Chapter 5 · My Fated Mate Is the Alpha King

By the time Sylvia made it back to the Westside, where the low-born wolves clustered together, darkness had settled in.

Sylvia lived in the most isolated stone hut, walls damp and roof leaking whenever it rained. But at least it was cheap; her monthly wage as a low-born barely covered a place like this.

She pushed the door open and found Mia sitting on her bed, eyes shining with excitement.

"Sylvia, big news!" Mia called out.

"What's up?" Sylvia asked.

"The Alpha put out an official notice." Mia waved her phone. "The Mate Ball is in three days, and every single unmarried grown werewolf has to go.

"The big news is that wolfless folks can join in as attendants this time. Nothing like this has happened before."

Sylvia's phone slipped from her hand and clattered onto the floor.

"I heard that the Alpha changed the rules himself," Mia said, her face flushed with excitement. "He said he wants to give every member of the Crescent Pack a chance at happiness.

"Sylvia, you can go to the ball too. Even if you have to stick to the edges, who knows? Maybe the Moon Goddess will smile on you."

Sylvia bent down to pick up her phone, her fingers cold.

It wasn't the Moon Goddess's blessing. It was Kaelen. He was looking for her.

Kaelen knew his "sweetheart" was hiding somewhere in the Crescent Pack, knew she was an unmarried adult, and knew she couldn't shift.

So he changed the rules to expand the scope, waiting for her to show up on her own.

"I'm not going," Sylvia said.

"Why not?" Mia asked.

"Werewolves like me who can't shift are there to be laughed at." Sylvia forced a smile. "I'm better off scrubbing pillars. The ball doesn't need me."

*****

Mia was about to say more when a sudden commotion broke out outside.

"Vivian is coming. Make way!" someone shouted.

Sylvia automatically tensed up.

Vivian was the only daughter of Edward, the Royal Advisor. She had manifested a rare snow wolf form and was one of the strongest among the younger generation of the pack.

She was beautiful, proud, and acted like everyone else was beneath her. Her favorite hobby was picking on the low-borns, especially Sylvia.

It was because Sylvia had once "accidentally" seen her trying to cozy up to Rhett, only to be rejected.

"Sylvia, come out here." Vivian's voice came from outside. The sharp click of her heels echoed on the stone.

Sylvia took a deep breath and went out the door.

Vivian stood bathed in moonlight, a long white dress flowing around her, and silver hair draped over her shoulders. She was so flawless that she looked like a doll. Two noble guys followed right behind her.

"Heard you got called in by the Alpha himself today?" Vivian sneered, her gaze raking over Sylvia before settling on her bare wrist. "What's this, a low-born like you thinking you can catch the Alpha's eye?"

"Ms. Vivian, you must be kidding." Sylvia kept her head down. "The Alpha only asked me about human psychology."

"Psychology?" Vivian snorted. "A wolfless loser like you, talking about psychology? You don't even have wolf instincts. What do you know about psychology?"

Her cronies laughed right on cue.

Sylvia stayed silent. She'd been through this kind of humiliation so many times.

She'd learned to keep her head down and let it wash over her, with no arguing, no eye contact, and no fighting back.

She was like a statue, letting them kick and yell at her until they got tired and moved on.

Vivian suddenly leaned in, her perfume stinging Sylvia's nose. "But I'm curious. Why did the Alpha suddenly change the rules for the ball? Letting those without wolf forms in. Is he searching for someone?"

Cold sweat broke out on Sylvia's back.

Vivian's voice dropped, laced with vicious delight. "I heard that the Alpha's got an online girlfriend he's been chatting with for half a year. He's been looking for her, even willing to turn the whole pack upside down."

Sylvia's back was soaked with cold sweat.

Vivian grabbed Sylvia's chin, forcing her to look up. "Do you think his sweetheart might be right here among us? If I find out who she is..."

Her nails dug deep into Sylvia's skin, leaving crescent-shaped red marks. "I'll make her life a living hell."

Vivian let go of her and stormed off.

Sylvia stood there, her cheek still stinging. She pulled out her phone and found Kaelen had sent over a dozen more messages.

The last one read: [Honey, I miss you so much. Can we meet? Please? I promise, no matter what you look like, I'll still love you.]

Sylvia stared at the message and suddenly burst into tears.

She crouched down, hugging her knees to her chest. She looked like a stray cat caught in the rain, with nowhere to go.

*****

The night before the Mate Ball, Sylvia spiked a fever.

She curled up on the rickety bed in her stone hut, her body burning and her mind hazy.

The moonstone bracelet was stashed under her pillow, and even through the fabric, she could feel its gentle heat, like it was calling out to her, urging her to do something.

