THREE YEARS LATER
TALIA'S POVI yawn and stretch out while still laying flat on my bed with my eyes closed. I can already feel the rays of the sun warming the room through my bedroom window.I rub my sleepy eyes before blinking them open. Everything surrounding me looks different and I gasp in shock. The room I am in looks nothing like my bedroom. It's fancy and colourful, two things I have never been a fan of.The curtains that now hang on the window are pink and larger than the tiny blue ones I used to have. Several framed pictures hang on the walls making the room look like a small, overly decorated gallery.I try to think about what may have happened. Then all the memories come flowing in. The match, the soldiers, King's council. . . The execution!Oh my God! How comes I am standing here breathing again? And whose room is this now? Did another family pick up our own?I have heard stories of rebirth before. Tales of a few people that actually died and then came back to life later. I didn't think it was a good thing then because a person returns to a world that already moved on without them. Catching up can never be easy. Sometimes you find that the place you used to call home totally changed. Which may be exactly what is happening to me right now.I walk to the big mirror fixed on the wall across the room and stare at my reflection. My eyebrows shoot up at how different I look. Taller, shapely and a bit too attractive for a warrior's daughter.This isn't how I used to look. I was still seventeen and yet to phase when they executed me. Now I look nineteen or twenty and way more beautiful than I used to be. My skin is flawless and my tall body has got all the right curves.Wish I could feel just as beautiful on the inside. Fear makes my heart throb just like the day they executed me. Except that the fear I feel now has nothing to do with my own welfare. I am worried about where my family may be. Can they be still alive?If I have really been reborn, I will travel to the end of the world to find them. All I need to know is where and to who they were sold. I kind of feel strong enough to rescue them. I don't think I have a wolf, because I can't sense any. But there are things that are more special than being able to shift into a strong beast. Having powers is one of them.I am sure I didn't phase into a werewolf. But into a special being with powers, just like the beloved prince Evan. the man my mother was accused of attempting to kill. The Queen knew that people would be too angered by anything that threatened to harm their overly powerful Prince. She knew that accusing our mother of trying to poison him would be the best way to make everyone suddenly hate us more than anything.She succeeded in not just taking down our mother, but also in ruining our family.I am honestly itching for revenge. I am dying to show her that she didn't win so easily. But first I need to find out how much the world out there has changed. The wisest thing to do is find my family and make sure they are safe first. Then I will be free to go after the person that thought she can get away with causing us so much pain.I feel like I have the power to fight every one of her soldiers, but not the prince. There is no way I can be as powerful as him. Even before he used his ability to intensify a person's pain on me, I had heard several stories of the things he could do with his powers and I don't feel like I am equally as blessed.If things are just as they were before my death, I will find out to whom my family got sold to first, then I will figure out a way to get to the queen without her powerful son knowing.My face and body may look impressive but I woke up drenched in my old nightgown and I am barefoot. I need something presentable if I am walking out of this room. My old closet is still the one in the room, but I doubt it's my clothes inside.The only shoes in the room are a pair of White stiletto heels, brown boots that look old and a pair of blue slippers, all arranged in a line next to the closet.I walk to the closet and pull the small door open. The dresses inside are extremely fancy, short and none have sleeves. I am lucky enough to find one long enough to go past my knees. It's white, not my favourite colour since it gets dirty quickly. But it's better than something short and uncomfortable.I change into the dress, put on the stilettos and walk back to the mirror to make sure I don't look like a high-class prostitute. The dress fit my new shapely body well and looks elegant. People will have a hard time recognising me. I can as well pretend I am someone else.I walk to the door but find that it's locked from the other side. I must have enough strength to easily pull hard enough until the locks break. I however don't want to start ruining things a few minutes after coming back to life. Not when I don't even know who lives here now. There are other ways I can use to leave this room.I go to the window and draw the curtains. The outside looks like midday, not early morning. Hopefully, none of the neighbours is looking in this direction to see me jump out through a window. The space is large enough for me to squeeze through.I take the shoes off and toss them out first before stepping out through the window sill. The ground is not far and I feel confident that such a small height shouldn't scare me. I actually land on the ground with more grace than a cat.What used to be our neighbourhood hasn't changed much and I feel confident that it hasn't been too long since the day I was executed. My family may still be okay, I just need to know where exactly they are.I put the heels back on and make my way towards the first person I see, a middle-aged woman that is busy tending to her small vegetable garden outside of her two Storey House. She smiles cordially when she sees me approaching. I doubt