Serena's POV:
As usual, I woke up at four o'clock in the morning, before everyone was awake and before the clock had even rung. I lazily got off the bed and stood looking at my haggard face in the mirror for a while, but I couldn't help but sigh. Thanks to the faint light from the candle, I fumbled for the ointment and applied it to the wound. An extended cut on my face; it's been there since Luna Irene scratched my face while I worked, to her displeasure.
I am an abandoned orphan and was raised by the Alpha family. I was allowed to live in the same house with them and was adopted by Alpha. However, my real life is just an enslaved person serving Alpha's family.
Above all, I am highly grateful to them, but on the other hand, I am afraid to meet them. Almost everyone hates me and thinks I'm a cursed unlucky person. The day I was found on the forest's edge was also the day Alpha's third child died. I grew up with the malicious ridicule that I was the one who killed Alpha's premature baby, even though I was just a baby at the time. The only one who treats me well is Asher, son of Alpha. Every time people bully me, only he stands up to help me; this ointment is also what he secretly gave me yesterday.
I quickly grabbed a set of clothes and went to the bathroom to make breakfast in time. Luna does not allow me to use warm water; if I do it secretly and she finds out, I will be severely punished. Because of that, I could only grit my teeth and endure the cold water.
After taking a shower, I tiptoed into the kitchen. All my actions must always be as gentle as possible to avoid disturbing everyone's sleep.
"Sweet-smelling!" A familiar voice came from behind me.
I am not surprised, nor am I startled. I was used to Asher's sudden appearance; even a few times, he sneaked a hug from behind.
I smile and turn around, scooping a spoonful of soup before him. "Want to taste it first?"
Asher happily cooperated with me. I eagerly awaited his opinion, knowing that Asher purposely raised his eyebrows to tease me.
Seeing my worried expression, he laughed and pinched my cheek intimately. "Whatever you cook is delicious."
I smiled, then heard noises coming from the stairs. I quickly stepped back to keep my distance from Asher, then gestured to him. Asher raised his eyebrows like he didn't care, but I was so scared that my face turned pale. I can't let Alpha or Luna know about our love relationship; it's unacceptable. Otherwise, it could make my life more miserable later on.
"Asher, are you going for a run?" Alpha Ryder stepped down wearing a tracksuit.
Asher even wanted to ask me to kiss him and refused to go. I was scared when I heard footsteps approaching; I quickly kissed Asher on the cheek and pushed him away. "Don't let the Alpha in here find me; you go out with him."
Asher smiled softly. He went out for an hour and then went to the living room; before he left, he even winked at me.
"What are you doing in there that I call and don't answer?"
"I drink water."
I heard Asher and Alpha's voices echoing into the kitchen, and when I confirmed that Alpha didn't suspect anything, I breathed a sigh of relief.
Waiting for Asher to disappear, I went back to continue my work.
At precisely seven o'clock, I put the food on the table and went to my room to wake Stella, Alpha's pet daughter.
I need to prepare myself mentally before knocking on her door. Stella has a stubborn personality, which comes from the fact that she is always pampered. She quickly goes crazy over a tiny thing. When we were kids, Serena didn't hesitate to throw a knife at my head just because I accidentally soiled her dress. I was lucky not to die, but I still have an ugly scar on my forehead.
I took a deep breath and knocked on the door; there was no response. After a few times like that, there was no sign of a reply inside. I finally had to open the door to her room. Instantly a pillow flew toward my face, but I quickly dodged it because things like this happen so often.
"Who gave you permission to open the door of my room without my permission?" Stella's shrill scream echoed throughout the mansion, and the birds outside the window were also sent flying in panic.
I remained calm; I answered the same as always. "Luna called you down for breakfast."
Stella scratched her head, angrily pointing at my face. "Don't bring my mother out to scare me; you think I'm scared? Get out of here before I get mad and chop you up and feed the dogs."
Faced with Stella's harsh words, I didn't get angry; after all, I'd heard it since I was a child. I was still hard-headed and walked over; when I wanted to pull Stella out of the blankets, she jumped up and gave me a rough kick in the stomach. Due to a lack of preparation, I was thrown against the wall. I feel like I just broke a couple of ribs.
"Are you deaf?" Stella growled in displeasure when she saw that I wanted to touch her. "Don't ever touch me with your dirty hands. Do you hear me?"
