Author's POV
One year ago.
Her mother had just been buried in the middle of the forest. A woman cried beside the mound of earth, deeply grieving. The sky also wept for the departure of her mother. No one would remember her mother's death, who was considered the lowest prostitute of the Moon pack. Verity Morana, a mixed-blooded omega descendant, was deemed dirty by most of the Moon pack.
Her hazel eyes looked up at the sky. "Mom... it's raining today, I'm cold..." she said, looking at the raindrops that penetrated her eyes, soaking her entire body.
It felt so sad and empty. Her heart was in pain and emptiness after losing her mother, who had been seriously ill for a year, serving a werewolf who died immediately due to an incurable sexually transmitted disease. The epidemic then worsened the situation. No one cared about her and her mother's life at the city's edge.
The epidemic attacked her mother, who had a weak immune system. When she had no food at home in the morning, her mother finally died of hunger, crying before leaving. She regretted not being able to provide a good life for her mother.
Daciana, a nameless omega woman, had to become a prostitute to earn money when her child was seriously ill. Since then, the pack has always looked down on her and her mother. They knew the prostitute and the mixed-blooded daughter who lived on the western edge of the Moon pack's territory. Even Verity had been forced to work as a rough laundry worker since she was 12 years old until now, at 19, working harder than the wages she received.
She was humiliated, harassed, and even beaten for trivial matters that she sometimes didn't do. She was abused, and no one helped her until she met Liliana Skyler, who saved her from her employer's punishment. At that time, she was reassigned to work as a bartender, but a customer who disliked her bloodline became angry, and her employer blamed her. She was given 50 lashes as punishment, like a death sentence. Many people beat her in front of her employer's shop. She had given up on life when the tenth blow hit her back with full force.
Under investigation as an ordinary gang member, Liliana Skyler saved her from that death and began to befriend her. She also took care of her until she recovered from the tenth blow. The kind-hearted, beautiful pure-blooded wolf also helped her to heal her mother, albeit in vain. Daciana still died; Liliana returned just in time before her mother took her last breath because of a call from her father.
"Cry... mom, what is this... I can't live without you; I can't continue this life if you're not even in this world..." she said with a trembling voice, her hands clutching the mound of her mother's grave.
Finally, she was alone, the sky getting darker and the forest losing its Light. Her desire to stay alive had dimmed, nothing mattered, and no one wanted her to live except her mother. At least dying from the rain wasn't so bad, especially with her mother by her side. That's what she thought before she closed her eyes and lost consciousness, the intoxicating aroma and melodic howling of the wolf in her ears.
.....
Her head pounded as she tried to open her eyes; her body felt heavy and hot. Verity moaned unconsciously as the cold sensation hit her skin, "Mother... please close the window, it's cold..."
"Sshh, I'm here. You have a high fever, don't talk too much and go back to sleep..." a soft voice sounded unlike her mother's, and her aroma was so intoxicatingly sweet. Unlike Daciana's scent, her mother's.
"Mommy, your scent is sweet, not like usual..." She hugged her mother's body tighter; this was different from usual. "Mom, since when did your chest feel hard..."
"Well, I used perfume." It sounded different from her mother's voice, and she furrowed her brow and opened her eyes.
Verity looked up with still blurry eyes when she heard it and asked, "How did you buy this perfume, Mom? Last time, you and I had to fast for two days because we had no money..." She unconsciously made the body in her embrace stiff. "Forgive me, Mom... if I weren't born into this world, maybe you could live better than now..."
Her back was gently stroked to calm her down until Verity closed her heavy eyes again, and the man growled in anger upon hearing her words.
"This time, there will be no more suffering, my dear... we will live well forever." He said confidently while his blue eyes flashed into golden color.
But he could never see the future, whether his words would come true or be denied.
...
Verity woke up when she heard the commotion inside her fragile small house, with her body feeling weak and her vision still unable to focus correctly. She walked to the kitchen and found Liliana Skyler, her friend, attacked by a big black wolf with golden eyes and a terrifying growl. Ignoring the wolf's enthusiastic howls, she helped her friend despite her weakened state.
The giant wolf backed away with ease while still growling toward Liliana before its form changed into a handsome, tall man with sapphire eyes.
"Stay away from her, Verity!" He said while ignoring his nakedness, revealing his beautiful body, but Verity was not looking downwards at his nudity.
But he instead became furious with a pale face, "You should be the one staying away and getting out of my house!! Entering someone else's house and attacking my friend!!"
