Aleena Garvin works as a bartender in a prestigious Five-Star bar and earns a decent salary. Sometimes, she relies on customer gratuities to cover her rent. After experiencing multiple late payments, Aleena was evicted from her apartment. On that same day, her employer at the bar proposed that she could temporarily reside in the home of a wealthy individual named Arseto Senna until she secures a new place to live. Arseto Senna, the house owner, is a prosperous entrepreneur characterized by his striking appearance and alluring physique. This leads Aleena to mistakenly believe that Senna is human-like herself; however, he is not. Arseto Senna is, in fact, a Lycan and serves as the Alpha of the Yellow Storm Pack, a formidable and influential group within the nation. Aleena harbours a deep-seated aversion to Werewolves, prompting her to maintain distance from Senna. Nevertheless, she realizes that escape is futile, as they are destined to be mates, a bond ordained by the Moon Goddess. Aleena figured that moving into a new flat and cutting ties with Senna would help her get her life back on track. But she was mistaken. Out of nowhere, people from her past started showing up, pulling her back into old dramas. First up is Celine-her step-sister-who drops in out of the blue, claiming she's engaged to Senna, the Alpha Lycan. Then there's her dad, Siegfried Garvin, who's not well and pushing Aleena to step back into the world of the Garvin family, where she's the only biological child of a massive conglomerate raking in millions every single day. After her mother passes away, Aleena is left shattered, believing that she's to blame for the tragedy. In her grief, she decides to run away, leaving behind her life as the heir to the Garvin family. But when she finds out her father is ill, she feels compelled to return, unaware that this choice might be the biggest mistake of her life. Meanwhile, her stepmother, Katarina Faralyn, has sinister plans for Aleena and her father. Katarina is eager to eliminate them so she and her daughter, Celine, can seize control of the entire Garvin family fortune. The shocking truth that Aleena's mother was murdered by Katarina only fuels her anger and determination. She returns to Senna, reclaiming her role as the Luna and the one true Mate for her Alpha. Senna welcomed Aleena with open arms. That Alpha is breaking all the old-school rules set by The Elders by making Aleena his Luna. Plus, Senna is there to help Aleena uncover the wrongdoings that Katarina Faralyn has already committed. Aleena also removes Celine from her position as Senna's fiancee, making Katarina, who knows that, angry. Using her connections, Katarina enlists the help of the Pack, who have always been hostile to the Yellow Storm Pack, to get rid of Aleena. Still, with the power and power possessed by Senna as an Alpha, Senna manages to thwart Katarina's evil intentions. Senna also arrested Katarina on charges and layered articles, including declaring war against his Pack. Celine had begged her mother not to go to jail. Still, Senna never forgave people who threatened his Pack's security. After the incident, Aleena was accepted as the Mate chosen by the Moon Goddess for Senna, and the Elders never questioned whether Aleena was human or of the Lycan race.
Chapter 1 The Expulsion
"Mommy?" the small voice echoed from the car that lay on its side.
Blood streamed from her injured temple as she reached out for the one she called Mommy, who never responded.
The little girl's hand shook, and the pain from her injuries, along with the blood that kept oozing from the gash, made her vision blurrier. The air was thick with the scent of gasoline mixed with smoke.
"Mommy, please, wake up," she murmured, her lips quivering and tears streaming down her face as she caught sight of her mother's face hidden beneath her hair.
The little girl noticed her mom's hands were injured, and her head was slumped against the steering wheel, blood dripping from her head, nose, and ears. She cried out, reaching for her, but there was no answer; her mom just lay there, completely still. The pungent smell of gasoline and smoke filled the air, making her cough as she spotted sparks from the hood.
"Mommy?! Mommy-"
Just as she spoke, someone yanked her hand to pull her out of the car. She reached for her mom's hand, but someone held her back right before the car went up and exploded.
***
Aleena jolted awake at the blaring horn of a car behind her, realizing the light had switched to green.
Zooming through the streets of Manhattan on her trusty old scooter, she felt the night air rush.
It's a myth that Manhattan's streets are packed with cars 24/7. Most nights, she cruises down a deserted road, returning from the bar. And honestly, even as a woman, Aleena Garvin didn't feel an ounce of fear.
