Zira-
“I still understand how she hasn’t figured it out yet. The only time any of you are nice to her is when your uncle is around.”
A heavy pressure spread through my chest, to the point where I felt as if I were suffocating. All this time I thought it was Trenton who saved me, but now I am learning it was his uncle Axton. I have only met Axton maybe once a year since I was eight years old.
I didn’t know much about him other than he was ten years older than me, a powerful military commander, and he was friendly, with a nice smile. Aside from that I didn’t know anything about him and couldn’t remember much about him.
Around the time Axton would visit, was the only time I was treated like a human and not a slave. I was also allowed to wear expensive clothes and live with Trenton and his family. When Axton was around, I was treated like a princess.
In those moments it was a glimpse of hope and the promise of being accepted one day. Every time Axton would arrive, Trenton and his parents would promise that on my eighteenth birthday, they would accept me as a member of the pack. There were other instances where I felt like they were telling the truth.
If it weren’t for the fact that for ten years, aside from a few good moments, I was living a life worse than death, I might have figured out I was living a lie. However, in those few moments, when I would experience something good, I held onto those, and it kept me from going insane the rest of the time.
At eight years old, I already experienced a tragedy when I lost everything I loved and cared about. I had been given a place to live, but after losing my family, I no longer felt as if I belonged anywhere. Axton had supplied me with a house to live in, but I couldn’t afford to pay for the utilities.
The house itself was luxurious and massive, but shortly after Axton left to join the military, I was completely on my own. I started working odd jobs just to put food in my stomach until I was old enough to get a real job. Between working three part-time jobs, I could barely afford anything else besides day-to-day necessities.
I also haven’t been to school since I was eight. I wasn’t exactly stupid, but I was self-taught through books and going to a free public library. I tried attending a free public school, but without a guardian, I couldn’t get in.
I also didn’t have much time, because during the day, when I should be in school, I was a maid for Trenton’s family. They said that if I lived in the house Axton gave me, I should either pay rent or work for them. Since I couldn’t afford the four thousand dollars they wanted every month for rent, I worked as a slave for them.
Not only had I been too young to know better, but I was grateful that I at least had a place to stay. It was dark and cold half the year or dark and hot the other half, but at least I had a roof over my head. As time went on, I did start questioning things, but by that time I didn’t see the point.
I felt as if it was better to keep my head down and my mouth shut and pray that things would improve after I turned eighteen. Now, I didn’t know if I should laugh or cry as I continued listening to the truth being revealed.
“What do you plan to do on her birthday?” Bryce asked. “Didn’t you tell her you would accept her as a member of the pack and she would become your mate?”
“I still plan to throw a party on her birthday, but that will be the day I completely destroy her. My parents only promised to take her in until her eighteenth birthday. Although my parents are now dead, I have to carry out the promise.” Trenton’s voice deepened and became slightly sadistic.
“What about your uncle?” A female asked, and I had never heard her voice before, so I didn’t know her name.
“I doubt my uncle will care. He only comes around once a year and it isn’t for long. The last time I spoke to him, he didn’t even ask about Zira like he usually does. If you ask me, he is likely tired of taking care of her and will be happy when she is no longer a burden.” Trenton’s voice noticeably softened and out of curiosity, I peeked through the window on the door.
Trenton was sitting on the hospital bed, with a beautiful redhead in his arms. Seeing how lovingly he gazed upon her as if she was precious, made my stomach turn. I didn’t know if it was due to envy or disgust, so I stopped looking.
His words regarding how his uncle didn’t care about me, hurt more than I thought they would. I mean it shouldn’t surprise me, since I didn’t know his uncle that well. Yet, the times I have met him, I thought he was nice and made me feel like I mattered.
Axton Heath would always bring me a gift when he returned home and his smile would light up my world. I was never able to keep his gifts for long, because Trenton and his parents had found a way to take them. It wasn’t until now that I understood that it was all a carefully thought-out plan to keep me from keeping anything Axton gave me.
I couldn’t complain either, because I wasn’t a part of their family. What Trenton’s uncle gave me, never truly belonged to me. At best, Axton was just being nice. Now I at least understood why Axton always seemed nice when we met. Knowing he was the one who saved me, made everything that hadn’t been made since these last ten years, now it all makes sense.
