Chapter 2

Lilith's POV

My mother gave them a worried look before urging them to continue.

"Go on and deliver it, then."

"There will be a duel today between the two Alpha Princes on the palace grounds," he looked at me before continuing, "We have been asked to go to every household in the pack to invite the maidens to volunteer for the duel."

"I don't think she would want to do that," my mother objected, causing the men to wear a surprised look on their faces.

"I actually would want to go," I said, as she shot me an angry look. I didn't care; I am finally 18, and I can speak for myself.

"Well, the young maiden has spoken," he reached for his pocket and brought out a card.

"This is yours," I collected the card from him and read what was written on it.

"We would be expecting you by 7 pm," he said, and they turned around and left.

As soon as they were out of the door, my mother glared at me.

"You wretched thing, even after I said you couldn't go, you objected?" she scoffed.

"Look at how ugly you look," she gestured at me with her hand, "aren't you ashamed to show up at the palace looking like that?"

"I was even trying to help you," she said as she went back to her seat and sat down, "but it seems you enjoy being cursed at and mocked. Suit yourself, then." She turned her gaze back to what she was doing before the visitors came.

I quietly went back to my chores. I had no words for my mother. She's the reason I look the way I do. Her incessant torture has left my face and some parts of my body scarred and ugly. Memories of everything I had been through flooded my mind. I closed my eyes and listened to my inner thoughts. 

Don't worry, Lilith, it will all be over soon.

*********

Evening came soon enough, and I was excited. I dressed up and left for the palace. The time was drawing near—the time I would finally be free. I decided to wait until the duel was over before I would come back, take my money from the savings box, and escape.

I arrived at the palace, eager to fulfill my obligations as a maiden of the pack. "Prince Joe and Prince Jay were going to engage in a duel, and it would certainly be pleasant to watch that happen," I thought. The palace grounds were filled with members of the pack. As I made my way through, it all started happening again.

"Oh, the ugly witch is here tonight," one wolf sneered. I recognized him; it was Jason, an omega. He had always hated me, so it didn't come as a surprise.

"That cursed witch," another scoffed.

"Oh, I heard her mother did that to her."

"Oh, what a poor little sad witch."

They kept on talking and laughing as I walked past. I thought I was already used to it, so it shouldn't bother me, but it did every time. The incessant insults I got because of my scarred face made me ugly and disfigured. Hold your head up high, Lilith; you will soon be able to escape from all this. It is tonight, remember? All this will be over once you run to another pack far, far away.

I took a deep breath and kept on moving. I saw a group of people in front and decided to approach them, but as soon as they saw me, they scattered in fear.

"This is a fate I have been subjected to, one I will probably have to live with for the rest of my life because of my scarred face,"

 I sighed and went to a corner and stood, waiting for when our duties would be assigned to us.

"Ding, Ding, Ding." That was the sound of the bell.

"It was about to start—the duel between the princes was about to start!" I looked around, and my attention was immediately drawn to some masked individuals. I got excited as I ran in search of a mask. I finally found one, wore it, and made my way to the third row to get a better view of the duel.

No one would be scared of me anymore or say hurtful things to me. I was glad, even though it would only last as long as I wore the mask.

Suddenly, I heard whispers around me and couldn't help but listen to them.

"Oh! The duel is about to start," one person said. "Who do you think will win?"

"Is that even a question?" another scoffed. "Of course, Alpha Jay will win."

"You are right. The moon goddess will definitely make him win this fight. He is a purebred, after all," another said as they chuckled.

"Wait, is Alpha Joe not a pure breed?" someone else asked, to the surprise of the rest.

"Are you sure you are from this pack?" one inquired, looking squarely at him before continuing, "Alpha Joe was born to Luna Ava, who is our king's second chance mate, so he isn't a pure breed like Alpha Jay, who was born to our king's fated mate, Luna Joy."

"Oh, I see," the man replied.

They kept whispering and murmuring. I felt bad about what they were saying and tried to block out the noise to no avail. It was true that Prince Jay wasn't considered a pure breed due to circumstances surrounding his birth, but he could win. Nothing is impossible.

"I hope he wins," I muttered to myself. It would make me feel much better if the Prince, who was secretly mocked and laughed at by people, became victorious. That would certainly give me renewed hope in life. Rejected people like us still matter.

"All rise as the princes enter the dueling stage," the arbiter announced. We all rose to our feet as the two strikingly handsome princes entered the stage. According to the Starfall Pack's moon goddess rule, two alpha princes contending for the throne must engage in a duel fight, starting with a fierce fistfight. If there's no clear victor, they transform into wolves for a relentless battle.

The duel began, with eyes locked. The Alphas circled each other, muscles tense and jaws clenched. The other wolves formed a circle, creating a boundary for the duel, ensuring fairness and safety for all involved. There was an unspoken agreement among them—they would fight with honor, respecting the outcome regardless of who emerged victorious.

With a fierce growl, Alpha Jay lunged first, aiming to establish his dominance swiftly. But Alpha Joe, equally skilled and swift, evaded the attack with grace and agility. The crowd gasped, witnessing the raw power and precision of their movements.

Their fight continued, each wolf taking turns launching ferocious strikes, their teeth and claws flashing like silver in the moonlight. It was a dance of dominance, a battle for supremacy rooted in centuries of instinct and survival.

As the duel intensified, I felt a sudden pull. My mate was close. I could smell his scent in the air. I stood up, eager to locate him. I moved towards the scent, ignoring people's scornful gaze at the distraction.

The captivating lavender and jasmine scent kept luring me, pulling me close to its source.

"No, this can't be," I muttered in shock. "Why am I being led to the dueling stage?" My eyes widened.

"Could it be that one of the princes is my mate?"

Suddenly, Alpha Joe looked around as if sensing something in the air. I knew immediately; he was the one. He looked in my direction, and as soon as he saw me, he made an armistice sign with his hand, halting the fight.

I had never seen any of the princes up close before. Looking at Alpha Joe, who was staring at me with ocean-blue eyes, my heart skipped a beat. Never have I seen anyone as strikingly handsome as he is. He stood 6 ft 3 inches tall with a perfectly sculpted body.

Suddenly, my attention was drawn to the murmurs around me. I was filled with terror seeing that everyone's gaze had been drawn to what caught Alpha Joe's attention and made him halt the fight—me.

Alpha Joe took steps toward me, making his way out of the stage.

I immediately took to my heels, running as far as my legs could carry me as he pursued after me.