she recognises me because otherwise, she would be screaming and not smiling."Hi" I greet."Hello. You aren't lost, are you? You look too refined to be wandering in a neighbourhood like this." She says, openly staring at the whole of me."I am not lost." I correct.Her face crises with confusion. "Realy? You are a noble lady and you shouldn't be walking around alone. It's not safe." She says, sounding genuinely concerned.Does she think I am a noble? I must really be looking different from the way I used to. I am not wearing expensive jewellery and someone thinks I am Noble!"I am not noble." I correct it again."Really?""Yes. I am actually looking for the family that used to live in that house before." I point at the house that used to be my home.Her smile drops instantly and she regards me with shock in her eyes. She may be finally realising who she is talking to."I am Their cousin. It's been a while since I visited." I lie and she smiles once again."You are Talia Abram's cousin?" She asked and I nod my head.She fries with relief. "I am so sorry but your cousin got executed three years ago. She and her mother tried to poison our powerful prince. Talia got executed while the rest of the family got sold as slaves." She says, watching me with pity in her eyes.The only new thing she has revealed is that it has been Three years since the day I was executed. Can my siblings have survived slavery that long?"I am so sorry. It must hurt a lot for you to be learning this now. You seem like a really good child, unlike your cousins." She adds and shrugs her shoulders.So people still think we were evil and jealous of the Prince? I am tempted to tell her I am Talia and we were never bad people. But how will that help? She won't believe me anyway."Would you have any idea of where the family got sold as slaves?" I ask and she shakes her head."Only the King and his family would know that. Obviously, such bad people would only be bought by the manifest of all slave masters. But I don't know exactly who bought them." She answers.Doesn't that also mean that my family cannot be ok? There is nothing like a good slave master. There are however the evilest and I guess that is what she is referring to when she says the meanest of slave masters.I am going to keep hoping that my mother, Taylor and Michael are ok and I am going to find them. The question is, how will I find out where they got sold if no one else apart from the King's family knows?I can't just match to the palace and demand answers, my powers are not enough to fight Evan."I know it's hard not to feel sad as long as they were your relatives. I can host you for tonight since the prince already offered their house to another family to live in. I also think that attending the big party will help lighten your moods." The woman says."What big party?" I ask."How can you not have heard? Prince Evan is being crowned as our new king today!" She answers with the broadest of smiles.I fake mine since I know she would expect me to be happy about it. I am actually kind of pleased to know that there is a party. It sounds like a big opportunity for me to walk into the palace without much trouble. Then I will find a chance to get to the queen if she won't be too close to her powerful son.Prince Evan's parties are always attended by multitudes, of guests from all kingdoms. Even vampire Kings attended his birthday parties. This party will, of course, be overcrowded. Which is good because I will easily blend in."I think I will go to the party. Everyone is allowed in, right?" I ask the woman.She smiles encouragingly as she answers. "Of course, everyone is allowed in there. Besides, only a fool would turn back a beautiful lady like you." Such a compliment would have made me excited before the day they cheered my execution. Now nothing that comes out of their mouth pleases me. I just want to find my family and forever protect them.EVAN'S POVI never thought that I would be crowned king before finding my mate. Could it be possible that I don't really have one? Just the truth of it makes my heartbeat pick up speed. But the truth is I would have already found her if she was really out there.I have attended every stupid and boring party with the hope that I would luckily run into her. Yet none of the ladies I have met smelled like my mate. None even looked good enough anyway."Surely you can at least put on a smile for our guests. People will be disappointed to see you looking so distressed when you are about to become the King." Mother tries to persuade me to cheer up for the hundredth time."What I do is what my people should appreciate. My feelings are my own business." I reply."That's where you are wrong, your people care about you whether you like it or not. Looking unhappy will make them worried." She corrects and I hate the fact that she is right.I need to forge a happy face for the crowd. Why make them worry about my distress when they have no way of helping?"Besides, who said you won't find your mate today? I am sure every unmated girl of this Kingdom will be in the hall." She adds with a smile."Those girls have been attending all my birthday parties. None of them is like my mate and I haven't seen any that I would like." I say but she keeps smiling encouragingly."Maybe you are mate didn't attend your birthday parties. But a lot of people are attending this ceremony and she may be one of them." She counters.she is literally the best mother anyone can ask for. I know my mate isn't in the party hall or anywhere out there, but I am still glad to have a mother that wants me to keep hoping even when I have been waiting longer than anyone else.I would do anything just to find that special lady that was meant to be mine. I am sure she wouldn't even look like every other ordinary or noble girl. she would be extraordinary. But I am more