1. "The Night After Mating Ceremony"

Olive's POV

My life, which I thought was sweet and full of romance, changed after the hit-and-run accident, and I fell into the pit of the Alpha Lycan’s revenge.

**

The mating ceremony. It is such a big deal for every werewolf. Every mature female and male wolf will have the chance to meet their mate in the event. My grandmother said that one could feel the bond with just a stare in the eye. It is either you accept it or reject it.

As for me, at age 17, I am not mature enough to feel the bond I have with my mate. My boyfriend, Vincent, the Alpha of the Blackridge pack, just turned 18 three months ago, and he had to attend the mating ceremony to fulfill his duties as the Alpha heir. The curious us chose to create trouble by sneaking an underage female werewolf like me to witness what a mating ceremony would be. Which we might regret soon.

‘I regretted coming just now.’

Werewolves who found what the Goddess of Moon stored for them, sneaked into the corners in pairs, doing rendezvous activities that a 16-year-old lady like me shouldn’t watch yet. But even if I tried my best to avoid taking a glimpse, the unfiltered dirty talk and moans bothered me so much. Rather, they made me feel so knotty.  

As my face turned hotter by the second, I changed my hiding place and ended up in the back garden of the hall.

“Finally, a serene place,” I said, heaving a sigh.

If I only knew that sneaking in would only make me uncomfortable, I shouldn’t have come.

“There you are.”  

I felt my blood rushing backward when I turned around, only to find my handsome boyfriend, smiling at me.

I stood up and put my heart back into my chest. Phew~

“Geez. I thought someone caught me,” I said to my boyfriend.

Vincent cuddled me, wrapping his arms around my waist. My feet lifted from the ground, and with my body pressing firmly against him, I felt so protected.

“You have a knack for hiding, but you can’t escape my eyes, baby,” he said, laughing with a guttural voice that made me fall deeply in love with him.

It’s been years since we started dating. But Vincent’s striking blonde hair, blue eyes, muscular body, and sculptured jaws, always made me wobble like a melted marshmallow.

Speaking of sweet dessert, I felt the desire to fulfill the yearning he had in his eyes, and so wrapping my arms around his neck, I kissed his cheek.

“I really wish I can have those eyes solely just for me,” I whispered.

Vincent bit his lower lip as if he was fighting over the desire to kiss me more.

“Female werewolves here are all seductive and gorgeous. To be honest, I was worried you would forget my existence once you find your mate.”

Vincent chuckled. His delicate fingers caressed my long black hair, and his hand settled on my nape, pulling me closer.

“You and your nonsense hypothesis. I don’t f*cking care about the bond mate, lady.”

“You and your confidence,” I rebuked, “I heard it would be hard to fight against the bond Goddess of Moon has created.”

“Olive,” his stern voice reached me deeply as his blue eyes peered straight, stirring my inner soul. “I have no intention of finding my mate. And even if millions or trillions of beautiful women stand before me, you will be the only appetizing lady in my eyes and in my heart. I mean, look at you. You’re only wearing a shirt and jeans, but f*ck, I couldn’t take my eyes off you.”

If he was trying to buy my trust, well, I had to admit he succeeded in some way.

“Once you reach adulthood, I will take you as my Luna. I swear, Olive.”

His promise was like a lullaby in my ears. It thrilled me to dream of being an adult soon so I can be with Vincent forever.

“The bond mate won’t change our relationship,” he whispered as he gently lifted my chin and pressed his thumb on my lips, grazing them open; I almost bit his finger. “There are couples who stayed together despite finding their mates. Do you know that Alpha Lycan Aaron? He probably found his mate ages ago. But he is still with his girlfriend.”

I heard about that, and I adored how love can fight against the fate Goddess of the Moon set for us. ‘And I really hope Vincent and I will be together, forever.’

“So, stop worrying, okay?” Vincent reassured me, and I nodded my head.

He kissed me on my forehead, and said, “I had to go back. Once this is finished, I will give you a ride back home.”

“Okay. I’ll be just right here. See you later, Mr. Alpha.”

