"Let me out of this prison! I didn't do anything wrong!"
My voice echoed inside the dark prison cell they locked me in. It was unfortunate to wake up after I had collapsed from all the encounters I had last night. I had no idea how the hell I ended up here as I lost consciousness and was imprisoned like a slave."Anyone, please help me!" I shouted again, but it was still the same. No one came, and no one seemed to hear me.I was too weak, shaking, and almost couldn't stand as my knees couldn't support me. Even my inner wolf, Nila, had been too weak, almost unresponsive whenever I called her. Well, that was because I was too weak, and we had shared the same body that almost weakened her inside me.After minutes of waiting, still no one arrived, not until the sound of the door opening did I sense help was coming. I expected it would be the prison guard I would see, but it wasn't. It was an old lady in her servant uniform, thoughtfully staring at me."Oh, you're finally awake. Lucky for you," said the old woman as she stood before the cell. "I mean, I heard an Alpha ordered his guards to kill you if you remain unconscious."My heart almost stopped beating hearing her words. Why would that damn Alpha kill me?I cleared my throat. "Can you help me, please? I just want to be out of this pack.""How I wish I could. Unfortunately, I'm also a slave here. We have the same fate to serve them," she admitted. "By the way, I am Marga, a servant of the Alpha. And I am here to help you dress and present you to the Alpha.""Why? Don't tell me he is going to kill me?!" I said and reached to hold his hand outside the cell. "Don't let that happen….please.""It won't. As I said, you'll also become a slave here." Marga looked behind her after she heard two prison guards command her to bring me now to the Alpha.Marga looked back at me. "See that? How can I help you? I'm helpless….voiceless. So for now, follow me and help you become at least presentable to meet the Alpha."I had no other choice but to nod. I couldn't force someone to help me, especially Marga, who was already in her sixties, probably. And besides, it was my fault to be caught. Suppose I hadn't run away last night and chosen to marry the Alpha my father decided. In that case, it might have been a different encounter, a different problem I had to face.Marga opened the prison cell and guided me out of the underground prison. As I went out, I glimpsed how wide and wonderful their pack was, but I didn't like it, as the Alpha, who I thought would be my destined mate, would only treat me here as an enslaved person.We continued walking until we reached the servant's room. Marga lent me some of her clothes and let me take a bath inside the servant's room. Of course, the pack guards were eyeing me as if they were worried I might escape. After minutes, I was done and dressed; Marga and I headed straight to the hall, where she told me the Alpha waited for me."Why will the Alpha have to wait for a slave like me?" Out of the blue, I asked Marga. She halted from walking in front of the long door, reaching the ceiling, and faced me. "Am I that special to him, huh? Did he know who I am?""I know you're not a normal werewolf like us to be enslaved. In other packs, you might have a rank, but the Alpha doesn't care. Don't assume he will treat you special here because he won't," Marga reminded me.She then pointed at the door, now being opened, and added, "You can go inside. Just a reminder, the Alpha is ruthless. He might hit you if he's furious, so keep him calm.""Can't you come inside? I'm afraid…." I hadn't finished what I had to tell as she pushed me, and I only had to continue walking inside until I reached where the Alpha was standing."The slave has arrived, Alpha Hadar," announced someone.Alpha Hadar, standing on the balcony, hadn't even tried turning his gaze towards me. He was dead silent while I stood in the middle and had no idea what to do."A—Alpha…." Finally, I dared to speak with an unfamiliar feeling surging within me. ".....Hadar, I do not deserve to be a slave."That made Hadar turn his head towards the side as if trying to glimpse me using his peripheral view."What I mean is, yes, you saved me that night from the rogues, and I thank you for that. But…"I paused, seeing the Alpha faced me. My eyes broadened, and I blinked a few times to ensure I saw