1.

Catherine's POV

My breath comes out ragged as I walk into the shadows of the forest, I don't know what I was doing here. But the fact that I was nearly disowned by my family made me crawl back into the deep pit of earth and never come back alive. I didn’t know what I was supposed to do. I was a runt. I was always different, the odd one out. The familiar ache in my chest rises again on the words of humiliation and the pain just intensifies.

It didn't matter if I was a daughter of an Alpha of the Crescent Claw Moon Pack, but the fact that I was nothing in front of my siblings who were Alpha and Luna, shredded me to pieces. And tonight the limit had crossed, my mother shouldn't have said that. It hurt me, but what hurt more was the fact that nobody, nobody in the family stood up for me. Tears threatened to spill out from my eyes and I wiped them harshfully.

**Flashback**

The silver ware clicks resonated in the dining hall, my hands shivered with the fact that I would never fit into this family. As I took the first bite of my meal, some venomous words came out of my mother’s mouth still on my spine and made tears fill my eyes.

“I truly never understood why I gave birth to a runt.” Her words were sharp and venomous, it pierced my heart and made my breathing stop.

Clearing my throat, I glanced at my father, then at my elder brother.

God, they really didn't care about me, they did nothing to defend me. So, I took it in my hand and stood up, dismissing myself out of the dining hall. Rushing into my room, I wore my cloak and stared at the bright moon.

“You love seeing me suffer, don't you?” My voice came out broken and I walked to my window. My wolf howled a cry inside as I stared at the moon then jumped out of the window.

**Flashback Ends**

That was when I decided to take a stroll, and in a stroll I did something forbidden. Something which wasn't allowed to be forgiven, something which would make my death appear more sooner than it's time.

I trespassed the rival pack.

Silver Fang Pack, was the pack of rivals and I couldn't afford to be found here. God, it was so wrong. Why the hell would I be here?

Tightening my fingers around my hood, I turned around to go. I tried to be as quiet as I could be, but the crunch of dry leaves announced in the woods that I was still there. Closing my eyes I heaved a breath, and thought do what was best for me.

Run, that was all I could do. My fingers drummed across my thighs, as I searched for the black mask which I always wore. It was easy to hide myself, nobody saw me. Nobody really saw me. They saw my sister, my brother and their perfect abilities to be Alpha and Luna, but never me. I was always unseen. The heartache increased with each passing second, as I shakily covered my face with my mask. Just as I was about to cross the boundaries and go out of the rival pack, a hand gripped my wrist and made me turn around with such force that my tears jerked away and fell on the person's chest.

Closing my eyes, I feared the punishment, of the thought of execution. Just when I thought that I would be killed, a husky-forbidden voice reached my ears. I snapped open my eyes and saw him. Lucian, the newly made Alpha of the rival pack.

“Forbidden territories aren't made for you to stroll around.”

His blue eyes bored into mine and I wriggled in his hold. But his fingers just tightened on my arms and he stared at me with his intense eyes. I didn’t know what he was thinking.

“Leave me,” I grumbled trying to get my hands free from his grip.

“You, who are you? You aren't from my pack, are you?” He questioned with his blue eyes dancing on my face. He was trying hard to recognize me, but nobody could recognize me. No one could.

My family had always kept me hidden, hidden from even my own pack. They were ashamed of me, because I was weak. Because I was a runt.

“No, I am not.” My voice came out lower than expected, and I saw his eyes widened just for a fraction.

“You-,”

My wolf stilled suddenly and then it howled. Mate.

No, it cannot be. He can't be a mate. He is from the rival pack. No, I can't let him know that I am his mate.

With a final push, I scramble out of his hold, and run away from him. I tried to get away from him, from his territory, from the best possible way to be the reason of ruin.

“Hey, wait.” He called me. Leaves crunched under the weight of his footsteps as he tried to get near me, and he did.

A hand coiled around my waist and pulled me closer. His ragged breath was hitting head and I closed my eyes. He was so close, so close that I could smell his woody and piney smell. God, I couldn't be in another trouble.

“Let me go,” I tried, again, but all my wriggling went in vain as he said the next words.

“I wouldn't leave my mate, when I just found them.” My eyes popped out wide on his words, and he didn't say it simply. He growled those words in my ears with his hot ragged breath in my ears.

My stomach twisted with some new feelings for the first time. What was it that was making me stick to him even when I knew the consequences for when my truth will be out? I gulped down the bile of hot feelings and straightened my palm on his chest, but then yanked my hand away when I sensed his heart beating in sync with mine.