ONE
“Keep reading, Athena.” Alpha James gestured to his daughter, his voice laced with sadness.
“...The Nightshade Pack hereby surrenders to the Sliver Moon Pack, as of today. Renouncing all claims to our territory.” Athena paused, her brows furrowing and her jaw clenching in anger. “We also submit our titles, including those of Alpha…and Alpha heir…”She choked on her words, swallowing hard as she fought back tears.
“Father.” She called, holding up the paperwork, “what is the meaning of this?!” She snapped, throwing it across the dimly lit study, causing the sheets to scatter on the floor. “Why would you draft a treaty? We’ve fought so hard till this moment and suddenly…you just want to give up?!” Her eyes clouded with tears.
“I know it's difficult, my dear.”Alpha James replied, his voice solemn. “But we don’t have a choice. It's either this, or risk total destruction of our pack. Think of the innocent people that would would suffer.”
“But still!” She paced,the moonlight casting her shadows on the walls. “This isn’t right!” Her voice faltered at the end. “They forced us into this, why should we give them everything? Including our birthright, we have been Alphas for generations!” She said, her voice rising.
“I know.” He replied, putting a hand on her shoulders. “But we must think of the safety of our people, not just our pride. It's better to surrender with honor than to fight and risk losing everything, including the lives of our people. As hard as it is, I think this is the right decision.”
Athena turned to look her father in the eyes, “I understand.” She sniffed. “But that doesn't make it any easier. What will happen to you, to us?” a rear drop rolled down her cheek.
Alpha James let out a small sigh as he looked away, “how can you be worried for me at a time like this?”
“What are you talking about?” Athena asked with a small frown. She could tell something was off and he was hiding something. “There’s more?”
“You didn't finish reading.” He said sadly as he dropped into his chair. “As part of the treaty, you are to marry the Alpha to show your total surrender.”
“Marriage?!” She scoffed, her hand flying to her hips. “You must be joking. Please tell me you’re joking, Father.” She croaked.
“I’m afraid I'm not, Athena.” her father said with a grim expression. “As my daughter and heir, it falls to you to uphold this treaty and do what is best for our pack. I know you may not see it now, but in time, I think you'll understand—”
“I don't want to understand anything, Father!” She snapped in between tears. “I mean, how can you even come up with something like this, without consulting me fist? Don't you think of me—”
“Of course I do!” he cut in. “But I'm thinking of the greater good! Our pack will be saved, the family business too. We'll thrive under the Sliver Moon pack's protection. We'll be safe—”
“Aargh!” Athena cried and screamed, running her hands through her hair, she wanted to kick and punch all at once. “The family business! Greater good?!” She seethed, “for once think of me as a daughter not an heir!—"
“I cannot do that because you are both of those things!” He screamed, “I’m making a right decision for this pack, do you think it's easier for me? Do you think I'm willing to give you away to that ruthless bastard?!” A cold silence filled the room, Athena’s sobs the only thing piercing the silence.
Alpha James's brow furrowed as he looked down at his feet, his shoulders slumped. He sighed heavily, then met his daughter's teary eyes.
“The other title members support my decision and the elders of both packs have decided.” He began in a cold, detached tone. “They'll be arriving tomorrow morning with the Alpha. I've asked your PA to get you ready for the wedding ceremony.” He took a deep breath, then his shoulders sagged further. “I know this isn't what you want, but it's what's best for the pack—”
“Of course.” she replied with a bitter shrug, her voice cracking as tears finally poured down her face. “How could I even forget, the family business and the pack always come first.” Her eyes flashed with anger and hurt as she turned and stormed out of the room.
The next day, Athena sat alone in her dressing room, staring blankly at the mirror, while wearing a tacky wedding dress that she was sure her father had picked out.
“This is all my fault,” she reminded herself, “I’m just a…wolfless alpha heir, a weakling.” She mumbled to herself. “I should have fought harder.” her eyes rimmed with tears.
Her thoughts were interrupted as the door flew open and her a staff came running in.“My apologies, my Lady,” she bowed breathlessly. “The Alpha and his elders have arrived.” She told her excitedly, but it only made Athena feel worse, her heart sank as she sucked in a deep breath.
She suddenly got on her feet and exhaled. “I can't do this!” She snapped. “I won't marry him. I don't love him, I don't know him!” She paced, taking off the veil and the delicate necklace around her neck, before heading outside the room.
“My Lady—”
“Stay away from me!” Athena pointed and snapped. “I need some air!” She murmured. Feeling overwhelmed, she found her way to the gardens.
