“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 me. I heard a sharp intake of breath from Adealine as Alpha kicked me over and over again. Eventually, he stopped and I listened tentatively until his footsteps disappeared. For a minute, I don’t move.
The sound of rocks being dragged along the ground alerted me to her movements. I swallowed the lump in my throat and struggled to get my breathing under control as rocks crunched beneath her feet.
“Leave him alone,” the kitchen maid whispers. “If the Alpha finds out you’re talking to anyone that hasn’t been approved you’ll be in trouble.”
“I’m in trouble regardless, Agatha,” she whispered back. “He tried to protect me.”
To that, the maid kept quiet. There was silence as she faced me. I watched as she lowered herself to her knees and the kitchen maid gasped. Soft fingers danced up my temple and my eyes fluttered shut as she pushed away a few of my curls from my face. It felt good. I shivered under her gentle touch. I stayed still, afraid that if I moved, she would stop. If that was her father, I knew exactly who she was. She was Adealine, the oldest daughter of the Alpha of Clear Mountain Pack.
Devin hadn’t been lying when he said she was beautiful. It wasn’t the first time I’d heard of her beauty. I’d spoken to the servants in the packhouse. They whispered of her beauty even at a young age. The boys in the field and the boys who picked up the meat from me to deliver to the packhouse had spoken of her too. As I did with Devin, I didn’t pay attention to it. I wasn’t interested in dating. My focus had been solely on my sister and working. At least, it had been.
I’d been beaten down by the Alpha of Clear Mountain. I shouldn’t feel excited about this but I did. I had lived and the feeling I felt in my chest was wrong, all wrong. I had survived. The cockiness in me was starting to shine through. His kicks hadn’t even been that hard. Pride washed over me. Now that I think about it, his kicks had felt… weak. I chucked but it was followed by a groan as my ribs protested. Adealine’s gaze trailed down my face to my ribs where I clutched.
“I’m sorry,” she murmured.
“Why are you sorry? You didn’t do anything,” I grunted. She was quiet for a second before her eyes stared into my soul.
“I wouldn’t say that, I’m the reason he’s in a foul mood. He has a short fuse and has been itching to take it out on someone. The next person to cross his path was bound to be his next target. I’m sorry that it was you,” she said quietly. She sounded older than her twelve years. She sounded like someone wise beyond her years, like someone who had lived through horrors, just as I had.
“I’m sorry he struck you,” I whispered. She didn’t say anything but her lips curled as she smiled sadly. The words were coming up and I couldn’t stop them. “You can’t take on the responsibility for your father’s actions. You can’t blame yourself for the actions of an adult,” I groaned as I uncurled myself and lay on my back. I raised my chin and forgot how to breathe.
“I’ll do what I damn well choose… whatever your name is,” she said haughtily. There was a spark in her eyes, her words were firmer than they had been. “Besides, if not me, who would he blame?” She asked.
“Definitely not his child,” I said.
Her hair framed her face and hung from her as the stars did from the night sky. She avoided my gaze, looking away from me. I took the opportunity to reach up and wrap one of the strands around my finger. I could hear her swallow and could feel her eyes on me but that didn’t hinder me. I did what I wanted and I took my time. I twirled her hair around my finger, my gaze locked on hers.
I could hear in the back of my mind Mitch telling me not to touch her, to get as far away from her as possible, and not to talk to her ever again. I could hear him telling me to stay away from the packhouse from today onward and I couldn’t help but smirk. I didn’t like being told what I can and cannot do.
I wanted to grab my knife from my hip and take the strand. Now that I was thinking about it, I wondered why I hadn’t already. With my free hand, I reached down and grabbed my knife. Her eyes tracked my movements but by the time she realized what I was doing, it was too late. In one fluid movement, I brought the blade across her soft hair.
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
Two years laterShane“Shane!”My Princess’s voice cut through my concentration, demanding my focus. I internally groaned and jumped at the thought of her being here at this moment. I had been on the hunt all day before a prey willingly walked into my trap. I didn’t flinch as she called me again. I knew she was here, any moment now, she would walk through that door and see me, if she hadn’t already.Pretending I couldn’t hear her, I stuck my tongue down Evangeline’s throat and grabbed her breast. Her arms were wrapped around me, her mouth was open, wet, and inviting. I squeezed hard and she cried out as the pleasure mixed with pain. She didn’t tell me to stop, she never did. She was good at giving me what I wanted. No matter how dark, no matter how depraved, she always let me do whatever it was I wanted. She ground against me as she widened her legs. The door opened and the sound of her footsteps announced her arrival.“Shane!” Adea hissed through the darkness.Tonight was the masquer