Chapter 1

Karen was lost in her thought as she watered a garden which was more than four hectares of land. She was too exhausted from having worked all day that her hands were shaking from holding the water can.

 Life had always been this miserable for her right from childhood, and her father, the Alpha of their pack had seen to it that she spent every day of her life in misery.

She was told that her mother had died while given birth to her and that was perhaps the reason the Alpha King hated her.... She had always wished she had died at birth than being faced with misery from the hatred her father harbor for her.

  "Princess, Princess" Karen jolted away from her thought as she heard the soft voice called, she knew who it was and then scoffed at the name she was called as she ruminated over the name.

 She was a princess and yet worked more than a slave, even the maids and other subjects were more worthy of sight than she was.

   "How many times would I tell you to call me by my name" Karen faked a smile turning to face Rahinna, her entrusted maid which she had come to know as her only friend.

   "I can't call you that, your highness, you still have the royal blood running in you" Rahinna gave a bow, then lifted her face to meet with her princess, her face fell immediately she saw how shaky Karen's hand was.

   "You're just so stubborn" Karen whined knowing she had lost the argument. Despite the fact that she was a ridiculing material in the palace, Rahinna had never disrespected her and had always treated her like the princess she was, and she gave a light smile.

   Karen smile faded away when she trailed after Rahinna's gaze, it was directed at the watering can she was holding and she understood that look.

   "No, don't tell me you wants to help me out again, I can't let you risk it even if you insists a thousand times, not after the last time that you got whipped for helping me out the last time" 

   "But, my princess, no one is looking, I would just help for some few minutes and then we would get done with this task, so you can have your rest" Rahinna insisted.

  Karen sighed out rolling her eyes, " I'm not giving it to you, you. should get going before you get caught with me, my father's dogs and spies can assume you were helping me out even though we both know that you weren't" 

   "Oh !" Rahinna snapped her fingers as if recalling something which drew Karen's full attention.

   "What's that" Karen curiously asked.

  "About your upcoming birthday" Rahinna hinted.

Karen birthday was just a few days away, but she had been so occupied with various thought to worry about it.

 Since it was going to be her eighteenth birthday, her father for the first time in her past ages, decided to throw a feast for her, one of those big feast that those real princess do have to mark their coming of age.

 She had been so excited when the news was unfolded to her, it had made her for once in her life been so happy for being a princess as it would make her long time dream come to pass.

 From the news she had gathered from Rahinna, she was told that it was possible she met with her fated mate who might be an Alpha, a Prince or a Beta, and she had always looked forward to that day, so she can be free from her father's hate. Rahinna had also lectured her on how she'd felt when she spot her mate.

  "What about that?" Karen asked as she smiled, fantatizing to her near freedom.

     Rahinna looked around to be sure that they were actually both alone, as if confirming her affirmation, she then whispered softly with a low tone.

    "They've been rumors around..." She paused, then glance around.

  "What rumors?" Karen who was dying of curiosity queried, she noticed Rahinna wasn't comfortable spilling whatever she wanted to say there, so she grabbed her hand and dragged her as she ran with the small strength she had left to a secret spot of hers.

  "Now spill, what rumors?" Karen was all eager to hear the gist in full now.

Rahinna who was still in doubt if she should go on, shrugged her shoulder determined to spill it out.

  "I don't think the Alpha's intention is only to mark your coming of age" she folded her hand across her shoulder.

  "Why did you say so? What have you heard?"

  "This morning while I went to serve his majesty his tea since the royal maid was sick, I overheard him speaking with a Beta that the feast wasn't for the celebration of your birthday, but wanted to sell your away to other countries" Rahinna spilled out.

Karen shivered, not from cold, but from the scary revelation she had just heard. How could her father be this cruel? What wrong had she ever done to him?

" I'm so sorry, princess" Rahinna felt the pain of what her princess was feeling, she suddenly wished she had kept quiet and hadn't told her the truth.

   "I just want to be alone" Karen said after a long minute of stretched silence.

  "Are you going to be okay?'' Rahinna said with a tone of concern, she was feeling very reluctant to leave her princess alone.

   "I would be fine" Karen replied trying to suppress the urge from breaking down in her sight, one thing she hated was being pitied on.

  Rahinna reluctantly left and Karen broke down crying.

                      ****

The chandeliers and wall decorations, both interior and exterior spoke mightily that a big feast was being held.

  Different Alpha's from various pack were invited for the feast and some of them were already tropping in already.

  Karen was seen in her room holding a gloomy face, she was uncomfortable from the numerous number of maids that was attending to her. She was being dressed and she wasn't used to this kind of fuzzy life.

For the first time in her life, she was given a princess bath and was getting dressed just like the way she should have been dressing.

  "Bow to your Alpha!" A royal call was made as they announced that her father was present.

