Astrid's POV

The pain of my mate rejecting me slammed into me making me gasp as I rocked back, my body shaking and vibrating.

l had heard of people rejecting their true mate yet I had never thought that it would happen to me.

Somehow I had thought surely the moon goddess wouldn't be so cruel as to give me a mate that wouldn't care for me in addition to all my troubles.

I had been wrong. I didn't even know how it was possible for a wolfless omega like me to have a mate like Xavier. I wasn't as strong as Lyra so why me?

What I knew was that I was in a world of pain. To think that if I had a wolf the pain would have been twofold of what I was feeling now. Guess there was a good side to being a wolfless omega after all.

Xavier wrapped his arm around Lyra and the stab of pain in my chest made my knees weak beneath me.

I wanted to crawl under my covers and hide.

But I had been doing that my whole life.

Hiding because I was a powerless omega, hiding to avoid the people who would hurt me.

Hiding because maybe if I lived quietly enough they would let me live in peace.

But none of that had worked anyway. I was done with that.

I stood up to Xavier. My mate who had rejected me.

"I used to love you," I told him knowing that I might still love him but it didn't matter anymore because to him my status mattered more than our mate bond.

Tears filled my eyes as I continued speaking. "We had so many beautiful memories together. But that only blinded me to the monster you have become."

"Monster? You bitch." Lyra lashed at me, her claws tearing across my face. "He is my mate, not yours!"

Blood dripped down my face staining my hand as I cupped my cheek. Xavier watched on unmoved as his girlfriend assaulted me. This was not the sort of mate I wished to have.

"You can have him," I told Lyra before turning to face Xavier. "I also don't want you, Xavier. I also refuse to accept you as my mate."

I saw the shock on Lyra's face and the anger on Xavier's.

He bared his teeth at me.

"Do you think you have any choice?" It was as if no one had ever rejected him. "I am an Alpha. Soon, I will inherit this pack. You think I want a mate as weak and useless as you are?"

I didn't say anything as I watched him waiting for him to finish what he had to say.

He looked at me from head to toe with barely concealed hatred. "The moon goddess has made a big mistake."

I smiled. At least I had gotten to him as he had me. "Don't worry, Xavier, I will remedy that. I, Astrid Nightshade, rejec-"

"Stop!"

We all collectively froze as the growl of Xavier's father, Alpha Finn, filled my room.

He walked in authoritatively, his dominant aura making all of us apart from Xavier bow.

Alpha Finn was the one who had brought me to this pack and while he was always busy with his pack duties to notice how bad the bullying got, he was always caring and nice to me whenever we interacted.

I had come to even see him somewhat as a fatherly figure.

"Alpha." I bowed lower.

"Alpha Finn." Lyra echoed.

"Dad, what are you doing here?"

I raised my head in time to see Alpha Finn give Xavier what had to be the harshest glare I had seen him give his son.

"Stopping you from making the biggest mistake in your life."

What?

Alpha Finn wanted me to be his daughter-in-law?

From the look on his face, Xavier didn't seem to like the idea one bit.

However Lyra spoke first, her voice high-pitched and nearly hysterical.

"Alpha, she is an omega. She's not suitable for him. I should be your daughter-in-law, you already accepted me."

Really? I thought she and Xavier were just seeing each other casually. But it made sense for him to accept her. She was beautiful. Strong and not an omega.

Alpha Finn looked at Lyra with obvious pity.

"The moon goddess obviously disagrees."

Lyra's anger grew. "But-"

Alpha Finn didn't let her finish. "I'm still speaking to my son, you will not interfere."

Xavier looked from his father to me to Lyra, his confusion obvious.

"Dad, what are you saying?"

Alpha Finn merely raised his hand, his countenance firm and unshakable.

"Shut up. You have said enough."

I just watched everything happening around me with wide eyes up until Alpha Finn took my hand, his gaze kind and sincere.

"I know my son has said a lot to you but I want to apologize on his behalf."

Lyra made a sound of outage and Xavuer looked at me with so much anger that if looks could kill, I would be six feet under.

