How It All Began…

Nadia hated Monday mornings. They reminded her of how terrible things had gotten since she finished college. She was constantly struggling to feed and care for her sick mother, who also took on minor jobs to help them survive. From their window, she would watch members of neighboring packs go about their day and envy them. It seemed as though life was going well for them while it threw spoiled lemons at her.

How could a first-class graduate be scrubbing floors and doing dishes for peanuts? This was not the life she envisioned for herself, Nadia thought as she went about her chores that morning. Worst of all was their growing dependence on her boyfriend, Nelson, a Beta of the Stonewall Pack. He was always there, and as much as she tried to appreciate him for showing up, she disliked the feeling of being a freeloader benefiting from his graciousness.

Perhaps that dependence was what gave him the boldness to make such a lewd request.

Have a child for him to boost his rank at Stonewall?

That could not be the reason.

It made no sense why we couldn't do that as a mated couple.

No way. A part of her was tempted to call him in her normal fashion, but since their last quarrel, he had not bothered to call her. She decided she would return the favor in equal measure.

Just then, while she was wiping a cushion, her mother, Estelle, emerged from her room. She stood for a minute looking a bit confused, as though she was trying to remember something. Then, she grabbed her purse from the counter and made a move toward the door.

"Mom, wait!" Nadia called out, stepping into her mother’s path. "You are not leaving without taking your medicine. Your wolf is too weak to heal you on its own anymore."

Estelle checked her wristwatch and groaned. "Nadia, please. I am already ten minutes behind schedule. I am late for my shift at the pack warehouse."

To think they used to own that warehouse until her wicked Uncle, Edward, snatched it. Nadia concluded her mother’s humility needed to be studied, and that grit had rubbed off on her too.

Nadia crossed her arms over her chest, planted her feet, and did not budge. "At least you will be healthy when you get there. You know how my Uncle Edward looks at us. Since he became the Alpha and took over the head of the pack, he has been looking for any reason to kick us out."

"I have not had breakfast yet," Estelle argued, trying to sidestep her daughter. "You know the doctor said I cannot take those pills on an empty stomach. Since our status dropped to Omegas and we lost our connection to the pack clinic, these overly expensive meds are all that keep me going. I will take them at my lunch break."

Nadia gestured toward the small wooden dining table with a triumphant smile. "Food is already on the table and ready to go. So, what is your next excuse?"

Nadia’s expression softened, but her resolve stayed firm. She stepped closer and looked her mother in the eyes. "I’m not saying you shouldn’t go to work, but what happens when you die from stress? Have you thought about that?"

Estelle scoffed. "Nadia, do not be dramatic."

"I am not being dramatic, Mom. I am being real. If you collapse while you are working, or if you pass away because you are neglecting your heart, what happens then? Uncle Edward would find a replacement for you within minutes among desperate, job-seeking pack members. He would just put another nameless Omega in that warehouse and forget you. He has never cared about us in the slightest anyway. But what about me? I will be left all alone in this world. Is that what you want?"

Silence erupted in the room. Estelle looked at her daughter’s face, seeing the genuine fear hidden behind the stubbornness. The fight left her all at once.

"Okay," Estelle whispered. "Okay, you win."

"Thank you," Nadia said.

They walked over to the dining table together. The steam was still rising from a covered plate. Estelle sat down and took a deep breath.

"It smells delicious, honey," she said.

"Thank you, Mom." Nadia reached down and unveiled the plate. It was a simple but hearty breakfast of fluffy scrambled eggs and a few slices of toast. These simple meals were all she could scrape together.

Estelle’s eyes suddenly welled with tears. She looked up at Nadia, her voice trembling. "You work so hard to take care of me. You are so young, and you spend all your time worrying about my health and scavenging for meals while the rest of the pack lives in luxury."

Nadia pulled out a chair and sat across from her. She reached out and squeezed her mother’s hand. "It is nothing, Mom. You have been selfless your whole life. You protected me when you could have left after Uncle seized the pack. Taking care of you is the least I can do."

Estelle picked up her fork, but before she took her first bite, she looked at Nadia with a curious expression.

"I saw Nelson come by the other day." Estelle paused and observed Nadia before she continued. "He looked a bit upset when he left. Did you two finally resolve your differences?"

Nadia’s smile faded instantly. She picked at a loose thread on the tablecloth. "No. We did not."

"Then why was he here?"

"He only came by to see if I had changed my mind about his request," Nadia said shortly.

