The music started playing.

Bagpipers and drummers, all of them were swaying along with the melodies they made. The Lycan males danced along with their mates.

While I was sitting at the same spot, looking around absentmindedly. Nysa and Alvena were drinking wine and laughing at the dancing freaks. While Natasha was looking after the pups back in the houses.

King and Amelia were seated on their chairs as usual. Robin, Anton, Lysar—all the brothers were dancing in the middle around the bonfire along with Scott, the Beta's son. Adam, Oskar and Karam were sitting away on the porch of a closed shop, on the stairs. They were talking and drinking.

While Salome was sitting beside the drummer, enjoying the beats.

Two males pulled up the females on their knees and twirled them around, creating giggles from everyone. Lysar had caught a woman that must be twice his age and was grinding her ass against his. I wondered how could he be so open in front of all his elders. Maybe, they were just all so frank.

But what about his mate. Would she like these things after he'd find her?

The flowery crown felt heavy today. I just wanted to rip it into shreds and run far away in peace.

The cankling of metals reached my ears and I saw Amelia walking towards me with a horn in her hand, with a goofy smirk on her face. Her round dangling earrings made melodies as she sat beside on the porch of a house whose owners, a common Lycan couple was dancing at the moment.

"You didn't eat properly, tonight." She said, looking at the front. Sipping on her wine, she released a breath. "Karam didn't eat a mere chunk."

"You know very well, sister." I said through clenched jaws, watching as Robin moved along the beats. He wasn't as flat as they called him. I was sure, my ass was more flat than his.

"I saved you both from a series of fights." She said, glancing at me. "He wasn't ready to explain. You weren't ready to listen. He wouldn't have been able to defend himself. You don't have a control on your mouth. You both would have lost your minds. Give him time, he has been having a hard time himself."

"Why don't you tell me if you know it?" I asked, looking at her hopefully.

Amelia cupped my cheek, smiling slowly. Her kohl eyes looked amazing. "I don't want Karam to tell you about it," she said, removing her hand off my cheek and breathing heavily. "I don't want you to know unnecessary things."

"But he will tell you, on his own." She said, looking at the front. "For he has to face Lucine soon. She won't be happy if she gets to know, he is still hiding it. I want you to trust him. He is not a bad male, Foxy."

I blinked, lowering my eyes and looking back at the front. My heart jolted in sudden excitement as Anton had pulled Karam and Oskar in the middle. The females surrounded them, making my jaws clench.

Karam and Oskar exchanged a smile, both wearing high buns on the top of their head. The tune changed to a fast one and they began. Tapping boots against the wooden stage, they circled elbow in elbow, laughing together. Lysar did the same with Anton while Robin and Scott followed too.

They made a circle around the bonfire, hooting and clapping together. The women caught each male as their partner.

My eyebrows raised when one got closer to Karam. They exchanged a smile while my nostrils flared. He offered his hand and she grabbed it. Twirling her hand as the first drum was beaten, they all started doing steps around the bonfire.

Alvena smiled when Anton walked towards her to grab her hand. He pulled her to the bonfire and they both danced to the beats. Nysa shook her head, waving off when Robin ran for her. She squealed when he instead carried her on his shoulder and brought her to the fire. Putting her down, she laughed when he danced while taking her hand.

My eyes caught Karam dancing with the woman with this joyful smile on his face. That cream-colored shirt and brown breeches made him look stand out from the males who were wearing dark colors tonight. Scott was shirtless with only a furry jacket over his breeches, dancing with a young girl from the neighbor.

I looked at Amelia and smiled tightly. "What kind of a male is bad?"

She blinked and shrugged her shoulders, sipping the wine from that horn. "The one who fucks another women knowingly. The one who doesn't love you back. The one who abandons you. The one who doesn't take care of you. The one who is a coward and tries to put your voice down."

I chuckled tauntingly. "The one who hits you?"

Her eyes narrowed and she glanced at me.

"The one who doesn't bother loving you and just uses you for fucks? Claws at you which is not all even sensual?"

Her lips parted and she stared at me. Her face showed disturbance she just felt from my words. "A Lycan would never do that. Karam didn't do that. Did he?" She said, confidently.

