Celia POV
"After the mating ceremony with me, you will leave Dark Moon pack and serve me at home. Besides, you have to give birth to a pup for me within a year!"
The man said condescendingly.
I felt a surge of anger and disbelief. How could my stepmother Sarah have sold me off to another pack's Beta?
This middle-aged man, with thinning hair and a protruding belly, seemed dissatisfied with my appearance.
He asked, "How tall are you?"
I took a sip of my coffee and replied calmly, "5.6 feet."
Keaton nodded, saying, "That's acceptable. I'm nearly 5.9 feet tall. Our height difference will be cute when we kiss. You'll have to stand on your tiptoes, but that's okay. I can bend down a bit."
I rolled my eyes at him.
"You're wrong, sir."
He frowned. "What do you mean?"
Just then, a tall, stern-looking man entered the coffee shop.
I immediately seized the opportunity and approached him.
"Excuse me, I really need your help!" I said, grabbing his tie and pulling him down.
I stood on my tiptoes and gently kissed his lips.
"Do you see? You should at least be as tall as him to make a girl tiptoe to kiss you!" I declared triumphantly.
The man seethed in anger, pointing at me.
"You shameless woman! How dare you kiss a man so casually? Just wait, I'll tell everyone about it! You'll be infamous in all packs, and you will never find a mate!"
I smiled, "Do you think I'm afraid of you? Go ahead! This is even better! I don't need a mate!"
After this got out, who else would my stepmother be able to sell me to?
I sneered at Keaton and pushed him away, then turned to the tall man who had stood up for me.
"Thank you for your help! Bye!"
But before I could leave, a cold hand grabbed my wrist, stopping me.
A deep, icy voice reached my ears.
"You kissed me forcefully. Do you think you can just walk away like this?"
I felt a chilling aura emanating from the man as I looked up at his strikingly handsome face.
He had a mature and meticulous hairstyle, with deep, dangerous eyes and a sharpness that sent shivers down my spine.
I shivered subconsciously.
The man, his gaze dark as a storm, was about to speak. His subordinate received a call and approached with urgency.
"My Alpha, there's a change in situation! Kaitlyn's flight encountered severe weather conditions and was forced to turn back. She won't be able to make it to the country tonight, but your mating ceremony is scheduled for this evening. What should we do now?"
I grew increasingly impatient. "Can you let go of me, please?"
The man turned his cold, calculating gaze toward me, his eyes revealing a glint.
"She can replace Kaitlyn."
A sense of unease washed over me, and I asked cautiously, "What do you mean?"
His eyes narrowed, and he uttered a chilling statement, his voice sharp as ice.
"I want you to take responsibility, for kissing me."
I couldn't help but wear a bewildered expression.
"Responsibility? For a kiss? That's ridiculous!" I said, "I gave you my first kiss, and I didn't ask for anything!"
He raised an eyebrow. "First kiss?"
I sighed regretfully, "Yes. I had kept my first kiss for almost 20 years!"
His expression turned cold, and he spoke in a low, menacing tone.
"Take her away, Calvin."
Before I knew it, I was being escorted out by several men in black suits and shoved into a black car.
At a manor in Black Mist pack, the guests were abuzz with speculation.
"I wonder which pack's daughter is so fortunate to become Alpha Leon's Luna!"
"She must be a perfect combination of beauty and lineage. Ordinary women can't attract Alpha Leon."
"Look, Alpha Leon! He's so handsome..."
"Is the girl his mate?"
"She looks average. Wait, why is she wearing such heavy smokey makeup?"
Under the scrutiny of the crowd, the man led me onto the central stage of the ceremony.
The host approached with a microphone, ready to begin.
"Ladies and gentlemen, good evening. Welcome to Alpha Leon's mating ceremony!"
I stood there, shocked.
I never expected him to bring me here forcefully for a mating ceremony!
The guests below had varying expressions, and whispers filled the air.
"Is she Alpha Leon's Luna? Why is she dressed like a streetwalker?"
"Shouldn't Alpha Leon's woman be a gentle and beautiful lady? She looks like a cheap harlot!"
I was about to say something when I felt a cold blade against my back.
Under the bewildered gazes of the guests, I was forced to exchange engagement rings with Leon.
I quickly stepped down from the stage, just wanting to leave.
However, three extravagantly dressed women surrounded me, blocking my way.