The coldness Trenton and his family bestowed on me was because they never accepted me and never planned to. The only reason they had been nice in the past, was because of Axton. I didn’t know Axton’s identity, other than he was a high-ranking military official, but I now believed they feared him. If not, I doubt they would have cared what he would think if they decided not to honor his request to look after me these past ten years.
“I don’t know if I should be jealous of how much energy you put into her, even if it is to hurt her.” The female sighed.
“Don’t worry, I promise that you are the only one for me. You are my true mate. Zira is nothing but a toy for me to play with when I am bored.” Trenton practically purred and a second later the girl giggled.
“Then what will be the plan for her birthday?” Glenn asked.
“Trent told me that will be the day that he will officially announce he has found his fated mate and I will become his Luna. Zira thinks Trent is planning her birthday, but the party will be for me.” The female giggled and I could imagine she kissed Trenton’s cheek from the kissing sound I heard through the door.
“That is right. I want everything to be perfect for my mate. The only reason I am using her birthday as an excuse is because I want Zira to always remember that she will never be worthy of me and her birthday will be a constant reminder.” Trenton chuckled.
Feeling dejected and no longer wanting to hear what they had to say, I had left the hospital. As soon as I stepped outside, the previously clear sky was suddenly covered with dark clouds. Since I spent the last little bit of money I had to get the soup, which was now wasted and scattered on the floor outside of Trenton’s hospital room, I had no choice but to walk home.
When the rain started, I was barely a block away from the hospital. By the time I reached the street to return to the house I was living in, I was soaked from head to toe. I also knew I had a fever, but at that point, it didn’t matter. I didn’t see the point in living anymore.
I was broke and indebted. Not to mention that in two weeks I was guaranteed to be kicked out with nowhere to go. Just like I was when I was eight when I lost my home and family, I was all alone. Perhaps it would be better if I died. At least that way I wouldn’t be stuck in a revolving cycle of torture.
When I stopped walking, I looked up through my blurred vision, from both tears and rain. The house I was standing in front of seemed colder and less inviting than usual. It also seemed darker, as if an eerie cloud swallowed the house.
“Zira?” A familiar voice spoke from behind me.
Turning toward the voice, which offered little warmth to my existence, I froze when I saw Trenton’s uncle, Axton Heath standing under an umbrella a few feet away. Fresh tears burned my eyes upon seeing him. I didn’t know if it was from relief or pain, but I didn’t have a chance to distinguish what I was feeling.
My body felt heavy all of a sudden and in my weakened state, I couldn’t hold myself up. As I fell my eyes closed and I welcomed the darkness. I vaguely heard Axton scream my name as he caught me, but my mind was in a deep fog as I succumbed to my fate. Knowing I was likely going to die, I felt a little relieved.
Axton-“Find out what has happened to her.” I told my best friend, Kason Yates, as I carried Zira to the car.“Yes, Sir!” Kason saluted me out of habit before running down the street, ignoring the fact that it was pouring rain.I didn’t care for him or anyone else to treat me like their superior, even if I was. It was one thing for them to do it when we were on duty, but around civilians, I would rather keep a low profile. Not only was I the leader of our team, but as of two years ago, I became the Alpha King.Only those on my team knew I was the Alpha King because I needed to keep a low profile. Not only for mine and my team's sake but for Zira’s. After climbing into the back seat of the Hummer, which my friend Lukas was driving, I cradled Zira on my lap.Despite being unconscious, she was shivering and an intense heat radiated from her body. Aside from that, I could feel an electric current moving from her and through me. It was the same current I felt ten years ago when I saved her
