Chapter 1 #Chapter 1 Betrayal From My Boyfriend

Tanya’s POV Well, I never thought I’d end up like this. Awake, naked, on a soft woollen bed that isn’t mine, and wrapped in the arms of a terribly handsome stranger that I absolutely do not recognize. As if that isn’t bad enough, I have no memory of what happened the previous night. I shut my eyes for a few seconds, hoping, praying, that I’m dreaming. But I open them again, only to be faced with a pair of icy blue eyes, and I scream. I have no idea who the man is or how I got to the room. All I know is that the previous day was my eighteenth birthday. And just like everything else in my life, it was a total nightmare. ____________________ One day earlier “Fuck me, Brandon! Yeah, baby, that’s it!” I was standing in the doorway of my boyfriend’s room. We’d been dating for years, and yet… I was not the woman in the bed that he was pounding senselessly. The horror encompassing me at this moment contrasted starkly with how I felt this morning. I woke with an elated buzz in my system. Even if no one cared but me, I deserved to enjoy the day. After all, turning eighteen was a major milestone. To my surprise, my boss at the perfume shop let me leave work early as a birthday present. And with a heart soaring with excitement, I made my way to my boyfriend Brandon’s house. Brandon was the only person in my life who had shown me love and care despite what others thought of me. I trusted him, and in a matter of seconds, that illusion disastrously shattered into a million pieces. Nothing could blind my eyes to the awful visual I was exposed to. They were both stark naked and had their backs to me. The girl was on all fours, hands clutching the bedsheet, whilst Brandon was situated behind her, panting like a hungry dog as he thrusted into her. “You like that? Tell me you like that.” he said in a voice that was ravenous. “Yes baby. Fuck yes. Harder baby! Faster!” the girl’s plead only edged Brandon to ramp up the speed, griping her at the waist to smash himself against her with a frenzied quickness. “God-you. You feel- so damn good!” she said erratically, trying to speak as her body jerked in motion to Brandon’s pounding. And then, as if he wasn’t close enough, he threw himself forward. His large hand found the back of her head, smushing her face into the pillow whilst he humped her wildly. “Fuck I’m close!” with each second his manly grunts grew into wolfish growls as his body got ready to explode in release. Whilst beneath him the girl’s feminine moans morphed into screams of pleasure, loud and high pitched, even when muffled by the pillow she’s shoved into. Together they hit peak and made the bed rock like a boat swaying to rough seas. I didn’t know what snapped me out of my frozen state of shock, but just as they slumped down, I found the courage to scream. “How could you Brandon!” He looked startled as his sweaty face whipped round to face me. But I didn’t dare wait for his response. I fled, rushing out of the house, only barely catching a glimpse of the girl in his arms, and too heartbroken to care her face. I should’ve seen this coming… I should realize by now that my life was destined to be one of misery. I, Tanya, am a complete disappointment. My father, Richard, is an Alpha of the Blackhide Pack, a small but very powerful pack. And like most Alphas, he desired a son that would take up his legacy. Unfortunately for me, Richard’s wife could only give him a daughter. And so, it was Richard’s quest for a son that made him turn to surrogacy. The surrogate turned out to be my mother, an ordinary omega wolf in the pack. And so, my father was infuriated when I was born as a girl. He vowed never to have anything to do with me. Course when mom passed away soon after, he had no choice but to take me in. Richard hated me since I was a girl. And it didn’t help that I turned out to be an Omega wolf. Worst of all, at the age of thirteen, most werewolves manifested their “wolf”, allowing them to shift forms. I was eighteen and my wolf was yet to appear. I had no wolfish powers; no strength, or durability. I didn’t even have a body scent like other wolves. In fact, I was weaker than a human. Richard hated weakness, so he hated me. Richard’s wife also despised me. She hated my mother for sharing her husband with her and that hatred was transferred to me. I was treated with disdain and lived no better than a slave in my father’s house. I probably would have committed suicide a long time ago if Alina, my step-sister who was older than me by two years, was spiteful to me like her parents were. Everything in my life was an absolute nightmare, everything except, Brandon. Brandon was one of the most powerful wolves in Richard’s pack. He was smart, intelligent, and very handsome. Most people had hinted him to be the next Alpha after Richard. He had the attention of the prettiest girls in the whole pack, yet, somehow, he had his eyes on me. Brandon was the light in my darkness and he deserved my virginity, so I wanted to give myself fully to Brandon on my 18 th birthday. However, now that belief had been destroyed and scorched by reality. In the end, I truly was an abomination that could never be loved. I didn’t make it back home before I crashed down in a dark alley, crying my eyes out. It felt as though my whole world was crashing down. Alina found me soon after. I didn’t know how she found me, or how she was aware that I was on the verge of a nervous breakdown, but I didn’t care. I needed someone to comfort me and she was there. I gently narrated what happened to Brandon amidst tears and sobs while she calmly listened and comforted me. A car, shining its headlight, sped by us, illuminating the dark alley for a split second before it joined the highway. In that split second, I saw that Alina’s watch was identical to the watch that was on the wrist of the girl that Brandon was having sex with. ____________________ “That stupid girl even has a watch identical to yours?” I wailed as the pain and hurt of my boyfriend’s betrayal made a dent in my heart. “She did?” Alina replied and immediately took off the watch. “There are probably lots of watches identical to this,” she stuttered while staring down at her watch. Alina seemed flustered as she stared at the watch and I thought I caught a glimpse of fear and panic in her eyes. But it was only for a moment and she quickly regained her usual cheerful demeanor. I knew my stepsister would not betray me so I did not dwell on the thought. She was probably perplexed that her wristwatch was caught in a such bad situation. “You know what? I’ll just throw this away,” she chuckled and tossed the wristwatch into a far distance. “We don’t need any bad memory to ruin our night.”“Our night?” I asked confused. “Come on,” she laughed. “You don’t think your big sister’s going to allow your eighteenth birthday to end on such a sour note? Come on,” she dragged me along as she walked away. “Let’s get you dress, time to get drunk!”