I coughed several times, dropped my hands on the floor, and sat up. I furrowed my brows from the pain; it's hard to stay calm in this situation; I looked at Stella and said. "If you don't come down to breakfast, I'll touch your face and use this hand to rub your face."
Stella's beautiful face paled; she glared at me and rushed into the bathroom. She hates me, absolutely hates me. She always thinks I'm dirty and cursed and never wants to touch me. Thanks to that, Stella often throws things at me or scolds me; she rarely directly hits me.
End of the quest in Stella's room, I went down to the kitchen. There, Luna was already seated. She is elegantly drinking tea and reading the news. Something is wrong; Luna's attitude is very heavy. Her mood is not good; I need to be more careful; I feel that I am walking on a thin sheet of ice, it may break, and I will fall at any moment.
"Did you wake Stella up yet?" Luna heard the sound and looked up.
I bowed my head and respectfully replied. "Yes, she will be right down."
With Stella, I can tease her a bit now and then, but with Luna, I can't even look her in the eye. It was cold gray eyes; it could freeze the opposite person.
As usual, I poured a glass of water for Luna; I was about to put it down but accidentally spilled it on Luna when she reached out.
Luna growled. "What are you doing?"
Before I could answer, a slap hit my face. My mind reeled momentarily; I could smell the blood in my mouth and Luna's harsh voice. "You stupid bastard, there's just so much you can't do. Do you believe I will throw you in the woods and let the wild beasts tear you apart?"
I shook my head, fighting the pain, and answered. "Sorry, Luna, I was careless; next time, I'll pay attention and not cause such a thing."
"Get out! Don't annoy me!" Luna scowled.
It's like an amnesty. I better get out of here; I feel terrible every second, every minute. It started as a slap, but it could turn into a relentless fight if I continued to displease Luna.
When I walked out, I accidentally bumped into Stella, who was coming downstairs. She was amused when she saw me being beaten and pouted mockingly. "Deserved!"
I ignored her and quickly left Luna's sight. I saw Alpha and Asher jog back when I got to the door. I wanted to say hello but didn't want him to worry about me, so I hid in the corner. Waiting for everyone to finish eating, I need to clean up; then I can have breakfast.
I was increasingly confident that something serious had happened to the Pack. Since the morning ended, I have yet to see Alpha, Luna, or even Asher. In the large mansion where only Stella and I were left, she was filing her nails and mumbling her displeasure at being forbidden to go out by Luna."Is my mother old and out of her mind? How can she order me to be detained here?" Stella raised her eyes to the sky and groaned.I just looked at her and got yelled at by Stella. "Look again, and I'll gouge your eyes out!""I don't want to look at you either," I said and turned away; I wasn't in the mood to argue or get into trouble with her.After a while, Stella got bored and returned to her room to sleep. The room became much quieter.Usually, my day would have passed comfortably if my hunch wasn't uneasy. I don't know what's wrong with me, but my heart is constantly pounding. My left eye keeps twitching, and I usually have bad luck when that happens. Asher thinks it's superstitious, but I
I stood feverishly outside the door, only hearing Stella's unending sobs. I can understand her mood right now. No one can stay calm when hearing such breaking news.Is she marrying Elias? That is so bad!At this moment, the door opened again. Alpha ordered me inside. "Come here, Serena; we have something important to tell you."I walked over slowly, Luna ordered me to sit again, but I refused and said. "I can stand and listen."Alpha and Luna didn't force me either. Luna nudged Alpha's waist and said. "Do you think my offer is okay?"Alpha nodded and looked at me from top to bottom. I feel unnatural, but I can't do anything else. I cannot scold him or leave this place without permission."Serena, hear what I'm about to say." Luna is serious.I nodded nervously. I imagined dozens of tasks for me. If Alpha ordered me to go to the battlefield, I would accept it, but her following sentence would turn me to stone. "I want you to replace my daughter in marriage to Alpha Elias. You are not a
I sat before the dressing table, looking at my sad face in the mirror; I suddenly felt bitter. My eyes are puffy because I cried all night last night; even though the makeup artist tried to cover it under makeup, it didn't do much.On the wedding day, people are supposed to be cheerful and happy, but I put on the face of a mourner. In my dreams, I always dreamed that I could walk beside Asher, put on my best wedding dress, and receive everyone's blessings. But now, all my wishes are shattered."You should be happy to be married to such a big character as Alpha Elias; why display such a disgruntled expression here?" The disgruntled makeup artist pouted.I smiled faintly, sarcastically. "If it feels so good, will you marry him instead of me?"After hearing that sentence, the makeup lady's face turned pale; she didn't dare to be rude to me anymore. Almost everyone trembled as a dog caught in the rain when they listened to that sentence. Yes, no one is willing to marry a cruel like Elias;
