Present Day
I wake up to my stomach grumbling. It’s dark out, so I lean over and grab my rucksack and get my phone out. Goddess, it’s 3am. I’ve slept for over twelve hours. I get up to pee, finding the ensuite on the other side of the room. When I’m done, I go to the sink and wash my hands as I look at myself in the mirror. My eyes are puffy and red from crying, the remnants of the nightmare still lingering in my mind. In the mirror behind me, I notice an oversized shower with various jets and decide to take a shower. I grab a towel from the cupboard near the sink, undress, and turn the water on as hot as I can stand. Water shoots out of the jets in all directions and standing beneath them feels like heaven. I wash my long hair and feel slightly better afterwards.
While I try to relax under the hot water, I reach out to Enyo. Her wall is still up, but I can feel that she’s agitated and on edge.
When I’m finished in the shower, wrap myself in the large fluffy towel, and return to my room. I unpack my rucksack and find the extra clothes at the bottom. I put on my workout shorts and top, my runners, and head downstairs to find the kitchen to have something to eat before I meet Beta Jason to join the pack training. But I’m so lost in my own thoughts that I run straight into an Omega, knocking her onto the floor.
“Oh, Goddess! I’m so sorry,” I say as I offer my hand to the poor girl on the floor.
She takes my hand and stands up. “Oh, it’s okay. I’m Carol. Are you Miss Argos?” She asks.
“Please, call me Athena. It’s nice to meet you, Carol,” I smile down at the soft-spoken girl. She’s a plain-looking girl with blonde hair and hazel eyes.
“Can I get you anything, Athena?” She asks with a small smile.
“If you could please direct me to the bread and toaster, that would be lovely.”
She goes to the fridge, pulls out a loaf of bread, then bends down to a cupboard under the kitchen island, pulls out a toaster, and plugs it in on the bench.
“How many slices would you like?” Carol asks.
“Please don’t go to any trouble. I knocked you down. The least I can do is make my own breakfast.”
She smiles and nods, then goes to the pantry and pulls out an array of different preservatives and spreads and places them next to me on the counter as I put four slices of bread in the toaster.
“Thank you, Carol,” I say with a smile.
She smiles back and then heads out of the kitchen, leaving me alone. ‘Lovely girl,’ I think to myself. I make my toast and sit down at the counter to eat it as I scroll through the messages that I missed yesterday.
#
Half an hour later, I’ve cleaned up from breakfast, and while I’m waiting in the living room for Beta Jason, my phone rings, and I see Mom’s face fill my screen. I smile and answer.
“Hey Mom, you’re up early.”
“HAPPY BIRTHDAY, ATHENA!” I hear Mom, Uncle Alex, Ryna, and Gino all call out.
“What?” I say, confused, and I glance at the date on my phone.
“Um, thanks guys,” I say. “I didn’t even realize it was today.”
“Oh, Athena. How could you not realize?” Mom asks.
“I’ve been a little busy, Mom.”
She tuts into the phone. “You should be excited, honey! You can find your mate now!” She says excitedly, and I groan.
“Mom, I don’t have time for a mate.”
“Nonsense!” she says.
“She doesn’t need a mate, Elena,” I hear Ryna say. “She has me and Gino!”
“See, I’m set,” I tell her with a laugh. “Those two are handful enough,” I tease.
“Hey!” I hear Gino yell, and I laugh again.
“How was Moonstone?” Uncle Alex asks.
“I’m actually still here,” I say, as I see Beta Jason walk into the room. “I actually need to go. I’m about to join their training session,” I tell them.
“Call us later!” Mom says. “We love you!”
“Love you guys, too,” I say and hang up.
“Good morning, Athena. I hope you’re well-rested,” he says.
“Not exactly. But I’m ready to see your training routines,” I reply with a small smile.
“Let’s get to it then,” he smiles, and we walk out the front door.
We walk through the neighborhood for five minutes, making small talk as we walk, until we reach a large oval with a building to its right.
“Over there is our gym, if you’re interested in seeing it after training,” Beta Jason points to the building.
“Sounds great,” I reply.
Beta Jason jogs over to stand next to Alpha Peter, and I stand at the back of the training group and begin to stretch.
