Zoe’s POV:

The car was smoothly running on the charcoal roads heading towards Redwoods pack as after spending 5 years in New York for my studies of medicine,I had intended to return to the pack and become an excellent pack doctor. But my expectations were not met; to be precise, my goal changed midway, and this change made me realize a cruel fact: I was destined to be abandoned, and no one wanted me.

12 years ago, I was abandoned by my biological parents at the border of the Redshirt Wolf Pack. It was my adoptive parents, Alpha John and Luna Alice, who took me in. 5 years later, I was rejected by my mate, who thought I was just a poor girl from a small-town pack. He only meant to play with me, and after finding an alpha's daughter from a powerful pack, he inserted his dick into that girl's vagina in his apartment. Then they mocked my stupidity together.

I took a deep breath. I couldn't dwell on it any longer; the Redshirt Wolf Pack was almost here. I couldn't let anyone in the pack see my dejection, or else every one of them would seize this opportunity to mock me, to mock that even after going to New York, I was still abandoned. This conveniently proved their prophecy; I remembered the curses they cast on me when I left the pack.

I was the only female wolf in the pack admitted to college, so the other female wolves harbored great hostility toward me, this orphan. Only my adoptive mother, Luna Alice, understood me and helped me leave the small town to study in New York. My adoptive father's only reason for not obstructing me was that I had to prove my worth to him.

Worth...I was unsure whether he would continue to remain indifferent after I told him I had rejected my mate, the third-ranked alpha of the pack, Daniel. He never liked me nor wanted me raised as his daughter. However, Luna Alice needed me; she had just lost her daughter, so my arrival made her feel the greatness of fate. Alpha John saw Luna Alice's anguish at losing her daughter and her will to live, so he had no choice but to respect Luna Alice's wish. Mates are very important to werewolves; losing Luna Alice would mean his soul would be incomplete, and his power would weaken. But I could sense that apart from this, he had no love for Luna Alice.

Alpha John—powerful, indifferent, controlling. I often saw the bruises on Luna Alice's body, and I hated my own weakness for being unable to protect her; I was just an orphan. So he always seized opportunities to remind me of my place. "After coming of age, I must see your worth, or else, Zoe, you'll know your fate."

Yet I had to return. I needed to use my expertise to help Luna Alice regain her health; she was the only one in the pack who loved me. I hoped she could leave the pack and see more of the world, see the tragedy of her relationship with Alpha John, and then find a happier way of life.

Even though I knew what I would face next.

‘Miss, we have reached’ I was so lost in recalling the past that I didn’t keep check on the route, startling at his voice, I quickly looked through the glass and found myself standing in front of the pack house. I inhaled deeply and the exhaled, gathering a courage to again face the humiliation that I have been experiencing from all these years.

Taking my luggage in hand I walked through the door and heard the voices coming through the dining hall and kitchen. There was only voice which I had to figure out as she was the only and solely reason of my return back to this pack.

‘Zoe!’ I was dragging my foot towards kitchen as I remember that my mother loves to take care of her every pack member and she makes sure that a proper and mouthwatering meal is served to them thrice a day. Before, I could have spot her, she caught me and exclaimed my name.

‘Mom’ letting go of my luggage I moved towards her and wrapped my hands around her petite body. Her health has gone more worse in those five years. She was much better and healthy when I was leaving the pack for my studies, but today seeing her skin who was stuck to her bones, she has lose so much of her muscle mass. Her pale face and yellowish eyes tells how much she has been fighting with her illness and it is hurting her from inside. I bit donw my lips harshly to suppress my sob, me crying will only make her worry and seeing her sad or worry is not in my list. I can't afford it, because her health can't take the sorrows anymore and I don’t want to lose her, she was always there when I needed someone beside me and maybe I am now a grown up woman I still need her, she is the only person who loves me unconditionally.

‘Finally, you came back’ she kissed on my forehead and cupped my face in her palms, water pooled in her eyes. I can understand how much she would have missed me because I had gone through the same emotions.

‘Yes, I came back and as I have now become the doctor, I will treat your disease and you will be back to my healthy mom’ I assured her with smile on my face.

‘You really are something huh?’ While we both were quietly talking to each other, a sharp voice struck to my eardrums and I couldn’t stop myself from scrunching my face. She was none other than Jenna, daughter of the Beta, who was the top person on bullying me and encouraging others to do the same.

rolling eyes at her I snapped."Jenna. Seriously, I don't want irrelevant people ruining my mood today."

‘Wow, you really are arrogant, aren't you? So, by the way, did you come to the wolf pack alone? Or is it that no one in New York likes you either?’ my hand fisted, mom knew how much I hate her hence she quickly grabs my hand, passing on a silent message that I should not argue with her as my father will take her side and it will give her more reason to humiliate me. She doesn’t want me to have argument with my father on my very first day of return but she has to understand that we do not have a normal father daughter relation at first place and whether we argue or not, the effect on our relation would still be zero.

‘Enough, Jenna! Go back to the dining hall and start your breakfast. Omegas are bringing the food to the tables. ' Mom scolded her and got me out of the kitchen.

‘Ignore her words, she is just jealous of you.’ She ran her soft hand on my arm to sooth me."Hush! You don’t know anything. She can’t bear that you have become the doctor from prestigious university of New York when she has barely completed her high school’

I laughed lightly, my mom always finds the ways to lighten my mood, I love her so much.

‘Go, have some rest. When all pack members will leave the house, then I will come with your breakfast and we will talk. I want to learn about times my daughter has spent in her university’ She pressed my chin playfully and I know what she was hindering over, I couldn’t stop but clenched my jaw at remembering the sight that I had witnessed before coming back to the pack.

"Mom." I held her back. "Jenna is right, no one in New York wants me either." I watched as my mom's expression turned from incredulous to heartbroken, but I had to go on. They all hoped I would come with Daniel, because our engagement ceremony was planned for next week.

‘Sorry mom, but me and Daniel are no more in relation’ She covered her mouth in shock and was fast in dragging me to the corner of the lounge.

‘What do you mean? You guys had a fight?’ she asked whispering to me, I know she was afraid of my father, as he will not react rationally after hearing to this news.

‘He cheated on me and calls me poor. He thinks I can’t match to his standard and our relation was just the bet he had with his friends. I have decided, I am calling off the engagement. I will tell this to dad’ I hold her hands and pressed them, knowing how her heart has been weak and she couldn’t bear with sad news.

‘What the hell are you saying?’ we both jumped in fear as we were totally unaware of his presence behind us.