Chapter 1

• LYRIC
• I never expected that my mate, whom I married 1 year ago, would reject me so coldly after his wolf pack rose, simply because I am ugly—my face has scars.
• "You are rejected, you ugly duckling," Roderick repeated his words as if he hadn’t broken me the first time.
• "You used me!" I sobbed, "Mating with me was your ladder to power, Roderick! Your Pack climbed the ranks because of me! Now that you've achieved your ambition, you don't need the ugly girl anymore, is that it? But you were willing to mate with me a year ago!"
• I’m the daughter of an Alpha. My family paired me with him a year ago. For a year, we lived like strangers despite being mated. I was still a virgin as he could not even bring himself to touch me.
• "Lyric! Have you ever looked at yourself in the mirror? Even once? How did you think a charming alpha like me could really love you?" There was pride in his voice, his shoulders puffed up with confidence, and his smug face clear to me.
• "But you never even gave me a chance to show you that love could go beyond looks," my tears blurred his handsome face that he was so proud of.
• "You’re ugly, Lyric. That should be enough for you to know why I can’t give you a chance," he scoffed, wrinkling his nose as he pointed at the big scar on my face. I’d been called ugly by almost everyone, but hearing it from Roderick was so painful.
• "I wasn’t born this way. It was a brutal attack. But if my face bothered you so much, why didn’t you tell me all year what your plans were?" I couldn’t believe I was crying in front of him while he stood cold and heartless.
• "Tell you my plans? Your own family never cared about you, why would I? Lyric! Your scar will never heal. You’re ugly, and I can’t look at your face another day," he hissed, shaking his head and calling me ugly again and again.
• It wasn’t my fault I was ugly. I was burned with a silver-based branding iron when I was a kid, leaving a big scar on the side of my face. I still didn’t know who did it, but I’d had to grow up with this sting of rejection. Even my own family hated me and were embarrassed by how I looked.
• But I thought Roderick would be different. I thought he’d love me. But in a world where ranks mattered most to Pack Leaders, lies were bound to happen.
• I glared at him. I truly loved this man and wished he’d love me back. But now, I wished he’d suffer for what he did to me.
• "You’re a monster," I said through clenched teeth. "And I hope you pay for this someday."
• He threw back his head and laughed, a hollow sound. "Cursed Lyric, how exactly is that going to happen? I’m now the third most powerful Alpha. My pack is rising while your family is below me! There’s nothing you can do to me anymore. You have always been and will always be worthless!"
• "Listen, I’ve rejected you already, and you accepted it. Although there’s one last formality left, as far as I’m concerned, you’re nothing to me. So, get your disgusting face out of my pack! Right now, before I have the guards throw you out!" His glare was icy, and before I could answer, he walked away.
• I knew I wasn’t allowed to stick around. If he came back and still saw me here, he would tell his warriors to drag me out. So, I pulled myself together and started my journey back home.
• To my father’s pack. I hadn’t been home since I moved into Roderick’s pack, and I hoped they would be willing to take me in.
• My family had never really liked me. Everything started falling apart after my mother left—abandoning me when I was four. My father chose a new mate and suddenly didn’t have much time for me. Then, I got my scar, and he became even more distant.
• The guards let me through the gate, but when I rang the bell at the lounge, my stepsister and her mother opened the door. To my surprise, they didn’t let me in.
• The look on their faces told me they were annoyed to see me back. “He rejected me and asked me to leave,” I kept it simple at first. But when their harsh faces didn’t soften, I told them everything he had said to me. I was so wrong to think that would change how they looked at me.
• “Go back to Roderick and beg him some more, Lyric. There is no room for you here,” my stepmother said after I explained everything.
• Despite my attempt to get them to pity me, letting them understand I had nowhere else to go, they ordered the guards to see me out.
• They've always taken me to be a disgrace to the family and were happy when I left for Roderick's Pack. Now, they didn't want me back.
• Now that another door had been shit closed on my face, I had nowhere to go but to go to the bar where I could drink myself into oblivion and act like everything was fine, at least for a while.
• My favorite bar—Faceless Drunk. Over here, they mixed portions strong enough to get a wolf drunk, and you didn't have to worry about being recognized and judged as every customer made use of masks.
• It had been my favorite bar for years. If people had to see my face, they'd think I was getting drunk because I was ugly.
• ‘Ew look at her face’
• Those words rang through my head as they have been said to me so many times.
• But above all, it was Roderick's betrayal that cut deep. It was even more painful that I could not do anything to him. His Pack was very powerful now, and I was an ugly, rejected girl who didn't even have a family to return to. Nobody could ever want me. What was the point of living?
• I emptied the last of my drink and was trying to stand when someone spoke from nowhere: "A refill for the lady, please."
• I was surprised to find a man taking the seat beside me. The bartender nodded and proceeded to get a refill.
• I furrowed my brows in surprise as I looked at the newcomer. I couldn't see his face as he was wearing a mask just like me, but something about the way he appeared told me he was sophisticated.
• His suit was a Mason Étoile brand, and his watch was an Aristo Tempus watch. An average Wolf couldn't afford these things. He was tall and had broad shoulders, the veins on his neck and on his arms made him look even sexier.
• "You've been coming here to drink alone for some time now," he said, surprising me.
• His voice... It was soothing and impossible to ignore.
• I lowered my eyes, feeling a little ashamed. How can he even tell? "I don't know what you're talking about."
• "Your mask." He tipped his chin toward me. "You've never changed it."
• Oh. "That means you also come here a lot." That was odd. Somebody had noticed me? Right! Because my ugly face was hiding behind a mask.
• "I do. It's not quite up to my standard, but it's my favorite place. I like it when I don't get judged by anyone."
• The barman returned with my drink. I thanked the newcomer before drinking from my glass.
• “From the look of things, you must be troubled,” he said, and I sighed.
• “Are you just good at guessing, or have you been stalking me?” I tried to joke but was too sad to come up with something better.
• “You’ve been sighing after every sip. If you hadn’t noticed, I’ve been doing that too,” he said, and I nodded, feeling awkward.
• “You know what can help with stress?” he asked. “And I’m not talking about booze. How about a night of fun? No strings attached, no worries about the world, just you and me alone.” I wasn’t surprised a man with such a powerful aura was this confident.
• The way he asked me for one night sounded like he was offering me a crown. That’s how convincing he was.
• “I don’t really do one-night things,” I shyly replied, even the topic made my cheeks burn.
• “Why? Do you hold loyalty to someone else?” As soon as he asked, something flipped inside me.
• He wasn’t wrong, though.
• Who was I saving myself for? My husband hadn’t even touched me for a year and then kicked me out. If I have to die alone, I’d rather do it after losing my virginity.
• "Although, I must warn you," he stated. "It will be a long night. I have... problems finishing on a woman. I never finish. So, like I said, it is simply for the fun of it."
• Huh? He could not climax during intimacy? But I heard that was the best part of it. How could he enjoy intimacy if he has never finished on a woman before? The thought of it was sad.
• Despite how absurd it sounded, a part of me was tempted. I'd always been curious about intimacy. No one has ever liked me because of my scar, not even my mate—ex-mate.
• After much conviction from the newcomer, I gave it a thought.
• "Can we keep our masks on? You'll hate me just like the others if you see how ugly I am.” My request didn't make him question me. He was just so ready for it.
• "Sure." He shrugged. "Your wish is my command, Princess."
• Princess? My stomach churned.
• Oh, no. He didn't know I looked like a monster. If he knew, he'd run off like the others.
• I was tempted to cry. Sometimes, I really did wish I was treated like a 'Princess.'