I focused on the Alpha in front of me apologizing to me, an omega.

"Alpha."

Alpha Finn smiled at me softly and in that smile, I saw the man that had always had my back no matter what.

"My son is an immature child who doesn't understand the gift of finding one's true mate. I will explain it all to him."

I was confused. Why was he taking my side over his son's? I didn't dare look up at Xavier whose anger was so great that I could feel him vibrating with it.

Alpha Finn's hold on my hand tightened slightly bringing my attention back to him and away from my thoughts.

"Trust me."

Growing up here, he had been the nicest to me. How could I not trust him?

I nodded.

He beamed at me making me feel even safer.

"Thank you, Astrid." He kissed my forehead. "Now off you go, I arranged a surprise for you in the gardens for the celebration of your birthday."

I knew he was just getting rid of me so he could talk to Xavier but the fact that he remembered that it was my birthday made me want to cry.

"Thank you very much." I said.

Alpha Finn nodded and I stepped out of my room.

I should have gone straight to the gardens to collect my gift but I found that I couldn't. Something was tightening in my chest and I was surprised to discover that I was worried for my mate.

Xavier might have rejected me but I had not accepted his rejection or rejected his well in return. The bond was still there on my chest, hurting from his rejection but still there.

So I hung around. Just close enough to overhear them.

Lyra was wailing. "Alpha Finn, please don't separate me from Xavier for that whore!"

I was a virgin but the truth had never stopped Lyra from saying all sorts of things about me before.

"Enough!" Alpha Finn growled, obviously losing his anger and patience for her. "She will be my daughter-in-law and if you know what is good for you, you will not utter another word against her."

Lyra didn't say anything anymore but her sobs were loud enough for me to hear them clearly from where I stood.

Xavier growled, making goosebumps travel up my hand. "Will you silence me too Dad?"

Alpha Finn was silent and Xavier continued.

"I will never touch her. She is a weak omega who will destroy this pack."

My heart lurched in my chest at his words. For Xavier would I never rise above my station? Would he forever see me as a weak omega instead of his mate?

Alpha Finn seemed to be outraged at Xavier's words.

"You dare oppose me?! Fool. Stupid idiot. Follow me right now to my office!"

I barely hid in a nearby room in time to avoid them seeing me.

Once their footsteps faded, I slumped against the door, my heart pounding and racing in fear.

What would Alpha Finn do to punish Xavier for opposing him?

Astrid's POV

Maybe I should have followed them.

But I didn't. It was one thing to eavesdrop on them from my room and another entirely to go to the Alpha quarters out of bounds for omegas just to listen in on their conversations.

So I went to the gardens instead. All the way there, I thought of how unreal all of this was. Me, an omega mated to an Alpha. How exactly did that work?

I also thought of all the things that Xavier had done to me over the years. Could I really forgive him for all of that just because of the mate bond?

But I was already worried about what his father would do to him.

No, Astrid. You will not let your conflicted feelings because of the mate bond affect you.

I reached the gardens that were decorated with strings of light, music -that I couldn't tell where it was coming from- and an adorned table that held a much larger cake, gifts and a box that revealed a gold and diamond necklace.

There was no one here just yet but I could see the platters of food for people.

It was almost as though I had come to my own party too early. I couldn't believe it. Alpha Finn, had all this prepared before he even knew that I was Xavier's mate?

It was without doubt the most considerate thing anyone had done for me. I put on the necklace feeling the surprisingly light weight of the diamond settle on my chest. I had to thank Alpha Finn. And maybe even use the chance to check on Xavier.

I still thought that he was an ass but I just needed to confirm that he was fine.

The guards around the Alpha quarters of the pack house were absent and I realized why when I heard the raised voices coming from the office.

"What is wrong with you Dad?!" Xavier growled and I drew closer to the closed door even though I knew it was the last place I should be.

Xavier was still talking. "You took the side of a worthless omega over mine and you even ridiculed my future Luna in front of her."

Listening to him, I felt my heart break again. How could Xavier say that? Didn't he feel even the slightest hint of the bond between us?

