LESLEY'S POV

 

Another surprise and I was face to face with my mate. I could barely contain my surprise. The Silver Moon Pack? LUNA of the Silver Moon Pack? The Silver Moon Pack?!

A long, long time ago, there was a war called The War of Legends, where werewolves practically annihilated all vampires in the human world. It was a world-spread effort, but there were especially three werewolf packs that had single-handedly wiped out all the vampires on the continent; The Don River Pack, The Tri-Stade Pack, and The Silver Moon Pack. To the present day, they were still the biggest and most powerful packs around, and some even called them the superpowers of the werewolf world. If just one of these packs was on your side, everybody cowered at your feet. And that was their reputation!

And I was to be the Luna of the Silver Moon Pack?!

"Will you come?" He asked like I had a choice. Since when did Alphas not get what they want?

I opened my mouth to scream 'yes', but somehow nothing came out. I tried again but ended up looking like a fish out of water. Instead, I just started rambling.

"W-what about school?" I asked, even if I did not give a fuck about school. I really, really hated school, so why would I even ask about that? But apparently, my brain thought it was an issue I needed to deal with. Because the reasons were bitches!

"I haven't finished high school yet."

"I can have your transfer papers by next week," Cedrick answered, and for a second, I thought he felt challenged. That there were no reasons I could make up, not to go with him. Crap! We were so going off on the wrong side there!

"Then you can attend the same high school that most of the kids in my pack attend."

"I can live with that," I quickly responded, not wanting to get into a fight with the mate I just met. I also recalled that Alphas were like possessive assholes when they found their mates, and looking at him, I definitely did not want to push his buttons. Any of them! Well, perhaps some, but that was 18 plus!

"When do we leave?"

"Now if you'd like," he answered, and I was pretty sure there was a slight smile of relief on his lips. Something that made him look absolutely divine.

"Yes!"

"No!" Both of us turned to look at my uncle; Cedrick with a surprised expression on his face and my face registered horror!

"Excuse me?" Cedrick asked calmly, but I was pretty sure his wolf was about to surface.

That was how deep and bestial his voice suddenly got. But my uncle kept calm and looked back at me. And to be honest, I was just about to shit myself.

No, no, no... No! It had to be today! If I waited, then I just knew something bad would happen. I could see it in my uncle's eyes! The hatred, the anger, the spite. It was all there and if I was not out of there by tonight, that was going to come down like hellfire on me!

"I don't need a lot of time to pack," I said.

I did not know why, but I thought trying to wriggle my way out of that was going to work, so I had to try. The thought of staying there for one more day scared me, and my heart panicked. It literally took everything inside me not to jump on Cedrick and beg him to take me away from there immediately!

"It will be done in a couple of hours," I continued, with both men looking at me with strange expressions. Cedrick was puzzled. He looked at me with a blank expression, while my uncle was getting more and more pissed. "And I own nothing that needs to be transported; all I need are my books and clothes." I continued to convince him.

Cedrick was about to open his mouth to answer, but my uncle beat him to it.

"It's customary for the girl who leaves to spend one last week with her friends and family," he said and casually turned to my mate, earning his attention. My heart dropped and everything inside me turned cold. A week?!

"And although she's an Omega, she still needs to fulfill her duties."

It was the word 'duties' that sent an icy shiver running down my spine! I crossed my arms in front of me, so they would not see how badly I was shaking. I was literally terrified but kept a straight face.

"When the paperwork is done by the end of the week, you can come to pick her up," uncle Harry logically continued and was pulling every fucking stupid old werewolf tradition out of his ass. Where the fuck was the passion for tradition for my dad's pack?!

"B-but it's a long drive!" I tried again, stuttering, having to bite down hard, so I did not scream. "I-I don't want to be a burden!"

So why did I not just blurt it out that I did not want to stay? Because that would lead to questions and questions would lead to the guest bedroom and that! That I could not talk about because! I could not! I could not talk about anything that my uncle had done to me! Stupid Alpha command! But deep down, I knew it was more than just the command. If I said anything, everyone would know what happened in the guest bedroom. They would know what my so-called family had done to me, and I was not ready for anybody to know. I just could not face that.

Damn it!

