The Lycan King's Hidden Mate

Emily’s POV I never expected my life to be this way. I grew up in a close-knit family, always surrounded by my parents. But one fateful day, everything changed. My family was out on a rescue mission to save a stranger in danger. They paid the ultimate price as they all lost their lives trying to help. “Your parents are dead!” My father’s guard said to me when he returned without my parents. “How did it happen?” I said to the guard. “It was the stranger. Your father was trying to save a stranger. He didn’t know that it was a trap. As he was losing him from his b*****e, an arrow pierced through his heart.” The guard said with tears in his eyes. “What about my mother?” “She was there standing, she tried to rescue your father and she was shot too.” The guard said to me. Left with nothing but the echoes of the past, I was stranded in this world, bereft of life's warmth. The pain of losing my family was indescribable, but the onslaught didn't end there. People's attitude towards me worsened by the day. They accused me of abandoning my family, invoking the wrath of the masses. Little did they know that I was a mere child, robbed of the luxury of making decisions for myself. It was a dark day, and my heavy heart weighed me down. The irony of this situation was not lost on me. Even though I was still breathing, I felt like I was dead inside. The world was a cruel place, heartless and unforgiving. I found no solace in life and felt like I was living in an oxymoron- alive, but dead at the same time. It was a life fraught with challenges, dripping with pain and emptiness. I longed for the joys of my family's love, but they were lost forever. Personified by this situation, I wondered how long I could go on like this, feeling an eternal sense of emptiness, a void that could not be filled by anything. I tried to move on, but it seemed like the universe had it out for me. The only thing that gave me a glimmer of hope was the Moon Goddess’s promise to grant a mate to every werewolf. I waited patiently for my turn, longing for someone to understand me and love me for who I am. Finally, on my twenty-fifth birthday, the moon goddess granted me a mate. Kane, a handsome, tall werewolf with golden eyes, was everything I ever wanted. We had an instant connection, and I thought this was it. This was my happily ever after. However, my dreams were shattered when Kane rejected me. I couldn’t believe what was happening. Kane, the man who was supposed to be my mate by the moon goddess, had just rejected me. I was stunned as he uttered the words, “I don’t want you as my mate.” All of my hopes and dreams were shattered in that one moment. I had imagined a happy life with him, ruling our pack together. But now, all of that seems impossible. My anger towards Kane was boiling inside me. How could he reject me like that? I knew I needed to confront him and express my feelings. So, I stormed towards him and kicked him hard on his shin. Kane howled in pain, but my anger was not satisfied yet. I needed to vent out, so I decided to go to a nearby bar. I had a few too many drinks and ended up having a one-night stand with a stranger. The next morning, I felt disgusted and ashamed of myself. What had I done? I had always been taught to respect my body and not indulge in casual s*x. But now I have ruined everything. Days turned into weeks, and I found out that I was pregnant. I didn’t know what to do. I was not ready to be a mother, and the father was a stranger. I decided to keep the baby a secret and left the pack, hoping to start fresh elsewhere. But Kane wasn’t done with me yet. He kept pursuing me, asking me to come back to the pack and be his mate. I refused, and that’s when he gave me an ultimatum. Either I become his s*x toy or leave the pack forever. I couldn’t believe what he was asking of me. It went against everything I believed in. I’m not some object that he can use for his pleasure. I refused to be a victim and chose to leave the pack. But what hurt me the most was what came next. Kane refused to let me take anything from my own house. “If you are refusing to succumb to my desire, you had better leave this place.” Kane had said to me, sent me away from his house without allowing me to take my luggage. I never thought I’d find myself in this situation. Here I am, pregnant and alone, kicked out of my own home by the man I once called my mate. I roamed the woods, trying to figure out what to do next when I stumbled upon a gathering of creatures. They were unlike anything I had ever seen before. One creature, in particular, stood out to me. He was tall and menacing, with piercing green eyes. I soon found out that he was the Lycan King. My heart skipped a beat when he approached me. I had never been this close to a creature like him before. Despite his intimidating appearance, he was kind and gentle with me. He offered to take me in and protect me. I saw this as an opportunity to start anew, to create a family for myself and my unborn child. Over the next few days, I spent a lot of time with the Lycan King. He taught me how to live in the wild, how to hunt, and how to defend myself. I came to trust him, and soon enough, we became close. Little did I know, the Lycan King was the stranger I slept with a few weeks back. We had both failed to recognize each other. One day, as we were sitting by the fire, the Lycan King turned to me and said, “Emily, you are my mate. I claim you as mine.” I was taken aback by his words. The idea of belonging to someone so fierce and powerful seemed both scary and exhilarating at the same time. But things soon took a dark turn. I started hearing rumours around the pack that the Lycan King was responsible for my parent’s deaths. I didn’t know what to believe. I had no way to confirm or deny these rumours. This newfound fear drove me to fake my death and run away. I knew I couldn’t stay any longer. I couldn’t bring my unborn child into a world of uncertainty. As I ran away from the pack, I started to feel guilty. I had hurt the Lycan King, the only person who had ever shown me true kindness. But I knew I had to keep moving forward. It was the only way I could keep my baby safe. In my heart, I knew that someday, I would have to face the Lycan King once again. But for now, I was alone, scared, and pregnant. I had to keep running. I decided to go into hiding without seeing anyone until I met some group of packs.