CHAPTER 1: THE RUNAWAY WOLF

Shirley had had a rather disturbing dream the night before. She had tried to escape her Pack and was caught by some Palace guards. But as she stared out her small dirtied window, she shrugged off the ill feeling the dream had managed to out in her.

She wouldn't let that dream come true. She was way smarter than her dream self, and besides, it was only the dread of getting caught that made her dream so disturbing.

Brown determined orbs stare into the darkness of the night from her sorry excuse of a window. Her parents hated her-- that she was sure of. Her father had always wanted a male child but got her instead. It was a devastating revelation for him as he had desired a sin who'd inherit his empire.

When he tried to groom her into the son he desired, he realized, to his dismay, how weak she indeed was. She wasn't her mother's pride either, as she wasn't as pretty as she had hoped. Both of her parents were unconventional and beautiful, but she was considered.......plain.

Things only worsened when she turned sixteen; her Wolf still wouldn't show. It wasn't expected that one would wait until age sixteen before one got his wolf, but sixteen was the last age to get a wolf.

Some kids get theirs at ages as young as ten, some from birth, but there she was, without a wolf. Her mother tried to hold onto the little fate she had left in her daughter until she turned twenty, and she was still as weak and wolf-less as ever.

Shirley watched her parents turn their backs on her in disappointment and embarrassment. She had even heard her father deny having a child on several occasions. It hurt beyond repair initially, but Shirley quickly learned to numb the pain.

The Pack members mocked her for being inadequate and unable to achieve even the most minor tasks. She never had any friends, as her parents usually pushed their kids away from her as they believed she was cursed.

Shirley's life was miserable. She wished several times to fall off a tree and die or be killed by a rogue wolf. But that never happened, as the moon goddess seemed to have a twisted sense of humor.

She had considered running away several times but could never bring herself to do so, as she was sure she wouldn't even survive a day in the woods. She could tell that her parents wished she'd one day develop a backbone and run away, and that's why they never bothered looking for her whenever she left the house when things got too tough.

Sighing heavily, she decided she had sulked enough in her lifetime. It was time to wear her big girl pants and do what she had planned.

Gathering her long black hair in one hand, she ties it up in a tight bond.

She quickly threw on ripped jeans and a black top. She had never opted for bright colors, fearing they'd bring her to the open. And besides, it'd be a stupid idea to wear something flashy and catchy. Her parents were rich and noble. She was doing them good by running away.

She had thought this through a billion times and was sure it was the right thing to do. She wouldn't wait in here, locked up and abandoned. She'd find her destiny. She was sure she would.

Shirley knew the system of her house like the back of her hand. Her father's Butler, Aias, would have already gone to bed as it was way past eleven. As well as everyone else.

Shirley packed all her precious belongings in a small bag and secured it around her half-length. She then started to climb down her wall.

She had executed the feat many times before, which was no big deal.

She had no friends, so she played by herself. Climbing down her window was one of those many adventures for her.

She dashed for the woods when her feet touched the cold earth.

Her heart was in her throat as she ran unthinkingly through the thick woods, not daring to look back at her parent's house.

She was doing them both a lot of good, she told herself. She waited for the feeling of guilt and sadness she believed she'd feel once she finally ran away. But there was nothing: no sadness, no regrets, no fear, just relief.

She felt relieved, like a huge burden had been lifted. She ran through the woods like wolves chased her, her feet barely touching the cold earth.

The moon shone bright in the sky, awarding her its natural light.

If it was the only kind thing the moon goddess had done for her, she was willing to take the kindness.

Panting and running through the woods, she slid through the wet grasses, each bracing her legs, reminding her that things would never be the same. Her heart raced so fast that Shirley feared it'd jump out of her chest any moment.

Her thoughts were uncoordinated, and her mind seemed to be everywhere and nowhere. She was once sure of this choice, but now she isn't so sure anymore. She didn't even know where she was headed, but she didn't regret running away from a place she was unwelcome at

Feeling like she had successfully run far enough from her parent's house to be caught up with, she slowed down and bent over to catch her breath.

Who was she kidding, though? There was no way her parents would ever search for her. It was just impossible.

Deciding to walk instead, she brought out the map she had stolen from the Pack's library for direction when she felt something wrap around her legs and pull her up into the air.

Shirley let out a piercing scream as she hung upside down from a tree.

"Well, well, well...." Shirley tried but failed to see who owned the masculine voice." What do we have here?"

CHAPTER 2: TRAPPED

The floor was a good six feet away from Shirley. It's probably preparing her for where she's about to be buried.

