BIANCA’S POV

“Who invited the fat pig?” The cruel words pierced the air.

“Why is she here? Isn’t she supposed to be tending to pens or something?” Another voice chimed in, dripping with disdain.

“By the goddess, what if she irritates the alpha?” A chorus of judgmental whispers followed.

Those condescending comments reached my ears, causing me to flinch. I lowered my head, pretending I couldn’t hear them.

“Look at her fat arms; she can probably break that poor table if she leans all her weight on it,” one of the girls ahead mocked me, and her friends giggled. It made me feel worse. I quietly took my hands off the table and placed them between my legs, digging my fingers into my palms.

The crystal chandelier above dripped molten diamond lights, each casting its sharp brilliance on the dresses of the she-wolves in the grand hall, except me. My dress was a pale shadow compared to the peacock hues around me. The whispers of the girls, though muted, reached me due to my werewolf hearing. Times like this made me hate the ability, as every second I listened to those girls talk about my body made me feel unwanted. I wished I could be unseen.

Seated at the far end of the hall, a dull island behind glittering she-wolves, I resisted the pressure to leave because of him.

Across the vast hall, Alpha Alessandro held court. He was a study in sharp contrast to my faded appearance. His obsidian fur gleamed like a predator’s pelt, his huge muscles radiating power with every gesture. His jawline, sharp as a honed blade, held a hint of disdain permanently etched upon it. Even his laughter, rich and booming, had a chilling edge to it. He was everything I wasn’t—strong, admired, and feared. But he was also the man I liked.

I had always liked him, even though having him near me was only a far-fetched dream. But a girl can hope. Out of the blue, he gazed my way, making me flinch, but he soon looked away. My heart reverberated in my chest so loudly that the other girls in front had to turn to check on me with annoyed gazes. I bit my lips as I suppressed a squeal. My cheeks were hot from the simple gesture from the alpha that I bet was not intended to attract me in any way. I clenched the fabric of my dress tightly as the roof of the ceiling opened up like blooming flowers.

It was a rare blue moon night. Tonight, like most others before it, the goddess would pair up wolves as mates. But she seemed to forget me every time for the past four years. Full moon after full moon, she left me mateless, blessing all those around me even though I was more lonely than they were.

Again, tonight, male and female wolves rose to their feet as the moon shone on them, drawing them closer to their mates. I watched silently in the shadows as they accepted themselves, while I remained forgotten by the goddess. I lowered my head as my lips quivered, tears welling up in my eyes. Suddenly, I felt the rays of the moon on me, causing my hazel eyes to brighten, indicating the presence of my wolf.

My limbs started to act on their own as I rose to my feet without restraint or huffing and puffing like I ran a marathon. It felt as though my body was not mine anymore.

With my gaze fixed ahead, I pushed through the crowd while they parted like the Red Sea for someone ahead, someone I never expected to be moving toward me. We stopped in the middle of the room, the moon above us shining brightly as if it was consenting to our union.

“Mate…” I rasped.

“Mate?” Alessandro’s eyes widened.

“Mate!” I squealed and threw my arms around him. “You are my mate, Alpha Alessandro, the goddess chose you for me.”

The alpha stiffened up, but he didn’t utter a word. I could hear his heart pounding in his chest. I knew he was as excited as I was, and that was why he couldn’t speak. The room as a whole was so quiet that I couldn’t hear the breathing of my mate, his hot breath increasing with every beat.

“Let go of me, you sea cow!” He roared, pushing me violently to the ground. “I… I am not your mate!” There was a tremor in his roar that I had never heard before. His gaze lingered on me before he recoiled, taking three steps back. “There is no way the goddess paired me with a moose; no, I will never accept this.”

My lips trembled as I lifted my eyes to meet Alessandro’s. His blue eyes were blazing with fury, but I could still see his wolf trying to come out, calling out to mine. That was all I needed—a faint ray of hope that he also wanted me. I immediately crawled up on my knees to him and hugged his legs. “Please don’t reject me; please accept because I, Bianca Saldana, accept you, Alpha Alessandro Giovanni, as my mate.”

“The fuck?!” A hard kick to my abdomen sent me rolling away from Alessandro. I cried out in pain, the twisting throb in my stomach making it hard for me to breathe. “Revoke your acceptance this instant!” Alessandro thundered.

I rolled on my side and prayed my eyes open, even though the tears were blurring my view. Again, I heard Alessandro’s wolf call out to me, “accept us, mate, please…”

I could feel the desperation in his voice, the same longing that I wanted. I was still writhing in pain, but I knew that I had to convince Alessandro to listen to his wolf. I forced myself to rise up, even though all my senses were screaming against it. I advanced towards Alessandro, earning multiple gasps from the crowd, but I didn’t care. I wrapped my arms tightly around him, not wanting to let go.

“I won’t reject you; you are my mate, and we are meant to be together,” I whispered, my voice trembling with a mixture of fear and anticipation.

“I said, let me go!” Alessandro roughly pushed me away, causing me to crash and push down an entire table. He stabbed a finger at me, his voice dripping with rage. “I will never accept to be mates with a creature as fat as you are. No one would want to be mates with a person like you, and that is why I, Alpha Alessandro Giovanni, reject you, whatever your name is, as my mate.”