There, she stood, trying to catch her breath while thinking of an escape plan but suddenly, she felt a shadow fall over her, causing her heart to skip a beat. Quickly, she turned, and her eyes met with the blue ones of the handsome stranger. For a moment, they just stared at each other, as Athena felt an in explainable flutter in her chest. She broke off first, darting her eyes everywhere but at him.
“You must be Athena.” He began in a cool masculine voice.
“W-Who are you?” She asked, stepped back.
The man scoffed. “Do I really need an introduction?” he retorted, his tone annoyed.
Doesn't she recognize the mate bond? he wondered. He had been sitting in the living room with the others when a strong scent hit his nose, an he followed it, which led him to Athena. The woman he was supposed to marry was his fated mate.
As he looked at her, he felt a surge of emotion he couldn't name. All he knew was that he couldn't take his eyes off her.His heart was pounding in his chest, and he felt his body flush with heat. Athena suddenly met his gaze but her eyes were wide with contempt,
“You're him—Alpha Travon, aren't you?—”
“We need to talk.” he replied, his voice hard.
“I don't think there's anything to talk about.” she replied, her voice wavering slightly.
“Oh, I think there's plenty to talk about.” he said, taking a step closer to her. “Starting with the fact that we're about to get married and instead of getting ready, you're here planning to escape.”
Athena felt her heart pounding in her chest. She wanted to deny his accusation, but it was the truth.“I don't want to marry you, I don't know why you even agreed to this.” She admitted.
Alpha Travon scoffed. “Agreed to this?! Even in my dreams you wouldn’t be my first choice. The elders simply believe that this union would be the way to seal off your Alpha bloodline. So, you ought to be grateful to us for sparing your pathetic lives!” He spat.
Her expression darkened, but he wasn’t finished,
“Unfortunately, you don’t have a choice, Athena.” He continued, his voice laced with irritation. “And I’m not a very patient person. So if I were you, I'd suck it up, get my veil and at least pretend to be a happy bride. By the way, let it be clear that I, Alpha Travon Kingston of the Silver Moon Pack reject you as my Luna and mate.” He whispered harshly in her ear, his hot breath sending a shiver down her spine. Athena looked up at him in shock and disbelief, her eyes wide with realization.
“It doesn’t change anything though…I'll see you at the altar.” He said as he turned on his heels and walked away.
Athena walked alongside Travon into the sleek living room of the Silver Moon Pack's estate. The estate was a beauty, but she barely noticed because her mind was still reeling from the events of the past 24 hours.As they entered, a woman with silver hair and piercing gray eyes rose from a couch. “Welcome, Child.” Diana brushed her chin as she inspected her like a doll on display. “You look well. I trust your flight was smooth?”“Yes Ma’am.” She slightly bowed. A smug smile appeared on Diana’s face as she continued, “Good. But I must confess, in all my many years, I have never seen or heard of a wolfless, Alpha heir.” She mockingly laughed. “Well, all that has changed, Athena. As member of our family, I wanted to make it clear: your priority is to produce an heir. The sooner, the better. It's crucial for the pack's future and our legacy. Do you both understand?” She exchanged glances with both of them. Athena turned to Travon, but he didn’t acknowledge her or his mother's comment. I
For the next couple of weeks, Travon completely avoided Athena, seeing her only at important events and even then, he ignored her. She felt unwelcome, with only her staff being the only ones who showed her a bit of warmth.Most times, she would see Travon chatting and laughing with Aria and from all Athena had heard, the pair had literally grown up together.One afternoon, Athena was walking the gardens, when she spotted Travon and Aria, strolling at the other side. As usual, the duo had smiles plastered on their faces, and as they did, a pang of jealousy pricked her heart.Just then, Aria's eyes met hers, and a smirk spread across her face and in a swift move, she linked her arm with Travon's, her eyes never leaving Athena's face. It was a subtle yet provocative gesture, meant to spite her.Travon, seemingly oblivious to the Athena’s presence, smiled and asked Aria, “Hey, what's with the sudden arm-linking?”Aria's smile grew wider, her eyes sparkling with mischief. “Oh, c'mon, it’s j
After Athena woke up, she instructed the others to leave the room, except the pack doctor. Over the past few weeks, she had been feeling off about her body, and her period was a week late. If her suspicions were correct, she needed to hear it from him first.“What's wrong with me, Doctor?” she asked.“On the contrary, you're in good health, Luna,” he said, beaming with excitement. “Congratulations, you're pr—”“Stop!” she held up her hand. Her voice lowered, becoming serious. “Have you told anyone else?”His expression shifted from excited to horrified. “No, Luna...Not even the nurses.” He whispered back,“Good, then keep it that way.” She firmly told him.He hesitated, his eyes searching hers. “But Luna Athena, it's my duty to inform the Alpha about any health concerns you may have," he said. “Surely he has a right to know about the child you're carrying—”“I understand your duty,” she said, her eyes pleading. “Come up with something else, but you cannot reveal this to anyone, espec