The two of us separated, and Vincent went back inside. I had the most peaceful night at the event alone in the garden, or so I thought. A couple came here, and I dragged myself off the bench and hid in the thick foliage.

‘Am I going to hear moans and stuff again?’

To my surprise, the couple came here not for pleasure. Instead, there was squabbling.

“Do you think I won’t notice a damn thing? Your head was full of her and now I am worthless!” the woman shouted. She looks sophisticated, perhaps because of her blonde hair and the appropriate white gown outfit. Never did I assume that someone will be the prettiest woman in the world because we all have different perspectives. But now, I was confident to say she was the most gorgeous lady I have laid my eyes on.

Her problem is that… she was in the pit of jealousy and was arguing with her boyfriend, who turned out to be Lycan Aaron.

“Vera, you are much more beautiful and elegant than all females in the world combined. Nobody can compare to you. And even if this Goddess of Moon played tricks in our relationship, I would never abandon you for my mate.”

I looked at Aaron, who I saw clearly for the first time. His hair was jet-black, it dazzled underneath the moonlight and was mesmerizing. The smoothly raised nose seemed to have been carved by a skilled artisan, and his soft lips were like the handmade product of a Goddess who sincerely spent three days and three nights on them.

It was such a sight that I couldn’t take my eyes off him, even to close my eyes, I think I would have the illusion that time was flowing slowly around that man. Moreover, there was something in his scent that made my heart pound so hard.

‘What’s wrong with me?’

I couldn’t follow how their argument went on, and I only snapped out when Vera shouted for the last time.

“You can never betray your wolf, Aaron!”

Vera dashed away, and Aaron stood moveless which seemed like forever. Only when he left, I went out of my hiding place and saw a necklace on the ground, which I assumed might be Vera’s.

I picked it up, wondering about Vera’s last words.

“Is it really hard to betray the wolf?”

The ceremony ended.

I hopped into my boyfriend’s car, and we sped up onto the road. Rain poured crazily, coughing great gouts of water, and tanking balloons of sopping moisture. But here was Vincent, stepping onto the accelerator despite the bad weather.

“Vincent, can you slow down?”

 “Stop being a killjoy. Just trust me…”

Abruptly, there was a loud boom and the car spun 90 degrees, skidding onto the slippery road. And finally, it stopped, which seemed like hundreds of feet from the initial collision.

My head hurts so much.

With a groan, I held my head. Sticky liquid gushed down. I looked at my hand and saw blood. After that, everything felt like I was in sleep paralysis. I could see what was around me, but I couldn’t control my body as I walked out of the car.

Only when I saw a woman lying motionless nearby did the sounds come back.

The pitter-patter of the rain.

My boyfriend’s voice.

“The L-Lycan’s girlfriend. Sh*t, I’m screwed.”

Lycan’s girlfriend?

Limping, I walked under the rain and towards a figure huddling down on the road. I got closer and I was overtaken by the most god-awful noise.

“Ahhhh. Save me. Ack!”

Gurgling.

I can hear gurgling.

Her face and chest were covered with blood as she gurgled it out of her mouth, soaking her white gown into a crimson mess. And the shock didn’t end just like that. When I looked at her face more, I recognized who she was.

“V-Vera.”

We need to call an ambulance. We need to save her!

My quivering hands reached for my phone, and I quickly dialed the emergency hotline.

“H-Hello. We n-need help. We’ve been in a car crash near Westford and a…”

“Are you crazy?!” Vincent shouted after he snatched my phone and ended the call abruptly. “If the Lycan finds out about this, I’m done for!”  

“W-What are you…” I winced in pain, barely pulling my senses back as everything turned blurry in seconds.

‘I can’t lose my consciousness. I must take Vera to the hospital!

“We can’t leave her alone, Vincent. Vera needs help and…”

My head worsened, hanging like a winded horse.  As I slowly lost consciousness, Vincent held me in his arms. Knowing nothing that was happening around me, I forced my eyes to open.

Vera’s body was soaked with her own blood and the water kept washing all traces.

‘Believe me, Vera. I really wanted to save you.’

Having that futile dream, my heart weighed as everything turned black.