Chapter 0232

Blurb:

Lillie Rome, a banished werewolf, finds herself in the middle of the famous surrogate choosing game for the alpha of Darkmoon pack. She never thought she would compete for the affection of a man whose father banished her family and reduced them to “paid slaves”, a man who believed he was too good to tie himself down to any woman, but she does it to save her brother’s life.

She steps into the palace with the mark of the banished on her neck and is hated instantly for it, but on the night of the presentation, something odd happens.

“Mate.” Her wolf cries out for the first time in 22 years. And when Lillie lifts up her head to see the man her wolf has called out to, she stares into the cold blue eyes of Alpha David Morris.

“You.” He calls her.

“Step forward.”

CHAPTER ONE:

Lillie

“No! Let go of me!” I screamed as loud as my lungs would allow me. Rough hands grabbed me by my shoulders and pulled me away from the door.

“What are you doing?! I said let go of me! I’m a Darkmoon citizen! I know my rights, you bloody…”

“Miss Lillie Rome, we have been ordered by the royal family to escort you to the palace.”

Of course, I didn’t need a soothsayer to tell me they were from the royal family. The four huge men that stood at my door all wore black uniforms with the wolf emblem of the royal family pinned to their shirts and black berets.

“This has to be a mistake.” I spat out, while trying to wriggle free of his hold.

“I haven’t done anything. I’m not the one you’re looking for!” I cried out once more.

Why would the royal family want to see me? It was more than clear that people in Darkmoon hated us. “The banished”, they called us. Did the new alpha king finally decide to exterminate us all?

“Mother! Mother!” I forced myself to turn towards the door while I shouted with tears in my eyes. Neighbors peeped from their doors and windows. I could feel their stares, but no one cared enough to ask what was going on.

No one ever cared for a werewolf with the mark of the banished on their neck, the royal family made sure of that.

“Lillie?” My mother’s soft voice came from inside the house. The guard who was holding me finally let go of me, and I ran as fast as I could and threw my arms around her frail body.

My mother and my sick brother in the hospital were the only family I had. I was the only person strong enough to work and sustain our family. I could never allow them to take me away from them.

“Oh, Lillie dear.” She spoke again. Her thin arms wrapped around me and I buried my head into her neck, tears streaming down my cheeks.

“I don’t know what’s wrong, mummy. They’re taking me away, and…”

“Now, now, dear.” She pulled away from me and flashed me a sad smile.

“Everything would be alright.”

I saw her look away from me and nod at the men at the door.

My eyes narrowed on her in confusion.

What the hell was happening?

“Hilda Rome,” One of the guards said as he walked into our house. My mother nodded and stood still, unwavering, as though she had been expecting his coming.

He took out an envelope from his breast pocket and held it out to her.

“From the royal family, as promised.”

Shock shot through my bones the moment I felt my shoulders being seized again.

She received the envelope, tore it open, and took out a piece of paper I couldn’t mistake!

A cheque?!

No. No. It couldn’t be.

She heaved a sigh and looked up at me. There was sadness in her eyes, but nothing like remorse, nothing like regret.

“You…you did this?”

I whimpered.

For most of my twenty-two years on earth, I had been mistreated, insulted, bullied and hated, and it never really mattered to me because at the end of the day, I had a mother and brother who loved me unconditionally.

Or so I had thought.

“We need the money, Lillie. Your brother needs the money. He’s dying, Lillie. Please understand.”

I couldn’t even bring myself to be mad at her. My heart squeezed painfully in my chest while I was being dragged out of the house. I couldn’t tear my eyes away from her, I couldn’t stop looking at her despite the fact that she had sold me to the royal family. The people who hated us the most. The people we were supposed to hate the most. The ones who had taken everything away from us. The ones who executed my father and banished us to the outlands. The ones who changed their minds and asked us to return years later, only to treat us worse than shit.

I was their property now, all because of money.

Face to face with a black van, a sack bag was thrown over my head before I was forcefully pushed into the back seat of the van. I heard the door bang shut beside me.

Helpless, hopeless, and now sold.

How much did my mother think I was worth?

“We have to make it to the palace before the gates are closed, so drive as fast as you can.” I heard one of the guards say.