I heard Alpha Finn growl through the wall.

"I always thought that as my son, you would inherit my sense but no. All you know how to do is pursue women!"

"That is not the issue at hand," Xavier responded rudely. "You must explain why you did that to me and Lyra now or else, you can just ask the omega to rule your pack for you."

My eyes widened in shock. He would rather lose his place in his pack rather than mate with me?

"Shut up! What did you think? That I would do what I did without a good reason?"

"That's what I want to know Dad."

Alpha Finn seemed to hesitate for a moment then he was speaking again in a hushed voice that I had to struggle to pick up.

"Then listen well and this story must not be told to anyone. Not even Lyra."

I was still. Very still. Even I wanted to know the reason he wanted me to mate with Xavier. The reason he arranged that set up for my birthday. And I needed to know why it was all some big secret.

Xavier agreed with his condition. "Okay, Dad."

"You recall that I was the one who brought Astrid home?"

I couldn't even remember it. I had been so little. All my memories were of this house. This pack.

"Yes, Dad."

"I found her in the arms of a dead woman in the area on the border of our land."

My mother was dead. I knew that for sure now and I didn't know how to feel about it. When times had gotten hard, I told myself maybe one day my parents would pop up and rescue me.

It was a childish fantasy. But it had gotten me through many tough times. Now I knew there was no rescue coming.

But Alpha Finn wasn't nearly done yet.

"That woman was the mate of the Alpha King."

What?!

My head nearly imploded from the shock.

My mom was the mate of the Alpha King. I was. royalty.

"That.that is impossible." Xavier seemed to echo my thoughts. "The Alpha King is missing and he doesn't have any heirs."

It was a popular subject of discussion in the pack. In almost every pack in fact. The missing Alpha King who had left a vacuum in his absence that many Alphas were trying to usurp in order to get his power.

Only the council kept the seat empty insisting that the Alpha King still lived. My father could be alive.

I had never heard such a greedy tone from Alpha Finn before.

"But he does have an heir. And that heir is Astrid. I know what I saw, boy."

A chill came over my skin as Xavier voiced my thoughts once more.

"This is why you want me to accept her."

Alpha Finn didn't deny it. "You will take the Alpha King's vacant throne. You will rule all of the wolfkind on this continent."

That was why he had prepared my eighteenth birthday party. To soften me up to his son's advances. To get me into his family all the more faster so they could take my father's position.

Alpha Finn laughed darkly. "Why else do you think that I have been so good to her? Both of you turning out to be mates was just the doing of the Goddess."

I heard my heart break and shatter for the last time that night. The person I saw as my one ally was just using me to further the goal of his family.

He wasn't even done yet.

"As the daughter of the Alpha King, she should be strong but she is so weak and pathetic. The only thing you need from her is the throne. You can even keep Lyra on the side until your coronation."

So this was the truth of Alpha Finn. It was truly a father-like-son situation. If I hadn't come here, I would have carried on believing that he was on my side. That he cared about me.

Everything was a lie. My whole life had been a lie. I had grown up being told how worthless I was. How I couldn't rise above my station.

But in reality, it had all been a lie.

How wicked could one person be? How despicable.

Xavier spoke again after his long silence. It seemed like he was just getting over the shock of my identity.

"But Dad, I can't become the Alpha King without the ring. And only the missing Alpha king has that required ring."

Another restriction from the council. To hand down the throne, the Alpha King had to hand it down his line or had to be fought and ousted from his position and the ring taken.

Without the ring, no one could make a claim to the throne.

Alpha Finn naturally had a solution to this dilemma no doubt due to how long he had planned this.

"We will use your mate's family bond with him, and once we find him, we will kill him, collect the ring and you will have the throne."

I covered my mouth as I gasped before I could give myself away. Did Alpha Finn really mean to use me to kill my father, get the ring and discard me afterwards?

I knew Xavier. No. He was mean to me but surely he wouldn't go this far for a throne as his father would.

