hats our unishment,"

I let my bags slide down my fingers and fall heavily on the pavement with a huff. I turn around and gaze one last time at the worn out, almost broken state of the house that has been my residence for the past 18 years.

Whew. Time runs like water.

It seems like just yesterday I realized for the first time that my mother is crazy when she'd laid a hand on me . . . I can't believe I made it through all these years without losing my grip on sanity. . .

I'm still reluctant to leave this place, as no one would be there to make sure that my mother, Victoria Rye, is still alive and breathing every day. But, after Beta Ezra's long private meeting with Alpha Hugh Parker today, I'd met him to bid farewell, and voiced my concern – albeit timidly.

What was more shocking was, he'd accepted to hire a person to take care of her, since she's a pack member, after all. I don't know how true he'd remain to his statement, but just knowing that the responsibility to take care of her is off my shoulders, makes me sigh out a huge breath of relief.

"Is that all?" Beta Ezra asks, looking down at the two bags at my feet, annoyance clear in his slightly accented voice. It's not French, not British, something deeper, but the drawl is too light to guess.

"Y-yes," I acquiesce, bending down to pick them by the handles. Beta Ezra beats me to it, grabbing them before I touch them, murmuring something under his breath that sounds suspiciously like, "Don't want another reason to be chewed out..."

He carries the heavy luggage with ease, not the slightest hint of effort in his face. I wonder how it would feel to be that strong, to be able to carry your girl to surprise her or defend her when she is in need of a knight in shining armor . . . Sigh, now that I'm free of Victoria, I should probably work out more.

But, it's the unavoidable truth that some people can't become bulky no matter how hard they try.

Un-freakin'-fortunately, I'm one of them.

Seeing him load all my belongings in the backseat of his sleek blue car reminds me that, there's nothing more of me left in this house. I'm finally free.

Free!

I smile widely at that, and a light, floaty feeling envelops my heart, bubbling from deep within. The happiness I feel is so foreign, I feel like I'm on a high, and nothing around me, not even Beta Ezra's perpetually grumpy mood, can pull me down, or disrupt my positive view of the world, through the sparkling new lenses that the high gives.

"Are you coming, or are gonna stand there all day and smile like a loon?" Beta Ezra barks, pulling his side of the door open, with an irritated look over his shoulder. I press my lips together in an attempt to control my joyous grin, but I fail miserably. I walk to the right side with a spring in my steps, which itself does a big job of surprising me. Beta Ezra notices my super-good mood, and gives me a dirty look once I'm buckled in and all ready to go, still grinning.

"Okay, You're freaking me out. Why are you smiling?!" He exclaims with a weirded out look, and I shrug, grinning wider.

"I'm just happy to leave it all behind." I smile, and then realize that I didn't once stutter in my words. Whoa! So good mood is the key to keep the nervousness at bay.

He snorts.

"Don't think that our Alpha is your princess in a white horse to steal you away to a happily ever after." He drawls, twisting the keys into the ignition. "We'll see how long you last." He adds with a smirk, and revs the car into life, speeding into the stone highway.

I was wrong.

My good mood can be corrupted by his grumpiness.

•••

I'm a ball of nerves by the time we cross the wooden mark in the corner of the road with a sword carved in it.

The sword. The mark of the Mordecais.

The beginning of the Mordecai Pack,

The largest and the most feared Pack.

Whose leader is my Mate.

I shiver at that.

"Stop that."

"W-what?"

"Stop the bouncing. It's getting annoying." Beta Ezra chides, the ever-present scowl deepening the lines on his face. I glance down to see that my knee is bouncing in a nervous habit, and quickly force it to a stop, with a mumbled apology under my breath.

Soon the polished highway of road thins, weaving in between a thick cover of trees. I twiddle with my fingers anxiously, inhaling deeply to control my quick breathing. Just then, the trees start to thin, and a clearing comes into view. I squint my eyes and see the beginning of habitation — a few houses and vehicles on the sides of the road.

Strangely, everything seems empty. There are no people or children roaming around, and I'm thankful for that. I'm not ready to face anyone yet.

