When morning came, Lunaire woke up smiling, only to find out her mate was no longer beside her.

She abruptly sat up, wrapping the covers around her body as she frantically looked for him.

"Zane," she called out, but there was no response.

She felt a tinge in her chest.

'He just left me after we made love last night?' she confusedly thought.

However, the mere thoughts of the fiery night they shared made her blush. She felt glad that her mate accepted her for who she was and didn't mind her scars.

"I'm so lucky to have a mate like him," she mumbled and buried her face in his pillow as she squealed.

When the rush simmered, reality crept back into her mind. Despite finding her mate, she still had to do her chores. She snapped up and looked at the time.

She was already late.

Lunaire hurriedly looked around, searching for her nightgown, and found it shredded on the floor. She sighed, got out of bed, and walked to Zane's closet.

Grabbing a white shirt, she dressed and headed back to her room. After a quick shower, she went to the kitchen and resumed her chores.

Half a day went by, but it felt like the day was already over. Lunaire had never thought her work was as tedious as this, even though they're just as tough.

It must be because of her mate if she were to point out what made such a difference. Her young and lovestruck heart had been searching for his warmth since she woke up. However, she hadn't seen him since last night. Being apart was the most painful thing she had ever felt.

Lunaire went outside to cool off, taking a short walk near the woods, when someone called her out.

"Hey! You."

She jumped in startle and turned around only to see Bella and her minions smirking at her with an evil glint in their eyes.

She sighed and walked toward them.

"Yes?" she asked, speaking kindly, not wanting to get into trouble.

"Go get my phone from my room. I left it there," Bella flatly ordered, looking at her nails.

Lunaire frowned at her. "Why can't you get it yourself?" she meekly asked.

Bella then threw her a sharp look. "Listen bitch, just do as I say, or else I will get your brothers on you," she threatened, making Lunaire shudder in fear.

She looked away, nodding, and ran inside the pack house.

Lunaire went straight to Bella's room and saw her on her bed. She grabbed it and didn't stay long, then walked back outside.

"Here...your phone," she said, handing Bella her phone.

Bella only rolled her eyes at her and continued talking to her minions.

Sighing, Lunaire moved away from them and continued her walk. She found herself at her favorite spot and on a huge tree stump facing the woods.

The beauty of the scenery captured her heart. Her gaze pierced beyond the sea of trees, yearning for the liberating feeling within its heart.

'What would it feel like being deep inside the woods? Far away from this pack with only me and my mate?' she wondered.

But she shook that thought away and laughed at herself. It was too high of a dream to turn into reality. A weak she-wolf like her would only be stuck here forever.

Lunaire was so lost in her thoughts that she didn't realize she'd been sitting there for long. The sun was almost setting when she snapped out of it.

"Zane must be back by now," she muttered and headed back in.

And just as she crossed the threshold, a girl's dramatic yell thundered in the hallway.

"Omg! We have a thief in our pack!"

People started gathering around while Lunaire scoffed at Bella for screaming without reason.

Suddenly, her wolf Crystal jumped when an addictive scent hit their nose. Butterflies instantly fluttered in her stomach when she saw Zane come down wearing no shirt.

Jealousy erupted from their depths, and a discreet growl boiled up from their chests upon seeing these girls fawn over their mate.

"What is happening here?" he firmly asked.

Lunaire smiled at him when their gazes met but blankly turned away, hurting her feelings.

'Did I do something wrong?' Lunaire thought, perplexed.

"Alpha Zane," Bella cried, running into his arms, making Lunaire growl.

'My mate!' Crystal growled in her head.

Fortunately, no one heard them, but Zane snapped her a glare that took her aback.

"I went to my room and found my mother's memento missing. Alpha, that gold jewelry never left my room; now it's gone. Someone must have stolen it from my room," Bella wept.

"And who do you think might have stolen it?" Zane dubiously asked.

Of course, why wouldn't he? He had been ruling over them strictly but well. How could a thief come about from such a pack?

By now, every member of their pack had crowded the hallway. Even Lunaire's brothers came out of their rooms due to Bella's commotion.

"I... I don't know, Alpha. I didn't catch anyone in the roo-" she answered, looking distressed but paused when her eyes caught Lunaire.

