The pain in my chest burned fiercely as I stumbled out of Zayne's apartment. My knees were trembling under the crushing weight of rejection and betrayal. It felt as though my heart had been torn apart and carelessly thrown back into my chest, still bleeding and aching.

But I forced myself to keep moving.

I refused to collapse in front of them. I refused to give them the satisfaction of seeing me break. I would not fall there and let Zayne and Mariana laugh at my weakness. No matter how much it hurt, I had to leave with whatever dignity I had left.

As I walked, a thousand questions crowded my mind.

How could I have been so blind?

How could I never realize that Zayne never truly loved me?

My hand instinctively pressed against my chest as if I could somehow hold my heart together. It clenched painfully, as though it might shatter at any moment. I found it was difficult to breathe and even focus.

Tears streamed endlessly down my face, blurring my vision. I felt abandoned, discarded as if I had never meant anything at all. All the sacrifices I had made, all the effort I had put into building my life, all the love I had poured into him, it suddenly felt meaningless.

I had worked hard to make something of myself. I had been ready to stand by Zayne, to support him in every way I could, to walk beside him as his mate and his partner. Yet in his eyes, I was nothing more than a burden.

Just like I had always been to my father.

That realization hurt more than anything else.

I didn't even notice when I passed through the gates. My body moved on its own, guided only by pain. Before I could stop myself, my legs gave out, and I sank to the ground. I curled into myself, burying my face between my knees, my shoulders shaking violently with sobs.

My voice broke as I whispered into the empty night.

"Why...? Why did it have to be this way, Moon Goddess?"

The phone in my pocket rang, and I finally stood up. My father was calling me, which never happened before. I sniffled my sobs and answered the call for one last time.

"Yes, Dad?"

"Whatever you're doing, leave that. And come home," Fredrick, my father, commanded from the other side of the phone.

"Okay." I hung up and hailed a taxi home. The journey came to an end soon. I had made up my mind. I would tell my father that I no longer wanted his charity and would go my separate ways. However, the moment I stepped into the house, I saw imposing men in black dresses lined up in a circle in the living room.

"Reina, where were you? Why didn't you hurry home?" My stepmother, Madam Britney, rushed to me, grabbing my arm.

"What's happening? Who are they?" I asked her.

He was easily over six feet tall, his presence dominating the room the moment he stood. When he turned toward me, I froze in place, unable to move or breathe.

The golden eyes of the man screamed that he was someone powerful. Stories whispered among werewolves spoke of Alphas with golden eyes. They were rare beings blessed by the Moon Goddess herself. They were said to be the most powerful rulers in existence, feared and respected by all.

And now, one of them was standing right in front of me.

My gaze drifted over his appearance. His jawline was sharp and perfectly defined, while his shoulders were broad and strong. The muscles beneath his white shirt stretched with every movement, hinting at immense strength restrained beneath calm control.

"Alpha Damon, this is Reina Ashfall. You must have already known about her origin. I must not say this,s but she's my illegitimate daughter," Fredrick spoke.

What the hell was happening? Why did my father introduce me like that?

And then, Damon strode to me. My stepmother had already moved as if she was scared of this man.

Before I could step away, Damon's calloused fingers brushed my cheek, and a sound radiated from his mother, "I've been looking for you, mate, for over a decade. Finally, you're mine."

Chapter 2 Looking for you, mate

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