Isabella' POV

"Finally, there's going to be a new breeder!"

"I hope it's me! It has to be me!"

I silently squeezed in among the excited crowd, pretending to be wildly enthusiastic as I followed them to the high stage.

It is the tradition of our "White Birch Tree" wolf pack to select a "pack mother" who will give birth to the offspring of the top warriors every five years.

Almost all the wolves felt that it was a glorious mission and a supreme honor.

Except for me who wanted to be a warrior.

This event, although packaged in a very sacred way, was not inherently good. I once learned by chance that almost every breeder is weakened by prolonged production during these five years, which eventually leads to an early death.

So it's really not a very good system.

But I can't say what's on my mind. Because I was worried about being treated as a deviant by the others, and even more worried about being snitched directly. Our alpha was not a kind-hearted person, and he would be very cruel to such so-called "traitors".

"Don't worry, you're doing great." My wolf Mia complimented me in my mind. "It is very important to hide yourself when you are weak, this is the basic accomplishment that a qualified warrior should have."

"Let's hope I still have a chance to be a warrior." I responded to her casually.

I awakened Wolf early because of an unexpected high fever at the age of sixteen. For me this couldn't have been better, because she was like a teacher to me, guiding me to learn all kinds of fighting knowledge.

If I am lucky enough, I will become a powerful wolf warrior.

But only if I didn't get picked that day.

"The new breeder is--" Finally, it was time to read out the breeder candidate. Alpha Liam on the high stage looked at the slip of paper in his hand with a solemn and solemn expression.

The people around me were devout and excited. I was praying too, but I definitely wanted the opposite of what they wanted.

"With so many werewolves, I don't think I'll be drawn." I pretended to talk to Mia in my head in a relaxed manner." It's definitely a low-probability event."

Mia just sighed softly, which more or less gave me a bad feeling.

"Isabella!"

I froze in place and my mind went blank.

I couldn't stop shaking as I suppressed my emotions. But I could clearly see that the people around me were casting envious glances, and they were even cheering and congratulating. I was swarmed by them and reluctantly squeezed onto the high platform.

Liam handed me the wreath. I knew it symbolized what was called glory, but to me it meant nothing but doom and gloom.

Countless flowers sprinkled down, and I stared dumbfounded at the petals. The envious gazes of the wolves seemed to burn through me with heat, and the male wolves' gazes were even more tiresome, as if I was some kind of lamb to be slaughtered, about to be sent to their table.

I felt as if I had fallen into a huge ice cave, and my vision was blurring along with it. I couldn't see the expressions of the people around me, and I couldn't hear what they were saying. Someone grabbed my hand and asked me to swear, but when they saw my frightened look, they just laughed awkwardly and left me to fall back into their own revelry.

But they obviously didn't notice anything different about me, and everything went as calmly and smoothly as every ceremony in the past.

I didn't realize it was over until my friend Emma dragged me down from the high platform.

"Let me take you back, you're completely frozen." She laughed lightly and hugged me. "I envy you, I'd like to have that chance."

She was so obviously jealous that even I could see it. I knew that the title of breeder was something she had always wanted, but I didn't have the strength to argue with her about this one thing anymore.

I let her tug and went back to the orphanage with her.

It's still as cold as ever, and my room didn't get any bigger just because I'd become a breeder. I hunkered down in this little corner dedicated to myself and finally couldn't help but let out a cry.

All the efforts I made in the past to become a warrior had become worthless that day. No one can stand this.

"Run, honey." Mia was silent for a long time, and this time sighed softly in my head. "I know, you're not willing to be a breeder."

"But they must all be...now," I said with some hesitation. They must all be staring at me with dead eyes, as if they were prey.

But if I didn't run, then an inhuman fate would surely await me. The name "breeder" itself is full of all kinds of injustice, which is like a word that signifies death, and I felt sick just thinking about it.

A voice kept echoing in my ears, and it said that I could never be a breeder. I knew that it said what I had always been afraid to say.

"But this is something that still needs to be planned." I finally made up my mind.

Everyone I met on the way was congratulating me, "Isabella? Congratulations."

"Thank you, thank you." I responded politely to them.

In fact, it is not too easy to escape from the orphanage. The orphanage exists to protect young children, so naturally it is not at the edge of the territory. And I wanted to leave in that case, I would necessarily pass through many places and meet many people.

