章節 2: A birthday gift
VALENCIA'S POV
"Back to earth, Miss Valencia," Dylan looked at me, making me feel shy when he pulled my cheeks softly to bring me out of my thoughts.
Dylan, the council head's son, also the next heir of the council, was my only friend in this world.
It was a one-sided friendship from my side. He probably doesn't even know how much I admire him. To me, Dylan was like a celebrity, like an angel who came into my life to save me from 50% of the miseries.
'Well, I won't mind if you fall for him too. Look at those biceps under that shirt. Isn't he like a big species of man? Totally mouthwatering,' My conscience chimed in with a joyous expression and I coughed on the candy that Dylan gave me earlier.
"Are you okay?" Dylan immediately stopped the car at the side before giving me the water bottle.
"I..*cough* am *cough* fine. Don't worry about *cough*"
"Just drink the water, will you?" He said before patting my back, and I immediately felt heat creep up my neck at his gentle pats.
I drank some of the water and was about to close the cap when Dylan coughed slightly.
"I... I am sorry, Princess. I had drunk from the bottle earlier," Dylan looked at me awkwardly, and I froze in my place for a second.
Well, it didn't matter. He was just saving …
'D-Did we just have an indirect kiss?' My conscience exclaimed, interrupting my thoughts.
"No we didn't have an indirect kiss," I gritted my teeth at my conscience who grinned, making me look at her confused.
Why was she grinning like -
I paused and looked at the man in front of me who had an amused expression on his face.
"I never said anything about kissing, Princess," He said while looking at me.
Do you ever feel like you want to bury yourself 6 feet under because it is better than facing embarrassment? That's exactly what I was feeling right now.
'Well, at least he is not angry with it. It means we surely have some scope,' My conscience, the hopeless romanticist said again, and I clenched my teeth.
'Just shut up and get lost. It's all because of you I am facing this embarrassment in the first place,' I groaned inwardly, looking at my lap, not daring to look at the man beside me, feeling even shier as he chuckled slowly.
That night after Tyler saved me, it was the message from the council that worked the deal.
The message said, 'We have felt the presence of the lantern in your pack. She mustn't be harmed. We will come to check up on her and if anything happens to her, you can say goodbye to the alpha's position,'
It was probably the council's way of protecting the weak but it worked wonders.
I also heard that there were packs who treated lanterns even higher than their betas and worshipped them for some unknown beliefs, but look at the kind of luck I got.
"Seriously, Princess, you need to learn to stay in the moment and not keep getting lost in your thoughts when you are with someone," Dylan said, and I bit my lips.
"My attention is on you now. Tell me, what brought you here today?" I asked, my heart relaxing with his soft expression.
"Hmm, open the dashboard cabinet," He said.
I smiled. He probably brought the box of candies for me again, just like he always does. Always treating me like a princess.
However, what I didn't expect was to see a small box with a soft bow and a happy birthday ribbon on it.
I couldn't say anything for a few seconds as my heart drummed against my chest.
"This..."
"Your birthday gift," He whispered.
I knew what it was, but...
I blinked my eyes when I felt tears brimming them. This was my first birthday gift from someone else in the last four years, and I couldn't contain the happiness that was making my heart ache slightly.
"What is in it?" I asked.
"Why don't you look at it yourself and tell me if you liked it?" Dylan turned around the corner, and I noticed how he stopped the car beside the forest which was in the opposite direction of the school.
I opened the box and noticed a weirdly designed pendant that glowed as soon as I placed my finger on the stone.
I couldn't help widening my eyes.
"Oh, it accepted you," Dylan said as if coaxing a little kid and I looked at him, unsure how to express my emotions.
"Wear it when you feel you can't stay in this pack. Wear this and come to me. I will always accept you," Dylan said, his words making me gulp.
Was I really reading too much into things, or were his words really some kind of invitation?
"I can't accept it," I whispered softly.
Dylan's demeanour immediately shifted and he cupped my face, forcing me to look into his beautiful eyes.
"Why?" He asked, but I just shook my head before closing the box and placing it back where it belonged.
I was about to close the cabinet when his hand stopped me, his face almost close to mine when he leaned to stop me.
"Why, Princess?" He asked again, hurt evident in his eyes.
"The council is already doing so much for me. I can't accept more than I can handle. Please," I said, and he sighed, visibly relieved.
"Stupid girl. Who told you it was from the Council? It's from me," Dylan said before he took the box and pushed it into my bag.
"But-"
"Tell me how was your week? No one bullied you, right?" He cut me off and started driving again, his question catching me off-guard for a second.
These were the times when I was really thankful for my high and abnormal healing capabilities. Even though I never changed into my wolf, strangely, my healing capabilities were on par with alphas. This was exactly how I was able to hide my pain and wounds from the council for so long.
Why do I hide, you might ask. However, I have only one reason for it. Even after everything, I am still hopeful that once I find my mate and probably change into my wolf, I will get the love I lost four years ago.