afraid that she doesn't exist.I forge a smile anyway for my mother. She will stay happy as long as she thinks I am still looking forward to finding my mate.The office door opens and my new servant peeps in. Guess I will never like any other servant like I did the man that served me like a parent since I was a small boy. The man that died after eating the poison that was meant to kill me. I will always miss him."Mother has been hiring new servants for me and none has been good enough to replace him."Sir, the ceremony is about to start. Everyone is waiting for you. My newest servant informs."Let's not keep our guests waiting. Some have travelled for days to get here." Mother says, standing up from her seat.I nod my head and stand up too.Today, I will be the Alpha KingTALIA'S POVWalking through the gates of this palace again makes my blood start rushing through my veins. The moment that I was drugged out by soldiers and a mob was allowed to lynch me keeps replaying in my head.I was so helpless and extremely weak then. I couldn't even fight a single soldier. I should feel safe now, but my heart thrombs the moment too many eyes turn to look at me. Even the outside of the palace is full of people. I see faces that I used to know, my mother's and Taylor's friends, all their eyes turn to stare at me. My whole body quivers. Can they so easily recognise me?Then I see men smiling amorously and I sigh in relief. They don't recognise me. They are just staring for some weird reason."She is gorgeous!" I hear one of the girls whisper to her friends."Yeah, she must be noble. You know her?" Another asks in a voice just as low.It's strange that I can hear them. "I don't know her. But she does look kind of familiar." The first girl answers and my heart throb
EVAN'S POV"I have gathered everyone that she spoke to, Sir. But I am also afraid that they too don't know much." My servant says in an anxious voice. "Let them in, I will question them myself," I order. He bows again and leaves my office.Apprehension can actually make breathing hard. Why the f did she run?She is literally the most beautiful girl I have ever laid my eyes on. She wore no makeup or jewellery, yet her natural beauty was honestly breathtaking.She looked extraordinarily just like I imagined my mate would be. I knew she was in the room the moment I inhaled that alluring scent, nothing in this world can smell so good and pure. The strange thing is despite looking like an angel among humans, her stunning features did look familiar. But I could have only seen such beauty in a dream. I will chase her to the edge of the world if I have to."Try to relax. Your girl will come back to you. Just give her a day or two." My mother tries to comfort me. She may have been right abou
TALIA'S POVHaving powers is apparently the only good thing that has happened to me since I came back to life. I have lost everything else, my family, our home and now the hope of ever having a loving mate.I no longer know where I am headed to anymore. My former plan can no longer work. The fact that I cannot walk into the palace without prince Evan smelling my scent also means that I have no means of getting near the Queen. There is no point in being alive as long as I cannot find my family. They are the people I want to protect."Hey, why do you look so sad? You didn't like the party?" The woman that I met fast after coming back to life makes me halt."Where are you going?" She asks. I look around. I had no thought about where I am headed to. I just had my legs carrying me towards wherever. But seemingly I am on the road towards what used to be our home. I am in fact a few metres away from the small gate."The people that live there now won't welcome you." She informs with the same
THIRD PERSON'S POVThe Queen wears a troubled face as she walks fast down a corridor and bursts into a magnificent bedroom with a king-size bed and the most exquisite furniture. Some of which have been decorated with gold. It's too extravagant even for a royal bedroomHer husband lays down on his back on top of the bed covers, his eyes gazing at the ceiling as he appears to be thinking deeply."We need to talk." His Queen states as she matches to bed and sits on the edge."I already heard that Evan's beautiful mate is Talia's cousin if that is what you wish to tell me." He replies without taking a glance at her."Then I guess the news you haven't heard is that . . that is a lie." She says and he finally turns his head to look at her."What do you mean?""Miss Abram was my best friend before she tried to poison our son. She didn't have any nieces or nephews. The girl lied!" She says, sounding clearly too certain of what she believes is the truth. Yet the husband shakes his head in disa
TALIA'S POVI thought the soldiers were going to only hurt me during the night but so far I have bypassed over a dozen of them and answered their questions about whether I have seen an incredibly beautiful and tall young lady with pitch black, wavy hair and bright brown eyes.Good thing is that my very kind host advised me to dress like a widow and hire a carriage instead of walking. I put on a hat and a veil to hide my face. The soldiers wouldn't expect a young lady to be blessed in the long dresses of a widow anyway.I am headed to the north to start the search for my mother, Taylor and Michael. Hopefully, they got bought by one of the arrogant alphas.My host did warn me that this was going to be a long journey. I thought she was exaggerating but I have been on this carriage for over eight hours and we are yet to get to the border.But I can now see a long line of posts far ahead so I think we are finally close. I think I will let myself sleep for the rest of the journey since I am
