Chapter Two

Skylar

Two years after being left with little choice but to accept Alpha Marcus' offer, I found myself puffing as I wiped the dirty towel on the glass. In the distance, I could see the popular three sisters who also lived in the Alpha residence.

I battled the impulse to roll my eyes as I saw Jasmine's arm gently travel up Marcus arm. A smirk spread across the redhead's face as she dipped in my direction, a wicked glance rolling across her features. Despite the distance and window that separated me from the eldest sister, I felt a shiver run through my body, prompting me to wipe the already-clean pane even harder.

Jasmine's focus quickly returned to Marcus, who was instructing the girls how to swing a golf stick. Every Tuesday afternoon, Marcus would take the girls to show off his golf talents, which I had no interest in at all. He had swiftly realised the situation and determined that I may stay at the pack home during this time.

According to the Alpha, staying in the pack house meant being on the front lines of the pack, and the girls there would assist me find my way around. The only thing I'd learned while living in the pack home was how cunning and unfair the gals could be.

They grew up working for Marcus' family. And my sudden appearance must have come as a shock to them. I was under the assumption that they expected Marcus to make one of them the Luna. They believed it was unjust that I wasn't intended for him, and I didn't really disagree, but it was my only way to stay in the pack.

For some reason, I thought I could get out of this mess before being hailed as the Luna. It didn't feel right, and after living under Marcus's wing for two years, I had come to realise

That this was not correct. Perhaps leaving the pack wasn't as terrible as I thought.

Then I remembered Marcus telling me about the perils of rogues being attacked on the boundaries of our lands by our adjacent pack, which literally despised us. They were the enemy. Leaving this pack meant death to me. The choice was not significantly better than the one I had chosen.

I must have been lost in contemplation, for a loud disturbance downstairs jolted me back into reality, and the golf course in the distance had been abandoned. Much to my sorrow, Marcus's voice screaming my name indicated that he had returned inside, ready to churn my stomach.

When I heard Marcus shout my name, I assumed it was a dream. But when his voice echoed throughout the house for the second time, I dashed away from the window and towards the stairs.

As I approached the foot of the steps, my gaze was drawn to the tall male. He was wearing a black suit. Marcus was a very attractive man, and I'm sure any woman would be delighted to be around him. I only wished he'd found his mate and stopped harassing me.

Frankly, I had no idea why he had given me that ultimatum two years ago. It didn't make sense because he wasn't very tolerant with the other orphans in the pack.

"Ah, Skylar," his voice drew me back to reality as he saw me. "There you are, my love."

He rushed towards me and roughly drew me in to him.

"I missed you," he murmured, making me cringe inside. "You never let me show you my skills."

Being around Marcus made me nervous—and not in a good way. He frightened me and made his dominance known when I initially moved here two years ago. He wanted me to be his under all circumstances.

Fortunately for me, he had allowed me ample freedom until I reached eighteen. Now that I was eighteen, I knew things would change. I wanted to avoid him at any cost. The other females branded me ungrateful, but that was incorrect. I no longer wished to be his Luna. I wanted to quit the pack.

We weren't mates. Marcus refused to believe it, and he fought anyone who tried to tell him otherwise.

"My Luna?"

Swallowing the lump in my throat, I forced myself to speak. "You know I don't do sports."

Marcus's laughter rang across the room as his grip on me tightened, bringing me even closer to him.

"You never give me a chance," he said between phoney laughs.

I pinched my lips together, not wanting to anger him because everything that came out of my mouth lately seemed to hit a nerve with him. For the first time in my life, I sighed with relief as Jasmine's voice broke our embrace. Marcus was never affectionate with the girl, which I always found unusual. If he was interested in her, why did he have to push me to go with him?

Jasmine instructed, "Skylar, your room," which made me roll my eyes.

"She is not going anywhere," Marcus said, cocking his brow towards the woman standing opposite us.

"Is that so, Marc ?"

Marcus glanced at her, then clenched his jaw. His gaze fell in my direction before he said, "Now, Skylar. Head upstairs, I will be expecting you tomorrow. Prepared and ready."