He had been my best friend once. I knew him. He wouldn't-

"I will do it." Xavier's voice came out lower and scarier than I expected it to. "I'll pretend to care about her and make her fall for me then I will track down the Alpha King and take his throne."

I backed away from the door, my hands shaking at my side. Somehow hearing this from Xavier felt like a bigger betrayal than what I had heard from his father.

He planned to make me fall for him. To break my trust once again. To use me.

This was all I would be good for in this pack. An empty-headed omega to be used at will.

That was not the life I wanted for myself. All my life they had tormented me in this pack. Not anymore.

I decided there and then what I was going to do.

I would leave this pack and find my father. I would find my real home. Xavier and his father could go to hell.

Astrid's POV

I wish I could say that I left immediately, found my Dad and began to live the life that I was destined for.

My life simply couldn't be that easy.

Fighting the urge from the mate bond to return to Xavier, I made my way back to my room to pack my essentials.

I didn't know where exactly my father the Alpha King was but I knew that my search would have to start at the capital city. The Werewolf Capital City was the pack managed by the Alpha King that lay at the heart of our continent.

It was also where he resided. At least until he disappeared. My current pack was such a long distance away from the capital that I wondered what exactly my mother had been running from to run this far.

I would find out when I reached my father. I would find him. I wasn't sure how but I worried that if I thought too long about this plan then I would back out completely.

I needed to leave now. And I couldn't get caught.

I finished tossing whatever little property I had left into the bag and proceeded to leave the room.

I had not gone more than three steps when I heard loud footsteps heading in my direction making me duck into a small passage.

"She's not at the party and all the guests are already there."

That was Darryl's voice. The kind lady from the kitchens that had given me a cake.

I wanted to step out and talk to her but some hidden instinct made me stay in place.

A deeper masculine voice scoffed in response to her words. "What do you expect from an omega who has never had anything?!"

"Lower your voice, she could overhear us. The Alpha wants her to feel at home for now. Wait until he's gotten what he wants from her. Then we can treat her as she deserves to be treated."

I couldn't believe my ears as they walked past me to my empty room.

So even her kindness had been an act. How many times could one person be betrayed?

I wiped at my tears furiously. I couldn't break down now. I had to get out of here first. Once I heard their footsteps receed as they continued to search for me elsewhere, I was on the move.

I couldn't get to the Capital City on foot so I needed a car.

I didn't have one but the Alpha's car collection was in the garage adjoining the Pack house.

With a skill of picking locks that had risen from Lyra locking me up so many times, I was in.

Call me petty but I went straight for Xavier's car.

It was black, sleek, fast and most importantly it still had the key in the ignition. Xavier was that arrogant. As the heir apparent, who would dare mess with his car?

I smiled viciously. It was only right that the person that he couldn't see as more than a lowly omega was the person who would steal his car.

I slipped into his car ignoring his intoxicating scent that came from the seats. Damn mate bond.

I began to pull out of the garage only to see Lyra's car. It was a hot bubble pink and it was as expensive and gaudy as its owner.

She had always bullied me. Always tormented me. And now I was leaving my mate for her to keep.

Angry roiled within me and I couldn't stop myself from hitting on the gas and slamming Xavier's car against hers, breaking one of her headlights and denting the car.

Immediately the cars hit, I felt shocked and a little bit afraid of what Lyra would do to me if she found out.

No, Astrid, stop being so scared of everything.

I had to take back my life and stop being as submissive as this pack had made me to be.

I drove out of the garage and to my surprise no one stopped me.

I guess most of the pack members were at my celebratory party that I would not attend. That only meant that I had to move fast before they realized that I was gone.

When I reached the gates of the pack, I was suddenly nervous. I had somehow forgotten all about the guards that always checked the entering and exiting vehicles.

The windows were up and tinted. They wouldn't be able to see me in this darkness but all they had to do was ask for an identity check before letting me through and I would be done.

One whisper down the pack link and Xavier would catch me before I even made my escape.

A guard stood in front of the car, his head cocked curiously.

"Who's going out this late?"

Another guard came up to him and gave him a slap across his head.

"Can't you recognize Alpha Heir Xavier's car?"

