Elizabeth’s POV
[“Hi Elizabeth. It’s me, Max. I messaged you because there’s something you need to know. The truth is Elaina lied to me today. She took that video out of a joke. I felt so guilty for you, Elizabeth. And I want to make you feel better. Can you come and meet me tonight?”]
Hope.
At some point, I stopped believing that there would be hope for me. Because the moment I do, Elaina will appear and steal everything.
But this time, I wanted to believe Max.
The wolf inside me suggested calling the number to confirm that it was Max, not Elaina. I didn’t know calling someone would take much courage because my hands right now were trembling as I dialed his number.
Kring! Kring!
After three rings, the person from the other line answered.
[“Elizabeth?”]
‘This voice! I know it is Max!’
I felt so happy to hear his voice as I began to hope that things will turn out better.
“M-Max. It’s you.”
[“Yes, it’s me. Elizabeth, I am so sorry for hurting you. Right now, I don’t know how to face you, but I know I must. Elaina tricked me. She told me to say those words and took a video of me without my consent.”]
My lower lip quivered and I bit it in order to stop the tremor.
‘I wanted to believe him. My mate was apologizing and he was willing to fix our relationship.’
I prayed inwardly that he was telling the truth.
“I see. So, those words aren’t true?” I asked while holding my breath.
[“Of course! How can I reject my mate just like that? But Elizabeth, I was really hurt by you. I had a hard time after you rejected me. It was so painful.”]
“M-Max, I am so sorry. I did not want to hurt you.”
[“Really? Then, can we meet?”]
Max wanted to meet me? Is this for real?
“We can meet for real?”
[“What’s wrong with that? Even if you rejected me, I can still be your mate. Let’s fix this, Elizabeth. Meet me here in WestWood.”]
‘Can I really trust the words of the man whom I saw hugging my stepsister?’
My wolf said to be wary. But my foolish heart was stubborn.
“Alright, Max. I will meet you. Wait for me.”
[“I’ll be waiting for you, my lovely Elizabeth.”]
I hung up the call with a joyous heart.
‘Finally! Things will get better!’
Elated, I looked at myself in front of the mirror. There are bruises and wounds on my body but that’s alright. I can just wear extra clothes.
After hiding the wounds and bruises, I carefully opened the door to check if my stepsister and stepmother were still waiting.
‘They are not in the living room.’
I didn’t waste any time and walked out.
‘Be careful, Elizabeth. You don’t know what was waiting for you there.’
My wolf was so eager to warn me, but I kept on defending Max. There’s no way my mate would hurt me. After all, he came first to apologize and offered to fix our misunderstanding.
Minutes later I arrived at WestWood. The moon was shining so bright, shimmering down to the place near the border line of the Black Lake territory. Under the light, I saw Max waiting for me.
His blonde hair looks gold. Max’s gray eyes looked at me with excitement as if there were refined jewels. He looks quite happy to see me. I and my wolf felt that too.
“Thank goodness, Elizabeth,” Max said as he stood before me. “I was really nervous. I thought you would not come.”
My Alpha was happy to see me. I couldn’t believe this! I am so elated that my body would float and dance on the clouds.
“I am really sorry for saying those words, Elizabeth,” he said.
I nodded my head and gave him a reply. “It’s okay. It was all Elaina’s fault. I can forgive you, Max.”
“Great! You are so kind, Elizabeth! As expected of my dear mate!”
Max walked closer and hugged me tightly. His arms were wrapped around mine.
He’s warm.
As I was about to raise my hands to hug him back, I felt his hands fondling my waist. It didn’t take long before his other hand went inside my skirt and… and… he touched the center of my thighs.
‘Danger.’
My wolf sent the red and blue signal. I felt scared at his touch, which was so weird because I believed that we were fated by the Goddess of the moon. The werewolves in the pack said that it is natural for mates to make a bond by touching each other but when Max was rubbing his hand on my sensitive area, I was so uncomfortable!
“M-Max, stop!”
I tried to push him away. But he isn’t an Alpha of Blue Lake for no reason.
When I placed my hands between our bodies and did my best to get away from his clutch, Max pulled me even closer as his hand kept on attacking the sensitive area between my thighs.
“Ahhh,” a moan escaped.
Nonetheless, the pleasure was nothing compared to the dreadful feeling that engulfed my system.
“No…”
“It’s okay, Elizabeth. I am your mate.”
His finger became lewder as he slid into my undergarment and tried to shove it in. Quickly, I moved my waist away from him and asked him again, “P-Please stop! I don’t want this, Max!”
