Six

CASSIE’S POV

My head was ringing like a fire alarm and It was painful.

A groan left my mouth as I tried to open my eyes. Slowly, I was able to open my eyes and they widened by a fraction when I saw that I was in a room. I was even on a queen sized bed!

“I didn’t know heaven had a bed,” I mumbled to myself as I slowly sat up, ignoring the painful headache I had. The room was large with gray walls that had shades of black. There was a large chandelier in dangling from the middle of the ceiling and fairy lights at the edges of the ceiling.

“This place is not my room,” I said as I looked around, panic was slowly rising in me. I was about get off the bed when the door opened and a woman walked in.

“Darling, you’re awake!” she exclaimed happily as she approached me. Her voice was motherly and my heart clenched at the fact that my mother rarely used that voice with me. What am I saying? She wasn’t even my real mother!

“Where am I please?” I asked her quietly as I felt uncomfortable under her stare. “You’re in Crimson Moon Pack, sweetheart,” the woman said to me. She looked to be around to be in her early fifties. She had blue eyes and beautiful blonde hair that was pulled up in a ponytail.

“I need to leave. I’m not supposed to be here,” I said as I stood up to leave. I don’t even know or understand how I got here. “You’re meant to be dead,” She said and I stopped in my tracks. I turned around to look at her with wide eyes. How did she know?

“How-“

“I found you at the river bank beside our pack’s territory. You had cuts and injuries all over your body, but you were still breathing. Then, I decided to bring you to our pack house and treat you,” the woman interrupted me.

I shook my head at her and looked down at my clothes. I didn’t even notice it before. She had changed my clothes; I was wearing a blue dress.

“Thank you very much, ma’am but you were not supposed to help me,” I said to her. She ruined my chance of freedom. 

“I know I wasn’t supposed to help you. But if I did let you die, my wolf and I will live in guilt forever,” the woman said. I exhaled and ran my hand through my hair, “I need to leave.” I turned around to leave but she got to me quickly and held my hand.

“If you go back to wherever you came from, you will attempt suicide again. Please, stay so we can take care of you instead,” the woman said with plea as I looked in her eyes. 

I scoffed. She pitied me.

“I don’t want your pity or sympathy. I’m not mentally deranged,” my throat was thick as I said that. Was I actually mentally deranged? Does a sane person commit suicide?

“I don’t pity you. I just don’t want you to go back to a place where you were hurting before. I’m the pack doctor and a psychologist too. I just don’t want you to get hurt again, believe me please,” The woman said. 

Something at the back of my head drove me to trust her and I sighed.

“I don’t want pity,” I repeated, more quietly though. 

The woman gave me a smile. “My name is Nara Smith. Everyone calls me Mrs. Smith or Dr. Smith,” she introduced herself.

“I’m Cassandra Bellevue, from Sky Prowlers pack,” I said to her.

“You must be hungry. Take a shower, there are some clothe sin the closet. I’ll be right back with something for you to eat,” she said to me. “That’s not necessary,” I tried to tell her but she shook her head as she headed for the door. “Nonsense! I’ll be back soon,” she said and left.

Letting out a sigh of defeat, I made my way to the bathroom and went to the sink. There was a new tooth brush on the counter and also a new toothpaste. As I was about to start brushing my teeth, I looked up in the mirror and tears welled up in my eyes.

“I refuse to be paired with such a weakling like yourself!”

My heart clenched in pain as I tried not to let those words get to me. 

The only reason my own mate didn’t want me was because I had no wolf. I was stupid to think that he would love me and accept me the way I was. Who would want to have a weak mate? A werewolf that had no wolf was practically a human. No pack would want a weak Luna.

When I was done brushing, I took a shower and got changed into a pair of blue jeans and a loose woolen sweater. I was tying my hair in a bun when Mrs. Smith walked in with a tray of food.

The smell of bacon and waffles made my stomach grumble. My cheeks heated in embarrassment and the woman laughed. “I knew you were hungry. You’ve been unconscious for four days, it’s understandable,” she said and my jaw dropped.

Four whole days?

“I’m so sorry for the inconvenience,” I said to her and she waved me off. She placed the tray on the bed and told me to sit. 

“I don’t know if you like bagels but I made some with cheese stuffing. Eat to your fill, you need all the energy you can get. I will be back in a few,” she said as she made her way to the door.

“Thank you, Mrs. Smith,” I said to her and she woman chuckled before walking out. I tried not to cry as I looked down at my lap. My pack members were not this kind to me. And now, someone from another pack was showing me twice the love that I never got from them.

