NATALIE “ It’s a mistake. ” I tell Giana just as we step inside the heavily crowded club. The smell of sweat, sex and alcohol stings my nostrils, making me gag. “ Oh come on! Live a little! It’s your twentieth birthday. ” Anne throws her arm around my shoulder, pulling me in towards her body. “ It never ends well when you say this. ” I shake her arm off my shoulder and take a step forward. “ Don’t ruin the mood! Let’s party! ” Giana screams in my left ear and grabs me by my arm, dragging me straight to the bar. Deep down, I know I don’t stand a chance now. Anne gives the order to the bar and I turn around, scanning the crowded place. The loud music thumps against my ears and vibrates in my body, making me sigh to myself. The neon lights make my eyes hurt. “ Do tell me once again why we are here of all the places? It’s free land. Anyone can attack us here. ” I yell at Giana who is swaying her body to the music. “ It’s the best club in the city. ” Giana shouts back, a grin stre

NATALIEMy lips land on his and I begin to devour him like a hungry beast. He doesn’t push me away for a second, but then, it feels like he snaps out of some kind of trance and shoves me away.I stumble on my feet, whining, reaching out to him once more.His hands on my waist, turn me around, my back hitting his hard front.“ Well. Well. Well. Are not you too young to be roaming around here? ” He whispers close to my right ear.I gulp my saliva, the taste of expensive wine plastered over my lips.It seems like I am not the only one drunk here.“ I am an adult! ” I shoot back, struggling to release myself off his hot touch.A wave of heat rolls off my body and I stop struggling. My head falls on his chest behind me, my back arching and another moan falling out of my lips.I press my thighs together, my hands landing on his big hands to claw them away from me. His touch is not helping my situation and my mind is too gone to allow me to deal with this situation rationally.“ Why are you

NATALIE The eternal blinding light hits my face, making me groan and shift into the soft mattress. My body hurts as if someone has battered it to pieces while my head spins. It takes me a moment to blink open my eyes and stare at the ceiling in complete confusion. Where am I? That’s the first question which penetrates my thoughts. The events from last night flash before my eyes when I try to get up, only to realise that I am naked, oddly sticky between my legs, undeniably sore. Panic courses through my veins, my whole life starting to revolve in my head. A gasp escapes my lips and I roll away, falling down on the floor with a thud. A groaning sound comes from above. All my senses come to life as I forget all about the pain in my head and my body. Fuck! What did I do?! I place my hand over my mouth, stopping myself from making any noise. I don’t want to scream and wake him up. My face contorts and I barely manage to not start crying in absolute horror. Lifting myself on my k

NATALIE “ I am going to die. ” I deadpan. My wide eyes glare at the mark on my neck. For once, I rub it as hard as I can to get rid of it idiotically even when I know that this mark is engraved not into my neck, but my soul now. “ You are not going to die. ” Giana rolls her eyes, sighing. “ NO! That man was not my mate and he had marked me…which means I am going to die. ” I gulp. Tears well up in my eyes after I imagine my life ending because of this one mistake. I have heard about this a lot. If someone who is not your mate, marks you without your consent, then you die in twenty four hours. It happens suddenly and you don’t even get the time to think about anything before you are gone, forever. “ You are not getting sick or anything. You don’t look like you are dying either. ” Anne inspects me before coming to her own conclusion. “ Are you two not worried even the slightest bit for me? What if your speculations turn out to be fucking wrong and I really die after twenty four h

NATALIEI have been moving to and fro in my room after taking a shower and staring at the mate mark over my neck for a whole hour. At first, I tried to cover the mark by wearing a high neck but when I realised that it was the middle of the summer and I was only going to make everyone suspicious by wearing it, I removed it and covered the mark with many layers of concealer.I like to believe that I can keep it a secret but my mind is about to explode with anxiety.For one, I have to find out who that man was.For two, I am scared that I am going to die tonight.For three, if I don’t die, my Dad will kill me with his own hands after finding out that I slept with a man who was an outsider.All of this is weighing me down and there is nothing positive I can think about right now.“ Natalie. ” The door to my room opens and Emilie strolls inside without permission.I gulp my saliva and question. “ What do you want? ”Although I try to appear fearless and unbothered, I know she can see righ