"Which pack's Alpha's daughter are you?"
"You're so ugly!"
"You must have used some dirty methods to seduce Alpha Leon, right? You bitch!"
I tried to bypass them, but they pushed me, and one of them even threw a drink on me.
I was furious.
Next second, I grabbed two of them by the hair and slammed their heads together.
Bang!
The two women collapsed on the floor, unconscious. The third woman stared at me, dumbfounded.
"You..."
I remained expressionless and raised my hand, gesturing for her to step aside. She quickly bowed and stepped away.
Just then, a voice cut through the tension.
"Calvin, take her to change her clothes."
"Yes, my Alpha."
I glared at him defiantly.
"This is unfair! I only kissed you lightly, and now you want me to give myself to you as payment? That's too much!"
The man gestured for his men to step back and then tilted my chin with his long fingers.
His touch was gentle but carried a dangerous edge.
"Little girl, since you dared to act so boldly in public, you have to face the consequences. Understand?"
I furrowed my brow.
This man was definitely crazy!
"Oh, well! Can I at least use the restroom first?" I asked with a hint of attitude.
Leon gave his subordinates a meaningful look, signaling them to watch over me.
After I got into the restroom, I managed to escape through the window. I found a motorcycle on the street and rode it back home.
When I arrived home, it was already late at night.
As soon as I entered, my father, Zander, slapped me across the face.
"Celia, you're shameless!"
Celia POV I swiftly dodged the slap with ease. My father, Zander, was growing increasingly furious. "Celia, your mother tried so hard to find a suitable man for you, and this is how you present yourself? Dressing like this and openly kissing a man on the street? You've brought shame to our Dark Moon pack! Kneel down and apologize to your mother immediately!" Zander's voice echoed with anger. Sarah, my stepmother, intervened, trying to pacify the situation. "Zander, it's okay, really. Don't blame Celia. It's my fault. I haven't been a good stepmother, and she's young and impulsive..." Sarah wiped away her tears, trying to appear innocent. "It's fine, really." I interjected, my tone cold and composed, "She's not my mother." Sarah was my stepmother scheming to sell me off and strip away my inheritance rights in the Dark Moon pack. I handed a stack of documents to Zander. "Dad, these are the real profiles of the men Sarah wanted me to meet. Take a look. If you find someone you a
Celia POV "Where are you going?" A deep, menacing voice sounded, sending chills down my spine. Even though my back was turned to the man, I recognized the voice instantly. It was Alpha Leon! That was alright. I had prepared for this moment. I turned around to face Leon, sticking out my tongue and stammering, "Who are you? I don't know you!" Leon froze, his grip loosening momentarily. I purposely put bright eye shadow and lipstick on my face, so that he wouldn't recognize me. I continued, "You must be Alpha Leon, right? You've got the wrong person! You should go to the front door to pick up your Luna! She's waiting for you!" Leon narrowed his eyes, his gaze icy. The corner of his thin lips curled into a mocking smile. "You don't know me? Then why do you have my mark on the back of your neck?" I was stunned. When had he marked me? Leon's deep eyes seemed to read my thoughts. He said, "I marked you during the mating ceremony that night." I ground my teeth. "Alpha Leon, le
Celia POV I frowned. "Alpha Leon, are you trying to back out? We agreed that this would end in three months!" Leon smiled, his lips curving into a sly smile, "I promised to end it in three months, but I never guaranteed that nothing would happen within those three months." His long fingers tightened around my chin. His rough fingertips bore calluses, exuding a dangerous vibe, overpowering me. "Alpha Leon, I didn't think you'd be the man to pull these dirty tricks." I stared at him defiantly. His grip remained firm. He leaned closer, his gaze intense. Seeing my face, he chuckled lightly and released his hold on me. Then, he said with a disdainful tone, "Don't flatter yourself. I have no interest in a little girl like you." Although I felt relieved, his comment still irked me. "Good! I also have no interest in an aging Alpha like you!" I raised my hand and poked Leon's chest. "Alpha Leon, please step aside. I'm tired and I want to go wash up and sleep." Instead of confronting
