AZURA.
The laughter rang in my ears but there is nothing merry about it, filled with malice and jeers.
“Go on!”
“Awe, what’s wrong, too much of a wimp?”
“You’re meant to be the boss' woman, can't you do it? Too weak?”
I freeze, standing between my boyfriend and his men. They are torturing someone who I don’t even recognise in his wolf form, but what else is new, this is the usual for them. I always tried to ignore his ways and stayed out of his business. Trying to focus on the good in him instead, but today, they expect me to join in with their sick games.
I don’t want to do this, staring at the bloody mass on the ground, my stomach churns. This was not meant to happen.
“Just pull the trigger.” His voice is devoid of emotions, his cold murky eyes meet mine as he holds the gun out to me.
“I... I'm not so sure about this, this wasn’t what you told me.” I reply calmly, despite the way my stomach is twisting with nerves.
“Not even for me, my little Pet?” He tilts his head, looking at me whilst the rest of his friends spur me on.
I stare at the gun, trying to think how I got here…
But I don’t know when I fell into this toxic relationship. I’m not someone who needs sympathy, I was never one who couldn’t sleep at night because of my demons. I was always carefree, unbothered, and wild. I loved to have fun, crush on the good-looking boys in my class or whatever hot Alpha crossed my path. But now… I find myself tossing and turning, trying to push the nightmares my so-called boyfriend has pulled me into.
“Please, come on, let’s forget this.” I try to shrug it off, wrapping my arms around his neck and hoping he listens.
His scent fills my nose, mixed with the smell of cigarettes and drugs. His hands stroke my waist and I tried to remember the man I had fallen in love with.
Where has he gone?
“Forget what? Oh yeah, forget what he called you? Let me rephrase that, little Pet, you don’t want to be an outcast, do you? The outsider… The odd one out… The freak?” His tone is a cold sneer, as his eyes burn into mine.
Freak.
My heart thumps as I stare at the bloody wolf on the ground.
I’m not a freak.
I am Azura Rayne Westwood, daughter of the previous Alpha of the Blood Moon Pack. Even though I was a child born in a way that played with the very laws of nature, I’m not a freak.
I should be dead, but I'm not.
“Freak. Freak. Freak” His men begin to chant only making the anger rise within me. He smirks, knowing it’s getting to me, making me yank away from his hold, my heart thumps violently as I snatch the weapon from his hand.
I remembered when I was a child, I didn't understand why I was disliked. Occasionally there were kids in the Pack whispering behind my back, but they didn't dare to do anything to me because I was the daughter of their Alpha. Plus, I was not someone to mess with, I always made anyone who tried to hurt me or those I loved, suffer.
However, there was one name that never left me - The Freak.
“Do it.”
I look at my boyfriend, he knows I hate that term, but he still used it… It’s my fault, I was the one blind enough to tell him my darkest secrets.
“Fine.” I spit as I turn, pretending to do his bidding and raising the gun.
What should I do?
“Shoot him, Baby.” His quiet voice laced with a deadly warning, came from right behind me.
My hand shakes as I stare at the whimpering wolf on the floor.
His breathing is so shallow…
No amount of logic makes this ok.
I am not going to do this, but the urge to turn around and shoot my so-called boyfriend instead tempts me.
I lower my weapon, the laughter fading as a tense silence falls at my act of disobedience.
“I'm not going-”
I gasp when something knocks into me from behind, making me accidentally pull the trigger, the body on the ground shivers before it stills.
“No!” I scream, dropping the gun, as I run to the wolf’s side.
No, no, no!
Laughter follows me as I look at the wolf before me, I can’t feel his heartbeat, but he doesn’t even shift to his human form. Whatever those bullets contain, is deadly, it is so fast he couldn’t even shift back.
“Why, Judah!” I scream.
Silence fell as I glare at the man who stands there, his cold eyes on me. Although he said nothing, the anger in his eyes makes my blood run cold. He hates to be disrespected.
“You do not talk to me like that.” He whispers menacingly as he strides over to me. Grabbing a fistful of the wolf’s bloody fur, he lifted his body from the ground in one sweep. “You did this.” With those words, he throws the heavy body of the dead wolf on top of me, the weight crushing my legs.
“Do you feel sorry for him? Here, take care of him!” He snarls as I glare back at him. My anger rises as I try to push the body of the wolf off me. “Who said you can get up, my Pet?”
“This is not a joke! I'm done with you and your sick ways.” I spit resentfully.
He’s no different from all of the others, he’s worse.
His eyes darken and he grabs a fistful of my hair.
“Oh, we aren’t done until I say we are.” He snarls menacingly.
“You don’t own me, and I am not your pet!” I hiss, glaring at him with defiance.
