Chapter 1

(Kaeleigh’s POV)

I woke up still shaking, the remnants of the nightmare playing over and over in my head like some sort of traumatic loop. I sighed and closed my eyes and tried to control my breathing. After the devastating destruction of our pack, we had gone into hiding. Alpha Ezra had said that we were still in danger from the pack that had attacked us. We had something they wanted, and he said that they would do anything to get their hands on it. I had said several times that maybe if we gave them whatever they wanted, that they would leave us alone and we could attempt to rebuild what was left of the Scarlet Circle pack. Our once three hundred strong pack was reduced to a handful of us. And even then we were down to only three werewolves, the rest of our pack being human. It was rare for a pack to include none shifters, and even rarer for it to be humans, but Alpha Ezra’s fated mate was human, so it had been agreed long before I was born that our pack was more welcoming. 

I felt a tear roll down my cheek and wiped it away furiously. I had cried too much over that damn event. And the repeated nightmares I had since never seemed to get any easier to deal with. I was too young at the time to understand when I saw the invading Alpha rip into and snap my father’s throat, and when I saw the realisation that crossed my mother’s face when their fated bond shattered with his death. She had been attending to me and didn’t see it happen, but I saw her heart break instantly. She said goodbye to me right there, even though I didn’t know at the time. I had passed out shortly after and when I woke up, both my parents were gone. 

I grieved for my parents for so long, but I understood. We were attacked and my father was the Gamma of the pack; it was his job to protect the Luna and her children and he died an honourable death doing so. Or almost doing so. The sadness of my parents’ death was far outweighed by the guilt I felt over the death of Jonathan, the Alpha heir of our pack. I had cried too much over the loss of Jonathan and blamed myself for his demise. If he hadn’t been trying to protect me, then he could have been hiding himself and wouldn’t have been killed. I blamed myself for his death every day, and to make things worse, his protection and sacrifice had been for nothing. I wasn’t even a real werewolf. Sure, I had the strength, and the heightened senses, but I couldn’t shift. My sixteenth birthday, which was the average time for a wolf to get their first shift, came and went and my wolf never made an appearance. And now at twenty-four years old, my wolf had only ever made one appearance, I think.

I had just turned twenty and was walking home from a club when someone grabbed me. I immediately recognised him as the Alpha of a local pack that we had lived by at the time. He had shown interest in me, one that did not reciprocate and he and his wounded chauvinistic pride clearly didn’t like that. He had pulled me into an alleyway and I was fighting him off pretty well, but he was an Alpha and soon overpowered me. I wasn’t sure what had happened next, but I blacked out and when I woke up, I was covered in blood and the Alpha was nowhere to be found. My only assumption was that my wolf had sensed that my life was in danger and had surfaced. I hadn’t mentioned anything about it to anyone, though. I knew what would have happened if I had. They would have insisted that we pack up everything and move again. And I had caused enough trouble already. Not only was I responsible for Jonathan’s death, but also Hayley, Alpha Ezra’s sister and Beta Jeremy’s mate, had also died trying to protect me. It was pretty evident to me that I was clearly cursed or something, so I tried to cause as little trouble as I could.

It was already enough that, after all that Alpha Ezra and Luna Elaina had taken me in and raised me as one of their own. They had dealt with my nightmares and the waking up screaming almost every night for the last nineteen years. And they had dealt with my devastation when my wolf didn’t show. And my subsequent meltdown and defiance. I had run away from home, and like most sixteen year olds, I had got myself in with the wrong crowd. I ended up in the territory of a pack with a particularly unsavoury reputation and found myself in over my head when I had tried to leave. It had taken Alpha Ezra and Beta Jeremy to force their way into the pack to get me out. I had cried for a month after that. I never knew how bad packs were. I was told that they weren’t as bad as that place, which pretty much treated their female wolves like sex slaves, but I had sworn right then that I wouldn’t allow anyone to hold any sort of control over me ever again. I might be a rogue werewolf, but at least I was free to make my own decisions. 

Beta Jeremy had begun training with me soon after that. He has said that even if we weren’t an official pack, because you can’t be a pack unless you hold territory, we could still protect our own like one. And if I was going to take after my father and be the Gamma, then I needed to learn how to fight. I took pride in my position from that day, knowing that, even without a wolf, I could still at least attempt to protect Luna Elaina and their twins Luke and Tatum. As well as Beta Jeremy’s three children from his remarriage to Jade, another human who had lost her mate in the massacre. And I was fortunate that Alpha Ezra didn’t insist on the traditional pack hierarchy and rules because my smart ass mouth and actions would have probably have got me into trouble more times than I could count.

I looked at the clock on my bedside table and groaned. It was already almost 4pm, and I had slept most of the day away. I had been working at The Cove last night, a bar and nightclub for supernaturals. I had got the job when we moved back here a year or so ago, and worked five nights a week behind the bar. My shift tonight was due to start at 7pm, which meant that I had a little time before I had to head in. I climbed out of bed and stretched before heading out of my room into the main part of the apartment. 