He growled behind his clenched teeth. Max seemed mad and I thought he would stop. But instead of letting me go, he ripped the hemline of my clothes.
Rip!
I felt so scared.
My hands instinctively pushed him away and shouted, “I said let me go!”
His grip loosened. I hurried and tried to run but…
“Ack!”
He slapped my face real hard and I stumbled on the ground.
During this time, the world became a maze. My eyes were swirling. Disappointment, hatred, and guilt. I was trembling on the ground while holding my cheek which was knocked out by him.
Slowly, my blurry eyes went upwards only to meet his sneer.
“A lowly woman like you isn’t worthy to be my Luna,” Max uttered lies.
No.
They aren’t lies. If there’s one person who was lying right now, then it’s me. I fooled myself and clung around to hope that never existed.
“M-Max,” I sobbed his name.
He wasn’t merciful to understand my pain as he looked down at me as if gawking at a pest.
“Look at you. I only slapped your face and you’re already crawling like that? You are so weak, Elizabeth. You should be thankful that I have a slight interest fucking you, but now, I lost it. You are DISGUSTING.”
His evil words brought a pang into my heart.
How come… how come, my mate, is this evil?
I couldn’t believe I waited years imagining a happy life with my mate.
“You know what’s funny? Despite your position, you dared to reject an Alpha like me? Huh!”
Max kicked my thighs, which had already been hit by Elaina before. The throbbing pain sent shivers down my body.
‘I need to get out of here.’
‘Someone help me, please!’
I looked around the woods and started to shout.
“Help me! Someone please hel…!”
There was a sudden pain in my neck which made me dizzy.
It was too fast. The next thing I knew was that something was injected through my body.
‘I can’t move. Argh. What should I do?’
Bit by bit, I was fading from reality. But before I passed out, an annoying voice reached my ears.
“Hurry up, Max. The Blood Moon Pack people are here. We need to send this bitch as soon as possible.”
It was Elaina’s voice.
The person who always steals the last strand of my hope.
I clenched my fists hard until everything disappeared.
Hogan’s POV As I walked in the middle of the forest, the sound of shattered glass emphasized the leaves being crunched under my feet. Tonight, I will go and report the border security situation to Philip, the Alpha of the Blood Moon Pack. I always travel alone on the way to Philip’s house. But tonight, I felt lonelier than before. The forest has dark shadows of the voluminous trees and puzzled bushes. When I looked up, I saw the moon in the sky. It was so beautiful, a headlifter and an enchanter. But the beautiful moon, which was the core of life for werewolves like me, wasn’t enough to ease my sorrow. In times like this, I remembered certain people, who were huge parts of my life. Yet guilt, disappointment, and hatred filled the void of our histories. The longing to see them again was like a bitter pill that was hard to swallow. Mainly because I was the one to blame for it. 'It was my fault.' My friends died because of my curse. This loneliness and deep hatred to myself w
Elizabeth’s POV Slowly and reluctantly, I opened my eyes. I blinked several times to clear the hazy vision as I scrutinized my surroundings in confusion. Then, I found myself in an unfamiliar dim place. The moonlight shone through the window, brightening the room. And when I looked in front of me, bells rang inside my head. In front of me, I saw a tall man with black hair, tanned skin, and sharp eyes. He was so handsome that I caught myself in awe. Thanks to his strong aura, I snapped myself. I crawled backward and protected my body with all my might. “W-Who are you? W-Where am I?” He opened his lips and answered my question right away. “My name is Hogan. You are in the Black Lake Pack.” As soon as he said those, I remembered the last thing I heard from Elaina before I lost consciousness. [“Hurry up, Max. The Blood Moon Pack people are here. We need to send this bitch as soon as possible.”] If he is Hogan and I am in the Blood Moon Pack, then… “B-Black Lake P-Pack? And yo
I woke up after losing consciousness for the second time. And the experience was awful. Elaina and Betty used to beat me whenever they liked. But today, the torture felt longer than before. My mate, Max, rejected me. Elaina and Max forced me to go to the Blood Moon Pack. I tried to escape but met three rogues in the middle of the dark forest. And now… “Now, I am…” I sat up and looked around. ‘I am back at Hogan’s house.’ I tried to move. When I stepped onto the wooden floor, my eyes went to my legs. There was a bandage wrapped around my leg and a stick to support my recent injury. The only one who would treat this is the person who brought me here. “Hogan.” Everything was vivid in my memories. Hogan came to save me from the rogues. Even if I bit his arm, he took me back and treated my wounds. ‘Why would he do all of these?’ “Did he really save me or just like those bastards, he wanted my body?” Remembering the last thoughts I had before I lost consciousness, I recalled