“Good morning, everyone,” Alpha Peter addresses the group. “Today, we have a special guest from the Blood-Moon pack joining us. Please welcome Athena Argos.”
Members of the pack turn to me and either nod or wave to me.
“She will be staying with us for a couple of days, so I hope you all make her feel welcome. Today, I have decided to do combat drills in human and wolf forms. Catherine, I would like for you to pair with Athena, please.”
A tall girl with dirty blonde hair comes and stands beside me with a smile.
“Instructors, please go to your assigned groups, and we’ll get started,” Alpha Peter instructs.
Everybody moves in different directions, and I follow Catherine to Beta Jason’s area.
“I will be your instructor today, ladies. The only rule is to get your opponent to submit in either form. So, please take your positions, and start on my whistle.”
‘I hope this girl knows what she’s in for,’ Enyo says.
‘Oh, now you decide to make an appearance,’ I say back crankily. But she ignores what I said.
‘Look how cocky she is. I can’t wait to take her down a peg,’ Enyo says with a smirk.
I stand in a defensive position and wait for the whistle. As soon as Beta Jason blows it, Catherine shifts into her wolf and attacks, going straight for my throat. I dodge her easily and punch her in the ribs. I hear her whimper as she lands on her paws and turns to attack again. This time she tries to attack my legs, and again I dodge her easily and land a kick to her jaw. She tries this a few times, each time ending with me hitting her. When she turns this time, her hackles are raised, and she’s snarling at me, her teeth bared.
‘Well, that didn’t take long,’ Enyo yawns, clearly bored.
I smirk at the wolf in front of me, which earns me a low, deep growl.
‘Oh, she did not just growl at us,’ Enyo says excitedly. ‘Let’s show this bitch how we do things.’
I wait patiently for Catherine to make a move, and as she does, I run at her at full speed and launch myself at her, shifting mid-air, jumping clear over her. When I land, I quickly turn and grab her by the scruff of the neck, forcing her down to the grass, but she refuses to submit.
‘Stubborn little thing, isn’t she?’ Enyo says.
I growl at her, signalling that she should give up, but instead, she rolls over and frees herself from my grip, scratching us across the face as she stands up.
I lose control of Enyo at that point. She propels herself forward and takes control. She towers over the wolf in front of us, her chest rumbling with a low guttural growl. Catherine’s wolf cowers, but I see a defiant look in her eyes, as if she refuses to give up. She tries to tackle us to the ground once more, but Enyo dodges her, drops low, grabs the wolf by the throat, and rolls, landing on top of Catherine, and squeezing her neck hard.
‘ENYO, STOP!’ I yell at her, as Catherine’s wolf struggles underneath our large frame.
But Enyo growls again and tightens the hold on the wolf’s throat. Just then, I hear a whistle blow, and Enyo freezes.
‘ENYO! LET HER GO!’ I yell at her. ‘IT’S JUST TRAINING!’
Enyo releases the wolf from her mouth and steps back slowly, her teeth bared and snarling. It’s then that I realize everybody has stopped training and is watching us, and Alpha Peter is now standing with Beta Jason. Catherine shifts back to her human form and stands before us, holding her throat. When she pulls her hand away, there’s a small amount of blood on her fingers.
“WHAT THE HELL IS YOUR PROBLEM?!” she screams at us and then runs away towards the gym.
Enyo gives the poor girl a low growl as she runs away. I hear a growl come from Alpha Peter, and to my utter shock, Enyo turns towards him and growls back at him, and everyone who has gathered around us gasps. Alpha Peter shifts and stalks towards us, his teeth bared in a scowl.
‘Enyo, what the hell has gotten into you?’ I ask her.
“Stand down!” Beta Jason yells at us.
Enyo refuses to submit to Alpha Peter, who now stands just a few steps in front of us. Instead, she maintains her position, even as Alpha Peter warns her with another growl, his Alpha aura emanating from his wolf. Enyo gets low and snaps aggressively in his direction. Alpha Peter roars and rushes towards us, ready to attack, but I’m finally able to regain control and quickly lower my head, baring my neck in submission. He comes to a halt and growls at us. I get as low to the ground as possible to prove that we will not attack.
‘What are you doing?!’ Enyo yells. ‘We can take him!’
‘Have you lost your mind? This is an ALPHA!’ I say as I slowly back away from Alpha Peter.