Estelle paused with a piece of egg halfway to her mouth. "And?"

"I told him the same thing I told him last week," Nadia replied. "I cannot give in to what he wants. To be honest, Mom, I am surprised you are even asking me to consider it."

Estelle let out a long, frustrated sigh. She put her fork down. "Why, Nadia? Why are you being so difficult about this? We are at the bottom of the hierarchy now. Nelson is a high-ranking Beta with the wealth and status that could change our lives."

"Because I cannot do it. It is non-negotiable for me."

"It is not fair to him," Estelle said, her voice rising slightly. "Sometimes in our world, we need to bend our rules a little bit. We have to look at the bigger picture. I would not be disappointed in you if you agreed. You are old enough to know how pack alliances and bloodlines work."

"It is not about being old enough," Nadia countered.

"Nelson has been our only protector since your dad passed," Estelle continued. "He is the only reason your uncle has not completely exiled us. Think about it, Nadia. Who pays for my medications when our meager wages run out?"

Nadia looked away, her jaw tight. "Nelson."

"And who gave the recommendation for your last gig? The very one that afforded us this meal?"

Nadia shifted uncomfortably in her chair. "Nelson did. I know that."

"He has been our rock," Estelle said. "He supports us. He just wants this one thing to ensure his legacy. We should be grateful he found you worthy to demand such from you."

Nadia instantly felt repulsed. She stood up abruptly. "I cannot give into his demand, Mom! Why cannot anyone understand that?"

Estelle leaned forward, her eyes searching her daughter’s face. "What are you so afraid of, Nadia? Are you worried that he will abandon you after the child is born? That he will find a fated mate and leave you as a mistress? Or are you afraid he will not marry you?"

Nadia felt a lump form in her throat. She looked at her mother, feeling a sense of frustration and deep embarrassment gnaw at her.

"I cannot have a child for Nelson outside of marriage," Nadia said, her voice shaking. "I cannot do it because I have never been with a man before. I have never shared my bed with anybody."

The kitchen went deathly silent. Estelle’s hand stopped midair. Her mouth dropped open. The shock on her face was profound.

"Oh, Nadia," Estelle whispered. "I am so sorry. I had no idea. I just assumed that since you and Nelson have been dating for over three years, I thought you both may have."

"No," Nadia said, wiping a stray tear. "We never had sex. I made a promise to keep myself for my mate. If Nelson wants a child with me, he will have to marry me and claim me as his mate before the entire pack in a dignified way. I want to be his mate and not his one-night knockoff baby mama. I want to have kids with the person I marry only. I will not be a surrogate just to pay our bills."

Estelle was speechless. “Please Mum, eat up and take your meds, you’re running late remember?”

Alpha Conrad sat across from Danielle, his appearance stoic and unmoving, his very commanding aura intimidating her. He was the pinnacle of sophistication whose family bloodline ruled the kingdom of Irongard the longest; this was because they survived on ancient traditions that valued purity in a mate to ensure the absolute legitimacy of the bloodline.

Danielle sat stiffly, her hands folded in her lap. She was tense, her eyes darting toward the folder in his hands while she tried to maintain a calm demeanor.

"This should do," Conrad said, his voice deep and devoid of emotion. He closed the folder with a definitive snap.

"Right," Danielle responded. She leaned in just an inch, trying to snoop into the documents, but she caught the cold glint in his eyes and restrained herself. She forced a polite, shallow smile.

"I apologize for the little inconvenience," Conrad said, though he didn't look sorry at all. "It is just protocol. In a family like mine, certain standards must be verified before any formal arrangements are made."

Danielle nodded quickly, her voice a bit too eager. "I completely understand. I mean, you are royalty. It is only natural that your family would want to be certain of who is entering the bloodline."

She picked her words slowly.

Conrad looked at her sternly, his imposing gaze made her skin crawl.

She cleared her throat.

"So," Danielle began, "since your pack doctors have confirmed that I am a virgin, just as your family demands, when can we proceed with the engagement and the royal wedding?"

Conrad leaned back in his chair, his expression unreadable. "Not yet."

Danielle’s smile faltered. "Why?."

"I will have to spend a night with you first," Conrad stated. It wasn't a request. It was a condition.

Danielle blinked, her voice rising in a pitch of controlled panic. "A night with you?"

"Yes."

"Your Highness," she said softly. "I am keeping myself for my mate. I have maintained my purity for years. What if we spend the night together and then you change your mind about marrying me? I would have lost everything."