This was too much for me.

MRS. SMITH POV

She looked a lot like our Luna. They both had the same long dark brown hair and hazel brown eyes. They even had the same birthmark which was on their collar bone. I saw it when I was changing her clothes the night I found her.

I remembered that night and my heart clenched.

We had just finished celebrating the eighteenth birthday of Alpha and Luna’s dead daughter. Everyone was in a sorrowful mood and I couldn’t take it anymore. Why? Because everyone loved the girl. I could still remember the six months old baby the day she was kidnapped.

Only the Luna, Alpha and I knew exactly what happened that fateful day.

I spotted something at the river bank when my wolf stopped to take a break. A familiar scent reached my nose and moved closer till I saw that it was a young girl.

“You may be wrong, dear,” Gerald, my husband said. I rolled my eyes at him, “And I may be right. I know what I’m saying.”

He sighed and took my hand in his. “I’m sure the Alpha and Luna would be full of joy if they learned that their daughter was found. It would hurt them if she isn’t the one,” he said to her. 

I sighed, “I’m not going to tell them. But I will make them find out. The girl attempted suicide. I don’t know the pack from which she came from but I know that she was treated badly.”

“Are you sure that she’s their daughter?” he was still skeptical. I understood why. I too was still skeptical and unsure about this. 

“I don’t know, Gerald. But they have so much similarities. They’re both slim and she walks just like how the Luna walks,” I told him. He smiled and pulled closer to him. We were on the couch in the balcony, enjoying the cool evening breeze.

“I pray for the best. It would be a miracle, a testimony and a blessing from the moon goddess if she is actually their daughter,” he said and I nodded.

But there was something strange about her…

CASSIE’S POV

I needed to leave.

I wanted to find a means of escape but I couldn’t do that today. Something in my mind told me to stay but I didn’t want to. I know Mrs. Smith treated me with kindness but I still felt convinced that it was out of pity. 

I’m sure she couldn’t sense or smell my wolf. I sat on the floor beside my bed and placed my hands in my head. 

My mind went to Jack. 

My chest tightened as I thought of him. He would be looking for me by now. I missed his goofy yet serious personality. He was the only one that made me feel loved. Her treated me like a real brother would do to a sister.

I’m sure he knew I was never his real sister.

A lone tear fell down my cheek as my mind went to my mate. I mean, ex-mate. My heart yearned for him even though he rejected me. 

“We could have worked it out somehow. Maybe see a witch or something. We could visit the oracle to see what was wrong with me,” my voice broke as my eyes burned with hot tears.

He didn’t even give me a chance to prove myself. 

What was there to prove to him? I couldn’t even run a far distance without fainting. All I could do was cook and clean. 

“Aren’t mates supposed to fall in love at first sight?” ugly fat tears fell down my cheeks. My shoulders shook vigorously as I cried my heart out.

Why was the moon goddess cruel to me?

I don’t even have parents to call mine!

“You’re not kind to me at all!” I cried out to the moon was already making itself visible in the darkening sky. How can something so beautiful be so cruel?

JACK’S POV

“Mom? Dad?” I called out to my parents.

“We’re in here,” I heard my dad say. I walked into the living room to see them seated on opposite arm chairs. My mom wasn’t crying anymore but she was looking distressed. 

“Mom,” I sighed and she looked up at me with puffy eyes. “I failed, son. I’m sorry,” she sniffled as fresh tears fell down her cheeks. My heart felt like it was going to burst.

I missed her too. I came home four days ago to see that my sister went missing after she found out that we weren’t her real family. I wasn’t her real brother but my love for her was real. Couldn’t she see that?

But I knew the real reason she left was because that stupid bastard rejected her. He was a coward for rejecting her.

Yes, my Cassie was weak but her heart was strong. She would learn quickly if she was taught anything. Why couldn’t he try to work it out?

I used to like him. He was one of my closest friends, but now I hate him with every bone in my body. He didn’t even show any sign of concern that his mate was gone. I meant ex-mate.

My fist clenched in irritation. “Maybe if you guys had shown her enough attention when she was growing up, she wouldn’t have left,” I muttered and walked out of the house. I needed to do something to get my mind off everything.

I shifted into my wolf and ran into the forest. I was angry, pained and sad at the same time.

I missed my little sister badly. Where did she even go? She didn’t know anywhere. I had been looking for her for the past four days; I went to nearby packs but she was nowhere to be found.

That bastard Alder didn’t even care to look for her! Forget about her being his mate, she was also a member of the pack.

“Don’t worry, Cassie. I will find you,” I murmured