He simply laughs loudly, like my childish words amused him, but I knew better. He is beyond angry; I had just disrespected him in front of his men. He won’t forgive that.
“Yeah, I will. I'm done with you.” I spit, my heart pounding with rage.
He tugs my head back violently and using the hand that he had grabbed the wolf with, he rubbed the blood over my face roughly, before shoving me onto the ground roughly.
“I think it’s time I show you exactly who you belong to.” He spat as he hit me across the face, making my vision darken...
-
I lurch upright in bed, my entire body is soaked with sweat as the memories of that night fill my mind once more. My heart is thumping violently as I look around, and it takes me a few moments to realise I am in my bedroom. Safe.
Taking a shaking breathe, I get out of bed and walk to the adjoining bathroom, splashing my face with water.
It has been a year since I walked away from my toxic ex, one year since I thought I was done with him for good. Until two days ago when I received a video of that night along with the message: ‘Remember that I know what you did.’
My stomach knots, feeling sick as the words ring in my head.
I turned the tap off and take a deep breath, returning to my bedroom.
I’m safe here… right?
No matter how many times I think it over, I don’t know how I got involved with him.
The worst part is that if my parents knew, they would be more than disappointed in me, and the one thing I hate most, is letting them down.
Even though my parents are no longer the Alphas with my brother having taken over, they are still highly respected, their reputation is known across the country and Dad is on the Alpha King’s Council. He is also one of the Elite Eleven, a title that had been unofficially given to the selection of the most powerful Alphas of our time and here I am making things worse for them.
I wish I never met him, and I wish I could turn back time. Glancing at the clock, I realise it’s five in the morning.
I should try to get some rest. I turned the lamp off, just as my phone beeps.
Tensing, I frown as I stare at the sleek device. Taking a deep breath, I unlocked it and read the message.
‘Can’t sleep? Well, I’ll give you something more to think about. Come back to me or I think your entire family would love to watch all those videos. Do you want them to see exactly how FREAKY their little girl can get?’
I know what other videos he means and it makes me sick.
I covered my mouth unconsciously, my stomach twisting sickeningly as I glance towards my window.
He is watching me.
I walked over to the window and peer out. My heart thumps as I scan the darkness outside.
Nothing.
I can’t see anything out of the ordinary… Is he just messing with me?
My phone beep again and I look down at the new message that pops up on the screen, a message that makes my blood run cold.
‘I see you still sleep in your underwear.’
The red and purple lights danced and flashed around me, highlighting the bodies of the exotic dancers on the stage. Strippers in expensive lingerie and perfume walked around serving drinks or looking for potential customers. The dark teal booths were half-full, some with just men and women enjoying the show, whilst others enjoy a lap dance. A few men in suits are being escorted away by dancers to the private rooms. Kingdom of Sin is a human strip club in the heart of one of the busiest cities in the country, a place quite far away from my home and the chance of running into someone I knew is unlikely. Not to mention I have used an X2 scent disguiser, a formula which would make me smell like a human to other werewolves. I didn’t want Judah finding me here. The fact he may have been on our Pack territory made my stomach twist, although I kept telling myself he had just guessed what I was wearing. I needed a break from my mind and those messages, the entire day I had been unable to
I move back, my heart thumping. He must have heard me; he must have smelt me. What do I do? Judah may be dangerous, but the man standing a few meters from me screams of power and danger of a far higher caliber. I need to get out of here before he sees me, but how do I do that? “We can continue this another day. Reschedule.” His deep velvety voice, that sends shivers of desire through me, came. I can’t lie that the voice is fucking hot. Come on Azura, breathe steadily and focus! “Ah, of course.” “Absolutely.” I didn’t dare move as I hear the rest recede, but my mate remains. The doors shut and I close my eyes in defeat, he’s still here. “Why don’t you step out from your hiding spot.” His voice came. I close my eyes, any dream I had that I would be able to escape from him, is gone. Slowly I stand up and turn, staring at the man before me. If I have thought he is the epitome of desire and dominance before, he is a thousand times hotter when I see him properly. His scent intoxi
AZURA. We had taken a back exit where a sleek black car had been waiting for us, I didn’t see the driver, my focus on the man before me. The moment we were in the car, he pulled me on top of him. I straddled him, welcoming the feeling of intoxication he brought. I didn’t need ten bottles of whiskey or several glasses of absinthe to forget everything, this worked… He pulled my jacket off me, and I helped, reaching behind and pulling it down from my wrists, tossing it to the ground. His eyes were on my breasts, his hand running down my arms. I locked them around his neck, tangling one hand through his delicious chocolate locks. Oh fuck, he was so handsome. Our lips met once more in a sinful kiss. I gyrated my hips against his crotch, his grip tightened on my waist, the other squeezing my ass. "Fuck." He growled, sucking on my neck. I tilted my head back, my eyes fluttering shut as rivers of pleasure rocked through me. His hand twisted in my hair as his lips trailed down my collarb
