Chapter 1
"This is Black Thorn Pack's territory. Any uninvited werewolf would be considered an intruder! You should leave!"
Two werewolf guards, tall and robust, said to a woman standing at the pack's border.
"I'm Gloria, from the Silver Spring Pack. I need to speak to Alpha Patrick. Please let me in."
The blonde woman pleaded. She looked exceptionally delicate compared with the guards.
"We don't know who you are. Leave, now!" said the guards as they had a quick look at each other.
"It's about Gabrielle's death. I've got something important to tell Alpha Patrick. Please, I need to see him," Gloria begged.
 
"Shut up! You don't get to say her name!"
A sullen voice cut in from behind the guards.
"Beta Damon!" The guards turned to the man and bowed their heads.
Damon was the Beta of the Black Thorn Pack.
"Damon, please hear me out. I have nothing to do with Gabrielle's death!" Gloria explained anxiously.
With a scowl, Damon glanced at her resentfully.
"Seize her. The woman is a rogue. She is trying to blend in our pack with ill intentions." His voice was icy cold.
The guards looked at each other and didn't move.
 
"What are you waiting for? Seize her, now!" Damon shouted again.
This time, he gave the command as the pack's Beta.
The guards stepped forward and grabbed Gloria's arms.
Gloria was outrageous. She struggled to break free and said, "My father is the Alpha of the Silver Spring Pack and I'm only here to see Alpha Patrick. Are you trying to break the peace between the packs?"
"If you want to see Alpha Patrick, then stop struggling," Damon walked to Gloria and whispered.
Gloria stiffened at his words. Then she ceased to struggle.
 
"Take her to the square and tie her to a pillar," Damon ordered, taking a step back as he waved his hand at the guards.
"Yes, Beta Damon."
This time, the guards did not hesitate. They grabbed Gloria and took her to the square.
They tied her to a pillar, and she stayed that way without any food or water for an entire day.
Gloria was at her last gasp after a day of exposure to the scorching sun.
She was bound with ropes covered with wolf poison so that she could not shift.
As she was dying of thirst, the sky grew dark and cloudy. Then, it began to rain.
 
A car was approaching the square. She raised her head at the sound.
It was Patrick's car, the Alpha of the Black Thorn Pack.
Gloria was desperate to break free. Her skin was torn by the ropes, yet she did not give up the struggle.
Finally, she broke free. Then, she staggered toward Patrick's car.
"Pull over," Patrick said to the driver.
The car stopped.
 
"I didn't do it. You must believe me." Gloria stared at Patrick stubbornly.
The rain was pouring down and beating against the car windows. Gloria saw Patrick's grim face through the window.
She stood outside the car, trembling. "Patrick! Please listen to me. Just this once!" she shouted.
The door opened. Gloria was dragged into the car all of a sudden.
She was drenched to the skin, and water soaked Patrick's clothes.
"Patrick, I didn't ask those rogues to hurt Gabrielle."
Before her voice died away, Patrick pinched her chin unmercifully.
"Why are you so obsessed with me?" his voice was magnetic.
 
"What?" Gloria was a little stunned.
Patrick was her mate. She and her wolf recognized him right away at the mating gathering.
'Why would he suddenly ask so?' Gloria wondered.
Patrick pinched Gloria's chin, while he reached out his other hand and touched her cold, wet face with his fingers.
Gloria was lost in Patrick's gentle eyes and felt as if he was asking, "Are you cold?"
However, Patrick suddenly turned cold again. "Gloria, do you want me that much that you had to k*ll Gabrielle?"
 
Gloria felt a chill inside as if a bucket of icy water had been poured over her head.
She laughed bitterly and came to her senses. Patrick, her mate, had always been so.
How could she forget the fact that he had always been cold to her? After all, Patrick's gentleness was never meant for her.
It was not gentleness but a demon's smile.
"I didn't kill Gabrielle..." Gloria tried to explain herself.
"Yes, you didn't kill her with your own hands. But you paid those rogues to r*pe her."
Patrick did not grant her the opportunity to defend herself as he became agitated.
He ripped Gloria's shirt.
 
"What are you doing?"
As she screamed, Gloria was pushed out of the car and fell to the ground.
Patrick's cold voice came to her ears.
"In the name of the Mood Goddess, I, Patrick Hammond, Alpha of Black Thorn Pack, reject Gloria Carter as my mate."
Gloria raised her head and looked into the car in disbelief.
"Patrick! You can't reject me. You don't know how much I love you! Please let me explain... Please..."
"Miss Carter, I may consider listening to you, if..." Patrick looked up indifferently.
He cast a glance at Gloria and said, "If you stay in the square in the rain till morning. Then, perhaps, I'll give you a chance."

Chapter 2
Patrick closed the door after he said so.
He threw out the handkerchief he had just used before he closed the door. It fell in front of Gloria, soaking in the rain.
Gloria picked it up and gripped it in her hand.
The car started and drove into Alpha's villa at the Black Thorn Pack.
Then, the iron gates of the villa shut in front of Gloria.
Gloria's face drained of color as she stared at the shuttered gates.
 
