For once I an thankful about being the least acknowledged member of this pack. At least in the inner circle. Apart from Azriel, hardly anyone asked about me or how I have been. Not even my brother, or should I say, half-brother? Aiden and I hardly share anything in common, more so because he always tries to be good to others, always a people pleaser while I am far from it. I hear whispers behind my back that I am like my mother. I bite my tongue from saying, “Only if you knew.” For when my father was alive, and mom was having a practically open affair with the alpha king whose luna queen had passed away when Azriel was probably 14, my father never said anything. He merely looked at mom sometimes with longing and a maybe sympathy. I have never understood why he even let us stay, or her stay in the pack when every member knew about the promiscuity. No one could say anything openly though. After all, the alpha king was involved in this. The alpha king is by far the strongest alpha and
As the days go by, I find myself stuck doing things that I never liked doing. Data work. I miss my early morning rounds now, miss my supervisor’s droning, heck I even miss the nitpicks of the senior doctors, who always seemed to glare at us and made us do all the grunt work in the beginning. I have already heard enough whispers about Azriel, about his ill-temper and attitude, about him being arrogant and recluse. In his wing, there are a lot of people working, but none of them seem to look happy. Only James is cordial enough while the others don’t even bother to spare me a glance or give me the respect that a beta deserves. I blink back to reality, blink blearily at another excel sheet that yet again contains details of members working in the palace. I am not sure why I am matching and verifying their details, but I can say that there’s funny business going on in this palace. Frustration also built as neither Azriel nor anyone said anything about the letter. I stab the keys with my
Aiden just made things easy for me. Good riddance. Does she think she will survive for three months here? She is fucking wrong. But why am I feeling so worked up because of that girl? That stupid woman is too impatient. I would tell her regarding the letter if I got a substantial clue, wouldn’t I? But she doesn’t trust me. She thinks I am hiding information from her, withholding it. But that is not true. I have tried to make the investigation private but until now, they couldn’t give me solid proof. Although I had my hunch, I can’t act upon it, can I?And now… now she just agreed to go work for that golden boy. ‘Well now you have to find another person who can be your beta,’ Rowan leers, emphasizing on the word ‘you’. I ignore him as I walk down the corridor. I had left Aysel standing in the back office, too enraged to risk being in the same room as hers. My anger was directed more toward Aiden than at Aysel. How dare he waltz in and snatch my beta. Ever since Dakota entered this p
True mates are unheard of. Soul mates are a thing of the past. Nowadays, there are only chosen mates. I don’t know what divine intervention took place in our evolution, but one fine day or eventually, people did not find themselves being face to face with their soulmates, the fated ones. Gradually, the Elders decided that betas won’t mate with alphas because betas and alphas just aren’t right. There have been plenty of cases in the past where a beta has failed to give birth and an alpha had to seek after an omega. From then on, it was established that alphas and omegas are compatible, and to make sure that the progeny doesn’t fizzle out, resulting in our extinction, they made sure everyone followed it. Especially the royals. Alphas always choose omegas, while betas, gammas, and deltas are left to pick someone from either of the three ranks. However, alphas sleep with betas, male or female. Omegas sleep with gammas or deltas, gender no bar. This arrangement is also made for another re
I know I should be pushing him back, gently, trying to convince him that I am not his partner for the rut, and slip out of the room and maybe run away and hide until he gets better or until he gets back to his normal self. I can pretend that none of this happened in the future, but I cannot seem to find myself wrenching out of his stronghold. His lips move insistently against mine and I kiss him back eagerly. My fists grab fistfuls of his shirt and pull him close instead of doing the opposite. Despite holding the pill bottle, a reminder of what I’d arrived here for, I don’t let go. He nips my lower lips spitefully I guess and I feel my heart skip a beat and grow wetter. His fingers remain loosely around my nape but the slight hint of his claws make me shiver.I can’t shrink away or do anything apart from showcasing my carnal desires for him, for my boss, and for my brother’s boss. Despite this reminder, I take no action to do anything.I have never been with alphas, always had sex o
“I did not know alpha… I…” James stutters over the phone. I glance back at Aysel’s sleeping form before speaking. “You knew very well and that is why you sent her with the pill bottle. You know this kind of meds don’t work for me and yet….” I say through my clenched teeth. Rowan thunders in the back of my mind, still struggling to take control, needing to take control to claim Aysel, but that cannot be done. Alphas and betas can never be together. “Why?” I ask, my voice quivering with anger. Now that I have started my rut with her, I have to finish it with her. “You… have not spent your ruts after…” James trails off, sounding flustered. I close my eyes and take in a steady breath. He is an old employee, Azriel, you cannot unleash your anger on him. “Bring some ration for the next few days,” I finally say. “Yes, alpha,” comes James’ eager assent. “And make sure no one starts running off their mouths. Keep an eye on Aiden’s men and Father’s as well.” James hums in acknowledgment b
The atmosphere post his rut is awkward. Well, awkward is an understatement. It’s a respite that I have been given a half day. James has been behaving somewhat awkwardly, almost apologetically around me. Azriel’s words still ring across my mind. I signed that half-ass contract, a sort of NDA form, the moment we resumed office. It made me feel weird when I signed above the dotted lines. I wouldn’t say his words had no impact on me when he uttered them after literally fucking me through the mattress, but I expected no less. Azriel has gone back to his aloofness, and I am glad he did. It would be more awkward than it already is. The awkwardness lay with me because, after our time together, I don’t know why I felt the need to follow him everywhere. I withdraw my hand if our hands touch accidentally. Although this can’t be possible, I feel his touch searing into my skin. With his mere touch, all the memories flood back and I am left a shuddering mess.Azriel doesn’t react, but I see the w
My hands tremble as I stare at the hastily scribbled letters. Kai’s handwriting wasn’t so…. Ugly. In fact, it was I who couldn’t write in a legible manner even if I tried to. Was he scared as he wrote this? Did he know that someone was after him when he was jotting this down? I bring the book to my chest, hugging it as tears roll down my cheeks. I don’t know why I am crying, just that… it must have been so painful for him, he must have been so scared… Then why did he come here? Why did he stay despite the dangers? Why did he leave…?Should I show this to Azriel? Would he be of any help? What if he takes this to the alpha king? No… he wouldn’t, would he? Now that I know of the existence of this notebook, I don’t think I can keep it where I found it. I look around frantically, to find a place where I can hide it, but that won’t be easily found if they searched... well, if the time came.I jump when there’s a knock on the door. Hastily, I place the notebook where it was and place the woo