The sun peeked over the mountains. Soon, it would light up the fields and splash over the houses. This was my favorite time of day. The animals were still sleeping, no one was out of their bed yet, and the quiet that fell over the pack in the night still lingered. I took a deep breath and smoke billowed around me as I exhaled.
I’d been living in this Goddess-forsaken world for thirteen years. I was young and far from naive. We’ve been here in the Clear Mountains pack since we were found. That was three years ago and I hadn’t changed much since. I did my best to stay away from others. I tried not to make friends but Devin liked me, and he was hard to shake. I didn’t care about the opinions of others. I had my sister and that was enough, that’s all I needed. My goal was to live a quiet life, make it to adulthood, and protect my other half, my good half.
The story was that I was the Alpha’s bastard son from the next pack over and that was what kept us safe. No one knew I was the criminal that killed his father, killed the beta, and fled in the middle of the night.
When the warriors of this pack found us, I told them that we were thrown away, tossed out without care. They believed every word and took us in. They pitied me and even though it disgusted me, it was what kept my sister safe. My sister struggled, she missed home and she didn’t know why we couldn’t go back. She wanted love, care, and parental affection.
At first, she was jealous of those with parents. I did everything I could to give her what we never had. I promised she would never even notice what we were missing. I gave her doting affection, love, and cared for her as both a guardian and a brother. It was hard not to notice the rumors that spread about us. We were told that our relationship was far from natural, but I ignored them. I wanted my sister to wish for nothing.
I may have showered her with too much attention but they didn’t know what was unnatural. I knew firsthand what that was and I’d never do that to her. I wanted her to stay the way she was, kind, spoiled, and ill-tempered. I wouldn’t want her to change, I wouldn’t let anything happen to her. It wasn’t until recently that she realized we didn’t need parents for that.
The neighbor’s door swung open and Mitch walked out and took a seat on a wooden chair.
“I need you to cover for Liam,” Mitch said as he pulled on his boots. “He’s ill and I need you to take on his duties. It’ll only be for today.”
Liam was Mitch’s nephew and he worked the fields like Devin, tending to the vegetables and farming. I’ve worked under Mitch, the butcher, since I came to the Clear Mountain pack. He was suspicious of my familiarity with the blade but after my feigned innocence he didn’t question me. Under his watchful eye, I practiced slicing, dicing, and killing.
By the age of eleven, Mitch gave me my own blade. Other than the gift of life, it was the first time I received anything and I soon became attached to it. I kept her clean and sharp, making sure to have her on me at all times.
I agreed but I grumbled the entire walk to the field. It was only for one day. I liked working in the butcher’s quarters. I didn’t like change but I never questioned Mitch, he was one of the only people I’ve ever respected.
Devin perked up when he saw me. He hadn’t shifted yet but I could see wolf ears standing up and a tail wag as I made my way towards him. When I blinked the ears and tail were gone. Before he could start talking or ask me about why I was there, I asked him to lead me to Liam’s post. I tucked the vegetables into one bag and the potatoes into another. I made sure to take the vegetables first and leave the potatoes for last.
After I dropped the vegetables off, I came back for the potatoes. Load after load, I delivered them to the packhouse. It wasn’t until the last load that I saw her.
I’d walked past the gate when the packhouse door opened. My gaze landed on her as she walked out and my mind went blank. I forgot what I was doing.
One look at her and the weight on my shoulders lightened, the air in my chest was gone, and a warmth I couldn’t remember feeling before washed over me.
She was the prettiest thing I’d ever seen. Her long brown wavy hair cascaded past her shoulders, her skin was tan and looked silky soft. My gaze paused on the black ribbon in her hair. Smooth tan skin was sheathed with white embroidered polyester and chiffon, her butterfly sleeves running down to her wrist. The material ran down to the floor, hiding her legs. Her eyes were downcast, I couldn’t see what color they were but I wanted to know. Something screamed from the depths of my soul. I needed to know everything there was to know about her.
I dropped a sack of potatoes, the large spuds spilled from the bag. They were all over the floor. I didn’t notice that I had dropped them at first. It wasn’t until her big brown eyes looked up at me that I was brought back to the present. My jaw was hanging open and something was fluttering in my stomach. Her words, although quiet, were laced with worry. Why was there fear in her eyes?
“The potatoes, quick, my father is coming!” The pretty girl said.
Before her words registered and before I could decide if I cared about her father, the packhouse door opened and the Alpha walked out. Shit. There was a menacing aura around him and I knew if I didn’t hurry up, I’d be fucked. Chances were I already was. I dropped to my knees and fumbled with the potatoes. I kept my head down and silence filled the courtyard. The sound of his footsteps neared and I held my breath as I reached for the last potato.
