Two years later...
Gianna.
A genuine smile crosses my lips for the first time in two years.
I stretch my limbs on my makeshift bed in the attic that I transformed into my bedroom.
The place is tiny and no matter how much I clean the cobwebs, they still grow back with vengeance.
But I’m not worried about all this anymore. I turned eighteen yesterday and coincidentally there happens to be a full moon tonight.
I’m excited because I might meet my mate who will take me out of this hellhole.
Although things at the academy were different. No one apart from my sister bullied me and I was given a nutritious meal every day... things had gotten worse at home.
My stepmother was suspicious that I gained weight from nowhere so she thought I was stealing food. I denied the accusations but she still had me whipped with a lash dipped in silver and wolfsbane.
These two components are deadly to wolves. Especially an Omega like me who is at the last of ranks.
This is why I was so ecstatic to come of age, I can finally leave this shithole of a house and live happily ever after with my mate.
“Gia! Downstairs, now!” Norah, my stepmother yells out and I flinch. She always likes doing this.
The mindlink works well but she prefers to scream at the top of her voice.
Reluctantly, I force myself up and head downstairs but before I can even say anything, she slaps me viciously across the face and I see stars.
“What did I tell you about breakfast? Why is it not ready and yet it’s seven?”
She glares at me with so much hatred that sends a shiver down my spine. I know why she hates me though... she’s my father’s fated mate and yet he had an affair with his ex-girlfriend whom he wanted to keep as his chosen before he found his mate.
Unfortunately, my mother died during birth and I’ve been alone ever since.
“I’ll hasten with it,” I say and run into the kitchen before I get more slaps.
The packhouse is huge and making food for about twenty or more people is very tiring.
I take out the huge kilograms of bacon and some trays of eggs and get to work.
By the time I'm done, my face is covered in sweat and I am tired like no man’s business.
Today is my last day at the academy and yet I’m going to be late as usual.
I save the breakfast and rush to get the mop and broom and begin to clean. I think the excitement of meeting my mate made me sleep in.
When I’m done, I quickly fetch some water into a basin and take it to my so-called room to wash up since I’m not allowed in any of the showers. I use the forest to relieve myself because the toilets are out of bounds.
No one wants to share stuff with an Omega.
I’m used to such treatment so it doesn’t bother me. I force myself into the basin and quickly wash up. After I’m done, I look for some clothes that I used to wear when Dad still liked me.
I pick a black dress that reaches my mid-thigh. It's hugging my body since I have grown and it has sheer long sleeves.
It was a little tight and short but it was decent. I don’t want to meet my mate in tattered clothes.
Brushing my hair up into a high ponytail, I apply some lip balm that I had stolen from Sophia on my lips. It was just a tiny scoop... my lips were too dry and cracked.
I rush downstairs and bump into Dad who looks at me with furrowed eyebrows.
“Where are you going dressed like a whore?” He spits and I feel my heart clench.
“W-we have an after-party a-after the exam today. This is the only dress I have.” I say gingerly, hoping he doesn’t kick me in the stomach like he always does.
I see his frown deepen as he opens his mouth to say something but I quickly run past him. No one will stop me from wearing this dress.
“Fuckset.” I hear him hiss and I ignore him. His insults still get to me but not today.
The school bus has already left so I walk all the way to the academy and it’s about a two-hour walk. By the time I’m arriving, the exam is almost starting, my throat is dry and I’m hungry.
Deciding to skip breakfast, I run in the direction of the exam hall when someone stops me before handing me a bowl of oat porridge.
“Gianna... I told you not to miss your meals. Eat this quickly before your exam.” He says.
The man is none other than Myles.
Myles is a nice man who works in the academy's cafeteria. He suddenly began to give me free meals and although I was wary at first, I really couldn’t stand on ceremony when I was freaking starving.
I look at him and smile. “Thank you, Myles. The past two years have been bearable because of you.”
He smiles sheepishly and scratches the back of his neck. “I’m not the one you should be thanking.”
“Huh?” I ask with raised brows.
“It’s nothing. You’re welcome and all the best in your exam.”
He walks away and I’m left wondering what he meant.
Ten minutes later, my belly is full as I head towards the exam hall entrance, only to find Alpha Mason standing there with a bouquet of roses.
My heart pounds and I glance at my feet. Is he here for me? Are those flowers for me? He had been coming frequently recently and although he would just say hi, I felt like there was a connection between us.
I’m about to pretend I didn’t see him when he stands in front of me, handing me the bouquet.