She gasped and pointed her finger at her, turning Lunaire pale. Everyone pinned their eyes on her, filled with judgment, disgust, and loathing.

"You! You went to my room!" Bella accused as she strode toward her, blazing in anger.

Lunaire stepped back, baffled. Shaking my head in hr defense. "No... I swear I didn't steal anything," she cried.

"Stop lying, you bitch!" she spat.

Lunaire's breath hitched, and she looked at Zane in panic, trying to ask for help, but it made her despair seeing his eyes fixed only on Bella.

Bella looked back at Zane, bawling.

"I told her to get my phone from my room. She was the last one who went to my room. That memento meant so much to me, Alpha, but this thief stole it!"

Lunaire couldn't comprehend what was going on. She came to her room to get her phone, but why would she steal her stuff? She didn't need any jewelry for anything.

She looked at everyone with pleading eyes, wanting to say it wasn't her, but their scornful gazes took her voice away.

Then she heard Zane sigh.

"Okay, hang on, Bella, you can't just accuse someone like that," he said and turned to Dustin.

"Dustin, search Lunaire's room," he ordered at her brother, whose glare would kill her.

"A-alpha, I...I swear I didn't steal. I would never," Lunaire choked up, but he never looked at her even once.

'What was wrong with him? Why was he acting so cold with me?' hurt, Lunaire anxiously wondered.

Ten minutes later, Dustin came back with a box in his hand.

Lunaire trembled, aghast as he walked towards Bella.

"Does this belong to you?" he asked.

Bella looked inside the box and cried. "Yes, this is mine," she said, causing everyone to gasp.

"What the fuck? First a Murderer and now a thief? Why can't she just die?" one person muttered.

Her heart squeezed in pain hearing everyone insult her.

Alpha Zane approached, and she looked at him pleadingly, hoping he would come to his mate's rescue. "Alpha, I would never."

However, Lunaire received a sharp sting on her cheek instead. Zane slapped her across the face.

"Disgusting!" he spat.

Lunaire placed her hand over her burning cheek, petrified, feeling the numbness familiar to her.

She looked back at her mate in disbelief when he suddenly pulled her hair and dragged her away mercilessly in front of their pack.

Everyone chanted for her punishment. They all seemed like demons before her blurry eyes.

"Punish her, Alpha!"

"Yes! Punish her for the murder of our beta and his mate too!"

Lunaire wailed, but Zane remained heartless.

"Xavier! Bring out the pole and the whip!" He yelled out, making her gasp in horror.

"No! No! P-please! P-please, Alpha! She's lying. She's lying! I didn't s-steal! I didn't do it," Ari desperately begged him, but he only smirked at her.

"You are a pathetic piece of shit!" he cursed, tightening her grip on her hair and making her scream.

"Shut the fuck up!" He yelled and punched her in the face.

He threw her on the floor as if she was disgusting trash. She fell to the mud face down, and in front of her, she saw Bella standing not far, smirking in delight, enjoying her pain.

Xavier took out the pole and dragged her towards it. Lunaire screamed and struggled to escape, knowing she might not survive another night of pain.

However, her brother kicked her leg, breaking a bone, and rendering her helpless.

He tied both her hands and hung her up the pole.

"X-Xavier...please don't do this. You're my b-brother," Lunaire cried, but her pleas never reached his conscience.

"You're not my fucking sister, murder!" He spat and slapped her face.

"I didn't do it!" Lunaire screamed, earning her a hard punch to her gut.

"I hate you," Xavier whispered with gritted teeth.

"I didn't do it," she whimpered, coughing up blood.

He punched her again and almost knocked her out. Then Zane stood in front of her with a whip in his hand. Lunaire's eyes widened in horror when she saw blades on the lash. She even heard Crystal whimper in her mind.

Their mate didn't hesitate to lash the whip on their skin, making her scream in agony. He mercilessly whipped her until she bled and almost burst her lungs screaming in pain.

Lunaire trashed around as the blades shredded her skin. She screamed like a banshee as one of the blades got stuck to her thigh.

"Take her to the dungeon!" She heard Zane bark as she lingered between life and death.

Two pack members cut the rope, dragged her motionless body away, and dumped her in the dungeon.

Though she seemed lifeless, Lunaire was still barely awake. Seconds after she got thrown into the dungeon, the scent of her horrible mate drew closer.

