In Love With The Ancient Lycan Wolf

Sophia's POV

"Father please," I begged with tears streaming down my face. "I need to see a doctor. If I don't, I'll get worse. I might die..."

"Tell me, Sophia. If you get worse and die, does it affect me? Does it affect my pack?" The current Alpha of the Crescent Moon pack asked, focused on his paperwork.

With a white cloth in my mouth, I coughed heartily. "I'll do anything you want, Father. But please don't let me die." I said, giving him the condition I knew he couldn't refuse.

"Anything?" He asked, looking at me who was lying on the floor, through the corner of his eyes.

"Yes. I'll do whatever you ask of me. As long as you permit me to get medical attention." I affirmed, sounding determined although I knew my stepfather's demands could be a bit crazy.

"Hmm," he smirked and placed a phone call to someone with a dirty smile that gave me goosebumps. What has he planned for me?

Two minutes later, a man walked in with a brown file and white nylon popularly used by pharmacists. The man left, and my stepfather turned to me, creeping me out.

"Here's the drug you'd use before getting medical attention and I'll give it to you once you accept my terms and conditions," he said, playing with the nylon.

"What do you want?" I wheezed, getting weaker with every passing minute.

"If you, Sophia, will come to serve at the Alpha's gathering tonight without any mistakes, then I'll make sure the best doctor in our pack attends to you," he answered, walking up to me with the nylon and a piece of paper in his hands.

Acting as a waitress was the least of the things I had done to survive after my biological parents died but coming from my step-father, I knew there was something more to it. "And if I make a mistake?" I asked, trembling as he approached me with malicious intent.

He scoffed then smiled, raising his hands and cupping my pale cheeks with it. "ONE SINGLE SLIP UP FROM YOU AND TRUST ME, YOU'D DIE FROM THIS ILLNESS! I'LL MAKE SURE NO DOCTOR OR HOSPITAL ATTENDS TO YOU AND YOU DIE A MISERABLE DEATH!"

Those were his last words to me as he forcefully inked my thumb and pressed it on the document. He threw the nylon bag at me and then walked out, with his shoulders high, and a confident smile on his lips.

"What was written in that document? Why did he force me to thumbprint? Was it a binding document?" I muttered to myself but I pushed those thoughts aside and grabbed a glass of water, swallowing the pill he gave me.

A few moments later, I felt better. I stood up and walked away, heading to my room. From the late Alpha and Luna's daughter to a mere maid who begs for the little necessities of life, I had to prepare if I wanted to see a doctor and live.

The Alpha gathering started earlier than stated and something told me this all had to do with my stepfather and that document. I got dressed and carried my weak self down to the grand hall.

Making sure to steer clear of any trouble, I dressed in the basic uniform, packed my hair, and wore flat shoes to be safe.

"Sophia," the head of the workers called and I walked up to her with my head low, wishing tonight, she'd stay far away from me. "You have been assigned to serve the VIP area." She said coldly and my eyes widened in shock.

The VIP area? The Alpha of packs in close relation to mine was seated there! The ones who supported my mother in getting with that Alpha Victor after my father died! The same ones who didn't speak up when my mother died and left him to make my life a living nightmare!

"Sophia!" the woman called out, bringing me out of my angry and painful memory. "Go now! The event is about to start."

With a neutral smile and nod, I carried myself to the VIP area, cooling my angry blood. "We're doing this to get cured," I reminded myself.

After cooling down in the corner and resting, the event began and I served and attended till I was out of breath and aching legs.

As the night progressed, the VIP area buzzed with animated conversations and laughter. The powerful Alphas and their entourages were enjoying the festivities while I moved discreetly, offering drinks and appetizers.

I kept my eyes downcast, trying my best to avoid any unnecessary attention and calls. My heart pounded with each step I took, fearing that even the slightest mistake could lead to dire consequences. I couldn't shake the feeling that my stepfather was watching my every move, relishing the power he had over me.

Just as I was about to walk back to my corner, I felt dizzy and lightheaded. My eyes rolled and black started growing from the corner of my eyes. Luckily, someone guided me out of the way and helped me to my corner. "Are you okay?"

"Just a little dizzy," I answered and looked up to be the Beta's son.

"Careful, Sophia. Alpha Victor keeps watching you like a hawk. I think he made a bet or something. Please, no slip-ups. I can't lose you like I lost Aunty," he said, giving me a tight squeeze before he left.

