Nora's POV
With my mother by my side, I had always believed I was one of them, a full-blooded werewolf. I convinced myself I belonged, that I fit in. But now?
Alpha Gavner must pay for everything.
I took a step forward, but the world around me spun. My vision blurred, and a sharp pain shot through my skull. My knees buckled, and before I could realize myself, I crashed to the ground.
The last thing I felt was the cold, rough surface of a log against my temple as I hit my head on a log of wood as it was all because black.
~
GAVNER'S POV
The moon goddess had cursed me… for the third time.
Every 250 years, I searched for a mate, and each time, she gave me a weakling. A fragile, pathetic excuse for a Luna.
And this time? It was a nerd.
I watched her face closely when I rejected her. The pain in her eyes was obvious, it was sharp, raw, and unbearable. But I didn't care because she wasn't my type. She wasn't what I wanted.
Hell, I barely even noticed her before today.
After rejecting her, I would have locked her up immediately but I let her slip away. For now…
She would still be useful, even if she wasn't worthy of me.
I followed her from a distance, my eyes watched as she staggered into the forest, she argued with a woman about something as they hopped into the car.
It seemed like she had heard about me .... she knew about me and now she was running. A smirk curled at my lips. I would let her try. I would let her run until her legs gave out.
She would never escape me.
Shifting into my wolf form, I stood in the middle of the road, blocking her path as the car sped toward me.
I would leave her to run for as long as she likes if she wants to fight it... But one thing I was sure of was that she lacked the strength.
She is one of those weaklings.
The tires screeched, the vehicle veering off the road, crashing through the trees before slamming into one with a deafening crunch.
Flames erupted instantly, filling the sky, turning the night into a sea of orange and black.
I was sure that she wasn't going to survive the accident. No one would.
What a loss...
But then I was surprised to see her step out of the flaming car as she fought some of my guards until they dropped dead on the floor.
Smoke curled around her, clinging to her body. Blood smeared across her face, but she stood regardless.
She kept fighting with a strength I had never seen before, she tore through my guards, her movements deadly, her aura suffocating. It was unnatural. It was… powerful, and I felt it.
Then, her body hit the ground like a lifeless doll.
I stepped forward, standing over her. My wolf stirred inside me, restless. I had underestimated her.
"It looks like you have a bit of strength to fight in you, Lenora," I muttered, my voice dark. "But I won't let you keep it."
I turned to my men. "Take her away."
Two of them rushed forward, lifting her limp body.
"Where to, Alpha?"
"Throw her deep into the forest, she would serve as a feast to those hungry rouges"
"Alpha, she still has a pulse!" one of them suddenly shouted.
'What?!' I stiffened, there was no way that was possible.
I was puzzled as I walked up to them to confirm what they had just claimed to be true.
I strode over, bending slightly and pressed my fingers against the side of her neck. I felt her heartbeat, it felt soft and warm.
No! She should be dead. Who the hell is she? What is she?
I pushed the thought aside, masking my puzzled brain with cold indifference. "What the hell are you staring at me for?" I snapped. "You know what to do. Do it."
"Yes, Alpha," they responded in unison.
One of them threw her limp body over his shoulder, disappearing into the dark. The others followed closely behind. I watched until they were gone.
No mate had ever made me question my choices or hesitate. But, Lenora Silverberg was different.
I began to wonder who she was or if it was just a coincidence. I needed to know why she survived.
But not tonight.
I already had enough for the day so with a deep breath, I teleported back home since I needed to prepare for the next deed as well.
The moment I stepped inside, the door burst open and I heard his footsteps.
I didn't need to look up to know who it was.
"You rejected your mate again," Horace's voice rang through the room, filled with something unspoken.
I clenched my jaw. "I know fully well that my mate has nothing to do with the affairs of the pack," I snarled.
Horace took his time stepping into the room, his movements slow, deliberate. He pulled out a chair and sank into it like he owned the room.
"A mate has been chosen for you," he said, adjusting the cuff of his sleeve. "For the third time. You can't keep rejecting them, Gavner."
His voice was calm, but I heard the warning behind it, but anger boiled inside me, hot and venomous.
"And who are you to tell me that?" My voice dropped into something deadly. "An illegitimate son, Hora—"
"Don't you dare call me that," Horace cut me off, his tone sharp as a blade. His eyes locked onto mine, burning with authority. "I am your Alpha! Your King. And you will respect me, brother."
I let out a cold laugh. "Then go find yourself a mate and leave me the hell alone."
Horace exhaled through his nose, like he was holding back something.
"The moon goddess has not chosen a mate for me," he admitted. His voice was eerily steady. "Unlike you, who just rejected your third."
"They were all weak," I spat. "Every single one of them."
"You must mark Lenora," he said, his voice firm. "That is an order."
"And if I don't?" I scoffed.
"You never can tell what will become of you," his lips curved into a cunning smirk.
He got up, walked up to me, and adjusted my collar buttons, "Do not make me do something you will regret"
"Is that a threat?" I stepped closer, my fists tightening by my side as I tried to hold myself from throwing a punch at his face.
"It is an order. And a promise!" his smirk deepened.
Then, without another word, he turned and walked out, shutting the door behind him.
"Damn it!" I roared, slamming my fists into the table. Everything on it crashed to the floor, glass shattering, papers flying.
That bastard had no right to command me. I was older and stronger. He wore the crown and I had nothing.
"I must take back what is rightfully mine"
I would not allow the Horace words to weigh me down. But then, my father's words echoed in my head.
"You are not my son. You will never be King."
I clenched my jaw, shoving the memory away like poison.
I stalked to the bar, yanking out a bottle of apple vinegar. I poured a glass and downed it in one swallow, the bitterness burning my throat.
If only I could face the moon goddess herself, I would demand an explanation as to why she gave l three weaklings to me as mates… three nerds as and yet, none of them is even from a prestigious family.
The moon goddess was definitely my nemesis.
My fingers tightened around the glass as I scrawled and sank into the chair Horace had just been sitting in.
But then, Lenora Silverberg… she wasn't like the others and that alone infuriated m