CHAPTER 1
Her parents were arguing while Cassy was watching .. Her father was the Alpha of the pack, and her mother was always disgraced and rejected mate.
Her mother tried to hide the pain and tears that seeped from her eyes, to hide them even from herself, but it was no use.
She was vulnerable, defenseless , and as useless as her mama or so her father always said.
"Well she is useless". You can either keep her, or let me give her up at the moon light rite this night!" Cassy 's father snapped.
"I I didn't say I want to keep her . . . but how can we give up our only child together," her mother stammered. She was not putting up a convincing argument at all.
Cassy trembled as her father laughed in no response . "You and I are a mistake that should never have happened. I have other pups, and so do you. We don't need this half breed!"
Cassy was in tears, and the sound of her anguish drew her parents attention.
"Cassy ! What are you doing eavesdropping in on our conversation?" Her mother asked in a whisper.
Cassy stood up and ran to her mother, throwing her arm around her. "Please Mother, I don't want to be given away at the moonlight rite I ".She knew the plan as he was listening all along ..
"Nonsense!" Her father snapped, and she could not argue with the authority in his voice. That was the voice of an Alpha. "I don't love you, never will and neither does your mother.
But at the moonlight rite tonight, maybe you would find a male that would love you as his chosen mate. You should be happy instead of hiding in the shadows here, crying like a chicken. I am putting you out of your misery .
"But Father " Cassy started to say, at the same time that her father said "Don't call me father," and her mother said something about not being a whore.
Cassy kept shut, and silent left the room as the sound of her parents voices raised in argument.
The midnight rite was done only once in a year. During the event , a female wolf that had not yet been mated is brought and tied to a stake while males who are interested fight over her. She goes off with the winner as mate.
Cassy had heard stories of some females who had successfully mated to good males who loved them, but she did not believe that possible. What kind of male chose his mate in such a way! She was convinced such doesn't happen.
She let Hilda, one of her father's maids take her into a room and start dressing her for the rite. Hilda had brought out a beautiful white dress that was supposed to signify her innocence.
Her hair was twisted into curls that looked very beautiful, and Hilda had even applied some color to her rose bud lips. The face that stared out of the mirror when Cassy looked in was beautiful lovely, but no one could hide the pain in the eyes that were slightly swollen from crying. It was the pain of being rejected by one's own family.
"Try to cheer up Cassy . You might get mated to a male that would love and cherish you an Alpha even "
"I don't want to be mated to any Alpha!" I do not care .Cassy countered a little too forcefully. "All Alpha's are simply powerful, but very ruthless. They do not know the meaning of love," she continued in a more quiet voice.
Hilda shook her head. "Just because your father is heartless doesn't mean all Alphas are. You might get mated to a kind Alpha."
Cassy laughed sadly. "Do you think they are calm Alpha ,you are delusional ". I would rather be mated to an Omega and live in peace," but even as she said this, she knew it was not possible because an Omega would never be able to win an Alpha in a fight. The only thing she could pray for was that no Alpha came to the rite that night, because if any Alpha came, he was probably the one that would claim her as mate only Cassy knew Alphas, she wouldn't really be his mate, she would be a mere plaything.
The first thing Cassy noticed as she was led out to the open to be tied on a stake like a mere slave was that there was a lot of people gathered that night she was going to be humiliated in front of all these people. The second thing she noticed was that there was an Alpha among the males that would be fighting over her.
In her mind she was doomed ,how would an omega ever win this battle she said queitly in her head .
Her eyes were drawn to him instantly, to the ruthlessness she saw gleaming in his silver grey eyes. Cassy felt a violent shiver run through her as her eyes connected with his, and then his lips twisted in a cruel smile, as if he could tell the effect he had on her from so far away, and he was enjoying it.
Cassy fought the tears that threatened to spill from her eyes and spoil the makeup Hilda had so craftily put on. She knew one thing, if she ended up a mate to the wickedly handsome Alpha with silver grey eyes, then her days living under her father's cruelty would be considered pleasure compared to what she was going to face being mated to such an Alpha.
She could feel the powerful aura of his wolf even from far away, he seemed like an Alpha that had won several battles. He was too fearless and What could he be doing choosing a mate from the moonlight rite! Unlike the other males present, he was dressed simply in a dark flowery shirt that seemed to mold to his muscles as the breeze danced around him. His trousers also showed off his powerful thighs with ease.
For some time ,Cassy wondered what it would feel like to be held in those strong arms, protected, loved cherished, but then she looked into his grey eyes, saw the ruthlessness in them, and she knew. Being mated to him would be the most painful experience of her lifetime, an experience that could very well destroy her. Even now, she could see the mockery shining from his eyes as his lips curved into another cruel grin.
The fight was to start with the only two Omegas in the contest. According to the rules, both contestants were supposed to kiss her as a motivation before they started the fight.
She let the two Omegas kiss her, each of them gentle in their kisses, and Cassy felt relaxed. They did not seem like the kind of males that would make the love making process painful for her, especially when it was her first time.
As the fight started, Cassy forced her eyes away from the powerful Alpha, and focused on the two Omegas fighting over her. They both seemed so kind, she wished any one of them would be her mate. They even seemed very uncomfortable about injuring themselves, she knew that if anyone of them were to be her mate, he would never hurt her but wishes never came true, they were Omegas after all and any of them that won would probably be defeated in the next round. It was even difficult for a Beta to defeat an Alpha talk more of an Alpha.