Chapter 2 #Chapter 2 Lycan Prince Marco

I was trying to switch on the light when I suddenly froze. I was not alone in the room and a low, wolfish growl confirmed it. “Mate,” he murmured. ____________________ Tanya’s POV Despite my sorrow, I allowed Alina to dress me as she pleased. I gazed at myself in the mirror, unable to believe my eyes. I looked like a beautiful princess. The emerald gown Alina gave me seductively hugged my curves and accentuated my beauty. I knew I was beautiful but I never imagined I was that beautiful. “…and for one final touch,” she announced. “A perfume.”“I’ve got one,” I exclaimed and fished out the perfume I created recently from my bag. This perfume was inspired by a scent that always hovered in my mind. Malik, my boss at the perfume shop, must have sensed how much the perfume meant to me that he gave it to me as my birthday gift. “It smells really nice,” Alina said as she sprayed it all over me and gave it back. “Come on, we’re going to have so much fun,” she said and dragged me into the street. Alina brimmed with confidence as we walked on the street. While she was used to pretty and slightly revealing clothes, I was not; and it made me quite nervous. My nervousness was heightened by the unusually large number of people roaming the streets. “What’s going on?” I asked Alina. “Why are there so many people on the streets?”“It’s Eric’s engagement ceremony,” she replied as though I was supposed to know who that was. “Eric?” I asked. “Eric is the first prince of the Mador Kingdom,” Alina explained. “And he’s engaging Lily, the daughter of the noblest Wolf family tonight.”“Oh!” I replied. It made perfect sense that the streets would be filled with people that came for the engagement celebration. In Mador Kingdom, all packs were ruled by Lycan King, who had two sons, the first prince and the second prince. Only King and two princes were Lycans while the rest of us were Wolves. Our Pack, The Blackhide Pack, lived near the Capital, The Ironclaw Pack, and wolves from the Capital often came into our territory. But I’d never seen this many people on the streets before. Alina held my hands and expertly guided me through the crowd. My heightened anxiety followed me as Alina led me to an open-air bar that was filled with so many people that it was easy to get lost in the crowd. Alina led me to the bar and ordered two drinks for us. It was my first time tasting alcohol and I was hesitant but she encouraged me. She kept telling me to relax though I found it very difficult to do so. Alina disappeared for a couple of minutes and I almost panicked, especially when different guys started hitting on me. I almost took off from the bar when Alina appeared and chased the guys off. “What is this?” I asked as Alina shoved a keycard in my hands. “We’re definitely getting drunk tonight,” she giggled. “And mom would nag us to death if we go home drunk. We’ll crash in this hotel near us and go home in the morning.” She must have seen the doubtful expression on my face because she reassured me that everything would be all right. I was trying to argue with Alina when a large screen overlooking the bar came to life and loud applause rented the air. “It’s Eric and Lily,” Alina shouted as the screen displayed a very handsome man and an exquisite woman dressed in flashy, expensive, ceremonial clothes. The applause soon died down and I overheard two girls talking. They were whispering to each other and I could only hear them because I was near them. “Eric is very handsome,” the first girl said. She was dressed in a very short, tight, pink gown. She was a thin girl with an unusually long neck and her eyes fluttered excessively. “Yes he is,” the second girl replied. She was an exact opposite of the first girl, with a short, stocky neck and fat, round body, “The girl is also beautiful, I hear she’s the most beautiful woman in the Capital.”“I don’t doubt it,” the long-necked girl replied. “She was born eighteen years ago, on the night of the harvest moon.” My heart sank. Lily and I were born at the exact same moment. The harvest moon only came once a year and it was said that any female wolf born under the harvest moon grew up to be very powerful and incredibly beautiful. The universe might have blessed me with beauty but it definitely forgot to give me any powers. Lily and I might have been born at the exact moment but her fate was considerably better than mine. I looked away from the screen and glanced around the crowd. Everyone had an ecstatic smile planted on their face; everyone except him. He stared at the screen with a cold, icy gaze as though he was wishing the engagement was not happening. His gaze was unwavering and his cold aura seeped from his body like smoke from a filthy chimney. Despite his rigid posture, he had a surprising placid expression on his face as though the events on the screen were of no concern to him; yet he was watching it intently. The man suddenly downed drink in his hands in one go, tore his gaze from the screen and stared directly at me as though he knew I’d been watching him. His blue, icy eyes startled me and I hastily turned towards the screen. The couple on the screen kissed and the crowd erupted in elation. I glanced at the man, and the cold aura that hung around him seemed to grow colder as the couple kept kissing each other on the screen. “…very sorrowful,” the long-necked girl’s sad voice caught my attention. “I really pity the second prince.”“Marco?” the fat girl asked. “Why?”“Didn’t you know?” her whispers carried a tinge of lush excitement as though she was about to reveal a dark secret and I immediately paid attention. “Know what?” the fat girl asked, enthusiasm written all over her face. “Lily is the second prince’s fated mate,” the girl replied. “They dated and were actually in love.”