"Kayla, why do you hate me so much?" I asked, genuinely confused about her feelings towards me.
"I am just a bloody human and you are a werewolf! I am a slave and you are the Alpha's only daughter! You attended the best schools and I never attended any!
You are set to marry Jordan Greens, one of the richest men in Stockholm, and I just got married to one of the poorest men. Yet, you still despises me?" I sniffled.
"We aren't dragging anything out. You have it all. You and your family arranged my marriage to Jose Martins, and I wholeheartedly accepted your decision. What more do you want from me?" I asked, tears falling onto my gown.
"Idiot! you are not grateful that my fiance cleared your mom's dept!" Kayla spat at me again, turning around and striding towards the castle. This time, the phlegm landed on my breast.
Spitting at me was what Kayla has been doing to me since she was seven and neither her mom nor her dad had ever tried to reprimand her.
I stood frozen, looking at Kayla, wondering how and when I had offended her. She and her family simply despised me. I used to think the problem they had with my biological mother and the money she owed them was the issue, but since the debt had been cleared, I expected them to be happy. Yet, their hatred remained, suggesting that money was not the true reason behind their animosity towards me.
"You're aware of the community's rules regarding marriage, aren't you?" Luna Rita asked as she approached me gracefully, wearing the same mischievous smile she had when she came to my room earlier.
"You dare deny your husband his conjugal rights, and he reports you to the council of Lunas, you will face severe punishment. I will personally deal with you. And I will ensure you never lay eyes on your biological mother," Rita threatened. That last sentence struck a nerve with me, as it had been my weak point since childhood.
My family never failed to exploit my longing to see my biological mother, using it to manipulate me into doing things I didn't want to do. Now, as an adult, I still desperate to see her and know what transpired between her and Alpha Benjamin, but no longer controlled by that obsession.
I was told that my mother was Luna Rita's personal assistant until she had an affair with someone she was not supposed to look at. I desperately wanted to see her to know who she had affair with. I strongly believe that person is my biological father. I also wanted to see my mother to know why she left me in the hands of her enemies and absconded seventeen years ago, leaving just a long letter under my pillow.
Jose took out his handkerchief and was about to wipe off Kayla's phlegm that had landed on my breast. Jenna quickly took the handkerchief from him.
"Let me do it," Jenna said as she took the handkerchief and began to wipe the irritating stuff on my face and the one that had soaked into my inner wear.
"Let's go," Jose said, smiling wide as if he was happy to have a wife now. I frowned and slowly entered the car. Jenna tried to open the rear door, but Alpha Benjamin halted her with a growl.
"Will you get your hands off that car? Isn't Thalia old enough for marriage? Why do you want to go with her? Go back to your chamber!" Alpha Benjamin's voice bellowed from the sixth level of the castle. Jenna took her hands off the car door and ran into the castle.
Jose started the engine of the car and slowly drove out of the courtyard. A sudden heaviness consumed my head as he drove away. It was my first time leaving the pack in ten years, and I felt like an alien in a strange land.
"Have you seen Jordan since you left Lunar Palace?" Jose asked, breaking the silence that had lasted for over twenty minutes.
"No, today is my first time stepping out of the White Fang pack," I murmured, staring out through the window, appreciating the freedom my marriage to Jose offered me while tears remained in my eyes.
"Has he contacted you?" Jose inquired.
"No," I responded, but Jose remained quiet.
"Why did you marry me?" I asked, but Jose did not say anything. After about ten minutes, he finally spoke.
"I thought Jordan taught you how to read."
"Yes and Rachel also hired a private tutor for me," I whimpered.
"Why didn't you read the paper before signing it?"
"I didn't see the need to. Reading it won't change anything," I whimpered.
"You should always read documents before signing them. You don't know what you are capable of changing until you try," Jose advised.
"Can I read it now?" I asked, looking around for the papers.
"Our lawyer has taken it with him," Jose answered. I could not believe he now referred to his lawyer as 'our lawyer'.
"Are you sure Jordan did not come for you?"
"No, he did not," I responded and a long silence lingered in the car.
"How is Jordan?" I murmured, my voice heavy with emotion.
"He is fine."
"I heard Alpha Alex threw you out of Lunar Palace."
"Yes, but a kind man took me in. I am now staying in his newly built pack, which is one of the most beautiful packs in Stockholm," Jose explained as we entered a picturesque street lined with short trees on both sides.
At the end of the private street, a giant gate with the name 'Golden Gate Estate' opened, and we drove into the breathtaking pack. It was the most stunning sight I had ever seen. Twelve mansions surrounded the pack and a magnificent white castle with a helipad on the sky lounge stood in the center of the pack.
Jose drove straight into one of the mansion's basement. I couldn't help but walk out of the basement and began to look around in awe.
The remarkable pack, with its magnificent white castle, helipad, lush gardens, diverse wildlife, tranquil pond, sparkling waterfall, towering trees, and breathtaking mountain views, cemented its place as one of the most beautiful locations on earth.
After giving me a few minutes to take it all in, Jose spoke.
"Dr. Orion is the leader of this pack. He is the one you just got married to. He saw your picture online and fell in love with you," Jose dropped the bombshell. I was unsure whether to feel happy or sad. I just stood still staring unbelievably at Jose Martins. Now I understood why he kept insisting that I should have read the papers before signing. I slowly returned my head and was quite short of words.
"Dr. Who?" I asked. My eyes narrowed involuntarily and my lips pursed.
"Dr. Orion," replied Jose, "he is my boss and the one who cleared your debt. Please come with me. My boss will be here to see you any moment now."
Despite this, my focus remained fixed on the private helicopter that had just landed on the sky lounge of the castle.
My attention was suddenly diverted when I heard a loud bang behind me. It turned out to be another chopper, touching down just a few feet away from us. Jose firmly grasped my hand and led me along a pathway as we made our way towards the castle. My heart continued to beat rapidly as I pondered what Dr. Orion might look like.
"Is he old? Ugly? Ruthless?" My mind was consumed by these questions, yet I couldn't provide any answers to the curiosity swirling within me.