Gloria was in agony since her mate had just rejected her.
The remaining Alpha aura still lingered, suffocating her.
Patrick was her mate. However, she could feel the hatred from his aura and he would prefer Gloria to die instead of Gabrielle.
Gloria's wolf screamed in her head, "We need Patrick. Go beg him, and let go of your pride. Damn you, Gloria, go beg for his forgiveness!"

After a while, Gloria looked up again. She walked toward the square, determined.
She stood in the middle of the square, ignoring the cold rain.
She pressed her lips together stubbornly.
As Alpha's daughter from the Silver Spring Pack, Gloria had her pride.
"I don't need his forgiveness, I did nothing wrong," Gloria said to her wolf, ignoring her curses.
Gabrielle was her friend. Gloria only wanted a few minutes to explain everything to Patrick.
 
Gloria's shirt was shattered and could barely cover her body.
She folded her arms across her breast, still keeping her back straight. She would always hold her head high, for she was the daughter of Alpha.
Gloria stood in the square stubbornly, only for a chance to explain herself.
She was innocent, and she wouldn't take the blame.
But, would she get the chance?
Would anyone believe what she had to say?
The rain grew heavier and continued through the night.
 
It kept raining till the next morning. Gloria stood there. The rain had soaked her clothes, and she had been standing there all night.
The square was deadly still. Someone showed up, after all.
Damon walked out of Patrick's villa under a black umbrella, his hair brown.
The shuttered gates let out a creaking sound and opened slowly.
Gloria heard the sound and tried to raise her head. She looked at Damon standing in front of the iron gates and forced a smile.
 
"Miss Carter, Alpha Patrick asked you to leave the Black Thorn Pack."
Damon had his hair combed meticulously, so, even on a rainy day, it still looked neat, just like those carefully trimmed trees in Patrick's garden.
Damon threw a piece of clothing at Gloria.
Gloria trembled to put on the clothes with her soaked hand.
Her lips looked pale. Her voice was hoarse but firm. "I want to see him."
Damon repeated Patrick's words without even looking up. "Miss Carter, Alpha Patrick said that your presence had ruined the view here. And he didn't want you to ruin his mood too."
 
Gloria had never shown a trace of fear after the incident. But she found it hard to go on like this anymore.
Her trembling shoulders gave her out.
Gloria closed her eyes, letting the rain wash her tears away.
Gloria opened her eyes again as Damon gazed at her with a poker face. She raised her head and said, "Damon, believe me or not, I did not pay those rogues to hurt Gabrielle, and I will not take the blame."
Gloria articulated each word, though exhausted.
She might have lowered her head for a moment, but she was a proud woman.
 
Damon frowned, as he finally responded with something other than disdain.
He looked at Gloria resentfully and said, "Gabrielle is my younger sister. She had always been a sweet girl. She had never been to a pub and never gone alone into the Shadow Forest. But then, she was found raped and killed on the other side of the forest, where the rogues lingered.
"Miss Carter, we checked Gabrielle's phone. Before the incident, she called you and sent you a message. It said, 'I have arrived. Where are you, Gloria?' "
 
Damon's eyes were filled with hatred as he glared at Gloria.
He continued, "Miss Carter, you murdered someone and that person was my sister! She is dead, and yet you are here trying to get away from it! You've been badgering Alpha Patrick. But he preferred Gabrielle, not you. You were jealous of Gabrielle and therefore wanted her to disappear. You make me sick!"
Gloria was speechless. Gabrielle was Damon's younger sister and Patrick's girlfriend.
As for Gloria, she was Patrick's mate who had never been acknowledged.
Gabrielle was dead, and Patrick hated Gloria to his very core.
 
"Miss Carter, you should leave," Damon said. "By the way, Alpha Patrick asked me to pass a word to you."
Gloria turned to Damon.
"Alpha Patrick said, 'It should have been you.'"
Gloria's body shook uncontrollably, and a sharp pain shot through her heart.
Damon turned around and put on a cold smile. His rigid face looked indifferent and cruel.
He hated Gloria because she killed Gabrielle.
 
Gloria shuddered inwardly as she staggered to her feet.
Her legs were numb, so she fell back to the ground. She laughed at herself while Patrick's words echoed in her head. "It should have been you."
Indeed, that was something Patrick would say.
Gloria smiled bitterly. "Gabrielle, you were dead and I became a murderer."
 
Patrick was a tall and slender man. Dressed in a black nightgown, he was standing on the second floor of the villa.
He stood barefoot in front of the floor-to-ceiling windows, watching Gloria in the rain with frozen eyes.
"Alpha Patrick, I've passed your words to Miss Carter." Damon returned to the villa after driving Gloria away. He stood quietly in the doorway of the bedroom.