“Then why is she engaging Eric, the first prince?” the fat girl asked, her shocked face reflecting mine. “The second prince cannot become the Lycan king even though he’s the most powerful Wolf in Mador,” the long-necked girl explained. “He’s a child of a surrogate and has a curse. So Lily had to marry Eric so she can be the Lycan queen.”“I wonder how the second prince is feeling right now,” the fat girl sighed. “He…” I thought I had the worst fate in the world, but I really pitied the second prince. I knew what it meant to be rejected and looked down upon, to be hated and deprived of entitled rights. I also knew it was a painful thing to be away from one’s fated mate. I tore my gaze from the happy couple and looked at the man I saw earlier, but he’d disappeared. I searched the crowd with my eyes until Alina bumped into me with a cup filled with red liquid. “Who are you looking for?” she asked. “No one,” I hastily replied, looking at the cup in her hand. “What’s that?”“It’s for you,” she chuckled. “To help you relax and have fun so you can pay back your wicked boyfriend for cheating on you.”“I’m not sure,” I stammered. “I…”“Don’t be a party pooper,” she pouted. “Drink up.” I didn’t want to drink but she was right. I needed to loosen up and have some fun, plus, it seemed she really wanted me to drink it and I didn’t want to disappoint someone who was looking out for me. “Good,” she clapped excitedly as I downed the drink. “I’ll go get more,” she said and disappeared. Soon after she left, I got dizzy as though the whole world was a carousel and I was having a wild ride. My body felt hot and cold at the same time and I thought I’d pass out. I instantly fished out the key card Alina gave me earlier and walked towards the hotel that overlooked the bar. It was the only one around and must be where Alina booked a room for us. I didn’t want to pass out in the midst of strangers and I struggled to get to the hotel and find my room. My eyes were almost shutting off as I wandered into the hotel and picked my way to the hallway to find my room. I saw a door that had 410 on it and I immediately pushed it open. I was trying to switch on the light when I suddenly froze. I was not alone in the room and a low, wolfish growl confirmed it.

Chapter 3 #Chapter 3 One Night Stand

Tanya’s POV “Who are you?” the menacing voice growled. “I…” I stuttered as I tried to say something, anything; but my mind was blank. It took all my willpower to stay awake and I lacked the energy to form any coherent sentence. The room was dark and all I could see was a dark figure in the shape of a man. The only source of light in the room was the dim rays of moonlight that spilled into the room from the open windows, but it wasn’t enough to fully illuminate the room. “Who are you and what are you doing in my room?” the voice said. I wanted to say this was my room; that he was the intruder; that he had no right to interrogate me, but all I did was stagger and stumble into his arms. I was shocked when I saw a pair of icy blue eyes and realized that it was the same man I saw in the crowd. His face lacked any emotions as he stared at me, patiently waiting for me to respond. He was naked, save for a small towel wrapped around his waist. The sight of his naked body completely disoriented me. It felt like I was in a trancelike state and all I wanted to do was wrap my hands around him. “You…” he sniffed me and stammered. “Lily? Is that you? Lily.”“Who’s Lily?” I thought to myself, unable to make my mouth move. “Why did he call me that name?” The name felt strangely familiar as though I’d just heard it recently. I tried to remember the name but I was too hazed to think. I wanted to tell him that my name was Tanya, but all I managed to do was groan softly as he pressed his nose to my neck and inhaled deeply. “You smell…” he muttered softly into my ears while inhaling deeply. “You smell very good, Lily.” I wondered what he was raving about. All wolves have their own unique scent, all wolves except me. Then how could he say I smelt good? Oh! The perfume. It finally dawned on me that he was referring to the perfume. I was helpless as he tenderly carried me to the bed. He gently put me on the bed and lay beside me. I could feel his breath on mine and it reeked of alcohol. His vision must have gone blurry because he was drunk and he relied on his sense of smell. Because Wolves had a faster metabolism, it took a long while for Wolves to get drunk though which meant he must have been very determined on getting drunk. I forced my eyes open and as I locked my gaze with him, I wondered what was so painful that he wanted to forget so badly. His icy blue eyes were more terrifying now that I was staring at them up close. It seemed to cut through my soul; but as terrifying as they were, I could not look away. I was enthralled by his gaze and it felt as though I was melting in his arms. The dim light of the moon allowed me to slightly see his face and it reeked of hunger, sexual hunger. He ran his thick hands all over my body, eliciting soft, sensual moans from me. His eyes bore into mine and I could see that he clearly desired me. His desire to have me, to dominate me and make me scream with ecstasy was so palpable that it hung over our heads like a dark, ominous cloud. I didn’t want to surrender to him. I mean, I shouldn’t. He was a stranger and he seemed dangerous. I didn’t want to give my virginity to a man I didn’t even know his name. The more I tried to resist the touch, the more it seemed impossible. Electricity seemed to jolt through my body as he ran