“Athena, go to the gym, please. You will find spare clothes in the women’s locker room to change into. We will meet you in the main hall when you’re done,” Beta Jason tells us sternly.
Before Enyo can do anything else, I turn towards the building and begin sprinting. I run into the building and follow the signs for the change rooms. I finally find the door, and I burst into the locker room and shift.
‘What the fuck was that about, Enyo?!’ I ask her as I find the cupboard with the spare clothes in it and get dressed into sweats and a t-shirt.
‘What? She deserved it,’ she says, acting innocently.
‘She deserved to get her throat ripped out, did she? And what about challenging the Alpha? You nearly got us killed!’
‘Please, we were bigger than him. We could have taken him,’ she says nonchalantly.
‘If you have a death wish, you better speak up now, Enyo. Because you are never pulling that shit again,’ I say to her angrily.
‘I do not have a death wish. But we are a Gamma. A warrior. We shouldn’t be cowering from other wolves!’
‘So, what? We just kill everyone who challenges us? We were in a training exercise! But then, to threaten an Alpha? An Alpha who has welcomed us into his territory and could help us find the truth?! You crossed a line, Enyo!’
Instead of answering me, she blocks herself off from me again and curls up in the back of my mind.
Sitting on the long metal bench in the change room after getting dressed, I take a deep breath. I don’t know what has gotten into Enyo. She’s always been aggressive, but her aggression seems to be getting worse. I lean over to the cupboard where spare sneakers are and put them on, then take another deep breath to calm myself down. I’m about to leave the locker room when the door swings open, and Catherine walks in with two other women. They walk over to the corner of the room, and I can hear them snickering and looking in my direction. I ignore them and leave and find my way back to the gym. When I get there, I see Alpha Peter and Beta Jason in the middle of the room, talking to an older guy. Alpha Peter stops talking when he sees me approaching and crosses his arms across his chest. I bow my head as a sign of submission and stand in front of the three men.“Athena, I’d like to introduce you to our pack doctor, Doctor Shields,” Beta Jason says.Doctor Shields holds his hand out, and I
“Athena, I’d like you to meet my Luna, Rachel,” Alpha Peter introduces her.I lower my head as a sign of respect and shake her outstretched hand. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Luna,” I say. “Athena, I am so glad to finally meet you. Alex sang your praises when he was here. So, I feel like I know you already,” Luna Rachel says kindly.“Rachel is also our historian and has some of the answers you are looking for, Athena,” Alpha Peter says.Doctor Shields stands from his seat so that Luna Rachel can sit at the desk, and she opens the other two manilla folders the doctor brought over. “Now I know you have a lot of questions, and hopefully, with the information in here, we can at least answer some of them,” she places her hand on top of the manilla folders. “Thank you, Luna. I appreciate anything you can offer,” I say.“Now, as Peter has said, we believe the attacks on our packs were focused on lycan like yourself. I believe it’s because of this,” Luna says as she hands me a small, old-
‘So, the Luna thinks that we’re some kind of special lycan, blessed by the Moon Goddess?’ Enyo asks as I stare out the passenger window.I snort. ‘Apparently so. Like your head needed to get any bigger,’ I say with a smirk.“Everything okay, Athena?” Beta Jason asks, and I realize I snorted out loud. “Sorry, I was talking to Enyo. That wasn’t aimed towards you,” I say with a small smile. “I suppose you both have a lot to process,” he says. “Is there anything I can help with?” “I honestly don’t understand any of it. If it’s true, why would the Moon Goddess choose us? And why don’t more people know about this stuff Plato wrote?” I ask.“Who knows if this Plato stuff is real? You know how our ancestors liked to exaggerate,” he says with a smile. I study the Betas profile. At least 20 years younger than Alpha Peter, he is good looking with short sandy brown hair, sea-blue eyes, a strong jawline, and the typical buff body of a Beta.“Can I ask you something about your situation, Beta?”
