Chapter 3

At that moment, I could almost be certain that something was undoubtedly amiss.

The bond between mates was a gift bestowed upon the werewolf community by the Moon Goddess. It allowed us to sense one another. Every destined pair of mates remained loyal until death separated them. However, if they found their first impressions unsatisfactory, they had the option to reject each other, and the Moon Goddess granted them a chance to choose a second mate.

In any case, if Alpha Timerante, who was unwilling to travel to The New Arctic Pack, claimed that I was his mate and wanted me to come to The Dark Pack to marry him, he shouldn't have treated me in such a manner!

Or perhaps, I had misjudged. After all, he had treated me roughly once before, and today was the second time!

In this way, they forcibly separated me from the people I brought from The New Arctic Pack, disregarding my objections.

Damn it!

I felt as if I and my entire The New Arctic Pack were being played!

The Dark Pack had never intended to form an alliance with us, The New Arctic Pack. That legendary, fierce, cold, and powerful Timerante must have had some ulterior motive!

But it was too late to ponder over all this now.

Despite my struggles and angry demands to see Timerante, I was ultimately taken to a shabby side hall forcefully.

"Damn it!"

When everyone left and the hall emptied, I finally couldn't maintain my princess façade any longer and cursed vehemently.

My heart couldn't help but feel a sense of panic.

The familiar servants and guards were taken away, and I had no idea where they had gone or whether they would face any hardships. Judging from the attitude of The Dark Pack towards me, Susanna and the others would undoubtedly face mistreatment.

At present, rather than saying I was "resting" in this side hall, it felt more like I was confined here.

"Is anyone there?"

I called out, but no one came to unlock the door.

And when I tried to open the door and leave, the palace door was firmly locked once again, leaving me trapped inside!

The New Arctic Pack and The Dark Pack were worlds apart. My brother Conrad, who was far away from here, could never have imagined that his beloved sister would be treated so indifferently here.

I searched every corner of the palace that I was allowed to access, but all exits were sealed off.

When the sky outside grew completely dark, a round and radiant full moon cast its glow through the sealed windows. It suddenly dawned on me. It was my 18th birthday today.

I had come of age!

I stood by the window, gazing up at the full moon. My heart surged with various emotions. The faces of my recently deceased companions kept appearing in my mind.

The blood flowing in my veins seemed to quicken its pace. It felt as if my body was undergoing some sort of transformation.

"Supreme Moon Goddess, I am your most loyal follower. Please grant me the strongest wolf and bestow upon me the greatest power. Strange things are happening to me now. I cannot see my mate, whom you have bestowed upon me, nor can I leave this wretched palace."

"I want to find Timerante, my mate, and seek answers to everything."

As my prayers grew more fervent, hunger became the only sensation in my body.

At that moment, the palace door was pushed open with a heavy thud.

A head maid named Lillian appeared before me, accompanied by at least five or six maidservants dressed in court attire. It was worth mentioning that, whether it was due to the natural robustness of The Dark Pack's werewolves or some other reason, even these maidservants appeared larger than Susanna by at least one size.

They pushed a finely adorned food cart, filled with an array of exquisite dishes. The enticing aromas of roast beef, pork shoulder, fried chicken, and pies wafted through the open door, filling the entire hall.

"Princess Faye, this is your dinner. Please return to the dining table and savor it to your heart's content."

Alright.

Although The Dark Pack's previous actions revealed their fierce and extremely rude nature, I decided to set aside my prejudices when I saw the abundant feast in front of me. After all, their offering of food indicated a high regard for me.

Since leaving The New Arctic Pack, I have endured many hardships along the way, and the hospital meals were relatively bland. So when I saw the entire cart filled with meat in front of me, despite the surprisingly large portion, it at least showed their concern for me.

My stomach had long been empty, and the hunger had left me famished.

"Well, thank you anyway."

Reluctantly, I made my way back to the ten-foot-long dining table in the palace. As the dishes were brought to the table one by one, my mouth began to water. I picked up the knife and fork, maintaining my princess etiquette, swiftly slicing open a piece of rib-eye steak wrapped in fat and savoring it.

The steak was perfectly grilled and tasted delicious. Before I realized it, I had finished a piece of steak bigger than my face! Well, it wasn't my true appetite. But for some reason, as I ate and replenished my strength, the discomfort felt in my body became more pronounced.

I was not sure what was wrong with my body, but I had a suspicion. Perhaps my wolf was about to awaken!

It was already past midnight, and I was now an adult. According to common knowledge, the wolf within me should awaken at any time upon reaching adulthood. However, I had never heard of someone waking up immediately after becoming an adult, so I wasn't completely certain.

After drinking a glass of red wine to cleanse my palate, I stood up, ready to conclude today's meal.

"I'm full. You can take away the remaining food," I calmly instructed the maids.

Just as I was planning to leave along with them when they cleared the table, Lillian grabbed my shoulder.

"I'm sorry, Princess Faye, but you must finish all of this food."

"What?" I questioned, thinking I must have misheard while staring at Lillian in disbelief.

She maintained her cold and distant expression, looking down at me and repeating her words. "You must finish all of the food, Princess Faye."

I couldn't believe what I saw, or what I heard. How dare they force a non-awakened wolf to consume such an excessive amount of food?

"What kind of joke is this? There's enough food here for five people. And you expect me to eat it all?"

Lillian nodded, coldly confirming, "Yes, Princess Faye."

Unable to control myself any longer, I shouted, "I'll die! This is far beyond my appetite!"

But Lillian remained unfazed, maintaining her emotionless expression. Finally, she looked up at me and enunciated each word clearly, "This is Alpha Timerante's command."

"What?" I was about to lose my mind. "What kind of ridiculous place is The Dark Pack? You have absolutely no manners, and now you're forcing the future Luna of your pack to eat such an excessive amount of food? It's impossible. I'm going to talk to your Alpha!"

However, just as I was about to storm out of the palace, the reason behind these maids' larger-than-life stature finally dawned on me.

They easily subdued me, forcefully pushing me back into my seat. They even completely disregarded my status and resistance, grabbing food from the table and shoving it into my mouth!

What a rude and uncivilized pack they were!

My discomfort intensified, and restlessness took hold of me. My body grew hotter, and my wolf yearned to break free! Faintly, I caught a whiff of that familiar scent.

It was Timerante!

Was he relishing in my torment nearby?