The atmosphere in the car was highly gloomy; the other man and I always kept silent. Contrary to the usual smile on his lips when entering the wedding, Marcus is a freezing person. He just took the initiative to say a few sentences to me on assignment, and I just replied politely, and then it ended in less than five sentences.I put my hands on my hands and looked out the window, watching the scenery outside constantly moving, but my heart was empty. The rain was getting heavier and heavier, like the sky was crying for me.Our car gradually went deeper into Pack territory; I realized this because, on the way, there were many times I saw the flag representing Blood Moon. This place used to be called S-Moon; Pack is small, but its natural resources are affluent. Many people were trying to take it, including Blue Moon, but no one could trespass because of the rugged terrain. But three months ago, it belonged to Elias; what is more impressive, he readily took it in one night and renamed t
"You seem very dissatisfied with this marriage?" Elias lifted my chin, smiling sarcastically. "The act of selling your daughter to the enemy, regardless of her life or death, thinking over and over in this world, only your father can do it." I feel bitter in my heart; no father would have the heart to let his daughter step into the fire pit. Therefore, I am new here, becoming a dead ghost in place of his daughter. However, I only dared to mutter these words in my heart, not daring to say a word. Elias's thumb brushed my lips, rubbing it with such force that it wanted to tear, but I stubbornly refused to utter a word. Because since I was a child, I have known a cruel truth. No matter how much I suffer or suffer, no one will feel sorry for me. No, there used to be, and now it's just a past I want to bury the most. Thinking like that, I don't want to appear weak in front of a cruel person like Elias; my pain in his eyes is just a joke. "It's ugly; remove that thick powder on your fac
I stared in horror at the man in front of me without blinking. I was more and more afraid of him. I once stole a book by Asher; inside, a stunning sentence made me remember it forever.'The devil has a fierce appearance that is not scary; the devil with an angelic beauty that is scary.'This sentence looks pretty suitable for Elias; he has a perfect face like a statue but a deep black heart like a snake or centipede."If it's okay, be a little obedient to me; if you make me unhappy, I don't know what entertainment I will come up with to play with you." Elias left a warning and left the room.Hearing the footsteps fade away until the sound of the car engine sounds, I come to my senses.Even though he was gone, the cold still left me shivering; I pulled into the blanket, and my body couldn't help but shiver. I know today's things are just the beginning of a chain of unhappiness behind.Elias didn't say if he'd come back home, so I didn't dare to nap all afternoon, just staring at the do
The scene outside was nothing like what I had imagined of the land Elias ruled. That also made me hesitate to go out.According to what I found out, Blood Moon is different from the usual Packs. They are never fixed in one place and often change their location; from the day Blood Moon was founded to now, they have moved through nine different positions. Wherever they conquer, that place will be their home.I assumed that when I left that cold house, I would encounter a scene of death and trauma. But no, what I was seeing was a busy city.Pedestrians, riders, and people sit in the cafe enjoying a hot cup of coffee, and groups of students gather to chat freely and have fun; the adults then complain about the difficult superiors.It is a bustle of everyday life.What is this, after all?I feel my mind confused along. Under the constant frequency of location changes, how does Blood Moon carry so many people? Those rogue warriors also have no family; they are a bloodthirsty and warlike arm
Serena's POV:I was sleeping, but an annoying sound kept bothering me, like a drop of water in a still river. I frowned and opened my eyes in annoyance. I suddenly looked up at the gray ceiling, the pungent smell of disinfectant, and the four walls were cold white.When I wanted to raise my hand, I found a transparent rope at my wrist; inside, precise drops of water dripped down. I suddenly understood, so the sound I heard during my coma was seawater entering my body."Are you awake?" A sweet voice caught my attention.I tilted my head to see a young girl with a round face and clear eyes like an angel; her clothes were white like an angel's. The pale yellow sunlight shining from the window frame fell on her back like a halo; with just one more pair of wings, I would have believed she was an angel coming to take me away.The girl looked at me and smiled gently.I muttered like an idiot. 'Is that an angel? I'm dead, so the angel came to pick me up, right?'But I realized I was still ali