Thank the Goddess. Who would have thought that being petty would turn out to be so rewarding?

The first guard bowed hurriedly to the car.

"My apologies, Alpha Heir."

He turned back and I the rest hurrying them along. "Open the gates and let him out."

Relief coursed through my veins as I finally left the Moonshadow pack behind for good.

It was very late to be traveling and everyone knew about the rogues that lurked about waiting to prey on wanderers at this time.

I couldn't shift so I didn't even have a way to defend myself. I couldn't travel far but at the same time, I couldn't stay too close in case the Moonshadow pack sent people after me.

I settled for an in-between. I would go to the r Renext town outside the Moonshadow pack territory and pass the night there.

I looked at Xavier's car that I was driving. They could use it to track me.

I had to dump it and I knew just where. I drove up to the lake just on the border of the Moonshadow pack then I pushed the car in.

The car would be discovered easily but my scent would not. I looked at the car in the water feeling my last tie to Xavier sever. My heart hurt as well as my mate bond to him but I still had a lot to do.

I took a quick dip in the lake water to obscure my scent then I was off.

Reaching the town on foot was harder and by the time I reached the first hotel that was open so late, I was winded.

As I walked into the hotel, some male wolves sat at the reception and I felt a distinct sense of maliciousness coming from them.

I wanted to leave but the probability of me finding another hotel that was open to guests was low so I approached the receptionist.

"How much for a night?"

The bubblegum-biting blond stared at my cheek before telling me the price and I touched my no longer bleeding but still hurting cheek self-consciously before paying her.

Thankfully I had gotten some cash from Xavier's car so I was able to afford the fee.

She slid me a key. "You've got room 89. Here is your room key, honey. Breakfast will be served at 8 a.m."

I bobbed my head grabbing the key. "Thank you."

I found my room easily and when I sat on the bed, I was finally able to decompress and realize how much I had gone through in the past few hours.

I had found out that my mate was my bully, got rejected by him, found out my whole life was a lie and that I was being manipulated at every point. I had also left my home to look for my father whom I didn't even know what he looked like.

My body shook violently and sobs escaped me as I hugged my knees tight to myself.

I thought after my eighteenth birthday that I would never feel alone again because my mate would have my back but I had never felt more alone in my life.

The doorbell went off and I wiped at my cheek hurriedly.

"Room service." The voice announced.

Room service? I didn't have the money to waste on food. I needed it for my journey.

"I didn't order anything."

"Complimentary meal from the hotel." The voice responded.

Complimentary meant free, right? I realized that I was pretty hungry after all the walking and pushing a car into a lake.

I opened the room door to see a woman holding a tray ladened with food at the door.

Eyeing the platter, I took it out of her hands.

"Thank you."

She nodded and left. The door was barely closed behind me when I dug in. The food was warm and so sweet but savory.

I was so full that I passed out immediately afterwards.

When I woke up, I was cold.

My head felt like it was full of cotton wool and I couldn't think straight. I opened my eyes and the unfamiliar ceiling blurred up ahead of me.

I blinked and my vision aligned. I was no longer in my room at the hotel.

I heard the scrap of wood across the floor and turned my head slightly to the side to see an unfamiliar man looking at me.

My panic spiked and I tried to sit up only for my head to spin.

My voice came out hoarse and croaky.

"Who are you? Where did you bring me to?"

Why was I feeling so weak? I recalled the food I had not ordered and the suspicious men in the lobby. Had I been drugged?

The man-sized me up with a gruff look before nodding. "You are awake. Good."

Good? What did he mean by that?

He stood up from the chair smoothly barely looking at me as he spoke.

"Clean up and get dressed. We need to leave."

I looked down at my clothes realizing why I was so cold. My clothes were torn up and dirty.

I clutched my clothes to myself feeling violated and confused as my muddled mind still struggled to stay in the present. "Go where?"

The man bared his teeth at me.

"Stop asking questions. You have been bought to be Alpha Jaxon's surrogate not to ask questions."

My world shifted again.

Surrogate?