"It's three hours," Cedrick answered, and for a split second, I got a feeling that there was hope for me. "But I agree with your Alpha, Lesley. It would be best if you got to say your goodbyes properly."

My heart dropped and was suppressed by a heavy rock in my chest. It hurt! It hurt feeling betrayed by someone who was supposed to help you!

"I'll be back on Saturday to pick you up."

I wanted to scream. I felt like knocking that nonchalant expression off his face and kicking his balls! I wanted to cry, yell, and fucking kill someone, but what could I do? I shrugged my shoulders like I did not care about it. Like I said; what I lacked in confidence, I knew how to fake with attitude.

"Okay," I pressed between my teeth and turned to Cedrick with a huge fake smile on my lips. "I'll go say my goodbyes then. See you on Saturday!" I turned to my uncle. "Off to do my duties!"

And before anyone could comprehend what I meant, I turned on my heels and left. I knew I could not be mad at him. He literally did not know me yet. But damn it! He did not know how to take a hint either! Did he not feel the pull between us, seriously?! Was he honestly fine with being away from his mate for an entire week?! I thought Alphas were supposed to be possessive.

But no! He just nodded and left. Not wanting to talk. No questions, no need to know about me, no! Nothing! He just shook hands with uncle Harry, as if he had just made a business deal, and left.

I admit it hurt! Why did he just leave like that?! Did he not find me attractive? And why in Goddess' name was that the first thing that worried me?! I meant, it was understandable. I looked like a fucking homeless person with an eating disorder, like fucking a bag of bones! But I had also seen the way he had been ogling my boobs. There was no way in hell that the man was not driving home with an erection! And even if I looked like a goddess, my value laid in me as a human being; not in my fucking appearance!

"Bastard," I scoffed as I stomped into the attic. I felt my wolf whimper.

Perhaps he sensed how weak we were, and probably he did not like that.

Surprised at the thought, I realized it was my wolf, finally talking to me again. But honestly, I did not know what to answer or even say. I could feel how heartbroken she was. So, I took a deep breath.

"We're an Omega," I said, pulling my suitcases out. "Once we have access to our Alpha genes again, we'll show him who's weak!"

My wolf did not reply, but I sensed her curiosity and the sentiments that lingered over the suitcases. One was already full. It was the stuff I had grabbed out of the pack-house on the day when my uncle took over. He told me that Dick, my brother, was gone, and the pack was his. Then he had ordered the old Beta to clean out 'their shit'. I immediately knew what he meant by that. So, I ran ahead, pulled out the suitcase, and grabbed every single thing I wanted to keep from my parents. Our old Beta had helped me hide the stuff and later, Dean had helped me drag it upstairs, so my uncle did not find it. Not that I had a lot of time to go down memory lane, but on occasions, I did.

I opened it and the picture-perfect life I had before all the shit surfaced in front of my face. I sighed longingly as I picked up my favorite picture. It was one of those ridiculous selfies, where everybody was glued together. Not one entire face was visible, but joy and happiness were evident in our eyes. My mom, dad, Dick, and I. The picture was taken on one of dad's hunting trips and that was the first time I got to tag along. So, mom came too. It was in the middle of December and snow had covered everything; especially the high mountains.

I sniffled and quickly dried the tears that were rolling down my cheek reaching my chin. We were so stupidly happy back then. They loved me. And I missed it. I missed being loved.

That was when the thought hit me!

Perhaps I did not deserve love! Perhaps that was why all the awful shit kept happening to me. Even my mate seemed like he could not get away from me fast enough. My mate! The one person who would love me maybe did not love me.

*'Lesley!'*

Uncle Harry's voice boomed into my head, pulling me out of my thoughts. I jumped at the anger and poison in his tone. My heart sank and everything inside me turned cold.

Shit!

*'Yes, Alpha?'*

I tried not to let my fear get the better of me, but my throat really hurt because of the efforts I used to try to keep calm.

*'Come down to the guest bedroom,'* he commanded.

*'Now!'*

*'Yes, Alpha,'* I answered again, faking my Oscar-worthy attitude. Goodness! I was so scared! My heart was beating against my ribs, hurting my entire body with each beat. I wanted to die so badly.