Conrad didn't blink. He reached into his suit jacket and pulled out a checkbook. He scribbled a figure with a fountain pen and tore the slip of paper off, sliding it across the table toward her.

"Fifty million dollars," he said.

Danielle looked down at the check.

Her breath hitched.

It was more money than she had seen in her entire life. Her shock was visible, her mouth hanging open just a fraction.

"If you agree," Conrad continued, "my lawyers will have a formal contract ready by the close of business today. The money will be yours."

Danielle stared at the check, then back at the man who looked at her like she was a business transaction. "I... I will have to think about it."

Conrad stood up, adjusting the cuffs of his bespoke suit. He didn't wait for her to finish. "You have until five o'clock."

And then he proceeded to walk away.

* *

Danielle stormed into the living room. Her mother, Katerina, was sitting on a velvet sofa, sipping a glass of white wine. She looked up with an expectant gaze.

"Well?" Katerina asked. "How did your day go with Alpha Conrad? Is the date set?"

Danielle threw her designer purse onto the rug and paced the floor. "He is impossible, Mom. He is so arrogant"

Katerina waved a hand dismissively. "He is the Alpha of the most powerful pack in the country. He is allowed to be arrogant. Thousands of girls from packs across the country would kill to be in your shoes, so be thankful you even earned his grace’s attention. Did Dr. Benson deliver the results as promised?"

Danielle stopped pacing and looked at her mother. "Yes. On paper, I am a pure and fit to carry his heir. The medical records he sent to Conrad’s family were flawless."

Katerina let out a satisfied chuckle. "Dr. Benson had better have done his job. I was going to teach him a lesson he would never forget if he messed this up for us. We paid him enough to buy his silence for a lifetime." She lifted her glass. "We should cheers to that, Danielle. You are halfway to becoming the most powerful Luna in the world."

"But there is a problem," Danielle mentioned, her voice tight with worry.

Katerina froze, her glass halfway to her lips. "What problem?"

"Alpha Conrad wants to sleep with me before the engagement," Danielle said, dropping into an armchair. "He said he needs a night with me before he commits to the wedding."

Katerina set her glass down on the glass coffee table. "That is a complication. He is more traditional and more suspicious than I thought."

"What am I supposed to do?" Danielle hissed. "We just faked a purity test. If I go to his bed, he will know that I am not what the papers say I am."

Katerina narrowed her eyes, her mind working through the problem with cold mental calculation. "It can be arranged, Danielle. We just need a substitute."

Danielle frowned. "A substitute? How?"

Katerina thinks for a bit, and says, “Ahah!”

"Your cousin, Nadia," Katerina started, a cruel smile spreading across her face. "She is almost your spitting lookalike, same body size, skin tone and shape. In the dark, under the right conditions, he wouldn't know the difference."

Danielle’s face twisted in disgust. "May the moon goddess forbid! Nadia is nothing like me. I am classy, high value. Nadia is a wretched scum of the earth. She could never be like me or even pretend to be me. Conrad would even notice her scent of poverty from a mile away."

Katerina stood up and walked over to her daughter, placing a firm hand on her shoulder. "Desperate times call for desperate measures, Danielle. Right now, only your cousin can bail us out. We need a girl who is actually a virgin to take that first night for you."

"And what makes you think Nadia is a 'good girl'?" Danielle asked mockingly. "What makes you think she is a virgin? For all we know, she could be tangling with half the Omegas in the pack."

"Nadia is a first-class graduate of business administration," Katerina said, her voice tinged with a bitterness she couldn't hide. "She spent all her time studying and working while I had to pay for your degree just so you could pass. A girl with that much academic focus doesn't have time to entertain advances from potential mates."

Danielle’s eyes flashed with jealousy. "Don't rub it in my face, Mom. So she’s smart. Big deal. She’s still a pauper. What makes you think she will even accept? My father took everything from them. He stripped her father’s company away and made her mother a cleaner. They hate us."

Katerina laughed, a cold, hollow sound. "I have my ways, Danielle. Trust me, lowlives like Nadia and her mother will jump at this offer if we present it with a good reason to make her accept. People like that don't have the luxury of holding onto a grudge when a life-changing sum of money is involved."

"Mom is there no other way? Maybe some random girl from another pack, but not her?" Danielle argued.

"Non. You must trust me, Danielle," Katerina replied.

"But what if she stabs us in the back and tells Conrad?"

"She won't," Katerina said firmly. "What is a Non disclosure for? We may not even need that. She is an Omega, Danielle. She has no power to fight us."