EVAN'S POVI had to retreat to my room to mull over my next move. I still feel like I have been wrecked inside. Every time I let my eyes close the appalling image of my mate's dead body lying in the dirt and her blood soaking the soil pops up in my mind.Three full years may have passed since I witnessed that awful scene but I now remember every second of it like it happened a few hours ago.All I cared about was avenging my servant's death. It didn't matter if we went too far and hurt people that were not responsible for the atrocious crime that was committed.I kept telling myself that the girl made her own decision and she probably was just as evil as her mother. Her death didn't make me feel better about my servant's death. It in fact made me realise what a mess we had made in our insane quest for justice.By now the true culprit, the mother, is either dead or truly regretting her actions. Her stupidity has made so much in my life go wrong.I don't regret being mated to her daught
TALIA'S POVThe sun is about to set, but we are finally here. The palace of Silver Moon Park stands tall in front of us. It's quite huge considering that Silver Moon is a small pack.I hand my driver his pay and step off the carriage. We had time to talk about the truth and he is no longer afraid of me. He is the first person I have met that is open-minded enough to accept that even members of the royal family could be evil."You have the money to buy them back if they are in there?" He asks."No. I plan on pretending that I have the money. Once I see them I will use my powers." I answer."You have to look like a noblewoman for them to believe that you want to buy slaves." He advises. I take off the widow's gown and stuff it into my bag. I am left in a lovely blue dress that I had underneath."Yeah, that looks fantastic." He approves. "The other thing you need is a servant to escort you.""Why?""Rich noble ladies don't travel alone and they definitely don't carry their own bags."I
EVAN'S POV"Your fake tears disgust me, woman!" I snap, stepping closer to where she has kneeled. "But I am going to make them very real soon!" I hiss and she visibly shivers.It's strange how the most wicked people are the ones that cry and beg for Mercy the most even when they have hurt others in the most abominable way. It's like their selfishness doesn't allow them to understand the pain of others or feel guilt."I raised you! You shouldn't be doing this to me!" Mother cries, literary crawling on the filthy floor of the cell. It's funny how weak she is acting already while her actual punishment is yet to come. A night in this cell is nothing compared to the horror she is yet to experience.One can only imagine the amount of pain she has caused my mate and her innocent family. It's atrocious if you also consider the fact that my mate's family could be dead or so abused to survive for long.I am not eager to have her executed yet. I will let my mate decide what should happen to her.
TALIA'S POVI thought he would act a little smarter in front of the council and my mate, but he apparently can't get any smarter than he was a few hours ago. I really hope that none of us inherited his stupidity. "How many times will I be punished for that crime? How much more torture do I have to endure before you're satisfied?" He yells out loud, his voice cracking with emotion and fear. I see Evan's jaws clench with annoyance."You condemn me for locking up my daughter but none of you cared when her notorious mother disrespected and humiliated me in the most hurtful ways! Don't your laws apply equally to all?" My so-called father carries on shouting.The entire council regards him with contempt and disgust. "And how exactly did her mother humiliate you?" One of the council members questions."She wouldn't obey me as her mate or husband. She trained to fight against my will and even challenged me into a match when I could no longer stand her immodest behaviour." He answers with a
TALIA'S POVThe tiny cell stinks worse than the time I was locked in it. I had sworn that I would not be coming back here after the last time I walked out fuming. But I feel like it's right that I hear my father's side of the story first before he gets sentenced by a council that doesn't really give a shit about the truth. Their main aim is always to please their king, not to make a fair judgement.I don't think there is anything he can say that can justify what he did to Taylor. Only an insane person would confine their teenage daughter in a dark cabin for months and rarely give her food. Our mother called him a monster and I believe that's what he is. I still want to know what happened between him and our mother before he left. Why did he leave with so much resentment? The soldier that unlocked the door followed me inside but I gesture at him to leave because I don't want the public to know about every one of my family issues. What our father did to Taylor is already shameful eno
TALIA'S POV"You weigh a tonne." I tease and the man resting his head and chest on me chuckles but doesn't move. The waves of his pitch-black hair look like a glorious mess and I couldn't resist the urge to bury my fingers in them. The thick strands feel incredibly soft against the skin of my hand. I am laying on his massive bed, courtesy of my sister spending another night in my room. I am however grateful that I am here instead of alone in that spacious room. At least my mate's scent is doing a good job of lulling my nerves so I can sleep. I had a headache immediately after my argument with Taylor which left me feeling like a wreck on the inside. She didn't say a single word to appreciate everything I have for her or our mother. All she cared about was revenge which I have had enough of. Luckily Michael chose to stay with us. Which is better than if he followed our mother back to a house that no longer looks like what we left behind. And starting off again will not be as blissful
