That night, I noticed the kinda preparation that was taking place in my father's house like an event was going to take place sometime later. All the servants were so busy, and when I approached the head servant to assign me a task, she smiled for the first time and said to me, "The general had ordered that you not work tonight and only get set for tomorrow's event."

Tomorrow's event? I couldn't even come to believe it immediately, that my father meant it when he said that he would marry me off to that man of a great age as a seventh wife, since I refused to be my mate's mistress.

And to sum it all up, no one from the palace had even come for me to bring me over to the palace as per my mate's order.

My chest tightened in disgust. Why didn't I see this coming? How did I think my mate would cherish me, unlike every other person? I was still useless to him, like the others think, that was why he couldn't even come for me, to persuade me into being his mistress. If I meant at least a drop of meaning to him, he would plead that I take the position.

Well, even if he pleaded, I wouldn't accept it. I had never seen myself as a mistress even before I met him, and wouldn't become one for him.

I turned around from the head servant immediately and went back to my room. The servants were all roaming from one end to another, and that could tell that I wouldn't stay past the next day's sunrise.

What would I do? I promised myself to bring an end to all these. If I stayed here any longer, I was going to be thrown into hell as a seventh wife, and no one would come to my rescue. I wouldn't love to serve a man far older than me and cruel too, until he kills me as he does to the other women.

I was restless in my room, biting my finger and trying to come up with a plan that wouldn't put me in more trouble.

By midnight, the only idea I had was to run away from the pack, but I checked all my belongings, and the only worthy thing to sell was my mating ritual dress. I didn't have a penny, and I was sure that life outside there would be hard.

If I leave, my parents would have no one to sell off again, and I would see no reason to return to this pack or be part of this family again.

I decided to go ahead with the plan at the end, so I picked up a few of my dresses that would cover my nudity, and then the finest dress, which I would sell off and get some quick cash. I would go into a faraway pack where they would find it difficult to think of me going.

Due to how busy the night was, no one ever suspected my move. I went through the back gate and left the compound, and of course, they wouldn't find me easily since I didn't have a wolf.

I was done being the neglected child of the family, being a bulletproof to those that don't regard me, taking on messes from people who wish I wasn't part of them. I felt no single pity that I was leaving, not until I sighted the palace house and Alpha Samson's face flashed through my mind.

I choked on my sob and covered my mouth, taking deep swallows and exhaling heavily to not reveal myself.

We spent no memories together as lovers, I never for once visited him or stepped my feet in that palace, because I was patiently waiting for when he would feel great to do so. He hid me under the shadows, only locking eyes with me, and sending those warm smiles that brighten my day, no matter how hectic it was.

The times he came to my father's house, he asked to see all the servants, just so he would see my face before leaving. Those glints of love and affection in his eyes always, those soft smiles at the corner of his lips that I alone saw all the time, gave me a hope that I hadn't gotten all through my life.

He never said a word to me, and I understood. There was no way to mindlink me because I didn't have a wolf. He gave me those expressions until yesterday, when I became useless to him. His betrayal was the worst. It would have been better if it were another person he chose and not my family.

Right now, my sister would be lying in his arms, happy that she had stolen my mate from me, too.

I didn't realise that I'd been sobbing until I heard the snarling of a wolf behind me. I shuddered, glancing around, only to notice that there were more than one, but not facing me. They seemed to be quarrelling in their wolf form, so I took to my heels, running as much as I could until I got out of the pack house.

I had covered my head with a veil, so no one would find out who I was so easily. I trekked until I reached an abandoned house away from the packhouse, then I sneaked in.

As expected, the house was empty and chilly. I just needed to stay there until daybreak, when I would board a taxi that would drive me out of the pack quickly. I held the dress so tightly to my body, not wanting to sleep, so I would not get caught.

That night was the worst for me ever. Every one of my thoughts was about my mate and my family's betrayal.

'They crossed the line. Since they hated me that much, leaving me to my mate was the last thing they could have done for me.' I thought, sniffed and rested my head on the wall. 'But they thought I wasn't worthy enough to be Luna, rather Isobel.'

