KELEIGH
I couldn't leave the hall fast enough. Any more time spent in the dining hall and I would have broken down. Even now, I found myself hyperventilating. My head felt light and my brain was fuzzy. It was all too much. Everything was happening all at once and I couldn't stand it anymore. I needed to get away from it all before I exploded. I had planned on going back to the room that Kara had assigned to me, but I couldn't stay there. The room would feel too stifling for me and I needed space, I needed to breathe, I needed solitude. "Keleigh!" I turned back. It was Ryker calling out to me from the doorway of the hall. "Stay away from me!" I shouted back. "I need space." I moved about the compound on instinct, avoiding places where people were gathered in. Eventually, I found myself in an orchard. It was far away from the rest of the buildings and was quiet. Just what I needed. I spread my arms out and took in a deep breath, the deep aroma of fruit refreshing me, calming me down a bit. The torrent, the pain, the rage was still there, but it had retreated slightly. I could breathe some more now. I wasn't sure how long I sat there. The sun was already down by the time the dinner was over and now I could see pinpricks of stars in between the leaves and branches of the trees above me. It was a pleasant sight. I wished I could capture this moment and live with it forever. Then I heard the crack of a branch and I jumped, looking around. "Who's there?" I called out in a sharp tone. There was rustling in the bushes. I picked up a sturdy branch from the floor and brandished it in anticipation. The figure burst out of the bushes, hands above head. "Hold on, hold on. It's just me." "Roman?" "Yeah. It's me." The branch fell from my hand as I ran into his arms. He hugged me just as tightly as I hugged him. I don't know when it was that tears began to stream down my face, but I sobbed into his shoulder. After what felt like hours but was probably like two minutes, we separated from each other. "I can't believe it's you," I said softly. "I thought I'd never see you again." "I thought the same as well," Roman responded. "You cannot imagine my shock when I saw you. You're a lot more grown now, but I still recognized you." We both had wistful smiles on our faces as we just took a moment to take each other in. This was incredible. Roman had been my rock at a point in my life, and then we had parted ways. I was still in shock that I was actually looking at him once more. We talked about a lot of our shared past. The time we both pranked the old neighbour that lived in our street. Learning how to swim. Hunting in the woods. Pissing off our parents and friends. The thoughts of our past brought back memories of my past, the things that I had, and had now lost. "How did you come to this place?" I asked, changing the topic. I sniffled a bit and blinked the threatening tears from my eyes. He sighed with a smile. "That, my dear, is a very long story." "Well, I'd like to hear it." So he told me about his life, while we sat on a fallen tree trunk. About how after he parted ways with me when his family had moved, they had travelled from place to place. Then how he had separated from his family to forge a life in his own. And had met a lot of people, including the Alpha Twins. They had become friends and eventually, they had made him their beta. "Wow," I said, once he was done. "What a wild ride you must have had." He laughed it off. "Oh you don't know the half of it. Anyways, what about you? How did you get to be here?" My mood soured even more, like wine turning to vinegar. My heart raced in my chest as the memories threatened to burst forth from the box I had put them in. Should I tell him? He was my childhood friend, the only familiar face around here. But that didn't mean he was trustworthy. "I'd rather not say." There was nothing said for the next few minutes. I was so intent on holding back the emotions in me, so intent on not letting Roman see what a broken and damaged person I had turned out to be. My arms shook and my breath came deeper. The orchard began to close in. Even it was too small to contain my sorrow and grief. "Are you alright?" Roman asked, his eyes filled with concern. He took my shaking hand in his and squeezed. "I'm fine," I said. " Just feeling a bit tired. I think I'm going to retire." He stared at me for some seconds. I stared back. Then he stood up and said, "I'll escort you." I was very grateful to him for not pushing. Hopefully, with time, I'll be able to explain what happened to me, and he'll either console me or hate me. We arrived at my room and we both entered inside, making meaningless small talk that our minds were not on. "Well, I should be going now," Roman said. A part of me was relieved that he would be gone, and another part of me cried out for him to stay and hold me tight and comfort me. "Ok," I said. He came closer to me and pecked my cheek. "If you need anything, just know that I am here for you. Oh, one more thing. Don't let the brothers bother you. I know them well enough and I think you'll