Alpha's Runaway Bride.

Today was unique, and everyone knew it. It isn't every day that the packhouse gets lavishly decorated, and the excitement lingering in the air was only for one reason-for one person. It was Ayra's birthday-her sister's highly anticipated eighteenth birthday.

Maya watched from the corners, her presence nearly invisible if it wasn't for the occasional glance her way, which was filled with disdain. It was roughly hilarious how the expression would die on their faces, only for them to scrunch up in disgust. It wasn't surprising, anyway. Maya was used to it. However, it didn't mean that it hurt any less.

Even as the first daughter to her parents, no, alpha and Luna – she wasn't allowed to refer to them by any other title - they favoured her younger sister over her. All of that was because she was born with a strange mark and had the usual appearance of her pack members.

Unlike her sister, who was considered a stunning beauty with her brown and blue hair inherited from her mother, Maya looked nothing like her parents with her black hair and beady black eyes, an appearance that the pack members revolted. To make everything worse, she bears a strange mark claiming to be cursed, which cements their hatred for her.

And that hatred couldn't have been more expressed today.

Maya observed with a bitter smile the glistening chandeliers hanging from the ceiling, their light reflecting off the polished marble floors, the rich, crimson drapes cascading from the walls, framing the hall in a regal embrace, the scent of fresh flowers-roses, lilies, and orchids-mingling with the aroma of exquisite dishes being prepared in the kitchen, and the servants rushing to put things in order before the time was up.

A pang of bitterness twisted in her chest, knowing her eighteenth birthday had not come close to this. Who was she kidding? Hers couldn't be considered a birthday at all. Only a cake had been sent to her room. There were no birthday wishes from Alpha and Luna. Neither could she forget the disgust in the servant's eyes as they delivered it as if she didn't deserve the slightest courtesy of a cake on her birthday.

Yet they all scramble to please Ayra and ensure everything is perfect for her, the Alpha's prized child. Maya had long grown accustomed to being overlooked, to living in Ayra's shadow. Yet today, the sting of it was sharper, the ache of being forgotten more profound.

"What are you still standing here for?!" Luna's booming voice sounded from behind her.

Maya turned at once, her heart pounding at the sight of her mother's profoundly scowling face. "M– luna..." she corrected herself immediately, internally chastising herself for making such a mother.

The stormy look in her mother's eyes was all the indication that she heard that, and usually, a slap would have met her face by now for the mistake, but she must be in a perfect mood because of Ayra's birthday with the way she ignored it and went on to say. "What are you standing here for? Why are you not dressed up or intending to disgrace us at the party as usual."

Maya opened her mouth to speak, but no words could come out. Instead, she stared at her mother, wondering if she should tell her she had just come out from overhearing her and her husband talk about their intention to send her away. No, that was the worst idea. She would probably accuse her of spying on them and receive another beating. She had to keep the information to herself.

"I-I'll get dressed, Luna," she stammered, grateful not to have made the mistake again.

With that, Maya scurried away. However, she could feel her mother's intense gaze on her and dared not look back-not that there was anything to look back on. No matter how much she tried, she could never impress the woman; she had already made peace with that.

Unlike Ayra, who probably had about a dozen maids attending to her needs, Maya was left alone for the party. Not that she needed any help. However, she would have felt better if she had a dress for the party besides the one she had worn for her eighteenth birthday two years ago. But it was the only good dress she could salvage from her miserable wardrobe. Her parents would ignore her anyway, and it wouldn't matter if she wore a rag to the party.

The party was already in full swing when she came down, and the hall was nearly filled. The midnight pack was not the biggest or the strongest, but they were a reputable and proper home, and guests from far and near were in total attendance. Maya spotted her parents smiling and welcoming the other alphas and lunas who had made it to the birthday celebration.

Ayra was by their side, looking radiant in her red dress and getting introduced to the prominent figures in their circle, a privilege that should belong to her as the first daughter. But Maya did not dare to go over and introduce herself. Most of her fathers did not know she existed and probably thought of Ayra as the first and only daughter. Not to mention, her usual appearance unnerved them.

It wasn't her first time hearing it, but they said she looked like it.

"A witch," Maya turned at the sound of that title only to see two females chatting and staring pointedly at her. She recognised them; they were members of her pack.

