Sadie's POV
I felt like I was in a dream. Or more like a nightmare, really. Nothing felt real as Karter walked me to the pack house.
“Where is my father?” I asked as soon as we entered. One of the maids pointed towards his private study. I rushed forward. But Karter stayed fixed in place.
“Aren’t you coming?” I asked.
“You should have some privacy,” he said, his voice warm and gentle. He came to me, kissed me on the forehead, and urged me to go in.
I braced myself and took a deep breath. As soon as I entered the study, I saw my father’s body. It felt like a knife in my heart, seeing him lying on the floor like that.
I ran to him and flung myself over his corpse, clinging to the collar of his shirt. I let out a long wail, unable to hold in my grief. It reverberated through the room.
He was dead. My father was really dead.
Guilt hit me like a bullet. I shouldn’t have argued with him. The last words I said to him were in disobedience. I’d been so angry with him.
I’d fought with him. I’d upset him.
And now?
Now he is dead.
“I love you,” I whispered into his chest. Then I noticed a small purple spot on his neck. Confused, I pulled back the collar of his shirt. There were three more. I looked at his arms. The dark purple spots were all over his body!
“What…what are these?” I asked, confused. They didn’t look right, all these spots.
The pack doctor emerged behind me.
“He was sick, Sadie,” he said in a solemn tone. “That’s what these spots are. It means he died of illness.”
“He was sick?” I asked. How had I not known that? “For how long?”
“A long time, I’m afraid,” the doctor replied.
Fresh tears spilled from my eyes. My heart clutched. I’d been so insensitive! I’d been selfish. My father had been sick and I didn’t even know?
I should have cared more about him. I should have been a better daughter. Grief washed over me again, in huge, suffocating waves. It hurt so bad I could hardly breathe.
“Come, child,” the doctor said. “Go back to your room and rest. The shock of your father’s death is too much for you to bear right now.”
I nodded and stood on wobbly legs. The doctor was right. I needed to lie down. But as I walked back to my room, I passed by Delphine’s room, I heard a familiar voice.
I stopped. The door opened just a crack. I heard moaning coming from inside.
“Jesus Delphine. Look how hard you get me. I want you right here, right now.”
But…that was…
Karter’s voice!
“Then what are you waiting for?” Delphine said seductively. “You know I’m always ready for you.”
More moaning.
More kissing sounds.
I threw the door open. And there they were, my mate and my half-sister! She was straddling him on the bed. They were both half naked!
“Karter? Delphine?” I said loudly. She scrambled off of him. Their eyes widened in shock when they saw me.
My emotions overtook me. I marched right up to Delphine.
Whack.
I slapped her hard across the face.
I stepped back. That was really out of character for me. I’d never slapped anyone before. My hand stung.
She brought her hand up to her cheek.
“How could you?” I asked, trying to control my anger. I didn’t want to hit her again. But I did want answers. “How could you betray me like this? And today? On the day our father died?”
“You slapped me?” Delphine asked, still holding her cheek. Then her face contorted into a look of rage. “You bitch!” She stood up and lunged at me but Karter stopped her.
“She’s not worth it,” Karter hissed in Delphine’s ear.
A sinister smile spread across Delphine’s face. I’d never seen that look on her face before. She was usually so innocent, so cute, so lovely.
But now? She looked downright vicious.
“Oh honey,” she smirked, fixing me with her eyes. “This didn’t just start today.”
“W..w..what do you m…mean?” I stammered. Was she insinuating what I thought she was?
“Us,” she mocked. “Karter and I. We’ve been together for a….very…long…time.” She enunciated the last words, a proud smile on her face.
“Is this true?” I asked Karter.
No. It couldn’t be.
He was mine. He was my mate. We were going to get engaged. I loved him. Karter looked torn for a moment.
“Go on, tell her,” Delphine said, rolling her eyes.
“You’re very beautiful,” Karter said. “It’s just…well…you’re boring. I need something more. Delphine here, she’s sexy as hell. She satisfies my needs. She…”
I held up my hand.
“Stop,” I said. “I don’t want to hear any more.”
My heart cracked down in the middle. My father had been right all along. Karter was a liar and a scoundrel and he’d been deceiving me all along.
He never loved me. He loved Delphine.
It was a lot too process. I felt like my emotions were all over the place. Grief over my father’s death. Shock and despair over finding Karter with Delphine. Pain and hurt. Anger and resentment.
Sadness.
I didn’t know what to feel as I stood there, in front of Delphine in her bra and a shirtless Karter.
Delphine smiled smugly.
“Do it now,” she whispered in Karter’s ear.
Do what? I wondered. What more could they possibly do to hurt me?
Karter looked at me, an indignant expression on his face. Realization slowly sunk in.
“I, Karter Cromwell…”
“No,” I said, shaking my head. Not that. Anything but that. I begged him with my eyes. Pleaded with my face. But his expression didn’t change. I lowered my eyes, tears streaming down my cheeks.
I braced myself for the next words.