Danielle looked at her reflection in the mirror.

She thought about the fifty million dollars.

She thought about the crown and the title of Luna. "It’s risky, Mom. If he finds out later, he will kill us. According to what I heard about him, he is very hot tempered and stoic, I would not want to upset him with a lie.”

"He won't find out," Katerina promised. "Once the wedding is over and the marriage is sealed, It would not matter. We just need to get through that one night."

Danielle bit her lip. "Fine. But I don't want to be the one to talk to her. I can't stand the sight of her."

"You won't have to," Katerina said, heading toward the door to find her phone. "I will handle the dirty work."

Danielle sat back in the chair, her mind racing.

She hated Nadia.

She hated that her cousin was the smart one.

But if Nadia’s purity was the key to her beautiful future, she would swallow her pride. She would let the scum of the earth save her, just this once.

The rain began as a light drizzle by the time it was past 7pm.

Nadia was whistling a soft tune as she set the table, a genuine smile lighting up her face as she arranged the table for dinner.

When the door creaked open and Estelle walked in, looking exhausted and damp, Nadia rushed to greet her.

"Mom! You should not have come in the rain! Jeez!” Nadia queried.

“I couldn’t wait to get home” Estelle cooed.

“Well you are back just in time," Nadia said, helping her mother out of her wet shawl.

Estelle sighed, rubbing her aching lower back. "It was a long shift at work, Nadia. Your uncle had some elite pack elders at the main house, and the linens I washed were endless."

"I’m so sorry Mom. Well, I have some good news to cheer you up," Nadia said, pulling a small envelope from her pocket. "The freelance research gig I applied for? They paid my remunerations today. It is more than I expected. This means I can afford your entire next month of medication without having to ask Nelson for a single penny."

Estelle froze, her eyes widening. "No, Nadia. No, no. You keep that money. You have been wearing the same two pairs of shoes to work for a while now. Use it for yourself. Go to the market, get some good clothes, and enjoy a day of shopping. You deserve to feel like a young woman like girls your age in the pack"

Nadia shook her head firmly, pushing the envelope into her mother’s hand. "I have more than enough clothes, Mom. I don't need a new dress to be happy. Your health is paramount. Without those pills, your heart struggles. Your wellbeing is the only thing that matters to me."

"You are too stubborn for your own good," Estelle whispered, her voice lulled with emotion.

"I learned from the best," Nadia teased. She guided her mother to a chair and made her sit down. "Actually, I was thinking about something else today. I was thinking of assuming a cleaning role at Aunt Katerina’s house. If I take over some of the shifts there, you could rest more. You could finally take a week off."

Estelle’s face paled. "Absolutely not. I will not have you working in that house."

"Why not? It pays better than the warehouse," Nadia argued.

"Because I know you, Nadia. You have your father’s pride. You won't be there five minutes before you and Danielle start fighting. I won't have my daughter being humiliated by her own cousin."

Nadia knelt beside her mother’s chair. "I understand Danielle can be a lot. I know she is condescending and cruel, but I am not going there to be her friend, Mom. I am going there for a job. I will do my best to avoid her. I can keep my head down if it means we stay afloat."

"Danielle is still very condescending," Estelle insisted, her voice trembling. "She treats us like dirt beneath her heels. It is best you do not work there. I would rather work twenty hours a day than see her look down on you."

"Mom, I know the real reason you are keeping me away from that house is because of Uncle Edward, and for the fact that you do not want me reminiscing about the life we use to have, but all that is in the past, I believe where we are now is temporary, I am all for striving for a better future for both us, I want us to be able to live on our own terms" Nadia said softly. "If you can accept to work there to keep us alive, why can't I? Why am I any different?"

"Because you are my heart," Estelle began, but she was cut off by a sudden, violent thud.

The door groaned under the force of a loud bang.

“Are you expecting someone?” Estelle asked.

Both women jumped, their hearts racing.

"Open up! Pack security!" A gruff voice shouted from outside.

Estelle stood up, her face blank.

She walked to the door and pulled it open.

Two Gamma’s in dark uniforms stood there, their faces cold.

"Estelle Williams?" the lead gamma asked.

"Yes?" Estelle whispered. "What is this about?"

"I’m Vince.” He said, showing his ID. “We have reasons to believe a stolen item belonging to Lady Katerina is in this building," the gamma said, holding up a signed search warrant. "Step aside."