Axton-“The house you left for her; all of the utilities were cut off. Since she was eight when you left, she wasn’t old enough to work, but she was forced to work by your brother to cover the cost of living in the house. Besides that, she worked odd jobs to earn a few hundred dollars a month to buy food, clothing, and necessities. On average, the cost to turn utilities on in the house she is living in is nearly two thousand dollars.” Kason said as I opened the file and skimmed over the contents, which was basically everything he was telling me.“What about the money I would send every month to cover her living expenses?” I asked.“Your brother gave it to Trenton.” Kason answered before continuing to fill me in on what Zira had been through. “Even the gifts you gave her when you returned every year were confiscated by them or she was scammed out of it. Also, she hasn’t been able to attend school.”I had just flipped to the next page in the file, which was a list of falsified documents
Axton-“Do you want me to go with you or stay here?” Kason asked as I pushed away from the door and started down the hall.“Stay here and keep me updated. If she wakes before I return, call me. She might freak out since she doesn’t know any of you.” I said without turning around as I descended the stairs.I knew I should change my clothes since I still had Zira’s blood on me, but all I cared about was getting my hands on Trenton. Even my wolf was restless. It was taking a lot of energy to keep him reigned in. If not for my training, I likely would have lost control by now.Reaching my garage, where I had various vehicles parked, I walked toward the Hummer. It wasn’t the fastest vehicle I owned, but it was still running. Lukas likely forgot to turn it off when he returned with the doctor. Getting into the Hummer, I left the house and headed in the direction of the hospital.I was grateful to have friends like Lukas and Kason. We have known each other since our basic training days. We d
Axton-“How long are you planning to stay?” Trenton asked.Seeing how quickly his mood and expression changed, I wanted to strangle him. If I had known sooner he was capable of acting so well, I would have suggested he became an Actor instead of the Alpha of Shadow Wolf after his parents died. If I didn’t know the truth about what happened to Zira, I likely wouldn’t have thought there was anything wrong.The way he was looking at me now, was like how he had always looked at me. Admiration and innocence glistened in his eyes, with a hint of that Alpha demeanor that all Alphas had. The only difference now was there was something else under the surface in the way he looked at me.It was the kind of look I often saw when facing a threat. Not just any threat. A kind of threat where the person was rotten to the core, but believed they could do no wrong. People like that were known serial killers or morally corrupted. After hearing what Zira has been through, I wasn’t surprised, but I wonder
Zira-Shrouded in a thick haze, I struggled to open my eyes. Random memories flooded my mind as if I were flipping through a picture book. I remembered everything that happened at the hospital, but I drew a blank after the hospital.When I managed to open my eyes, they were a little fuzzy. Not from just waking up, but from the bright light in the room. I felt as if it was still dark outside, so I didn’t know where the light came from. It felt like I was lying in a large bed, and if I had to guess I was in my room, so where did the light come from?Lifting my hand to block the blinding light, I blinked a few times until my vision cleared and I could see my hand clearly. Tapped on the back of my hand was a needle and an IV line. I didn’t know why, but that wasn’t my concern. Peeking through my fingers I was confused by the light in my room.From as far back as I can remember, I haven’t had electricity. After a few seconds, I started to realize that I wasn’t in my bed, in my room. Loweri
Eight-year-old Zira-Lighting lit up the sky and howling thunder drowned out my screams. I was terrified and alone. Well, not entirely alone, as bloodied corpses were scattered all around me.I knew I was supposed to stay in the house with the doors and windows locked, but my twelve-year-old brother, Aiden, snuck out. He was supposed to stay in the house with me, but he was worried our parents were in trouble. I tried reminding him he was only twelve, but he was convinced that with our father not home, he was the man of the house.When he left, I debated for far too long if I should follow. Even if I was only eight, I was extremely smart and more mature than most kids my age. I was also obedient to my parents, and they made it perfectly clear I was not to leave the house or let anyone in except for them. However, I now wish I had followed my brother.If I had, I wouldn’t be alone, and I would feel safer as I stepped over the bodies of my pack members and other people I didn't know. I