it correctly. A man with captivating handsomeness, with his broad chest and muscle, anyone wouldn't be tired of staring at her all day. Yet, I shook that thought away from my mind and kept reminding myself he was ruthless, just like what Marga said.Hadar moved closer and stood three steps away from me. I could smell his familiar scent and couldn't help but be addicted to it."No one ever dared to disobey my rule here. If I tell you you will die, you will. The same goes when I said you'll be my slave," he said seriously without a hint of a smile on his face."I….""You need to repay all the goodness we have done for saving your life in the woods. If it's not for us, you'll still be in the hands of the rogues," he added. "For that, you'll become a slave for a lifetime."This time, he smirked. He kept moving closer to me, and I was about to step backward, but my feet seemed glued to the ground. I couldn't move until he reached near me and brought his lips closer to my ear.My heart raced, and I couldn't move my hand to push him away from me.Hadar kept sniffing me and whispered, "Otherwise, you want to be killed instead of being my slave."I could feel it. And I am sure that this man wasn't a total stranger, but we had a bond. Not only did I feel we were mates, a destined one, but there was also something else I couldn't pinpoint exactly.He then moved one step back and looked me in the eyes. "What do you think, hmm?""You're ruthless…" The only words I could tell and even wanted to add were, 'I don't want to be mated to a ruthless Alpha like you.' But I had no strength to voice it out."Glad you know I am." He chuckled. "Tell me your decision now. You'll accept it, or you choose to die."I cleared my throat. "I don't…..""Oops, I've been mistaken. You can't say no to it. So you'll be my slave ... .do your duty, or else you'll be punished."I was about to respond and be furious with him, but someone arrived and shouted, "Alpha Hadar, it is confirmed. Your destined mate has escaped from their pack and is nowhere to be found."I blinked twice, oblivious to what that man who arrived meant to be.'Does this ruthless Alpha still have a destined mate? And who is it, who escaped?'When I realized I also escaped my pack, I pointed to myself and widened my eyes.Oh, Moon Goddess! Tell me that I am not the Alpha's escaped destined mate! It should not be me!'It's not you that they're referring to as the runaway mate. Don't assume too much that the Alpha will choose you as his mate.'I shook my head and sighed after I reached the Alpha's room on the second floor, wearing a servant uniform and some equipment for cleaning on my hand. Those words echoed in my mind, and I accepted it wasn't me. Well, I am over the moon with that, yet Nila, inside me, felt saddened and told me we and the Alpha had a connection and it shouldn't be cut. The time the Alpha was hurt, Nila and I were also affected, like a true bound mate. Was he the man I was about to be married to? Those almost made me damn crazy, so I shook those thoughts away and entered inside the Alpha's room. As I roamed around, nearly all things were scattered all over the floor, even a woman's sexy underwear. He was indeed a womanizer. "Is this the Alpha's room? Am I mistaken?" I murmured, thinking I had chosen the wrong room. Yet, scanning everything inside, I concluded it was his room.
"It is the first time Alpha Hadar defends a slave. Does it mean he loves her?" One pack member asked someone, standing a bit far from my direction. Sometimes, they glanced at me, but I tended not to look at them, pretending I hadn't heard any single detail they were talking about. "I am not certain, but I hope not. She looks like she is not a slave. Something is off about her."I continued to broom the dried leaves outside, with the air continuing to brush my skin, and a loud shout of pups who were marching in the training ground, as well as the shout from the audience of the duel. It made me more uncomfortable staying here after the Alpha saved me from death. Yet, right after that day, I hadn't met him personally to thank him. That night, I was about to knock on his room, but guess what? I heard a loud moan.That made Alpha Hadar a walking red flag, not a perfect mate for me. I mean, it was at least half-proven that he was indeed my mate when he saved me, but he wouldn't admit it.
