Episode 1

|| *Rachel Montemayor* ||

The air was imbued with a wild scent, a fresh fragrance that carried with it the subtle nuances of the forest that surrounded me. With each step, the rustling of dry leaves echoed in the silence of the night, as I ventured towards the back of the cabin. From there, echoes of laughter and festive melodies filtered into the atmosphere, creating an enveloping melody that intertwined with the distant howls of wolves in the darkness. The full moon, radiant and splendid, spilled its silver light over the clearing, where a pack celebrated in full swing. However, my presence there was not out of a desire for fun or company. I had a single motive: him.

Desmond. My alpha. He was the man who had conquered my heart with his arrogant smile and his carefree lifestyle. Every laugh of his and every gesture seemed to tie my soul to him in an unbreakable way. But tonight, my heart was in a sorry state, like a handful of cold, empty ashes, devoid of the warmth I used to feel when he was near.

Arriving at the entrance, the bustle of the event hit me like an impenetrable wall. In the center of the scene was Desmond, surrounded by a group of she-wolves who danced around him, laughing and flirting with him in a seductive game. His eyes, of a deep and mesmerizing blue, shone with the light of the moon, but that luminosity was not for me. From the beginning, his gaze had never rested on me.

"Rachel!" His voice resonated above the noise. I turned around and my heart stopped when I saw his expression. "What are you doing here?"

"I looked for you," I murmured, feeling the air escape my lungs.

"A pity," he said almost carelessly. "I can't play with you today. I have... obligations."

"Obligations?" Rage bubbled inside me. "Obligations that exclude me?"

He shrugged, as if showing disinterest, and his eyes unexpectedly turned to a blonde she-wolf who was slowly approaching. "Rachel, you are beautiful, I admit it. But I can't have you. Not with your... humble lineage."

The impact of his words was like a strong punch to the stomach. I felt all my energy suddenly vanish. I stood paralyzed, unable to assimilate what he had just said. "Is that why you reject me? Because of my blood?"

Desmond smiled, but his smile lacked warmth. "It's simply a fact. You are... charming, but you are not what I need. Maybe if I send you to make a deal with Harend, everything could turn out better. His group is more powerful, and if we join forces, we could secure our position more effectively."

"Are you selling me?" Incredulity filled my voice. "As if I were an object?"

"You see it that way because you don't understand the game, Rachel. Every she-wolf who dies in my bed is a risk. And you... could be a good alliance."

The air became heavy. "I don't want to be an alliance. I want to be your mate."

"You can want what you want. But I can't give you that." He turned to the pack, dropping his last word like an axe. "Harend will come for you tonight. Be prepared."

With each step he took, I felt my heart break a little more. The cheerful melody and the laughter that used to surround me began to fade, becoming a distant echo of despair that resonated within me. The festive atmosphere turned somber, and the joy that had previously enveloped me dissolved like a whisper, leaving only the emptiness of sadness around me.

"Desmond..." I called, but he was already gone, lost among the shadows of his conquests.

I let myself fall to the ground, feeling the cold texture of the earth embrace my thighs. An intense mixture of rage and sadness fought relentlessly deep within my being, like two opposing forces in an endless conflict. The strident laughter of the she-wolves, along with the bustle of the pack, gradually transformed into a distant echo, as if they were trapped in their dream that seemed far away.

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