7

Dawn

I stirred awake the next morning, trying to think of all the things I knew about the Alpha of Golden Crest. He was supposed to be cold-blooded and barbarous according to rumors I heard but so far, everything I believed about Golden Crest had been false.

Could it be that he was younger than I expected? It wasn't possible. He'd been Alpha of Golden Crest for a long time and was always at odds with Alpha Devon, the old Alpha of Creekside and the Alpha Prime. That should put him at the same age as my father, right?

I was brimming with questions about him, but there was no one to ask. I heard a lot about this particular Alpha who was now my husband but there was nothing about his physical appearance. Instead, my memories were filled with gory stories about him.

They said he showed no mercy. He was also partly insane. He was also the only werewolf arrogant enough to openly challenge the old Alpha. He was also very vengeful and didn't take any kind of disrespect. He'd done a lot of things that made everyone avoid and fear him.

He'd fought and conquered many Alphas but had never tried to take over their packs. Other Alphas would have done that, they were always trying to expand in order to gain more power, but never the Alpha of Golden Crest.

The rumors said that he couldn't afford to expand his pack because his savage and uncultured nature couldn't survive in normal climes. And that all he knew was brute force so he wasn't diplomatic enough to handle too much power.

These rumors were the reason why no one ever ventured close to Golden Crest. The pack members were believed to behave exactly like their Alpha. And didn't take trespassing lightly.

But just by looking around Golden Crest pack, I could tell that most of the rumors were lies. These werewolves had more poise and elegance than any other set of werewolves I'd encountered. They were the most at ease and easygoing set of people I'd seen.

But I couldn't say the same for their Alpha. I didn't know him yet. And he was the most important factor in my stay here.

The ladies who'd dressed me up the night before were at the door to the room but they didn't venture inside. They called me out instead and led me to another room.

“This is your room.” One of them with dark curly hair said.

It was huge. A lot bigger than my old home.

“We didn't decorate it because we wanted to make sure that you're satisfied with it.”

Satisfied? I was more than satisfied.

“Now you're here, you can decorate it to suit your taste.” The last one with platinum blonde hair said.

I thought that they were so nice and really pretty too. I wanted to ask for their names, but they seemed to be wary of something. I didn't know what it meant so I stayed quiet. I've never been good at making friends.

“Alpha Rhys didn't come home.” They whispered amongst each other as they helped me get dressed for the day.

“It's either that something bad happened or that he doesn't know that she's here yet.” Another said.

When they were done, they left me in my room. I stood up to explore.

It was plain like they said. There was nothing but a beige wallpaper on the wall. I traced my fingers on the wall as I imagined what I could do with the space. Memories of my mother and I decorating my first room after we'd just moved in swept through my mind. This was the first time I would get the opportunity. Nothing had been mine since she died.

I looked at the bed. It had a sprawling, inviting expanse of white linen that promised the kind of sleep I hadn't known existed. A single armchair sat tucked into a corner. I sat on it and let myself imagine that I was free. But I wasn't.

Who knew if all this was going to change when the Alpha returned? What if he rejected and tossed me out the way Alex did?

That thought was so disturbing that I jolted out of the chair and headed towards the balcony. Sliding open the glass doors, I stepped out onto a wide platform overlooking the pack. It was an ethereal view. It looked like heaven in the morning light. On the side was the valley, inhabited by pack members, and on the other was a beautiful lake and waterfall.

Everything about Golden Crest was perfect. So perfect that it began to scare me. In all my life, every time It seemed like I was about to get something good, something horrible accompanied it.

I came back inside the room and tried to shake those thoughts away. One of the expansive windows offered a perfect little nook. They'd cleverly installed a wide windowsill that doubled as a seat. I could already picture myself piled high with pillows, a mug of tea in hand. Mother and I had something like that in her room.

Grace destroyed it when she moved in.

Wandering further, I returned to the vanity and studied it. It was a beautiful piece of polished marble with a large, framed mirror above. It was practically begging for colorful makeup palettes and quirky trinkets. The final surprise awaited me in the form of the walk-in closet.

As I swung open the double doors, my jaw dropped. The space was vast, bigger than all the rooms at home combined. It was already filled to the brim with clothes – dresses, blouses, pants, all waiting to be explored. They'd done an amazing job anticipating my style, with a mix of classic pieces and trendy finds.

It was undeniably luxurious, I'd never experienced such before. Was this even real?

A knock on the door had me closing the closet and returning to my place on the sofa beside the door. The knock came again and I hesitated before opening it.

The man from yesterday stood behind it with his arms crossed and a huge smile.

I winced at it. How could one be so cheerful?

“Good morning, Dawn.” He said.