AZURA. Four weeks had passed since his rejection. That night had shaken me far more than anything Judah had ever done to me. I still remember grabbing my clothes before I stumbled out of the penthouse. I had nothing, not my phone, not my bike. I had managed to beg someone for a phone, and I had rang Liam as the rain began falling, washing away the scent of my so-called mate. But it couldn’t wash away what he did to me. My mark burned with agony, the healing slowing due to the rejection. When Liam had shown up, I had been silent. When he saw the state I was in, the anger in his eyes had made me succumb to tears. I had never seen him so enraged, and if I didn’t grab onto him and beg him that it was consensual, he was ready to kill. I had managed to tell him that my mate had marked and rejected me. If it was anyone else but Leo, I wouldn’t have cared, but I couldn’t tell anyone because it would ruin things. Alejandro would lose it and Marcel, Leo’s dad, would feel guilty over it. This i
AZURA. Pregnant. I slid to the floor against the stall wall, not caring about the germs that probably filled this place, and stared unblinkingly at the stick, my mind blank. Pregnant. With his child. "I'm fine." I said, taking a shuddering breath. I am not fine. I'm pregnant, I'm only nineteen and I'm pregnant. Pregnant with the child of someone who wants nothing to do with me. I knew I would have to tell my parents, but the thought made my stomach sink. The hurt in Dad’s eyes when I told him I had been rejected… I don’t know if I’ll be able to handle telling them I was pregnant too… What do I do? My mind was reeling, the pain in my chest was becoming suffocating. As much as I wanted to crush Leo for what he had done, I couldn’t, not without making this hard for Alejandro, I couldn’t do that to them. I already caused problems for everyone without meaning to. There was a time I dreamt of a love like my parents, but who am I kidding? My mate had ripped that from me when he mar
Azura. "A holiday?" Dad asked concerned. It was the following day, and we were over at Liam’s. Katara was playing on the floor, her blonde hair pulled into two pigtails, whilst her cerulean blue eyes watched me curiously. She may be seven, but she was quite small for her age. Despite her strength and determination, she was a minuscule-sized princess. "I don’t think you should be going alone." Jayce added. I frowned, planting my hands on my hips. "Say’s who?" I asked. "Say’s logic and the situation." He shot back. Moody little git. I wonder what he’d say if he knew I was pregnant, but I am not going to listen to a thirteen-year-old, who is meant to be my subordinate, tell me what I should and shouldn’t be doing. "He ain’t wrong." Theo added with a cocky grin. "Besides, you just get in trouble every damn time." "Boys, go outside. Now." Raven ordered, frowning at her sons. "We are only saying it because we care for her." Carter added, making me sigh. "I am going somewhere so I
AZURA. I awoke to a dull ache in my back, I was in a comfortable bed and I could smell a citrusy fresh scent. I frowned, opening my eyes and looking around what appeared to be a hospital room. The walls were a pale green, with the far wall being covered in forest scenery. I was hooked up to some drips. Sitting up, I yanked them off and slid out of the bed. Sunlight was streaming through the window that was open a crack, and I could hear the faint sounds of laughter and chatter from outside. I looked down, realising I was wearing a pale green hospital gown. My clothes. Where were they? I scanned the room, my heart leaping when I spotted my luggage and coat on the couch in the corner. I rushed over to it, wincing as a pang of pain rushed through my back. Oh fuck. What time was it? Or worse, what day was it and where was I? Where was my phone? I was about to grab some clothes when one of the two doors leading off the room opened, and a woman in a white coat with her brown hair
AZURA. "One month it’s all I'm asking for, and then I’ll be a good little she-wolf and walk away without unleashing hell." I replied, trying not to let the mockery in my voice show. I gripped his wrist, forcing him to let go of me. He released me, taking out a cigarette and lit it. An image of Judah smoking his joint came to my mind, and the vast difference between both of them hit me hard. Leo oozed power and danger, yet, despite the pain, I don’t know if it was the mate bond, but I felt better around him. Sure the pain he had caused me still hurt, and that emptiness that had grown inside of me was still there, but… I knew I would be safer here until I found a way to deal with Judah. "You will behave, and you will not tell anyone why you’re here. Marcel won’t be back for a few weeks, and I want you gone before then. Deal?" Marcel? Something about him using his Dad’s first name told me things weren’t great between them. "Fine, I will be gone before your dad is back." Our eyes