Claimed by the Alpha: Luna's Awakening novel Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Carmine froze, staring hard at the news on TV.

A news anchor was announcing the engagement of her mate, Alpha Kade Marshall, with Ruby Williams, a famous fashion model.

Alpha Kade and Ruby were standing together with his hand wrapped around her waist as she waved at her fans, showing off her five-carat diamond ring.

The plate in Carmine’s hand came crashing down, shattering into a thousand pieces as tears rolled down her eyes at Alpha Kade’s betrayal. Her mind became numb. The world around her darkened. What could go wrong in a day?

Ada, the cousin Kade had sent to keep a watch on her, came rushing to her, her screams sounding as if from a tunnel where light was dimming faster than a speeding bullet.

Two nights ago, Kade found her on her eighteenth birthday in the forest outside the pack’s territory. ‘Mate!’ her wolf had screamed in her head.

He rescued her from her rogue family who had abandoned her after injuring her severely to die in the hands of the Blue Moon pack Alpha, who was notorious for catching rogues and killing them. Kade, Alpha of the Blue Moon pack, had brought her to his lodge where she healed.

Today Carmine was looking forward to seeing him because she had healed completely and wanted to give him all she had—her virginity, to show her appreciation and trust in him, and also ready to commit her life to him.

However, seeing the news, shock exploded in her chest like a bolt of lightning, leaving her breathless and trembling. Her wobbly knees sank to the floor.

Ada took her to her bedroom where she made her lie, giving her pitiable glances. She tucked her under the blanket, switched off the lights and closed the door. Not able to take the pain anymore, Carmine succumbed to the darkness that enveloped her like inky waters.

She woke up to a faint buzzing sound of her phone. She picked up the phone. “Hello?”

“Carmine,” Kade’s dominating growl sounded.

“How could you do this to me?” she said in a hoarse voice. “I am your mate!” She heard music behind him as a honeyed voice that called him.

“Kade, please come here darlinggggg!”

“I will get back,” he growled at her and immediately disconnected. Carmine tossed the cellphone away, threw a pillow on her face and cried hard, shards of betrayal stabbing in her heart. Her stepmother Anne and half-sister, Deena, injured her when the Blue Moon pack warriors attacked their settlement along the banks of the river that flowed outside their pack.

Her family’s brutal abandonment didn’t hurt her more than Kade’s betrayal. It was her father’s plan all along to abandon her in the Blue Moon pack’s territory.

Hours later, the door opened with a bang, and Kade walked it. He clapped his hands, and the lights came on. Dejected and confused, she got up and stormed to him, questioning his action, “You have no right—”