A Glitch In My Story

6. A glitch in my story

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The moment was finally here. I was extremely tense, but I was still doing a good job of hiding it from Diana, who still had not suspected a thing, even till now. I silently praised my perseverance.

Diana was busy gushing about how perfect everything in the field where the mate dance was to be held looked, and truthfully, it was breathtaking. It looked like a wedding in the forest, except it was not a wedding but still a celebration of love when mates find each other.

A part of me wished I could fully be part of the mating ceremony. I could put on that blue dress in complete happiness as I awaited my other half.

Instead I feigned happiness while I was seated patiently, all dressed up in the beautiful blue dress, while Diana painted my face to what she called perfection. I was yet to see her final work on my face.

"Perfect!" Diana exclaimed as she finally stepped away, allowing me to look at myself in the mirror beside me. "So, what do you think?" she asked excitedly.

"Wow!" I responded in shock. I was completely stunned. I never could have imagined I would look presentable and beautiful after all these years. My eyes were already glistening, and the tears threatened to spill, but I had to force them back to avoid ruining the beautiful work done by Diana.

"My beautiful Anna," Diana smiled sadly. Her voice reminded me of my mother, and my heart broke. Over the course of three weeks since Diana had managed to free me from the dungeons, I have known no pain, no molestation, and no bullying. It was enough to make me stay, but I have become greedy, and I craved freedom like the air that I breathe. Maybe after I have settled down in the human world and made something for myself, I would sneak in and check up on her.

"Thank you," I greeted. I truly meant it. The woman looking back at me looked strong, capable, independent, and fearless. That woman was me, though I do not feel those things on the inside. I see it on the outside, and now I will try to make myself feel that way on the inside from today on that is when my freedom has finally been achieved.

I stood up from the chair and gave Diana a tight hug. This would be the last hug in a long while, and I will cherish it forever. I am happy to say that in the end, Diana remained my friend and the one person that stood with me when everyone was against me.

"Anna!" She giggled. "It is only makeup. Are you okay?" She sounded worried.

"I am fine. I never expected this to happen. I have not looked this beautiful in years," I confessed, half-truthfully. I couldn't tell her that the main reason for the hug was to tell her goodbye, in my own way.

"You don't have to thank me. And you look more than beautiful, darling. You look breathtaking," she smiled, and I weakly smiled back. I would definitely miss her a lot.

After Diana had fully dressed and gotten all dolled up, we stepped outside to the glamorized field. Diana gained compliments from both sexes as she gracefully walked into the setting, while I followed behind her silently, my head hanging low.

Diana was indeed beautiful. The white flowing chiffon fairy-like dress made it look as if she was to wed. She was breathtakingly gorgeous, and the pack members were well within their rights to compliment her.

She walked over to the podium where the Alpha and his son, William—my childhood crush and the man I had hoped would eventually be my mate—were seated. William stared back at me when I had looked up to catch a glimpse of him. It almost appeared as if he had a scowl on his face, but I might be wrong. But if I am right, that would possibly mean that my presence was not pleasing to him. But why should someone like me be a bother to him? We had no connection, we had nothing. He had simply been the brother of my best friend, whom I had silently crushed on for years. I turned my face away and quickly followed Diana.

"Father," Diana bowed as she stepped onto the podium, and I bowed as well, only that I did not utter a single word.

"You look beautiful, my dear. Hopefully, this mate dance becomes a blessing to you, as I can see the inexplicable effort you have put into the preparation. Good job!" the Alpha smiled proudly, and for a moment, I was envious. If my father were alive, he would have showered me with praises and love.

"Your father is right my darling daughter, you did well", the Luna beamed , I had almost forgotten about the luna's presence. Luna Tamara was not just a regular Luna, she was of royal blood and she was the third daughter of the Alpha king and she was well involved in werewolf politics that she spent most of her time in the palace. Luna Tamara was a close friend of my mother and was like a second mother to me in the past, I wondered if she still regarded me as the daughter of her friend, if I still was of any importance to her life, three years, three good years has gone by and she had pretended like I did not exist all because my father had offended a ruthless alpha, was he so ruthless that a royal blood feared his wrath?, I was completely confused.

“Thank you, Mother," Diana smiled, and she proceeded to sit beside her mother, who was seated on the left-hand side of the Alpha, while William was on the right. I, in turn, stood behind Diana silently like a mouse, anticipating the moment when I would be able to slip away and embrace my freedom.

"Oh my goodness! Is that you, Louisiana?" Luna Tamara almost screamed. I was confused. Was she just noticing my presence? She made sure to ignore me when I served them in the dining halls.

"Good evening, Luna Tamara," I calmly bowed.

"Wow, I haven't seen you in ages. You have made yourself scarce around the pack after your father's death," she said, and I stared at her blankly, even more confused. Have I made myself scarce? Or has the pack made sure that I am always scarce by imprisoning me? I wanted to scream at her, but I couldn't.