be fine. I think you'll get used to them in no time." I wanted to tell him that I wished that were true, but who knows? Maybe he might be correct. I wasn't putting much hope in that, but still... Maybe. "Alright. I'll do just that. I'm going to get some sleep now." I was going to cry my eyes out. I got onto the soft bed, and closed my eyes, waiting for him to leave so that I could finally release the torrent. "Goodnight," I heard him say softly. Then I heard him leave my room and shut the door gently. ROMAN'S POV That was an intense experience, I thought as I walked down the hall outside Keleigh's room. I never would have guessed that I would see Keleigh of all people in the pack. The whole thing was so emotionally taxing and I could only wonder how she was feeling, how she was handling it all. From what I gleaned, she had just been found today and already it had been realized that she was the Alphas' actual mate. Not Selene. I chuckled at that. If ever there was a person that deserved to be taken down, it was Selene. But I was worried a lot about Keleigh. It was very obvious that she had been through some really traumatizing stuff, and it broke my heart to see the person that was a young girl bubbling with cheerfulness and light become a shadow of herself. I swore to myself that I would find out what that was, and I would fix it. I would fix her. "Roman." I stopped. The voice came from behind me. It was as growly and gravelly as it was slow in speaking. My breath caught for an instance, but I knew that this wouldn't be an issue. I turned towards the sound of the voice and bowed. "My Alpha." Ryker stepped out of the shadows and towered over me. He seemed a far cry from the easygoing coolheaded man that he usually was. There was rage in his eyes. I needed to tread carefully. "I saw you coming out of my mate's room. What were you doing there?" He stepped closer to me, towering over me. I kept my head bent towards his feet. "Just comforting her, My Alpha." "Comforting her, you say?" I felt a sharp claw dig into my hair and lightly stroke my scalp. "And what makes you think that you, a beta, are in such position to comfort an Alpha's mate?" I forced myself to stay calm. "We were childhood friends. I know we didn't reveal it at dinner but we are. I swear. I comforted her because I saw that she was going through a lot." Ryker sighed, and in that sigh, I could hear the Ryker that I knew. The true Ryker. The compassionate one. He retracted his claw from my head and stepped back. "Stand, Roman." I stood, relief coursing through my veins. When Ryker wanted to be scary, which was very rarely, he never disappointed in pulling it off. "What do you know about her?" he asked me. I told him a bit I knew of her background. The fact that she was a princess and that we grew up together in a pack, and several other small details. Ryker seemed both surprised and impressed by this knowledge. He nodded slowly to himself after I was done talking. "I want you to do something for me," he said finally, looking directly at me. I averted my eyes. It was very difficult to meet an Alpha's gaze and keep it. "I want to know everything about her. Everything there is to know. And I want you to do it even if it means getting closer to her."KEIGEIGHBlood. It was everywhere my eyes landed on. On the floor, splattered on the walls, and even on the ceiling.I saw my father's corpse before me and my heightened tastebuds could taste the copper in the air, lingering like a reminder.Then I saw him.Alpha Jake, his face morphed into the semblance of a monster I didn't know before.His face had been carved into with the dagger of darkness, revealing a hateful expression.He had found me.! How?!HOW?!I jerked awake, pressing my hand to my chest as I tried hard to take in breaths and exhale. It was such a hard thing to do that my chest hurt. My vision blurred and I reached up to touch my face. Tears."Even in my sleep," I whispered out hoarsely, my voice thick. "Even then, can't you let me rest? Do I not deserve some reprieve from my mistakes?"I didn't care for the darkness of the room, or if a monster hid beneath its depths. Memories flooded me, pushing through all my defenses that it felt like I would drown in them.It was
SELENEHer face alone pissed me off, and though I tried to contain myself and keep my pleasantness on my face, Ryker's reprimands as the girl had left made me furious.I remembered what happened only minutes before I left the dining hall fuming.After my comment on the girl's disrespect, I didn't expect Ryker to lash out in the way he did.'Be quiet. You have no right to treat Keileigh that way, much less act like you're better than her. She has a higher rank than you, Selene. Don't forget that,' Ryker had said. I was dumbfounded then.Ryker, of all people, who was so slow to anger had become that new girl's greatest defender. His warnings had bite to it, for unlike Arnold's anger that could be easily soothed, his was like a hurricane that swallowed everything in its path when he lost it. And very rarely did he do so.Arnold came to my defense, rising up from his seat, and pointing his fork in his twin brother's direction.'You're too hung up on this girl already, huh,' he remarked wi
