VALERIE'S POV
"Are you...uh... Congratulating him on becoming the alpha?" I asked, clenching my fists to stop them from trembling as I was barely controlling my emotions.
Act cool. Don't react. Don't react. I chanted in my head.
I know my mind was in denial. And that was the last thing I wanted to happen. I need to face reality rather than find excuses for it.
"And? Is that any of your business?" My sister asked me while my gaze was fixated on the man with her.
How could he do this to me? All the times when he was being nice to me started replaying in my head like a movie reel.
The time when he saved me from getting bullied when I was only 8 years old. The time when he stood up for me in front of his friends. When he saved me from my sister from beating me to a pulp when she got angry at me, or when he talked to me the whole night because I felt lonely on my birthday. All the times we shared turned black in my mind.
It was as if someone threw Black ink on my feelings.
His anger, care, protectiveness, sympathy, pity, and everything makes sense now.
He knew. When he turned eighteen last year, he knew I was his mate. But even after knowing that, he got together with my sister on the same day.
Did he hate me so much that he banged my sister on the same day he found out about me? Is it because I am cursed? Does he think like that too? Was all his care a facade to feel less guilty about what he was doing to me?
Was that the reason why my sister wanted me out of her life? Did she know all about this and still act like that?
I touched my cheeks to see the wetness of my fingers.
"Why the hell are you standing here and ruining the mood, b*tch. Don't tell me you are here to complain about someone bullying you to MY boyfriend. Get lost," Beatrice made the relationship between them very clear, and I smiled, my sadness pouring out of my eyes.
'I... I am sorry, Valerie. This is all my fault. I brought you here. If I wasn't so excited to see our mate, you wouldn't have to face things like this,' My wolf apologized, and I shook my head.
It wasn't her fault or my fault, as a matter of fact.
"Why?" I asked Damian, disregarding Beatrice's statement even when I knew the answer.
"Didn't you hear me, Valerie? Stop ruining the mood and get lost!" Beatrice said, but my gaze was fixated on Damian.
“Beatrice, you are my sister. I have been silent for too long, but right now, I am talking to Damian, and I would rather you not interrupt if you don’t want to see the wrath of a cursed girl,” I tried to stay as respectful as I could even though my heart was hurting like hell.
"I am waiting for an answer from you, Alpha Damian Carter," I leaned on the door, not trusting my body to keep the balance with all the pain I was feeling in my heart.
I didn't know the pain of heartbreak could be so physical. It was as if someone was squeezing the life out of my heart.
"You already know the answer," Damian stood from his place.
"The curse?" I asked to confirm. I don't know why I was waiting for him to tell me why he hurt me. Was it some kind of comfort I was looking for? Would it hurt less? There was no meaning to this, but my heart still wanted to hear him out one last time.
"No," Damian's words confused me.
"When we talk about mates, we don’t talk about a life partner only, Valerie. You are a beautiful woman, and any man would be lucky to have you, but you are a people pleaser. You are like a pupped who craves people’s attention and can do anything for it. Luna needs to be fierce and be able to face any kind of situation without crying or making a fuss out of it," Damian said, and I looked at him, feeling numb.
"What do you mean? I am sorry, but it's a bit hard to understand. Are you telling me you don't like me because I never react to anyone's harsh comments and care a bit too much about the pack bond?" I asked, and he just shook his head.
"You can say that. This pack is in the top ten packs of the world, and since childhood, I only dreamt of taking it to the top. I need a strong and fierce Luna for that, not a people pleaser who is cursed and probably doesn't even have a wolf," Damian's words pierced my heart.
It was as if someone plunged a dagger straight through my chest.
‘I am sorry, Valerie. It’s because of me and -’ My wolf started to whimper in pain, and I gulped.
No. I can’t let this happen. I won’t let the only person who loves me wholeheartedly be broken like this.
‘Don’t apologize. It’s not your fault entirely. If Damian was worthy enough to be my mate, he would’ve been with me no matter what. The moon goddess forms a bond for a lifetime with love in mind and not powers and greediness. He wouldn’t have accepted me even if you were here. In his mind, he has chosen Beatrice already,’ I comforted my weeping wolf, trying to be strong for both of us.
Taking a deep breath, I smiled at Damian through my teary eyes.
"You were my crush, you know. I always thought how wrong it was of me to have a crush on my sister's boyfriend. Now I know why I felt that pull toward you and why you were being nice to me when my sister abandoned me long ago," I nodded as more tears started to fall from my eyes.
There was nothing to speak about anymore. No questions or answers were needed. The more I would speak, the more humiliated it would make me feel in my eyes. I was never a human being with feelings for them anyway. They always treated me like a monster. It felt like I was living here on a permit.
