NADINE

I tried to convince myself that the Moon Goddess never played favorites. That she was a kind-hearted Goddess who only wanted the best for her people. But when she let my parents die right before my eyes on my twelfth birthday, my perception of her changed in a blink of an eye.

"Wake up, Nads! You wouldn't want to get the Alpha hungry before training!" a familiar man shouted as he banged the wooden door of my room that's barely attached to the concrete wall.

A heavy sigh escaped my lips after I pulled the sheets down to my chest. My body was still sore and I was having a hard time healing lately due to the restrain anklet I was forced to wear. No matter how many times I tried to tell Alpha that I didn't start the fight against Kelsey, I was still the one punished. Now I had to wear this stupid silver anklet for another week.

I knew he sided with Kelsey because he hated me so much. My mother was his true mate, but mum lost the fight for the Luna position before. They had no choice but to marry someone else. Mum fell in love eventually with my Dad, who happened to be Alpha Lawrence's Beta... and his younger brother.

Alpha couldn't accept the fact that Mum and Dad had me out of love because he never moved on from my mother, so when my parents died, he gave me a choice. Either to leave the pack and get myself killed by hunters or stay as their slave.

So much for being his true love's daughter.

I promised Mum and Dad I would stay, so I chose the harder route in life. I guess I didn't really have the right to whine about all the abuse and unfair treatment I was getting. I had a choice, and I chose this life.

The last thing I would want right now is another beating and an anklet just because I was late for work, so I pulled myself up. The Delta banged my door once more, harder this time. Afraid it would finally break, I yelled. "I'm up!"

When I heard him leave, I groaned and stretched my arms. My bones cracked and, somehow, I felt relieved. My bare feet felt the cold floor before it searched for the comfort of my old flip flops. With my still sleepy eyes, I looked around my tiny room I had been calling home since I lost Mum and Dad.

Nothing changed. My clothes were still inside a cardboard box I stole in the kitchen. Some books from Mum's stuff were stacked next to my bed to be a night stand where I placed our family photo, my room key, mom's locket, and a small jar where I put some of the change I was getting whenever Alpha would send me to the downtown to get groceries. Funny as how it would sound, mother gave me her locket before she ran out of breath.

I didn't understand why, and there were days that I didn't want to wear it anymore, but I promised her that I would always have it. I was twelve that night. Maybe I just didn't get her right when she said, "keep it all the time and know that no matter how difficult life will be, you are a product of love."

I knew my parents loved me more than anything. What I didn't understand was why she gave me a locket that had her and Alpha Lawrence's photo. I knew they had history, but Mum made sure that I came into this world because my parents were in love.

I shook my head and got up to take a shower before I got emotional after seeing my late folks' picture. I'd been on my own for about nine years. I had already accepted the fact that I didn't belong to the golden list of Moon Goddess' favorite creations.

After I changed into a pair of faded jeans and a white shirt, I stormed out. My room was near the storage room. With a few more steps, I was already in front of the kitchen.

Because of my restraint, I failed to sense the man hiding behind the kitchen door. He snatched me by my arm and shut the door immediately before anyone could see us together.

"Luhence." I breathed out a sigh of relief.

My boyfriend, who happened to be the next Alpha of our pack, smiled at me before he wrapped his strong arms around my tiny body.

"I missed you, Nads. It's been a week." He leaned down to kiss me lightly, which I gladly answered. "I heard you got into a fight with Kelsey when I left with Dad's Beta."

I rolled my eyes and traced my fingertips on his jaw. "She started it. She hit me first."

Luhence's eyes turned soft. He raked a few strands of my sandy blonde hair towards the back of my ear before he heaved a sigh. "I'm sorry I wasn't here to protect you."

"Lu, even when you're here, you're not allowed to do that." My eyes fell on his chest as I felt my throat tighten. "We can't let them find out about us or they'll surely get rid of me before the selection night."

He pulled me closer and pecked gentle kisses on top of my hair. I inhaled his natural manly scent mixed with his perfume and let it intoxicate me. Despite all the bullshit I'd been enduring over the past years, I still wanted to call myself lucky for having him as my mate.

"I believe in you, Nads. I promise you, you'll have a better life after the selection."

A slight nod was my only answer before I hugged him back.

I could never afford to lose him in that match...

I need to win the fight for the Luna position. My relationship with Luhence wasn't enough to secure my spot in his life, because under the rules of Nirvana, only the strongest she-wolf in the pack was allowed to be the Luna. I have to prove myself worthy of being his mate, even if it would kill me.

"I have to go. Dad wants me to lead the training today." He gave me a kiss on my forehead. "Don't work yourself up too much."

As if I had a choice.

I was the slave of Zenios. I was never entitled to rest while chores weren't done yet.