Escape to the Lycan King's Arms

Hannah walked through the pack territory with her head down, trying to make herself as invisible as possible. The daily walk to her menial tasks was always the worst part of her day. Today was no different.

“Hey, freak! Ah! My bad! Wolfless it is. Isn't it,huh?” a pack warrior sneered, shoving her shoulder as he passed by.

Hannah stumbled but kept her balance, refusing to give him the satisfaction of a response. She knew better than to engage. The taunts and shoves were a constant reminder that she didn’t belong there, that she was less than everyone else in the pack and it was almost like she was getting too used to that.

“Still no wolf? Guess it skipped a generation, huh?Or went on a leave? Vacation anybody?”

Lizzy used to be Hannah’s best friend at one point in her life but she probably got bored playing the nice guy to her. After all a wolfless orphan was as good as a piece of furniture. The onlookers booed and cheered at the same time at Lizzy's remark, “Maybe you should just leave, make it easier for the rest of us.”

Hannah understood where that came from. Lizzy used to be targeted for being Hannah's companion until she joined their gang.

Hannah clenched her fists, her nails digging into her palms. She had heard it all before, but it never got easier. As the pack's outcast, she was always the target of their cruelty.She would have gone if she could but she didn't know anything about the outside world. She had nowhere to go.

Her parents had died heroically, but that meant nothing to them.And the impact had taken her wolf away. She was told they had died saving a stranger, a decision that had left her alone and despised.

“ Leave her alone! ” She heard a voice as the crowd humiliating her turned around.

It was one of the Deltas and he walked up to her with a twisted smirk. He ran his finger along her tangled hair before grabbing her by her hand. “I mean leave her alone for the time being. She has been summoned by the Alpha! ”Gasps and murmurs erupted as Hannah's heart started pounding in her chest.

She entered the grand hall feeling like a convict, feeling the weight of dozens of eyes on her. Derek, the Alpha's eldest son, stood at the front, his expression unreadable. Hannah involuntarily backed off. Derek was one person she steered clear of at all costs.He had not only physically but mentally and emotionally targeted and tortured her. She was his favorite pastime.

“ How have you been, Hannah? Today you have reached your eighteenth birthday!Congratulations! You might be aware why you have been summoned here! ”

Damn! It in fact was her birthday. What kind of a miserable existence was she living to have forgotten her own birthday?

She prostrated in front of the Alpha to show her acknowledgment. She had heard rumors about her mate being revealed, but she hadn’t dared to hope. She was a wolfless after all. Would the Moon Goddess be kind enough to grant her what everyone else had?

Derek looked at her, his eyes flickering with something between anger, regret, and humiliation. “Hannah,” he began, his voice cold and distant, “you are my mate.”

A murmur of shock ran through the crowd. Hannah felt like fate wasn't done playing cruel jokes. Derek was her mate? Any tiny flicker of hope that she had felt was gone. Dark clouds enveloped her existence.

But Derek wasn't clearly done. He continued,“ I know… I know, ” He turned around, addressing the crowd. “This bitch must have resorted to some goddamn sorcery or black magic. There is no way on earth that an Alpha's son gets mated to a useless, wolfless moron! ”

The words hit her like a physical blow. She had expected disdain, but this public rejection was a humiliation she wasn’t prepared for. She felt the eyes of the pack on her, their judgmental stares piercing her soul.

Derek grabbed her cheeks and pressed them so hard that her teeth dug into her flesh, causing it to bleed. “ I can't even reject you, no matter how much I want to. Not without draining half of my power just before becoming the next Alpha of our pack! ”

He shoved her with all his might, causing her to crash against the wall and start bleeding from the back of her head as well. Derek's eyes met hers, and for a brief moment, she saw a flash of something…regret? pain?...before it was gone, replaced by cold indifference. Was that even possible?

“Why?” Hannah’s voice was barely more than a whisper, but it carried through the silent hall.“I can do the rejection if you are afraid of the outcome. I can take the pain… ”

Derek’s jaw clenched.He bent down, his lips too close to her ears, he whispered “You will do nothing like that! ” Was it a warning? Was it a claim? “Don’t get me wrong. You are stunning,and I knew in my heart from the very start that you might end up being latched to me. I hated you passionately for that. I still hate you. You’re nothing without a wolf but your body can still be useful!”Hannah dared not look him in the eye. She could feel this so-called hatred hot against her skin. He looked her up and down in such a dirty way that made her sick to her pit. “ Now come on and get going! Stay away from my sight till I summon you! ”

The room erupted into murmurs again, and Hannah felt her knees go weak. She turned and fled the room, the laughter and whispers of the pack following her out.Her feet didn't stop till she reached her cabin and locked herself inside. There in solitude,Hannah let the tears flow, her back resting against the door, gulping her sorrow and blood.

The humiliation stung deeply, but beneath the pain, something else simmered.Anger and a lingering fear for the future.