his hands on my thighs. He moved his hands forward with each passing second until his hands were inside my gown. “Huggh” I moaned. I wondered what was wrong with me. I was hungry for his touch, craving it. I’d never felt like that before and it was scary and exhilarating at the same time. I thought about what Alina said. I needed to have fun and payback Brandon for cheating on me. What better way than to give my virginity to a strikingly handsome man I didn’t know? “Lily,” he moaned into my ears, nibbling my earlobes as he spoke. “Why did you leave me?” he wrapped his hand around my neck and he seemed conflicted between snapping my neck or massaging it. He planted a soft kiss on my neck while the hand inside my skirt inched closer to my drenched pant, slightly rubbing my inner thighs. His warm tongue ran through my neck like a predator savoring the helplessness of his prey. His tongue clasped on my ruby necklace and he made to pull it off, but I stopped him. He growled, hating that I obstructed him. “Don’t,” I moaned. “Please. It’s my mom’s.” The necklace was a handcrafted chain my mother made for me before she died. It was attached to a bright red ruby that seemed to glow in the dark. In my fugue, sensual state, I didn’t want to take it off. His hard gaze softened when I mentioned my mom and his lips slid to mine, kissing me with incredible strength and vigor. His kiss woke up something primal in me that I didn’t even know I had. The desire to have him inside me was so intense that I thought my body would burst into flame if I didn’t have him immediately. “Lily,” he called me this name again. Why did he keep calling me Lily? I could not figure it out and did not bother to think about it. All I wanted at the moment was for him to have me. His incessant talks just made me get more impatient. “Just kiss me,” I growled and clasped my lips against his. I wanted him so badly and he was taking too long before he dominated me. I was too inebriated to say anything; I just laid there, waiting for him to dominate me as I wanted. He must have sensed that I craved him just as much as he craved me and he pulled off my gown with such speed that I gasped in anticipation of what was to come. My mind told me I was doing something wrong, but I was distracted by his incredible body that I pushed the thought to the back of my mind. “I…” the words choked in my throat as pain and pleasure balled together and pierced my soul. It was such an incredible feeling that I got lost in the myriad of emotions that swirled through me. With each passing second, the pain receded and the pleasure got so intense that I thought I’d pass out. _______________________ Alina’s POV “Where the fuck is this guy?” I groaned impatiently and stared at the horizon waiting for Brandon. I was standing in the hotel that overlooked the open-air bar. I felt a bit guilty for what I was about to do, but only a tiny bit. I had intentionally drugged Tanya with the strongest aphrodisiac I could find. I stood in front of the hotel the next morning hoping my plan worked. The plan was simple; drug Tanya and lure her to hotel room 401 where a rich businessman was waiting for her. The businessman was a fat and greasy middle-aged nobleman in the pack who’d had a crush on Tanya since she was young. I approached him to set up Tanya, and I did it all for Brandon. Tanya was never supposed to come to Brandon’s apartment; the dork had assured me that she wouldn’t show up. Tanya had almost caught me with her boyfriend which would have ruined all my plans. I had been seeing Brandon behind Tanya’s back for weeks, and I’d come up with a perfect excuse to separate both of them. Since Brandon couldn’t break up with Tanya without any real reason and he couldn’t be caught cheating on her as that would hurt his reputation, I had to come up with a convincing excuse for a breakup; hence the rich old businessman. Tanya would be under the influence of the aphrodisiac, the businessmen would take advantage of her and I would show up with Brandon, frame her for cheating against Brandon, take pictures as evidence and Brandon would break up with her; clean and easy. “He should be here before she wakes up,” I groaned. “The whole plan will come to nothing if we aren’t in the room before Tanya wakes up.”“Looking for me?” Brandon’s bubbly voice filled my ears as he hugged me from behind, but I quickly shrugged him off. “We talked about this,” I rebuked him. “We can’t hold each other in public until you break up with Tanya and make our relationship official.”“Sorry,” he laughed. “I ‘got carried away by your beauty.”“Save it,” I scoffed. “You have the camera?”“Yea,” he replied, his smile faded slightly and he seemed guilty about what we were about to do. “Listen here,” I snapped at him. “I want to be with the most powerful wolf in the pack and become the Luna, while you want to be with me because I’m the daughter of the Alpha and it would increase your chances of becoming the next Alpha. So we need to get rid of Tanya and there’s no chance for remorse.”“I know, but she’s so beautiful and I haven’t slept…”“No buts,” I groaned. “Here.” I reached into my bag, pulled out an invitation and slammed it on his chest, “That’s the invitation to an upcoming charity auction in the capital where only important dignitaries from all neighboring packs are invited. You get to network with them and increase your chances of being the next alpha. You only get this chance if you are dating me, not Tanya. Now, are you with me?”“Of course,” Brandon smiled, glaring greedily at the invitation. “Of course.”“Then let’s go,” I replied and led the way to the elevator. “Tanya is about to receive the greatest shock of her life.”