She was already dressed and the maids were already adorning her hair before the call came in, the maids including her quickly bowed as she felt his long stride walking closer.

   "You all are dismissed away from this room, until I leave before you can resume!" She heard her father ferocious voice spoke.

   She felt the maid scampering away with her head still bowed.

 Her father walked up to her, Karen still kept her gaze directed downward, she hated maintaining eye contact with her father.

  "You look just the way I expected you to look, you're just a beauty like her...!" She felt her father voice faltered as he held her chin squeezing it.

  "Ouch!" She whimpered in pain and then her father withdrew his hands away from her.

 "Today is going to be a great day and I wouldn't want to ruin it for you!" Her father stated, "look up!"

  Karen looked at him, after Rihanna told her that shocking revelation about his intentions, she had always been scared of him. She had thought about running away but she felt she owed him for costing him her mother's absence in his life, so she had choose to sacrifice herself and get sold out.

 "For the first time in your life, you're going to make me proud, Don't misbehave!'' he warned and then patted her head gently when she nodded wilfully to his command.

After he had gotten his response, he left her and few seconds the maids scurried back to their position resuming with their work.

   The maids were done with their work of adornment and Karen was left with Rahinna to accompany her to the feast ground.

  As they walked Rahinna did her best in redirecting her step since Karen wasn't used to getting dressed in that way.

 As they walked Karen observed a certain protuding figure advancing towards them, somehow she felt herself attracted to the figure, she wished he could get any closer so she could take in his full figure. 

Rahinna quickly excused herself while she was battling with the manly figure in her head, that she needed to use the restroom and before she could say a word, Rahinna dashed off leaving her all alone.

And just like he was listening to her heart request, he started walking towards her direction. Karen suddenly slowed down her pace as she gazed fully at the now advancing male. With each step he took, it makes her tummy do this flip flop.

 She wasn't sure if he was an Alpha or Beta or whatever, but for one thing she knew for sure was that the wolf inside of her was craving for this man.

 There was something about his aura that speaks more than any male. She'd wasn't used to staring into someone's eyes, but she decided to stake it all and peered into the guy eyes that makes her stomach flips.

 As she stared straight into his eyes, she'd almost gasped out loud as her eyes met with the most fascinating turquoise eyes she'd had ever seen.

  She felt herself enchanted into his magic world and never for once did she wish to tear her eyes away from his.

   If lost was a word, then she was definitely lost cause she couldn't fathom what was going on, and what was so special around this strange guy that she couldn't tear her eyes off him. They were many males around the palace, her father guards, Beta's and others subject, but yet she hadn't felt this way amongst any of them.

Just like the strange thing was also happening to the male, she felt him stopped right at her front, and with her eyes still holding his, she noticed the look of satisfaction as though he had finally seen a long searched item on his face, and she wondered why he had that look.

  "Mate!" She suddenly heard the long awaited word, 'Did she just heard correctly, mate?' she pondered, doubting her ears as she heard his deep commanding voice in her ears.

How could she be this daft? She thought as she recalled the little time Rahinna had lectured her about the feeling she would get when she meets with her mate.

She couldn't believe that this fine young man was her mate, she had found her mate! Her dream was going to come to pass, leaving the palace with her mate, her father wasn't going to sell her off again. Her heart was beating so loudly now as many thoughts was running through her head.

   "Princess, princess!" Rahinna called out, making Karen to snap out from her thought.

  Karen turned back, she suddenly wished Rahinna hadn't showed up at a moment like this.

   When Rahinna got to where she stood, she gave Karen a strange look, she'd was petrified seeing her with a complete stranger.

Karen took the hint for her to do some introduction, " Rahinna meet.." she trailed off as her cheeks heated up, she realized she didn't know his name and therefore she have to relate to him as the only word she could actually think of. "Meet my mate!" She forced herself to say, she felt her cheeks heating up more than before.

  "And..." Before she could continue, she was halted by him.

  "Stop!" His face was now wearing a look of disgust, those tender looking gaze he had stared at her was now gone and was replaced by a gruesome look. Why the sudden change she thought to herself? 

  "I, Alpha Kai of the Lycan pack reject you as my mate!" Karen unexpectedly heard those words of rejection shattering down her soul, breaking her heart into pieces. Worst of all was the hatred his eyes bore as he peered straightly into hers and said those words of rejection. She stood there in her own agony as she watched the handsome young man that she had been attracted to few minutes ago turned his shoulder on her and Walked away. 

Why was life this cruel to her? Rejected and always maltreated by her own father who was an Alpha of the Cresent pack, she had always looked forward to her Mate loving her, and now a second rejection?

     Even though she was heart broken, she was eager to know the reason for her rejection.

   "Why?" Her voice shooked as she shouted out to him. She'd thought he would walk away without a word, but he stopped on his track and turned to her.