Wiping her tears, Hannah looked at her reflection in the small, cracked mirror hanging by her wall. She had a small built, prominent curves, curly hair and plump lips that complemented her green eyes. “I may be wolfless,” she whispered to herself, “but I’m not a toy for anyone.”

She knew Derek wanted to use her as a breeder and she knew how that could end.

She waited for night to descend on the pack and for everyone to fall asleep.

There was no way she could sleep that night.

She sneaked out for a little walk.Her mind was buzzing and she needed some fresh air.

She loved walking along the woods to their old house. Where she lived with her parents. It was reduced to a ruin but she still loved the vibe around it. It made her feel the warmth of her parents. It felt like home.

She walked towards it like usual but suddenly a voice caught her attention. She immediately hid herself before moving forward.She pressed herself against the wall, listening intently.

"They didn't just die saving a stranger," a voice said, low and urgent. “ Don't you think Hannah deserves to know the whole truth? Her parents didn't die protecting a commoner! She is an adult. I think she can handle the situation. Didn't you see what became of her at the Pack house? ”

Hannah fell back, causing the leaves to crumble under her feet. She could see a shadow coming towards her.

Without thinking, Hannah ran.

Hannah had no clue she was running out of the pack territories, into the unknown.

She knew she had been followed. She didn't stop until she was very certain that she was well away from the pursuer. The last thing she wanted was to be thrown into the dungeon with those vile prison guards.They were worse than her pack members. They were evil.

She bent forward, her hands resting over her knees. As her lungs took in the air, her brain slowly registered what she had heard.

There was more to her parents’ deaths? Why didn't anybody tell her? Why!!!

Hannah's breath came in ragged gasps as she straightened, her eyes darting around the unfamiliar terrain. Then realization hit her hard.She was deep in rogue land.Panic surged through her veins, her heartbeat thundering in her ears. “Shit! ”

A low growl echoed through the trees, sending a shiver down her spine.Without looking back, she bolted, her feet pounding the forest floor.

The rogues were closing in, their snarls growing louder, more menacing.Hannah pushed herself harder, fear fueling her steps.

The forest blurred around her as she darted through the trees.She had no idea where she was going, no sense of direction,she didn't even know how much further away she was from her pack borders.

Just when she thought she couldn't go any further, she collided with something solid. Strong arms wrapped around her, steadying her as she struggled to catch her breath.

“Whoa there, little nugget,” a deep, smooth voice murmured. She looked up, her eyes widening as they met a pair of intense, dark eyes peering out from behind a mask. The man was tall, his body radiating strength and a raw, dangerous energy that sent her senses into overdrive.

“What the…” she started, but he cut her off, his hand gently but firmly covering her mouth.She had been called all sorts of names but never a nugget.

“Shh. They’ll hear us.”His voice was a husky whisper, sending a cold shiver down her spine.

Hannah nodded, her body pressed against his as they listened. The rogues were close, but after a tense moment, their growls began to fade.

Hannah had no clue why they suddenly retreated but she was grateful.

The man finally removed his hand, his gaze still locked on hers.Hannah barely had time to catch her breath , “ Thank you! ”She mumbled , looking down, adjusting her skirt but then she looked up to find that he had disappeared.

Hannah looked around. She had no clue where in the world she was. There were just some trees around and a desolate road.

Suddenly the masked man reappeared as stealthily as he had vanished, holding out a black mask adorned with delicate silver filigree. “There's a masquerade party nearby. You can blend in and stay safe.The night is deep, you won't be able to get back until it's morning,” he suggested as nonchalantly as if he knew Hannah very well. His eyes gleamed with a mix of mischief and something darker.She hesitated for a moment but then nodded, slipping the mask over her face. “Alright, let’s go.”

This was Hannah's one shot at tasting freedom or as close as she could get.

He led her through the dense forest until they reached a large mansion, glowing with lights and the muffled sound of music.

Hannah looked around with awe in her eyes.It looked nothing less than a castle. The air was thick with the scent of perfume and alcohol.The atmosphere charged with booze and recklessness. Their costumes exuded wealth, straight out of a period film. She looked at herself in that black skirt and top. It matched her mask but she was no match to their extravagance, but she didn't care. Hannah's feet were starting to tap with the rhythm when suddenly she froze.

She saw Derek.Why Derek of all people? It was almost as if destiny was mocking her.

He was busy banging a girl against the wall, right in the middle of the party. The girl’s moans were loud and crude, echoing in the grand hall. Derek’s head was thrown back in pleasure, oblivious to the world around him.It was a good thing. He didn't notice Hannah as she turned around.

“Fucking hell,” Hannah muttered, her stomach twisting in disgust. No matter how much she despised him, he was still mated to her.

The masked man beside her noticed her reaction and gently guided her away from the scene.

“Let’s get out of here,” he murmured in her ear, his breath hot against her skin. “My place isn’t far. We can have a drink and relax.”

Normally Hannah would run from such a proposal. But tonight was different. She wasn't the old Hannah at the moment. She was a free bird.

“ Alright! ”