Claiming My Beta's Mate

Delilah, My name is Delilah. Five days ago, at exactly 10pm. I received news that Brad, the man who claimed me as his mate, had passed away due to an attack with an enemy pack. Brad is the Alpha’s beta, and I cannot help but feel joyful over his death. My relationship with Brad was layered on the foundation of abuse—emotionally and mentally. He was arrogant, disgusting and several times…he molested me. He knew I didn't have anywhere or anyone to run to and because I knew that too—I swallowed it. All my life, I have never felt like I belonged in the pack and this is because they believe I am cursed. I have been constantly bullied for the nineteen years of my life in the Moonsdale pack. There has never been a day that I could call the happiest day of my life. I have been scorned at, and belittled. My mother was a rogue who, according to them, was running from something or someone. She was weak and heavily pregnant when they found her. They brought her into the Moonsdale pack and almost immediately, she gave birth to me, and a lunar eclipse swept over the sky. My mother died during the process and according to werewolves, a lunar eclipse is evidence of a cursed wolf. I was taken in by an old couple, Mr and Mrs Steward who raised me in the pack until I was seventeen. Unfortunately, they passed away and the pack members began to whisper once again about how I was a cursed rogue. Mr and Mrs steward were no longer here to protect me. According to the laws of the Moonsdale pack, rogues are not welcomed—it is strictly a pack of Chimera werewolves and I do that bloodline. I remember the day Brad noticed me. He didn’t care about the rumors of curse, he just wanted to get in between my legs like he did with every other girl in the pack. And for as long as I could, I turned his offers down but he would not stop coming to see me. Brad threatened that I did did not accept his claim, he would make my life a living hell and banish me from the pack. I knew he had the power to do so, he was the Alpha’s beta. So, when I turned nineteen, without my consent, he publicly claimed me as his mate and I remember how I cried many nights. I did not want to be bonded to such an abusive person and I prayed wholeheartedly to the moon goddess to be saved. I think she answered my prayers because Brad did not return. However, my freedom is short lived because the pack has gathered to protest and banish me from the pack because they believe it’s because of my curse that Brad was killed. In response, the Alpha has requested for my audience and from the bottom of my heart, I am frightened. Will the Alpha blame me like everyone else? Will he banish me when the records show that I am originally a rogue? My greatest fear is becoming a rogue. I cannot stop thinking about how scary it would be to be a lone wolf in these dangerous times. I adjust my dress as I step out of my jeep, I pull my cashmere sweater close to my shoulders and my hair is swept by the strong wind. I don’t have an idea on what the Alpha’s final judgment would be on this matter. Brad’s parents have publicly shamed me, attacked me and given me a bad name in the pack. It has been going on consistently and I can’t even lead a normal, quiet life anymore. At this point, I am fearing for the worst because the Alpha of the pack is the most feared Alpha in the city, New Orleans. He is the last surviving Chimera in the city, a pure breed of half wolf- half jaguar. He is everything that is dangerous and to be feared. The Alpha of the Moonsdale pack rarely showed his face in the pack, Brad was the intermediary which he used in bringing order to the pack. He is feared, intimidating, and powerful rumors surround him. I have always believed that some of the rumors were true because of how rare his breed was. “For someone who became Alpha at the age of ten, one cannot guess his actions or thoughts.” Two wolves who work directly for the Alpha lead me into the pack house and I follow. The pack house is where the Alpha is supposed to live with his Luna and pups. However, the alpha of the Moonsdale pack hasn’t selected a luna yet. My eyes brighten at the majestic gated entrance which opens up to a sprawling driveway, lined with perfectly manicured hedges and vibrant flowers. The architecture showcases an harmonious blend of classic and luxurious details. Inside the pack house, there is a breathtaking chandelier that cascades warm, inviting light. The living room is expansive, the marble floors, the ceiling and blinding lights. I continue to follow the lead of the wolves escorting and as I follow them, the scarier it gets. As we get to the hallway, I spot Mrs Adamas, she is Brad’s mother and I stop walking immediately. The moment she spots me, venom grows in her eyes—she has disliked me from the beginning and I’m sure she is the one who brought my case to the Alpha. “Cursed!” She screams on top of her voice and points towards me. The last time, she hit me more times than I could count in public and no one tried to stop her. They didn’t want to come near me because they were afraid of a curse that I do not bear. My only crime was being mated to her abusive son and now that he is no more—she blames me for his death because I was born on the day of an eclipse moon which werewolves believe to be cursed moon. Her husband, Mr Adamas stops her from trying to hit me as she has been doing days ago while looking at me with contempt. "Stay away from my family, your cursed girl! You bring doom everywhere you go. First, it was your mother and now, it's my son!” Mr Adamas says. "You should be banished from the pack!” He yells. "I..." I try to say but I cannot complete my sentence because a sob gets stuck in my throat. I tighten my fist in silence. I have learnt to hold my tongue, to restrict myself from lashing out. When Brad was alive, I had to endure his presence and now that he’s dead, I still have to endure his parents. I wish everyone would know that the glorious Brad was a coward and that I could yell all that he did to me. But I can’t—who would believe a cursed girl? Even the Alpha of the Moonsdale pack would punish me for it. Brad was the Alpha’s beta after all. Swiftly, she approaches me. “I will prove to everyone today that you have a cursed mark!” She says and begins to pull my sweater off me. “What are you doing?” “Stop!” I scream. My heart tightens and I yell, trying to push her away from me. Mrs Adamas pulls the buttons off my dress in anger. I can feel cold air on my skin as she rips the center of my dress. I struggle with her, trying to take her hands off me but she is bent on causing a scene. After much pulling, she is raised from my body and I crawl away to get as far from her as possible. At this point, I’m not looking at where I’m walking, I’m trying to fix my shirt that she has ruined when I bump into something hard, tall and almost concrete. I almost fall but he grabs me by the waist, pressed to his chest and close enough to feel his heart beat. Our breaths mix and our lips almost collide as he grabs me. I gasp and I raise my head to meet a set of golden, starved, wicked eyes. There is only one person who is meant to have a set of golden eyes in this pack. The Alpha. He is so much taller than me, he has prominent and muscular shoulders that are defined despite the layer of clothing he is wearing. His height and build creates a sense of dominance. Along with furrowed brows, prominent jawline and an intense, piercing gaze that searches any soul. “Delilah, is it?” His mastery, potent voice asks me and I immediately step back. “The way he looks at me is nothing but cold, like I’m dirt under his shoes and it makes me feel all the more small and irrelevant.” "I asked you a question.” He asserts.