Deep in her heart, she still believed in him. Maybe he came to apologize. She struggled to open her eyes, but what horror it was to see him with Bella, both flashing an evil smile.

Zane squatted, tilting his head as he clicked his tongue. "Look at you. So fucking weak,"

Lunaire coughed out some blood along with the shattered pieces of her heart.

"You're m-my m-mate. Why w-would y-you do this t-to me?" She asked, wheezing in pain.

A burst of maniacal laughter shook the dungeon.

"You really thought I'd accept a disgusting, ugly, fat piece of shit like you?"

Her entire world shrunk to the abyss.

And as if that wasn't enough, he landed another blow, "Why so shocked, my mate? Did you think I would go for a slut like you? Have you seen yourself? You are so ugly, fat. Fuck! I nearly puked when I saw your ugly scarred body last night, but you were a great fuck. I didn't expect that from a virgin."

Lunaire's mind went blank.

'It was a lie? Everything that happened last night was a lie? Fake? And meant nothing to him?'

Her tears continued falling from her eyes, but her soul was absent.

"Why would I need a whore like you when I have a beautiful girl with me?" Zane said as he stood up and wrapped his arms around Bella while she smirked down at her.

A bitter laugh left Lunaire's lips.

"You...you planned this, right?" She asked, laughing at herself for being a fool.

Zane mockingly clapped his hands and commended her. "Never thought you were this clever." He chuckled.

"Planned? The accusation? The Love confession? Do you think I have the time for you to do all that?" He scoffed.

"You're a fucking murderer, and murderers like you don't deserve happiness. You killed your parents, and you should have died instead of them. A weak and powerless wolf like you would never make a good Luna!" he growled, seething with anger.

"I need a strong, beautiful, and sexy Luna to rule my pack, not trash like you who can't even stand up for herself," he snapped at her.

"Forget about being the Luna, baby. She will never become a good mate as well. I mean, look at her. Even her brothers don't want her. Gosh, I feel like retching. Such a weak-ass bitch. The moon goddess must have made a mistake, pairing you with a useless mate," Bella sneered.

Lunaire looked down, biting her lip, regretting everything. Her weakness, for letting him touch her and for foolishly clinging onto an illusion that he accepted her flaws.

"You will regret this," she coldly said.

Zane and Bella only laughed at her. "Nah, baby. Only you would have regrets, especially after what we're going to do."

Zane flashed an evil look. Lunaire looked back, confused.

Then, her world turned red as she cried in torment, watching her mate smash his lips onto another woman.

Pain, loathing, and anger eroded her soul as Zane did the things he did to her last night with Bella.

"Stop! Stop! Stop!" She screamed as the pain worsened, but the two didn't care.

Lunaire screamed until I felt a kick on her stomach, making me cough out blood. She looked to see Zane standing before her, zipping his pants up.

"I, Alpha Zane Villain, reject you, Lunaire, as my mate and Luna of the Black Rose Pack," he spat, sending her to the epitome of her misery.

Her soul felt like it had disintegrated into space. She screamed her life out. It was worse than the wounds inflicted by the whip.

Zane dragged her out to the yard by her hair. She lost all will to struggle, but her cries sirened.

"If anyone dares to steal in this pack, this is what will happen to them!" Zane spat, pointing his finger at Lunaire.

He tossed her to the ground like a rag. She winced when he landed a kick to her gut.

Zane left her half dead while flirting with Bella.

Lunaire roamed her eyes, searching for a sliver of sympathy from their pack, but they all saw her worse than an insect.

No one helped her nor looked saddened by her plight.

'They were all monsters! All of them!' she bitterly thought.

Darius came forward and dragged her back into the pack house like a sack. And as he took her away, Lunaire hit her head on a rock, knocking her out.

An unknown time later, Lunaire opened her eyes, only to find herself lying on the floor in her room. As soon as she woke up, she felt her head throbbing and her body stinging, making her groan in pain.

She caught her forehead with her hand, but immediately hissed and retracted her hand as she felt a twinge, then saw blood in her hand.

Only then did Lunaire recall what happened earlier, causing her tears to fall down her cheeks as she curled up, hugging her knees. It turned out that her long-awaited mate simply used her body the night she treasured the most. Zane directly dumped her right after that and went together with his bitch, Bella. They even schemed against her, prompting everyone, especially her brothers, to torture and loathe her even more.