Even with her noticing them, the second one boldly said, "She gives me the chills. I don't know why the alpha and Luna keep her around."

"If I were Luna, I would have murdered her in her sleep already. What a disgrace," the first one said, and they both laughed.

"Please, not today," Maya muttered under her breath. She was used to the scorn that always followed her, but she was still highly fragile today. Without a word, Maya left, selecting a corner in the hall where she was barely perceived, and waited till this misery of a party was over.

There was a lot of drinking and dancing now, which was good because it meant their attention was far from her, and they might as well have forgotten she existed. Maya had a drink in her hand, bored out of her mind when she caught a familiar face, and her heart rate picked up in excitement.

It was Merlin, her fiance and the strongest warrior in her pack. With her status as an outcast, one would think that she wouldn't have someone by her side, but not Merlin. He was not like the others. He treated her well when others treated her like shit. He was the only good thing that happened to her.

After hearing her parents' intentions, Maya plans to confess her feelings to Merlin tonight. She was done staying and enduring her parents' maltreatment already, and it wouldn't be a bad idea if they settled down and started a family. The thought of it brought Maya a smile.

As a warrior, Merlin was in charge of protecting and ensuring the pack borders were protected. Hence, it wasn't surprising he was late to the party. Someone else must have taken over his shift for him to be here. Excited, Maya lifted her hand to wake him over, but her expression died. Merlin grabbed her sister Arya by the hand and headed to god knows where.

Call it a hunch, but Maya sensed something was wrong and followed them.

Maya has faced many difficulties, but nothing prepared her for the shock of walking into that room and catching her sister and fiance making out quite intensely if he could add. Her stomach churned, and it was good that she had no food yet because it would have been all over the floor. Her ears rang, and it felt like she might faint anytime soon.

Merlin was the first person to see her, and he looked so shocked that he jumped and broke away from the kiss.

"Maya," he breathed, "what are you doing here?"

"What am I doing to you? Really? What am I doing here?! I just caught you and my sister making out, and you dare ask me such a question?!"

He swallowed, "Listen, I can explain –"

"There is nothing to explain," Ayra said, stepping forward.

"Ayra," Maya looked at her sister with a pained look," how could you do this to me? I trusted you!"

" Merlin is my mate!"

"What?" the blood drained from allsons face.

"You heard me right, sister; Merlin is my mate."

Maya's mouth fell open, and she shook her head in denial. "No, no, no, that's not true." She looked towards Merlin, but he wouldn't look at her, confirming her fears. "No, please, don't..." The tears fell now. This had to be a nightmare.

"Moreover," continued, "even if he wants, what makes you think you deserve Merlin."

"W-what?"

Ayra sneered, "Even before the mate bond began, Merlin has always had feelings for me. The only reason he courted you was to get close to you. I guess it was fate, after all. Moreover, you should look in the mirror; what werewolf in his right mind would want you with that terrible look!"

For a moment, Maya felt like an explosion had gone in her head, and it took her time to digest all of this. But one thing stuck in her: Merlin had been using her all this while.

"You were never in love," Maya muttered, her voice hollow, distraught.

The girl could not deny it, but neither could she accept it, although she wasn't the best of sister, she couldn't deny her feelings at this moment, technically, this wasn't cheating as well.

"Wake up, sister," Ayra said, " no man in his right mind would be in love with a monster like you."

And Maya snapped.

Maya transformed into her black wolf form in a twinkle of an eye, determined to tear them apart. She wanted them to feel the pain and anger coursing through her right now.

But before Maya could move, a voice thundered, "Shift!"

It was the alpha, her father.

Maya felt the authority wash over her, and she had no choice but to obey the alpha's command. In a twinkle of an eye, she was on the floor, naked and humiliated.

"What do you think you're doing?!" It was Luna screaming this time. "Were you just about to attack your sister?!" she raged.

As if on cue, Ayra started crying and ran into her mother's arms, and she embraced her. The sight of it all increased the pain in her heart.

"Dress up. We need to talk." That was the only command Alpha gave to her, and she left.

The tears threatened to fall, but Maya pushed them back. She would not show her weakness in front of them.