Chapter 4 #Chapter 4 The Girl With My Boyfriend Is My Sister

At Present _________________ Tanya’s POV The man is unruffled as I scream my lungs out. He just gazes at me with those wicked, cold eyes that send chills down my spine, making me scream louder. Although it is only for a few seconds, it feels like I am screaming forever; yet the man doesn’t blink. He just keeps staring at me with those icy, cold eyes. “Who are you?” I ask, confused and startled that I am naked, in bed, with a man that I clearly don’t know. I subconsciously touch my neck. Luckily, at least he didn’t mark me. “I think I should be the one asking you who you are?” his voice is cold. He drags his icy blue eyes all over me and when his gaze rests on my face, I shiver slightly as the room seems to get colder. His gaze is filled with raw, cold power that envelops me like an invisible cold fog. “No, I should be,” I whine nervously. “You’re in my room. You’re naked and sleeping on my bed.” I wring my hands together, trying to hide the anxiety that threatens to overwhelm me. I try to remember what happened and how I got there. The room is a mess. The man’s towel hangs on the window railing while Alina’s gown is crumpled at the foot of the bed. My pants and bra are on the opposite part of the room and the bed itself looks like it has survived a third world war. “My name is Macro,” he hisses at me, as if he thinks what I just said is ridiculous. “Who are you?” As he speaks, sharp, long fingers grow from his hands and he nonchalantly snaps his knuckles. His movements are slow, mesmerizing, and very dangerous. “My name is Tanya,” I wheeze, gasping in fear as I stare at his terrifying hand. “This is my room. I was at the bar last night and I got drunk and came to sleep it off in my room.”“You lie,” Marco suddenly snaps, startling me. “I’m not,” I reply. “I’ll show you my keycard to prove to you that this is my room.” He considers the thought for a few seconds before letting me go. I am awed and scared by his domineering ambience and scamper round the room trying to find the keycard that Alina gave me the previous day. He watches me closely, probably wondering what game I am playing. I breathe in relief when I finally find the keycard. It is crumpled and rough, and tossed in a corner of the room. Excitedly, I fetch it from the floor and march triumphantly to the bed and stretch the keycard to him. His gaze shifts from my face to the keycard and I glance at his face. He is even more handsome as the morning sun casts a bright warm glow on his skin. I find myself staring at his body, wondering how such a handsome, hot man can have such a cold, expressionless gaze. “Is this some trickery?” Marco asks, staring at the keycard as though it is the greatest joke he’s seen all his life. “What do you mean?” I ask, startled by the deep timbre in his voice. “This is room 410,” he announces. “And this keycard says 401.”“What?” I gasp, unwilling to believe that he is saying the truth. There is no way I am the intruder, “Are you joking?”“I don’t joke,” he says and tosses the keycard to me. If I were a wolf with powers, I’d have easily snapped the keycard out of the air; but I am me and I flail and stumble before I catch the keycard. I am extremely embarrassed as I subtly glance at him but he just keeps glaring at me without making any remark. I clear my throat and look at the keycard. “4…0…1” I slowly read the number of the keycard. “This can’t be right,” I murmur, confused at the uncomfortable situation I am stuck in. “I…how…what…” I walk towards the door but his cold voice stops me, “And where do you think you’re going?”“To check the number on the door,” I reply solemnly while earnestly hoping that the door says 401. “You’re naked, dummy,” he scoffs and I look down, remembering that I am naked. The ruckus of waking up beside a stranger has made me forget that I am stark naked. I dash to the bed, wrap the blanket around me and run to the door. “Gosh!” I gasp, immediately hating myself. I walk back to the room, wishing that the floor will open and swallow me. I am the intruder. “Now spill,” he says coldly that seems to say that he’s caught me red-handed and there is no point lying. “Who sent you? Eric? Lily? Joseph?” I stutter, trying to explain myself out of a terribly awkward situation, pleading, “I don’t know those people,” I stutter as fear overwhelms me. “I promise this isn’t a setup,” I say nervously. “I came here with my sister because it was my 18 th birthday. I caught my boyfriend in bed with someone and I needed a drink. But after just one drink I started to feel dizzy and hot, so I came to my room to sleep it off. I must have wandered to the wrong room…” I pause as my heart grows heavier in my chest. Memories of yesterday surface in my mind. Yesterday was the day I was supposed to have sex with Brandon for the first time. I wanted to wait until the day I turned 18. But I caught him with someone else. I never even saw her face. “I wouldn’t use my virginity to seduce you,” I sob, meeting his eyes. “It is just a misunderstanding…” I say that last part in a whisper. He reaches his hand up and toward my face, grabbing it with force. I flinch, closing my eyes, and trying to take in a steady breath to calm myself down. Suddenly, his grip on my face softens and his body stilled. I open my eyes, and then I realize a single tear has escaped from my eye and is running down my cheek; it lands gently on his hand. He takes a step away, looking down at the teardrop on his hand. Marco suddenly turns his back to me, “You should go,” his voice softens and his posture is very rigid. “Don’t forget the keycard.” I am surprised by how much softer his tone is. I nod and hastily get dressed. I wobble outside, hoping to get to my real room and call Alina that I am in trouble. I am just a few steps away from Marco’s room when I hear familiar voices call my name. “Tanya!!” Alina and Brandon chorus my name in unison. “Alina? Brandon?”“What are you doing here?” Alina asks in a cold, steel voice that scares me. She has never spoken to me like that before and I am baffled. “What…” I stammer but she doesn’t allow me to speak. “What are you doing in a hotel room?”“Yeah, what are you doing?” Brandon fires at me in quick succession as though they had rehearsed before coming to the hotel. “Did you have sex with another man?” Alina asks. “She obviously did,” Brandon replies. “Look at how tired her eyes are and how messed up her hair is. How can you do this to me? To your boyfriend that loves you so very much?”“How can you betray Brandon like this, my little sister? The most powerful wolf in the pack stoops so low to date you and this is all you do? Cheat on him? How could you?” Alina is yelling so loud that she is attracting other guests in the hotel. From the corner of my eyes, I see a fat old man that I recognize step out of room 401, the room that is supposed to be mine. He’s always told me he likes me, but I can never see myself dating him. The moment I see him, it all makes perfect sense. All the clues that I have conveniently ignored, and pushed away from my thoughts, come swimming back into my memory. “He loved you, protected you,” Alina is yelling, waving her hands wildly as she gesticulates how much Brandon loves me, and that is when I see it. The same wristwatch that I saw in the hands that the girl Brandon was smashing, the same wristwatch that Alina has supposedly thrown away; that same wristwatch is sitting smugly on her wrists, and I know beyond doubt that Alina is behind it all. The way she urged me to drink so much alcohol the previous night and that foul liquid she practically forced down my throat; it is all her. “It is you,” I murmur to myself, unable to believe it. “How could you do that to me?” Brandon says, faking a sob. “Do what?” I ask, baffled by their betrayal. I just cannot fathom what is going on. It seems as though my world is crashing down all over again. First it is Brandon, now Alina. I just cannot comprehend that my life can go horribly wrong in just one day. What did I do to attract such damned fate? I can’t help but cry as I reminisce on how damaged my life is. It is just too much to bear. Brandon and Alina’s betrayal crushes my spirit. To make it worse, I have just given my virginity to an absolute stranger; it is too much. “See!” Alina yells excitedly at the small crowd that has gathered. “She’s crying because she’s lying and she’s being caught.” I want to refute her claim, but all I can do is cry. “She…” Brandon begins to speak but he is hushed into silence by a loud bang. Marco steps out of room 410, slamming the door as he exits it.

