LOGIN**Raina's POV**
It took a while for the burning sensation in my stomach to stop. When I could finally breathe without my gut feeling like it was being ripped from the inside out, I went to the kitchen to prepare lunch.
The packhouse had plenty of omegas who were supposed to be responsible for such tasks, but I was tasked to do the majority of it.
All because I was different.
I sighed, looking at the dishes in the sink. They couldn’t even have the decency to wash the dishes they used for breakfast.
Pushing my anger down, I walked to the sink and grabbed the sponge before pouring some of the dishwashing liquid on it.
As I began to wash the dishes, a few omegas walked into the kitchen and moments later, I heard them talking.
“I don’t like being in the kitchen when she’s here,” one of them said.
“Oh, just ignore her. Everyone treats her like she’s invisible anyway,” her friend responded.
“Have you seen how big she is? She’s NOT invisible,” the other female said and laughed. “Damn, four of me could fit in her pants.”
I bit my lower lip, trying hard to ignore their mockery.
They couldn’t even bother to keep their voices down as they talked about me. I mean, I was just there.
I didn’t blame them though. My own family treated me like trash. Why would I expect people who were not related to me to treat me any different?
“Come on, girls. That’s not nice,” an annoying voice reached my ears and I coiled my hands into fists.
I knew she would smell Silas’ scent on me and give me hell again.
“Don’t talk about my sister like that… she can hear you, she has feelings too, you know.”
“M-Miss Gwen, we are sorry, we didn’t mean to.”
I rolled my eyes.
They respected Gwen because she was a beauty, and me? I was not worth respecting just because of how I looked, even if I was also from a Beta family.
“We won’t do it again,” the females said in unison.
“That’s alright. My big sis is very kind. She’s already forgiven you,” Gwen said, and after the omegas left the kitchen, she approached me and stood next to me.
“Big sis, are you joining the hunting games today?” She asked, and I glanced at her, silently asking if she had gone mad.
Since when did I participate in pack activities?
I was this pack’s dirty secret.
They didn’t want anyone to see me and know that they have someone like me in their pack.
“I have some reading to do,” I answered anyway. If I ignored her, she wouldn’t leave until she provoked me into responding.
I knew her smile was all fake. She’s the same person who talked shit about me behind my back and enticed people to bully me.
“Really?” Gwen asked in an exaggerated tone. “Oh well, I guess you will have to miss out. I hear Silas is granting the winner a wish.”
I felt my ears perk up, my heart slamming hard against my ribcage.
A wish…
This could be my chance to escape this horrible life. I have nowhere to go, but living as a rogue was surely better than this hellhole.
Gwen suddenly giggled. “Oh my… see how thoughtless I am… how can I suggest you join the hunting games when you can’t even run without breathing heavily?”
There it was… her true colours always slipped out in the end.
“Don’t worry, you wouldn’t win anyway, so you won’t miss anything,” Gwen said, patting my back. “I gotta go warm up. I’ll be going with Silas to the hunting grounds. You know… it’s his way of slowly introducing me as his Luna.”
A pang of pain shot through my heart, making a lump form in my throat. No matter how much I tried to swallow, it wouldn’t go away.
Yeah… Silas deserved a Luna like Gwen. At least he wouldn’t be ashamed of her. He would even want her to have his babies.
Hours later, I was done with the chores, and I finally found some free time and decided to join the hunting games, hoping I wasn’t too late.
My heart raced when I made my way to the hunting grounds. Everyone was settled in the clearing. A big tent was set up where the visiting packs were resting before the games began.
From the auras blanketing the place, I could tell it was filled with very powerful Alphas and Betas.
This was the first time I was joining a hunting game, so I just approached people from my pack. Silas was addressing them, and Gwen had her arms hooked around his like a koala bear. It was like she was staking her claim so that everyone knew who the Alpha belonged to.
I swallowed my pain and approached the crowd, hoping to stay hidden.
But someone who weighed one ninety pounds in a werewolf pack could do so little to hide herself. I always drew attention everywhere I went.
As usual, I heard a few snickers, and my stomach churned. I felt self-aware.
Like everyone in this clearing was looking at me and laughing at my appearance.
“Hey fatso, what do you think you’re doing here?” Silas’ beta, Jake, sneered, and the rest of the crowd laughed.
“I was wondering why this place stank. Turns out we have a pig in our midst,” someone from the crowd sneered, and everyone laughed again.
I felt my eyes blur with tears, and I lowered my face to hide the single tear that stubbornly rolled down my cheek.
“Seriously, why is she here? The other pack members are staring. They must think we won’t be good at the hunting games after seeing that we have a baby elephant with us,” someone else complained.
“Let her be… I’m sure she’s just here for tonight's feast. After all, it seems eating is what she’s good at,” someone snickered, and everyone laughed louder than earlier.
I dug my nails into my palms, and I felt my wolf's anger rising.
I raised my head and glanced at Silas, only to find him snickering along with everyone, and my heart clenched painfully.
“Yeah… there’s no way she’s joining the games,” he sneered, and I felt something snap within me, giving me the courage I needed to do what I came here to do.
“I am joining the games,” I said, my voice loud and clear despite the painful lump in my throat. “I’m going to win and have my wish granted.”
