Chapter 2

It was Galdoth, my master's son.

Fear gripped me, as I stammered out an apology. "I'm sorry, sir. I didn't have an idea that this was your quarters, and I didn't mean to –"

Galdoth cut me off before I finished. "you do not need to apologize for anything. You haven't done anything wrong" he said.

A ray of relief washed over me, and I hesitantly asked if he was certain. He assured me that there was no need for concern and suggested that I could even take the sketchbook with me.

Overwhelmed with gratitude and happiness, I bowed deeply to him, expressing my heartfelt thanks. With the sketchbook cradled in my arms, I left his quarters, my heart lighter than it had been in years. Throughout my departure, Galdoth watched Galdoth watched me as I happily went out of his quarters.

Things took a different turn between I and Galdoth after that very day. Our relationship began growing, as we grew very close to each other. Galdoth started visiting me more often, sharing stories and we would have fun and play together. Sometimes, he'd try to help out with my assigned chores, while we playfully teased each other.

My life at Ryan's mansion took a turn which I had never expected. Galdoth's presence me became livelier than ever. He treated me with kindness and care that nobody had done in years since I arrived Ryan's mansion. His care and attention, gradually made me loosened up the walls I had put round my heart.

I found myself getting attracted to Galdoth in ways I never imagined. At first, I didn't know what it was, I tried suppressing it, but as time passed, I could no longer hold back the truth, I was falling in love with Galdoth.

After we became so close, Gladoth could see the burning desires I had for him, how my feelings had grown so deeply for him. One fateful night, he invited me over to his chambers. He opened up to me about how he felt towards me, the connection we share and the feeling he could no longer ignore as he also mentions that he knows for sure, that I was his fated mate.

When I inquired about the viability of our union, asking he was certain that such union could hold, he assured me without hesitation. He stated that he had no concerns regarding others' opinions, not even his fathers or actions and affirmed his commitment to stand by my side.

This melted my heart, and in that instant, Galdoth seized the opportunity to seduce me into getting intimate with him. Galdoth leaned forward on me, as he began kissing me while moving his hands around my body, I just felt my body getting ticklish and I enjoyed what was going on, that I never wanted him to stop, so we ended up having sex.

With the dawn came a change in Galdoth's attitude and behavior. Galdoth's once caring and kind demeanor changed in an instant.

The following morning, a harsh knock echoed through the room, rousing me from my troubled slumber. Galdoth's voice, broke through the early morning haze, instructing me to get dressed and vacate his chambers. I attempted to lighten the mood with a jest, but the stern look etched onto his face crushed any hope of that.

I quickly got up and got dressed, while I thought maybe something had happened to him, so I decided to give him some breathing space. But later on, during the day, I found out that, the evening of the exact same day was going to be Galdoth's Mating ceremony. This was a ceremony where he would get to pick a partner to become one with.

Amidst the preparations and excitement, the secret of my true identity as the Alpha's daughter remained concealed, known only to Ryan and Billy. I was excited all day, knowing that my misery would all come to an end, once I get married or Galdoth picks me as his mate that night.

An ember of hope, however flimsy, continued to burn inside me in spite of the searing pain and confusion brought on by the previous night's events that unfolded at the early hours of the day. I held to the conviction that what Galdoth and I had shared the night before was good enough to count as something that would determine the course of our lives. He had even whispered assurances in my ear that he would choose me as his mate.

The evening arrived, and as everyone waited in the courtyard for Galdoth to arrive, there was dancing and music going on in the space. The man who was going to steal the show arrived not long after the start of the event. When Galdoth did finally show there, he strolled over to his father and chose a seat next to him.

I walked out in my best attire, having made every effort to attract Galdoth's attention by dressing elegantly; yet, it appeared that he was purposefully avoiding me for some reason or reasons that I could not understand. After a while, the music came to a halt as Galdoth got up from his chair. It was time for him to choose a partner for himself.

