Half an hour later, Amelia returned to the house, her clothes drenched and plastered against her thin body. Her golden coloured hair dripped water and she stood with her head bowed.

Nana saw her and sighed softly. She'd been bullied again. That has always been Amelia's fate since she was a child. She suffered such humiliation from age group and that made her stop going to the warriors training.

"Go in and take a bath my child. Don't say anything, I know what had probably happened" Nana said and Amelia walked away quietly to have her bath.

While bathing, Amelia's tears rolled down her cheeks. She was bullied, slapped and had water poured on her head by none other than her sister's friends.

Chelsea was her father's beloved daughter. Her sister had bullied her several times in the presence of her friends and even gave them an assignment to bully her wherever they saw her. She was told they share the same parents but her sister was the special, gifted child while she, a dregs in the pack.

Her sister was a shapeshifter, beautiful and a good master of the sword. She's entirely different from her. Even if she was told they had the same parents, it's difficult for her to believe it. How can she be so useless and cursed, entirely different from her sister.

She's the bravest of the ladies in the pack and admired by many. The Alpha and Luna were so proud of her that they turned a blind eye to the romance going on between their son and her.

But the reason why Chelsea hates her so much, was still so unclear to her. She claimed she was the reason why she had no mother anymore and dad lost his mate. She was cursed to bring pain and sorrow to everyone around her.

She never spares to show her hatefulness. It's either she ridicules her or calls her the filth of the pack, or she makes others mock her. She wished she was allowed to die when she was born. Why did Nana save her only to grow up to experience such a thick layer of hatefulness on each passing day?

Sometimes, she was left to accept that perhaps, she was really cursed. At puberty, her age groups already got their wolves except her. She's an Omega and a wolfless one at that. She hopes that one day, she will be able to live a normal life like everyone else.

A few weeks later, it will be her eighteenth birthday the next day. It was also the day for the coronation of the new Alpha. For generations now, it has always been on the day of the coronation that the new Alpha meets his mate, the Luna that will rule alongside him.

Being eighteen made no difference to Amelia. She is cursed and has never been allowed to participate in any occasion in the pack. Her curse would rub off on them and even if she tries, her father, the Beta would be the first to wipe her with an iron whip if he has to.

Having a mate was totally out of Amelia's thoughts. She'd been given a chance to be alive, thanks to Nana. How can she be extravagant to tolerate the thought of having a mate.

That's asking for too much!

"Amelia, tomorrow is going to be a memorable day in the history of our pack" Nana said, preparing a healing balm with Amelia blending the ingredients together.

"Hmmm..." Amelia hummed. It's going to be a memorable day for those who are invited. For her, it doesn't leave any memory in her.

"You know, so many people only experience it once in a lifetime. The coronation of the new Alpha of the pack. And more than that, it's also the day that the new Luna will be known. Sometimes, two occasions are done on that day.

The coronation and the mating ceremony of the Alpha and Luna. Other Alphas are invited from other packs and the ceremonial ground will be packed full..." Nana tattled on.

Amelia was already thinking. She wished she could be there, to witness her resentful sister get mated to the Alpha. Everyone already predicted that she's going to be the chosen mate for the Alpha.

But she's a forbidden member of the pack. She's cursed, she cannot be anywhere around them. This is her fate, her destiny and so it will remain with her.

"...you will be coming with me to this occasion, Amelia" Nana concluded and raised her head to glance at this apprentice of hers.

"What...no...I'm not coming" Amelia snapped her head up.

"Oh no, you will come along with me. If not for the ceremony, you'll help me with my bag. My old shoulders should have a relief with you around" Nana insisted. She just wants Amelia to have this experience of a lifetime. Who knows, if she never gets a chance to witness another.

"But you know that..." Amelia began and Naga interrupted her. She was going to tell her that she'd always been forbidden to attend any ceremony in the village because of the curse on her but Nana wouldn't let her speak further.

She raised her hand to indicate that Amelia should be quiet and she did. This is not going to be her fault now. If she was going to be punished, then Nana would know that she was responsible for her error.

That night, Nana laid awake for a long time, she was deep in thought. She had lost her mate many years ago and the moon goddess didn't bless her with a second chance mate. She'd grown old and childless.

Then Amelia came into her life. Her father believed she was cursed and so did everyone else in the pack. But how can she be cursed with so much beauty and goodness in her. She's a normal child and deserves to have what others do.

She's going to be eighteen the next day. She's weak and wolfless. Besides being the cursed daughter of the Beta, she's often referred to as the worthless Omega.