“Enough!” Travon suddenly yelled, his voice echoing through the room. The only sound that followed was Athena's stifled sobs. “That's enough, Athena,” he repeated, his voice softening as he stepped closer to her.All she could do was pound her fists against his chest, but he stood firm, his wolf and entire being unable to stop her. Finally, he found the courage to grasp her hands mid-air, and in a swift motion, he wrapped his arms around her, holding her close. “You're shaking,” he whispered, his breath warm against her ear. “Eat something. If you're going to hit me harder than this, then you need your strength.” He released her, his thumbs wiping away her tears. Athena's eyes met his, and they just stared at each other. The air suddenly became charged with an unspoken connection, a spark of chemistry that neither of them could ignore, but then, her gaze suddenly darkened, and her expression changed from soft to fierce.“How dare you!” she exclaimed, her voice rising. “You think tha
Meanwhile, the search for Athena was proving futile, but Travon wouldn't give up, her scent lingered and so he followed it, out of the palace walls into the deepest and darkest part of the woods, with his guards struggling to keep up with him.Suddenly the scent disappeared with the cool forest breeze and the forest became till, broken by the crunch of leaves under their feet. The air shifted, something seemed off and Travon and his men could sense it.“I sense strangers, rogues!” He growled. Before they could react, a trio of rogues appeared from the shadows, their eyes furiously glowed in the darkness and their mouths foam.Immediately, one of them attack Travon while the rest went for his men. Travon immediately shifted, these low- lives were no match for him. As he wrestled with all his strength, Athena scent returned once again, distracting him.With one powerful strike, the rogue sent Travon tumbling down the hill. His head swam, his limbs weakened as Athena’s scent grew stronge
FIVE YEARS LATER“I’d like to know the purpose of this meeting, Elder Thorne.” Travon said, his voice firm, but laced with a hint of annoyance. He was seated at the head of the council table, flanked by three elders, his mother and William Steele. The air was thick with tension, but it was the usual atmosphere of their meetings ever since Athena’s death.Elder Thorne cleared his throat, his eyes locking on to Travon’s as he began. “Alpha Travon, as you know, it’s been five years since the Luna's passing. The pack is growing restless, and your lack of a mate is becoming a concern. So we called this meeting today to propose a way out.”“...Well then, proceed.” Travon said, his tone curt and expression neutral.“We’ve been deliberating among ourselves and we came to a conclusion that you should be married to Aria, the Beta’s daughter.”Travon’s gaze narrowed, his jaw clenched. “I don’t see why this is necessary. Aria is like a sibling to me.”Elder Cedric chimed in, his voice enthusiastic
“I'm so glad we left Nightshade Pack,” a woman said, her voice low and even as she examined a perfume bottle.“I know, me too…We should never have surrendered to Sliver Moon Pack in the first place. Alpha James thought he was doing us a favor, but he totally ruined us, the pack is dying under Sliver Moon.” The other woman replied, testing a shade of eyeshadow.They continued browsing, their conversation hushed but intense, amidst the rows of cosmetics and skincare products.“I heard he was murdered by rebels and that the heir, Athena was murdered by rogues.”“No, I heard the Alpha is still alive.” the second woman countered, her voice low and measured. “Also, their bodies were never shown to us, that's too bad.“The first woman snorted, shaking her head. “Too bad indeed. I also heard the Alpha is letting Aria handle the pack’s match making and mate assignments, and she’s already causing tension among some of the families.” she laughed.“I’m telling you, she’s got him wrapped around her
Travon’s eyes locked on the mystery woman as she revealed her face, the strong scent of wildflowers and mild salty ocean hitting him like a wave. Aria’s voice trailed off, her eyes narrowing as she followed his gaze.“Athena?” He whispered, his voice barely audible over the sudden commotion in the hall.At the mention of her name, Athena’s lips curled into a sly smile, while her eyes sparkled with a hint of mischief. The female elders rushed, surrounding her, but she didn’t resist as they led her away.Diana's eyes widened in shock, her hand flying to her mouth. But as she took in Athena's confident stance, a small smile played on her lips. She seemed pleased by the sudden turn of events.William, on the other hand, turned pale as death. His eyes fixed on Athena, his face frozen in a mixture of fear and rage. He took a step back as his composure momentarily shattered. But as the Elders led Athena away, he regained his footing.As the elders escorted her out, she threw one last glance