This is way more than she expected. Aleena should've headed home a few hours back, but when her friend unexpectedly didn't show up for work that night, she had to step in and cover the shift.
So, she ended up getting home earlier than usual. It was supposed to be a time for her to catch some good sleep and drift off into sweet dreams before her next shift. Sadly, that's not happening today.
Riding her old scooter, Aleena cruised through the quiet streets of Manhattan, which felt like a scene straight out of the horror movies she loves to watch. Thankfully, this isn't her first late-night ride home, and she's never had any scary encounters that put her in danger.
She knew the city had its share of criminal activity, but what was there to fear? The Wolf Warriors were everywhere, ensuring safety and the laws were pretty tight, especially in the Yellow Storm Pack.
As Aleena zipped around on her old scooter, she looked around. This clunky ride was her only real asset after losing her job. She was struggling financially, too broke to even dream about dining at a fancy restaurant tomorrow, enjoying black caviar, or sipping wine at a high-end bar like the one she used to work at.
As Aleena walked along the damp, dark sidewalks and narrow alleys, she noticed a few people curled up near a drum that served as a makeshift fireplace, its flames flickering brightly. With October rolling in and the chill in the air, she realized that a drum filled with fire was their best bet for staying warm through the winter months.
Living in Manhattan's glitz and glamour wasn't Aleena's reality. She was just a clerk at a fancy bar, earning a modest salary. Thankfully, the tips from the patrons helped her cover the steep rent for her midtown apartment, which wasn't cheap.
Even though there were times when none of the guests tipped her, it was tough for Aleena to gather enough money to cover her rent debts. Still, it was the only place she could truly call home and dream about a better future.
When she finally arrived at her flat, she found all her belongings strewn outside-her toothbrush, toothpaste, and shampoo bottles were scattered around like trash, along with suitcases, towels, and a mess of dirty clothes and shoes.
Aleena paused beside the pile, trying to organize her stuff. She desperately picked up her clothes, pants, and even underwear that someone had carelessly tossed out.
Aleena was in a frenzy, looking around and shouting, "What's going on this? Why are my stuff out here?" She was totally lost and realized she was all alone.
Spotting her suitcase, she yanked it open and started shoving her clothes inside without even folding them. Her hands shook as she crammed everything in, overwhelmed and on the verge of tears.
Aleena tried to cram all her stuff into the box, but it wasn't working out. The suitcase was on the verge of breaking from all the pressure she put on it.
She had been living in the flat for about a year. Until recently, she always paid her rent on time, but now she had to face the fact that her finances were tight because of other obligations.
She thought he would be sympathetic when she explained her situation to the landlord in the first month. Instead, she ended up getting kicked out in a really embarrassing way.
No one would likely bother to take his stuff if it was just sitting on the doorstep, even if they didn't see it as trash.
"D*mn! What am I supposed to do with all this? Who messed with my things?" she muttered to herself.
But Aleena couldn't vent her frustrations, no matter how mad she was. Who else was there to complain to? She was all by herself in that spot.
Every flat door on the side was tightly closed. As if no one cared or realized that his belongings were already outside like this?
"D*mn it!"
Aleena thinks this comes from her flat owner, who's probably ticked off because she's been late on rent for two months. Usually, she's always on time, but lately, she's struggled to get tips at the bar.
She had asked the owner for a break on the rent, and they agreed that she had two weeks to pay up. So, she's left wondering why this is happening now.
Feeling really down, Aleena kept packing her stuff into her suitcase, tossing anything she couldn't take into the trash downstairs throughout the night.
She was stuck with no options and couldn't get into her apartment, so her only move was to leave and search for a new home.
At that moment, Aleena was dealing with three significant issues: she was tired, hungry, and broke. Plus, she didn't have anywhere to go after this.
As she dragged her suitcase to the nearby scooter, Aleena thought about crashing at a motel for the night and figured she'd plan her next steps for the following day.
"Three hundred dollar, what am I supposed to do with just this?" he murmured.
It's also not an option for her to crash at a co-worker's place for the night. It's too risky and annoying since Aleena has no idea how long she'll have this money to find a new apartment.
After mulling it over in the parking lot, Aleena finally decides to hit the bar and spend the night there. Sure, she might catch some heat from her bosses, but that's way better than sleeping on the streets, at least for tonight.
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