NATALIE

The eternal blinding light hits my face, making me groan and shift into the soft mattress. My body hurts as if someone has battered it to pieces while my head spins.

It takes me a moment to blink open my eyes and stare at the ceiling in complete confusion.

Where am I? That’s the first question which penetrates my thoughts.

The events from last night flash before my eyes when I try to get up, only to realise that I am naked, oddly sticky between my legs, undeniably sore.

Panic courses through my veins, my whole life starting to revolve in my head.

A gasp escapes my lips and I roll away, falling down on the floor with a thud. A groaning sound comes from above.

All my senses come to life as I forget all about the pain in my head and my body.

Fuck! What did I do?!

I place my hand over my mouth, stopping myself from making any noise. I don’t want to scream and wake him up. My face contorts and I barely manage to not start crying in absolute horror.

Lifting myself on my knees, I peek over the bed to look at the back of the man. His ocean blue eyes dash before my mind, the images from last night becoming even more clear.

I rake my thoughts, trying to recall where I left my mobile last night.

“ Fucking shit! ” I hiss to myself, before covering my mouth and cautiously watching the man’s back again.

I left my mobile in Anne’s car along with my mini purse because it was too much of a bother to me to carry it all around.

Finding no other way, my eyes search for the dress so I can wear it and disappear from here before this man wakes up.

Thank Goddess! I find it lying on the floor beside the bed.

I crawl to it and pick it up. The tattered piece of clothing waves before my eyes, mocking me.

My eyes trail off to the man’s back. “ Animal. ” I whisper under my breath.

I gulp, scanning the room once more. To my relief, his shirt is lying near his feet on the bed.

Raising myself on my knees, I reach out to his shirt. The man shifts in the bed all of a sudden, scaring the fuck out of me.

Lowering my head, I drag my upper lip between my teeth as my heart begins to pound hard in my chest.

Breathing through my nose, I lift my head after a moment passes without his voice calling me out.

His back is still facing me, his bulging inked muscles on full display while his lower body is hidden under the sheets.

Sneakily, I push my hand forward and grab his shirt before pulling it towards me.

I get up from the floor and wear it hurriedly. All along, my eyes remain on his figure, nervous and cautious.

After successfully buttoning up his shirt, I proceed towards the door.

The fact that I am only wearing a shirt doesn’t bother me as much as cheating on Enzo does. Tears well up in my eyes and unconsciously, I peek at the stranger from above my shoulder. A weird pull makes me continue gawking at him for a moment longer than I originally intended.

I sniff light and make my way out of the room, only to bump into a hard chest on my way. My nose picks up the scent of the person in front of me and I lower my head, finding myself alert.

Fuck! That’s what I was missing.

“ Who are you? Which pack are you from? ” The man questions, leaning down to have a look at my face.

He is the beta of the Night Walker Pack. I recognise his scent because he recently visited Alpha Wilson to talk about the war which might happen between us if we don’t meet their demands. Everyone began hating them in our pack after this beta visited if they didn't do before.

They are the demons who rule our werewolf world. They are called Night Walker Pack because they are known for attacking in the middle of the night and ending packs before the sun begins to shine in the sky again. Even the thought of coming across them or infuriating them can make a warrior wolf shit their pants.

They are dangerous and mysterious. There are many legends about their devil of an Alpha. People have rarely seen him but they all know his name, Ryker Ambrose.

A shiver travels down my spine at the thought of that monster of a man.

“ I asked a question! ” He growls threateningly.

“ I— ”

Did he recognise me? It becomes hard for me to breath.

As if the Moon Goddess has decided to save me, his phone begins to ring.

“ Don’t move. ” He warns, lifting a finger and turns around, picking up the call.

“ Yes Alpha! ” He says.

Is that brute calling the beta? Seriously? Can't he simply mind-link him? But, why do I care? I got my ticket to escape.

“ That girl…” A throaty voice appears from the speaker of the phone, but my mind is focused on escaping from this enemy before he grabs my neck and snaps it to draw some twisted pleasure out of it.

Without waiting for another moment, I push past him at a lightening speed and sprint down the hallway.

“ HEY! STOP RIGHT THERE! ” He shouts from behind, apparently still too busy to talk to his asshole of an Alpha to chase behind me.

I never make the mistake to look behind and show him my face, the face of the daughter of their rival pack’s beta.

Fuck! I am positive that he didn’t recognise me, simply asked because he sensed I was a werewolf and he had to make sure I was not a threat to him or anyone of his companion possibly roaming around here.