"Hey, Cali!" The voice called again from a distance behind her. She tried to twist herself towards the voice, but it quickly proved useless. "Come see what I've found." The joy in his voice was unmistakable.

A second voice joins in. "This better be worth my time, Garland, or I'm telling commander you keep messing around." This guy had an accent-- one Shirley couldn't tell. But then again, she had a limited number of interactions.

She made a mental note to remember both their names. In her next life, she'd find and kill them.

"Who's this, Garland?" Cali asked, coming in front of her and peering up at her.

"The rogue wolf, that's who." Garland declared proudly.

What? What?

All the alarms in Shirley's head went off.

"No, no, no. You've got me mistaken. I swear I'm no rogue." She struggled to explain, but being put upside down wasn't exactly helping issues

"Shut it bitch!" Cali warned sinisterly. " Good job, Gerald. Now we can get that promotion we spoke about." They both smiled dreamingly at the possibility

"What? Are you even listening? I'm no rogue. I can't even shift!"

Shirley tried again. Maybe now they'd understand, but this only made them laugh.

"Cut her down. We're heading to the Palace's Courtroom." Cali said happily, and before she could think, she was cut loose. She slammed onto the ground forcefully, making her lose her breath momentarily. The two men quickly tie her up.

"I swear to you both, I am no rogue. I can't shift forms; this is my first night out of my father's house. You must know him. He's the......."

She tried to explain frantically but received a hot, blinding slap across her cheek.

"You will shut the fuck up and stop trying to lie your way out of all your crimes," Garland said before spitting at her in disgust. Shirley felt all the blood on her face drain, and a new sense of dread overcame her being.

She was finished. Her life was over just when she felt it had only begun.

"Tie her mouth and keep her shut," Cali instructed.

"No, no, wait.....waiiiiiiiittt!" She begged, but that too fell on deaf ears as they quickly bound her mouth with dirty and disgusting little clothing, tearing her cheeks with it.

Was this indeed her fate?

Garland grabbed her by the rope used to bind her wrists together before lifting her onto his shoulder.

"Can't believe we finally got her." Garland started after a while when he was sure he had managed to tame her struggle.

"Didn't expect her to be this small and weak, seeing as she took down six men alone." Cali pointed out in what seemed like awe.

Shirley wished she could take the compliment but wasn't the rogue. She tried to explain this again, but her effort was useless as her bound mouth wouldn't allow for as little as a word.

She was finished

She couldn't even escape without getting caught.

She was weak and useless.

An embarrassment to her family's legacy.

Holding back bitter tears, she decided it was probably best she died here. After all, she had not even known where she was going from home.

Maybe it was best she died now. She would no longer be rejected and mistreated by the entire world. So, closing her eyes as the world began to brighten up with the morning sun, she decided to accept her impendent fate.

Shirley doesn't know how long it will take, but they soon arrive at the king's palace.

She's tied and dragged to the Royal Courtroom for judgment, where she bows her head in shame and hurt.

She never even got the chance to live her life.

She hadn't even been allowed to escape and find a better life somewhere.

She lets her black flowing hair cover her face from the prying eyes of the small crowd.

This rogue wolf became quite popular, and when people heard she had finally been captured, they quickly came to watch her execution.

Shirley sadly realized that she was no longer in her district but in the Alpha King's district. No one knew her here.

She had never ventured so far in her life, but instead of feeling accomplished, she felt a massive sense of injustice and sadness.

"What do you say is her crime?" A loud booming voice sounds in the large accident room

"She's the rogue wolf, my Lord," Garland said proudly.

"And do you have anything to prove this accusation?" Another voice asks with the same authority.

"Yes, my Lord," Garland declared. This didn't surprise Shirley, as they had already planned to lie that they had caught her in the act. Garland would narrate the story, and Cali would affirm it.

Just the way they had planned it, they executed and the crowd began to curse and yell at her for crimes she knew nothing about

Shirley hid behind her hair, waiting for it all to be over.

"What do you have to say for yourself, young woman."

Shirley remained quiet, her eyes glued to the cold earth. The earth had always been that way to her. Cold and wicked.

She had accepted her fate. Death was better than bondage.

"I have nothing to say for myself." She finally said in a quiet voice.

They all heard her as their Wolf heightened their hearing.

"Therefore, with the necessary proof and a standing witness, I, at this moment......." The voice ends just then. "Alpha". It sounded more or less a gasp of shock.

That managed to spike Shirley's attention, and she lifted her head to see what had gotten the once noisy crowd silent.

Her eyes immediately land on the Alpha King, and her emotions spiral out of control. A feeling of relief washes away her fears. Her heart is calmed immediately, and hope overcomes her being.

