BIANCA’S POV

That night was unforgettable. Alessandro took my innocence, but come morning, regret flooded over me for allowing him such liberties.

“What the hell are you doing in my room and on my bed?” Alessandro demanded, his eyes wide. Swiftly, he lifted the quilt, exposing our naked bodies.

As my sleepy eyes widened, I became self-conscious and hugged myself. A blush tainted my cheeks as I brushed my fallen hair behind my ears. “We did it,” I told him with a voice barely above a whisper.

“Did what?!” Alessandro yelled, startling me. “Get off my damn bed.” He kicked me out of the bed with such force that I found myself rolling towards the wall.

My exposed body ached from the impact, but I was more stunned by Alessandro’s reaction. Climbing out of the bed, he advanced towards me. I instinctively shielded my face, expecting an assault. Surprisingly, he kept his distance but unleashed his sharp, cutting words.

“Congratulations, you have successfully seduced me and abused my rut, but you know what?” He stabbed a finger at me, the veins in his head throbbing violently, the anger and betrayal in his voice dripping like bitter honey. “It would be the last time you take advantage of me, and I will never forgive you for this. I hate you now more than ever.”

With that, he stormed out of the room. I was left lying on the cold floor in a pool of my tears. Alessandro returned to fetch his pants because he had left the room naked, but he seemed more disgusted to see me, as if I should have disappeared the moment he came.

“Why are you still here squirming like a worm?” He attacked me. “Get the hell up and clean up the mess you made!”

I watched in silence as he stormed out of the room again. It took a while, but it sank in eventually — Alessandro was blaming me for something that wasn’t my fault, and I was still the one who had to clean up, even though I barely had enough strength to lift myself off the floor.

The cloud of shame and humiliation hovered over my head, a constant reminder of the foolish mistake I made. Finding my strength, I cleaned Alessandro’s room before returning to mine. For weeks to come, he ignored me, but as usual, we needed to be close to each other so the mate bond didn’t punish him.

I don’t know if it was fear of the pull or the power of the pull, but Alessandro became less aggressive towards me. He occasionally praised me for my hard work, although it was all done in private. Our relationship became one of a good master and slave. It wasn’t what I wished for, but it sufficed because that was all I could get with the body I had…

A couple of days before the full moon, I decided to venture into the woods in search of a peculiar flower that could enhance alpha strength. It wasn’t easy to find, but I knew where I could get it. I was always hiding from my bullies in the woods, so these parts were familiar to me. I never got Alessandro anything for his birthday since it was ruined by our mate connection.

I kept going deeper and deeper, and as I walked, I began to realize that I always wandered out of the pack’s territory while I was searching for a safe space. I gulped as I began to hear some unusual sounds, but I wasn’t in the least afraid. Even if the enemies were around, they would never attack me because I didn’t look important. However, the distant neighing sound of a horse caused my brows to almost kiss. It was strange; no one ever came around here, and rogues or attackers would never come with a horse that could potentially alert the patrolling wolves of my pack, so I knew something was off.

Turning for one last glance, a near heart attack gripped me as I saw his eyes open and narrow on me. Fear, cold and sharp, snaked through me. But before I could flee, swallowed by the encroaching darkness, the man’s gaze softened, a flicker of gratitude replacing the initial wariness. With a silent nod, he closed his eyes again, lulled back into slumber by the promise of healing.

My heart pounded a frantic tattoo against my ribs as I melted back into the woods, a wraith in the gathering twilight. The encounter left a trail of unanswered questions, a tangled knot of fear and intrigue that coiled in my gut. But above all, it left a spark of defiance, a whisper of courage that dared to rise in the suffocating silence of my existence.

The full moon was rising, casting an eerie glow on the forbidden path ahead, and, for the first time in months, I felt a flicker of hope, a yearning for something more than the shackles of my mate bond.

I kept racing until I was faraway from the forest. Even the true intention for my visit was lost. And I couldn’t bring myself to return for fear that I might get caught. It was an act of treason to help unknown wolves. I any case that one was ever found it was to be reported to the alpha for further consultations but I acted without thinking when I helped that mysterious man.

I decided to leave the event of that day in the forest, never to be spoken again…

The day of the full moon came faster than I anticipated. For the first time in months I visited my old hut and was surprised to see a familiar face sitting in front.

He beamed a smile at me as he opened his arms wide open. “Happy birthday, B.”

My eyes welled with tears as I ran into his embrace. Enveloping him a tight hug full of need and want. This person was the only friend I had in the whole pack. Elijah was the only one who didn’t think my size mattered. He had finally returned after being away for almost two years. “Eli…” I whimpered.