I cried for several hours straight, questioning why something like this could happen to me. I was now an orphan, a she-wolf with no one.

Krill apologized to me sincerely, tears streaming down his dark skin.

He explained that my father didn't wish to tell me that his time was ending because he wanted to spend every second he had left with a matter more important.

Of course, I understood the position he was placed in, forgiving and forgetting.

The pack was in disorder, and I was immediately placed in the new alpha. Not for long, anyway; he was coming soon.

And I would be his Luna.

Right when I leave, Krill will be in charge. My pack and the alpha of the north's pack would combine. So much for being an alpha...

After my father passed away, I felt the power of the position absorbing into my wolf. Even if I became mated with him, I would still hold the power deep within me. It has been fused with my wolf and me, now and forever.

It made me understand why he wasn't willing to hand the position of alpha to me earlier, even though I had just turned 20 years old months before.

He knew the pack was already dying, and nothing would change even if I were to become alpha.

Until he came along.

Now, we were saved by my betrothed mate.

With the pack calming down due to my earlier speech, they started packing all they could. We will be leaving tomorrow. My bag and his pack would be combining, expanding his lands.

Our lands.

My pack members would come filled with riches. Happy and fulfilled.

That's right, it was my duty. No matter how wrong it seemed, I had my duty above anything else, even if it meant rejecting my mate.

My wolf, Wasabi, who was mourning quietly, started whimpering at the thought of rejecting him.

I sighed for the hundredth time that day, dragging myself to my so-called bed. Laying on the mat, silent tears rolled down my cheeks.

Kace tried to speak with me, but I only pushed him away. I needed alone time, and I think he realized that. He gave me space, but I knew I needed to speak to him in the morning.

The morning when I would finally meet this alpha of the north. I curled myself into a ball, feeling helpless. I was lost and confused.

I visibly shivered, the coldness seeping through the cracks of the walls.

Inhaling a deep breath, I talk to myself.

It may have been seen as a strange thing to do, but it put me at ease in this harsh world—the reality of how cruel it was.

Then, I began whispering about how much I missed my father and mother. I missed her home-baked cookies, how she tickled or gave me wise advice, how my father tried to fill the role of a single parent but failed when his health went downhill.

I promised him that I wouldn't let my tiara fall and would do just that.

***

"Iris, wake up. He's almost here," a voice whispered above me, shaking my body with the gentle touch of a hand.

I frowned, my eyelids parting as the sunlight shined in my eyes. I blinked a few times, the room clearing up. Soon enough, Kace's figure stood before me, looking a bit down but a bit excited.

He knew...

I frown, pushing myself up my 'bed' and getting up for the morning. I shivered when the chilling air touched my delicate skin. Goosebumps rose, my body in a frenzy.

"I see..." I rasped, voice still heavy with sleep.

With my eyes cast down in sorrow and a worried friend watching me stand, I hurried to the bathroom, preparing for the worst. I may as well make sure I look presentable, right?

***

"Hurry up, everyone, he's going to be arriving any minute now," Krill ordered, hurrying our pack mates to the front of the house.

Krill was one of the few people from Nigeria around here. Kace was from Vietnam, and let's say... around these pack lands, we're pretty diverse.

On the other hand, I'm Canadian.

Getting whisked away from my innermost thoughts, I huffed from carrying my bags to the front. Checking to make sure that everyone had everything they needed before leaving.

A tear almost slipped when I remembered that my father wouldn't be joining us today... because he wasn't even here anymore.

Sucking it up, I join my pack members, my head high.

Moments later, a few trucks come by. They pushed the trees apart, coming straight to the pack house before sliding to a halt.

It had been so long since I'd seen a nice truck, and I was sure my pack members were as awed as I was. The tires had a grip on them, while the iron on the car was painted solid black.

The doors opened, and the first thing I saw was the warriors filing out, then the Gamma, and finally, another more substantial presence, which I assumed was the Beta.

The Gamma had blondish hair slicked to the side and blue eyes enough to draw anyone in. His muscles twitched underneath his clothing, trying to get used to the new environment.

While the Beta had brownish hair and green eyes, it was an odd combination, but it still caught the eyes of other she-wolves in my pack. His biceps flexed as he closed the truck door and opened it more comprehensively for the next person to enter, still cautious of his surroundings.

At last, one last figure stepped out of the truck. I had assumed it was the Alpha of the North, but my business mode vanished when I took in the scent of something. My wolf, Wasabi, went haywire. She chanted and growled, 'Mate, Mate, MATE!'

I nearly dropped my bags then and there.

The smell of Dior filled my nostrils, almost making me drool. From the distance, I could see him turning his head left and right, looking for the source of the smell as well.

Then, finally, his eyes locked with mine.

Realization dawned in my eyes: he was the Alpha of the North.

The one I know belongs to due to my pack's benefit.

And to make it even more surprising...

He's my mate.