Chapter 1

• Ava's POV
• （I was dreaming of my past again.）
• "Ava, leave. Go with your mother. They will kill you both."
• My father yelled at me, his eyes filling with fear as he looked at the other side of the forest.
• "N-No," I mumbled and sobbed. I could see him lying on the ground.
• “Little girl, always take care of your mother,” he said while struggling to sit up. There was blood all over his legs.
• "Angela, run away with Ava. Don’t waste time," he told my mother, who was kneeling in front of him and crying loudly.
• "How can I leave you in this condition, Hector?" She cried out in a distressed tone.
• We all heard crunching sounds.
• We were in the middle of a war, and every wolf was fighting each other.
• "Leave. I can't shift to protect you two because of my wounds. At least save our little child." My father said it again to my mother.
• When my mother saw that a pack of wolves was approaching us, she got to her feet, picked me up in her arms, and then started running in the opposite direction while she was carrying me.
• While running, my mother whispered in my ears with a crying voice,
• "Don't look back."
• My arms were wrapped around her neck in a tight hug. Curiosity was killing me so I dared to look at what was happening there.
• I saw two wolves jump on my dad to kill him. My eyes widened. I was so shocked that I closed my eyes and let out a scream.
• "DAD!"
• I opened my eyes and realized I was in my bedroom.
• "I was dreaming again," I muttered, pressing my hand to my forehead.
• I sat up and took deep breaths. My entire body was drenched in sweat.
• Actually, it was not a nightmare. It was a reflection of moments from my past that I would never be able to forget.
• My father was killed in a war when I was only five years old. He was a pack fighter, but they attacked his legs before he could shift, leaving him unable to save himself.
• My mother had to run away with me from that pack and seek shelter in another pack.
• This pack’s Alpha and Luna were kind enough to let us live in their pack.
• Since then, we have been living in the Mystic Shadow Pack.
• "AVA, YOU WILL BE LATE."
• I heard my mother's voice, shouting from downstairs.
• "YES, MOM. I'M COMING," I replied loudly so she could hear me.
• I ran to the bathroom, took a shower, and then got ready to go to my university.
• I was in my freshman year. So I did not want to be in the professor's bad books by becoming a latecomer.
• I took a quick look at myself for a moment in the mirror. A long, loose-fitting white dress was what I was wearing at the time. I tucked my hair back into a low ponytail. My big glasses fell on my nose, so I lifted it to my eyes.
• My eyesight was perfectly fine. But I preferred to wear large glasses because I wanted to hide my emotions and my face behind them. Though the glasses were transparent, they helped me disguise my sentiments.
• Because I did not want to draw attention to myself, I never put on any makeup. For the same reason, I preferred to dress in simple, long, loose clothing.
• People referred to me as a "nerd" because of my high grades and appearance.
• Or maybe I was really a nerd. I decided to take it as a compliment. This tag also caused me to deal with some bullying when I was in middle school.
• I went downstairs and hugged my mother. We had breakfast together. She was the only one in my life. I wanted to study hard and establish myself so that I could give her a happy life.
• "Ava"
• I looked at my mother. "Yes, Mom?"
• "You will turn eighteen next week. You'll find your mate soon. Before that, I want you not to mess up with someone else. You already know how we got into this pack. You are an omega. We don't have a male member in our family to protect you, my dear."
• I stared at my mother's worried face. She was concerned about my safety because this pack was full of Alphas.
• "Don't worry, Mom. You have my word that I will not mess up with anyone and cause any trouble for myself. I will keep my promise. I always avoid grabbing attention."
• "My child, I long for the day when you finally find your mate. He will accept you, and I will be able to die peacefully.”
• I quickly got out of my chair and rushed over to give her a hug. "Mom, don't say that, please."
• She never married again and dedicated her entire life to me. I could not bear to see her in pain.
• After reassuring my mother, I left my house. I went to the bus stop and got on one.
• It took me twenty minutes to get to my university.
• The letters were written in an italicized, bold font.
• 'Mystic Shadow University'
• I started walking in the direction of the department's building. My eyes wandered around as I walked past the students. It was the best university in our pack. It was only possible for wealthy kids to enroll in this university.
• However, I was fortunate enough to receive a scholarship and gain admission to this university.
• I could see girls looking at me with disgust.
• A girl walked past me, not forgetting to push my shoulder.
• "Bloody nerd."
• I heard her, lowered my head, and walked directly to my class.
• My friend Abigail waved at me. I sat beside her. I only have three friends. Abigail was the closest one. We had the same schedule, so we could spend more time together.
• When the professor entered the classroom, the lesson began. I tried to concentrate but was distracted by gossipy girls whispering behind our backs.
• "Have you seen Ian today?" A girl asked another.
• "No, what have I missed? Don't tell me he took off his shirt to show off his hot abs and I missed it."
• "I'm going to die just thinking about it. But no. I heard his friends mention about Luke's party."
• "Omg! I can't miss it then."
• I stared at the projector, but my thoughts were focused on their gossip.
• They were talking about the hottest boy at our university.
• He was none other than Ian Dawson.
• He was our head Alpha's only son. But he was not like his father, who was very strict about rules and regulations. He was the complete opposite—a troublemaker.
• He was a bad boy that every boy feared, and a playboy that every girl desired to be with.
• "Ian Dawson never dates. He only believes in one-night stands," my best friend, Abigail, muttered from my left side.
• I turned my head toward her. She smirked at me and said,
• "You innocent girl, don’t listen to this gossip."
• "I was just—"
• "Babe, I know you really well. But let me tell you something. He is waiting for his mate. That's why he doesn't date. These are his own words," she whispered to me.
• I turned my attention away from her and tried to concentrate on the class instead of responding to her.
• But I could not lie to my heart. I did not know why but whenever I saw that boy, I felt my heartbeat turn faster.
• After the class, Abigail and I took a leisurely stroll to the locker room. During that time, I received a text message from my friend Luke.
• He was the only boy who was my friend. It was because he never bullied me.
• "Who texted you?" Abigail asked.
• "Luke. He is calling us to the basketball court."
• "You go first. I'm coming in ten minutes. I have some work."
• "Okay."
• I exited the building and made my way to the basketball court, which was quite a distance away.
• When I arrived, there were many boys leaving the court. They had just finished their practice.
• "Hey, Nerdy." A boy teased me and laughed.
• I lowered my head, trying to avoid him. I could hear some whistles, too. I felt that it was a bad decision to come here alone.
• Though there were many girls there, they only picked on me.
• I started to walk fast while looking at the ground.
• But suddenly, my head bumped into a hard chest.
• My gaze was drawn to the person's black shorts, which exposed his strong thighs. I shifted my gaze, which led me to the tank top, revealing his tattooed hands.
• He possessed the most flawless physique.
• I slowly raised my head, and my eyes froze on his face.
• He had a pair of thick brows, dark hair that was wet, dark eyes that were mysterious, a piercing in his eyebrow, and a perfectly defined jawline.
• There was a scream of danger coming from him.
• I should run away from him. Everyone claimed he was the only hazard capable of killing anyone alive.
• However, my heart wanted something else. It started to beat faster, like a marathon. I stared at his face. He was without a doubt the most handsome boy I had ever seen.
• As soon as I noticed a frown forming between his brows, I felt myself returning to my senses.
• He looked fierce, which made me take a step back in fear.
• I could not help but stutter.
• “I-I am sorry, Ian.”