Chapter 2

　　Serena 　　I continued to drown in my solitude until I heard a gentle knock on the door. Slowly, I went to open it, and when I did, the unexpected visitor immediately wrapped her arms around my neck. 　　"Seri! You won't believe what just happened," she exclaimed excitedly. 　　“Woah! Take it easy, Shey,” I replied. My best friend looked at me with concern and noticed the bruises and cuts on my arms and face. “Did Aunt Mathilde beat you up again?” 　　“Well, what’s new? It's been like this ever since,” I uttered bitterly. Shey closed the door behind us and led me to sit at the edge of my bed. 　　I looked at Shey's face, and I almost knew what she would say next. In this pack, I have no friends except her. Even the omegas were afraid of making friends with me, fearing my stepmother. Not only did she make sure she would beat me physically, but she also shattered my confidence and social interactions. 　　Fortunately, Shey was an exception. Being the daughter of the alpha, who also happens to be my dad’s older brother, Mathilde couldn't manipulate her into hating me. 　　"Listen up, cousin! This is simply unacceptable. I mean, Uncle Janus doesn't even bother to do anything about your stepmom's cruelty, and my dad couldn’t even protect you, claiming that this is out of his jurisdiction as it's a family matter. You don't have to put up with that, you know? You have the freedom to break away from all of this and start fresh." 　　"Where do you expect her to go, Shey?" 　　Our heads turned to the door, and there stood my half-sister, Tori. She was playing with her smooth wavy hair, looking at us in a mean way. 　　Shey rolled her eyes. "What are you doing here, Tori? You're not welcome here." 　　"Well, I heard my mom beats up that... garbage. I wanted to see how messed up her ugly face is." 　　Shey clenched her hands and faced her. "If you don't zip it, I'll do the same to you." Tori’s face turned serious, knowing full well that Shey meant what she said. 　　"I just don’t get why you hang out with that loser. You're an alpha's daughter, yet you're friends with Serena. Really? You could've picked me as your bestie—" 　　“Oh, I am not interested,” Shey interjected. “I’d rather be alone than be besties with a shallow bitch like you.” 　　Tori’s face flushed with embarrassment and left the room without saying anything. 　　Seeing that, I held Shey’s hand. “You shouldn’t have done that. What if she turned on you next?” 　　"I'm not scared of her," she said, shrugging. "Tori is like a leech. She's been all about getting close to me because of my dad's power. So, I'm pretty sure she won't turn on me, even if she wants to. Her ambition is far greater than her pride." 　　Shey and I both laughed, well aware of my half-sister's personality. Then, she got serious again. "I mean what I said earlier." 　　I let out a deep sigh, showing how stuck I felt. "I know." 　　"So? You're not gonna take action?" 　　"Well, I can't," I replied, sounding defeated. "Tori's right. I've got nowhere to go. Never heard of my mom's pack, no other family to look after me." 　　The truth of the situation sinks in. My mom died giving birth to me, and nobody knew where she came from. My dad arrived in the pack with her, pregnant with me, after a few years of wandering. But he never talked about her, so her identity still remains a mystery to all of us. 　　Then suddenly, Shey’s face lit up. “I think I’ve got the solution you have been waiting for.” She took out a white envelope in her purse and handed it to me. 　　My brows creased. “What’s this?” 　　“Open it to find out,” she said, winking. I did what I was told 　　“An invitation to Blood Rose Pack’s mating ritual,” I murmured as I read the contents of it. I looked at Shey with confusion and almost immediately, she started explaining to shed light on it. 　　“Yes, Seri. You’ll be going to attend the most anticipated werewolf event of the season!” 　　The Blood Rose Pack reigns as the largest pack on the continent, throwing the most extravagant parties in the entire land. Everyone yearned for an invitation to any of their events, especially the highly anticipated annual mating ritual. Sadly, only unmated wolves and she-wolves of higher rank in our society received such invites. I can attest to this because even my step-sister, Tori, had been very eager to receive one. Our pack, Goldenridge, is small and less known compared to the others. 　　“But, Shey. You’ve been eager to receive an invite for so long. I cannot accept this.” 　　“Take it, Seri. I mean it.” She held my hands and caressed the side of my face to comfort me. “Besides, I would no longer need it.” 　　“But why?” But as soon as I uttered those words, my face quickly lit up. “Don’t tell me…” 　　“Yes, Seri! I found my mate, just this morning. That’s the news I’ve been wanting to tell you earlier.” 　　“Gosh, congratulations!” I exclaimed. My happy tears started streaming down my face as I hugged my her to celebrate this milestone. Shey was crying as well. We knew the odds of finding each one's mate were a million to one, especially when you are part of a pack situated far from the others. 　　After that tearful embrace, I couldn't help but inquire for more details. Shey revealed that her mate was a gamma warrior named Pierce from the Blood Rose Pack. He was the one who accompanied the tracker who delivered the invitation for her and Tori to attend the annual mating ritual. 　　Shey recounted their first meeting with excitement in her voice, and I couldn't have been happier for her. Still, deep down, a part of me longed for a fate like hers. But I knew it was impossible to achieve due to my disability. 　　I was born without a wolf, leaving me devoid of a mate as well. 　　It was like Shey could read my thoughts. She quickly placed a reassuring hand on my shoulder and gave me a warm smile. "Don't worry if you don't find your mate in this lifetime. Who knows? Maybe, during the mating ritual, you'll come across another werewolf who shares a similar fate. It's the perfect chance to find a suitable partner who can help you escape from your sufferings.." 　　As I stared at the invitation in my hand, Shey's words kept replaying in my head. Maybe she's right. This could be the opportunity I've been waiting for all my life. I mean, there must be someone out there who is wolfless too, right? It’s a perfect opportunity to find the wolf who will help me escape this goddess-forsaken life. 　　And all it takes is for me to attend a party that I hope will change the course of my destiny.