Maybe there's a curfew in this pack . . .

"Here we are," Beta Ezra announces, and I'm surprised to see a huge mansion that I'd somehow missed in my panic-induced state.

"Wow."

The house is palatial, with peach colored brick walls and huge mahogany framed windows. Two curtained see-through glass windows frame the ginormous double-doored entrance, and circular pillars with stripes of a darker shade of peach, the size of giant Eucalyptus trees add style and support to the mansion. The roofs are a midnight shade of Persian blue, looming over the house, giving it a castle-like look.

It is safe to say that Alpha Seneca has class.

But none of this shocks me.

What's more shocking is the people.

The huge crowd standing around the grey stone fountain, occupying the benches and leaning on trees, all of them engaged in a conversation with someone close to their age, or chatting away in their mobiles, children running around the adults' legs, women talking with animated expressions, men crowding an expensive looking car, and even two guys sparring!

In short, there are a lot of people.

"A-are all of them y-your pack?"

"Yes. 858 in total." He replies proudly, shifting gears.

I gasp.

I hear a chuckle and turn to see Beta Ezra looking amused. He notices my alarmed expression and the chuckle turns to a full-on laugh. Why wouldn't he laugh, after all, it isn't him who's going to face a crowd full of strangers.

"I didn't know Alpha would do this," He remarks, and as if to add spite, adds clutch and acceleration to the car, making it screech into a race-driver level halt. Heads turn our way at the display of his driving skills, and I curse him mentally for taking joy in my misery.

Without delivering the pep talk I was so sure he would give, Beta Ezra twists the key off the ignition and opens his side of the door, getting out. I gape at his back, but he slams it shut and turns around, peering into my side with a smirk. With no other choice but to comply in front of 858 people, I reach out a shaky hand and open my side. I keep my head low as I close my door behind me, trying to muster up the confidence to face them. A hush falls over the gathering, and I shudder slightly, feeling the eyes of 858 people burn through my back.

Believe me when I say it's not a nice feeling.

I turn around, cringing when I see the curious expression on the eyes of every single pack member assess me, size me, challenge me. That's when a bold, feminine voice calls the attention of the group, removing all eyes from me.

"Greetings, My fellow Wolves."

I immediately look up to catch the eyes of my Alpha Mate, standing on the curved marble steps that lead to the front door. She holds my gaze for a second and then breaks eye contact, turning to meet the eyes of the mob.

"I have called for all of you here today, to introduce my Mate to you." She declares and whispers erupt at the word 'Mate'. Some people turn around, sneaking glances at me, while others look shocked. I send a panicked look at Alpha Seneca's way, but she nods at me, crooking one finger as if to beckon me forward.

Is she expecting me to go there and stand in front of everyone?!

Beta Ezra shoves me forward, and I almost lose balance and fall down, before I catch myself. I give him an annoyed look, before realizing that I'm disrespecting the Beta. I open my mouth to apologize when he cuts me off saying. "Go."

I walk around the crowd to her hesitantly, wringing my hands together the whole time. Those few steps between the car and the entrance seem like they go on forever, with all attention focused on me. I finally reach the steps and I climb them, only to stand awkwardly by her side, feeling small and unimportant beside her commanding presence.

"Come closer and stand by me please," She whispers in between her teeth in a voice so low that it can't possibly be overheard by anyone near us, and it takes my nerve-riddled brain a second to comprehend her request. I then blush immediately at the thought of such close proximity to my Mate, but take an anxious step forward nonetheless, leaving just c couple of inches of space between our bodies.

So close that I can almost feel the heat emanating off of her in a palpable manner.

"Closer," Her lips barely move and my eyebrows shoot up in surprise as I stare at her in a dumbfounded manner, but before I can react she gives the crowd a polite tilt of her head and wraps and arm around my lower back, taking a last step closer that presses our bodies together perfectly.

And then my brain almost shuts down, because all I can think about is curves.

Our bodies align together in perfect precision, and the contact does nothing but muddle my already confused brain with a surge of inappropriate lust. I clamp my teeth at the sudden fire racing through my insides, ignoring my Wolf howling at the back of my mind in happiness.