I breath a sigh of relief when I run out of the club, sunlight shining over me.

Instantly, I am grabbed by a figure who appears to my right.

“ Where the fuck were you?! We have been looking for you the whole night! Are you fucking mad?! We even had to call Enzo because we thought someone might have kidnapped you! ” Giana sneers at me.

My soul leaves my body for real this time. I turn around to look at her, my face turning pale.

“ Enzo?! You called ENZO?! ” I shriek.

The door of the club opens behind me. I hold my breath when Anne’s scent invades my nostrils.

“ Natalie! Thank Goddess! We have been looking for you for such a long time and we couldn’t find you. You almost killed us with worry. ” Anne engulfs me in a back hug while I stay rooted on my spot, trying to search for a solution.

“ Where is Enzo? ” I jerk Anne off and turn around.

“ He is on the second floor of the club, searching all rooms to find you. ” Anne informs me with a frown etching between her brows.

“ We need to leave. Right now. ” I yell the words at my best friends and run straight to the parking lot where I remember Anne parked her car.

“ Let me call Enzo down! ” Anne shouts from behind and my lungs stop taking in any oxygen.

“ DON’T! ” I shout at her.

She follows me into the parking lot, along with Giana whose eyes are wide, shock apparent in them.

Her eyes take me in and a look of understanding passes through her face.

“ Let’s go. Let’s leave. We can tell Enzo later. ” Giana grabs Anne’s wrist and pulls her to the car.

Anne brings out the keys from her purse and unlocks the car. I jump in the backseat, keeping my head down, just in case Enzo comes out of nowhere and catches me like this.

I don’t know. I don’t know what to do other than to run away from him. I don’t want him to find out, not like this.

Giana climbs into the passenger seat and turns around to glare at me right away. “ You have a lot of explaining to do. ”

I nod my head as Anne starts the engine and pulls the car out of the driveway.

“ You had sex with someone. ” Anne concludes in an oddly calm voice.

She was so occupied with the relief of finding me that she didn’t even realise I was not wearing my dress and I had a horrible stench of sex wrapped around my body along with the scent of another man.

“ What happened?! ” Giana huffs, keeping her head turned at me.

I inhale a deep breath and glance up at her and then at Anne who is staring at me through the back mirror.

“ I was drunk… ” It’s not a good enough excuse.

“ And I…felt hot…for some strange reason…I couldn’t help myself and went behind this…this man whom I don’t even know and I didn’t imagine that things would turn out like this… ” I breath through my words, trying to ease my pain.

“ Fuck! I feel so horrible. I should have stayed behind, should have told Enzo. ” I sniff loudly.

Giana shakes her head.

“ Don’t. ” Anne gives me a pointed look.

“ What? ” I stop crying for a second.

“ Don’t tell Enzo. You know how he is…he won’t take this lightly and… I don’t think it’s completely your fault. It’s the heat season…and it’s not entirely rare for…she—wolves to experience heat when they are close to their mates. ” Giana’s gaze switches between me and Anne.

“ He was not my mate! He was a random man. I — I don’t even know who he was… and…and…I should go tell Enzo right now… ” I give both my friends a look of disbelief, finding it hard to form the right words.

Giana reaches out to my neck. I don’t flinch and allow her to push away the collar from the left side. “ then how do you explain this, Natalie? ”

She presses on a spot where my neck meets my head and a hiss leaves my lips involuntarily.

“ It’s — It’s a mark. ” Anne gasps out loud, pressing her foot on the brakes abruptly.

The car stops with a jerk and my face hits the back of the driving seat, hard.

Shock drives away all pain and guilt. My hand touches the same spot and I feel the tiny bump in the shape of a wolf’s head.

I lean back and look in the back view mirror. The bright red mark of a wolf’s head peeks back at me.

My hands turn cold. Time slows down around me.

“ That fucker marked me! ” I scream in disbelief.

“ Yes. And you are still alive…so… ” Giana flinches before a knowing smirk stretches across her lips.

NATALIE

“ I am going to die. ” I deadpan.

My wide eyes glare at the mark on my neck. For once, I rub it as hard as I can to get rid of it idiotically even when I know that this mark is engraved not into my neck, but my soul now.

“ You are not going to die. ” Giana rolls her eyes, sighing.

“ NO! That man was not my mate and he had marked me…which means I am going to die. ” I gulp.

Tears well up in my eyes after I imagine my life ending because of this one mistake.

I have heard about this a lot. If someone who is not your mate, marks you without your consent, then you die in twenty four hours. It happens suddenly and you don’t even get the time to think about anything before you are gone, forever.