The last shard of hope that something better might happen in my life shattered to pieces so small that I don't think I would be able to even collect them.
"Congratulations on becoming the alpha, by the way. I can see who you have chosen to be your Luna," I tried to smile through my pain before turning around, but before I could walk, Damian held my hand.
"Where are you going?" He asked.
"Away," I sighed before looking at my sister, whose eyes were void of any emotions for me. I was really better off dead for her, no?
"You always blamed me for ruining your life and cursed me with unending suffering, no? I see you did a good job of giving me the biggest pain of my life on a platter yourself," I took a deep breath.
'Do it, Valerie. I am with you. No matter if this whole world turns its back on you, I will always be with you and protect you the best. I know it’s painful for us, but it’s necessary. I won’t let you suffer,' My wolf said, and I could see she was trying to put on a strong facade for me.
"Beatrice, you have always wanted me out of your life. So today, I announce myself as not a part of this pack anymore," I started.
"I, Valerie Katya, the daughter of the honorable Grey Katya, reject Damian Carter as my alpha, and my mate. I, hereby, reject the pack bond of the Great Moon pack," I jerked Damian's hand away, who looked at me in shock before composing himself.
"I didn't mean to do it, but if that's what you want. I, Damian Carter, reject Valerie Katya as my rightful mate, the Luna of the Great Moon pack, and hereby declare her as the rogue," Damian looked straight into my eyes, all the remorse replaced by anger and disgust, making my hatred for him increase, and I nodded before going to my room and packing my belongings.
Falling to the ground miserably, I took the pillow before burying my face into it.
"Aaaaaaaaaa!!!"
"Aaaaaa!" I screamed into the pillow to lessen the pain, which was increasing with each passing second.
'Don't let them hear your pain, Valerie. Let's get out of here. We are rogues now, and they will capture and torture us if we don't get out in time,' My wolf whimpered, and I gritted my teeth.
What did he say? I was a people pleaser and weak? Now I will show them exactly who I am.
***********************************************
After a few months.~~~
AMBROSE KENDRICK'S POV
"If you thought you could run away from my clutches, there hasn't been a fool bigger than you," I scoffed before pulling the rogue's hair, making him jerk his head back.
Looking straight into his eyes, I smiled coldly.
"It was nice talking to you. Thanks for the information, not," I said before pulling his head out of his body with a jerk, making the guards step back from me in fear.
Seeing the blood splattered on my clothes, I gritted my teeth.
I hate dirty things the most, but to clean scums like these who think they are above all and involve in the human trafficking of young girls, I always have to get my hands dirty.
"Clean this up. Remember to send this head to their club as a present from us," I looked at my Gama, who nodded submissively.
After taking a quick shower and changing my clothes, I walked back to my office to look at the reports before calling it a night.
'You are overworking yourself,' My wolf said, and I huffed.
'Well, what can I say? It's not like I have a mate to go back to. This work is all I have,' I raked my hand through my hair.
Knock! Knock!
What the hell does he want at this time of the night? I growled, sensing my beta’s presence.
"Come in," I massaged my forehead as he walked inside with the biggest grin.
"What are you so happy about? This better is important. I am in no mood to deal with any useless thing," I turned the page of another report on the rogues who have been evading the west packs.
"I got a call from the council," George said.
"And?"
"They have assigned us a new project,"
"I still don't understand the hype. Are you happy that my workload is increasing?"
"It's a babysitting job," George laughed out loud, confusing me now.
"What do you mean?"
"Well, you would be angry to hear this, but I need to see the look on your face. Details - Valerie Katya, age- 18, brown eyes, long brown hair, and 5'9” height," George read out a fax.
"Why are you telling me all this? Can you come straight to the point?" I sighed, massaging my head.
"She is the rogue you need to find and keep a look on. She has been attending a human university under the council’s supervision and will transfer here under a student-exchange program. It says she is cursed,"
"What cursed?"
"It's not mentioned here. It just says- she is very important to the council," George said, and I rolled my eyes.
"If she is so important, why don't they keep a look at her themselves? Go ahead. Treat her like the precious gem she is. Do they think I don't have any work to do? Are they taking the biggest and strongest pack as a joke?" I glared at George, who shrugged.
"Look, the council never hands out projects like these. There are three packs in the vicinity, but they are asking us to handle her. It means it's an A-class project if not an S-class. We can only find out about these things once we see her ourselves," George said, and I growled before kicking my chair in anger.
"Bloody hell! It's already bad that not having a mate is taking a toll on my wolf that I have to babysit some b*tch now," I gritted my teeth.