"Sylvia, you can't go on like this." Mia put a wet towel on Sylvia's forehead. "Let me take you to the Healing Den."

"No." Sylvia grabbed Mia's hand, her voice hoarse. "T-Tomorrow, I'm not going to the ball."

"You're burning up. How could you go?" Mia sighed. "But the rules are strict. If you don't show up as an attendant, they'll treat you like a traitor."

Chapter 5

By the time Sylvia made it back to the Westside, where the low-born wolves clustered together, darkness had settled in.

Sylvia lived in the most isolated stone hut, walls damp and roof leaking whenever it rained. But at least it was cheap; her monthly wage as a low-born barely covered a place like this.

She pushed the door open and found Mia sitting on her bed, eyes shining with excitement.

"Sylvia, big news!" Mia called out.

"What's up?" Sylvia asked.

"The Alpha put out an official notice." Mia waved her phone. "The Mate Ball is in three days, and every single unmarried grown werewolf has to go.

"The big news is that wolfless folks can join in as attendants this time. Nothing like this has happened before."

Sylvia's phone slipped from her hand and clattered onto the floor.

"I heard that the Alpha changed the rules himself," Mia said, her face flushed with excitement. "He said he wants to give every member of the Crescent Pack a chance at happiness.

"Sylvia, you can go to the ball too. Even if you have to stick to the edges, who knows? Maybe the Moon Goddess will smile on you."

Sylvia bent down to pick up her phone, her fingers cold.

It wasn't the Moon Goddess's blessing. It was Kaelen. He was looking for her.

Kaelen knew his "sweetheart" was hiding somewhere in the Crescent Pack, knew she was an unmarried adult, and knew she couldn't shift.

So he changed the rules to expand the scope, waiting for her to show up on her own.

"I'm not going," Sylvia said.

"Why not?" Mia asked.

"Werewolves like me who can't shift are there to be laughed at." Sylvia forced a smile. "I'm better off scrubbing pillars. The ball doesn't need me."

*****

Mia was about to say more when a sudden commotion broke out outside.

"Vivian is coming. Make way!" someone shouted.

Sylvia automatically tensed up.

Vivian was the only daughter of Edward, the Royal Advisor. She had manifested a rare snow wolf form and was one of the strongest among the younger generation of the pack.

She was beautiful, proud, and acted like everyone else was beneath her. Her favorite hobby was picking on the low-borns, especially Sylvia.

It was because Sylvia had once "accidentally" seen her trying to cozy up to Rhett, only to be rejected.

"Sylvia, come out here." Vivian's voice came from outside. The sharp click of her heels echoed on the stone.

Sylvia took a deep breath and went out the door.

"Ms. Vivian, you must be kidding." Sylvia kept her head down. "The Alpha only asked me about human psychology."

"Psychology?" Vivian snorted. "A wolfless loser like you, talking about psychology? You don't even have wolf instincts. What do you know about psychology?"

Her cronies laughed right on cue.

Sylvia stayed silent. She'd been through this kind of humiliation so many times.

She'd learned to keep her head down and let it wash over her, with no arguing, no eye contact, and no fighting back.

She was like a statue, letting them kick and yell at her until they got tired and moved on.

Cold sweat broke out on Sylvia's back.

Sylvia's back was soaked with cold sweat.

Vivian grabbed Sylvia's chin, forcing her to look up. "Do you think his sweetheart might be right here among us? If I find out who she is..."

Her nails dug deep into Sylvia's skin, leaving crescent-shaped red marks. "I'll make her life a living hell."

Vivian let go of her and stormed off.

Sylvia stood there, her cheek still stinging. She pulled out her phone and found Kaelen had sent over a dozen more messages.

The last one read: [Honey, I miss you so much. Can we meet? Please? I promise, no matter what you look like, I'll still love you.]

Sylvia stared at the message and suddenly burst into tears.

She crouched down, hugging her knees to her chest. She looked like a stray cat caught in the rain, with nowhere to go.

*****

The night before the Mate Ball, Sylvia spiked a fever.

She curled up on the rickety bed in her stone hut, her body burning and her mind hazy.

The moonstone bracelet was stashed under her pillow, and even through the fabric, she could feel its gentle heat, like it was calling out to her, urging her to do something.

"Sylvia, you can't go on like this." Mia put a wet towel on Sylvia's forehead. "Let me take you to the Healing Den."

"No." Sylvia grabbed Mia's hand, her voice hoarse. "T-Tomorrow, I'm not going to the ball."

"You're burning up. How could you go?" Mia sighed. "But the rules are strict. If you don't show up as an attendant, they'll treat you like a traitor."