Did no one bully me? Should I tell him about the time when I was locked in the bathroom and those girls threw dirty water on me? Or should I tell him when I was slapped so many times until I passed out because they wanted to see if their training was making them stronger or not? Or -
'Tell him about the time when you caught Tyler having s*x with your sister in the empty classroom. Wasn't it the time when your heart ached the most?' My sarcastic subconscious said, and I pressed my lips into a thin line.
"Nothing eventful happened. I just got locked into the classroom one time, but as always Tyler saved me," I said, putting in some good words for Tyler in front of the council.
Dylan didn't say anything and just nodded. It was almost as if he could see right through my facade and hear my lies.
"It's good that he is taking care of you. I just hope he stays true to himself too," Dylan said, his words confusing me until he stopped the car at the school's entrance.
"Happy birthday, princess. Just remember, no matter what happens, my house is always open for you. Don't think about anything and just come to me," He whispered before accelerating the car, leaving me confused with his words again.
As soon as I turned to the school, the smile on my face dropped, and I sighed, preparing myself for the humiliation and bullying once again.
"Look at her shameless self. If it had happened to me, I wouldn't have shown up to school,"
"What can we say? If she had that much shame, she would've died already rather than clinging to our alpha like that,"
The harsh comments started as soon as I entered the corridor, and I gulped the retorts and anger before going straight to my class.
I was eager to complete this day and go back home.
For once, I wanted to get ready, apply a little makeup, and wear the best dress I have in hopes of meeting my mate. After all, it was my coming-of-age 18th birthday when 80% of wolves found their mates.
章節 3: Mate
VALENCIA'S POV
"Aren't you a little too happy?" My subconscious asked as I skipped a step while ascending the stairs to go to the ground floor and rush out of this school to go back to the pack house.
"Who won't be? I will hopefully find my mate today," I replied, the smile on my face freezing when I saw my sister Matilda standing at the exit of the school gates, her arms linked with Alpha Tyler.
A pang immediately shot across my heart. She was probably waiting there to laugh at my face and mock me on how she got the man I was crushing on.
It was almost her daily routine. If it wasn't that, then it was her minions who would deliberately tell me if she was making out or having s*x with Alpha Tyler.
I took a deep breath, preparing myself once again.
Just this one day. Once I find my mate and see who that amazing man is, I am sure this one-sided crush or whatever it was will be over, and I won't feel hurt anymore. Why would I feel hurt by another man when my heart would be full of thoughts of my mate only, right?
'Quit talking to yourself and get going. Aren't you getting late now?' My conscience reminded me, and I walked ahead with my head bowed.
I could feel their stares on me, and quite a few snickers too.
"Guys," Alpha Tyler warned them, and they immediately stopped.
"Baby, have you asked your father about our engagement?" Matilda's voice came next, and I felt my body subconsciously freezing in its place.
I raised my head, a mistake I must admit, as my eyes met with Alpha Tyler, who was looking back at me with a mixture of emotions.
"Let's talk about it later," Tyler said to Matilda before he gently removed her hand from his chest.
As if they were supposed to comfort me.
I don't know why I felt so much pain in my heart at that word, but before I could control myself, I was already running away from them, unsure of where I was going anymore.
I kept running until I reached the stream of the river.
'Hey, Val, it's okay. Don't -' My conscience tried to console me, and I shook my head at her.
No. This was wrong. I didn't need her consoling words. All my feelings were irrelevant. They didn't make any sense to me. Why would I feel so strongly towards the alpha just because he saved my life?
He was allowed to stay happy with whoever he liked, and he was clearly happy with Matilda, the beta's prestigious daughter.
I wiped my tears furiously before looking around when I realized I accidentally wandered into Noman's land.
Have you ever felt like those damsels in distress heroines who keep getting in trouble and the hero comes to save them?
Well, that's exactly what I was feeling. The only difference was, I didn't have a hero by my side.
Without wasting a second, I turned around, ready to leave, when I heard someone's groan.
"F*ck me!" It was a man's voice, quite dominant and bold I must mention.
Usually, I wouldn't act stupid enough to go and see what it was in a place like this, but the thick scent of blood that followed the groan, had me stopping in my place and I bit my lips.
"I don't think this is the best place for that," I said, unable to control my mouth as my conscience chuckled at me.
I softly moved towards the large stone as the voice seemed to be coming from there.
"Stay where you are, woman!" The man growled, making me shake in my place at the anger he was emanating.
He was surely wounded. The increasing smell of blood was clear evidence of it.
"Shut up. Are you wounded?" I asked not going behind the rock, in case the man wasn't decent.
There was no voice on the other side for some time, and I was about to move, thinking he fell unconscious when he finally spoke.
"Yes,"
"What kind of wound?" I asked, looking around the river to see if I could find the herbs to heal him.
Thanks to my pack members who don't stop at anything to bully me, I studied a lot about herbs that could help me heal faster so that the council doesn't suspect anything and take me away from my family.