I pack the last of my clothes into my suitcase while Beta Jason is on the phone with Alpha Peter.“Yeah. Room 12. Mhm. Yes, Alpha. We’ll wait here until they arrive. Thanks,” he says and ends the call. “Alpha is sending a group of warriors to escort us back to the compound. They’ll be here in about 30 minutes,” he tells me. I nod as I head into the bathroom to grab my toiletries and makeup, packing them into a small bag. Then I turn to leave and crash straight into Beta Jason. “Shit, sorry,” he says, rubbing the back of his neck. “I was coming to see if you needed any help.” “Oh, I’m nearly done,” I smile awkwardly. “Thanks though, Beta.”“You can call me Jason,” he says as he moves to the side, my breasts rubbing against his chest as I move past him into the room. I feel his eyes on me as I get the last of my things from around the room and pack them in my suitcase. I turn and look at him, my heart rate picking up as we stare at each other. ‘Today has been a whirlwind of emotions.
We arrive back at the compound with no issues and find Alpha Peter waiting for us out the front of the pack house.“Let’s go into my office,” he says as we get out of the SUV, so we follow him inside.Alpha Peter closes the door behind us when we enter his office and then walks around his desk and sits in his chair, and Jason and I sit across from him.“So, what exactly happened today, Jason?” Alpha Peter asks.“I told you most of it over the phone, Alpha. I noticed the car pull onto the highway shortly after we did, but I thought nothing of it at first. It wasn’t until they sped up and started tailgating us I felt something was off. Then, when they ran us off the road, Athena chased after the one that shot at us,” he says, looking at me.“Yes, it looked like it was the private investigator, Derek, that I told you about,” I tell Alpha Peter. “It would seem that he wants me dead. Which would explain why he disappeared after sending me to meet with a hunter. I’m guessing he thought that
I’m woken the next morning by someone knocking on the door. “Athena? Are you awake?”I groan when I realize it’s Jason. I turn over, look at the time on my phone, and groan again. It’s 4:30am. “It’s too early,” I yell out and roll back over, hiding my head under the blankets. “I’m coming in,” he says, and I hear the door open. I sit up in a huff and rub my eyes. “Jason, I’ve barely slept. What’s so important that it couldn’t wait until later?” I ask. “I wanted to make sure we were okay,” he says, blushing, and giving me an awkward smile as he sits at the end of the bed.“Why wouldn’t we be?” I ask as I pull my hair back into a ponytail.“Well, because we almost… And then I found Jess, my mate…,” he trails off. “We spoke about this last night, remember?” I say, a little frustrated.“I know, But I hadn’t met Jess yet… I just…” he sighs and rubs the back of his neck. “I just wanted to make sure that me finding my mate didn’t upset you.”“Not at all,” I say with a smile. “We’re still fr
Alpha Peter stands in front of his Gamma. “Stand down, Richard!” He yells, his alpha aura radiating from his body. “Athena is not a threat!”Gamma Richard bows his head, submitting to the Alpha, but he growls in my direction. “Listen to your Alpha, Gamma. You don’t want this fight,” Enyo says cooly.“Enyo, you’re not helping,” Jason says. Enyo shrugs and looks back to the Gamma with a smirk.“Shift back now!” Alpha Peter orders him.Gamma Richard shifts back and kneels in front of Alpha Peter. “I’m sorry, Alpha,” he says and bows his head. “You need to tell me exactly what Doctor Shields has been telling you, Richard,” Alpha Peter tells him. “He approached me about six weeks ago and said that things were happening that could impact our pack and that it would be up to me to protect us. He said that outsiders would come to the pack that would endanger all of us, and they couldn’t be trusted,” he says.“That was around the time I left my pack, Alpha,” Enyo tells him. “Has this been t
‘We need to find an Alpha and a pack, Andreas. I can’t continue to be a rogue. We’re pack animals. This is killing me,’ Ares says dejectedly, as we run through the trees at the back of the Moonstone pack territory. ‘I know, buddy. But it’s not safe. We can’t return home, and joining a pack puts them in danger. So instead, we need to concentrate on finding out who attacked our pack and why. And we need to find the other lycans that are like us.’‘I know,’ he sighs. ‘Do you think Athena is still here?’‘Noah said that she left the motel with the pack Beta, so I assume they came back here. Hopefully, the old man at reception gave her our number.’ ‘Do you think she’ll call?’‘If I was her, I probably wouldn’t with what’s been happening.’Ares stops suddenly, his hackles raised. ‘Someone is coming. If their warriors see us coming this way, they will attack,’ Ares warns. ‘We need to get off their territory. Over there, up the hill a bit,’ I instruct Ares. He turns in that direction, runni