“ You are not getting sick or anything. You don’t look like you are dying either. ” Anne inspects me before coming to her own conclusion.

“ Are you two not worried even the slightest bit for me? What if your speculations turn out to be fucking wrong and I really die after twenty four hours pass? ” Tears start flowing out of my eyes, tracing my cheeks and dropping down from my chin.

Anne and Giana exchange a worried glance. Opening the doors, they both step out and come in the back seat to hug me from both sides.

“ You are not going to die. I won’t let you. ” Anne whispers in my ear, consoling me.

“ What the hell am I supposed to tell — tell Enzo now? That I slept with a random stranger and he marked me and I am going t—to die? ” I sniff, placing both my hands on Anne’s arm which is placed around my shoulders.

“ You don’t need to tell him anything yet. We have to figure this out first. ” Giana heaves a heavy breath, saying in a strange irritated tone.

“ Who was this man? You really don’t know? ” Anne pulls away, gazing at my tears stricken face.

I take in a shaky breath, recalling his face, his tattooed body, the power he oozed. Everything was…memorable about him. I gulp at my weird thoughts and shake my head.

Giana wipes my tears with her fingertips, giving me a concerned look.

“ He gave off an Alpha’s aura. And he was old — much older than us. ” I reveal.

Giana’s jaw hangs low and Anne mirrors her surprised expressions.

“ You are mated to an Alpha? ” Anne squeals in awe.

“ I am not mated to him. I am going to die. ” I shriek, beginning to sob again.

“ I don’t want to die. Not before getting my wolf at least. All my life, I have waited to have my wolf and now, I am going to die? This seems so unfair to me. ” I place my hands over my face, crying out in annoyance.

“ Why are you so sure that he is not your mate? ” Giana sighs heavily.

“ Because I am ENZO’S MATE! ” My voice grows in volume.

“ Why don’t you both ever believe this? Why do you hate Enzo so much? ” I hiss, wiping my cheeks.

Anne and Giana exchange one of their famous mysterious glance once again.

“ Stop looking at each other and tell me the reason please! ” I plead.

“ Natalie. ” Anne exhales softly. “ Enzo believes you are his mate. He can be mistaken. You shouldn’t believe him unless you feel the bond yourself. ”

“ Have you ever even felt attracted to him? Have you ever felt any kind of sparks? I am sure it’s possible to feel the connection even if you don’t have a wolf. ” Giana adds in a shrilly tone.

I rake my fingers through my tangled hair, thinking back to every moment that I have spent with Enzo.

“ It’s true that I have never felt any kind of connection with him but he said…I am his mate and he sure as hell was not lying to me. ” I reject the idea of Enzo deceiving me.

“ We are not saying he was lying. We are saying that he might be mistaken. ” Anne and Giana exchange that sneaky glance again.

I glare at both of them, one—by—one. “ How do you get mistaken about being someone’s mate? ”

The question renders Giana and Anne speechless. We all look at each other in complete silence.

“ I feel like you two are hiding something from me. ” I mumble, forgetting about everything else for a moment.

“ What did this Alpha look like? ” Anne changes the topic, opening the car’s door and getting out.

“ You haven’t answered my question. ” I point out.

Giana follows Anne and they both go back to the passenger and driver seat silently.

“ We need to find this mate of yours. ” Giana nods her head in determination.

“ He is not my mate. ” I mention, frustrated out of my mind.

“ I would like to see you denying this when you don’t die tonight. ” Anne rolls her eyes, starting the engine.

“ But what if I die tonight? ” I rest my head against the seat and stare ahead.

I am going to die. I know. That man…His eyes flash before my eyes as I think about him…He was not my mate. He can never be.

Giana and Anne don’t answer me and ignore my existence for the rest of the way back home.

Our pack — the North Forest Pack is situated on the outskirts of the city. It’s a small town…It won’t be wrong if I say this. We keep away from the humans usually, because we don’t want them to know about our existence. It’s the same for all packs, but ours if the second strongest pack in the world of werewolves while the strongest pack is the Night Walkers Pack.

Anne parks the car outside my double storey house. It’s painted white, inside out, making it look elegant but bland.

I step out of the car, looking around to see if anyone is around. It’s the usual time for pack training and for school so I don’t really see anyone.

“ Let’s go in before someone sees you. ” Anne grabs my arm, pulling me towards the main door.

Giana brings out the keys from my purse without even asking and unlocks the door.

My heart skips a beat while my palms begin to sweat.