“Morning,” I muttered, looking away.

My experience from working in Creekside made me unable to meet people's gaze. I'd been smacked a couple of times because of it.

“Heeey, I didn't introduce myself yesterday.” He said, causing me to glance his way again. “I'm Kaden, the Beta of this humble place.”

He was so jovial and I didn't understand it. I didn't even have anything to say because he already knew my name.

“You must be famished. Let's go down for breakfast. You'll be having your breakfast here in Rhy's Lair until you acclimate with the rest of the pack.” He said.

I nodded and followed him. We walked side by side and I took occasional glances at him. He was huge like most of the males I'd seen since arriving at Golden Crest. His brown hair was roughly chopped and he had a headband that matched his brown eyes. I found him weird and too young to be the Beta. But then I remembered all the rumors about Alpha Rhys and it made sense. If Alpha Rhys was old and barbarous then he needed young people to help run his pack.

There was only one person in the dining. He was the stark opposite of Kaden. He was tall but not as huge. His hair, eyes, and even his aura were dark. He was also in a charcoal black 3 piece suit. He didn't spare me a glance.

Kaden rolled his eyes “That Lex. He's the Gamma.”

Something about Lex terrified me. He reminded me too much of home.

“Rhys is going to have all our heads when he finally returns,” Lex muttered just as I sat down.

Kaden shook his head and gestured for me to eat.

“It's not that bad.” He mused.

Scoffing, Lex finally looked up and his gaze landed on me.

“You've always been dense, Kaden. You think Rhys would rejoice at this?” He spat, “And out of every single female out there, Marcus brings an Omega who looks like she's about to pass out? How old is she? She looks pale, malnourished and -”

“Beautiful.” Kaden cut him short with a growl, his expression had morphed into something deadly. Every inch of mirth disappeared from his face.

They held each other's stare before Lex relented, his shoulders deflating.

“I'm sorry.” He said to me,

I didn't know how to feel or react. Frankly, I wasn't hurt by his comments because I'd heard them so many times. My father and Grace had already said a lot worse to me at home. I didn't blame him for stating the obvious. Even I didn't know what I was doing there.

I was definitely not suited to be married to such a man, much less an Alpha.

My appetite was long gone so I just held the warm mug of coffee in my arms.

“This is just the worst time for Marcus and his tricks. Rhys doesn't need anything else on his plate.” Lex added. “He's already going out of his mind.”

“Shut the fuck up, Lex,” Kaden growled.

Lex sighed, “She should know.”

“Know what?” I blurted.

“Rhys is mourning. The Alpha of Creekside passed away last night. He hasn't left the dungeon since last night.”

Pain slashes through my chest. The old Alpha was dead? I shouldn't feel anything, yet I was hurting. The now invisible mark he left on my palm throbbed.

I wanted to know why it affected me that way. I'd never had any relationship with the old Alpha. I'd just met him for the first time yesterday. I was deep in sorrow when something occurred to me.

“Who hasn't left the dungeon?”I question.

Lex looks away and I turn to Kaden who looks like he wants to rip Lex's head off.

“There was a rogue who strayed too close to our border last night. Rhys caught him.”

“So he's back?” I asked.

Kaden cleared his throat and nodded.

I nod and take a sip of my coffee. I was used to being rejected. If I survived the pain of being rejected by my mate, then I could survive anything.

“It’s fine,” I murmured. I already knew that I wasn't brought here to be doted over by anyone. I just wished I could just meet him so we could declare the terms of whatever we had.

If he didn't want me, we could cancel the whole thing so I could be on my way. I wouldn't return to Creekside, but I'd use my freedom happily.

Lex looked surprised at my comment and seemed to scrutinize me. I could already feel his animosity toward me. I made a mental note to avoid him.

“You should eat,” Kaden said after a while. “The cooks made all this to impress you.”

Lex nodded, “I've never seen them put so much effort into anything.” He said frustratedly.

“It's because no female has been let into the Alpha's Lair in forever,” Kaden added. “Plus word of the arranged marriage has spread out. They are already preparing to have a Luna and want to get on her good side.”

I wanted to laugh at them. I was no Luna. I wasn't fit for it. The earlier Rhys came around and set me free, the better for all of us.

After managing a few bites, I excused myself. Kaden invited me for a tour but I declined. I was still hurting over the loss of someone I barely knew.

I returned to my room but it was locked, so I headed back to the room I slept in.

I had barely stepped in when the door flung open and the last person I'd thought that I'd see in my entire life prowled in annoyed and covered in blood.

“What the fuck are you doing here?” He growled.

I recognized that voice. It was the one I kept on hearing in my dreams throughout the night.

I went weak in the knees. What was happening?