"And here you go—" A burly man tossed the petite and fragile Odette to the ground as if tossing a sack of potatoes from his shoulder. He glanced at the man with red hair next to him and said, "She's yours now."
Odette's long, strawberry-blonde hair was scattered on the ground and stained with dirt as she grimaced. She was never physically strong, so getting tossed on the ground with sharp pebbles stubbing her thin skin made her wince in pain.
However, she endured it and tried not to make a noise. If she let out even the slightest sound, she'd be mocked by the two men in front of her.
She lifted her head, glaring at the new Alpha and Beta of her pack—well, the previous pack—because she had been cast out.
"This is your last chance, Odette," Iron, the Alpha of ForestFang Pack warned while looking down at Odette. He was the new Alpha of the pack, succeeding his late father. "You're not my mate, but I'm willing to make you a stand-in, at least until I find my real mate. Then I can finally kick you out of the pack with peace."
…
Odette maintained her silence, but the fire in her eyes made it obvious that she was unwilling. She grew up with this man. They were practically siblings! How could she accept that ridiculous arrangement made by her adopted brother!?
Seeing her reluctance, Iron's eyes grew colder, and he said, "You would've been kicked out of the pack years ago had it not been for my late dad's kindness. Our pack always cast out a weakling, let alone a wolfless runt like you. You're no better than a weak human."
True, Odette was wolfless. She was an orphan in the ForestFang Pack, as her father died in battle before she was even born, and her mother died when she was only an infant.
She was adopted by the former Alpha, whom she called Dad, and that made Iron her adopted brother.
Thus, when Iron said that he wanted to make her a concubine, Odette swiftly refused.
"I don't have that kind of feeling for you, Iron. To me, you are—"
"SHUT UP!" Iron snapped instantly. He got furious whenever his 'adopted' sister mentioned that. "I've given you a chance, and you refused. So, this is all your fault if you get mauled to death by a dark beast."
Odette's heart skipped a beat when she heard that. She looked around and realized that she was inside Peyn Forest, a forbidden forest, far from her pack's territory.
This place had a lot of dangerous, mindless beasts that seemed to have been infused with demonic energy, so nobody—not humans, elves, werewolves, or other kin, dared to enter this forest without proper weapons and supplies.
For a wolfless runt who was no better than a weak human maiden, Odette's fate was pretty much sealed.
She was fully aware that she should've begged Iron to take her back. Then, she would be his concubine, a sex slave for him until he found his fated mate. It would be humiliating, but at least she could live.
However, even in the face of death, her heart told her that she would rather die than get entangled with Iron.
Seeing her wilful eyes, Iron could only chuckle mirthlessly before saying, "You can die here, Odette. Be thankful that I didn't kill you with my own hands. Let's go, Baron."
"Yes, Sir."
Iron and his beta swiftly turned their backs and walked away from Odette who sat in silence, watching them until they were out of her sight.
Unfortunately, by the time she stood up and patted her simple grey tunic, the sun had set, and the forbidden forest was plunged into darkness.
Despite being a werewolf, Odette didn't possess any wolf traits. She couldn't see in the dark, nor did she have a strong nose or ears. Iron wasn't exaggerating when he said she was no better than a weak human.
Odette tried to walk around. Without any light, she stretched out her hands, trying to feel her surroundings like a blind woman to make sure that she didn't bump into something dangerous.
However, the more she walked, the darker it became.
She realized the trees in the forbidden forest were so tall and dense that not even the moonlight could penetrate them. As she continued walking, she accidentally tripped on an overgrown vine and fell to the ground.
"Ah! Ouch…" Odette winced in pain as she instinctively grabbed her ankle. She had accidentally twisted it, making her unable to continue exploring the dark forest.
In the end, Odette was forced to sit and wait for her death.
She hugged her legs and buried her face on her knees, like a scared little girl.
She had been trying her best to stay strong, but facing such a depressing situation, she couldn't help but sob.
'Mom… Dad… I'm so scared…'
Truthfully, Odette didn't remember her real parents, as they had died when she was just a baby. But she remembered her adopted parents, the former Alpha and Luna of her pack. She saw them as her real parents and had complete trust in them.
'Am I wrong for refusing Iron's advance? Should I let myself be his sex slave before I get tossed away?' Odette didn't know who to blame in this situation. Her parents always told her to maintain her dignity. Even if she was wolfless, that didn't mean she wouldn't find her fated mate.
Odette always saw how her parents were inseparable and loving, even in death. When her mother died, her father followed in just a day because he couldn't handle the heartbreak.
Hence, Odette firmly believed that she should maintain her dignity until she found her mate.
"Mate…" she whispered that word, not with love, but with hatred. "What qualification do I have to wish for a mate? Nobody will take a wolfless runt like me. It will be a disgrace for him…"
But, in such a desperate situation, she couldn't help but wish from the bottom of her heart, 'My mate… if you're somewhere out there, then please save me. I'm so scared. I don't want to die here before I can meet you.'