Chapter 1

~Angel Taylor POV~ 

(Blood Moon Pack) 17 years ago

As I pace back and forth seething, I pull my mate's hair back hard enough to cause her pain.  She thought she could leave me.

“You thought you could get away, and I would never find you, Leyla?! You belong to me, dead or alive…(ughh) your stench is unbearable!” I spat. 

Leyla, Angel’s wife, was considered a rogue since she fled the Blood Moon Pack. Rogues have a distinctive smell when they no longer belong in a pack. Their smell is described as if you're smelling an old dumpster or rotten eggs.

“You will never get your hands on her, and she will live in a peaceful environment. She will receive the love she needs, the type of love you would probably never give her. You never deserved us. I don’t understand why the moon goddess fated me to you. You are a worthless piece of cra—” (a loud slap echoed through the dungeon cells). Leyla spit out blood.

“You don’t have room to talk!” I said, clenching my jaws. “Do you not see the position you are in!?”

She chuckled and glared at me, “Does the Alpha know how pathetic you truly are? Why don’t you let me talk to him instead, I owe him that explanation after all.” She smirked. “You are so pathetic to think I was going to let you keep abusing me?! I wasn’t ever going to allow that life and treatment for my innocent child. I don’t care what you do with me, I’m just happy, my baby girl will have a chance at happiness.” 

I chuckled wickedly. 

“Leyla, Leyla, Leyla…you’ll be dead before I let you speak to Connor. I will search high and low for that kid, and I will not quit until I find her.” I said cruelly.

I grabbed the silver dagger from the table and stepped in front of her and leaned close to her right ear, “You said your child? She’s mine too. Last time I checked, it took two to f*ck and create a kid. When I find her, and I will…she will take her place and I’ll do with her as I please. You're right though, I don’t understand why I was fated to a weak wolf like you. It should have been your friend Kim.” 

I placed the dagger by her neck. “Funny thing though, Kim was a better f*ck than you, and she tastes delicious!”

Leyla’s eyes widened, and tears rolled down as shock sped through her body from his cold-hearted confession. Leyla and her wolf, Ava, had both felt his betrayal so many times, but she didn’t know it was with Kim. Ava howled.

She closed her eyes, and for those last seconds before death, she asked the moon goddess to protect and keep Natalie safe. At least she never told him the baby’s name. Trusting with all her heart, the Alpha and the Luna from the Starry Night Pack, that her baby was in good hands. They knew a couple who couldn’t conceive, and they would gladly take the baby and care for her as if she were theirs. 

I slit her throat in a fast swipe. Even in the face of death, she had a ghostly smirk glaring at me. The light in her eyes left as her blood poured on the floor. 

I angrily stared at those orbs that once saw me with love and in that precise moment when her life slipped away, I received an agonizing chest pain and my wolf Roe howled for the loss of our mate. ‘Stupid mate bond.’

I was never an affectionate person. My dad was the same way, aggressive, ruthless, and short tempered. The apple didn’t fall far from that tree. That’s who I am. Roe, however, wanted her so badly. He never agreed with me in cheating on her or breaking her like I did, but he was only my wolf. I could careless of what he thought, I had more control over him.

Staring at her body, I realized how much I didn’t care for a mate in the beginning. I was pretty much forced to go to that useless mate ball. Our previous Alpha and Luna wanted us to seek our mates to continue the bloodline. 

(Remembering the mate ball)

**I was talking to Connor when I saw him freeze and glare at someone. I looked in the direction where his sight was, and that is when I saw Leyla. Damn if she wasn’t the sexiest girl I ever saw. It’s like Connor was mesmerized at the sight of her. To my surprise, I felt the mate bond click, “Mate!” Roe was going crazy. ‘Well damn! Ain’t I the lucky one.'**

It was nice in the beginning, but she just wasn’t enough, and her clinginess got me more irritated. I wasn’t a one woman man. I wanted more. Yeah, every once in a while I’d slap her for her outburst, but then the pushing got more violent, and then the beatings began. I didn’t care for her tears, and honestly, it would piss me off more.

She was a wolf, she could heal fast.

She was only good enough to give me an heir. Because of our bond, we would create a strong beta. She was still weak for giving me a girl when I was hoping for a boy. Girls are too damn weak and soft. Now I have to search for that kid and bring her home where she belongs.

Alpha Connor entered the dungeon.

~Alpha Connor’s POV~

When my eyes landed on Leyla’s body, for a split second, I was angry and saddened. But as those emotions surfaced, I quickly buried them. I remembered how once I wished the moon goddess would have made Leyla my fated mate. 

“Why didn’t you let me speak to her!?” Giving Angel a murderous look.

He remembered the first time he laid eyes on her at the mate ball that took place at the Midnight Pack where Alpha Easton Carter’s parents hosted it. Every unmated wolf was to be present.

It was her beauty that took his breath away. 

She looked so innocent and soft. Her long black straight hair, emerald orbs with long, thick eyelashes, and pink heart-shaped lips. A perfect curvy body aching to be touched. 

He was upset when he discovered that his soon to be beta was mated to her, and he had to accept it because that is how the goddess wanted it.

But shortly after, he sensed his mate, Claire Hills. She was a beauty as well. But their love was short-lived. He was grief-stricken when he lost his dear Claire while giving birth to their son. Losing a mate is the hardest part of a wolf’s life.

Weeks after their son Landon was born, Leyla gave birth to a beautiful green-eyed baby girl with a mop of black hair. However, hours later, she disappeared in such haste. Since werewolves heal fast, she wasted no time. No one saw or sensed her absence, and he couldn’t understand why. Angel wasn’t even by her side when she gave birth, so it made it much easier for her to vanish.

She rejected her pack, and I felt the pack link break, but it was too late. She was gone. She may have planned this weeks before. It just didn’t make sense to me. 

Leyla was kind, feisty, joyful, helpful, and humble, but as the days went by, he noticed she wasn’t around much, and her demeanor changed drastically. Could that change have to do with Angel?

“What for!? She was my mate and she betrayed me! She wouldn’t tell me where my kid was!” I could feel the heat and anger rise from his body. 

I calmed down a bit, “I could have tried to reason with her, Angel. You should have waited for me.” This guy never had patience and always wanted to strike first, then ask questions later.

He’s known his beta since they were kids. Growing up, he realized Angel was very easily tempered and aggressive. He really thought they were happy, or maybe that’s what they portrayed.  

 “Don’t worry, friend, we will find her. Your daughter is next in line for Beta. My son, our pack will need her.” 

Angel looked down and ordered one of the guards to pick up his dead mate's body and burn it. He didn’t think she deserved a proper burial since she was considered rogue. 

I felt a slight pang.

Angel didn’t even respond to my statement. He just stood there holding the dagger.