"Stolen?" Estelle gasped, clutching her chest. "That is impossible. I have never stolen a thing in my life. I have worked for that family for twenty years!"

"Search the place," the officer commanded, ignoring her.

Nadia stepped forward, her eyes flashing with anger. "You can't just barge in here! My mother is no thief. Show some respect!"

The gamma didn't even look at her. He shoved Nadia aside with a rough hand, sending her stumbling back against the kitchen table. "Stay back, girl, or you’ll be joining her in a cell."

Nadia watched in horror as they tore through their meager belongings. They overturned the mattress, dumped out the drawers, and swept the contents of the shelves onto the floor. It only took five minutes.

"Found it," the second gamma said, holding up a velvet box. He flipped it open to reveal a diamond heirloom that caught the dim light of the kitchen.

Estelle stared at the ring, her breath hitching. "I... I have never seen that before. I didn't take that. I swear on the Moon Goddess, I didn't take it!"

"Save it for the judge," the lead gamma said, grabbing Estelle’s arm and twisting it behind her back.

"It was a set-up!" Nadia screamed, trying to reach her mother. "Someone put that there! You can't take her!"

The officer pushed Nadia back again. Estelle looked over her shoulder, tears streaming down her face as they dragged her toward the door. "Nadia! Call Nelson! Tell him what happened! Call Nelson!"

"Mom! No!"

Nadia ran to the door, but the gamma’s slammed it shut. She threw it open and ran out into the pouring rain, watching as they shoved her mother into the back of a black SUV. The tires kicked up mud as they sped away, leaving Nadia standing alone in the downpour.

**

An hour later, Nadia stood in the grand entrance of Katerina’s.

It’s been ages since she came to this side of the pack house.

She tried to avoid the gaze and greeting of a pack member wanting to enquire why she was under the rain; she did not care about the piercing stares of servants moping around.

She was able to find her to the entrance because she used to live here when she was little, life beautiful until her father was brandished a traitor and killed.

Uncle Edward offered them a space in the BQ, while his family enjoyed her fathers wealth.

Her clothes were soaked through, and she was shivering violently, her hair plastered to her face.

Danielle stood at the top of the stairs, looking down at her with a look of pure disgust, while Katerina sat on a armchair, calmly filing her nails.

"Look what the rain dragged in," Danielle scoffed. "A wet rat in our living room."

Nadia ignored her and fell to her knees before Katerina. "Aunt Katerina, please. Please, I am begging you. My mother didn't do it. She has a heart condition. She needs her medication every day. Being without her meds in a cold cell... her health will deteriorate. She could die."

Katerina didn't look up from her nails. "The item your mother stole cost over twenty million dollars, Nadia. It is a family heirloom. You should be thankful this has not gotten to the ears of my husband, Edward. If he knew his own sister-in-law was a common thief, I would have no control over his ruthlessness. He would have her executed by morning."

"My mother is not a thief!" Nadia sobbed, her voice cracking. "She has worked for you for twenty years without taking so much as a piece of bread! Why would she start now?"

"News flash, honey," Danielle said, walking down the stairs and circling Nadia like a vulture. "Your mom stole it because she’s a desperate Omega. That’s why she is behind bars."

Danielle was really pushing it.

Nadia looked up at Danielle, her eyes red and burning. "You know she didn't do it, Danielle. You know her."

Nadia turned back to Katerina, throwing herself at her aunt’s feet and clutching the hem of her expensive dress. "Please, Auntie. I am begging you for her life. She won't survive three days in there. Have mercy."

Katerina finally looked down at her. "Nothing will change my mind, Nadia. I least expected Estelle to break my trust like this. I have already instructed the lawyers. I will be pressing charges without bail. Three years behind bars should be enough to deter her from being a petty thief."

"Three years?" Nadia screamed, the sound echoing through the house. "She won't last three months! Please, I will do anything. Anything!"

Danielle stopped pacing and tilted her head. "Anything?"

Katerina paused, her eyes narrowing as she looked at her niece. "Repeat that, Nadia. What did you say?"

"I am willing to do anything," Nadia wept, her hands pressed together in a desperate prayer. "I will cook, I will clean. I will work for free for the next three years. Just release her. Please, withdraw the charges. Give her back to me."

"Anything at all?" Katerina asked, her voice dropping low.

"Anything," Nadia whispered, her forehead touching the floor. "Anything at all. Just save my mother."

“We have a little service we would like you to provide for a couple of hours. And you will carry out those instructions with No questions asked. Agreed?”

“Agreed”.