The early morning sun peaks over the surrounding mountains, spreading its warmth over our territory, but I don’t feel it. My breath is ragged as I run hard through the forest. Low-lying branches smack my face as I go past them, but I feel nothing. My only focus is to get to the lake. The lake will calm me before this rage swallows me whole.I finally see it in the distance, the lake that Enyo and I used to soak in after practice. Back when everything was right in the world. Before Daddy was murdered. Before I knew anything about the chosen.I don’t slow as I get closer. Instead, I brace for impact as I dive towards the ice covering the body of water. Enyo’s large, heavy body breaks through, and the iced water takes my breath away as I slowly sink to the bottom. I let the freezing water cool my heated body; the rage releasing from my body and my mind slowly clearing.I can hear shouts from above the water, but I ignore them. As the rage fuelled fogginess leaves my mind, I’m hit with a
“Alpha! Alpha, can you hear me?”I groggily open my eyes and see Leah hovering over me.“Alpha, thank the Goddess,” Leah says with a heavy sigh. “Don’t move, Doc Apollo is on his way.”I grab the back of my head, and I feel that my hair is wet. I look at my hand, and it’s covered in blood.“What happened?” I ask, lifting my head slightly and looking around.“You fell down the cliff side after the rogue charged you,” she explains.I look to my left and up the cliff side. “I’ve been saying for years there needs to be a railing put up there,” I say with a groan and try to sit up.“Please don’t move, Alpha. You fell a long way.”“I see that. But I’ll be okay,” I tell her, sitting up. Then I remember the reason I was in the forest. “Where’s Catherine?” I ask, panicked.“Gamma Michael and Gamma Cole have her in custody,” she explains.“And the other rogue?”She says nothing but looks behind me. I turn and see a young boy, his neck clearly broken from the fall. “Shit,” I grumble. “How did you
“Everything looks wonderful, Melanie,” I compliment her as I look over all the decorated tables outside of the pack hall.“Thank you, Alpha,” she says happily. “I hope you like everything inside, as well.”“I know I will,” I tell her with a big smile.She smiles back and bows before heading off to attend to her duties. Andreas comes up behind me and wraps his arms around my waist, nestling his nose into the crook of my neck. “I can’t believe we pulled this off.”“The pack has worked hard. I’m so proud of everyone.”I see Rich and Noah in the distance, with the Cresent Warriors, and Michael and Beta Castor behind them. I take Andreas’s hand and walk over to them, wanting to keep the conversation away from others. “Still nothing?” I ask, disappointed.“I lost their scent on the other side of the mountain,” Beta Castor says with a frown.“Leah stayed at the Cabin in case she’s stupid enough to go back there,” Tony says.I nod. “We’ll pick up the search again in the morning,” I tell them.
“How is the feast coming along?” I ask Melanie, the pack’s head cook.“Everything is coming along nicely, Alpha. I’ve ensured there’s plenty of food for both packs, with extras.” She says with a proud smile.“You’ve done amazingly, Melanie. If there’s anything you need help with, please speak with Gino,” I tell her.“The Omegas are all taking care of everything, Alpha. They’ve been very helpful, as always.”“I’m proud of all of you,” I tell the rest of the Omegas and they all smile and bow their heads.“Alpha, I need a word with you,” Leah says from the kitchen door.“Of course,” I tell Leah. “Please excuse me, Melanie,” I smile at her.She bows her head and returns to her work, and I follow Leah into the dining room, where I find Rich and Noah waiting.“What can I do for our Epsilons today?” I ask with a smile.“We have a report from our border patrol, Alpha,” Rich says.“There’s been a sighting of a couple of rogues hanging around our borders,” Noah explains.I stiffen. “From the pa