Shouldn't she also be in the midst of other pack members if perhaps she would find her mate? Will the moon goddess deny her that privilege and chance as well? She's already cursed and wolfless, if she doesn't get to have a mate, her life would be worthless.

That is why Amelia will have to come with her to the Pack's convocation. She closed her eyes and made a silent prayer to the goddess that she give Amelia a mate that would accept her without doubt or bias.

The next morning, Amelia set out, dressed in a cheap dress. Her hair was styled to one side. She looked casual but beautiful. That day was her eighteenth birthday and she dressed in her best, even if her best was the rag thrown away by another family.

She was plain, without makeup but she looked attractive and pretty. Though many will not accept it, everyone knows Amelia is the most beautiful girl in the pack. They wondered why the moon goddess would bless her with such a rare gift despite knowing she was cursed.

"Happy birthday Amelia" Nana said and kissed her temple. She's beautiful and deserves two glances from anyone who comes across her.

"Thank you Nana" Amelia appreciated. She smiled and was happy. All her life, only Nana has ever wished her a happy birthday. That day was always spent mourning by her father and each year made her earn more hatefulness from him than the previous.

She remembered on her fifteenth birthday, she encountered her father coming from the forest. He probably went to place flowers by his mate's tombstone and on his way back, he crossed paths with her.

In his hatefulness he had raised his sword to cut her through when she took to her heels. "I curse you forever Amelia...forever you shall rot in pain and despair" That day she was so close to death and for a long time, the trauma of it haunted her.

As she set out, carrying Nana's medicine bag, she prayed silently in her heart that her father wouldn't see her. The crowd should hide her from his sight and she would be careful as well.

By the time they arrived at the Pack's ceremonial ground, it was already crowded. Had these people not spent the night in their homes? Nana sat down and Amelia tried sitting next to her when a woman stopped her "you are not allowed to come to gatherings, get away from here, you cursed Omega"

Amelia shivered, her fingers trembled and she was going to leave when Nana stopped her by holding her by the wrist "I brought her with me, so she will not go anywhere" she protested.

Amelia's eyes welled up. She said she wasn't going to come but Nana insisted. Now, she'd just arrived and she was already experiencing resentment from pack members. Other people had gathered, ready to have her thrown out.

"If she must be here, let her stay at the extreme end, not mixing with other werewolves. She's cursed and she must stay in solitary otherwise, we will all request that she should be beheaded..." the enraged woman growled.

"Nana..." Amelia whimpered. She hadn't come here only to be murdered on her eighteenth birthday. It should be another day, she shouldn't die on the same day as her mother's memorial day.

"She might have been cursed but she's my assistant and I have brought her along. Are you going to send her away or have her murdered before me?" Nana growled back at her.

Without waiting for her to say another thing, Nana glanced at Amelia and said "Sit at my feet" and Amelia did. Sitting at her feet meant sitting right on the floor and Amelia gladly accepted it.

The other pack members gnawed but couldn't do anything about it. Nana was the Pack's oldest healer, they can't just disrespect her that way. And since the cursed Omega is seated on the floor, that's better, she's meant to be on the floor where everyone can trample on her.

Amelia hugged her knees and stayed quietly as the announcement came that the Beta had arrived. Amelia shook and was more than happy that she's on the floor.

He wasn't going to see her. Everyone stood up as the Beta got to his place and sat down, his elegant daughter sat next to him. She's the most popular lady in the pack. For her fighting skill, her beauty and being the future Luna.

Then the Alpha arrived along with the future Alpha dressed in a royal robe, elegant, and graceful, a dreadful sight to behold as well.

As the future Alpha stood, side by side with his father, a sudden wave of scent hit Amelia. It was soothing and it sent a feeling of emotion into her.

She swallowed hard, is this what she'd been afraid of encountering all along? The scent became stronger and she raised her head to glance at the direction it was coming from...

As Amelia raised her head, her gaze locked with the last person she could ever imagine. She swallowed hard. The scent became stronger, more blinding of her thoughts and feelings and she felt a pull towards him instantly.

"I hereby present the future Alpha of this pack, Alpha Kasper..." the whole atmosphere was filled with applause, from one end of the ceremonial ground to the other and his father placed a crown on his head.

As soon as the crown touched his head, all the werewolves went on their knees and pledged allegiance to the new Alpha. The Beta stepped forward and bowed to the Alpha with his hand on his chest.

While this was going on, the scent was so hard and Alpha Kasper couldn't hold back. He descended the podium, he'd found his mate, he thought the moon goddess was going to give him Chelsea, his childhood sweetheart and best friend.

