Chapter 1: The Alpha King’s Virgin by Charmeleon Chapter 1

RAINE

Today was my eighteenth birthday. I was super excited because today could be the day I find my fated mate. My wolf, Tasha, agreed. Our eyes would lock, and we would know. Then he would take me away from this hell and I would be the happiest girl…

“Raine! Get your ass out here. Now!” My stepfather’s voice thundered through the tiny two-bedroom house.

What did I do now? Did I forget to do something? Please, please give me a break. Just for today. I prayed in my head and my wolf whimpered in sympathy.

Still early in the morning and I hadn’t even finished getting ready for the last day of school. Did Peter stay out all night? I never heard him come in.

‘He is drunk. Again.’ Tasha, my wolf, piped up in my head.

“As usual.” He blamed me for my mother’s death, but not more than I blame myself. “Coming, Peter.” He didn’t want me to call him father.

I found him in the living room, leaning against the doorpost to keep himself from faceplanting. His six-foot-four frame blocked out the light from the only window in the cramped living room.

He lunged at me, grabbing me by the back of my neck. I felt his fingernails digging into my skin.

“I work my ass off to give you a roof over your head, ungrateful brat.” His spit landed on my face, and I closed my eyes. “It’s time you paid your share. Now, hand it over.”

“I… I don’t know what you mean, Peter.” I worked at the bakery part time washing up and cleaning for a small amount of money.

“Don’t lie to me, bitch.” He threw me down and my head collided with the edge of the low table. I saw stars in front of my eyes.

My wolf howled, feeling my pain. It wasn’t the first time he got aggressive with me. I reached into the pocket of my jeans and took out a handful of cash I was saving up to buy some food for us. He grabbed it greedily.

“You’ve been holding out on me, Raine,” he sneered at me. The kick aimed at my ribs thankfully missed. “When I get back, I want this place clean.” He staggered out of the front door, and it banged shut behind him.

I sighed when he left, preparing myself to clean the house with shooting pain all over my body.

“Just a little longer,” Tasha consoled me.

Yes, just a little longer. I’m finally eighteen and soon enough I’ll find my mate who will take me away from this hellhole.

I cleaned the entire house again and got ready for the school. I silently prayed for nothing more bad things to happen today. I deserve a good day, don’t I?

Just when I thought I’ve made it to school without any incident who did I walk into? The bane of my existence, Sasha and her cronies, aka the mean girls. The girl who thinks she is the goddess’ gift to men, with her perfect body, flawless skin and hair.

Fine, she was pretty, but she was mean. Especially when it came to me. I’ve never done anything to her, but that didn’t stop her from picking on me.

“Look who we have here, girls. Isn’t it your birthday today?” To think we used to be friends when we were little, but she’s changed. She walked right up to me and twirled my unkempt hair around her finger. I was in such a hurry to get away from Peter I forgot to fix my hair.

“Oh! I see you’ve already gotten a birthday present from your local drunk stepdad.” She was referring to the lump on my forehead. I hid it quickly with my bangs. The other girls laughed.

“I’ll be late for my test.” I tried to squeeze past them. But then the most delicious scent wafted my way and my wolf stood to attention.

‘Mate! It’s our mate!’ she shouted excitedly. I sniffed the air, it was like all of my favorite things rolled into one, cinnamon, chocolate and spice. I blindly floated towards the scent, trying to reach the mouthwatering scent as soon as possible, only to collide with a broad chest.

“No! No, no, hell no.” Big hands shot out and pushed me away. I landed on my butt in the dirt and looked up hurt and shocked to meet the bright green eyes of Luke White, Alpha’s eldest son and next in line to succeed him.

“Oh shit…” I said out loud. Tasha still howled in my head, happy that now our troubles would be over. However, my heart sank from the way he looked at us, his nose turned up in disgust.

The worst possibilities swirled in my head, almost giving me an anxiety attack. I didn’t want this, I wanted none of this.

Didn’t I deserve just a little bit of happiness? I just wanted a mate who could take me away from the miserable life that I’ve been living all this time. But now when I was finally blessed with one, why had it to be someone who was disgusted by my existence?

Sasha came over, looking amused. “What’s going on here? Don’t tell me that the pathetic wretch is your mate!”

A brief emotion flashed in Luke’s eyes, but it vanished as soon as it appeared, like an illusion before he glared at me and then flickered his eyes back at Sasha.

My wolf howled in pain because of the way he looked at her with those soft eyes. I knew they were dating, and everyone said she was going to be the next Luna. She was the Beta’s daughter after all, the perfect fit for Luna.

‘But he’s ours!’ Tasha growled in my head and my eyes flashed yellow seeing Sasha flaunt herself at Luke, draping herself over his broad frame. My head spun. What happened next was out of my control. I went for Sasha, claws and canines out, aiming for her throat. Luke stepped in between and I collided with him, his hands grabbed my wrists, stopping me from ripping into Sasha.

“Don’t you dare to touch a hair of Sasha’s!” he roared at me, and sparks flew all over my body, sending jolts of pleasure all over that made my wolf tuck her tail between her legs.

“Hah! Just like I imagined!” His voice was laced with disdain. “You’re nothing but a dirty whore waiting to be laid, aren’t you? Don’t ever dream of being my mate because of this ridiculous bond.”

I didn’t dare look at his handsome face, so twisted with disgust for me.

My eyes widened at his words, they hit me like knives to the gut. I opened my mouth to speak but the next words out of his mouth had me writhing in pain.

“I, Luke White of the Howling Wolf Pack reject you… What the f**k’s your name again?” He didn’t even know my name! Tasha howled and retreated to the far reaches of my mind to lick her wounds.

He closed his steps towards me, his aura suffocating me into submission. “Answer me!”

“I… Raine, Raine Grey.” The words came out of my mouth through my tears.

“Well, I, Luke White, the next Alpha of the Howling wolf pack, reject Raine Grey as my Luna and my mate.” He kicked me so violently that I ended up in a narrow ditch, my legs sticking up in the air. “Now, get the f**k out of here.”

They all laughed, watching me struggle to my feet, clutching my bag that spilled my books into the muddy ground.

Gathering up my ruined books, I ran away as fast as possible with my body trembling. I was breathless as I ran to the place where I went when I needed to hide from the world. There was no going back to school now.

As a rejected wolf, no one was going to let me live easily. Either I’ll be beaten down, preyed upon by unmated male wolves, or get bullied by each and every one of the pack to death without any remorse. That’s the fate of the rejected wolves.

When I reached the cave, I threw myself down on the mossy ground and gave over to the hurt I felt inside. I cried until I had no breath left.

‘You’re nothing but a dirty whore waiting to be laid,” Those words he said to me… who would have thought words could hurt worse than the beatings I got from Peter?

‘You didn’t accept his rejection, Raine.’ My wolf sounded hopeful despite being in pain.

“Well, he didn’t give me a chance, Tasha. He was so disgusted by me.” The tears renewed in my eyes.

‘He could change his mind. Maybe we should just wait.’ Tasha prodded at me.

I sighed, “He doesn’t want us, Tasha. You heard what he said, we are so far beneath his status.”

Dirty little slut. I was no slut I was a virgin. I’ve never wanted to give myself to someone other than my mate.

‘You need to rest. Your ribs haven’t healed yet. Let me take over to heal you,’ Tasha said and I shifted into my pretty wolf. She wasn’t big, but finely boned and lithe on her feet, silver-gray with a white mask.

The mating season was upon us and in a week’s time the moon would be full, but we lost our mate even before that. Tasha howled in pain, crying for our losing the mate. It was a song full of longing and sorrow, a mating call!