As far as apartments go, this one was a good-sized one modern one. Alpha Ezra and Beta Jeremy had gone into business together when I was young, and the business had grown and was doing pretty well right now. Well enough that they could afford two apartments in a good building with good security. 

I wandered over to the kitchen area and opened the fridge to see if there was anything I could grab quickly. I was still rummaging when I felt the unmistakable feeling of Alpha power behind me. I looked over my shoulder and saw Alpha Ezra watching me. I closed the fridge door and smiled.

“Morning,” he said with a smile as I sat at the breakfast bar and grabbed an apple from the bowl. “Don’t let Eliana see that, she’d pitch a fit if she thought that was all you were eating,” 

“Don’t let me see what?” Luna Eliana walked into the kitchen and narrowed her eyes at her mate and husband. I couldn’t help but laugh. Despite being an Alpha he was still powerless when it came to his mate. I loved their relationship and seeing them so much in love. Part of me wanted that for myself, but another part of me was terrified as well. The fated mate bond was one hell of a powerful force. And seeing the negative side in my mother’s heartbreak always haunted me when I thought about it.

“Oh Kae,” Elaina exclaimed, “Don’t you dare think that is all you are eating, young lady,” and I laughed again, and this time Ezra joined in.

“I told you so,” Ezra said, and I rolled my eyes and took another bite from my apple. Elaina began to busy herself in the kitchen, and it wasn’t long before the delicious scent of bacon and sausages filled the air. Ezra sat down at the breakfast bar and started looking through the paper.

“Oh by the way,” he said without looking up, “I saw your notes on Tate Holdings” I cringed in my seat. They were one of Ezra and Jeremy’s clients. I had been bored last night, so I started poking around his office. I had a thing for business and had a knack for being able to see when they had potential and such. I had written a few things down based on the little I knew from Ezra and Jeremy.

“Sorry,” I said

“No, actually they were good,” he said. “I sent them to Jeremy, and he agreed that it was a good idea,” I smiled at the praise 

“You know if you considered coming into the business with me and Jer then you could quit that crappy job,” I narrowed my eyes at Ezra and he laughed, “Okay just a thought, that’s all,” He had been trying to get me to leave my job at the bar since I had got it. But I liked it, it gave me a bit of freedom to be me, and the money was pretty good. Not that Ezra and Elaina would take anything off me for rent or anything, so I had quite the little savings account. 

“Maybe once I’m back from my trip, we could look at the results,” he said, and I threw him a curious look. 

“You’re going out of town?” I asked, and he glanced over to Elaina, who was dishing out the food. I saw a very familiar look pass between them. One that meant that they were hiding something.

“What?” I asked and then narrowed my eyes. “Is this a business trip or one of those other trips?” I asked. The look on Ezra’s face answered my question, and I felt my stomach drop. Every few years Alpha Ezra and Beta Jeremy get some information from their contacts that indicates that we could be in danger again. Then we end up packing up our things and finding somewhere else to move to. It never really bothered me before, but when we moved here, I couldn’t help but feel a sense of home. Our old pack territory had been in this area and I wondered that us moving back here was an indication that whatever the threat was, had been taken care of. I sighed and put down the fork I had just picked up. I suddenly didn’t feel so hungry. 

“When?” I asked, and Ezra shrugged in response.

“I’m sorry sweetheart,” he said. “I know you like it here and despite how much I hate it, I know you like your job. It’s just that we promised-” he stopped as Elaina coughed and put his head down. I looked between the two of them as they both avoided eye contact.

“What are you not saying?” I asked. I was getting annoyed. I hated being kept in the dark but tolerated it most of the time.

“I can’t do my Gamma duties if I don’t know all of the information, Ezra,” I snapped and stood up from my chair. 

“Kae,” he called after me as I stormed off. I hated living in hiding, especially as I had no idea why, seriously what was so damn important that after almost twenty years we were still being hunted. 

“Kae, please,” he said again, his voice pleading. I stopped in my tracks and closed my eyes. I took a deep breath before turning to face him. I knew I had a tendency to get a little emotional about things. Apparently it was because I was passionate, according to Beta Jeremy. 

“It’s okay,” I forced a smile on my face, “I understand. I know you are just keeping us all safe. I just wish I could help.” Ezra looked at Elaina and they shared a look before he met my eyes again. 

“Maybe we should have a talk when I get back,” he said. “it might be time you knew the truth. Is it okay that we wait until I get back, though? it could take more than a couple of hours.” I nodded in response. I could tell by the look on his face and the forced smile that Elaina had on, that he was being serious. 

“Okay,” I said quietly, feeling a little foolish, and maybe a lot bratty. 

“Okay good,” Ezra said and stood up, he kissed Elaina and walked over and Kissed my forehead, “You’re a good girl Kaeleigh, and you’ve been through more than any of us, I hope you know that we just want you safe,” I smiled again and nodded. 

“I do,” I said, and he nodded. 

“Well, I better get packing, and don’t worry, I’ll be back in a few day’s and then we will tell you the whole story,” and with that he headed into their bedroom and closed the door.