Chapter 5 #Chapter 5 I’m Pregnant

Tanya’s POV The slammed door shakes terribly, making a loud sound that attracts everyone’s attention; hence everyone turns to face Marco as he exits room 401. Shocked, I realize that I have underestimated how tall and huge he is. He is at least a head taller than everyone in the hallway and his cold, icy eyes sweep through the crowd in one swift glance. “What’s the problem?” he says, leaning against the doorway to his room with a cup of whiskey in his hands. “You all won’t let us sleep.”“It’s this bitch,” Alina yells. “She cheated on her boyfriend.”“Is that so?” he glances at me as though he has never seen me before in his entire life. “And what makes you think so?” he calmly asks, his eyes still lock on my face. “What?” Alina asks, confused by the question. “You march in here,” he turns to face her, standing erect and dominating everyone with his incredible physique. “Yelling and screaming at the top of your lungs that this pretty girl just cheated on her boyfriend as though you caught her in bed with another man.” Despite my uncomfortable situation, I blush slightly that he calls me pretty. It isn’t the first time that I’ve been called that, in fact, I’ve been called pretty much more than I’ve been called my name; but, somehow, the way he says it, sets my body on fire and I have a quick flashback to the events of the previous night. The crowd murmurs in agreement and turns to Alina and Brandon for an explanation. Indeed, it does seem weird that they’ve just barged into the hotel and started accusing me of infidelity with no evidence. “Don’t you see?” Brandon yells at the crowd. “Her hair is unraveled, and see her puffy eyes.”“Last night was wild,” Marco replies, his thick, bass voice easily overshadows Brandon’s and commands the attention of the crowd. “Everyone was celebrating the engagement of Eric and Lily. There were free drinks everywhere. It’s expected that most people would be hung over, and just like this girl right here, would have puffy tired eyes, with scattered hair; a result of last night’s hard party.” Alina and Brandon exchange nervous glances. The public sentiment is already swinging in my favor and it seems their evil plan is backfiring on them. “Don’t you see that she…” Alina stutters. “And who are you by the way?” Marco smiles, exactly the way a villain will smile, “I’m just a guest of this hotel whose sleep you just disturbed with your incessant yells and unconfirmed accusations, so it’s only right that we get to the bottom of this. It’s the least you can do for us for disturbing our sleep,” he yells, loud enough for the crowd to hear him and they all seem to agree. Angrily, Brandon steps closer to Marco. Brandon is one of the biggest men in our pack, but even he seems like a miniature creature against Marco. “Step away from this man,” Brandon growls, backing his words with wolfish power. “This is not your fight.”“But it is,” Marco snarls and the raw power that emanates from him is so powerful that it makes Brandon avert his gaze and pushes the crowd a step farther away from him. I am awed by his power and his charisma, and I can scarcely believe that I’ve just spent night with such a powerful man. “I presume you’re her sister,” he turns to Alina, and she recoils slightly from his attention. “Why are you so eager to accuse your sister that she’s cheating? Even if her boyfriend is paranoid and believes his girlfriend is cheating on him, shouldn’t you stand up for your sister and prove him wrong? Instead, you’re the one instigating the accusation. You both seem very certain that she cheated when she hasn’t even been in her room.”“Give me your keycard,” he whispers to me and I hastily passes it to him. “Look here,” he yells to the crowd. “Her key card says 401 and she’s not even there yet.” Everyone’s attention turns towards room 401 and the fat, old, rich businessman that stands, half-naked, by the door. “I wonder what this old man is doing in her room,” Marco sniggers. “Unless certain persons have conspired to frame this innocent girl and set her up.” The old man must sense that the plan has backfired and decides to save himself by throwing Alina under the bus. “It’s all her,” he yells in his gruff, rough voice and points to white-faced Alina. “It is all her idea. She was supposed to lure the girl here. I already paid half of the agreed fee and she didn’t deliver her end of the bargain.”“Alina,” Marco smirks. “What is he talking about?”“What nonsense?” Brandon yells and storms towards the fat old man, pushes him aside and pulls the door wide open. “She definitely slept in this room…” Everyone follows him but finds no traces that I’ve ever stepped into the room. “I guess the old man’s saying the truth,” Marco says. “You should leave before the crowd decides to punish you for disturbing their sleep.” Brandon wants to fight, but Alina pulls his hands and they hurriedly leave the hotel amidst the condemnation of the crowd. The excitement soon dies down and all the guests retreat back into their room, chatting about the morning’s event. I want to thank Marco but he glares at me and goes to his room, shutting the door behind him. _________________ Weeks pass, and I am back in the perfume shop, but I still find it very difficult to forget that day’s event. Not because of Alina’s and Brandon’s treachery, but because of Marco’s heroism. I don’t know him, yet he has saved me from a crushing shame. If Alina and Brandon have gotten their way, I would have been branded an ingrate and a cheat. It is bad enough that most people don’t see me as a true member of the pack since I’ve not been able to make my wolf manifest, if they have a real reason to throw me out, they would have already. I chuckle slightly to myself as I remember how Marco has easily destroyed the plans of Brandon and Alina. He is so ruthless with his words that he makes me shiver in awe and fear. He is also very attractive that I sometimes imagine myself wrapped in his arms. Though I can’t quite clearly remember the details of what happened when we spent the night together, I remember enough to know that it feels really good. “Get a grip on yourself,” I chide myself. “You don’t even know him.”