“Do you want to eat this?” I looked at the deer leg which was tantalizing me to grab and eat it. What stopped me from doing so was Hogan himself. Even if he seems harmless right now, it was tough for me to forget the blood he smeared on his hands when he killed the rogues. “N-No. I am fine. I don’t need it.” Hogan blinked a few times. He then withdrew his hand and placed the deer leg back on the plate. Regret came after I avoided his gaze. Is it really because I fear him? Or is it because of the trauma that my stepmother and stepsister clawed at me? Whatever the answer, lamenting was futile. I already refused to eat the meat. And now, Hogan probably ate everyt… No. When I looked back, Hogan was gone. But there are still remaining pieces of meat on the plate he left. My eyes cored at meat. It invited me to come closer and have a bite. My mind opposed the idea, but my feet walked forward anyway. Shortly, I arrived near the table and in front of the tempting food. ‘Hogan won’t
Elizabeth’s POV I was ready to spend a sleepless night. But when I woke up, I felt betrayed by my expectations. “I… I fell asleep.” Saying it once doesn’t feel enough, so I repeated it again. “I. FELL. ASLEEP.” My first night inside the cursed man’s house was long. I thought it would be impossible for me to sleep since Hogan was with me under the same roof. But to my surprise, it wasn’t scary at all. The birds chirped. My eyes looked at the window, gazing upon the blue sky of the clear morning. The sun was out long before. I guess it is already 9 in the morning. “That was a long sleep.” If I ever woke up this late in our house, Betty would nag at me, saying that I should move my lazy ass up. I would start preparing breakfast and cleaning around while my stepsister was still in her sleeping beauty mode. I lived like “Cindeluna”, a werewolf children’s story where the female lead served her stepmother and stepsisters as a maid. ‘I am not in our house. I should stop thinking abou
Hogan’s POV It was a jest. The delicious meat I ate last night was only because I was hungry. That’s what I thought not until I had her food again. When I was living alone, I only ate bland meat that I hunted myself. It tastes like my life. Bland, raw, disgusting, and worthless. I never felt happy during my meal. But this woman’s cooking changed my perspective. I had long forgotten my childhood days with my parents. I was always looking forward to my mom’s cooking and the time when we would eat together in front of one table. I thought I had erased everything. For I feel like I don’t deserve to remember good memories because of this damn curse. Chewing the tender meat, I lifted my eyes towards the woman eating silently across from my seat. She kept on fidgeting her fingers. Her mouth opened, closed, opened, closed, opened, and closed several times as if she wanted to open an argument but failed to do so. Feigning ignorance, I lowered my head and had another spoonful of the savo
Elizabeth’s POV “If you stay here, you will regret it.” “W-Why?” “YOU WILL GOING TO DIE IF YOU LIVE WITH ME. MY CURSE WILL KILL YOU.” There was a chilling atmosphere when he dropped those words, and I could hide my befuddlement at this. ‘I was afraid of his curse when we first met. Weirdly, I don’t feel like that anymore.’ “I don’t care,” I answered Hogan. I packed my gaze with the truth, wanting to sear this moment into his mind and hope later, he would accept my answer. He glanced down, expression flat, something he had dubbed the Hank effect. “What do you mean that you don’t care?” he said. Hogan’s eyes were stone-cold and serious. Though he left more debate unspoken, his gaze was doing plenty of yelling. “I…” I said while pointing to myself, “I think I am cursed either.” A tornado touches down on his face and his brows. Lightning strikes over his red stormy eyes. “Ever since my mother died, the people around me have stolen what’s mine. I lived a life full of misery. Ma
My wolf warned me as soon as I opened my eyes. ‘You are in danger, Elizabeth.’ I sat up gasping silent words, and when I turned my head to the side, I saw the Alpha of the Blood Moon Pack staring down at me. ‘He abducted me in front of Hogan’s house after forcing me to sleep.’ With my heart in tremor, I asked him, “Alpha of Blood Moon Pack, why did you do that?” “Philip,” he said, sitting down to meet my gaze. “My name is Philip. You can call me by my name, Elizabeth.” This man, Philip, had his usual friendly gaze, but behind those tricky expressions, he is dangerous. “It was me who brought you to Hogan’s house,” he confessed. ‘He did?!’ Then, there’s a possibility that… “Did you team up with my stepsister?!” I asked hysterically. He rubbed his chin and hummed. “Ahhh, so it was your stepsister who brought you into our pack by force. We went to your pack to find Hogan’s mate. They gave you, so I brought you to Hogan as his gift.” A silent growl vibrated in my throat. Lo