I grabbed a glass of water and chugged it down my throat. A bet? At least we know he's up to something now....but what is it?

Just when I was about to sit down to catch my breath, I saw a few of my mother's trusted allies sitting across from me. I tried to hide and not get noticed but it was all in vain. "Girl, bring some wine!" They ordered and with a gulp, I arranged the wine on my tray then proceeded to walk with them trying to fight the dizziness that kept creeping in.

All went well and just as I was a few steps from their table, someone pushed me, making the tray fall from my hand and the wine spilling on the man sitting on my left.

Everyone froze and gasped as the spotlight landed on me and the man I stained. I turned around, trying to find who pushed me but he was out of sight. Questions and accusations filled the air as the man I had spilled wine on stood up, his eyes blazing with anger. He was a towering figure, his presence exuding power and dominance. He wiped the wine from his expensive suit, his jaw clenched in frustration.

"Who is responsible for this incompetence?" he demanded, his voice cutting through the murmurs of the crowd.

"I-I'm sorry," I stammered, my heart pounding in my chest. "Someone pushed me, and I couldn't..."

Before I could finish my sentence, I felt his fingers on my cheek and there it was! That static I had been craving to find for years! He made me stare at him. His once cold and angry eyes softened and he whispered, "Mate?"

Sophia's POV

"Yes," I answered shyly but the next moment I had goosebumps all over and I realized, he came from the left side, which was assigned to Alphas brought in by my stepfather, Alpha Victor.

"Is he the kind of mate that will save me from my stepfather? Or the one that will hand me over to him?" I asked myself, thinking of various scenarios of how this could turn out.

"Are you okay?" He asked, cupping my cheeks but I didn't move an inch or say a word. I just stared at his eyes, lost in thoughts.

Since I was still in utter shock, he turned around, grabbed a handkerchief, and cleaned his stained body. Once he was done, he grabbed my hand and walked me to the podium, with the spotlight still on us.

Whispers filled the hall as everyone stared at the Alpha and I, walking hand in hand. What does he want to do? Punish me? Or announce to the world that we are mates?

On our way, my eyes met with my stepfather's. My heart drummed louder in my chest and I had goosebumps from the death stare he shot me. His condition hammered in my ears, amplifying the fear coursing through my veins.

As we reached the podium, the Alpha's grip on my hand tightened, almost possessively, and he looked into my eyes with an intensity that sent shivers down my spine.

The crowd fell silent, waiting for his next move, and I could feel their curious gazes burning my back. What is his intention for bringing me here?

"Everyone," the Alpha's voice boomed, commanding the attention of every person present. "I have an announcement to make."

He paused for a moment, as if building suspense, and then continued, "Today, a dear Alpha of mine invited me here for this feast. Who would have thought fate brought me here to meet someone special instead?" He chuckled, building the suspense and chatter from the audience

"Ladies and Gentlemen, I have found my mate," he said looking at me with a smile on his face.

The heat of the moment and the attention on me made me red in embarrassment and the dizziness from before disappeared without a trace.

"I have a surprise for you mate," he whispered into my ears. "Promise me you'll give it your best smile?" he asked and I nodded with my wolf squealing in excitement. He was going to accept me!

Seeing as I smiled, we both faced the audience and although I saw my stepfather's face contorted with anger, I didn't regard him.

The Alpha, made me step forward and he began, "Today, I Alpha Caleb of Moon Stone Pack, reject you, Sophia Crescent of Crescent Moon Pack, as my mate and Luna!"

My heart dropped and everyone in the room burst into laughter. My smile fell as tears began to stream down my face. He could have just let me leave. Why did he have to do this? In front of everyone?

He laughed with them and then faced me who was staring at him, hurt and angry. "Did you think I'd accept you as my mate, Sophia?" He said into the microphone for everyone to hear.

"You're weak! You're worse than an omega! You're not worthy of being my mate, not to mention my Luna! You are not strong enough! To top it off, you reek of death! Your sick smell repulses me! Only someone worse than a loser would accept you as his mate!" he insulted with cold eyes, shattering my already broken heart with each sentence.

His words made me unconsciously step back from him and the spotlight and before I knew it, I fell from the podium and landed on the floor with a thud while everyone laughed and mocked me.

The pain and humiliation I felt in that moment was indescribable and the entire room seemed to spin around me as I struggled to pick myself up from the floor.

The laughter and taunts of the crowd echoed in my ears, amplifying the first rejection I just experienced.