“Father—” A loud, resounding smack echoed and the girl crumbled to the floor. My eyes rounded as I turned to look at her. Had he just-? Did he just-? I couldn’t believe it. My wolf howled inside, determined to protect the girl we didn’t even know yet. Maximus only ever came out to protect me. I didn’t question it as I lunged toward her, shielding her with my body. My hand crunched against the ground as a boot stepped on it. I gritted my teeth right before pain erupted on the left side of my abdomen. I wheezed as the air was knocked out of me. I didn’t want to crush her but I also didn’t want her to get one of the kicks meant for me. I dropped to the ground next to her, shielding her behind me. My forehead smashed against the stones that littered the ground as my abdomen was struck with another kick. I hadn’t had time to take in a breath and my lungs tightened with the need for oxygen. I curled into a ball and covered my head with my arms. Kick after kick, blow after blow landed on m
Adealine’s eyes widen and she holds my attention as her lips part. I pull myself up and fight the urge to laugh as she stares at me in shock. She leans back so we don’t bump heads. I tuck the strand into my pants pocket before she can try and swipe it back from me. Now that I was sitting up a foot away from her face, her cheeks flushed and she looked away from me. I’ve always known that I was easy on the eyes but I’ve never really put too much thought into it. Seeing her staring at me the way she is, has changed that. I like that she’s staring. I’m having an effect on her and I can’t help the giddiness that spreads a blush across my cheeks. I’ve never wanted someone to like me as much as I do right now. I may have just turned thirteen but I’ve been working since I was a child. My body was long and lean. I’ve always been bigger than others my age. My long curly black hair was the only thing I received from my father. Only the offspring of an Alpha had strong dark-colored hair. It was
There was a bit of a limp in her walk but I was sure I imagined it. That or the shoes on her feet were too tight. She led me through the packhouse doors. I’ve never been in here before. The only time I came around here was when I had to fill in for Mitch’s nephew, which wasn’t often, and I was never permitted inside. I usually met the kitchen staff out front or by the entrance to the kitchen. White stone walls stretched two stories high, her shoes clicked against the floor, white trim followed us as we walked into a room that had two mahogany double doors on each side. Everything was so white, so clean here, as clean as her. I didn’t care to take in my surroundings, I kept my gaze on her and her hair that bounced as she walked. She came to a stop in front of dark wooden stairs that seemed to lead up to the Goddess herself. She yanked at my arm and my feet moved by her command. We headed up the insanely long set of steps. Surprisingly enough, we didn’t pass anyone on the way. I was pu
I knew it and yet, I couldn’t bring myself to stop looking at her. As soon as I left here, I would focus only on Mavy. I wouldn’t think about the princess who slept in the room at the top of the staircase. I wouldn’t wonder about the books on her shelves. I wouldn’t wonder if any of them were scandalous. No, I would remember that it’s only Mavy and I against the world. Slowly, I made my way to her bed. Mahogany wood was the theme in this packhouse but more so in her room. Her bed matched her vanity and the frame around her mirror. I smirked, Princess had grown up in the lap of luxury. She deserves nothing less. I took a seat at the edge of the bed and watched her continue to rifle through supplies. When she had everything she needed, she turned from the mirror and faced me. Clenching her jaw, she straightened her back and closed the distance between us. She hesitated for a second, only a second, before she placed the supplies beside me on the bed. She took a step toward me, success
When she walked back to me, she had a tube of ointment in hand. Her shoulders were tense, and her gaze firm as she made up her mind. She still had a limp in her step and a thought crossed my mind. A terrible thought, one I didn’t think could be possible. If he had easily slapped her outside, what happened behind closed doors? When she got to me, she squeezed a bit of the ointment onto her finger. I felt a jolt of pain as her finger prodded a bruise. In a flash, I grabbed her hips and threw her down onto the bed. Her dress rode up but my mind wasn’t on that. All thoughts of being close to her had scattered in the wind. I needed to check, I needed to know. My suspicions were confirmed as I was met with smooth skin marked with bruises. New dark purple bruises lay on top of older yellowing ones. My heart dropped into my stomach. Scrapes and cuts started on her legs and ran all the way up her thighs. I had a suspicion they went higher. “What are you doing?!” She hissed. Her eyes darted t
I held her while she poured her heart out. I didn’t judge her, I didn’t try to make it better because there was nothing I could do. When she was done, she wiped her cheeks. Looking up into my eyes she burst into a fit of laughter.“I’m sorry. I don’t know what just happened.” She turned her face to look out the window. The sun was starting to set. “Goddess, I need to go!” She uncurled herself from my grasp and hopped to her feet. “… and you need to leave here without being seen. I’m surprised no one has come for me yet!”“Leave without being seen? I can do that.”“How?” She whined as she rushed to the vanity.“I’m good at hiding.”“Are you though?” She asked. Her tone revealed her disbelief.“Yes. It’s a skill, and just think, no one is looking FOR me. Don’t worry. I’ll make it out without being seen.”“How are you going to manage that? We’re up four flights of stairs and people are most likely walking around now. What’s the plan?” Adealine asked.I watched Adealine as she sat in her
AdeaThe day was as hot as it was humid, with air so thick you could practically cut it with a knife. The people prayed for a sign of rain, but there wasn’t a cloud in sight. It’s funny how things like caring about the weather started to matter the older I got. At almost fourteen, I knew what a drought would do to our crops. It was announced that every pack member was to gather in the meeting hall. Pulling my gaze from the window, I turned to face the people as they made their way in.I sat to the far left of my father, Alpha Eduard Biscoff of the Clear Mountain pack. He wore a white dress shirt tucked into his fitted black slacks. A red vest was fastened at the front and gold rings adorned his fingers. He had a full head of brown hair, where mine was curly, his was straight. The air pulsing with tension spoke volumes as he held his head as high as only a King could. His gray eyes glared at the pack members as they poured into the hall.The only buffer between my father and myself was
It felt as if all of the air had been sucked out of the room. I’d never seen him before, but I didn’t need an introduction. I knew who he was. From the light scar at the corner of his brow and the green of his eyes, I knew instantly who he was. The man that had just entered the Meeting Hall was Ethan of the Crimson pack. His broad shoulders, muscular chest, brown tousled hair and piercing green eyes made it clear. My future King had arrived. Seeing him, I knew why we were called to the Meeting Hall. We were here to welcome Alpha Ethan.He towered over his men by at least two feet. He wore a white dress shirt that hung loosely. His shirt did little to hide the muscles beneath it. He was tall, his long legs gave an impressive stance. He paired his ensemble with black shiny boots.Ethan was mouthwatering and I knew every woman who sat in this hall today would agree. Just glancing around, I saw the jealous glares shoot all across the room. I knew any one of them would happily volunteer to