Young women and some other higher ranked wolves from the pack rushed towards the main entrance to welcome the future Alpha. Ophelia's eager self was there in her expensive red gown.

While my heart raced fast in my chest, gasps and awws echoed across the crowd. And then I felt it. The heavy pressure on the air, the burden on my shoulders as if forcing me to submit. Each person present in the room felt it, even father and Luna Ralph.

My wolf was restless in my mind, sudden goosebumps rolled across my skin. And then the most delicious scent I had ever taken entered my nostrils. Smell of woods mixed with fire and musk.

My Vin…

Taking a few steps ahead with desperation to see a glimpse of him, I tried to peek through the buzzing crowd. But all the moving people were blocking my vision. The most I could see was the top of his head with midnight dark hair.

My eyes burned with tears at the swarm of emotions slamming into me. After so many years… My wolf yearned to go close to him and hide into his familiar arms.

As I was about to run towards him, a hand grabbed my elbow.

"Stop! You're going to end up in the dungeon again if you go near him!" Mia hissed, pointing ahead where Luna Ralph rushed to greet her son. My father followed behind.

In my eagerness, I totally forgot about her. She had once locked me up in the dungeon for a whole day finding me trying to sneak into Vin's room after he was gone. I needed something that belonged to him closer to me to sleep at night. Thanks to uncle Donovan I was saved from the whips I was going to receive. My own father didn't help me out. He never did.

"The potion I gave you to cover your scent only works as long as you stay far away from someone. But if you get close, the alpha family is going to know about your presence!" Mia reminded me of the danger I was in.

But…Vin was here tonight, wasn't he?

"I…I need to see him, Mia," I whispered, staring at the crowd that blocked him from my view.

"See who? The soon to be Alpha?"

A voice made us freeze.

Ophelia stood right behind us. Her eyes were bloodred, the maskara in her right eye was smudged. A rage hid behind her blue orbs. But somehow she managed to be calm.

When did she slip away from the crowd around him? I thought she was eager to meet him.

"You think you are safe from now on now that Alpha Vinson is here? You're really pathetic, aren't you?" She let out a mocking laugh. "You really think he still cares about his bastard stepsister? Poor Aurora, he is going to get too busy from now on. After all, he got someone who is gonna keep his mind engaged all the time."

Something churned inside my stomach. "W-what do you mean?"

She jutted her chin towards the crowd surrounding him. But now…I could see his back. His broad shoulders, powerful back. Towering over everyone around him, donning a charcoal suit that wrapped around his muscles in a tight grip, he stood there with his hands in his pockets.

Though he was engaged in a conversation with some other Alphas, his posture was tense. His gaze flickered around the room.

My heart skipped. "Vin…"

A whisper left my lips. His shoulders tensed. A low rumble as if from a ferocious beast rang throughout the hall, silencing everyone. A tremble ran through me. My wolf purred. Turning over his shoulder, he slowly turned around.

Sharp silver eyes met my hazels. And I stopped breathing.

My body trembled as if a jolt of something deliciously powerful ran through me. My heart started pounding and a heat burned through my skin. My wolf howled in my mind, as if scratching beneath to come out. An urge to shift and run into his arm came over me.

Never had I seen such a brutally beautiful man in my entire life.

The Vin I knew and desired was no longer there. Stood there was a man with towering height and a body capable of tearing a mountain. Strong jaw, sharp nose, full lips and a wide forehead where a couple of midnight strands fell carelessly while the rest was swiped back in a neat manner. Those always cold silver eyes were darker now. So dark they scared me and compelled me to their deepest depth at the same time.

My throat dried up. The sound of my furious heartbeat reached my ears.

As if in a trance, I took a step ahead. But before I could take another, a presence came into my line of view. A slender fair hand wrapped around his arm as a woman in a sea green mermaid gown stood beside him.

"What is it, baby? Is something wrong?" Her sweet yet clear tone touched my ears.

And her words…scalded me. B-baby?

An ill feeling rose into my stomach. Why was she c-calling my Vin so intimately?

With my body still, my eyes met him again. They were…cold. I couldn't understand him. Nor did he remove the woman's hand.

"Meet our future Luna. Luna Adeline. Alpha Vinson's mate," Ophelia said.

My heart stopped beating. A numbness spread across my body. My gaze never left him, I could feel my eyes burn and a drop of tear rolled down my cheek.

He didn't react. He didn't lose control of his wolf like he used to do whenever something hurt me. Instead, he seemed to turn colder, his jaw clenched, never leaving my gaze. The tight crease between his brows was like a distaste for my presence.

My lips parted as a sharp pain pierced through my heart. Another tear fell, I could feel my heart crack and fall into millions of pieces at the coldness of those silver eyes I was so much in love with.