Alpha Caleb's words cut through me like a million sharpened knives, leaving me emotionally battered and vulnerable. I couldn't understand why he would bring me up here, only to publicly reject and disgrace me in a cruel and heartless manner.

As tears blurred my vision, I managed to get to my feet, but the abusive words only became clearer.

"Get out of here, you disgrace!" someone from the crowd shouted, adding to the chorus of insults. I looked around, trying to find any sign of compassion or understanding, but all I saw were sneers and contempt, especially from my stepfather.

"You're done for!" He said through mind link, laughing like there was no tomorrow. My heart shattered more knowing I caused a mess so goodbye to getting a doctor but most importantly, he was going to kill me for causing this huge disgrace.

Not wanting to stay in here anymore, I mustered whatever strength I had left in me and forced myself to move, to run away from this nightmare of a life. As I made my way towards the exit.

The night breeze caressed my test-stained cheeks and I knew going back to the pack house was giving me to death on a golden platter. In my pain, I decided to run away, maybe I could find help or die peacefully. As I turned towards another direction, I felt strong arms grabbing me from behind.

Before I could react, a cloth was pressed against my nose and mouth, and a pungent smell filled my nostrils.

"Help!" I wanted to yell but my body became weaker than before as I inhaled whatever they put in the cloth and within seconds, my sight became blurry and the world around me faded into darkness as I lost consciousness.

When I woke up, I was out in the forest, under the moonlight, disoriented and groggy.

My head throbbed with pain, and I could feel the remnants of tears on my cheeks. As my senses slowly returned, I realized that I was tied to a tree, unable to move or speak as I was gagged.

Fear gripped me as I looked around, trying to make sense of my surroundings. Where am I? And why am I being tied up in the forest? Is this my stepfather's doing or Alpha Caleb wanting to punish me?

I made different sounds for help and soon, I heard footsteps. A few masked men came out watching me intently with weapons in their hands. My heart raced, and I struggled to free myself from the restraints. One of them came closer and removed the gag from my mouth.

"What do you want from me?" I managed to choke out, my voice trembling.

One of the men stepped forward, removing his mask to reveal a face I didn't recognize. "We were paid to teach you a lesson," he said coldly. "To show you what happens when you dare to disgrace an Alpha."

Disgrace an Alpha? Well, I disgraced two Alphas today so who exactly is asking them to punish me?

Sophia's POV

"What are you going to do to me?" I coughed, feeling sick again.

The man sneered. "You'll see soon enough," he replied cryptically. "The Alpha is on his way and when he comes we'll know whether to kill you or torture you," he laughed with the others, flaunting their weapons in my eyes.

I looked around, trying to look for a way to leave or outsmart the men but there was nothing.

"Why are you doing this?" I asked, trying to stall for time. "Who is the Alpha who asked you to take me?"

The man's expression darkened, and he grabbed my cheek roughly, making me wince in pain. "It's not our place to question the Alpha's orders," he growled. "We're just doing a job, and you've been marked for punishment."

Marked for punishment? The words sent shivers down my spine. Who could be behind this?

"Let's go. I'm starving! We can come back once the Alpha is ready to deal with her," one of the masked men said, rubbing his stomach.

The rest of the men cheered and one of them spoke up again. "What are we going to do about her?"

"Gag her or choke her," another answered and they decided to go with the latter.

"No," I screamed at the top of my lungs, hoping someone would hear me and save me but all I could hear was the echo of my own screams. "Don't do this, please," I begged but they were deaf to my pleas.

The men ignored my desperate pleas and swiftly grabbed the cloth that had been used to gag me earlier.

With a sinister grin, one of them approached me, his hands trembling with excitement. They balled up the cloth, and before I could react, they used the handkerchief from earlier and forced it against my nose and mouth.

"Take a deep breath, little she-wolf," the man sneered, his voice sending shivers down my spine. "You won't be causing any more trouble soon."

I struggled against their hold, trying to fight the suffocating feeling that engulfed me. Panic set in as I realized they were trying to make me pass out again. Memories of my earlier ordeal flooded my mind, and I couldn't bear the thought of losing consciousness again.

"No... Please... Stop," I managed to gasp, my vision already starting to blur. But the men showed no mercy, holding the cloth firmly in place, depriving me of precious air till I was gone.