Please, please, please Moon Goddess…Don’t make me run into Mom or Dad or Emilie.

I step inside the house and instantly walk towards the stairs to disappear down my room before any member of my family catches me.

“ NATALIE WHITMAN! ” Mom shouts from the kitchen.

My soul departs from my body and my feet freeze on the first stair. Shivers start running up and down my body.

Unconsciously, I lift my hand and raise the collar of the shirt to hide the mark on my neck. She will kill me if she finds out I got marked by a random stranger.

“ WHERE THE HELL HAVE YOU BEEN FOR THE WHOLE NIGHT?! DID I NOT SAY YOU ARE NOT ALLOWED TO GO OUT?! ” She comes out of the kitchen, screaming at me all the way.

“ Mrs. Whitman. We took her with us. It’s not her fault. ”Anne tries to defend me.

“ Anne and Giana, Darling. ” Her tone softens. “ I am talking to my imbecile daughter. I would suggest you two head back home after this long night. ”

My face heats up in embarrassment. My fingers tighten around the railing as tears threaten to spill out of my eyes.

“ Right, Mrs Whitman. ” Giana mutters in disappointment.

I can hear both of them rushing to the door because my mother asked them to get the fuck out, too politely. The main door opens and closes.

“ If disgracing us with your birth and your presence was not enough…now you are going out and sleeping with random men? ” Her voice sounds closer than before.

Of course. She sensed the unrecognisable scent on me. I gulp the lump in my throat and turn around, only to find her right behind me.

“ I…”

A harsh slap which lands on my left cheek, shuts me up from saying anything further. I place my hand over my cheek, casting my eyes down.

“ Emilie always said you were a slut! I should have believed her sooner. ” She barks in my face, fisting my hair and pulling my face closer to her.

I close my eyes, inhaling a deep breath. It’s normal, it’s okay. I want to tell myself these words as always, but all I can do right now is to pray that she doesn’t see the mark over my neck.

“ You don’t have a wolf and everyone already wants you gone from here. Now you want them to find out that you are sleeping with men who are not even from this pack. Are you so eager to get us all kicked out of this pack?! ” She leaves my hair with a jerk, hissing at me.

“ I am sorry, Mom. ” Tears begin to slide down my cheeks.

“ Get the hell out of my face and don’t come down for the rest of the day. I don’t want to see you! ” She yells at me.

I don’t waste a moment in climbing up the stairs and running straight for my room, crying.

Dying tonight…doesn’t seem like a bad idea anymore. If Mom tells Dad, he will kill me with his own hands.

NATALIE

I have been moving to and fro in my room after taking a shower and staring at the mate mark over my neck for a whole hour.

At first, I tried to cover the mark by wearing a high neck but when I realised that it was the middle of the summer and I was only going to make everyone suspicious by wearing it, I removed it and covered the mark with many layers of concealer.

I like to believe that I can keep it a secret but my mind is about to explode with anxiety.

For one, I have to find out who that man was.

For two, I am scared that I am going to die tonight.

For three, if I don’t die, my Dad will kill me with his own hands after finding out that I slept with a man who was an outsider.

All of this is weighing me down and there is nothing positive I can think about right now.

“ Natalie. ” The door to my room opens and Emilie strolls inside without permission.

I gulp my saliva and question. “ What do you want? ”

Although I try to appear fearless and unbothered, I know she can see right through me.

“ Is what Mom saying true? ” She flutters her eyelashes innocently.

Mom must be listening in. That’s why she is talking so sweetly.

I purse my lips, choosing to remain silent.

“ I believed that you will change but you…you had to get caught and hurt Mom like this. ” Her voice has all the sympathy and hurt she can muster up.

And all I can do is to watch her lips displaying a smug smirk and her words turning sweeter so Mom can hear how good she is to me.

“ Why do you always do this? Mom and Dad are already disappointed in you. ” She sniffs, pretending to cry when no tears flow down her eyes at all.

“ Emilie…Please leave me alone. ” I whisper, wanting for her to get the fuck out of my room.

“ But I…I am here for you. Please talk to me. Please tell me why you can’t just wait for your mate? ” Her voice remains sympathetic but her smirk only widens.

She is provoking me. She is…I close my eyes, taking a deep breath to calm myself down but it’s impossible.

A lava is cooking inside me which is ready to explode like always.

“ Natalie…Dad will be… ” She starts and sniffs.

My eyes snap open, burning to the point I feel as if blood is about to come out of them.

“ GET THE FUCK OUT OF MY ROOM! ” I end up yelling at her.