“Hey girls,” Malik smiles as he pulls his coat closer to his body on his way out of the shop. “I’m heading out,” he says to Clara and me. “I’ll be back soon.”“Of course, boss,” Clara chuckles. “We’ll hold the fort.”“I trust you will,” Malik smiles back. “You okay, Tanya?” He asks me and I nod my affirmation. “He’s so cute, isn’t he?” Clara says to me after Malik is out of the shop and out of earshot. “He’s married,” I chuckle. “That’s the only reason I’m not all over him,” she laughs. “Are you sure you’re alright? You don’t look well.”“I’m fine,” I smile. “Just tired.”“Okay,” she replies and turns back to her work. Clara is the shop’s clerk. While I focus on creating the perfume, she focuses on creating an inventory and making sure the perfumes are good enough for sale. Though we are colleagues, we never really bonded so it is difficult to tell her that I am not fine; that I’ve been feeling strange since that night at the hotel. “I’m fine,” I tell myself for the umpteenth time, ignoring the flaring nausea in my stomach and focusing on my work. I have already vomited four times that day and Clara is already looking at me in a funny way. I try really hard to ignore the nausea that builds up within me, but it merely grows stronger and I have to scamper to the toilet to let it all out. When I come out, Clara is waiting for me outside, hands at her side and glaring at me. “What?” I ask, trying to shield myself from her penetrating gaze. “You’re pregnant,” she pronounces and steps close to me, pulling my eyelid open and rubbing her hands on my stomach. “Yep, you’re definitely pregnant. I didn’t realize you were already shagging Brandon.”“What? It’s impossible,” I protest. “I can’t be pregnant.” I push her out of the way and walk to my station, ignoring Clara’s inquisitive look. The only person I have sex with is Marco, an absolute stranger that I know nothing about. Although I try to deny it and disprove Clara’s words, I know she is probably right. I’ve noticed the symptoms but am unwilling to admit it. But I need confirmation to really know for sure. “I’m leaving early,” I announce to Clara and storm out of the shop before she can stop me. I march to the nearest drug store, buy a pregnancy strip test and march home. In my haste, I clash with Alina but I totally ignore her. Luckily for me, she ignores me too and I go to the bathroom to test myself. I hold my breath while I wait for the result. “Oh my god!” I squeal when the result comes out, and the pregnancy strip falls from my shaking hands. “This can’t be right.”

Chapter 6 #Chapter 6 Sold To The Perverted Rich Man

Alina’s POV No matter how much I think about it, it doesn’t seem to make sense. The aphrodisiac I gave Tanya is the most potent one in the entire kingdom. It has taken me a considerable amount of money, energy and effort before I could lay my hands on it. The drug is so potent that even the most powerful werewolf will not be able to resist it. I close my eyes and try to remember every detail of that particular morning. I remember that Tanya looked disheveled. Her hair was rough as though she had been in bed all night, yet she hadn’t stepped into her room. I think I saw hickeys on her neck but I am not sure. “I wonder who that stupid idiot is,” I hiss. “If that stupid giant hadn’t appeared, my plan would have worked.” Though my plan to make Tanya’s break-up public and disgraceful has failed, that doesn’t mean I have given up. In fact, it is the exact opposite. I am more determined than ever. Angrily, I decide to go to Brandon’s place to come up with a solid plan. On my way out, I am too distracted by my thoughts that I crash into Tanya. We both ignore each other and I go my way. I glance at my wristwatch and realize that Tanya is home early, which is very suspicious. Tanya loves her perfumes and often works in the shop till Malik has to make her go home. “What is she doing home by this hour?” I ask myself. I sneak back inside and watch as Tanya dashes to the bathroom with great speed. She is probably pressed and needs to use the bathroom, I think to myself and make to leave, but then again, I reason, the shop has a bathroom. Why will she come home to use a bathroom? I am suspicious of her and I hide by the door. Soon, Tanya comes out of the bathroom with a terribly scared expression on her face. She dashes to her room and dashes out of the house. When I am sure she isn’t coming back, I come out of my hiding place and rummage in her room. “I know it,” I yell as I find a freshly used pregnancy strip. “She’s pregnant.” A plan speedily forms in my mind and I call Rick, the rich businessman that adores Tanya. It is time to make another deal. _________________ Marco’s POV “Just stop, Manuel,” I growl at my inner wolf. He has been whining for the past thirty minutes about why I have let the girl go without getting any form of contact information from her. “Why do I need to know?” I ask. “Because she’s a nice girl,” I hear Manuel’s voice, or rather, feel Manuel’s voice. Manuel is my inner wolf, and my most faithful companion. From the time he manifested, we’ve been inseparable and we share everything. Although he has grown to be a little independent from me, we both share almost the same feeling, emotions and thoughts. His minor independence means he can nag as much as he wants, which is exactly what he is doing at the moment. Since Manuel is a part of me, I can hear his thoughts as though he is talking to me, though there is no voice. He can also hear my thoughts, but sometimes I speak out loud. “You’re always cold and terrifying,” Manuel keeps mumbling. “If you keep this up you’d probably end up alone.”“Alone?” I am amused. “I have you.”