"A wolfsbane-laced dagger," he said, and it was the second time I froze because of this man.
"O-okay. Are you decent?" I asked, and he hummed after some time, groaning inexplicably, making me sigh in relief.
I walked under the large stone where he was probably sitting and seeing the large sickening wound on his abdomen, I couldn't help but gasp.
However, what made me flinch slightly was the fact that he was a rogue.
The scent of blood around him was so thick that I couldn't even recognize his rogue scent.
His face was hidden behind a black cloth that was wrapped around his face and neck, the worn-out cuts on his clothes a clear indication that he had been struggling for quite some time.
"A pack she-wolf," He said as if acknowledging our differences, his voice holding a hostility.
"A human," I whispered, making him go silent as I gently lifted his shirt to expose the stab wound on his side.
It was bad, but it wasn't deep enough to hurt any vital organs.
Quickly washing the wound with river water, I rubbed the herbs on the clean stone beside him before applying them to his wound.
This won't do. The herbs need to stay there... But...
I looked at the cloth on his face. Knowing all too well that as a rogue he wouldn't want to compromise his identity, I looked at the scarf I was wearing, one of my grandmother's only souvenirs to me.
"If we ever meet again, give it back to me. This is important to me," I whispered before taking off the scarf from around my neck and wrapping it around his wounds.
"Get the wound treated by a skilled doctor ASAP. It won't infect now and will help your wolf heal it softly," I said, looking into his hazel eyes that were looking at me intensely.
"I am a rogue," He said instead.
I couldn't help but smile sadly at his words. The guy was probably used to living alone and being chased by the packs so many times that it was hard for him to believe that a pack member helped him.
Then again, rogues weren't good wolves to start with.
"Take care and live like a good human," I said, unsure why I even bothered to say those words.
He scoffed.
"How to repay you?" He asked, his gaze unrelenting, and I smiled.
"Live like a good human being," I said before leaving the place.
I looked at the sky and noticed it was already getting dark, making me sigh.
I was getting late for my birthday.
Without wasting a second, I went back to the pack, bowing my head as people looked at me weirdly.
Thankfully, there weren't many people outside as I rushed to the pack house from the back doors.
After taking a quick bath, I got dressed in the only dress I had that didn't look like it had been worn for years before being given to me.
Just like my other clothes, this dress belonged to Matilda too. However, she needed to maintain her perfect curvy figure, and this dress fortunately didn't fit her.
After wearing the dress and using the homemade lip balm, I did my hair in a side ponytail, leaving some of my strands loose to add more to my facial features.
I wanted to look perfect for my mate.
I gazed at my appearance one last time before wearing the moon pendant that my grandmother left for me and asked me to cherish always.
Everyone was busy with the bonfire and its preparations since it was a full moon, and I quickly rushed out of the pack house, walking towards the forest to celebrate my birthday alone like I have been doing for the last four years.
It was a hidden spot near the lake that only I knew.
The path went from behind the bushes which looked like they were a big tree.
Standing near the lake, I looked at the time on my watch before looking at the reflection of the full moon in the lake, smiling at the beauty.
"Let me meet my true mate, Mother Moon Goddess, the one who will truly cherish me and love me till eternity," I whispered the wish, smiling in delight when I heard the tick of my watch, a clear indication that it was already 8 pm.
It will happen anytime now.
I will smell the scent of my mate.
"Well given how you are around a few hundred meters away from civilization, I don't think you will smell your mate," My conscience reminded me, and I chuckled awkwardly.
"Right. How could I forget -" I paused.
My conscience was wrong this time.
I could smell him. My mate.
Inhaling the intoxicating smell of wood and cinnamon, I immediately stood from my place, almost slipping into the lake if not for the branch that I quickly held.
'Haha, calm down. You will get hurt like this,' My conscience said, and I chuckled.
'I don't care. Moon goddess didn't hate me. She loved me too. She didn't disappoint me and gave me a mate just like everyone else. And he is in my pack only. I couldn't be happier,' I rushed towards the pack house, running at the full speed I could, using all those running training I took to run away from my bullies, ignoring the weird smell that came along with my mate's scent.
Within a few minutes, I could see the pack house coming into view, and I furrowed my brows while smiling.
My mate was in the pack house? Why did I not feel him before?
Could it be that he returned today? Didn't 20 or so people return to the pack for the half-yearly bonfire?
Without thinking much, I trusted my instincts and let them lead me to what looked like the second floor.
As I started to get near the room my instincts was leading me to, my steps started to halt.
Probably my mate was talking to Alpha Tyler. That could be the only plausible reason.
With a deep sigh to contain my happiness and fast-beating heart, I wiped my sweaty hands on my dress before clenching my fists and opening them to ease my nervousness.
'Valencia, don't do it,' My conscience suddenly said, but it was too late for her to warn me.
I had opened the door already, and the scene in front of me left me both startled and heartbroken.
There he was. My mate. Having sex with another woman. And it wasn't just any woman. It was my sister.
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