KELIEGH"I'm pregnant Jake…" i said, on the verge of tears. "I'm pregnant with our baby."My intention was to delay the good news for as long as possible, then surprise him at the right time. But I couldn't stop myself from spilling the tea the second i saw the love of my life. Even though i didn't get the "delay" part right, from the look on his flawless face, the Alpha of the Moonlight pack was beyond surprised.Jake and I had been secretly dating for well over two years now, and even though he wasn't my fated mate, i was head over heels for my blue eyed king. Our packs weren't exactly on the best of, and my father had always been against our 'relationship', but that's exactly why the news of my baby made me buzz inside… literallt. I would finally be able to—"Are you sure it's mine?" He said, puncturing my tyre of happiness almost immediately. The joyous look on my face sunk, and I took another glance at the demeanor Jake had on. His eyebrows were relaxed, and his lips assumed an a
KELIEGHI wrestled with my conscious to force myself back awake, but it was already too late. The first thing my senses picked up, was the scent of stale blood. My vision was still dark and blurry, but i managed to peer through my eyelashes, and the first thing I saw… was my father in a pool of his own blood."Dad!" I tried reaching out, but was grabbed by my ponytail before i could bend to reach for him."Do you really think I'll allow you save him?" Jake's resonant voice echoed up, and i turned back to look at him. His shirt was already torn, drenched in blood, and the scars travelling down his face was enough evidence to show that my father refused to go down without first putting up a fight.However, Jake was grinning from ear to ear, eyeing me up like a Hyena toying with his prey before pouncing on it."Please let me go" i held his hand, trying to make him release his grip on me. "He's gonna die—""Because of you" Jake pulled my ponytail, forcing my head back while my eyes looked
RYKER"You're late again, Arnold" i watched my younger twin drag himself into the house after another late night escapade. It was beginning to get on my nerves."What're you getting all angry about? At least i didn't bring a woman in with me this time" he leaned on the door, while the Gammas that had dragged him in tried getting him to stand still, so they could attend to his injuries."You got drunk again, didn't you? Is that why you got into a fi—""Spare me the Ted Talk, Ryker" he put up his hand and the smell of alcohol reeked even harder. "You have your way of going about things, and i have mine. You might be older, but you're not the boss of me" he tried standing still, but Arnold could barely even raise his head to look me in the eyes. The brown-haired 6'1 was drunk beyond measure."Leave us" i addressed the Gamma's that had helped him in, and as quickly as they could, they left both of us in the living room. I had more than enough on my plate, and this kid was already stressin
KELIEGHI'd already been unconscious twice today, but not once had a scent like this been the one to wake me up. Just like the scent of the rogues, it was hard to put a finger on the exact nature. However, unlike the scent in the woods, this one smelled… divine.A deep inhale, and my lungs clogged up. My skin rippled with an almost barbwire-feel dragging across it. Although my body was weak, my wolf evidently wasn't, as her senses piqued up instinctively.The moment i raised my head up, i saw the culprits sitting on the table with their arms crossed in front of them. Carbon copies of each other, they were. Not a single visible difference between the two. Perhaps twin brothers. Although the one on my right reeked of intense alchohol.But that strong feeling just moments ago. Don't tell me these two were my—"Get her some water" the one on my left said, and i heard scurrying in the back until a glass of water was placed in front of me. "You're pale. Drink it" he said, and i did exactly
KELEIGHI stared at the brothers, and they stared back at me. One face welcoming and pleasant, the other scowling and hateful.Two faces so identical, and yet so different.I wiped my cheeks and thought through my decision.If I rejected the pleasant brother's offer, I would be out on my own with nothing to my name, and no property of mine. Not to mention the risks of running into Jake and his henchmen out in the wild was very high. But if I stayed, then I could be protected -for six months, at least. I had no intention of accepting either of them as my mate, but at least I could use these months to plan out my next line of action, gather enough resources to take me even farther away from Jake than I already am. I would be free of all my shackles then."I accept the deal," I said, my voice hoarse from disuse. "I'll stay here for six months.""Motherfucker," muttered the unpleasant twin. He banged his hand on the table again, but this time I wasn't caught off guard. I noticed that his