After the two kind Omegas were defeated, Cassy was losing count of how many males fought for her and lost, she also lost count of how many times her lips were assaulted by their kisses till she felt like crying. Some of them were gentle, some others rough, kissing her as though they wanted to mark her flesh, so that in the end, even if they lost, she would be marked as theirs for life.
Cassy endured it all, hating her parents for putting her up to be fought over like a common whore . It was embrassing for her but she had no choice.
Soon, all that was left was a beta, and the ruthless but wickedly handsome Alpha. Cassy took her eyes off the Alpha and turned to look at the beta.She badly wanted him to win this battle . He was not as handsome, but he looked like someone that would be kind, someone that would care about her. Before the fight started, he walked up to her and smiled.
"Wish me luck Beautiful, I promise to love and cherish you as my mate." the beta said .
Cassy smiled.Hyping him up , That was all she hoped for. Could the moonlight rite actually be a blessing in disguise? Was this Beta going to win an Alpha and become her mate, the love of her life, one that would love and protect her forever, make her feel wanted the same way her parents made her feel unwanted. She could feel the cold eyes of the Alpha on her even as she thought these thoughts, mocking her, daring her to believe her wishful thinking.
It was not impossible for a Beta to defeat an Alpha after all they are the second powerful and second in command after the Alpha.
The Beta kissed her, his lips stroking her soft bow shaped lips gently "I know your lips have been hurt enough by the other males, so I wouldn't add to it."
He whispered into her ear gently, then turned and was gone. Cassy shuddered as her eye caught the silver grey's of the Alpha, it was his turn to kiss her.
"Open your eyes and look at me," the Alpha commanded as Lily shut them, trying to hide from what she saw in his eyes. He was so close so close, she could feel the heat radiating from his powerful body. Something in her wanted to reach out and touch his powerful chest, feel those muscles that were so perfectly outlined by his shirt, but her hands were tied to the stake, and so she could only stare in awe as the Alpha came even closer. She could smell his scent, powerful, unique and every inch an Alpha, the kind of Alpha she feared the kind she hated! What was wrong with her?
She should want to run from this male, why was she feeling so drawn to him? Why did she crave so much for his own lips to be pressed against hers, for him to claim her by that single act if kissing, for her to belong to him for ever?
"Look at me Cassy ." The Alpha commanded again, and Lily blushed hotly at the sound of her name from his lips, but she was still unable to look at those silver grey eyes of his when he was so close to her.
The Alpha swore, and hooking a finger under her chin, he lifted it not so gently, till she was forced to look into his eyes. What she saw there stole her breath away. His name was Ryan .
His eyes were ruthless, wicked even, but there was a pain etched deep down, as though he had been hurt before, and now he was hiding a pain so deep it had become part of him. Cast drew in a shaky breath as compassion replaced her fear. Not for the first time, she wished her hands were free. For some reason, she wanted to hold him in her arms in an embrace, to share his pain with him, try to take it away from him if that were possible, but her hands remained helplessly tied to the stake.
She felt tears sting her eyes, and she let them flow freely down her cheek. This time, she was not crying for herself, she was crying for the pain she knew the Alpha was hiding deep within.
He pressed his lips to hers, and she tasted her salty tears on his own lips. His lips were gentle at first, as if it was soothing her, bringing her comfort, and yet she felt aroused. She could feel something totally feminine loosen up deep within her, she felt small, cherished and protected as his arms came around her, easily holding her with the stake. She felt his warmth drive away the biting cold that had earlier made her shiver.
And Cassy kissed him back. Maybe being mated to an Alpha was not so bad after all as she taught.She surrendered herself to the vulnerable feeling he stirred in her. She didn't mind being innocent, didn't care about hiding her vulnerability as long as he was there to claim her, to love and protect her.
But when he drew away from her, his eyes were as cold as ice. Lily felt her heart skip several beats at the look in them. Had she imagined everything? The love, the affection.
The Alpha's lips curved into a cruel grin at her confusion. "That is how you want to be kissed isn't it? With love and affection?"
He crushed his lips to hers again, and this time, Cassy whimpered at the force. This time, his lips demanded from her what she was still too innocent to understand, took from her what she hadn't given.
She moaned as even then his kiss stirred up an arousal in her belly, yet it was more pain than pleasure. This time, he did not kiss to show her comfort, his kiss marked her as his, hurting her in a way to show that she should expect only pain from him as his future mate.
When he finally pulled his lips away from hers, Cassy was shaking as she dragged in a shaky breath through her slightly bruised lips. His smile was wicked as he watched her.
"Pray to the moon goddess that the Beta fighting me wins, because if I do, this is only the beginning of the pain you would suffer as my mate."
Cassy could only nod as the tears gathered once more in her eyes. What kind of male was this, that could be so gentle and loving one moment, and then brutal and wicked the next.
Her lips mouthed a prayer to the moon goddess that the Beta win, but her heart already knew who she belonged to. She belonged to the mysterious Alpha who could be kind and loving but instead chose to be ruthless.
The Alpha who had already marked her body as his.
She was in a state of confusion , all of a sudden she wanted the both of men not to loose .
