Chspter 4

Chapter 4 English 

THALIA

I was shocked when we were ambushed by the rogues. But I was prepared to defend myself and Elder Imre if necessary. Elder Imre's enforcers fought the rogues. As I said, the Blood Rose warriors are strong.

"Thalia, don't leave my side," Elder Imre ordered firmly as he opened the door.

"We can't stay in the car; we don't know if they have more companions."

I nodded, but I remained vigilant, observing my surroundings and getting ready to exit the vehicle.

"Don't be too confident, Thalia. Broaden your vision. We need to reach Alpha Aldric safely. Use your combat skills. Let's not lose to these rogues," Athena said.

I picked up a moderately sized tree branch near me. It was big enough to hurt any rogue who approached us. Whenever Athena and I go to the forest, I train to be prepared for any situation where our lives might be in danger.

Since childhood, Brianna has always been with Athena and me. She taught me how to fight. As an omega, I couldn't keep up with my pack members, so I had to learn to defend myself.

Brianna told me that my father was a skilled warrior and her close friend. That's why she always watched over me because of her connection to my father. She said that due to the curse, I couldn't access my true abilities, so she taught me basic self-defense while I was still young.

One of the rogues approached Elder Imre while his enforcers were busy fighting the other rogues. The rogues were in their wolf form, looking feral and disgusting, especially their smell.

Elder Imre was skilled in combat, but another rogue sneaked up behind him, and he didn't notice. The rogue almost attacked him, but I quickly hit its head with the branch I was holding. The rogue growled, turned to me, and attacked.

"Thalia, get ready. Don't show mercy to this rogue. Kill him if necessary," Athena ordered.

The rogue charged at me, trying to bite my neck, but I dodged quickly and hit him hard on the back. He yelped in pain and the branch I was holding broke in half. He shifted into his human form and glared at me angrily.

"I'll kill you and mutilate your body!" the rogue snarled.

Athena rolled her eyes in my mind. "If that's what's going to kill us!" she said sarcastically, which only I could hear.

The rogue attacked me again, determined to kill me. But I dodged and kicked him in the back.

"Go ahead, try to attack me again. You'll be the one who'll end up dead, along with your companions!" I taunted the rogue.

I knew he was hurt from my previous hits, and my kick had made it worse. I glanced at Elder Imre, who had defeated the rogue he was fighting. I also saw the enforcers; some were injured, but the rogues were worse off. They were determined to eliminate the rogues.

I was quickly alerted when the rogue in front of me charged towards me. I gripped the broken branch tightly, ready for impact. His long claws were out, ready to strike, but I dodged just in time. My hand reflexes were quick, and I struck the rogue's side with the branch, hitting him hard.

The rogue screamed, and one of Elder Imre's enforcers quickly approached me and slit the rogue's throat. The rogue died instantly.

"Athena, get in the car!" Elder Imre ordered.

I quickly got in the vehicle, and the others followed. They seemed unfazed by the battle we had just been in.

I glanced outside and saw that all the rogues we had fought were dead. They had to be; feral rogues had no place in our world, or they would continue to wreak havoc.

We quickly left the area, in case more rogues arrived.

"Where did you learn to fight, Thalia? Your speed is impressive. I saw how you took down that rogue," Elder Imre asked.

"I started training when I was young. My friend told me my father was a skilled warrior," I replied.

"May I know who your father is?" he asked.

To be honest, I didn't know much about my father. I didn't even know his name, and whenever I asked Brianna about my parents, I sensed her emotional pain.

"I'm sorry, Elder Imre. I don't know my father. I only know what my friend told me about him. She didn't mention his name, but she said he was a great warrior who sacrificed his life to save the Alpha's child, his close friend. That's all I know about my father. I don't even know my mother. Head Omega just told me I was found and brought to the orphanage. No one knows where I came from," I said.

I felt close to Elder Imre and was proud to share Brianna's story about my father. Although it was all I knew, it made me proud that he was a brave warrior.

Elder Imre smiled faintly, but I noticed his eyes welling up with tears. He looked away, lost in thought.

I also noticed that Elder Imre had a wound on his hand, which was bleeding.

"You're injured, Elder Imre. I have some herbal medicine here. It will help your wound heal quickly," I said, retrieving a bottle of herbal medicine from my bag.

These were the same herbal remedies used in the Gold Heart pack's forest, which Head Omega Lenette and I used to treat injured children.

Elder Imre smiled warmly and offered me his arm. Fortunately, his wound wasn't deep. I cleaned it, applied the medicine, and bandaged it with a bandage provided by the enforcer in the front seat.

The driver and the enforcer with us were also injured, so I lent the enforcer in the front seat my herbal medicine to treat their wounds. They thanked me politely when the enforcer returned my medicine.

"I promise you, Thalia, no one will hurt you. They'll have to go through me first. I'll make sure you're happy in the Blood Rose Pack. Give them a chance to get to know you," Elder Imre replied.

Despite the joy I felt from Elder Imre's words, I couldn't help but wonder why he was being so kind to me. I didn't know why he was so determined to make me the Luna of Alpha Aldric.

"You heard that, Thalia? Elder Imre has said it several times - no one can hurt us. We finally have an ally, Thalia!" Athena exclaimed happily.

"Why are you protecting me so much, Elder Imre? It's as if I'm special to you. If Alpha Aldric can't accept me, but you do, without hesitation, despite my ugly face," I asked.

Athena's tail was still wagging excitedly as she waited for Elder Imre's response. I didn't notice any surprise from the pack warriors with us. It seemed they had already been briefed by Elder Imre about me.

