Claimed By The Packless Alpha

03 Way Out

Sienna’s POV

I returned home and went straight to my room in tears. There was no dramatic pause at the door. No careful plan. No graceful collapse like those women in romance movies who managed to look beautiful even when their lives were falling apart. No. I walked into my room, shut the door, climbed onto my bed, curled into myself like a frightened child, and cried until my chest hurt.

I was confused. I was scared. I did not know what to do. My father and brothers would kill me if they found out. Maybe not literally, but with my father, one could never be too sure. Gideon Vale had a temper that made full-grown men suddenly remember they had somewhere else to be. And Nolan, as much as he loved me, was still a Gamma. He was still my father’s son. He still believed in duty, honour, family name, and all those heavy words men used when they wanted women to suffer quietly.

My father wanted me to be Luna badly. Badly was not even the right word. He wanted it like he needed air. He had planned it. Talked about it. Shaped my entire life around it. Every smile I gave, every dress I wore, every place I went, every person I spoke to, everything had somehow been tied to the future where I would stand beside Alpha Darius Hale and become the Luna of Silverlake Pack. And now there was a mark on my neck that did not belong to Darius. There was another Alpha’s scent buried in my skin. There was Kael. Kael, whose last name I did not know. Kael, who had claimed me and disappeared. Kael, who had not even taken my number.

I cried harder at that part, which annoyed me because out of everything that had happened, why was my pride choosing that one to bleed over?

‘Because your pride is dramatic,’ Nyla said in my head. ‘It wears heels and cries when ignored.’

I pressed my face deeper into the pillow. “Not now,” I muttered.

‘Oh, I am sorry. Should I come back when our life is less on fire?’

I ignored her. I lay on my bed in a foetal position and wept. I had no relationship with Darius. Not really. He was handsome and powerful, and yes, I had admired him for a while, but we were not in love. We were not even close. Our joining was a breeding match, not a love match. My father wanted status. Darius needed a suitable Luna. I was the clean, polished, well-bred option. Or I had been.

If Darius wanted me badly enough, he would have to challenge Kael to a fight to the death so he could take me. I almost laughed through my tears. Was I worth that kind of trouble to him? No. Definitely not. If he somehow surprised me and decided I was worth bloodshed, I did not even know where Kael was. I did not know his pack. I did not know his last name. I did not have his number. And the night clearly had not been memorable enough for him to keep mine and call me. That last thought sank into my chest like a stone. I was doomed. Completely.

I lay there, crying and thinking of everything I could have done differently. I should not have gone to The Velvet Moon Club. I should not have drunk so much. I should not have walked up to him. I should not have danced with him. I should not have let my body decide it was wiser than my brain.

‘To be fair,’ Nyla said, ‘your body has never claimed to be a scholar.’

“Nyla, I swear...”

‘Fine. I will be quiet. But just so we are clear, this is why I said that last glass was unnecessary.’

I closed my eyes and tried to block her out. Soon, I heard a voice calling my name.

“Sienna?”

I froze. Maya. I must have left the front door open when I returned. I had been too distraught to lock it. Wonderful. At this rate, I might as well hang a sign outside that said, Welcome, my life has fallen apart. Come in and watch.

“Sienna?” Maya called again, closer this time.

She sounded a little excited, which made no sense. How could anyone be excited while I was lying on my bed with another Alpha’s mark hiding under my turtleneck and death waiting for me in the form of my father’s disappointment? I quickly sat up and wiped my tears with the back of my hand. My eyes were swollen. My face probably looked like I had fought bees and lost. There was no way she would not know something was wrong.

Maya appeared gently at my door. “Sienna,” she said, and the moment she saw my face, the excitement drained out of her. “What happened?”

I tried to speak, but my throat closed. She rushed to me immediately, sat beside me, and pulled me into her arms. I hugged her and broke down again.

“Sienna, what happened?” Maya asked, her voice softer now.

I tried to control my sobs so I could speak. It took effort. Too much effort. I pulled away from her and wiped my face, looking anywhere but directly at her.

“I am screwed,” I whispered.

Maya blinked, then tried to lighten the mood because that was what she did when fear entered a room.

“Of course you are,” she said carefully. “That man was such a hottie.”

I shook my head. “I mean it in a bad way, Maya. I am screwed.”

Her face changed. The joke died immediately.

“Can you tell me why?” she asked.

I looked at her, and for one second, I wondered if I could trust her with the whole ugly truth. Then I hated myself for wondering. Maya had been my friend since kindergarten. We had shared snacks, secrets, lies, tears, dresses, and punishments. She had protected me when she could and covered for me when she should have run far away from my madness. If there was anyone in the world I could trust, it was her. Still, shame made my mouth dry.

“I am in trouble, Maya,” I said.

She reached for my hands and held them tightly. “Tell me. We will deal with it together.”

I let out a sad laugh. “I doubt you can help me with this.”

“Try me,” she said.

For a moment, I just stared at her. Then, with shaking fingers, I reached for the collar of my turtleneck and slowly tugged it down. Maya gasped. Then she shrieked. Not a small sound. A full, wounded, what-the-hell-have-you-done sound. I quickly covered the mark again even though there was no point. She had seen it. She knew. She understood exactly why I was shaking.

“What the f**k, Sienna?” Maya whispered, her eyes wide. “Your joining is next week.”

“I know,” I cried. “I know. That is why I am like this.”

“Why did you let him do this to you?” she asked.

I shook my head quickly. “I did not let him. I didn’t know. I can’t even remember the s*x properly. I was drunk. The painful part is that I did not know until I got home.”

Maya covered her mouth and shook her head.

“This is bad,” she said.

Then she sniffed the air. Her eyes narrowed.

“Is that why you smell like you fought a perfume shop and won?”

I wiped my tears and nodded.

“It does mask your scent a little,” Maya said, still sniffing. “But I am a Sigma, Sienna. Your family might still be able to pick it up.”

Panic rose in me again.

“No. No, no, no.” My breathing became uneven. “I need help, Maya. I need help.”

“Calm down,” she said firmly. “We cannot come up with a solution while you are in panic mode.”

“Nyla said the same thing.”

‘Because Nyla has sense,’ my wolf said.

I swallowed. “She also insulted me ten times.”

‘Twelve, actually.’

I ignored her. Maya looked at my covered neck, and anger crossed her face.

“That guy is such a bastard,” she said.

The feeling was mutual. I could not even tell her that the bastard had not taken my number. I could not admit that on top of ruining my life, he had also bruised my self-esteem. It sounded small compared to the mark, but it still hurt. He had touched me, claimed me, left me, and ignored the paper I had stupidly kissed like a desperate fool.

‘Maybe he did not see it,’ Nyla said.

“Do not defend him,” I muttered.

Maya frowned. “What?”

“Nothing.”

“Do you know anything about him other than his first name?” Maya asked.

I shook my head.

She stared at me for a second, then sighed like she was trying not to scream. “Sienna.”

“I know.”

“His last name?”

“No.”

“His pack?”

“No.”

“Where he lives?”

“No.”

“His number?”

“No.”

Maya closed her eyes. “Please tell me Kael is not even his real name just to complete the circus.”

I started crying again. “I don’t know.”