ANASTIA POV

“This has to be a joke, right?” I looked at the three men with an incredulous expression on my face. Several times, I chuckled amusedly at the words they had said earlier.

And again, the three men began to fall silent, while looking at each other. The three of them seemed to frown quite deeply, before looking back at me. And damn it, I didn't like the current situation at all. Everyone in the party fell silent, and looked at the four of us. Likewise, Alpha King and Luna began to look at me with worried looks in their eyes.

No, this can't be happening. Not now. Not in someone else’s pack.

“I can't believe what you three have said. I'm sorry, but I think the three of you must be joking and also mocking my current condition.” I said firmly.

Then in the next second, I walked past the three men, approaching Alpha King and Luna who were still standing there silently. Who knows what everyone will think now about me and the three men now.

“Alpha King, Luna, I'm sorry. But I don't think I can stay in this party for too long. I have to go home. Excuse me.” Without waiting for a response from Alpha King or Luna, I walked at a brisk pace out of the party building. I hurriedly searched for the whereabouts of the car and Orlo now.

“Luna!” I saw Orlo waving his right hand at me, after he called out to me quite loudly. I immediately walked over to Orlo, and I could see how worried he was now looking at me.

“Luna, are you okay? Did something happen at the party? Did someone else insult you, and bother you there?” Sure enough, Orlo walked straight up to me with a worried, curious, and angry look on his face now.

“I don't want to talk about that right now, Orlo. Please, let's go home right now. I don't want to be here any longer.” I said quickly. Then with my hurried footsteps, I walked into the car ahead of Orlo.

As I watched, Orlo slightly ran into the car at the wheel, and quickly started the car. There was the sound of rapid glass tapping a few times, instantly making me avert my eyes, and round my eyes now.

On the outside of the car, there were already three men who had been at the party, who referred to me as their mate. The three of them were knocking on my windshield rapidly now. They were trying to get me out of the car.

“Ana! Get out of this car, and talk to us for a moment.”

“Ana! Please, listen to the three of us first, don't leave right away.”

“Ana! There are many things we need to say to you right now.”

The three of them said. But that only made me feel more annoyed. I turned my gaze forward, and no longer looked at them there. “Orlo, get the car going.” I ordered Orlo who looked confused and also curious about the whereabouts of the three men outside this car right now.

“Yes, Luna.” Orlo replied, and as quickly as possible, he immediately started the car.

I looked back slightly and saw the three men running after me. But I knew that the three of them wouldn't continue to chase after the car that Orlo was running at a fairly high speed like this right now. I turned my gaze forward once more, and didn't look at the three men there. And slowly, I let out my breath with a slight sense of relief now. I closed my eyelids for a moment, and instantly a sense of exhaustion entered my body.

This was my least favorite thing about going to a party, or any other pack event. There will always be some people who try hard to make me feel embarrassed, besides, the attempt to embarrass myself in an event, party, or even a meeting between packs, has never been avoided by myself since long ago.

It's just that it always ends up hurting me, even if I never say it directly, or discuss it later on. And I guess, I almost never reply to them in the same way. Because it must be exhausting, to make others feel ashamed. And on the other hand, I don't want to waste my energy just to do things that are not at all beneficial for me and also for the well being of my own pack.

I opened both my eyelids, and I turned my gaze to look at the journey through the window. Mate huh? I guess, that is indeed the most sensitive thing to discuss with me. Given that the curse has something to do with my mate. I don't have a mate, and I don't think I'll ever have one in my current life. Sometimes, I really wish that my parents hadn't made such a fatal mistake that the witch had placed the curse on me. What had I done wrong to deserve this curse?

Although there were so many questions that haunted my mind for so long, I was never able to get the answers that I wanted all these years, even now. It felt like I was just postponing my pain, with a fake smile on my face. I never wanted anyone to know how much it hurt me. I never wanted anyone to know that I also have weaknesses, and that my heart can also feel pain. But, will there be anyone who can understand all those things, other than myself now?

The car stopped slowly, as it was right in the front yard of my pack now. I sighed again, and leaned my body against the bench. I tried to calm my heart, as well as my mind right now. I couldn't let others be affected by the negative feelings I was still feeling. Besides, it was also quite suffocating to have to keep pretending that I was fine in front of others in my own pack right now. But, after all, I was their Luna. I was the Luna who had been someone they could always count on. I couldn't make them feel disappointed with my possibly childish behavior, just because of what other people said.

“Luna, are you sure you want to come in now?” Orlo's voice asking once again snapped me out of my momentary reverie. I looked at him, but I didn't know what to say in response to Orlo's words right now. Orlo sighed, then slightly turned his body back, and looked at me.

“Maybe, I can take Luna to go to the city, and enjoy some free time there. I know it might not help, but, I just want Luna to feel more relaxed, and not listen to what everyone else has to say about you, Luna. I've been devoted to you for years, you could say you're a big sister to me, and I just want to be a good Beta and sister to you. So, please, tell me what they said at the party, and I'll make sure they all get their comeuppance from me right now.” Orlo said in a tone of voice that sounded very stern, and earnest.

Hearing Orlo's words, I didn't know how to react. But, I was really happy that Orlo had been by my side all this time. If Orlo hadn't existed, and had never been present in my life, I might have lost control of my own life. The loneliness and pain that I've always harbored would have eventually overtaken me. However, having Orlo by my side, who became my friend, beta, sister, and the person I could always rely on, was more than enough to heal all the pain that was quite difficult to get rid of.

“Orlo... you know very well, that you are my little brother, my best friend, my beta. You're the one I can rely on in every situation. And... I don't know what I would do if I didn't have you by my side. You are a very precious person to me, and to everyone in this pack.” I replied slowly.

“Luna, you must know that I always try my best for you, and everyone else in the pack.”

“I know. I really know that. Let's get out now. There's a lot of work waiting.” Not waiting long, Orlo and I got out of the car.

“Ana!” The sound of that shout instantly made me turn around, looking back.

“What are you three doing here?!” I asked loudly. I was surprised to see the three men right behind the car now. The three of them were catching their breath together.

“The three of us ran to follow you away.” They answered in unison.

“Who are you guys?! Don't bother our Luna!” Orlo immediately shouted, and stood right in front of me. He immediately looked at the three men very warily.

“We just want to talk to Anastasia. She should know that the three of us are really her mates.” Said one of them who didn't know what his name was.

“What?!” The words were instantly said by many people there.

Damn. I forgot that we were now in the front yard of my pack, so of course, there would be other people listening to that now.

“Luna? Is what the three of them said true?” Orlo turned around and asked.

But I didn't have an answer for that either. Besides, it also seemed impossible for me to have a mate, with three men, when I myself had the curse. The three men walked up to me slowly.

“Ana, the three of us are really your mates.”