**Lucia's POV** 'Flynn is awake,' Raina's voice flitted through my mind, and I breathed out in relief. He had been out for two days, and I made sure I stayed far away from him. I didn't want to be around when he realised I had marked him and gotten rid of Jade's mark. Another reason was that I felt guilty. Now that I had marked him, I could feel some of his emotions slipping through the bond. He was in so much pain, even when he was unconscious. It hurt to know that I had added to that pain by getting rid of the only thing that reminded him of his mate. 'That's good,' I replied. 'You're needed here,' Raina said. She was referring to her house. Flynn had been moved there since his condition didn't require medical intervention. 'By who?' I asked, my heart pounding. I didn't want to face Flynn. Not now. 'There's something we need to discuss. Flynn is getting better, but his wolf has been deteriorating for a long time. He can't shift either. So we were advised b
**Lucia's POV** "What's wrong with my son?" Flynn’s mother, Eliana Hawthorne, cried in the hospital ward. I had no option but to be in the ward because I was going to be one of the pack's doctors. My job just started earlier than I expected. "Was it you?" She glanced at me, her eyes filled with tears. "Did he become like this after he saw you?" Her words slashed through me the way a knife cuts through butter. They stung... "Aunt E... it's not like that," the Alpha came to my aid. "Flynn had been withering like this for years. We don't know what's wrong with him, so we've called for help from a witch. Hopefully, we can find a way to help him." "I really hope he will be ok. But what is she doing here?" Auntie Eliana asked. "She's the new pack's doctor," Raina responded firmly. "It's important that she's present for any patient, regardless of who they are." Doctor Natalie cleared her throat. "The Beta is stable, but we still don't know why he won't wake up. His wol
Nine years later.... **Lucia's POV** "Congratulations, Doctor Lucia!" Cheers echoed around the room, and a bouquet of flowers was handed over to me. A warm smile crossed my lips as I stared at the people who I had worked with for the past two years during my internship program. When I graduated from medical school, I decided to stay for an additional two years in the human town and joined an internship program. Today, I was officially being given a permanent job at one of the biggest hospitals in the country. It was a good offer, one I would've taken if I hadn't decided to finally face my fears. After nine years of being away, I was finally ready to go back home. My parents, Raina, and everyone I knew always asked me when I would return. I knew I let them down by staying away, but now it was time to return to the people who cared for me. "Thank you so much," I said truthfully. "I've enjoyed working with you. However, I will not be taking up the new job offer. I'
**Lucia's POV** "I'm sorry, Lucia..." I knew what the Alpha was going to say before he could say it. The look on his face gave him away. Flynn had refused to see me again. I had been trying to reach out to him for weeks. All I wanted was to explain myself. To tell him I didn't expect this to happen either. I wanted us to reject each other and break this forbidden bond. But he didn't give me the chance to see him... Actually, he avoided me as though I was a disease. I heard he never wanted to see me again. I don't know why... maybe because of the stupid mate bond, his refusal stung. I had no intention of becoming his mate. Not when I knew he already had a mate, and they loved each other so much. It hurt that he accused me of using dubious means to create a mate bond between us.It was the moon goddess who played a joke on us. And as time went by, my wolf craved for her mate. She didn't care about anything else... only that her mate was out there. But I knew we cou
**Lucia's POV** The sun shone brightly in the sky, but it did nothing to lighten the sombre mood in the Crescent Moon Pack. A few weeks ago, we had a war, and although we had won, the consequences of the war were devastating. We lost so many... My heart clenched with pain, and I wiped the corners of my eyes as tears threatened to fall. I wasn't going to cry. I'm supposed to comfort Flynn. If I cried in front of him, it would just remind him of his loss. Flynn was the Crescent Moon Pack's Beta, and during the war, he had lost his pregnant mate. I hadn't seen him these past weeks. He had disappeared for a while... Flynn and I never got along. But that didn't mean I couldn't be there for him during this hard time... our families were close for years... I tried to reach out, but he never let anyone in. He didn't want to see anyone. The Alpha said he had to command him to eat something. Losing a mate was so devastating. I had not met mine yet, but I knew I would break if I l
Hi, lovely readers.... I've been missing in action for some weeks now. I have a high-risk pregnancy, and after losing my first baby, I really want to take it easy this time. I feel a little better to write now, so I'm back with a very short novella for Flynn and Lucia. I'll be updating it when I can, depending on how I feel. I've been visiting the emergency room every week, so bear with me. I hope you like the novella, as I prepare to return with a new book. Thank you for your support. I really appreciate it. Below is the title and storyline for the novella. Title: Melting The Beta's Icy Heart Blurb:Lucia: I was twenty-two and had never met my fated mate yet, so I thought I would never meet him in this lifetime. In a twisted turn of events, I ended up finding my fated mate. It was none other than my frenemie, Beta Flynn Hawthorne. The only problem was that Flynn already had a mate, but she died, and our bond snapped into place at her funeral. There was no way Flynn was my mate. Th
**Raina’s POV**The moment I walked into the hall, silence fell over the place. All eyes turned towards me, and for a moment, I almost ran away at the attention I was getting. However, my eyes fell on my mate at the front. His eyes were fixed on me and only me… The look in his eyes… the mate bond
**Rowan’s POV**A week passed, and the day I had been waiting for finally came. I would be introducing my Luna to the pack tonight, and everyone in the pack will know who my soulmate is. Raina Stone– the other half of my soul.This whole past week felt like a dream. My mate was beside me, and my w
**Raina’s POV**The next day didn’t start with drama like the other day. Brooke was nowhere to be seen, and breakfast was very pleasant. Rowan was busy with pack duties, so I spent the day with Jade. She took me around the pack, all while asking me questions about myself. It felt good to finally h
**Rowan’s POV**My heart was in my throat as I waited for his response. ‘I think you need to see for yourself, Alpha. I’m not sure how to explain it to you.’I felt panic and worry twist my stomach. Did something really happen?I ran faster than I ever have until I got there in less than ten minut