Chapter 3
Patrick shook the wine glass in his hand. At Damon's words, he withdrew his gaze from Gloria.
He gave another command, "Inform the Alpha of the Silver Spring Pack that he must choose between Gloria and his pack. If he wants his pack intact, then Gloria must leave."
"Yes."
"Then, tell the werewolf university to cancel Gloria's degree. So, she can't get a decent job in human society. She'll be employed with a high school diploma."
"Yes."
"And," Patrick said coldly, "Send her to the werewolf prison."
Damon was shocked at his words. He raised his head and said, "Alpha Patrick?"
"She killed our people, so I'll send her to the werewolf prison for three years. Beta Damon, do you not agree with me?"
 
Patrick decided to send Gloria to prison for three years.
Though the evidence at this point was not enough to prove Gloria guilty, Patrick believed that she was the one who killed Gabrielle.
"No, Alpha Patrick, you did the right thing. Thank you." Damon's eyes suddenly turned red, and he began to cry. "If it weren't for you, Gloria would not have been punished for what she did to Gabrielle. She is from another pack, so there's nothing I can do about her."
Patrick turned to the floor-to-ceiling window. His eyes darkened as he watched Gloria disappear around the corner of the road.
He clenched the wine glass with his slender fingers and gulped down the rest of the wine.
"Beta Damon, I'm doing this not because Gabrielle is your sister, but because Gabrielle is the woman I love," Patrick said slowly.
 
Gloria, drenched and tired, returned to the Silver Spring Pack.
However, she failed to cross the border because they had received the order from Patrick.
The Alpha of the Silver Spring Pack was afraid of Patrick.
Therefore, Gloria was expelled from the Silver Spring Pack. She stood at the border and watched the patrolling werewolf guards leave.
Gloria didn't get to meet her parents, Alpha and Luna of the Silver Spring Pack.
Gloria would be a rogue from now on.
 
She didn't understand why they were so scared of Patrick.
Gloria laughed at herself and looked away. The border which separated her from the Silver Spring pack would be a cut-off from her old life.
Gloria could not put her feelings into words. As she turned back, she was stopped by two werewolves in uniform. "Miss Carter, we suspect that you had something to do with Gabrielle's death. You need to come with us now."
 
In the werewolf court, Gloria remained silent and listened to the Elders' discussion. Eventually, they decided to punish her.
Before she was sent to the werewolf prison, Gloria saw Patrick.
Patrick stood at the entrance of the werewolf council hall, waiting for her.
Patrick snorted. "Gloria, now, do you regret killing Gabrielle?"
Gloria shook her head and said firmly, "I didn't kill Gabrielle."
Patrick walked up to Gloria slowly, and his powerful aura as the Alpha was deterring.
Though Gloria was the daughter of the Alpha of the Silver Spring Pack, at the moment, she was only a rogue and could not stand such a powerful aura.
 
She told herself not to be afraid, that she was innocent, and that she had committed no crime.
She raised her delicate face fearlessly. She tried to maintain her composure, but her trembling shoulders gave her out. None of these could escape Patrick's eyes.
He was surprised and wondered, 'She still wouldn't give up her dignity.
What dignity? She's just a rogue now.'
Soon after, Patrick understood.
Gloria had always been proud.
Patrick grabbed Gloria's delicate chin.
 
"Let go of me! You're hurting me!"
Patrick's hand was like a pair of tongs as if he were trying to crush her jaw. Gloria's eyes welled with bitter tears.
Patrick, however, showed no mercy and snapped her jaw even harder. "Who would have thought of the evil heart hidden behind such a pretty face?"
"I didn't do it!" Gloria bit her lip, and her face turned pale from the pain. "You can't just send me to prison like this. There is no proof."
"Yes, I can." Patrick sneered. "Miss Carter, I hope you'll enjoy your time in the werewolf prison."
Patrick let go of Gloria's chin and looked at her.
 
"You can't do this to me. I am your mate. I am the future Luna of the Black Thorn Pack. This is the Moon Goddess' arrangement."
Gloria gazed at Patrick.
Her words enraged Patrick. He looked at her furiously and said, "You don't deserve to be my mate!"
Gloria felt a pang in her heart.
Her eyes welled with tears, but her pride would not allow her to show emotion. She continued, "This is the Moon Goddess' arrangement, and you can't change it. The pack will grow weaker if their Luna is absent for too long."
"Really?" Patrick said coldly, "I, Patrick Hammond, the Alpha of the Black Thorn Wolf, reject you, Gloria Carter, as my mate."
 
Gloria looked at Patrick in shock. She felt her heart shatter, and her wolf howling.
The pain overwhelmed Gloria almost instantly. She pressed her heart and looked desperate.
However, she did not reject Patrick because she didn't want the bond between them to vanish.
But she would have to endure the pain of her mate's rejection.
Gloria did not understand why Patrick had to reject her.
Was it because of Gabrielle?
But she had never hurt Gabrielle.