But that's quickly overcome by a feeling of dread, anger, pain, anxiety, and pain, and all of them come at her at once. The feeling is so unbearable that it becomes impossible to breathe, and just before her eyes close in welcome of the darkness that promises to comfort her, she hears the word "mate" leave the Alpha's lips.

CHAPTER 3: A MATE UNWANTED

It was bright and blinding, but it was also an odd comfort. If this was what dying felt like, Shirley was sure she was ready to embrace it.

"Wake her up!" someone said hurriedly, but it sounded like it was coming from miles and miles away.

"You wake her up. Why does it have to be me?" another countered. This voice seemed much closer this time.

The argument went on and got louder as Shirley slowly recovered her consciousness.

"Oh, I think she's awake," someone suddenly said, and the room went eerily quiet. Shirley was scared to open her eyes, certain every gaze was on her.

Her eyes tore open of their own accord, and she immediately shielded them with her hands from the blinding light.

"Great. She's awake," another said impatiently.

Shirley tried to remember why she was there, and everything started flowing back.

"Let the meeting begin," someone announced, and a loud bell rang.

Shirley noticed two things when she could finally see her surroundings without being blinded by the bright light.

One, she was in a different room. It was secluded but bright, and only a few people were there. Maybe ten.

Two, she was no longer bound. This relief came as a shock, but she quickly died when she realized she didn't exactly know what was to come.

"What's your name, little one?" an older lady asked from a corner up the wall of what looked like another courtroom.

They all sat high up there while she was placed below the ground floor.

If they organized this to intimidate people, it worked—at least, on her.

"We expect quick responses!" a booming voice came from another angle, and Shirley had to turn 180° to see who was talking.

He was dark-skinned and had a frown plastered on his face. He didn't look old, but she could somehow tell he was.

"Shirley. Shirley Adams." She was surprised by how the room echoed her voice. She had never been so loud before.

She always preferred to remain silent so no one noticed her.

"Shirley Adams, what were you doing in the woods?" another man asked. He was ancient, and being a werewolf, she was sure he was probably about five hundred years of age.

Shirley considered the question for a minute but didn't know how to answer.

"Child, we're not here to hurt you. We're only curious," a woman said. She was beautiful, and Shirley couldn't help but feel a motherly love radiate from her.

"I... I..." She swallowed hard, and after the woman from earlier nodded in approval, she blurted out, "I ran from home."

Small gasps filled the room. Not very surprising, as no wolf had ever run away from this Pack in centuries.

"You eloped?" someone reasoned.

"No, I ran. By myself," Shirley said patiently.

"But why, child?" the woman asked again in horror.

It must have been hard to imagine, as the Redhoove Pack happened to be the best on the whole planet. People escaped their packs to come here.

Shirley shrugged, ready to brush off the question, when a loud, authoritative voice penetrated the room, sending chills down her spine.

"Enough!" Alpha Drakon said, and Shirley wanted to hurry away and hide.

He walked out from the darkness and stared her dead in the eyes.

"There's no need to question her," he said, still holding her gaze but speaking to what she supposed was the Council. "We already know that she has no wolf and can't shift, so there's no way she can be the rogue Wolf. Neither is there any way she's becoming my Luna."

His tone and eyes were filled with rage and disgust, two expressions Shirley was accustomed to.

But for some reason, it hurt to be rejected by him. She already knew he was her mate when she first saw him, but getting rejected hurt like crazy even though she had been denied all her life.

"Alpha Drakon!" the motherly woman yelled at him, standing to her feet in anger. "That's no way to talk to your mate."

"Do I look like I give a fuck?" he retorted, still holding Shirley's gaze. Shirley tore her eyes from Drakon and looked back at what she was now sure was the Pack's Council. They were the only ones capable of speaking to the Alpha in such a manner.

"I will not marry this sorry excuse of a werewolf. The Pack cannot have a weak Luna," he said with finality.

"Drakon!" the dark-skinned man from earlier warned in a deadly tone.

The room fell silent, and everyone's eyes were glued on the Alpha as he descended the stairs to meet her on the ground floor.

Shirley tried to hide her face behind her hair as always but realized, to her dismay, that it was tied up in a bun.

She wanted to yell and scream at the moon goddess for her ill fate, but there was no way to do that.

Why hadn't she just let her run away in peace? Why had she even been born to start with? She was useless and distasteful.

"You'd better leave this Pack as you had originally planned or..." Alpha Drakon was interrupted by a calm, quiet voice.

"Or?..." The sound of that voice was alluring and calm, and Shirley found herself searching earnestly for its owner. Her eyes finally landed on an older woman who sat in a dark corner. Shirley couldn't make out her features but could tell she was old. "Alpha Drakon and Shirley Adams will wed as is customary. This meeting is closed."

