door. "Let's go, mom." 

"You need to return the gown first." She mumbled with a little smile.

"I'm sure Doctor Archer won't mind me wearing it to go home. I'll send it back." I rushed out of the room.

Pack members glanced at me weirdly as I ran as if being chased by a wild animal. Most of them had disgust etched on their faces. Not everyone liked the idea of an omega being elevated to an alpha's daughter. 

I stopped suddenly when a scent I've ever smelt met my nostrils. I felt my wolf, who had been dormant since forever, stir within me. Cinnamon with a hint of woodsy scent. It was so alluring that I felt myself craving more of it even though I had no idea where it came from.

I looked around and towards the path where the scent was pungent. I almost swayed with how weak my legs got after seeing the sight before me.

"Mate." My wolf screamed.

“My mate?”