The Monster Alpha is Kind to me

Chapter One The Wolf-less Luna “A wolfless freak.” The words followed Aurora everywhere she went. Whispers slithered behind her like venom as she carried another heavy basket of wet clothes through the pack house courtyard. Her arms ached, her thin dress soaked from the cold morning rain, but no one cared. Not when she was the pack’s greatest disappointment. “Careful,” a she-wolf sneered as Aurora passed. “You might trip and die. Though honestly, that would finally make you useful.” Laughter erupted around them. Aurora lowered her head and kept walking. Twenty years old. Twenty years old, yet she still had not shifted. No wolf. No heightened senses. Nothing. She was weaker than even ordinary humans. The Moon Goddess had cursed her, and everyone in the Silver Crest Pack believed it. Which was funny considering she had once been their greatest hope. A prophecy had been spoken the night she was born. The child born under the crimson moon shall become the pack’s strongest Luna. For years, they worshipped her because of it. Until the prophecy failed. Now they treated her worse than dirt. “Hey, wolfless!” one of the warriors barked. “The Alpha’s hall still needs cleaning. Move faster!” Aurora swallowed the lump in her throat. “I-I just finished washing the bedding—” “And?” he snapped. “Did I ask for excuses?” She nodded quickly and hurried away while more mocking laughter followed behind her. Her bare feet stung against the rough stone path as she entered the massive hall. The scent of roasted meat filled the air, making her stomach twist painfully. She had not eaten since yesterday morning. “Disgusting.” Aurora froze. Her mother stood near the staircase, glaring at her with cold eyes. “You smell like wet rags,” her mother said sharply. “At least try not to embarrass this family further.” Aurora forced herself not to react. “Mother, I was assigned laundry duty all night—” “And whose fault is that?” her mother interrupted. “If you had a wolf like a normal werewolf, you would not be this pathetic.” The words stabbed deeper than Aurora wanted to admit. Her own mother could not even look at her without disgust. Before Aurora could respond, soft laughter echoed from the staircase. “Aurora is trying her best.” Iris descended gracefully in a beautiful lavender dress, her silver hair perfectly braided over one shoulder. Unlike Aurora, Iris glowed with health and strength. Even though she was only an omega, Iris had awakened her wolf at sixteen. The pack adored her. Aurora hated how naturally perfect her younger sister looked. Kai walked beside Iris. Aurora’s chest tightened painfully. Once upon a time, Kai had looked at her like that. The future Alpha of Silver Crest Pack. Her fiancé. Or at least… he used to be. Kai barely spared Aurora a glance before wrapping an arm around Iris’s waist possessively. “You should stop defending her,” Kai muttered to Iris. “Everyone already knows she’s useless.” Aurora’s fingers tightened around the basket. “Kai…” she whispered. Finally, his cold blue eyes met hers. There had once been warmth in them. Now there was only irritation. “What?” he asked flatly. Aurora stared at him in disbelief. “You… you haven’t spoken to me in weeks.” Kai scoffed. “And?” The single word shattered something inside her. “You were my fiancé,” Aurora said quietly. A few pack members nearby snickered. Kai looked almost annoyed she even brought it up. “That engagement existed because the elders believed the prophecy,” he said cruelly. “You were supposed to become a powerful Luna.” His eyes swept over her worn dress with disdain. “But look at you now.” Aurora felt humiliation burn through her chest. “I tried,” she whispered. “Tried?” Kai laughed harshly. “Aurora, you cannot even shift. You’re weaker than humans. Do you know how embarrassing it is for a future Alpha to be tied to someone like you?” Iris bit her lip, pretending to look guilty while leaning closer into Kai’s side. That small action made Aurora’s stomach drop. No. No… “Kai…” her voice trembled. “What is this?” Kai sighed dramatically, as if she were exhausting him. “I’m choosing Iris instead.” Silence filled the hall. Aurora felt the world spin. “What?” “Iris may be an omega,” Kai said, “but at least she’s a real werewolf. She understands me. She can stand beside an Alpha.” His next words crushed her completely. “You never could.” Aurora stared at her sister desperately. “Iris…?” Her sister lowered her eyes with fake sympathy. “I’m sorry, Aurora,” Iris whispered softly. “Love cannot be controlled.” Aurora almost laughed at the absurdity. Love? Her own sister had stolen her fiancé. And everyone was standing there watching it happen. “You knew,” Aurora whispered, turning toward her parents. “You both knew?” Her father’s face remained emotionless. “This is what’s best for the pack,” he said coldly. Aurora felt physically sick. Her mother crossed her arms. “Kai needs a worthy mate. Not a wolfless burden.” Those words hurt more than anything else. A burden. That was all she had become to them. Kai stepped forward, his voice icy. “The elders have already approved the mating ceremony between Iris and me.” Aurora’s heart stopped. “So quickly?” she whispered brokenly. Kai shrugged. “There was nothing left to wait for.” The hall erupted into excited murmurs. Aurora looked around desperately, hoping someone—anyone—would feel sorry for her. Instead, she saw mocking smiles. Relief. Disgust. One woman even whispered loudly enough for Aurora to hear. “Finally. The future Alpha escaped that cursed girl.” Tears burned Aurora’s eyes, but she refused to cry in front of them. Not here. Not before the people who had already broken her. So she lifted her chin slightly despite the agony tearing through her chest. “Congratulations,” she whispered hoarsely. Then she turned and walked away while laughter echoed behind her. None of them noticed the sharp pain suddenly shooting through the mating bond mark on Kai’s neck. Or the terrifying growl that echoed faintly from deep within the forbidden northern mountains.