"No! I already have attachments with another!" Drakon objected, and Shirley prayed that they would listen to him and let her escape this prison.

The Council members began to exit the room as if they had heard nothing.

CHAPTER 4: THE DISTANT ALPHA

After the meeting ended, Shirley was taken to a comfy room where her parents visited her.

She sat on the only available bed while her parents stood before her, staring down at her in disapproval as always.

Shirley bored a hole in her hands that was folded on her lap.

After a long silence, her father said, "It's a relief that you're finally out of my house."

Shirley bit hard on her lips in sad anger as she struggled to keep her emotions at bay.

"You don't want to be here. That much is obvious, but let me warn you," her mother said, lifting her face to meet hers. You will not bring more shame upon us by running away from this. Do you understand?" Shirley refused to answer, choosing rather to remain silent.

"But we know you're stubborn, so we're keeping tabs on you until your wedding with the Alpha."

They didn't say anything else and exited the room.

Shirley tried to suppress the tears that threatened to tear her apart. She told herself that she had cried more than enough over her misfortune.

Her knuckles turned white as she gripped the bedsheets in a death grip, shutting her eyes to try to stop the searing pain in her heart.

A small gasp escaped her lips when she felt hot; peppery tears flowed down her cheeks.

Her heart hurt like a million stabs, and she couldn't contain the loud sob that escaped her lips.

She somehow hurt more than she had ever hurt in her miserable life, and she wasn't sure what to make of her emotions.

She gripped the silk material of her shirt as she tried desperately to claw out her feeble heart.

She hated herself for hurting so much and crying even after so many years of being treated like garbage.

Shirley cried herself to sleep, but Drakon couldn't sleep as he could feel the exact pain she felt.

He couldn't help but believe he was the cause of her devastation.

So much pain.

He had never felt such intense emotion in his entire life. Not even when both his parents died before his very eyes.

For the first time in his twenty-seven years, he cried. Not his tears but those of his destined mate.

Initially, he believed he was the only one rejecting her, but it hurt to know she rejected him even more.

He had only halfheartedly rejected her, but it seemed like she rejected him with all her being.

He had hurt her, and it made him feel like a fool. Not a feeling he was accustomed to.

*****

The marriage came faster than expected and happened in a blur.

Shirley had numbed herself to every feeling and went through all the rites as if her soul were miles and miles away.

After the wedding, she was taken to Drakon's mansion, where she was sent to another wing of the large estate.

She was relieved to be away from him and the rest of the world.

She let her depression swallow her whole like an anchor cast into the sea.

She no longer cried, trying instead to feel nothing at all.

Drakon stayed in the East Wing while she stayed in the West Wing, which comforted and saddened her simultaneously.

It had been a week since they wed, but she hadn't seen him.

She was about to go to the dining area provided for her in her wing when one of the maids informed her that the Alpha had requested her presence in his dining room.

Shirley tried to control her breathing as she approached his wing. With every step she took, a massive anxiety overcame her.

Drakon was seated at the far end of the large dining room when she arrived.

He was leaning back in a relaxed position, but the power he emitted was suffocating.

"Have a seat," he said while holding her gaze. Shirley did as she was told and sat at the end of the table, as far from him as possible.

Drakon lifted a brow, and an expression she couldn't understand overtook him. He wiped the look off his face before she could think more.

"I know you weren’t informed, but it is customary for the Alpha and his Luna to have their meals together," he said, and Shirley couldn’t help but find his powerful voice attractive. She shut out the thought as quickly as it entered her mind.

"Okay," came her curt response, and she was confused to see his surprised expression.

He started eating, and Shirley assumed it was her cue to do the same, so she ate.

She occasionally felt Drakon's eyes on her, and she found it uncomfortable but said nothing about it.

When they were done with their meals, they returned to their rooms without as much as a single word.

Shirley was comfortable with the silence, but the Alpha seemed a little uneasy each time she came in and ate her food silently.

He stared at her constantly, and Shirley no longer felt a considerable discomfort from the gesture.

Weirdly enough, she couldn’t help but look forward to their daily meetings, as it was the only human interaction she got all day, even though it wasn’t much of an interaction.

To her dismay and worry, she realized that she was beginning to think a lot about the Alpha. Alarmed by this discovery, she thought something must be extremely wrong with her.

Each day grew more boring, and Shirley began to feel itchy to leave the palace. She didn't know how to ask Drakon if she could venture away. He didn't trust her and always kept guards everywhere.