"I was ashamed of my father's sin," I replied, biting my lips so hard that they almost bled.

"Your father's sins are not yours to bear," she replied, and I grew even more confused. Was she not aware of what I have been going through in the pack? "Enough of your pain, my dear. You should be happy now," she added, and my heart broke.

"Enough, Tamara. Let the girl be," the Alpha finally stepped in, cutting short the conversation.

"She doesn't really understand what has happened," I heard a voice in my head.

"What?" I was confused by the voice in my head.

"It's Diana. I guess you can mind-link now. My mother thinks you continued to stay in the dungeon as a way of paying for your father's sins, and my father let her think that as she is not always around in the pack," Diana explained.

"Oh, that explains it. Thank you for clearing things up," I responded back.

Did Luna Tamara really think I had put myself through suffering because of guilt? Surely, I was not insane. I felt horrible for what happened to Alpha Kaden's mate, but I held no guilt on the matter. I was not at fault in that. The guilt I carried with me was not saving my father before it was too late.

The pack members were already gathered in the field, and members of the other packs were yet to arrive. The Alpha stood up to address us.

"Wolves of RedSand packs, I greet you all. Every year, the mate dance ceremony is held for us to find our better half that the Moon Goddess has blessed us with. And this year, we will hold this ceremony, and I pray that everyone seeking their mates finds them today!" he declared, and howls of happiness and anticipation filled the air.

The Luna rose to her feet as well and joined the Alpha as they walked out of the field, leaving us. Members of the other packs were already appearing.

"Anna, go on, have fun," Diana smiled at me, and she stood up, and music filled the field.

"Are you sure? What if you need anything?" I asked.

"I'll be fine," she responded. I nodded, realizing that this was my chance to leave this place, and I was determined to take it. I smiled at Diana one last time and walked away, blending into the crowd of wolves. As I passed by a few wolves who had found their mates, I silently hoped that none of them would turn out to be my mate.

When I finally reached my room, I let out a deep breath as if I had been holding it the whole time. I quickly took off my dress, folded it, and packed it into my bag. Then I changed into jeans and a T-shirt, and put my hair up in a bun. Quietly, I left the room and Diana's house. I ran in the opposite direction of the field where the mate dance was going to take place. I kept running until I came across a river, where I finally stopped. My heart was pounding rapidly, and I realized that I hadn't gotten very far from the pack. I cursed my body for being so weak. I couldn't transform now; the pain would be unbearable, and I would faint. I sat down by a tree and leaned against its bark, trying to relax.

Suddenly, I heard a sound in the bushes, and I immediately stood up, on high alert. Could it be that I had been caught? I didn't think anyone was following me when I escaped. I couldn't go back to that pack. I refused to go back into captivity after experiencing freedom.

The growling that followed sent shivers down my spine, but what worried me the most was the feeling I had, the pull, an attraction to the wolf lurking in the darkness. My mate. I didn't want this. I didn't want a mate, not now, not ever.

"Who are you?" I asked nervously. I was very scared because I couldn't escape from the large black wolf. I was weak and defenseless, and there was no way I could run faster than him.

Suddenly, a dark and huge black wolf came out of the bushes, and I gasped. Of all the wolves, I had to be connected to the leader, the alpha. I almost cursed my luck. Alphas always cause problems. I couldn't escape from him, and I couldn't reject him either. Alphas don't handle rejection well because it hurts their pride. However, he could reject me. My name was ruined, and I had nothing. I had no money, no important position, and no power. I was too weak to even be called a Luna at the moment. And that was my plan. My ruined name might be the solution to my problems.

"You don't want me!" I said confidently. This had to work. I didn't want to lose the freedom I had just gained, and not even a mate could make me stay in one place anymore. "I have no power, no money, no important position, and no name," I added. The wolf just stared at me and continued growling. He seemed ready to attack if I made any sudden moves.

Part of me wondered how my mate would look in human form, and it excited my wolf instincts. But I pushed those thoughts away. It didn't matter now. Even if I decided to stay, I would still be rejected because of my father's mistakes in the werewolf world.

Then, boldly, I declared, "My name is Louisiana Reynolds, daughter of the disgraced beta, Darius Reynolds!"

This had to be it. The final blow. The bones of the wolf immediately started breaking, transforming into a human. He obviously wanted to reject me quickly. When the transformation was complete, he stood proudly in his naked form, not ashamed of his body. I couldn't see his face, but I couldn't help but admire his strong arms and muscles. When his face came into view, my breath caught, and it felt like I had lost all hope. Death was finally here.

"The moon goddess must be playing a trick on me," he growled.

"A-Alpha K-Kaden!" I stuttered. Was it possible that the moon goddess was against me? Was there a glitch in my story?