I let out a heavy breath and shook my head. Henceforth, I have no family or mates. The moment Alpha Samsom chose my sister, our bond was partially severed. I hope to never meet any of them in the future.

I stayed awake until the sky began brightening up, then I left the building. For not being harmed in that building, even when I didn't know what was in it, I thanked the goddess and ran off. It didn't take long for me to find a taxi, and I asked him for the farthest pack after ours.

"Young lady, I am a human. But I think the lycan clan is far away from here. Are you traveling?" he asked and turned to watch me, but I nodded, wearing a fake smile. "The summit clan is very far."

I sniffed and nodded, "Then, how much would it cost? Will this dress be worth the price?" I brought out the dress I was holding, and he grabbed it from me.

After taking a good look, he shoved it back and nodded. "I would resell it when I get back to my land. But if I may ask, is there any problem that you are leaving your pack?"

I shook my head. The humans and werewolves interfere a lot. We also live in each other's land, which was why going to the human land would be my last option. "Well, I am an orphan, and things aren't working out here. I just need to change my location to see if I can make a living for myself."

He nodded and started the car. "That's a nice point. If that's the case, then I have someone in the lycan clan who could help you. She's a human too and resides in the lycan clan. So I wonder if you would accept being a bartender."

Bartender? I hadn't heard of such a thing, but I thought it would be a great privilege.

"You will get paid very well and can make a living off the salary. With my influence, she could pay you more," the man added while the car was riding at a high speed.

I stayed quiet while contemplating the job role. Maybe I shouldn't reject it until I reach the lycan clan, nor should I bring up any more discussions with him. We were strangers to each other, and it was best if I didn't lose my composure and say things to him too much.

When we drove to the pack border, he whispered to me, "They are searching for a certain female who should have been their alpha's mistress. According to them, she went missing from the pack house last night, and both her parents and the alpha king had ordered that no werewolf should leave the pack without being properly searched."

My heart dropped instantly, and I tapped him, "Please, drop me off. I have issues with the gamma at the borders, and they could punish me with this opportunity." My voice was shaky, and sweat formed on my forehead.

It hadn't been so long since daybreak, and they already noticed that I had left. There was no way I would return there after all these...I can't let them catch me.

Immediately after the driver parked at the side of the road, I grabbed my veil again and covered my head. I handed over to him the sack where I had put the dress and said to him, "Thank you, but I don't have to fall into their trap. I have to go alone from here." I whispered and was trying to open the door when he held my wrist.

I turned to look at him, my breath caught in my throat. "No need for you to leave. We can pass by them without them finding out it was you," he said, his tone was convincing enough, but I had lived all my life trusting no one. "I mean it. I have a mask here that can help."

As he let go of my hand, he opened a part of his car and brought out a little box. I watched as he opened the box and brought out a skin color material from it, and stretched his hand towards me. "If you mask your face with it, they wouldn't know that it was you and would let us pass. I have heard of how brutal the werewolf gammas are, so I think you aren't telling lies against them."

I fumbled my palms together, conflicted. I hadn't ever told lies to anyone except him, and now he was helping me. Maybe it was better to have him know nothing about me. If there was a prize for anyone who found me, he wouldn't hesitate to hand me over if I revealed that I was the one wanted.

He gave a single nod, urging me to take the mask from him. "It doesn't have any side effects," he said with a smile.

I didn't need to waste time any longer, so he didn't change his mind, so I took the mask, and he helped me put it on.

For this kind gesture and understanding, he was indeed a human, because no werewolf would agree to what I had just said.

After putting it on, he allowed me to take a look at my face through the rearview of the car, and I couldn't believe what I looked like. My eyes widened in shock at the new person staring back at me. There was no clue of Annette any longer, but a new, beautiful female face that might not exist in this pack.

"Then we can now go, and they wouldn't find out you were the one," he said and chuckled, then started the car again.