“You know what I mean,” Manuel scoffs, or rather, I imagine him scoffing. “You need to be warm and open yourself up to people. You are always like a wall of ice that no one could penetrate while Eric is a bundle of joy and warmth. That’s probably why Lily…”“Manuel,” I scoff. “Whoops, sorry,” Manuel suddenly stops his mumbling, realizing I am still very sensitive on that particular topic. He is flustered by his excess of words and coughs a few times to cover up, “On the bright side, I never really liked Lily, even though she’s your fated mate. Lily always seemed to have weird energy around her that I’m not comfortable with. So I’m quite glad she’s not with you anymore.”“You are?” I chuckle, surprised that Manuel has a such keen interest in my love life. “Which is the perfect reason for you to make friends with this new innocent girl,” Manuel insists. “Even though she is weak and has no wolf, there’s something different about her. She’s special, unique; I can feel it, and I like this girl better.” Manuel is right. When I was inside her, I felt a strong, inexplicable connection between us. I don’t know why I feel this special connection when it is clear that Lily, not her, is my fated mate. “Lily is gone man,” Manuel continues. “You need to move on from her. Why don’t we explore the pack? Who knows, we might run into the girl.”“You’re too noisy,” I am indifferent to Manuel’s passionate speech. “I didn’t even realize I’d spent two weeks here. I guess it’s time to go back to the capital, but I could take a look around this pack; and not because you mentioned it.”“Of course,” Manuel cackles, and I can clearly detect the sarcasm in his voice. I sigh, ignoring his sarcasm. I stand up and take a shower; don nice clothes and step outside. It is refreshing to breathe in the fresh air and have the sunshine on my skin so I take a walk around town. For some reason, I am attracted to a nice perfume shop at the end of a street. Maybe it is because Lily is an excellent perfume designer, which leads me to pay more attention to perfume stores by habit, and even now I can’t break it. I walk inside this shop, and it is lined with many different perfumes, but when I sniff bottle after bottle, my brow furrows. Most of the perfumes in the shop smell very similar to the perfumes that Lily designed. However, those perfumes designed by Lily should not be available for public sale. How can this shop have these perfumes? Then, to my greater surprise, I smell a familiar scent. It is faint at first but it gets stronger with each passing breath. It is Lily’s scent that I smelled on that girl. I trace the scent to a small bottle of perfume hung at the end of the cabinet. I am quite surprised that their scents are exactly identical. “Oh,” a man saunters towards me. “Welcome to Malik Perfume’s shop. I’m Malik. You smell anything you like?”“Could you tell me the designer of this perfume?” I ask, staring at the small bottle of perfume. “It’s Tanya. She’s a perfect perfume designer in our shop,” Malik replies. “But I’m afraid that isn’t for sale. I mistakenly hung it on the shelf. But she’s created almost all the perfumes in this shop and you can make your pick.” I gaze quite intently at the perfume and he must think that I like Tanya’s work very much. That is probably why he feels compelled to tell me how talented and awesome Tanya is. He praises her with extreme enthusiasm and tells me her story. “She’s a surrogate’s child so not many people like her, but that doesn’t stop her from being happy and helpful to everyone around her.” My body slightly goes rigid when Malik mentions this. She is also a surrogate’s child? “Clara!” Malik calls a girl at the other end of the shop. “Where’s Tanya? I didn’t see her when I came back.”“She seems sick,” Clara replies. “She’s been vomiting since morning. If you ask me, I would say she’s pregnant.”“That’s impossible,” Malik laughs. “She’s a virgin.” My gaze shifts at once from the perfume to Clara and Malik. Although I wish it weren’t true, I clearly hear Clara and I understand what it means. My voice grows colder as I speak, “Where does she live?” __________________ Tanya’s POV Even though I see the result, I cannot believe it, not to talk of accepting it. How can I be pregnant? It is impossible. I quickly dash out of the bathroom and shove the strip into my closet. I need fresh air to clear my mind, so I dash out of the house and take a walk. I can scarcely believe my ill fate. It seems the universe is out to make my life more pitiable than it already was. Everyone still believes I am with Brandon, and then I turn up pregnant. Brandon will obviously deny the pregnancy with Alina as a witness. “What would then become of me?” After walking aimlessly for an hour, I decide to go back home and sleep it off. It might be a nightmare that will disappear when I wake up from sleep. I walk back home and instantly know that something is wrong. Richard, Maya, Alina and Brandon are sitting on the couch, obviously waiting for me. Alina has a cold, sly smile on her face while Brandon would not even look at me; and I know I am in serious trouble. “Would you mind explaining this?” Maya says, tossing the pregnancy strip on the table. My eyes almost pop out as I stare at the strip that has two bold lines displayed on it. My first instinct is to lie, but I know it is useless. Everyone will see through it. “I guess your silence speaks volumes,” Alina snaps at me. “You did betray Brandon and sleep with Rick that night. You just cunningly covered up the fact.”“We’ve made arrangements with Rick,” Maya announces. “He’s agreed to keep you as a mistress and save you from shame.”“What?” I moan in disbelief. Though there is no evidence, everyone knows the stories. Rick is a sexual pervert whose mistresses can never keep up with his sexual demands. Rumor has it that most of his mistresses disappear, or rather, die, after a few months because they cannot keep up with his perverted sexual demands. “Dad, please,” I wail, unable to believe that my family will do this to me. “Don’t send me to Rick. I will die.”“Your fate is sealed,” my father replies, his voice cold and angry. “Father, I…” just as I am about to continue pleading with my father, a sharp knock on the door cuts me off.