There was a lot on my mind regarding what I had witnessed. Although I got some clues, he cried over his dead mate. It made me wonder what happened and how she left him. I almost couldn't sleep that night, overthinking about things I shouldn't have had anything to do with me. And instead of running away, I decided to stay from this damn pack and unlock all the puzzles.As I woke up, everyone was busy. The maids and slaves prepared the chairs, some decorated the mini-stage, and others cleaned the hallway. I was confused about the event as no one notified me, not even Marga. She was gone from her bed already.I was about to ask someone, but I happened to walk past a room where the door wasn't that closed. Accidentally, I heard voices from old men, probably the elders, talking.I was invested in listening, so I halted walking."You must understand that Alpha Hadar isn't in his mood. It's the second death anniversary of Hera!""I know. That's why I don't make this an issue anymore. I'm awa
His words hit me hard, making me want to throw painful words at him. But I couldn't voice it out and pretend I didn't hear him nor believed we were a mate. It was apparent, but rejecting me sounds better to give me peace of mind looking for another deserving mate to love me. He had a standard I couldn't meet, but would he change his perspective on me if he knew I was a Luna before on our pack? Telling him my real identity sounds off, and it wasn't the time for him to know it. After the Alpha told me those, he returned to the club. Hera would be as disappointed as me, but I couldn't blame Hadar for acting like that. It might be his way to cope with the sorrow within his heart. 'This seems to be our destiny already, Nila. We better wait for the Alpha to take an oath to reject us,' I said, walking back at the pack with my shoulders slumped. 'He's fortunate he's our mate. If not, I will fight him, even though he's an Alpha,' Nila replied, dismayed with him. I nodded, reached th
"I'm so sorry I leave you with Mark. I'm thankful that Alpha Hadar came. Mark wants to claim you as his mate!" Lori felt sorry for what I had encountered, but I had already assured her it wasn't her fault but mine. Nothing was wrong in testing the bond between Mark and me, but claiming me as his without assuring if we were destined would end up in a mess. He was a red flag. Luckily, I still wasn't marked. That made me think, if he was successful, would our bond with Alpha Hadar be ended? It was unclear whether it was."We shall go back now," I said, roaming my gaze around the nearby woods. "I can sense it. The Alpha is still around.""He's guarding you, probably. Aw, that sounds sweet. But he still wants to reject you! What's wrong with him?!" Lori almost shouted. I waved my hand, signaling her to refrain from mentioning him. His senses were strong. I am sure he heard her comment. "Ssh. Remember, we're only nothing here in his pack. I'm afraid he'll hurt you," I explained.She nodd
"Are you sure she's the woman who appeared in your dream? Why does it look like the late Luna Hera?" Lori held the sketch with her eyes, scanning the details of my drawing. Hera's goddess-like allure lingered in my mind, which might be why she looked like Hera. "I've been thinking a lot lately," I admitted, getting the sketch from her hand. "I've been confused with how Alpha Hadar treats his previous courtesan for choosing me, but he is still too cold. And now, this damn dream keeps bothering me all night.""I'm not an expert to tell you what to do. But it's better you consult an elder's opinion. You better tell it to the Alpha—"I didn't let Lori continue what she was about to tell, knowing the Alpha wouldn't dare to believe me. Besides, I distanced myself from him since he argued with his woman. I didn't want any drama or to be blamed for why the Alpha loathed her. For sure, Carol blamed me and indeed hunted me to death. "I don't want him to know this. I better tell the elder abo
I remained on my stand, seeing Hash fade from my sight. He promised to be back, still aiming to claim me as his. Deep within, his claim for me was just the same as the way Mark did. It didn't have any spark, unlike when Hadar claimed me as his; I was on cloud nine."Tell me if it's true…." I faced Hadar, standing at the top of the stairs in front of the pack mansion. He was emotionless, and I couldn't tell if he was genuine or just wanted his brother to disappear. "...I don't want it every time you act like that, but it's just nothing for you."He sighed, placing his hand on his side pockets. "It is nothing. I just don't want you to be with that idiot. He's an enemy." The excitement that filled my heart faded when he said that. I thought it was genuine, but he kept Nila, and I waited for his claim. Still, nothing ended."I considered my brother as an enemy. And if I've seen you with him, then you're an enemy too, including your damn family…."He was back again with his cryptic words;
I am wearing the gorgeous dress owned by Hera, but Alpha decided it, not me. They once told me it was Hera's favorite, but I didn't understand Alpha for doing this. It was as clear as water that he didn't want me but Hera. On my hand was a masquerade mask. I requested to conceal myself from others knowing me. Not just my Alpha father I didn't want to meet there, but our other allies who knew me as a Luna. I didn't want this night to be the time my real identity would be revealed. It must be hidden."Ready yourself. The Alpha is out from his study, dressed. He's ready to go," announced Marga as she entered our room. "Well, it's too late to decline. I won't recommend you to escape. I'm afraid you'll meet your death in the woods."I nodded and wouldn't want to experience the same thing that happened in the past. "I'll put all my trust in him. Whatever happens to me, he will be blamed."Marga forced a smile, embraced me for a second, and let me out of the room. On my way to the living ro