Three hours laterWe watch as fight after fight ends, and the defeated warriors fill the sidelines of the training field, joining the rest of the pack in cheering and enjoying the spectacle.We watch Michael closely as he defeats opponent after opponent.“He hasn’t lost any of his strength,” Cassia says, and I think I see something flash in her eyes, but whatever she was feeling quickly disappears when she notices me staring at her.“Or his viciousness,” Ryna adds.“Nothing wrong with some viscousness in your Gamma, Beta,” Harry says.“As long as it’s towards our enemies...” Gino mumbles.I focus back on Michael as he defeats another warrior, trying to ignore the guilt I feel from Gino’s comment.“Maybe you should have just named him Gamma, Alpha,” Tony says. “He has the advantage of being a born Beta. I don’t think anyone will beat him.”“It is looking that way. But maybe that will earn him back some of the respect he lost.”“Doubtful. But we’ll see,” Ryna says.“Cole could give him
As I walk towards Ryna’s house with Andreas, I can’t help the pounding of my heart as I think of my best friend never forgiving me.I feel Andreas squeeze my hand tightly, and I give him a small smile as we climb the steps of Ryna’s small cottage. I take a breath as we approach the door and knock.Gino answers the door a few moments later, and I’m engulfed with the anger he feels as it radiates from his body.“He needs time, Alpha.” He says shortly.“I understand, Gino. But there are pack matters that need to be attended to,” Andreas says when I don’t say anything.“I will make sure that all pack matters are dealt with,” Gino responds, his glaring eyes never leaving mine.I swallow the lump in my throat and finally find the words I want to say. “I’m not here about pack business,” I say, my voice coming out as a squeak. “I came to apologize for everything that happened yesterday.”“It’s going to take more than apologies, Alpha,” Gino says angrily.“I know, but I can only start there.”
The Next DayAthena P.O.VI try to roll over, but I’m being held in place by Andreas. I kiss his arm and say, “Time to wake up, my love.”He groans and hugs me tighter. “No, thanks.”I laugh and try to roll over again. “If you squeeze me any harder, Andreas, I’m going to pee.”“Fiiiiiine.” He releases me with another groan before rolling onto his back and rubbing his eyes. “We can’t stay in bed,” I say as I get up and go into the bathroom. “We have way too much to do in the next few days. We still haven’t questioned the others we captured with Leon the other night. We have to get the pack house sorted out…”“I knooooow,” he says with another groan, cutting me off before I repeat the seemingly never-ending list of things we need to do.I giggle as I finish up and wash my hands before turning the shower on. I hear Andreas come up behind me, so I turn around and wrap my arms around his neck with a kiss.He smiles into my lips before kissing down my neck to my mark. He leaves a chaste kis
Somewhere nearby…I’m flung across the room as my connection to the Alpha is broken.“Master! Are you okay?” Alyria asks, running over and taking my arm.I look down at her bony hand on my arm, then at her. I glare at her and slap her hard across the face.“HOW DARE YOU TOUCH ME!” I bellow at her.“I’m sorry, Master.” She whimpers, holding her cheek.“GET ME THE WITCH! NOW!” I yell at her, and she gets up from the ground and scurries from the room.“What happened, Master?” Wren asks from the corner of the room.“Her wolf broke the connection,” I explain angrily, standing and brushing off my clothes.“How? I thought the witch said she’d be locked away in the Alpha’s mind?”“I don’t know!” I yell at him, and he shrinks back in fear.“You called for me, Sir?” the witch, Elizabeth asks as she enters my office.I stalk toward her angrily. “You told me the wolf would be locked away in the Alpha’s mind. So would you care to explain to me how the wolf was able to break my connection to the Al
“MURDERER!” someone screams, and everyone falls silent, turning to where the scream came from. “Karla,” I whisper, my body suddenly shaking. She looks weak and sickly, her eyes red from crying. “WHY DID YOU KILL HIM?” she screams again, and I see Cassia running towards her. “Karla, why don’t we go back inside?” Cassia says softly, taking her arm. “DON’T TOUCH ME!” Karla shouts, pulling her arm out of Cassia’s grasp. “I WANT TO KNOW WHY SHE KILLED MY MATE!” The pack members begin whispering and pulling their kids behind them. “Karla, please, why don’t we go inside so we can discuss this,” Andreas says, taking a step towards her. He takes my hand to walk with him, but my feet won’t move. I’m frozen in place. No words are forming in my mind as I stare at the woman whose mate I killed with my bare hands. “Athena?” He says, looking back at me. “I… I…” I stutter out, but nothing else comes. “ANSWER ME, YOU FILTH!” Karla spits out, and Enyo growls. There are gasps and more whispers