That woman, Adeline, frowned and turned to me.

He…he found his mate. His luna. The one who was made for him.

My heart clenched as an unbearable agony roared through my soul.

He wasn't mine… not anymore. Nor did he need his butterfly anymore.

I was just the bastard stepsister of his. Maybe not even that. I was nothing to him anymore.

A sob wrecked through me, and before I could break down before everyone, I turned around and ran. Away from everyone, from my pain, from him.

"Aurora!" Mia's voice rang from behind me, but I was far too lost to respond to her.

Tears ran down my cheeks as I ran out of the Alpha manor. The dark sky above me rumbled, a flash of light flickered across the narrow road that led towards the woods.

I was wrong. I was wrong to keep hoping he still remembered me, cared for me. I was wrong believing those sweet and subtle words of possessiveness in his letters meant something. That his gift on every special occasion meant something.

He never wanted me. Never desired me as a partner. Everything was my misconception. My young heart mistook his lingering gazes and protective touches.

I was just a responsibility to him. An orphan stigma he had to take care of after his step-father disowned her.

Now I understood why he stopped sending me letters, and stopped responding to mine. Because he stopped caring. He found her.

Another pain speared my heart. My wolf howled in pain.

Suddenly my leg stumbled with something before I fell forward.

A gasp left me as my body hit the hard yet cold ground. Harsh wind ran across the woods causing my red strands to cover my vision. A few chuckles reached my ears.

"Oww, the future alpha's not so special anymore step-sister fell. Kate, won't you help her up?" a female voice said, followed by a couple of sneakers of mockery.

Looking up, I found Gina, Kate, Sam and a few young guys from the pack. Some of them had cigarettes in their hands, chilling with their cars at the entrance of the woods. And they found their entertainment for the night. Me.

"Why should I? Isn't that her actual place? On the dirt." Kate leaned against a car.

At that moment, I didn't fear them. Tears continuously fell from my eyes. Sniffling, I got up and tried to walk away. But Kate appeared before me. Her gaze fell on my chest, on the ruby necklace I had always kept hidden under my high neck dresses. But tonight, the waitress uniform revealed the pendant.

She frowned. "How did you get such an expensive pendant, rogue? Did you steal from Ophelia?"

Her hand was faster than her words as she went to reach the ruby. But I took a step back. Wiping my tears, I held her eyes. "T-that's mine. Stay away from it."

Vin gifted it to me on my sixteenth birthday. I was never letting anyone take his last gift away from me. Even though he didn't care anymore.

She raised a brow. Taking a step closer, she gripped my arm. A wince left me at the harsh grip. "What did you say? Did you just tell me off?"

"Let go of me!" I tried to free myself.

Kate's eyes flashed. Her claws elongated and pierced my skin. A hiss left my lips. "How dare you talk to me in that manner, you low class omega!"

My wolf turned restless, growling at her, yet I couldn't find myself to shift.

"Babe, let her go. Beta Donovan can't see the marks on her. You know she doesn't heal fast," Sam said, trying to pull Kate from me.

Realizing the truth, Kate released me, making me bit my lip to stop the hiss of pain.

"Then you tell her she better stays in her fucking place," she snapped, glaring at me.

Blood gushed out from her claw marks. It hurt. But not more than my heart did at that moment.

"Oh, Aurora. Why do you always find yourself in the wrong situation?" Sam said, caressing the wound on my arm. A shiver of disgust rolled through me.

My legs were fast to take a step back, but his eyes never left me. Especially my body.

Seeing Kate's anger was rolling off of her, I looked down and ran away. Another sob fell from my lips. The trunks and dry leaves crunched underneath my feet as I ran through the dense woods. Thunder flashed again.

I tolerated all the insults and pain hoping one day you would return and save me. I thought it was all worth it.

But it wasn't. You weren't mine anymore to protect me.

A sharp stab felt in my chest.

I was truly pathetic. Loving my step-brother even after knowing it could lead me to a heartbreak.

I wanted the forbidden. And for that, I was punished.

I didn't know where I was going through the dark and dense woods, but I needed an escape. Escape from him.

Suddenly a scent hit my nostrils. A scent I knew well.

My wolf went alert.

Was he…following me?

Turning around, I searched my surroundings. But other than thick trees or dark bushes, I didn't see anyone.

Then a twig hit my sensitive ear. The scent was becoming more intense. My heart started to race. Not in excitement, but in the feeling of danger.

"W-what are you doing here?"

A chuckle under the dark night. "So your senses aren't that weak then."

His tall and lean figure came out from behind a tree. Dark brown eyes took a stroll over my body. I clenched my fists in disgust.

"What are you doing here, Sam?" I tried to keep my voice stern. But my trembling heart rate must have given away my fear.

