Chapter One: The mate bond

"Daphne!!" A middle-aged woman knocked on the door, with a big smile on her face. It was going to be a long day for Daphne and she was looking forward to it.

"Hello, Aunt!" The door opened up to reveal Daphne, who had a big smile on her face. She was dressed in the Pack's worker's uniform and she smelled like roses.

"Are you ready for today?" The woman asked, taking hold of her hand. 

"Sure!" Daphne replied, quickly. Taking a step forward, she gave her aunt a tight hug.

"Thank you, Aunt Priscilla, for giving me this opportunity." She said, in a meek tone.

"Aww, stop that. It's been so long and you keep thanking me." Priscilla said, breaking away from the hug. Her eyes twinkled as she looked at her niece.

"I still have to keep thanking you," Daphne replied, smiling sheepishly. A year ago, she had run away from her Pack, looking for her aunt. Priscilla had taken her in, without any qualms.

"I need to go, Aunt. I have a meeting with the Alpha." Daphne said, stepping away. The eagerness and excitement in her eyes were evident. 

As a cook in Pack's mansion, she had been summoned by the Alpha due to the event that would be happening that night. 

"Sure, have a great time. I'll be at the ball later on." Priscilla replied, watching Daphne walk down the hallway. 

"I'll see you later." Daphne replied quickly. She couldn't contain her excitement as she ran down the stairs. Being a cook in the Pack's mansion was due to her aunt's influence in the Pack.

An hour later...

"Hello, Daphne, good to see you today." A guard greeted her as she walked into the mansion. 

"Hi!" She said, with a nervous smile. Her excitement had dimmed a bit as she realized she would be seeing the Alpha soon. Ever since she started working in the Pack's mansion, she had never come across him.

As soon as she finished exchanging greetings with the guard, she heard someone call out to her.

"Daphne!" The Beta of the Pack called out with a serious look on his face.

Swiftly, she turned to look at him and answered, "Yes, Beta." She could recognize the Beta as she had met him once or twice before.

"The Alpha has summoned you!" He said and then turned around.

"Follow me!" He added.

Biting her lips nervously, she followed after the Beta. Her hands turned clammy as they approached the Alpha's study.

As they got to the door, the Beta turned to look at her, "I do not have to tell you how to behave, right?" He asked, in a stern tone.

Daphne looked confused for a moment, however, in the next second, she nodded her head.

"I know what to do." She said.

Nodding his head, the Beta pushed open the door and Daphne was met with an intoxicating scent.

She went still and goosebumps lined her skin. Her nostrils were filled with the scent of pines and she inhaled deeply, closing her eyes. 

"Daphne!" The Beta called out to her and she immediately came to her senses.

"I'm sorry...." She said, in a shaky tone while he gave her a stern look.

At this moment, she could feel her wolf racing in her mind, clawing at their bond. 

A certain voice came from inside and she desperately wanted to see the owner of that voice. 

Soon, the duo walked into the study room. They were met with shelves with vast collections of books. 

A table was set in the middle of the study, and two sofas were a few steps from it. There were two people seated on a sofa and Daphne's eyes zeroed in on the man there with a woman by his side.

"Alpha, this is the cook, Daphne Rosen." The Beta announced. A few seconds after he said his words, he stepped away, disappearing into the shadows. 

In the next second, the Alpha raised his head and he made eye contact with Daphne. 

She gasped in shock as she was being stared at by her mate.

His blue eyes captivated her and she could feel her wolf restlessly wanting to meet her mate. 

She just wanted to grab him and have him in her arms.

"Ma..." She started to say but the Alpha blinked and called out to her. 

"Miss Daphne!" The Alpha called out, with a serious look on his face. His voice was flat, devoid of emotions. Not like a mate would react. 

"Ohh..." She came back to her senses. It was like a bucket of cold water was splashed on her.

"Hello, Alpha Bryce." She greeted, bowing her head slightly. 

As she bowed her head, she could feel an intense stare on her and she was uncomfortable.

"Hmmm." Alpha Bryce grunted in response to her greeting. At the same moment, he felt a hand slither across his back and he turned to look at the woman beside him.

"I'll be done in a few minutes, Genevieve." He said and placed a kiss on her cheek. Pain shot through Daphne's heart due to this gesture and she could feel her energetic and expectant wolf deflate.

A smirk came upon Genevieve's face as she discreetly looked at Daphne.

On the other hand, Daphne fought the urge to tear apart the couple before her. She couldn't believe that the one who is her mate was sitting there kissing someone else.

Worst of it all, he didn't acknowledge her! Didn't he sense the bond?

She could feel her heart beating rapidly and she just wanted to shout out to the Alpha that he is hers!

As she opened her mouth to talk, he beat her to it. 

"Why are you nervous?" Bryce asked, with raised brows. He could hear her heartbeat and for some odd reason, it sounded uncomfortable to him.

"I..I am not nervous." Daphne said, as her hands clenched into tight fists beside her.

At this point, she knew she couldn't just say that the Alpha belonged to her. His lover was sitting beside him, anyway. 

"Right! Let's get down to business." Bryce said and Daphne nodded, slowly. However, she couldn't take her eyes off their intertwined hands.

She could feel her wolf whining endlessly in her mind and she felt torment in her soul. Still, she couldn't speak up. 

"I want specific dishes for the ball tonight. You are going to make specialized dishes from the Packs all around. One of the main agendas for the ball tonight is to promote unity. So, we are going to bring that out by serving dishes from different Packs." Bryce started to explain. 

All the while, Genevieve was clinging to him, holding his waist. Placing kisses on his cheeks, intermittently.

On the other hand, Daphne was pained by her actions while she struggled to continue listening to Bryce. 

"She knows about the mate bond!" She said to herself, referring to Genevieve.

She had caught sight of the provocative look Genevieve was throwing at her. 

A few minutes passed and Bryce was done with his instructions.

"Do you understand, Daphne Rosen?" He asked, looking at her with narrowed eyes.

"Yes, Alpha." She struggled to reply. 

"Right! Off you go! I would not tolerate any mistakes! Everything will be provided for you." He said and she nodded.

She bowed her head and turned around to walk out. 

Immediately she turned around, she could hear the ruffling of clothes and the sounds of wet and passionate kisses.

"At least, wait till I'm out!" She said, through gritted teeth as she walked out of the door.

She was dejected!