But the time of reckoning had come, and it turned out to be a particularly nasty twist of fate. As Galdoth made his choice, his voice resounded over the area. As I waited for my name to be called, my heart began to beat rapidly in my chest. Then Galdoth started heading towards where I was standing, and I started flushing and smiling, thinking to myself, finally, an end has come to all of my misery. Betraying my anxiousness, I watched with bated breath as Galdoth extended his hand towards me. However, the hands went by me as someone else behind me took Galdoth's hands. This caused me to continue to stare with shock.

I was just staring in disbelief at what was unfolding before my eyes. What the heck is going on, I questioned to myself. When I turned around, the hands of Galdoth were being snatched by another lady who was standing behind me. To my utter astonishment, it turned out to be my cousin Nadia, who is Billy's daughter. That was the person that Galdoth chose instead of me.

She came forward and, despite the wicked glare she shot my way, received his hands when they were extended to her. Her face was beaming with happiness.

I could feel the foundations of my reality crumble as a hushed gasp rippled through the gathering. All the promises, all of the secret moments of intimacy, and all of the w the whispered words of love - they had all been nothing more than a fleeting illusion. The anguish of being rejected cut through me like a knife, and it took every ounce of courage I had not to collapse into a sobbing heap right then and there.

I was rejected by the next Lycan king, and all of my hopes of evading suffering and finally beginning to have faith in a brighter future were dashed when Galdoth shoved me to the side so that Lydia might go past.

Nadia, blissfully aware of the turmoil within me, stood beside Galdoth as they were officially declared mates. The party broke out all around them, and the atmosphere was electric with elation and exuberance. My eyes tried to hide the tears that were welling up inside of me, but they were unable to fool anybody who saw them. I seemed to be happy, but inside I was in excruciating pain.

As soon as I realized I couldn't contain my feelings any longer, I dashed out of the courtyard and made a beeline for my room. As I sobbed into my pillows, I found myself in a prone position. I sobbed for so long that my eyes turned crimson. I was able to do nothing except cry as I tried to heal my broken heart. After a few hours had passed and the noise level outside began to decrease, I became aware that the ceremony was drawing to a close.

It had been a while since I had felt that cold. Ever since Galdoth had been giving me warmth and allowed me to sleep in the main building, it had been a while since I had felt cold. I rose up from my bed as the cold of the night grabbed me. The anguish of being rejected tore at my heart with such ferocity. 

As I left my room, I found myself in the gardens for some reason. It was the one spot that had the potential to become my refuge, a haven of consolation where I could get away from the oppressive atmosphere of the mansion. Whenever I wanted to get away from the harsh realities of life at Ryan's mansion, there was the place I typically went to hide out.

As I meandered aimlessly through the sweet-smelling flowers, I found myself lost in contemplation. Eventually, I sat down on the ground, leaned back against the wall, and turned my back to the shining glory of the moon. My eyes kept welling up with tears, and I couldn't stop them. Because I was so engrossed in my own thoughts, I completely missed the fact that I was not alone and that someone else was standing nearby and staring at me. I was completely oblivious to my surroundings.

The movement of the moon caused the shadow of the person who was standing next to me to appear on the ground. Alerting me that there was someone with me because the moon was casting its light on the ground below. When I raised my head to look, I saw Galdoth standing there, staring at me with a chilly expression on his face.

I pushed myself up from the ground, where I had been resting, and stood in front of him while making a respectful bow to him. As I turned around to walk away, he gave me the instruction to take a step back. And he said to me, "did you really think a union between a slave and her master would have ever worked?"

So, everything you said to me was a lie, including the promises of always being there for me, us being destined to be together, and you rescuing me from my agony. They were all falsehoods meant to trick me into believing you, I asked him.

The next thing that came out of Galdoth's mouth was like a knife that went straight through my heart. "I only needed you to satisfy my sexual urge at the moment, and it was nothing more than a one-night stand," he said. "You were nothing more than a one-night stand."