Still, my heart raced in fear. I didn't trust that the mask would do a good thing to hide me very well, not until we passed the border and the gammas let us move on, since they didn't find Annette anymore.

I released a heavy breath that hung in my throat immediately we drove some miles away from them, then I slowly began getting the mask off my face. I hadn't known that such a thing existed until now, but one thing I was scared of was how much the driver would charge me for rendering the help, and if the dress would still serve the purpose.

He handed over the box to me to drop the mask into it, and I did so. I waited patiently for him to mention that my pay had increased, rather he began telling me stories of everything he had encountered as a driver, which made him always have the mask with him in his car.

"If not for this mask, my family would have murdered me a long time ago. I wear it whenever I enter human land, and for my safety, I live in a remote town where no one would ever think of coming," he had stated at the end, and my muscles weakened.

How could families be this cruel? He was an illegitimate child of their father, and this was why the whole family despised him, including his father. He had lost his mother, who had suffered to protect him, and now he was phobic about making a family.

There was no room for me to advise him, because after the hell I passed through in my father's house, and the worst betrayal from my mate, I was certain enough that making a family wasn't for me either. I would only strive to make a living and save enough for my old days.

He told me lots of stories to keep the ride moving, and after several hours of long rides, we entered the lycan clan. It was my first time coming into the clan, and it had taken us over ten hours to enter the clan.

As far as I knew, werewolves do not cooperate with the lycans as much as they do with the humans, so coming after me in the lycan clan was one uneasy thing for them to do.

As the driver said, he drove me to his friend, a female whom he said saved him back in the days when he was homeless and didn't have a dime to sustain himself. "She is a werewolf and would do a good job as a bartender," the driver explained to the woman.

I bowed to her, wearing a slight smile. She was younger than I expected, and looked like she wasn't married.

"My name is Penelope, and I will be your Boss," she stretched out her hand for a greeting, which I accepted with a grin. "You will serve people at the club, and you will choose the best time for you. But if you feel uncomfortable doing it, then there are so many tasks around. Cooking, washing the dishes, cleaning the environment, and so on. There are no werewolves here, too, so you are safe in my hands."

I glanced at the driver, whom I didn't even know his name, and I knew I owed this man. I was so grateful that I thought no amount of money would pay for his kindness.

"Honestly, I am fast cleaner, and do that better. Most times, I make a mistake serving people, but I will never let the surroundings become untidy. So, I would prefer being a cleaner." I said to the lady, and she nodded. But the truth was that I didn't want to be walking around, serving people whom I wasn't sure if they knew me or not.

It was great news that no werewolves were working in the club, so I should also be careful with myself.

"Then I will have to take you from here," Penelope said and gestured to the way I should follow.

I turned to the driver, unsure how to show how happy I was, but after exchanging pleasantries with him, he promised to always show up through Penelope if I needed his help, then I left with the lady.

She took me to the room where I would stay, and according to her, there were about two more females in the room who worked for her. So with me, we would be three, and it looked so much more comfortable compared to where I stayed in my father's house.

"I will have my manager get you some dresses, including your working dress, and other things you would need as a lady. Normally, it's supposed to be deducted from your salary. But because of Cornelius and the condition you came with, I would offer it all for free, and you get your complete salary," the lady narrated.

I couldn't help but get to my knees, yet she rushed and forced me up to my feet. "How do I pay you back?" I asked, tears gathered in my eyes.

She smiled, "Just do a nice job."

-

The next day, I dressed up like every other person and came out for the morning assembly, as they called it. I was introduced to others and then to my fellow cleaners, and for goddess' sake, they were so friendly.

Among us were humans, lycans, and I was the only werewolf. I was assigned to work until 12 pm with another fair human lady, and the others were also assigned their time of work.

Although it was a huge compound and there were so many places to clean, I loved it so much; the peace of mind, how cheerful my colleague was, how the Boss didn't pressure us like back in my father's house. Once it was 12 pm, the next set took over, so I rushed to see the boss and know what I was supposed to do next.