Moments later, Maya stood in her parents' room. Ayra and Merlin-who would not meet her eyes-were there for the conversation that was bound to occur.

The alpha said, "I don't have time for long talks, Maya; I have guests to return to at the party. Now listen to me; your sister and merkin are mates, and you would respect and bless their bond."

"I would -"

"you would not talk while I speak!" the alpha barked, instantly silencing them.

"Secondly, you would participate in the wolf king's bride selection."

Bam!

Maya's ears rang.

"No." she croaked.

"No?" The alpha couldn't believe her response.

This dog wagging its tail between its legs suddenly had a boldness he did not expect.

As he stared at her, he began to wonder what happened to the shy, useless, and timid trump card that he had known and thought to himself that perhaps he had been quite lenient on her.

His eyes filled with rage could hardly compose a smile as he scoffed severally, this was bound to piss him off one way or another and this was certainly way past his limit.

Watching the girl speak her mind while he held back his anger, not wanting to hurt her pretty little face was taking a toll on him, and she failed to realize that.

"That would be over my dead body!" Maya spa and run out.

Unknown to her that the man, who she could hardly call her father, was going to have his way, with or without her permission.

Maya could not sleep. After that confrontation with her parents last night, she half expected the alpha to storm into her room and force her into submission. But nothing of that nature occurred. If anything, the party continued through the night as if she didn't matter. As if she didn't just find her fiance cheating on her with her sister.

But could she call it cheating? He was, after all, her sister's mate. Not hers.

The mate bond was sacred, and it was considered an abomination to come between them. Even if she wanted to, Maya couldn't stop Ayra and Merlin from loving each other. But it was the betrayal that Maya couldn't forgive. To think that Merlin had been using her all this while pained her the most. And now, she had to participate in the wolf king's bride selection? The universe must be against her.

Everyone knew the wolf king. He was the strongest of their kind, hence his title and the admiration. However, he was as cruel as he was handsome. He is a capricious tyrant who hosts a yearly bride selection to choose lovers, potentially bankrupting the palace with his whims.

Maya was not deluded into thinking her parents wanted the best for her; they probably wanted to get rid of her, knowing how much the Alpha hated women like her. There couldn't possibly be two daughters in this family; the one with the true potential as the candidate was, in fact, Arya. Maya was just going to make Arya look good.

She had had enough; being born wasn't her mistake, so why should she suffer for it?

With what happened yesterday, Maya wanted to strike back at her parents, and she knew the plan.

Maya went to her parent's room and knocked on the door.

"Come in."

She tentatively stepped into the room, her earlier confidence fading as soon as she met her parents' stormy ones. However, a lot was at stake here, and she gathered her courage to say, "I'm sorry for last night, Alpha, Luna. I must have been out of my mind to attack my sister like that."

Her mother snorted, and as if finding it hilarious, she finally came to her senses.

"You are right, and I have no right to fight against the bond, which is why I give them my blessing,"

Maya could tell her parents were shocked by how their eyes widened. They probably never expected that she would give in that easily.

"I would attend the alpha king's bride selection. But for tonight, I plead to be excused from leaving. With everything that has opened so far, I think I need to clear my head,"

For a moment, Maya thought her parents would deny her, but Luna waved her away, saying, "Do whatever you want."

Maya leaped in joy inwardly, knowing this was the beginning of her plan.

At once, she returned to her room and dressed quickly in case her parents decided to change their minds. Maya wore a cozy, deep green sweater with dark wash straight-leg jeans. She added classic brown ankle boots and a simple silver pendant to complete the outfit. Her makeup was natural, and she let her dark hair loose for an effortlessly stylish appearance.

Although she had not gone over the top with her dress, some of the pack members who saw her outside were still shocked at her appearance; it was not every day that she got to dress up like this. She was seen out infrequently. With the constant mockery and disdain from the pack members, she was practically a loner who kept to herself and spent most of her days locked in. Merlin was mainly the one who took her on dates and helped her socialize with the pack. Ultimately, he had an ulterior motive, and everything was a lie.

Her parents could not have let her go just like that. Maya suspected they were monitoring her movements, and that was confirmed when she caught a figure subtly tailing her from the corners of her eyes. So, for the rest of the day, Maya walked about the pack with no destination, intentionally tiring them down. Maya suddenly cut through an alleyway when their guards were down and hid behind the wall. Several minutes later, about three werewolves passed by, looking for her.