"Friend!! You shouldn't be friends with a woman like her; you should know how hypocritical--"
Her head spun from hearing his words, "STOP TALKING, STRANGER!!" She yelled with a racing breath, tired as her head still turned and her vision blurry.
Her tiny body stood before her friend, blocking the view of the suspicious man who looked creepy, but his presence didn't feel threatening. His green eyes traced her body until he realized it, making her pale cheeks blush. The man was naked after returning to his human form.
'Mate!! Mate!!' Natalie's enthusiastic voice made her head spin, and she stumbled, immediately caught by the man who quickly moved away from Liliana's surprised gaze.
"Verity!" Liliana called along with the man.
"Verity, you're still sick. I'm sorry for making you angry; I'm sorry..." she said, immediately making Verity aware of the scent of the man holding her.
"Before that, who are you?" she asked, distancing herself from the man even though Natalie continued to howl in protest at her apathetic attitude toward him. She had already realized it, but being sick and having just attacked her friend made her quite angry.
"Jacob Night, I'm your mate..." he answered, clarifying it in front of Liliana Skyler, who now had a pale face while clenching her fists at her sides. She took a deep breath while groaning and holding her dizzy head, "But that doesn't mean you can attack my friend!" Jacob nodded understandingly for his mistake, but Verity stepped back every time he stepped forward.
"Verity, calm down... you're still sick," said Liliana, trying to hold her hand. But Jacob hit her hand to prevent her from touching his mate. Seeing that, she got angry and immediately moved away from his body. It made her growl unconsciously; Jacob dared to pull Verity's body and kiss her lips roughly while holding her body that, pushed her chest away. A few moments later, she willingly accepted his kiss because their pheromones were interdependent, causing their bodies to weaken.
"I... I'll go; contact me if you need anything," he said, ignoring the two hotly kissing each other.
Liliana Skyler left in shame; she never thought Verity would find her mate this quickly, especially since it was Jacob Night—the future alpha of Moon packs, the second largest territory after Light pack.
"Mate!! Mating, do it now!!"
"I can hear your wolf's voice; he's very impatient and naughty," said Jacob after releasing his lips; he slowly wiped his red lips before kissing her again.
When she came to her senses, their bodies were already back on her smelly, uncomfortable bed. She pushed Jacob's face away forcefully, "Wait!! Don't mark me; my bed is very smelly and uncomfortable," she said shyly while turning away.
Although she was still in pain, uniting with her mate would send good energy to both bodies. It would provide healing between them and cure what was hurting.
"It doesn't matter," Jacob reassured her and lowered his face towards Verity again, but her weak hands held him back, making him frown. "What else is there? Did I hurt you?" he asked worriedly, seeing Verity's pale face.
"I...you know, I'm a lowly mixed-blooded female omega..." she said humbly, making Jacob kiss her lips mercilessly and then touching her most sensitive spot until moans were heard. "Ah! Jacob...what are you doing!" Verity pulled her legs together while holding her mate's hands. Breathlessly, he took her hand and kissed it warmly, staring into Verity's green eyes. But when he saw doubt and even fear in her eyes, he said, "Forgive me..." He bowed his head and touched his forehead to hers, taking deep breaths while holding back a terrible headache.
"I'm sorry; I shouldn't have forced my will just because we're mates." After speaking, he got up and sat behind her.
Verity pulled the thin cloth she used as a warming blanket, which was the only one she had in her rundown home, and now Natalie was starting to howl at her, making her even dizzier. Her body shivered slightly from the cold; it was already dark outside. When she came to her senses earlier, it was already late afternoon, and she remembered sitting with her mother eating. Meaning she had lost consciousness, and Jacob was probably the one who moved her to her home.
"Did you find me in Sorin Wood?" she asked, still wanting to make sure.
Jacob nodded before answering, "Yes. I smelled your scent so strongly even though it was raining then. I ran as fast as possible into Sorin Wood, even though the warriors warned me not to enter the forest because of the many mutant monster attacks from the evil shadow. At that time, I was with the warriors looking at the location of the monster attack and smelled your scent... Can I use the bathroom?" he asked without turning around; she could only see his muscular back, which looked so sad.
Verity rubbed his shoulders without realizing it, "Actually...I don't have a private bathroom. Usually, I go to the river in the forest with my mother..." she answered honestly. She could see Jacob's back tense when she said that, and suddenly the feeling of inferiority filled her heart. Maybe after this, he would reject her because of her mixed blood and low status.
"Okay, wait here. I'll be back in half an hour," Jacob said, getting up, walking out of the room, and hearing the sound of her rundown house's door opening and closing.