I couldn't believe my eyes when I stepped into her room. She was bleeding from a deep cut, and the healer was doing everything in his power to stop the bleeding.

"Are you done?" she asked, and I nodded. "Then that's it for today. Take a rest for tomorrow."

What was she saying? Would I stay idle until the next day?

I was drawn out of my daze when she winced painfully, her face flushed red and her palms clenched tightly to her sides.

"Can I do it? It's becoming difficult to stop the bleeding, and you would pass out if you lost so much blood." I said, my heart pounding in fear that she would scold me.

I wanted to be a healer, not just because I needed to make money and fame, but because I was born with the gift and grace. I had helped several servants in my father's house heal from their cuts. Some of them I get herbs for, and they heal when they are sick. I had always taken care of myself in that aspect since my family didn't care, so I was sure I could stop the bleeding.

The healer stood and, with a contorted face, asked me, "Where is the proof that you are a certified healer?" I saw a glint of anger and jealousy on his face, and I lowered my head.

I was about to leave when Penelope called me back. "Come and do it, but if you fail, I will report you to the lycan king for playing with my life. And if you stop it, I will make sure to train you until you become a certified healer..."

"Lady?!" the male healer mentioned, his eyes widened in shock.

I bowed slightly and walked closer to Penelope, then squatted before her. "I accept, but could you tell the doctor to share his materials with me? I don't have mine, and going out to get them would take time."

She didn't say a thing but looked up to the healer, and the man dropped his kit before twitching out of the room angrily.

"He's the best healer in this clan, so he is scared that someone might steal his spot," Penelope whispered to me and patted my shoulder.

Deep down, I was frightened. I had always done this, but the wounds aren't always this deep. If I failed, that would be the end of me, because the lycan king was said to be a demon himself...and I would regret not being a mistress or a seventh wife.

Alpha Samson.

Anger surged through my veins, and when I couldn't withstand it, I smacked the glass I held on the wall before me. My eyes enlarged, and blood drained from my face. "How long are you people going to be incompetent? Over two weeks, and this is the feedback you are getting for me?"

My beta, Berg, got on one of his knees, his head lowered, "We searched the whole pack, in the whole werewolf packs and the human lands, yet didn't find her. The lycans refused us passing their border because we weren't there for business, but I doubted she would be there."

He doubted she would be there? What kinda sense does he even have?

I scoffed and began unbuttoning my shirt. For someone who didn't want to be found, she would head to a place where it would be hard to find her, so the lycan clan could welcome her as one of the masses because she was wolfless and wouldn't be a threat to them.

I flung my shirt to the sofa and walked to the window. The view outside wasn't as fun as before. Her disappearance had caused me more sadness than I thought.

"Berg, you will have to put things together. We should have something to offer the lycans in exchange for searching their clan for my mate. I want her back here, and I will stop at nothing to have her back." I ordered, my voice cold and low.

He stood up, "Yes, alpha!"

I heard the sound of the door shut behind him, then I sighed heavily. I ran my fingers through my hair, panting helplessly and trying so much not to spill those tears I had held back all these days.

Annette was my mate, and losing her was the worst thing to ever happen to me. I thought, as wolfless as she was, she would be grateful that I made her my mistress, but she escaped. I heard that her father arranged a marriage with the prime minister for her since she refused to be my mistress, and that was the reason she escaped from the pack.

I had already told them how much they would lose if I didn't find Annette. They had no right to sell off my mate behind me and scare her away from my pack. I owned her and would do with her what I wanted.

If only she knew my mind and my plans with her, she wouldn't have left. I hadn't ever thought she wouldn't be my luna until nine days before the coronation day, and having her as my mistress was the only option I had to keep us together.

My wolf taunted me for her escape, and he blamed me for what happened, even though he knew the reason behind everything. I refused to reject her, and I had my reasons. But now, she was nowhere to be found, and I felt my world was crumbling.

Soon, the pack ministers would begin pressuring me to produce an heir for the pack. This was one of the reasons I didn't want to reject her and let her go. I needed my mate to give me an heir, and now this was it.

