Chapter 1

• Cesmae's POV
• “Run away and don't look back. If we're caught, that's the end….”
• But I was caught after all on my 18th birthday at the annual mating ball.
• By my mate Morgan, the Alpha's nephew and my best friend Carlisle’s crush.
• After the Alpha congratulated us and the rest of the Pack followed in kind, Morgan grabbed my hand and practically dragged me away from the ballroom.
• The next thing I know, I am being flung into an empty room. Morgan steps in and closes the door after himself, glaring at me with eyes that hold no affection.
• I can feel a pit beginning to form in my stomach as my subconscious dissects the situation and comes up with only one possible outcome —And it is one of the worst fates that can befall a wolf.
• I swallow and stand up to my feet.
• “Why have you brought me here?” My voice comes out so small, anxious.
• “As peculiar as you are, even you can agree that we have nothing in common. The moon goddess might have decided it, but I don't want you as a mate. It seems even the rest of the Pack will support my decision.” He begins sternly and my heart clenches.
• The word ‘peculiar’ caught me off guard. Yes, I have always been the odd bug in the Pack, never really fitting in. I have luscious brown hair with a single red streak and mismatched eyes, one blue and the other brown. I shifted at age 12 rather than 14 like most people. And it is difficult to make friends, people often say I talked funny, specifically too formal for my age.
• And it has always been strange to me how everyone in my Pack has felt like a stranger. Don't get me wrong, I have never been treated badly, at least by most people but it always feels like I don't belong. Coupled with the fact that I don't remember the first 10 years of my life at all, it is all a blur. My parents died in an accident of which I was the sole survivor. I was 10 then and when I woke up, I couldn't remember anything.
• So previously I held no feelings for the man in front of me too. He seems so far out of reach, I never even bother to conceive the thought but now that the mate bond has been established, I feel an inexplicable attachment to him.
• It is like I have finally found a long-lost possession, something I don't even know I am missing. My mate is the one who completes me and my wolf wars within me, fueling the desire to hold onto this precious bond. But I honestly feel bad for Carlisle. I know she loves Morgan and they would make an awesome couple.
• “I know that we are both different in our own ways but that's what makes us unique, don't you agree? I know that you have feelings for Carlisle and I too only desire her happiness but as goddess Selene has made it this way, she must have a reason. I am willing to get to know you and build a strong bond with you. I could even change if you so desire, I can become the perfect mate you want but please don't give up on us just yet.” I beg frantically as the tightness in my chest continues to grow.
• “What makes you think you could ever become someone I want? It's pointless to argue so I'll just hit the nail on the head. I, Morgan Crone, reject you, Cesmae Winters as my mate and hereby break any bond we might share.” He declares the words that hit me like a knife to the heart.
• I clench my chest and stagger backward, gritting my teeth as an excruciating pain bubbles in my chest. Tears cloud my vision and I try to blink them away without success.
• “I'm done with you. It'll be better if you never come in front of me again.” He says mercilessly and leaves the room, abandoning me after such a brutal rejection.
• It is cruel.
• “It's OK, we'll be fine. It's just a rejection, we can move on from this.” Kasia, my wolf consoles me, keeping up a brave front. I always know she is different from other wolves. She is strong, talented, and almost unbreakable.
• She nudges me internally, releasing a soothing aura that quickly washes over me and makes the pain almost disappear. Almost.
• But still, if anyone is supposed to be most affected by the rejection, it would be her, but the fact that she stays strong and only wants to move forward, means that I should do the same.
• I stand up, wipe the tears that escape down my cheeks, and take a deep breath. Looking at the bright side, now that Morgan has rejected me, he can have a chance to be with Carlisle. They are honestly more suited for each other and I will never want to come in the way of their love story. This is all probably for the best.
• I continue to tell myself that and force on a smile despite the lingering sadness in my heart. I have to return to the Ball before Carlisle’s father (my uncle), Beta of the Pack, gets worried and starts looking for me.
• I walk out of the room and down the hallway, heading back to the ballroom but I am only a short distance away when I realize that I am missing something. The necklace that I have worn to the ball is no longer around my neck. It belongs to Carlisle’s mother who I also refer to as my aunt.
• It is given to her by her husband and I have only borrowed it for the night. There is no way I can lose something so precious. Panic quickly sets in and I rush back to the room and begin to search around. Thankfully, it is lying on the floor, next to an ottoman. It must have fallen when Morgan pushed me into the room.
• As I put the necklace around my neck, I hear strange sounds coming from the next room.
• It is Morgan's voice and though I can't hear what he is saying, I can tell from his tone that he is angry.
• That is funny, here I think he will be happy to have gotten rid of me so easily. But the sounds that follow stop my thoughts in their tracks.
• There is the sound of something breaking and then the sound of something heavy falling to the floor and finally……. Carlisle's scream……
• Wait, Carlisle’s scream?!
• My blood runs cold at the realization and my legs move on their own before I even have the chance to think. Bolting out of the room, I throw the door of the next room open and rush inside to witness a scene that makes my heart drop.
• Carlisle is sprawled on the floor, bleeding from the head while Morgan has a knife dug deep into her stomach almost to the hilt. Blood streams out around the wound and colors her white dress red.
• Morgan's eyes fall on me and he throws me a sadistic smile as if he is excited to see me like I am a special guest, granted a front-row seat to his sick game.
• I watch with pure horror as he drives the knife out and raises it up, letting the blood drip on his tongue, savoring the taste and moaning with twisted delight.
• My stomach turns with revulsion but I still can't move, can't even say a word as I am too shaken to react.
• How? What….? Why?
• These are the only words that circle around my non-functioning brain.
• Before I can mull over the questions, I am slammed into the wall with a speed that can only be described as inhuman.
• “What are you doing, Morgan? What have you done? Carlisle…… She…..” I try to get out the words but his hands wrap around my neck tightly, depriving me of air.
• “Unfortunate, isn't it? Such a sweet little thing she was. Was even a better girlfriend than I could have hoped for but she just couldn't handle her curiosity. She found out what she wasn't supposed to and paid the price, just like you are about to. Except I won't be the one to punish you, the entire Pack will. Cesmae Winters, the Pack’s weirdo finally lost it and killed Carlisle Newman, the daughter of the family who adopted and raised her like their own, just because she was rejected by her mate, who was in love with Carlisle instead. It's quite the story, isn't it?” He grins dangerously, increasing the pressure of his grip while I choke, uselessly struggling to break free.
• “That's……not true…..” I rasp.
• “The truth is only what people believe. Someone has to take the fall, nobody really liked you anyway.” He muses as he manages to cut my air supply completely.
• The lack of oxygen to my brain makes my vision turn white and I can feel all my strength disappearing. I am losing consciousness!
• No! I have to stay awake, I need to get Carlisle to a hospital. She can't die! She……
• My brain goes blank and I am suddenly swallowed by cold darkness……