It confused Shirley as he had rejected her at first glance. It would have been a dream come true if she could run off and never return. She couldn't care less about what became of her parents. She didn't have the willpower to plot any more escapes.

CHAPTER 5: THE PAINFUL SURPRISE

“I thought he was married and shouldn't be seen with another woman?"

At the mention of marriage, Shirley paused by the stairs. She was on a tour of the palace when she reached a corner and heard some maids gossiping.

"I pity that poor girl who ended up being her mate; she doesn't know what's in stock for her yet," the other said.

'Yes, they're talking about me.' Shirley said in her head, she didn't move an inch from the spot.

She hadn't been that interested in gossip before, maybe because no one had ever even gossiped about her; they'd rather say whatever they wanted to say to her face.

"I just hope she's able to withstand everything coming her way; she's too small and fragile to handle all the troubles of this palace." The first one said.

What do they even mean by that? Just then, she felt the sudden urge to sneeze out. She tried so hard to rein it in, but she couldn't do it anymore.

She sneezed out loud, startling the maids who were talking about her. She heard their sharp intake of breath after she sneezed, and she couldn't hide anymore.

The moment they saw her walk out behind the wall, their eyes widened so much that it looked like they would fall off.

“M-ma’am?” One of them stuttered.

"Don't stress yourselves; I didn't hear you both say anything," Shirley said to calm them down.

"Wh-what… we-" the other one, who looked more terrified, tried to talk; she was already sweating hard.

"There's nothing to be scared about yet; we all talk about people and nothing serious. I'll go my way now, and I promise you I won't tell anyone about this." She tried to smile at them so they'd be more relaxed.

The maids could only nod and watch as she walked away. They were both praying to every god they knew in their minds that Shirley didn't say anything to Drakon.

He'd kill them if he heard what they were saying. If it were only death or even an easy one, it would be better, but Drakon doesn't just kill anyone; he kills in such a way that even the victim would never forget in the afterlife.

Shirley walked away from them with a racing heart.

'Maybe I wouldn't have heard this if I had stayed in my room and waited for my maid to come for me.' She thought as she walked to a part of the palace she didn't know.

Or it was better that she heard; she'd at least know how to do things around here.

Not only was she stuck with a mate who hated her existence, but he was also still obsessed with his ex.

Fate has been doing great for her recently.

~

After walking around the whole palace without getting noticed by anyone other than those two maids, she was exhausted. She dragged her exhausted body to the room that was given to her.

She had just turned the corner to get to the floor when she bumped into someone; she hit the clothing that the person was holding in their hand.

She looked up to see a familiar face, one of the maids from earlier.

"Sh*t! I'm so sorry, I didn't see you coming, I swear. I'm sorry, Your Highness." She rushed out the words with a shaky voice and bowed her head.

"It's okay; we both bumped into each other; it's nothing," Shirley said, shocking the maid.

"You aren't going to do anything to me? I just bumped into you and might have fallen you down." She was pretty amazed.

“Why should I do anything to you?" Shirley frowned.

Nyx, the maid, has gotten used to getting punished by high-profile people in the palace for mistakes like these, so this one shocked her.

"It's- nothing; I'll just be on my way now." She tried to pack the clothes on the ground.

"Wait, what's your name?” Shirley asked her.

"You want to know my na- Sorry, it's Nyx. My name is Nyx, Your Highness." She stuttered, still looking shocked.

"Can you stop with the highness thingy? It's making me feel older than I am. I prefer being called Shirley."

"But you're the Luna; I can't call you by your name," Nyx said, sounding very confident; they've had it instilled in their heads since they were little that they always have to address people by their titles.

"I'm sure we'll get there, maybe when you get relaxed with me. I'd love to be friends with you.” Shirley said.

Nyx was beyond shocked, "You want me as your friend? Of course! It'd be an honor to be your maid." She smiled brightly.

Shirley realized that Nyx had gotten used to being a maid and that she saw terms like friends as personal maids. She mentally noted changing that perspective when she got close to her.

"I guess I'll see you tomorrow then, Nyx. Have a good night's rest." Shirley walked away from her with a smile that diminished immediately. She turned to look at the other side.

Life could be easier for her if she's friends with someone familiar with the palace.

She walked into her room to see it was already time for dinner. She didn't want to keep Drakon waiting, so she decided to have her bath after dinner; she only walked back out of the room.

She was about to walk past a room when something stopped her. She heard moans coming from the room she was standing in, first from a feminine voice and then a male grunt.

The door wasn't fully closed, so she listened to that voice that told her to peep.

She was, however, shocked to her wits; her mate was having sex with another woman.

Not just any woman, his said ex. Drakon happened to look at the door at the same time, making eye contact with Shirley.