After standing there for quite some time with no alternative to bring her back to myself, I walked back into the room and grabbed the bottle of brandy. I fixed it on my lips until the bottle was empty, then I walked out of the office.

-

I had emptied two bottles of brandy, yet I wasn't drunk enough to sleep off. Recalling that there were no positive outcomes about my mate's whereabouts was giving me a headache, and I had thought drinking myself to a stupor would make me forget it all and doze off.

But it was 2 am at midnight, and I was yet to feel sleepy. My eyes were wide open, and I felt nothing but regret. If I had known this would occur, I would have ordered the guards to lock her up in my bedroom after the coronation. But I thought she would show up by herself, and if she didn't, I would take her the next day...only to get the news of her disappearance.

I grabbed the glass of wine and downed it, then refilled it again.

The door creaked, and when I looked up, it was Isobel, my mate's sister, dressed in her lingerie, and putting on a smile that awakened the demon in me that was asleep.

It was a pity, but she was just a substitute. She was only here to bear the luna title for the sake of my rule, and my mate was the one who was going to give me a pup. Maybe, if my mate were here, I wouldn't hate her as much as I do now.

She strode closer to where I sat, each of her steps made my palm tighten the more around the glass I had grabbed. "Alpha, you hadn't slept, so I thought to stay with you. Mind sharing what the problem is? You've never stayed with me since the day of my coronation."

I didn't even spend that night with her, as the tradition said. I had lodged in a hotel that night, waiting to hear that Annette had shown up at the palace, so I would return and spend the night with her.

When I felt her hand on my shoulder, I gave her a sharp glare, and she took it off instantly, then lowered her face.

"Alpha, did I offend you? I'm your Luna, yet you treat me like I am nothing. It's been over a week since our wedding, but you haven't spent a minute with me. You even ordered that I do not show up in your bedroom...."

I ignored her and sipped from the glass I held.

Did I owe her an explanation? I didn't think so.

In the same way, her father told me that he owed no one an explanation on why they treated my mate like an outsider; this was the case here. If I hadn't met them privately, they wouldn't spill that secret to me. And she expected me to regard her? I had far more important things to take care of than giving her my time.

I didn't want to order her out, so I simply sealed the bottle of wine that was about half, then stood and began leaving the room.

"Alpha, it's midnight and....

I walked away and slammed the door with a thud behind me, then went down to the garage and drove off the pack house. I went back to the lodge where I always stayed to sort out lots of things with my men, and it was far better than the bedroom I had just left.

Although I couldn't sleep too well, not perceiving the scent of a female that wasn't my mate made me feel better.

The next morning, Berg showed up and showed me the acceptance letter I got from the lycan clan. I felt a little relieved, because at least there would be a way to search the lycan clan. If this time she wasn't found, I would have no mercy for her parents and that prime minister.

I looked at my beta, putting a long face, "Make sure to search every nook and cranny..."

The door was flung wide open, and my parents barged in. How did they get the passcode of my lodge? Their expression showed that I messed up big time, but I seriously wasn't in the mood to listen to them.

Berg exited the room immediately, and I stood immobile, with my arms crossed against my chest, and my eyes affixed on my parents standing some feet away from me.

My mother walked to the sofa and got seated, then asked me, "I would love you to explain why you did not bond with Isobel on the night of the coronation, and why you are searching for the wolfless thing when she already left the pack."

"Didn't we agree that she would be banished? Why then did you make her your mistress, and is even searching for her after she left?" my father raged in anger.

I bit my lower lip and turned my back on them. They had gone for their treatment in the human land and couldn't make it on the coronation day with my siblings. When I even arranged a to-and-fro flight for them, they insisted their presence wasn't needed that much since it was just crowning my Luna.

But they had the guts to show up and ask questions, then expecting a detailed explanation from the puppet alpha king that they had installed on the throne, right?

Maybe it was time to show them that I wasn't a puppet any longer and would rule with my command, whether they liked it or not.