Zira-The memory of my past disappeared from my mind, and I was back in the present day. Focusing on Axton, I looked into the familiar eyes of the wolf I had seen when I was eight. Although Axton wasn’t a wolf, his eyes were unmistakably similar.The memory of that night I lost my family has been hidden in the deepest part of my mind. There were many things I hadn’t remembered, but now I can remember everything. Mostly, I could remember the pain I felt when I watched the life slip from my mother’s eyes.I tried to push down the pain of losing my family, reminding myself it had been ten years, and I couldn’t continue dwelling on it. When the loss of my parents no longer affected me, something else occurred to me. What if Aiden was still alive?I never truly confirmed he was dead. The dead boy in my memory could have been Aiden, but I no longer knew for sure. The scent I caught of Aiden’s had been strong, but not as strong as it should have, with how much the boy had been bleeding. Plus
Zira-“There is nothing wrong with it.” Axton shrugged nonchalantly. “Unless you have a problem with my age?” Axton’s eyebrows quirked momentarily before he quickly dropped every emotion from his face and now appeared to be bored with the conversation. “I might be an issue if I mention it now, but I don’t plan to mention it until you turn eighteen.”“I don’t care about your age, but I still don’t think we should become mates. I am not ready and I won’t be even when I turn eighteen. You can’t just throw that at me and expect me to accept it.” My eyes fell to my hands, which still had his hand resting on one of them.Pulling my hands away from him, I tucked them between my stomach and thighs, while pulling my heels closer to my butt. Lifting my eyes back to him, I saw he was staring at me with a blank expression. He blinked his eyes a few times but didn’t say anything for a long time.“It will be fake.” Axton leaned back and sighed as if my reaction had disappointed him. “If it makes yo
Zira-The following day, I stood outside of the grand banquet hall on the top floor of the most luxurious hotel in the area. I had never been inside of the hotel until today, but I have heard that only wealthy people were allowed to stay. Each room was at least ten thousand dollars a night.Although Trenton had given Axton an invitation to attend the party, to give to me, I had still nearly been kicked out. I was sure it would have been a lot easier with or without the invitation if Axton had come with me, but he claimed he had something to handle before coming to the party. The only way I was able to get in, was because Axton called the hotel after I had texted him to let him know they weren’t letting me in.I could have had them verify it with Trenton, but I wasn’t interested in having him help anything, especially since I know what he intends to do. I had felt confident I could handle attending the party alone, at least for a bit, but now I wasn’t entirely sure.Standing outside of
Zira-After putting on the dress, I felt as if I was a completely different person. It felt as if I found the perfect dress, and I hadn’t even looked in the mirror. I was afraid to look in the mirror, as I didn’t want to get my hopes up, only to have them dashed away by Axton’s dislike.Keeping my chin down, I turned away from the mirror and opened the curtain. Once it was opened, I slowly lifted my chin to gauge Axton’s reaction. Unlike the other times I exited the changing room, Axton was standing up and gawking at me.His lips were parted as if he couldn’t hold his jaw up. His piercing blue eyes glistened with hunger as they roamed over my body. If I didn’t know any better, I would think he was undressing me in his mind. The thought was ridiculous, but it also made my skin crawl with anticipation.Slowly, his mouth closed, and I noticed the way his bulging Adam's apple bobbed up and down subtly, while his jaw muscles tensed. This was the first solid reaction I have received from hi
Zira-I hesitated slightly, but then quickly ran to follow Axton. When I reached the bottom step and I didn’t feel out of breath, I smiled and silently celebrated my small victory. After the first two days when I was allowed to leave my room, I finally managed to get around on my own. I still had to be careful and keep a slow pace, but now I felt almost normal.“Is everything okay?” Axton asked just as he walked toward me with a coat in his hands and my sneakers.“Everything is perfect.” My smile deepened as I took the shoes and sat on the stairs to put them on.When I stood, after putting on my shoes, Axton helped me put on my coat. Shortly after, we left through the door that led to the garage. This was the first time I had seen his cars. I had known he had money, but I never knew the extent of it until now.“Are these all yours?” My eyes widened as I took in all of the cars.I had known that the house I had been living in had a massive garage, but I doubt it was as big as Axton’s.