I don't know how much time had passed, but the next thing I knew, I was waking up to a sharp stinging sensation on my face. I felt ice-cold water on my face and it jolted me back to consciousness. I gasped for breath, disoriented and drenched, trying to understand what was happening. Was the Alpha back?

"Well, well, look who decided to wake up," one of them taunted.

"What do you want from me? Please just let me go," I begged, my voice hoarse from too much screaming.

"But we're just getting started," another man sneered. "We were told to teach you a lesson before the Alpha comes, and we're going to make sure it sticks."

Tears welled up in my eyes. "Let me go please," I begged. "I won't cause problems again," I said through chattering teeth. With my underlying health, inhaling the sedative twice, staying outside in the wilderness, coupled with the cold water, I wasn't sure I'd make it out of there alive but I still continued to beg, maybe a miracle would happen.

"Well, well, well," Alpha Victor's voice dripped with malicious satisfaction. "Look at what we have here. My stepdaughter, the disobedient little she-wolf. Alpha Caleb's rejected mate."

I mustered all the courage I had left and glared at him, "Father? You're behind all this, aren't you? It was a mistake, I swear! I didn't bump into him on purpose

Alpha Victor's lips curled into a sinister smile. "But you bumped into him, dear. You stained him and brought this upon yourself, child. You embarrassed me in front of Alpha Caleb, and you will pay for it just as we agreed."

"Father please," I begged. "For Mother's sake, forgive me, please. Give me another chance. I'll redeem myself."

"No, Sophia. You already thumbprint on the papers. There's nothing here for you now!" he said, smiling triumphantly.

"The document? What was in it? What did you make me sign?" I asked, crying more than before.

"You see," he started. "The document contains your consent to you giving up your title as heir to the throne of Crescent Moon Pack and if you cause any trouble for me or the pack in general, I have the right to do whatever I want with you. And that includes banishment or whatever punishment I see fit!" he said, laughing together with the men.

"You tricked me?" I asked, unable to believe him.

"I didn't trick you, Sophia. You came to me on your own accord this morning and asked me to help. You agreed to do anything I wanted so you signed the papers. Tell me, how did I trick you?" he asked, showing off a photocopy of the document in my face and the men. "Does it look like I tricked her?"

"I can't believe my Mother loved and trusted you! You're a monster!" I yelled, staring at him with hatred.

He walked to me and crouched to my level then grabbed my jaw roughly. "I'm not the monster here, Sophia. You are the cause of your misery and my happiness. If you hadn't caused any ruckus tonight, the agreement would have been null and void. But you just couldn't resist the pull to your mate, could you?" he asked, letting me go and then facing the men.

"You did a good job getting her out of there unnoticed. This is for you," he said, handing each of them a wad of cash while I watched them, in pain and regret.

They jubilated and fell to their feet. "Thank you, Alpha Victor. You'll forever be our leader and savior." Their leader said and they stood up, cracking their necks and ready to do whatever my stepfather paid them for.

The masked men looked to Alpha Victor for instructions, their faces eager to carry out his orders. "What should we do with her, Alpha?" one of them asked. "Should we kill her or..."

"Yes! Kill her!" Alpha Victor said, circling me, his eyes filled with malevolence. "Goodbye, Sophia!" He laughed and walked out, leaving me with the masked men.

As Alpha Victor left, the masked men circled me like vultures, ready to do unspeakable things to me. I was trapped, vulnerable, and at their mercy.

"Looks like it's time to say goodbye."

"No, please!" I pleaded, my voice trembling. "I'll do anything, just spare me. I won't tell anyone what happened here. Just let me go!"

But they only laughed in response, savoring the fear in my eyes. "Sorry, sweetheart, but Alpha Victor has made it clear what he wants," another one said, raising a bat.

My instincts kicked in, and I mustered the strength to fight. I kicked and thrashed, trying to land a blow on any of them, but they easily overpowered me. My struggles only seemed to amuse them further.

"Put up all you want, little she-wolf," one of them sneered. "It won't change your fate."

Time seemed to slow down, as the men were talking about the best way to end my life.

"Enough!" the leader yelled, and I turned to face him standing a few meters away from me, holding a gun with his hand on the trigger. "Let's get this done right here, right now! We have other tasks to do."

My heart pounded like a drum in my chest as I sat there frozen, unable to talk or move. Due to the fear, I even peed myself on the spot as my life flashed right in front of me.

A second later, the deafening sound of a gunshot ripped through the air and I shut my eyes, saying my last prayers, ready to let go of this miserable life and find peace.