The door flies open once again and this time, the person who steps inside scares the living shit out of me.

“ Dad…I can…” I stutter over my words, stumbling back.

“ Why are you shouting at your sister? ” Dad asks calmly for once.

Although, his usual black eyes are flashing Golden due to rage, he is trying to ask politely.

“ Dad…I just tried to make her understand that what she is doing is wrong but she doesn’t want to listen to me. ” Emilie doesn’t waste a second and runs into his arms, complaining and crying at the same time.

My gaze switches between Emilie and my Dad’s figure in disbelief.

“ What did she do wrong? ” Dad asks the dreaded question.

I walk backward, shaking my head.

“ Dad I can explain…I swear. ” I try to make his heart change.

“ She slept with a stranger yesterday night. ” Mom delivers the news from outside my room.

My blood freezes in my veins. Emilie looks at me and smirks hidden to my parents eyes.

“ I…It…it was a m—mistake. ” That’s all I can say to him.

“ Natalie…” Dad’s voice drops a few octaves.

His eyes disappear into those familiar burning golden eyes of his wolf’s. I stumble back once more, shaking my head from left to right.

“ I am sorry. I am sorry, Dad. I will never do it again. ” I cry out the moment he pushes Emilie aside and walks to me threateningly.

Before I even get the chance to defend myself, Dad’s hand reaches out to my neck. He squeezes it so hard that my eyes bulge out.

Despite the pain which makes me thrash, my mind goes to the mark which is on my neck. It burns bright. My soul departs from my body at the thought of anyone finding out about it.

I claw at my Dad’s hand while my body flaps uncontrollably.

“ You have decided to drag my reputation in mud. I will not allow this to happen! ” He sneers close to my face.

Tears well in my eyes as it becomes impossible for me to breath.

“ I will kill you! ” He tightens his hold around my neck and yells.

My head hits the wall behind me and black dots start to appear in my sight.

“ Nile! Leave her. She will really die. ” Mom rushes in, grabbing my father’s arms to pry him off me.

My mind begins to lose focus on everything due to lack of oxygen. My hold around Dad’s hands loosens.

“ Dad. I will make her understand. She won’t do it again. Leave her please. ” Emilie doesn’t remain behind and comes to my aid so she can see it happening again and again.

They don’t let me live but they won’t allow me to die either.

My hands drop by my side, my eyes rolling back in my head.

Before I lose consciousness, Dad releases my neck from his death grip. I fall to the floor, coughing and wheezing for air.

My lungs hurt, my eyes burn, my head pounds. All the energy has left my body, leaving me with only agony and the burning sensation of the mate mark.

“ If I find out you have done something like this again…I will kill you, Natalie. I will kill you before anyone else finds out about your shameful actions. ” Dad threatens me before he stomps out of my room, followed by Mom.

Emilie takes this chance to lock the door and come to me. I open my eyes and look up at her after regaining my breath.

“ Don’t — Don’t tell Enzo. ” I plead.

My teary eyes beg her silently, while she hums staring down at me maliciously.

“ Why not? ” Her lips morph into a grin.

“ I…” I push myself on my weak knees.

“ I will do anything. ” I tell her.

“ Anything? ” She tilts her head, still grinning.

My breath hitches in my throat, understanding what she wants this time.

“ Give it to me, Natalie. I really need it. ” She lets out in a sugary tone.

“ Emilie I… ” I choke on my breath.

“ Are you refusing me? ” Her grin changes into a deep frown.

My heart skips a beat and I shake my head right away. “ I will give you the painting. You can use it however you want but please…please don’t…don’t tell Enzo. ”

“ How can I do it? You are my twin sister, after all. ” The poisonous grin returns on her lips.

Emilie turns around to leave and I can only watch her with my hate and tears filled eyes.

“ Drop it in my room. ” She directs me, stopping beside the door.

Opening the door, she turns to me again.

“ Oh My Goddess, Natalie. Your head is bleeding. Please get it bandaged from the pack doctor. ” Her tone is back to sympathetic and worried because she knows Mom and Dad can hear her now.

“ You know…you can’t heal like us so please get yourself treated. And make sure to not tell Doctor Yoona how his happened. ” She has to add it, to remind my parents that I am a disappointment.

I lower my eyes to the floor and exhale a heavy breath.

My fingers touch the burning mark over my neck. At least, they didn’t find out about it.

I have to get rid of this mark before anyone stumbles upon this secret and reveals it to Enzo. I can not take it — I can not live without Enzo. He is the only one who understands me and loves me despite my shortcomings.