'Shut up, you insolent beast. We're in front of everyone.'

That makes him quiet down a little bit, thankfully.

I see the corner of her lips turning up a minuscule amount when I glance at her surreptitiously – the movement so tiny that I would've missed it, were I not observing her so closely – as if she's trying to control a smirk, and she tightens the hand around my back.

And then I realize that she must've probably sensed my arousal.

Fudge cakes.

"This is my Mate, your Aleph, Micajah Rye." She introduces as she straightens up with that air of command about her, and I promptly blush as all eyes fall on me once again. "I have called for this emergency introduction," A pause, "because it has come to my attention that some of our Pack members are partaking in low acts like bullying, despite knowing what the pack rules state about it. It's a punishable offense that can give me reason to throw you in the dungeons." She glares hotly at some guys particularly at the right side of the group.

Whoa, that's . . . that's good to know that some packs have rules like these.

"And for those of you thinking that I won't find out if you're bullying underclassmen, think again. If I hear that anyone is bullying anyone, or if anyone dares to lay a finger on anyone again—and I'm warning all parents and husbands here as well—you will be immediately banished from our land, free to become Rogue." Gasps and feared nods are the responses.

She nods, satisfied.

"That's all. You are dismissed." Alpha Seneca orders and the crowd immediately starts scattering leaving through the huge wooden gates through which we drove. "Wait," She calls all of a sudden, freezing everyone in their tracks as they turn back to look at their Alpha.

She presses her lips together in contemplation for a quick second, but nods to herself, "I didn't want to do this publicly, but seeing as some people had no issues publicly humiliating defenceless victims . . . James, Marcus, Dawson and Elijah," Her gaze roams over to the side where the four guys in question were standing there nervously with their heads bowed, "I hereby sentence you to be thrown into the dungeons for a week. You will be fed one meal a day."

With that, Seneca turns around and starts in the direction of the house, forcing me to move along as her arm is still around me. There was not a single mumble of protest from anyone—be it family of the guys or the guys themselves—only quiet resignation as if they knew it all along. At that moment, I admire her determination and strength to run a pack this well with such authority.

It takes a true leader to do that.

The room which greets my vision the moment we step insides is officially the largest living room I've seen. Mustard colored walls and plush blood-red rugs add spice to the room, with floor-to-ceiling windows adorned with Maroon curtains opening to a clear view of the woods around. The glass chandelier suspended from the ceiling prevents the room from being too old-fashioned, giving a modern touch to it. Dark peach couches with light yellow, red and white throw pillows, accentuated with a clear glass and wooden coffee table, make it a decorator's delight.

"Whoa..." I start, but suddenly I'm pushed against a hard surface by a shove to my shoulder. I look up and I'm shocked to see Alpha Seneca glaring at me, and I realize that the hard surface is indeed a wall. I glance around nervously and see that there's no one, and we are truly, completely alone.

Gulp. Anything may happen.

"I-I'm sorry," I mumble in a pathetic attempt to appease her.

"I don't want your apology. I gave you one stipulation and you couldn't follow it. You should be punished." She says calmly, gazing at me with flat gray eyes. My breathing becomes uneven, whether at our close proximity, or the due to my nerves, is a puzzle I can't solve.

She steps forward, and the gap between us is so small that it can be measured in millimeters. The heat of her body caresses my skin, making me hyper-aware of my nerves.

"I'm s-sorry." I try again, but she seems to have already decided what to do because there's no change in her expression.

"You will be staying in a room, far, far, away from mine. I'd thought that we could be like normal Mates and share a room," She studies me impassively, "But seeing as you prove me wrong with your inability to obey, you won't be staying with me until I deem it fit. That will be your punishment." I don't know whether to sigh in relief or shout in frustration at her punishment. Instead, I shake my head slowly.

"My maid will show you to your room. I have to take care of other issues that demand my concern. Don't stay up for me."

With one tight nod, my Mate is off, leaving me staring at her back with a myriad of confused emotions.

•••

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