"Where did she go?"

"I can't find her."

"Let's spread out and look for her."

Hearing that, Maya hid further, waiting patiently until there was no sign of them. Now, she was free.

******

Maya sat alone in the notorious bar, the clinking of glasses and low murmurs around her barely registering in her mind. This was why she had intentionally slipped away from her guards; they would never have allowed her to end up in a place like this. The bar's reputation was as dark as the alcohol she was drinking. But she didn't care. She was too far gone to care.

Each sip of the burning liquid burned her throat, and she took more, seeking some sort of relief, to feel numb. To no longer feel this pain. However, the pain refused to fade. Instead, it grew with every swallow. Tears welled in her eyes, but Maya stubbornly fought them back, unwilling to let them fall. She was not weak, and she would not cry for that bastard.

The more Maya drank, the duller her senses became, yet her heartache intensified. It was as if the alcohol had opened a floodgate inside her, and now the tears she had been holding back for so long streamed down her face uncontrollably.

She cried, not softly or quietly, but with a raw, unfiltered anguish that filled the space around her, yet no one approached her.

Perhaps they were too used to the sight of broken souls in this place, or maybe her despair was so poignant that it kept them at bay. So she continued to drink, glass after glass, until the world around her blurred. All she wanted was for the pain to stop, but with each drink, it only seemed to grow stronger, consuming her completely.

Unfortunately, the drink only made her sick, and she found herself committing, nearly falling from her seat only for a solid arm to wrap around her.

"I got you." someone said, pulling her up to her feet, and she slumped against his chest. Still slightly drunk, the most delicious scent hit her nostrils.

"Mate." her wolf screamed in her head for the first time.

fuck.

She just found her mate.

Maya lifted her head to stare at her mate, but he was busy throwing orders, and her alcohol-ridden Brian was not helping matters. The next minute, he was wiping Her mouth, and she slumped back against him, her face buried in his chest. She inhaled his scent once again, driving her mind into an overdrive. His scent was a deep, earthy blend of pine and cedarwood, with a touch of dark amber and danger. It made her wolf whimper with need. She wanted him.

He cleaned her mouth and was still mouthing orders when Maya pulled him closer and kissed him. The gods helped her; he tasted better than she thought. At first, he was too stunned to respond, but he grabbed a fistful of her hair in a second and deepened the kiss. Fuck her. Heat so potent slammed into her. Maya had never felt anything like this, and she kissed him back with the same ferocity.

Nothing else mattered then except the feel of his lips against hers. Maya took the time to run her hand over him, feeling the hard planes of his taut abs. He warippled. Her mate was perfect.

When they broke apart, Maya's chest was heaving, and she could see the same need reflected in his eyes with the way it had darkened. He reached, rubbing his thumbs across her lips, eliciting a shiver. "You are mine now, little mate. You're not going anywhere."

To be honest, everything else happened in a blur. One moment, they were in the car, the next in an unfamiliar room, and then his lips were on hers. Whatever sense she had left slipped away like smoke. The need between them flared, their lips never parting as he stripped away their clothes. In the next instant, her back hit the bed, her mate's irresistible body pressing against hers as he made love to her. Maya lost count of how many times she came that night. He had taken her so thoroughly that she couldn't tell where her pleasure ended, and he began. All she knew was that he made sure she was completely exhausted before they collapsed, falling asleep together.

****

Maya woke up with a groan. Fuck, she was going to die. Her head was killing her, and why did she feel so sore? A frown at once creased her features, and she sat up at once. And, Oh god, what has she done? Her sight fell on the fine specimen of a male sleeping beside her.

Fuck. fuck. Fuck! She had to get out of here!

Without a word, Maya quickly yet quietly slipped out of bed and dressed up. By some luck, she found the man's wallet and found quite a lot of bills. "I'm sorry," she muttered and took enough before leaving the room.

Once outside, Maya felt a sense of freedom, and that was when she made up her mind-she was going. She was joining the werewolf community to leave it behind.

Fuck Merlin.

Fuck Arya.

Fuck her parents.

She would make a new life for herself in human society.