I blinked. "You are a Luna," I said, looking in her eyes. "Your thoughts must go beyond your family circle. There are common Lycans and their brides too. Lycans would never do that but a man can. A male can."

She stiffened.

I looked back at the front and observed Lysar swaying along with the woman. "I wonder what his mate would feel after she marks him and gets to see all of this," I said, tilting my head. "Why would you even stop him when you are letting the mated one dance like that too?"

The woman who was dancing with Karam, raised her hands and swayed while he grabbed her waist. I looked away.

"You are a Luna, just in the name. My mother is a Luna and I have seen her fighting for her females of the pack without any fear of men and rules. Lunas are Queens, their Kings' equals. You are not a Queen or equal to your King."

She gave me a knowing smirk. "Your mother, the female who fucked another and birthed a child away from her mate," she taunted back. "If you don't want your mate touched by others, you claim him in front of everyone. I would have broken that female's neck and put it in the fire by now if I had been you."

I sucked in my cheeks in anger and looked back at Karam. He was enjoying. He was smiling goofily. He was dancing with her.

What. A. Jerk!

"He doesn't deserve it," I whispered and got up from the stairs.

"Take this with you," she said, making me look down at her. She was offering the horn full of wine. She smiled knowingly. "You need it."

Grabbing the horn, I started walking towards the room.

My eyes turned glossy and the feeling of deja vù started engulfing me.

No, I won't go to the jungle. There was no gain from doing that.

Maybe, I could just go to sleep.

But the moonlight spreading ahead of Amelia's house was calling out to me. I sipped the wine, coughing hard as it was hell thick and bitter. Oh God!

My whole throat and chest started burning.

Amelia's house was the last one in this street and then, there was this whole wide ground of the valley.

I gulped and started walking around the wall of her house that was facing the ground.

Misty. . .

The familiar sound came right from the belt of trees far away. My heart chilled up as I took another sip to calm myself. Gasping at the bitterness, I walked ahead.

Misty. . .

The feminine voice was way too cold and ghostly.

I looked back at the party. They were far away. I was hundred metres away from that street. 

Misty. . .

Looking back at the front, I saw a female standing almost fifty steps away from me.

My eyes squinted to recognize her but the blurriness was growing.

Sipping more of the wine, I gulped down the wicked drink and looked back up at the woman. The silver dress seemed shiny and the skin was too pale.

Before my eyes could reach up to see her face, a harsh tug came on my hand. I was forcefully turned around by none other than my so-called mate.

"So, finally you remember me?" I chuckled, hiccuping loudly.

Karam seemed surprised and concerned. His eyebrows were narrowed and eyes angry at me. "Who gave you this?" He snatched the horn and threw it away angrily. "Fucking claws! The morning would have been painful, had you drank it whole."

Pushing him away, I showed him palm. "Look," I said, another hiccup escaping me. My eyes felt so heavy. "You go and dance back with them. I don't give a fuck. But let me be. I want to see what's there."

Turning around, I started walking away while he blocked my way. "Who gave you that? Amelia?"

I nodded, letting out a loud burp. Covering my mouth, I giggled. "Ah! It's going hazy."

He grabbed my wrist while I twisted it get myself free. "Karam, leave my hand."

"No! You had the gulps. You need to sleep now!"

My blood boiled in anger as I pushed on his chest hard. "Leave. Me. Alone! Or tell me what it is you have been hiding!"

He flared his nostrils while collecting his life tight. "Come with me, my mate. We are supposed to sleep." He pleaded in a gentle voice.

My jaws clenched and I glared at him. He left my wrist while I shook my head. "No! You are going to tell me the truth! What the fuck are you hiding!"

He stiffened.

"Or I am going to yell on the top of my lungs," I warned him with wide angry eyes. "Karam is the biggest wimp."

His lips parted and eyes narrowed.

"And the biggest coward."

He gulped hard while fisting his big hands.

"And a moron who ignores his guilt by dancing with females other than his mate. Just so, he doesn't have to face her spontaneous personality!" I yelled loudly, turning around and going walking towards the trees.

"Karam is a fucking coward!" I screamed.

The faint growl came from behind that had shaken me slightly.

But I was drunk and furious.

"A loser! A wimp! The biggest wimp!" I shouted, my voice echoing around the ground.