“All the best, Gia.” He says and I glance up at him gingerly. He’s smiling warmly at me showing his dimples and I blush, feeling my heart skip a beat.
I grab the bouquet and avert my gaze. “Thank you,” I say shyly.
He chuckles and tucks a strand of loose hair behind my ear. “Be sure to ace the exam. I’ll see you at the party.”
My eyes fly open and I look up at him. He looks so handsome with his sandy brown short hair and hazel-green eyes. I gulp as excitement brews within me.
“See you there,” I say, hoping he turns out to be my mate.
Hours pass by and the final exams are done. Although everyone avoids me now, they can’t help but stare at me like I was some animal on display in the zoo.
Some guys walk over to me and apprehension fills me.
“Is this really you, Gia? You look different.” One of them says and I blush in embarrassment.
“Well, let’s go to the party. It’s in the auditorium and since you look sexy tonight, we wouldn’t mind going in with you.” The other guy says. Goddess, what are their names again?
I shake my head. “I-it's fine. I-I can go alone.” I say, playing with the hem of my sleeve.
I wasn’t dumb. I didn’t miss their leering gaze on me... they saw me as an object to sexually use but I’ll only give myself to my mate.
Realising that I won’t budge, they scoff at me, “suit yourself then. Go ahead and have the most boring night of your life.”
They laugh like hyenas as they walk away and I clench my hands into fists. If I had powers, I would kill them with a swipe of my hand.
I head to the party and decide to sit in a secluded corner so as not to attract attention. From here, I watch as everyone has fun and drinks the night away.
Couples were kissing, grinding on each other on the dance floor while I have been seated like this for hours.
Those boys were right. This is the most boring night of my life.
I notice Sophia with her click drinking some shots. She’s dolled herself up in a sequined short champagne dress. Compared to her, I look like shit.
Perhaps I should just go home.
Standing up from my seat, I quietly make my way out and find the full moon at its peak.
My heart pounds and I feel restless all of a sudden.
I feel my wolf stir and it leads me along a narrow forest path which I walk through cautiously.
I’m suddenly hit by the most intoxicating scent I’ve ever smelt and it makes my mouth water.
I whip around, only to bump into a hard chest. Looking up, I find hazel-green glowing eyes looking down at me.
Something pulls in my chest and I feel the mate bond click in as I look into Alpha Mason’s eyes.
“Mate.”
We say at the same time.
Gianna. My heart pounds vigorously as I try to grasp what has happened. The moon goddess has finally answered my prayer. She’s blessed me with a mate. An Alpha at that. I can’t help but smile at him as tears stream down my face. “Hey... Gia, what’s wrong? Did I do something?” He questions and I shake my head, sniffing. “Then why are you crying?” “I’m just so happy I have a mate now.” His eyes soften and he pulls me into his arms. My breathing hitches as intense sparks course through me. So this is what the mate bond feels like. “Come with me. Stay with me tonight and then we can go see your parents tomorrow." My heart does a flip and I nod my head. My wolf and I were craving to be next to him. We weren’t doing anything wrong. I'm a giddy mess as Alpha Mason drives me to a hotel just thirty minutes away from the academy. He books a room and we go up to it. I don’t know what will happen but all I know is mates usually mate and mark each other... I can’t wait for
Gianna. A full week had passed since Alpha Mason moved here with his entire team. His beta, gamma and some warriors. They had practically taken over the pack and everyone was either blind or too stupid to notice. Not that it was any of my business. This pack never cared about me so why should I care about what happens to them? To each his own. Dad had to leave and went to live in his mansion outside the pack but nothing changed for me. I was still the scullery maid. I scoured the dirtiest pots, cleaned the whole packhouse alone until it was dust free. My hands had become rough from all the menial work I did around here. To make matters worse, I had to endure the torture of listening and feeling my so-called mate fuck Sophia. Only for him to sneak into my room when she falls asleep and force himself on me. I felt like shit. Like trash that they leave at a dumpsite to rot. I felt cheap and dirty. Why was this happening to me? Was this the plan the goddess had for me? Why did
Gianna.A horn is blown and several snarls and growls erupt in the air. The hair on the back of my neck rises, intense dread washes over me as the hunt begins. I’m too weak to run right now. If only I can find a place to hide. A small cave a few meters away catches my attention. All I need is a few branches and lots of luck. A few minutes later, I’m curled into a ball as I hide in a dark cave with branches serving as a door at the small entrance. Now I should only pray that no one finds me. My ears perk up when a strong aura suddenly blankets the air. My heart leaps to my throat and I find myself shivering in fear when loud footsteps reach my ears... Whoever is outside is really strong. Stronger than an average Alpha. My mind tells me to stay put and hold my breath. Whatever is out there is far more dangerous than Alpha Mason and my sister.A low animalistic growl makes me hug my knees tighter. This person’s aura has a tinge of darkness to it. I should be terrified but somethin