He knew the direction the scent was coming from. But he couldn't see who his mate was. Everywhere seemed crowded and he could only see a pair of eyes, he locked eyes with her but he needed her to step out, she's his mate, the future Luna of the pack.

If Chelsea can't be his Luna, she would be his chosen concubine, if she doesn't mind. He cannot live without Chelsea and he cannot as well, refuse the moon goddess chosen mate for him.

As Alpha Kasper walked closer, the scent became stronger, hitting him hard like an avalanche. Everyone immediately knows that the other part of the ceremony was about to be experienced.

Who is the chosen mate for the new Alpha?

Who's going to be the Pack's Luna?

The excitement was all over, everyone was still, calm and eagerly waiting for the Alpha to locate her. Chelsea thought he would come towards her, she was all smiles and she adjusted herself, this is the time when her position will be affirmed before the entire pack members.

That day, she was going to move into the pack house as Luna. Her dream was about to be fulfilled and she waited. Alpha Kasper got to the place where she was seated with her father, he paused and shook his head and kept walking towards the scent.

The closer he gets, the stronger the scent becomes. Amelia was shivering. The scent was getting stronger, was he coming towards her? It cannot be, no, it should be someone else, not the newly crowned Alpha.

She bowed her head, she dared not raise it. She shut her eyes. Her calamity was about to befall her. She doesn't know the gravity of her sin in her past life and this lifetime was the time of reckoning.

Chelsea's excitement was immediately drenched when she saw Alpha Kasper walk past her to the crowded pack members behind her. No, he cannot have another woman as his mate. Only she is qualified to be his mate, his Luna to rule by his side.

She's on par with him in terms of sword skills. She's beautiful and from a reputable family in the pack. Who dares to compete with her over Kasper? Everyone knows in the entire pack that she is his woman.

Beta Night subconsciously took his daughter's hand and massaged it. She should not worry, Alpha Kasper can reject whoever his mate is if he isn't pleased with her and chooses her instead.

Besides, she can still be his concubine and birth the future Alpha if all things goes well. In either way, she cannot lose Kasper, that is something he knows within him.

Suddenly, Amelia cannot help it but shut her eyes open. The scent was choking and it was just in time as the Alpha stood before her. The people seated around her, had all moved aside to give a proper glare on Amelia.

Alpha Kasper was about to command her to raise her head when she did. Was there already a mind link between them? And immediately he saw who his chosen mate was, he was mad and growled loudly.

Now, his parents came over, Beta Night did the same. Kasper glared at the woman on the floor sitting so below everyone in the pack, a real indication of her position.

When the Beta saw Amelia, his anger rose within him. He feels like breaking her neck at that moment. She's thin and weak and it wouldn't take too much pressure from his hands to break those long necks of hers.

Chelsea fisted her hand. Of all the women in the pack, the moon goddess didn't see anyone to choose for Alpha Kasper except the cursed Omega, a mistake from her father's bloodline?

Is the moon goddess slumbering or has lost her eye sight that she didn't see her and chose this worthless Omega to be the future Luna? Oh, now she knows that even the moon goddess is suffering from short eyesight.

"Get up!" The Alpha commanded and Amelia quickly did, bowing her head. She had said that she wasn't going to come but Nana insisted and now, her life was about to end, in such a gruesome way.

Nana stood up after Amelia. Her hands were shaking. She wanted the best for Amelia but not to have her die in such a way. Why is the moon goddess playing pranks on her and Amelia this way?

"Who said you could come here after being forbidden from gathering with other pack members?" Beta Night thundered. This evil thing that came from his bloodline to ruin their lives and happiness forever had come here to ruin Chelsea's happiness as well?

He glanced at her from her head to her toes and smirked. She looked so shabby and cheap. Her dress was best used to clean footwear than to be worn and yet, she brought her cursed self to the ceremonial ground?

"I did" Nana replied from behind Amelia before adding "If Amelia is going to be punished for coming here, I will gladly accept the punishment in her place" he declared.

Now, there were loud murmurings coming from all the pack members. "She was cursed, she wasn't supposed to be there"

"She is an outcast, a dredge and a calamity to her own family"

"She was supposed to have been beheaded and sacrificed to the ravins"

The murmurings were loud enough for the Alpha to hear them all. His palm formed into a fist and his eyes had taken a shade of fiery red. He was furious and mad and it was visible for all.

"Silence everyone!" Alpha Kasper thundered.