Elder Imre smiled at me after I finished treating his wound.

"Because I believe in your abilities. I believe the Moon Goddess wouldn't give Alpha Aldric a mate who's weak or can't protect others. I know you think not just of yourself, but of the entire pack's well-being. I believe your inner beauty will never fade," he replied, his words seeming to hold a deeper meaning.

I felt embarrassed and didn't know how to respond. This was all new to me.

After a few moments, we arrived at the entrance of the Blood Rose Pack. The place had a unique energy, with tall trees and the scent of rosemary wafting through the air. As we entered the pack's territory, I saw pack members busy with their daily activities. We continued on our journey until the vehicle stopped in front of Elder Imre's house. He chose to take me there instead of the pack house.

"Oh, Imre, what happened to your hand? And who's this with you? Is she from the village? Why are your enforcers injured?" a middle-aged woman asked, firing off questions one after another. If I wasn't mistaken, she was Elder Imre's Luna.

"This is Thalia, from the Gold Heart Pack. She's Alpha Aldric's mate, so you'll show her respect, as she'll be the Luna of the Blood Rose Pack," Elder Imre introduced me to his Luna.

"Thalia, this is my Luna, Luna Julianne," Elder Imre said to me.

Luna Julianne's lips curled in distaste as Elder Imre introduced us.

"Good evening," I greeted the former Luna of the Blood Rose Pack politely.

"His mate?" Luna Julianne asked Elder Imre incredulously.

She seemed to share the same reaction as Alpha Aldric as if she was disgusted by my appearance.

"Yes, My Luna. She's the mate given to our son by the Moon Goddess. And starting now, Thalia will be living in the Blood Rose Pack," Elder Imre replied to his Luna.

Luna Julianne just stared at me, not saying a word, but I knew she didn't like me. I was used to such reactions, though.

After a few moments, the woman I saw at the Gold Heart Pack yesterday arrived.

"Oh, you're here!" She smiled, greeting me warmly. She was the one who defended me yesterday from the insults of her fellow visitors at the Gold Heart pack.

"Father, did you bring an omega from the Gold Heart pack?" she asked Elder Imre.

"She's supposedly your brother's mate," Luna Julianne replied, her tone dripping with disdain.

"Really? Has my brother found his mate?" The woman's eyes sparkled with excitement.

Luna Julianne hadn't even responded when the woman turned to me.

"Hi, I'm Daisy. I'm Alpha Aldric's sister. I'm thrilled to learn that you're my brother's mate. What's your name?" Daisy asked, her smile genuine.

I was relieved to see no judgment in her eyes, unlike Luna Julianne.

"I'm Thalia Burgundy," I replied quietly.

"Welcome to our pack," Daisy said warmly.

"Thank you!" I replied.

At least Daisy and Elder Imre welcomed me, but Luna Julianne's reaction was cold.

"Where's Alpha Aldric?" Elder Imre asked Daisy.

"He's at the stream with his girlfriend, Tarra. He's trying to win her back because they broke up earlier," Daisy replied, covering her mouth and looking guilty.

"Sorry, Thalia," she apologized.

Athena whimpered when she heard that Alpha Aldric had a girlfriend.

Elder Imre let out a deep sigh, seemingly troubled by the news.

"Daisy, take care of Thalia. I need to rest," Luna Julianne said, her tone icy. Then she turned to me. "I hope you don't bring trouble to our pack, Thalia."

I just bowed my head, not responding. She didn't need to say it outright; her disdain was clear in her gaze.

She turned and left, leaving the three of us – Daisy, Elder Imre, and me.

"I told him to break up with that woman already," Elder Imre commented.

"Thalia, please be patient with your mate. I know he'll come to appreciate you once he gets to know you better."

"Okay, I understand," I replied to Elder Imre, trying to sound calm, but deep inside, I was hurt.

"Daisy, show Thalia around and then take her to her cabin. I had it prepared earlier," Elder Imre instructed Daisy. Then he patted my shoulder.

"I'll leave you for now, Thalia. Daisy will take care of you."

I just nodded, and Elder Imre left.

"Come on, Thalia, let's go to your cabin. Your things are already there. After that, I'll show you around," Daisy said, smiling.

I followed her, feeling a bit more at ease with her friendly demeanor.

We left their house and started walking towards my cabin. Daisy said it was nearby, but I would have my privacy. Daisy chatted nonstop as we walked.

"It's so beautiful here, Thalia. The trees are tall, and there are many flowers. The breeze is so relaxing," Athena said happily.

As we journeyed through the forest with Daisy, we heard the sound of rushing water from the stream. Daisy stopped, and we gazed at the stream. We saw two wolves together. Athena's eyes sparkled when she saw the black wolf. It was larger than a regular wolf, and its high rank was undeniable.

"My Mate!" Athena exclaimed.

The black wolf's companion has a light brown coat. Was this Alpha Aldric's girlfriend?

Our mate sensed our presence and turned towards us. Daisy ran over to her brother's companion and started talking to her. I remained where I was, unsure of what to do.

Alpha Aldric shifted from his wolf form to his human form. I quickly turned around, caught off guard by his nudity. While shifting was normal for others, I still felt embarrassed.

My heart skipped a beat as I saw Alpha Aldric's naked body. My eyes couldn't deny the perfection of his physique. Meanwhile, Athena was thrilled to see Alpha Aldric's naked body.

"What are you doing here? Why are you here?" Alpha Aldric's sudden question from behind me left me stunned.

I was momentarily paralyzed, hesitant to turn around and risk seeing his naked body again. Athena was excited, but I was frozen in embarrassment.