Celia POV In a hurry, I grabbed one of Leon's shirts and dashed out of the door. Soon, I arrived at Arona Clinic. I barely reached the entrance when Karlee came rushing out. "Celia, there you are! Theta Landon wants to see you in his office! You need to brace yourself..." "Why does Theta Landon want to see me?" I asked, surprised at Karlee's unusual nervousness. "What's going on?" Theta Landon was our pack's medical mainstay and director of the clinic. Karlee glanced around to ensure no one was listening, then leaned in close. "All the important internal files at the clinic have gone missing today!" "How does that concern me?" I frowned. "The key point is, Cynthia reported to Theta Landon that it was because you didn't lock the door that all the files are gone! Today, an Alpha will come to inspect the clinic's new project. All the hard work we put into those files is now wasted. Theta Landon is furious and will likely blame you!" Cynthia, like me, was an intern at the clinic
Celia POV I walked out of the clinic, carrying the box, when a black luxury car suddenly stopped beside me. Beta Calvin came out of the passenger seat, saying, "Luna Celia, Alpha Leon wants to talk with you in the car." I didn't want to and tried to walk around, but Calvin raised his hand to stop me. "Luna Celia, please get in the car." Unable to avoid him, I reluctantly got into the car. I took out my phone and looked through it. Cynthia had shared a photo on social media, capturing the moment I entered the car. The text was, "No wonder Celia left so happily! It turns out she hooked up with a rich man! She doesn't care about this job at all! That man looks like he's in his sixties? Gross!" Replies quickly followed. "Sixty years old? She's in a relationship with an old man about her grandfather's age? I'm going to throw up just thinking about it!" "Holy crap! Could Celia be a home wrecker?" I raised an eyebrow shared a video with our work chat group. In the video, Cynthia
Celia POV Tamia yelled and screamed, "Ah!!! Grandma, are you okay? Help!!! Celia wants to kill my grandma!" I felt something was wrong and quickly moved forward to check. However, Tamia forcefully pushed me away. "Back off! Don't touch my grandma! You wicked woman! " "She is in danger. Let me help her." "Danger? What danger? I know you want to hurt my grandma!" Tamia screamed. In a moment of urgency, I gave her a swift slap, forcefully pushing her aside. Immediately, I rushed towards Jazlene struggling on the sofa, continuously applying pressure to her stomach. Tamia covered her face and screamed, "Ah!!! Celia has gone crazy!!! She's going to kill my grandma!" Servants rushed over, trying to pull me away. "Stay away, all of you!" Suddenly, a cold and stern voice cut through the chaos. "What happened?" Leon entered, and the atmosphere became heavy. Tamia rushed into his arms, crying, "Brother, quickly save Grandma! Grandma is about to be killed by that crazy woman!" Leon
Celia POV The next morning, when I woke up, Leon was already not in the room. Lazily, I leaned against the bedhead, scrolling through my phone. Suddenly, a message from Alex popped up. "Boss, I found another bracelet that looks very similar to yours! Come to Royal Pack! I have a plan to get us into Lycan King's party today!" It must be the bracelet designed by my mom. Perhaps there would be some clues. I frowned as I immediately got up, washed up, and headed out. Meeting Alex, he quickly briefed me on the situation. "Boss, I've investigated it thoroughly. That bracelet is designed by Crescent. Lycan King bought it when he was abroad." Crescent was my mother's designer name. She was renowned for incorporating elements of herbs and plants into her designs. While everyone claimed my mother was no longer alive, I hadn't found any proof of her death. With no other leads, I decided to start by exploring her works scattered around the world. I was about to enter Royal Pack when I s
Celia POV I looked over at Alex and frowned slightly. Alex immediately understood what I meant. He cleared his throat, raised his hand to hold up the bluetooth headset he habitually wore in his left ear, and walked past Leon and me. He deliberately lowered his voice a few notches, pretending he was on the phone. "Boss, that was embarrassing just now! I was cursing Alpha Leon, and he overheard me! He's the one who bought out that sculpture you liked! Forget it, let him have it! We'll buy something else later!" With that, Alex walked away. I looked at Leon and raised an eyebrow with an innocent look on my face. "Alpha Leon, that guy seems to be cursing you!" Leon's eyes fell on me with a probing look. "You don't know him?" I shook my head. "No! Alpha Leon, do you know that man? Why did he say that?" Leon narrowed his eyes. "You still haven't answered me. What are you doing here?" I sighed with chagrin, "I heard that they were hiring waitresses here today, so I came over for