With so much agony Lunaire had gone through, her heart was filled with sorrow, hopelessness, and indignation.

'Why did you let me live? Why didn't you just take my life instead of my parents'? The mate you gave me didn't want me and even rejected me. Then my brothers, who were supposedly protecting me, were the ones who tortured me the most. I have no one in this pack. So, what is the point of living?' Lunaire ranted to the Moon Goddess in her head.

"Crystal...Crystal, are you there?" she called her wolf but got no response. As she was struck by a thought, she froze for a moment, and then a sob escaped from her mouth.

"C-crystal," she called out once more, but still no response.

In frustration, she grabbed a bunch of her hair and screamed loudly in her head. Suddenly, when an idea crossed her mind, she stared nowhere, not sobbing anymore.

'I will get out of here. I will leave this pack. I need to save myself from the monsters here in this land,' Lunaire declared inwardly and stood, wobbling.

She strode to her shabby wooden closet to get all her worn-out belongings. She then grabbed her backpack, stuffed all her things in it, and zipped it up.

Before running away, she went to the table beside her bed and pulled out a notepad and a pen from the drawer. Crying, she wrote two letters and placed them on the table.

Afterward, Lunaire hardly lunged at the window and looked downward. Upon confirming that the coast was clear, she heaved a sigh of relief. For the last time, she glanced at her scruffy room. Though it was not an ideal room, she treasured the place in her heart as it witnessed all her suffering and held all the memories, good and bad, she had in the pack. But she had enough now; she had already decided to flee from this land of monsters.

Upon realizing how high she was from the ground, she hitched her breath. As such, she tried to call her wolf once again.

"Crystal, I need your help," she uttered.

Luckily, this time, her wolf answered. "L-luna… I c-can't. I'm… too weak right n-now," Crystal replied, out of breath.

But Lunaire was desperate, so she pleaded, "We have to, Crystal. Gather all the strength left inside you. Please."

Crystal understood Lunaire and obediently uttered, "Okay, I will do it, for you, for us." She then did as the latter said.

Lunaire dropped her bag, and on the count of three, she jumped with her eyes closed.

To her surprise, she landed safely and unhurt. When she opened her eyes, she saw her feet change into black paws; she had successfully shifted into her wolf form. In delight, she giggled and jumped, forgetting she was injured. As a result, she winced in pain and lost her balance.

Actually, this was not Lunaire's first time shifting into her wolf form. In fact, her first was when she was only 12 years old, but she kept it to herself in fear that the pack might chase her out of the land for being extraordinary. However, that became the last time as she suffered a lot from the pack members, weakening her wolf and making her unable to shift.

Shortly, Lunaire pulled herself together, bit her bag, and ran at full speed. She passed through the woods to avoid encountering her pack members. She kept running until she suddenly heard howls from a distance, but she ignored them as she was desperate to leave the land. Her perfect chance to run away was already at hand, so she wouldn't let it slip. Hence, she sped up without looking back again at the land.

Meanwhile, it was already meal time, so the four brothers were starving and waiting for Lunaire to serve them their food. However, it had been a few minutes, but no food had been served to them yet.

Irked, Xavier roared, "Where's that bitch?! We've been starving here, but she's not still here! That slut must be awake now, so what is she doing?!"

"I'll go and check on her. I'll beat the shit out of her if I catch her just dawdling in her room," Darius said, smirking. His brothers burst out laughing upon hearing him, but he just sniggered.

He then headed upstairs to Lunaire's room and slammed the door open upon reaching it. But he was only greeted by a breeze coming from the open window. He looked around to find his sister, who he thought was just hiding somewhere.

"Lunaire," Darius called out, but no one responded.

"Lunaire! Come the fuck out if you don't want me to cripple you!" he threatened, thinking that the girl would come out after hearing it.

Still, no Lunaire appeared. Darius clenched his jaw in exasperation and was about to walk toward the window when the pieces of paper inserted at the foot of the lamp on the table near the bed caught his attention.

Curious, he picked one of those that was addressed to the four of them.

[Dear Brothers,

When you read this, I will be long gone. I know you would be happy to know I have left. That's what you wanted, right? Either gone or dead? Well, I have now granted your wish.