"Prepared and ready for what?" I asked, slightly apprehensive as my attention shifted between the Alpha and his muse.

Jasmine ignored me entirely, a serious expression on her face. She appeared to be about to jump on Marcus while the teacher continued to advise. She was not pleased in the least, and I recognised her position as soon as Marcus's words registered.

"You are mine," he spat, his gaze never leaving me. "You made the decision to be my Luna, and that's what you will be."

A whimper escaped my lips. "But we aren't mates."

His brow wrinkled in annoyance. "I follow through with my decisions, and as my Luna, I expect you to as well."

I had resisted this talk numerous times and convinced myself that Marcus would not claim me as his, especially when he had Jasmine. But now that he's telling me this in front of her, I'm absolutely startled.

"Don't do this," Jasmine said quietly, her voice rough and low.

"Stay out of this," Marcus yelled at her, his eyes never leaving me. "Skylar, the girls here would die for your position; don't be ungrateful. I shall see.

"See you tomorrow."

"What's going to happen tomorrow?" I inquired, shocked.

He gave a sigh. "As promised, you are now eighteen, and the pack will

"They officially met their Luna."

Panic set in as a result of his statements. My eyes widened in shock. These were words I'd never heard from him. I had managed to postpone this moment, but it was eventually coming up with me.

"I'm not ready," I insisted, shaking my head in his palms.

"I sure am," he insisted. "I have everything prepared. Jas, here, will help you if you need anything in the meantime."

My brows furrowed at his remarks. I was too surprised to respond to his statements. They meant nothing to me. I felt nauseous. All I could do was gaze at him in disbelief. My attention shifted to Jasmine for a brief moment, raising questions about their relationship. The redhead's eyes were black, as if she was about to shift and attack both the Alpha and me.

Before we could dispute or respond, the Alpha went with a sneer on his face.

"You will pay for this," Jasmine said, before growling loudly and abandoning me on the stairs.

I collapsed to my knees as I let out the cries I had been holding in for months. My hope of leaving the pack and meeting my partner was shattered. I had only turned 18 a few days earlier and had yet to obtain my Wolf.

She would show up at any time now. Marrying an Alpha with whom I was not mated undermined the entire purpose of mates.

I shouldn't have been surprised when I entered the pack home knowing Alpha Marcus wanted me as his, but the abrupt realisation and truth of the situation terrified me.

It surprised me that Marcus wanted me to be his Luna. What about Jasmine?

Everyone assumed she was his genuine mate.

I lost track of time and didn't know how long I was on the ground. But as my bones began to hurt throughout my body, I stumbled into my bedroom and threw myself on the bed, unwilling to change.

That night, I immediately fell asleep, but my slumber was disrupted by a nightmare involving my mother. The dream was unsettling, and it kept me from sleeping again. To calm myself down, I decided to go for a run early in the morning.

For some reason, I was more stirred up than usual. My body felt heated and sweaty.

Regardless of my body temperature, I needed to run. The prospect of the day ahead sent a rush of anxiousness through my body. The sensation coursing through my body compelled me to run harder and faster. I wanted to sweat my concerns away.

My legs were scorched from the pace and force. But that did not deter me. The longer I ran, the worse I felt. Strong, excruciating electrical currents rushed through my body. The currents caused me to scream in pain as I decreased my speed. I couldn't understand what was going on until it hit me.

I shouted out in anguish as the searing feeling intensified, and the noises of my bones breaking sounded in my ears. Within a few minutes, I had transformed into a white furry Wolf with brown streaks running through the fur. To say she was stunning is an understatement. I was astounded as I took in the ripped bits of fabric on the floor.

My Wolf was stunning, and I was shocked by how much my ears perked up and how much better my vision seemed. It was strange at first to know that I had someone else with me all the time, but the concept was reassuring after being alone for quite some time.

After what seemed like hours, my Wolf pushed us to return.

I let my Wolf carry us as we sprinted back to the house. It felt strange to run in my wolf shape, with my bones throbbing from their weakness, yet with each stride they became stronger. After receiving my Wolf, I silently prayed that I would find my partner before becoming Marcus's Luna.

But the possibilities of this were small.