Gianna. I’m frightened out of my wits as I sit in the back of a very expensive sleek black sedan with Alpha Rex. My heart pounds violently as I steal a peek at him. He's been quiet since he claimed me as his and dragged me to the car. His devilishly handsome face is stoic and cold as he looks down at the file he’s been immersed in since we started off. His sandalwood scent is invading my nostrils in this small space. The car is not big enough to have us both and his presence is overwhelming. He oozes power and dominance yet he’s not the Alpha King yet. There's a strange feeling in my stomach as I gaze at his side profile. His perfectly tanned skin... the neatly trimmed beards on his chiselled jaws. How can he be so frightening and good-looking at the same time? I can’t stop thinking about what he’s going to do to me now that he has me in his grasp. He said it clearly back in the forest. He said he owns me now. It’s like I was always meant to be someone’s property and not my ow
Gianna. I’m still filled with apprehension as I step into the shower cubicle. My heart is stuck in my throat as I listen for footsteps heading this way but I hear none. When I'm sure Alpha Rex doesn't have ulterior motives, I switch on the shower and let the warm water cascade on my body. It soothes me as it washes away the filth on my body. I sigh, raising my head as water pours down on my face. The last time I had a warm shower was before I shifted into my wolf. After I shifted and they discovered I was an Omega, they shunned me and sent me to the attic. I used to bathe in a big basin after sneaking in some water when everyone was sleeping or early in the morning but it was icy cold. I was an outcast in my own father's pack. I grab the shower gel and lather my body with it. It smells so good that I can't help but take a deep breath. It smells like Alpha Rex. A minty scent that incorporates into his natural sandalwood and musky-woodsy scent. My mind drifts to what happen
Rex. I watch as Gianna skims through the contents of the document I just about put together when she was in the bathroom. If someone asked me if I know what I’m doing, the answer is no. I have no idea why I suddenly decided to attend the hunt today. Or why I brought this tiny little thing to my penthouse and got her dressed in clothes I had prepared for my future Queen, which surprisingly turned out to be her size like they were meant for her. Or why I came up with the stupid idea of being pretend mates. My father doesn’t bug me about finding my mate anymore, yet he still holds on to the throne like it’s his lifeline. For fucksakes, the dude is old and should be enjoying his life with his fellow old folks. I am the only Alpha heir above twenty whose father hasn’t handed over the mantle to. Yet I do all the fucking work. But still... that's not a valid reason for me to come up with such a contract. I fold my arms across my chest and look at the little wolf seated across me. Sh
Gianna. The ride to Alpha Rex’s pack is more comfortable now that we’ve sort of interacted. He still frightens the daylights out of me but knowing he was also rejected has made me lower my guard a little. Well, he didn’t specify who did the rejecting but he mentioned that I am like him which means he met his mate but for some unknown reason, they split up. Either way, one of them rejected the other. Even though this doesn’t make any sense, why would anyone reject the Alpha King? Regardless, I sort of felt some kind of kinship with him knowing we went through the same thing. I still don’t know if the rumours of his sex addiction and ruthless killing are true though. He hasn’t tried to force me into anything so it’s safe to say he was saying the truth, all those rumours about him are not true. He is cold and distant but I feel like there’s more to him than meets the eye. My wolf strangely feels calm around him, probably because he helped us when rejecting Alpha Mason. It's strang
Rex. “Son, come to my office, I want to have a word with you,” Dad says and I frown, knowing he’s about to bombard me with questions that I'm not ready to answer. This man is far sharper than any man I know. It will take a lot to convince him that Gianna is my mate but so far he didn’t look suspicious so I wonder what he wants to talk about. I stand up, glancing at Gianna and stroking the side of her head affectionately. “I’ll be back. Let me talk to the old man for a bit.” I say and I smirk when her face flushes to an adorable pink. She’s so cute and innocent. I love how every little thing can make her blush. Oh, how I would love to taint that innocence. To let her have a taste of sin... to let her crave it so much she wouldn't blush so hard as she boldly begs me to take her over and over again. Our eyes meet and I stare at her for far too long than I intended to. Again, I'm lost in her beauty. Her blue eyes... her pink lips... her smooth milky skin... they were all made to p