Even if I deliberately chose the less crowded path to take, I would inevitably encounter some skeptical people. So I had to pretend that I was happy.

The average person saw this bit of my attitude and left it alone.

Fortunately, there were no problems until I got to the edge of the territory.

Just a little bit more, then I can leave this magic cave forever.

"Ow!"

It's the wolf howling!

I couldn't think carefully, I got up and ran, and I didn't even have time to look for what I had hidden in this neighborhood in advance.

But unfortunately, I was still pinned directly to the ground.

The wolf stepped on my head, and my face hurt from rubbing against the dead branches and leaves, but this was nothing compared to the despair I felt inside. I knew that I was finished.

After them, there was a pack of male wolves. The male wolves dragged me like a cargo and threw me in front of Alpha Liam.

"I saw the bag she hid! It's right here!" A she wolf's voice shrilled and shouted in my ear. At the same time, I could see the love for Liam in the bottom of her eyes.

"Just now she ran to the edge of the territory...Surely this kind of woman from orphanage is not to be trusted!"

I struggled to lift my head. The people around me looked at me with a strange look, and I knew they simply did not believe that anyone could resist the title of breeder. And this woman had reported me out of jealousy about the same time, hoping that my inappropriate behavior would get me replaced and she could become one of the candidates of new breeder.

"You guys get out of here, I want to see what she'll say." Liam suddenly opened his mouth, and those people crowded out together like migrating salmon. Instantly the room was left to the two of us.

I dragged myself to my feet and reluctantly got up to kneel slowly.

"Please...don't make me a breeder." I made my voice sound as pathetic as possible. "I will try to become a warrior and dedicate my life to this wolf pack."

"A warrior?" As if he had heard something particularly funny, he got up and laughed as he walked toward me. Immediately afterwards, he kicked me violently in the back.

I fell to the ground as I lost my balance, and not surprisingly there was another beating. His fists kept falling, and I felt as if everything in front of me was covered with a fine mist, and the fishy sweetness in my throat was unstoppable.

He suddenly stopped and squeezed my jaw again. His force was so strong that I even suspected he would just crush my jawbone.

"See, you face is just as beautiful as your mother." He looked at me carefully, as if he thought of something, and smiled maliciously. "It would be a waste to be a warrior."

"My mother? Who is she?" His words brought me back to my senses instantly. I had grown up in the orphanage of the wolves, and no one had ever told me the identity of my parents.

Among the wolves, this was actually not too unusual.

Instead, he suddenly flung me aside like a fierce beast that had exploded. This knocked me into a bit of a blur of consciousness, but I knew full well I couldn't pass out yet.

As he kicked again, I finally couldn't resist grabbing his arm. My strength was so great that he couldn't shake it off at once.

"How do you...?" Liam's surprised voice brought me back to my senses slightly.

"No, it can't be now!" Mia's voice brought me to my senses instantly.

I couldn't expose my strength at the moment.

So I took off my strength again and continued to lie there like a dead body. I clearly felt the dull pain coming from my back and side and forced myself not to shed tears. His fist slammed down, making my ears brittle and buzzing.

He kicked twice more, followed by unbridled laughter.

I knew that it was me who had confused him.

"Haha, why did I think you were really capable just now? Someone, take her and lock her up!"

His men answered and entered the room, and I was once again pinned to the floor.

"Isabella. tomorrow I will mark you in front of everyone and this is your punishment." He announced the news in front of those people.

At that moment, I felt as if there was no hope for my life.

Soon I was thrown into a solitary confinement cell by them. I sat on the floor and covered my face in pain.

If it was really like he said, all my dignity would be gone and gone. I didn't understand that everything was supposed to be slowly getting better for me, and I had hopes of becoming a valiant warrior.

How did it suddenly become like this again?

I couldn't help but cry when I thought about what will happen the next day. Perhaps, I really might as well end up being myself now.

"She really does not know how to be grateful, obviously this is the supreme glory..."

"Haha, what glory, it's just a toy...Maybe after they've played enough, we can still share a little..."

"Indeed, her face is indeed good. I can't wait."

The guards' voices were so loud that I could hear every word they said. My eyes went black. I couldn't support myself under the immense physical and psychological pressure, so I staggered and fell over to the side.

"Squeak-"

Before losing consciousness completely, I heard the door to the cell open.