TALIA'S POV"Why are you so shocked?" I ask as I approach the bed and Taylor keeps watching me with a baffled face. I had imagined she would be happy to see me. But don't see a hint of joy on her face. Her gaze doesn't leave my face until I reach the bed and peck her forehead. A timid smile curves on her lips. I was however hoping for a more jubilant reaction."Don't you remember me?" "Of course I do . . . you're my sister. You just look . . . so different. Like a heavenly Queen." She stutters the look of shock finally fading away. I sigh in relief because I had thought she had lost her memory or worse gone mad."You're exaggerating. I only look older because it's been three years since the last you saw me. Your face on the other hand has grown prettier." I give her another peck on her left cheek and she giggles. "I look like a living skeleton thanks to our mad father. I didn't even know he existed until he locked me in a dark room for months." She mutters with pursed lips.I take
TALIA'S POV"Please quit trusting him too much. He is no different from his mother. Don't forget that her evil blood runs in his veins." Her venomous words make my stomach churn. Not because there is any truth in what she is in them, but because the bitterness in her voice is too much that I am afraid she may never be able to see the truth and admit she is wrong. I take in deep breaths and blink away the tears before turning to embrace my mate and my little brother. "What happened to our mom? She doesn't want us!" Michael cries as I hug him. I force a smile and cup his face. "No sweetie, mum still loves us. She is just . . . a little confused right now. She will come back and stay with us soon." I soothe even though I am not sure she will ever accept to return back here. I know she loves us, she would never abandon us forever unless she really doesn't have the chance to be with us. "She thinks you're bad," Michael says looking up at Evan. My stunning mat
TALIA'S POVI told her that I couldn't have saved her, Michael or Taylor without Evan's help, and those are the first words she says to him?! What happened to her reasonable and diligent mind? Can anyone be more thankless?Evan's beautiful face doesn't show any signs of annoyance, he looks totally unfazed by even as she takes a couple of steps back and glares at him. I wish I have the same control over my emotions especially when I know someone is acting irrationally. The fact that he isn't taking her mad raving seriously doesn't mean he is totally fine with it. He is annoyed, of course, his face is, however, good at masking it. Michael looks terrified as he looks up at his mother who has a tight grip on his arm. I imagine this isn't the happy reunion he has been looking forward to, she isn't acting like the incredible mother we knew. "Stay away from my family! We have had enough of your evils!" She again snaps at an unbothered Evan. The beta shakes his head in ast
EVAN'S POVI knew this meeting was going to be fun, after all, Talia herself was so terrified of me the first time I appeared in her rented room. She didn't immediately forgive my mistakes and I didn't expect her to. But she reasoned like a sane person. Her sister is totally different, she reeks of witless hostility. She has been through hell and she is a teenager. Her cold demeanour is understandable. You don't live in a dark room for half a year and come out stress-free and amicable. "Go be a slave for three years then come back and say that you're sorry!" She yells, her eyes glowing with rage. She is clearly struggling to force the words out. She is still in pain and physically weak. Days of starvation have left her body emaciated and bony. I imagine her outburst is only fueled by anger, not strength because she can't have much."I don't need to experience what you have been through to understand your pain. But there is no way of changing the past so I am t
TALIA'S POVMother shakes her head in denial for the hundredth time. She refuses to believe that Evan wasn't part of his mother's plan to destroy our family. I didn't want to believe it either at the start. Letting go of the hate is hard when you have been through the hell each of us has been through. "He told you that he didn't know and you believed it?" She questions, looking disappointed.We didn't tell her much last night because I wanted her to finally have a peaceful night as a free woman. She is eager to know everything before we head back home. We have an escort of Miles's ten soldiers to go with us. Not that we needed them but Miles insisted that it will be the perfect show of our alliance. Good Alphas like him are rare, I am glad we ended up allies even though I have not been exactly looking forward to being a Queen. Alpha Owen earnestly apologized for having hosted Miles's father together with his hostage in his palace. He offered Miles five good horses
TALIA'S POV"They must have seen us coming," Miles says looking ahead at the heavily guarded palace of the Blue Mountain pack. It's another palace without a tall wall surrounding it or massive gates to keep strangers from strolling in at will.What however surrounds the magnificent building ahead is a big army of werewolves that look well-prepared for battle. But they are not strong enough or too many to intimidate me. As long as my mother is within that palace I will get her out safely.They obviously didn't have the time to run off again since they had no way of knowing we are coming. They saw us coming from afar and hurried to get soldiers in a line outside to protect the palace. I objected to Miles's idea to bring with us his best lycan soldiers to attack and capture the palace. After witnessing how ruthless he can be I know he won't spare a single life if I let him fight. There is no need for bloodshed when I have my powers. "Don't worry about how many the