Zira-The day before my birthday, I was standing in front of my closet, frustrated beyond belief. For three hours I have been searching for the perfect outfit. Despite all the clothes I now owned, thanks to Axton, nothing seemed acceptable to wear during the supposed birthday party.Shortly after moving in with Axton, he had someone purchase a complete wardrobe for me. I loved everything, but nothing seemed to catch my attention right now. With a sigh, I sat on the pile of clothes I had discarded, on the bed.This was the first time in my life that I had so many beautiful clothes, but I still wasn’t satisfied. The clothes were name brands and I loved them, but tomorrow was going to be the official start of my new life. I didn’t know if I would be able to shift, but that didn’t matter.The only thing that mattered was I was going to let everyone know that I wasn’t going to allow them to treat me the way they have. I would also be publicly announced as Axton’s mate and husband. After di
Zira-I welcomed the world to swallow me whole and I prayed that it would. Unable to look into Axton’s eyes any longer, I lowered my gaze to the floor. I knew he had found out certain things about these last ten years, but I never expected him to find out anything more.I might not know how much he has found out, but I wasn’t ready for him to talk about it and reopen those wounds. I also didn’t want him to know that despite everything his family did to me, I still hoped they would accept me as part of their family and welcome me into their pack.A sane person would likely run as far away from them as possible. As for me, nope. I had continued to hope. I had even dreamed of becoming Trenton’s mate. There were days I would even look forward to seeing Trenton and his parents, even if I knew that the outcome wouldn’t be good.“I don’t want to know what you found.” I mumbled softly.“Okay, but I do want you to know something.” Axton’s voice was tender and without looking up I knew he had m
Zira-For the following week, I felt like a robot. If I wasn’t sleeping or taking an occasional nap when my energy levels were down, I was studying. Three times a day, Axton would bring a meal for me, and he would force me to stop studying and eat. He wouldn’t leave me alone while I was eating, which kind of freaked me out.It would be different if he had a meal with me instead of watching me eat. Other than those three times, he would come to my room twice a day to give me a bowl of medicine that looked like blood but tasted of herbs. I had asked what it was, but he refused to tell me.He would also watch me drink the medicine and tell me every time that I had to drink it all. When I drank it in the morning, it wasn’t as bad. Before bed, however, was difficult because the taste wasn’t pleasant, and it was twice as much.Axton told me it was to speed up my healing, so I didn’t complain, since after two days of taking it, I did notice I felt much better. Doctor Tessa had even told me t
Zira-After Axton woke me up with another meal, I felt more energized than I had in a long time. Not because I was woken up with food, which was a plus, but because I was excited to start a new chapter in my life. Considering the conversation I had with Axton, prior to sleep, I also felt more confident.I did feel weird about it because I wasn’t used to someone wanting to take care of me, but I at least had a better mindset now. I also wasn’t as reluctant to accept help. It might be hard for me for a while, but if I wanted to turn my life around, I needed to try.After I finished eating, my mood improved a lot more. Not only did Jeremy come to discuss my future, but the other three tutors arrived as well. Instead of staying in my room with everyone, Axton had carried me down to the living room. I was extremely embarrassed, but it seemed as if I was the only one who noticed or cared.For the following hour, I got to know my tutors on a basic level, while Axton sat beside me and listene
Axton-“My blood isn’t poisonous, but it might be to her.” I said since I didn’t know what kind of effect my blood would have on her, especially with her blood type.“What do you mean?” He asked.“She has a rare blood type.” I admitted and hoped he didn’t become too curious.“Don’t worry, since this won’t be entering her direct bloodline, neither of your blood types would matter.”That did make sense, so I was no longer concerned. “Okay, so what kind of risk are we talking about?”“The amount of blood I would need from you would be a lot. The ratio between blood and medicine is five to one. Since I would be doubling the dosage, I would need a pint of blood each time she takes the medication. She would also need to take the medication twice a day for two weeks, which is twenty-four pints of blood.”I didn’t know much about human anatomy, but I knew that even as werewolves it was similar. “Is that a lot?”“Considering our body on average only has eight to ten pints of blood in our body,
Axton-It wasn’t just the type that made her blood unique. It was the healing and magical properties the blood had. There were a lot of unknown variables, but I did know that her blood could bring someone from the brink of death. It didn’t work on humans or anyone with that type of blood, but it worked on other supernatural creatures.Regardless of what kind of injury someone had, as long as they get even a drop of blood, they would be instantly healed. I knew that only because when I had been a small child, Zira’s mother had saved me. I had been in a car accident that had claimed my parents’ life and it would have claimed mine if not for the single drop of blood I had received.As for my parents, they had already been dead by the time Zira’s mother arrived. It had also been that day that had allowed me to save my fated mate. When someone receives the Valdez blood, a magical link connects them and the one who had been saved must repay a blood debt.It is both a blessing and a curse to