NATALIE“ Okay! I agree with you two. Please help me find this man. ” I tell Anne and Giana who are both sitting on Giana’s bed.Worry and anxiety is clear in their eyes along with suppressed pity. I got my head bandaged earlier and as usual, Doctor Yoona insisted that I admit someone was abusing me but…I lied to her and told her that I had fallen off the stairs like I always do. This excuse is becoming ridiculous at this point, but no one in this pack gives a damn to what happens to a wolf less daughter of the Beta. For all they care, I should die soon.Instead of going home after getting my head bandaged, I came to Giana’s house. As expected, she and Anne were waiting for me to come. It’s like a routine. Every time I get scolded, I come here for comfort. Anne and Giana’s parents allow me to be in their house because they are the only one’s except Enzo who care about me.“ So you believe he is your mate now. ” Anne excitedly makes a statement.“ No. There is some error in this situat

NATALIE My mouth drops open, my jaw aching when I see the man — screaming trouble —sitting right over my bed. Gasping, I step inside and close the door before anyone from my family catches a whiff of his scent or hears the spike in my heart rate. “ What the fuck! ” I mumble under my breath. “ We have to work on that colourful language. ” He hums in a deep voice. Putting his hands on both sides of his frame, he stretches his muscles and leans back. I draw a deep, shaky breath. Disbelief makes me freeze on my very spot. “ Y…Y…You. What? I mean…h…h…how? ” I am at a loss of words. “ How am I here? ” His left eyebrow shoots up. His gruff voice does weird things to me. Heat tackles my body. When you are close to your mate, you get affected by heat season. Giana said this to me and I think…she was not wrong. “ Something bothering you? ” A fine smirk touches his lips. “ You! You stay there! ” I narrow my eyes, taking support of the wall behind me. This is a shitty time for this h

NATALIEWith my heart hammering in my throat, I pull the door open slightly. “ What are you doing? I heard noise coming from your room. ” She blinks at me, her droopy eyes screaming that she woke up from her deep slumber.How good is her hearing to be able to pick up noise from a soundproof room even in sleep?I swallow hard and look around. “ I — I was in the bathroom, taking a shower. ” I have never lied so confidently before, I can guarantee.Unconsciously, I fix my wet hair to hide the mark over my neck. “ At this hour? ” She narrows her eyes in suspicion.Fuck my life!“ I — Mom. ” Come up with something, Idiot.Finding me at a loss of words only confirms my Mom’s doubts. Without giving me the time to regain my composure, she pushes the door open with great force. The door hits my face, making me stumble back and cup my nose instinctively. Pain stabs my whole face. I wince and close my eyes.“ There is someone here, right? You are lying again. ” She accuses and strolls inside

NATALIEThe next morning brings me a new kind of nervousness and fear that I have never experienced before.I get ready and sneak out of my house before anyone sees me and eventually stops me from going out.Contrary to my expectations, I find Giana and Anne already waiting for me around the street, still dressed in their pajamas.“ I told you! ” Anne tells Giana as I get near them.“ You can’t tell him. ” Giana folds her arms over her chest.“ He has the right to know. ” I don’t know from where these words are coming.“ Natalie. I knew you will do this when guilt hits you again. We have been waiting here for two hours so we can stop you. So please…listen to us and give up on this stupid idea. ” Anne insists, gripping my wrist.“ Anne…Enzo has always been good to me. I can’t hide this from him anymore. At least not after, I have done this twice. The first time, I could let it slide as a mistake but…I can’t anymore. He needs to know what’s going on. ” I get my hand out of her grip.“ H

NATALIEWhen you think you are breaking apart and can’t hold yourself together, you find yourself running back to your home — the safe haven.I did the same. After running away from everyone I had considered dear once, I came back home and dashed to my room before locking myself inside.I can feel those pointed looks directed at me. Those people make my skin crawl. They make me feel disgusted.It was not my fault. They did this to me. I want to run to everyone and tell them one by one but I know no one will believe me.I sobbed, pulled my hair out, and asked myself the same question.Why was this happening to me? They all had loved me once. Everything was fine — I had a happy family, good friends, a standing in this werewolf society for being a beta’s daughter. I had a future — a bright one.But Moon Goddess fucked up everything when she decided she didn’t want me to have my wolf.What’s a werewolf without her wolf? I can’t be loved, I can’t be seen as someone respected, I can’t eve