His gaze was never pure for me. But he never tried to come after me like that.

"Isn't it clear? I wanted to make sure you were okay," he said, his voice was lewd. His brown eyes flashed while taking slow steps towards me. "Now, can't let a beautiful girl like you wander alone in the woods, can I?"

My eyes looked around for an escape. I was too far away from the pack house for anyone to be around. And I doubted if anyone would listen to my scream over the music of the party.

"I-I'm fine. You can go back to Kate. She must be waiting for you." With that, I turned around to leave. But he grabbed my hand before I could take a single step.

The sky rumbled again. Slow drizzle started to pour.

"I don't know about her. But I'm sure waiting for you, sweetheart." He pulled me against him, making me gasp. My body immediately went into a fighting mode, but his grip on my shoulders was strong. As the son of the gamma of the pack, he was much stronger than average wolves.

"Let go of me, Sam! What are you doing?" Panic started to grow inside me.

Leaning in, he took a sniff of my neck. His warm breath reeking of alcohol fanned my skin, making my skin crawl. "What's the fuss about, baby? I'm trying to be gentle with you here. You should appreciate that the future Gemma is showing interest in you. But you have been just ignoring me."

I tried to scratch his arm, but he didn't move. His grip on me tightened painfully.

"Please…let me go! Or…or else, I will scream!"

"Do it. Let's see who comes to save you from me." A dark chuckle. "But it's definitely not gonna be Vinson anymore. Poor, you. You were hoping he would be your savior again after his arrival just like years ago? You're wrong, sweetheart. He isn't your sweet caring big brother anymore. He is a monster with a black heart." His hand started to roam my hip to my back. My sob of helplessness echoed under the heavy pouring.

"S-sam…please…" I tried to call my wolf, but she was too weak to shift.

"Yes, beg me. Beg me to touch this virgin body of yours. I promise, I will make this so good, Aurora…" My stomach churned at his breath falling on my lips, his now wet body pressing against mine. The rain made it more difficult for me.

Tears rolled down my eyes, a panic rose inside me. There was no way I could fight off a born Gemma.

A gasp left my lips as I was suddenly pushed on the dirty wet jungle floor. His eyes darkened. Licking his lips, he lounged onto me, pinning me to the ground.

"You are going to be mine tonight…"

"No!" I struggled, trying to break free. "Please…"

Suddenly a growl so fierce that it shook the earth beneath me rang across the dark forest.

Sam froze on me. My tear filled eyes turned to the source of a sound of heavy paws hitting the ground before a creature bigger than any wolf I had ever seen leaped through the air.

A scream tore through me as it collided into Sam, throwing him off of me. A groan of pain left the latter as he watched the monster in front of him with eyes wide and raw fear.

The creature who looked like a wolf but so much bigger in size and muscles stood proudly six feet over Sam. With midnight black fur and long sharp canines shining under the night, his blazing red eyes were fixed on the future Gemma. As if he was about to meet his worst fate.

The scent of woods mixed with fire and musk hit my nostrils, making me realize who it was.

Vin…

I thought he didn't care…He came for me?

"A-alpha…It's not what you think…" Sam gulped, terrified of the beastly creature before him as he scrambled back. But it only angered the black wolf.

Letting out a growl, he leaped forward and pinned Sam beneath him. His sharp murderous claws were next to hit deep in Sam's chest. His painful howl rang throughout the rainy night.

I gasped in horror as blood gushed out his wound. Leaning in, Vin's wolf stared right into Sam's eyes. With his red eyes blazing with fire, he seemed to mindlink something to Sam to which the latter's eyes widened and his face drastically paled. Writhing underneath the vicious black wolf, he cried out for mercy.

"Alpha…p-please…forgive me…I d-didn't know she was…"

I opened my mouth for him to stop and let Sam go. But before I could do it or Sam finished his sentence, the black wolf let out a roar and ripped Sam's heart out of his chest.

A scream left my lips. My gut clenched at the gruesome sight before me as Sam's lifeless eyes stared into nothingness. A tremor of fear rolled down my spine with the heavy rain drops piercing my skin.

H-he killed Sam…

Throwing Sam's body away from him as if it was dirt and weighing nothing, he slowly turned to me. Blazing red eyes met my tear-filled hazels.

And before I knew, he leapt towards me, pinning me down on the forest floor.

Hello guys! I'm finally here with my new chapter. I'm so sorry for being late. Actually it was Eid and there were a lot of guests at home. Then my mom fell sick and I had to take care of her. Hope you sweeties didn't mind.

Did you enjoy the chapter? I cried for Aurora while writing this 😢 Let me know in the comments about your opinion.

The next chapter will be up soon!

With love,

Eva Zahan.