"What?" I echoed.
"You didn’t hear this from , but..." she leaned closer, voice hushed, "it is most likely that you were supposed to be his fated mate if you have these symptoms after drinking his blood."
I bit down on my lip. "You keep saying symptoms. Are there other symptoms?"
Her face fell, realization flashing across her features.
"What?" I asked, panic creeping into my voice.
"There are... but I can’t tell you now. You’ll have to figure it out yourself."
"How do you an?"
"It cos bit by bit. It’s the sa process as receiving your wolf for the first ti—like your first shift."
I have not had my first shift. Will that affect anything?
"When will I know they’re symptoms whenever they co around?"
"You will have the strength of a Luna," she whispered.
My lips parted in shock as I watched her step away, slipping out of the room as though she had never been there at all.
Two shocking truths hit tonight—I was ant to be Alpha Dawn’s mate, and I would bear the strength of a Luna whenever the symptoms arose.
But was this a good thing... or a curse?
I stayed lost in thought until a loud knock rattled my door.
My heart skipped, fearing it might be the Alpha, but instead, the door pushed open and a tall, hourglass-shaped woman entered. She was dressed in a fitted black knee-length gown, her expression stern, her jet-black hair pulled into a severe bun.
"Hello, breeder. My na is Ola. I’m here to take you to your bedroom and help you officially settle down, as instructed by the Alpha."
At the re ntion of him, my heart skipped again. Still, I rose to my feet, following her out as she guided toward the elevator.
I had already changed into the tank top and mini skirt Miss Naomi brought earlier.
Catching my reflection in the elevator’s mirrored walls, I looked... ordinary. Not like soone who had just been stabbed with a piece of wood, or soone who had caught the Alpha’s eyes, or soone who was an Oga pretending to be an elite wolf. Just .
Five days. That’s all it had taken. Five days to go from being an Oga... to pretending to be elite... to being noticed by the Alpha... to being threatened by the Luna. What a series of events.
The elevator doors slid open to reveal a brightly lit hall. It was eerily empty, the glow of wall lamps casting long shadows. At the end stood a door identical to the elevator’s—though it wasn’t one. Ola led there, produced a key, and pushed it open.
The bedroom she revealed was twice the size of the one I had just left.
It had everything: a dressing table, a queen-sized bed, a five-seater couch, a center table, a minibar, a flat-screen TV, and a closet filled with beautiful outfits.
"On the center table is your cellphone," Ola instructed. "You are only allowed to contact your chaperone and Mr. Ronald. Contacting anyone else will land you in trouble."
I nodded slowly, watching her leave.
I glanced around. This was everything I had ever dread of—since the very mont my mother brought into this world. So why wasn’t I happy? Why did my chest ache as though pierced again?
Tears pricked my eyes before I could stop them.
Was this the Moon Goddess’s punishnt for trying to run away?
Was this hell so kind of cruel payback for attempting to escape my Oga life?
I reached for the cellphone and switched it on.
The mont it lit up, I opened the call log and dialed Gideon’s number.
I didn’t know Sable’s—she had lost her phone long ago and never had the money to replace it.
He picked up on the second ring.
"Hello?" his voice echoed faintly through the receiver.
I quickly got up and shut the window. "Gideon?"
"Yes. Who is this, please?"
"It’s , Gideon. It’s Bambi," I whispered.
A pause. A long one—so long I doubted he was still there.
"Bambi?" he asked finally.
"Yes, Bambi."
"Bambi, where are you?"
I sat on the bed, gnawing on my nails anxiously. "I can’t tell you now. I just called to let you know I’m fine. Where is Sable?"
There was a shuffle on his end. "I-I don’t know."
"What do you an?"
"I haven’t spoken to her in three days. She stopped picking up my calls. She hasn’t replied to my texts either."
I froze.
"It happened after she failed to qualify as the Alpha’s breeder," he added.
Was she still upset?
"Where exactly are you, Bambi? Are you at a motel in another Pack’s territory?"
"Uhm... I’ll explain later, when I can. But I’m safe. Don’t worry about ."
"Okay. Just be careful. The rogues have been active lately."
The rogues?
"Vladimir and his crew are back?"
Another shuffle on his end. "Yes. Oliver told . Don’t tell anyone. I don’t think the Alpha knows yet."
A knock on my door startled , making my heart leap into my throat.
"I’ll talk to you later, Gideon." I whispered hurriedly, hung up, and deleted the call history.
"W-who is there?" I called toward the door, but silence answered.
I rose slowly, skeptical.
The curtains were drawn, leaving the room dark and gloomy. Still, I edged forward.
Another bang—harder, more aggressive this ti.
"W-who is it?" I shouted again, but no reply ca.
Strangely, I couldn’t catch any scent.
My hand trembled as I settled it on the knob, my heartbeat pounding in my ears.
Slowly, I turned it. I had barely cracked the door open when it flew wide, slamming against the wall as a figure stord inside.
My eyes widened.
He shut the door, locked it, and clasped a hand firmly over my mouth before I could scream.
Alpha Dawn.
He was dressed in a white shirt and pants—the shirt shredded as though clawed apart, streaked with blood. His face was splattered with it too.
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