I just want you to know that after everything you did to me, I still love you four. You are my big brothers, once my protectors and best friends. You were supposed to protect me, love me, and care for me as brothers do, but after our parents died, all you did was abuse me, mentally and physically. You can't imagine how painful this has been for me. It has been six years since, but I'm still barely living.

If Mom and Dad were still around, they would be disappointed with you all. Brothers don't hit, curse, and treat their sisters like slaves, but all of you did just that. Although I love you, you can't blame me that I hold a grudge against you all.

For the last time, I'll tell you, I didn't kill mum and dad; I would never do that. I was just fucking 10 years old back then, so how would I even do what you are all accusing me of? I yelled, begged, and screamed for you all to believe me, but you're just like everyone else. You chose to believe in the pack members over your sister, your own blood relative.

Now, I only hope for one thing. And that is for you all to rot in hell. I promise I will never come back to you all. From now on, you are all dead to me, and I have no brothers from today onwards.

Goodbye. I hope you enjoy your life burning in hell!

From your so-called sister, Lunaire.]

After Darius read the letter, his legs weakened as if his strength escaped him, causing him to drop his knees to the floor. His hand clutched the paper as he placed it on his chest, crying.

The letter served as an eye-opener for him. It took six long years before he was woken up from the blindness brought on by wrong accusations and wrath. It seemed Lunaire had to write this letter first before her brothers realized and regretted what they had done. However, although it happened now, it was too late. Lunaire was already fed up and left them.

'What have I done? My baby sister is gone. She had already left us,' Darius dejected, upon a realization finally dawned on him.

Looking up, he talked to her late parents. 'Mom, Dad. Sorry, we disappointed you. You must be disgusted with us now for treating our sister like that. She was right. We were supposed to love and protect her, but we nearly killed her.'

His tears flowed even more, when he saw marks of blood on the floor. It was Lunaire's blood when they tortured her. Gradually, everything was finally sinking, and remorse was consuming him.

Downstairs, the three brothers grew impatient as Darius took so long, so they decided to check on him upstairs. But they were shocked to find him on his knees, crying as they entered Lunaire's room.

"Darius, what in the world happened to you?" Lucas wondered as he ran towards Darius, followed by Xavier and Dustin, perplexed.

Darius looked up at them and uttered, "She's gone."

Confused about what the latter was saying, Dustin snatched the letter from his brother's hand and read its content. Like his brother, his eyes widened in shock as well, and then tears began to trickle down his cheeks. Strength also escaped from his body, causing him to fall down on Lunaire's bed.

Lucas and Xavier looked at each other in puzzlement and took the letter from Dustin's hand. Upon reading it, they also flashed the same expression as their brothers'.

"Fuck," Dustin cursed, running his hand through his hair.

"She was suffering from the wrong accusation for six years, but we didn't do anything to protect her and made her life miserable instead," Lucas cried.

Getting his act together, Darius stood up, wiped his tears away, and declared, "We need to find her. We need to bring back our baby sister."

All at once, the four of them howled in pain as their tears rose.

"I'm so sorry, Lunaire. I promise we will protect you with our lives this time," Darius promised.

Suddenly, Lucas saw another piece of paper on the table. "What is this letter?" he wondered as he picked it up.

"Read it out aloud," Darius ordered sternly.

"Dear Alpha Zane, I actually don't know what to say to you other than thank you. Thank you for showing the true color that you hid from the world. Thank you for freeing me from this toxic bond. A guy like you doesn't even deserve true love as you are not worth it. My heart still churns in pain with the thought of you being with someone else, but it's okay; I will move on while you rot on your own.

I pray to the moon goddess that no one gets a mate like you. Thank you for rejecting me, and I will have the honor to do the same. I, Lunaire, reject you, Alpha Zane Villain, as my mate and as my Alpha.

I hope we never meet. Enjoy your life with that whore! Goodbye forever.

Your so-called weak mate, Lunaire," Lucas read the letter out loud as Darius instructed.

They were all shocked to learn that their sister had already found her mate, and it was even Zane! But the rage overwhelmed them as they learned that the latter had rejected their sister.

"What the fuck? Lunaire was his mate, and he fucking rejected her? I'm going to kill him!" Xavier roared and stormed out of the room.