A hand grabbed my wrist, making me turn around forcefully.

I was about to speak when the sight of sharp canines scared me to death. The loud growl on my face had shaken me so hard, I nearly had a heart attack. Goosebumps risen on my skin and I felt as if spine had been broken. I shuddered hard. My breaths turned harsh and heavy while the puddle collected between my feet.

"Now, who is a coward and a wimp?" Anton asked, looking down at the urine, making me numb in embarrassment. "This is how you do it, brother. I had warned you, the more you let her loose, the more she will get back on you."

My eyes were stunned while they slowly moved behind his shoulder to observe Karam's shocked face.

He looked up and growled angrily. "Anton, get the fuck away from my mate!"

Grabbing his collar, Karam pushed him against the ground and kicked him hard in the stomach. My eyes widened and hands reached my mouth to see Anton vomiting blood instantly.

"I am. I am," said Anton, getting up and raising his hands in surrender. He limped away towards the left where I caught all the family members standing. The party was still going on with just common wolves being there.

"My mate." Karam reached me and cupped my cheeks. "Your heart beats so fast." He said worriedly, while glancing down at the puddle. "I will take my mate to our home."

"No!" I screamed while pushing his hands away.

He halted himself from coming for me and gave me a hurtful look.

"Tell me what is going on," I said, looking in his eyes.

"Do it, brother. What more can she do?" Robin said while I glanced at Amelia who was looking at me with glossy eyes.

"Karam, no." Natasha said, looking at him pitifully.

Alvena gave me a sad smile.

Salome blinked blankly. "Karam, let her know, brother. She needs to know."

"It doesn't matter if she knows," said Lysar, holding a careless expression.

Kingston glanced at me and nodded. "Tell her."

Anton narrowed his eyes while Robin and Lysar gave me blank looks. "We call him wimp. He calls us names too. It is how we brothers love. Brides don't interfere in males' matters. They neither shout and nor order their mates," said Anton, spitting the blood while all of his chin was already covered with it.

"Your mother and sisters taught you that from experience?" I asked through clenched jaws.

"Looks like that piss wasn't enough," he said while coming for me.

"Silence!" King growled loudly, shaking the very ground and our hearts.

Anton halted sneered at me, scrunching his nose angrily, showing me teeth. He looked like a snake, totally.

I shuddered as all the owls and bats sitting on the trees flew away.

"Karam, do it." Kingston announced confidently, standing in the middle of the family members.

Amelia gulped hurriedly while looking at me pleadingly. "You will give him a chance to defend himself," she said loudly.

"For we won't let you hurt our brother anymore than you have already done, by taking this mistake of his as a wonderful chance," said Robin, giving me the dead eye. "Some mistakes happen unknowingly. They are out of our control and we are meant to suffer the consequences. We are meant to suffer the punishments."

Natasha flared her nostrils in worry while Salome took her hand in his and nodded at me. "But when a soul is drowning in guilt and unable to find a way for improving the mistake, it crumbles. We don't want our brother to suffer that, Misty. Open your minds and ears before you listen him. Open your heart, most importantly."

"It is not like it will make any difference," said Amelia through gritted teeth, making all of the brothers look at her in irritation.

Even Robin and King were shaking their heads in faint anger. While Nysa only smirked in agreement. Her eyes were blank and claws were out. She looked dangerous for some reason.

"Do it," yelled Amelia angrily.

My eyes looked back at Karam while the smell of urine was spreading all around.

The humiliation was beyond my limits. Embarrassment was over the head.

I couldn't care anymore.

I only cared about the fear of hurting and losing me shining in Karam's glossy eyes. His nostrils flared and lower lip trembled.

His shoulders started sulking as he took a step ahead in defeat and looked down at me in an unknown terror, tilting his head slightly. He breathed roughly.

"I am not just the Karam you think I am," he said, his voice loud and yet going heavy in emotion. "I am not just one of the Lycans, you and your pack hate."

I blinked while my jaws zigzagged. I curled the fists full of my dress.

"I am not just a son, a brother, an uncle," he said, his voice cracking. "Or a mate."

An innocent, guilt-filled, terrifying, heart-wrenching smile curved his trembling lips.

"I am a father too, my mate."

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