“Reject you, Sadie Ambrose, as my mate.”Sadie’s POVAs soon as the words left his mouth, I was hit with a crippling pain. It felt like my heart was split right in half.I let out a heart-wrenching scream and then I crumpled to the floor. I curled myself up into a ball while the pain of the mate-bond breaking ripped through me.Delphine and Karter watching me writhe on the floor, smug smiles plastered on their faces. I became breathless, my heart hammering in my chest. I couldn’t believe it was over.Karter was no longer my mate.“What’s all this noise?” Luna Emma emerged at the door, a frown on her face.I looked up at her, grateful to see her. I pleaded at her with my eyes. I knew she would be sympathetic. She’d always been so kind to me. Even though she was my step-mother, she’d always treated me as an equal daughter. She never slighted me in favor of her biological daughter, Delphine.She would help me. I knew she would. She glanced down at me, her hands on her hips. I struggled to pull myself up to my feet, eager for Lu
Sadie’s POV“NO!” I cried out. Luna Emma clutched the vile of wolfsbane tightly in her hand.“Oh yes,” she said joyfully. “Now come here, you little bitch. Take your medicine like a good girl.”I stumbled backwards. I looked at Karter.“Please,” I begged. “Don’t let them do this to me.”For a brief moment, I thought I saw a flash of sympathy. But then he averted his eyes.“Don’t make this difficult,” he said dryly.Luna Emma and Delphine charged at me.“Open your fucking mouth,” Luna Emma snapped. They forced my mouth open. Then Luna Emma shoved the vile between my lips.The wolfbane burned my throat as it slid down. They released me and laughed. I coughed, wiping my mouth with the back of my hand.The effect was instant. A weakness spread through my muscles. My body felt heavy, fatigued. The potion pulsed through me.“There now,” Delphine said smugly. “You can’t compete with me in the Luna Selection.”I felt pins and needles in my fingertips. I needed to lie down. I felt like I’d jus
Sadie’s POVThe next day, excited whispers rippled through the maid’s quarters. Immediately after Luna Emma demoted me, I was brought down to the maid’s quarters. It had only been a day, but I was trying to adjust to my new life as a maid. I’d been put to work right away scrubbing toilets. It was hard work, much harder than anything I was used to.We were given the morning off though because the Lycan Prince was due to arrive any moment. The maids gushed to one another, starry-eyed, hopeful that maybe, just maybe, one of them would be selected.I wanted no part of it though. So I sat on my tiny bed and tried to ignore all the excitement. Just then, a maid burst through the doors.“The Lycan Prince has arrived!” she exclaimed, clapping her hands together excitedly.The room exploded into a wave of giggles. And then they all rushed out of the room like little school girls.I stayed behind.“Come on,” Celeste said, standing at the door. “You have to come.”Celeste was the only maid who h
Sadie’s POVThe crows cawed loudly, a screechy sound that reverberated through the air. Their black bodies continued to circle around in the sky. People nodded, agreeing.Yes. This was a sign.It had to be.All eyes turned back to Delphine. She looked as convinced as everyone else. Her eyes sparkled with excitement. Everyone talked in hushed whispers.“I knew it was her.”“No one’s more worthy.”“Just imagine, she’ll be Prince Griffin’s Luna now!”I looked from the crowd to Delphine. Then I looked up at the crows. I didn’t want it to be her. But even I started to believe the crows were a sign.Just then, though, as quickly as they’d come, the crows began to fly away. Their caws faded into the distance.Delphine watched them go, a puzzled look on her face.“Where are they going?” people whispered. The square fell silent again.Delphine still had her hand placed firmly on the slab. She looked uncertainly at the Beta, a fake smile plastered on her face. A few moments passed.Nothing
Sadie’s POV“Impossible!”Luna Emma and Delphine immediately stepped forward.“She’s not fit to be Luna!” Delphine objected. “She has no wolf! And she’s a harlot! She tried to seduce her father’s Beta!”“Is this true?” Prince Griffin asked with furrowed brows.“I don’t have a wolf,” I said sadly. “That is true. But I didn’t seduce my father’s Beta.”“You most certainly did!” Delphine hissed. “We have witnesses. Some of our maids saw you!”Delphine nodded to a few maids. They stepped forward. They were the maids that had come into the room when I was struggling with Beta Jay. Their contempt for me was written all over their faces.“We can testify,” one of them said smugly.“We saw her. She had her hands all over Beta Jay,” another one chimed in.“It’s true. She was seducing him,” the third one confirmed.My heart sank. Prince Griffin looked at me with a concerned expression. He was clearly taken aback by this.His Beta touched him on the arm and said in a low voice:“Your Highness, the
Saide’s POVI decided to seize my last chance. To leave the pack I had grown up in. My Alpha father was gone, and I couldn’t allow myself to live in this hell any longer.After I nodded, Arlo smiled slightly and promptly took me away. Emma didn’t dare to say a word in protest. Yeah, no werewolf would dare to defy a Lycan.The palace lights shone against the dark sky as we arrived. It was already late at night, but the entire palace was brightly lit. The palace was enormous and it sprawled out with different wings and quarters. I’d never seen anything with so much grandeur. The atmosphere was solemn, which only added to my nerves.I fidgeted with my hands as I followed closely behind Arlo and Prince Griffin.We approached the front door and a maid rushed out to meet us. I could tell by her demeanor that she was the head maid.“Prince Griffin, Arlo,” she said respectfully, bowing her head. I peeked out from behind Arlo and her eyes lit up when she saw me. She smiled and bowed her head a
Sadie’s POVWithout a word, Arlo removed his shirt and tossed it onto the smooth floor. I stared in disbelief.His chest was magnificent, chiseled and muscular. I swallowed hard.I’d never seen a man’s naked chest this clearly before. I’d never been this close to a half—naked man. A rush of emotions ripped through me: curiosity, shyness, fascination.“Why so shy?” he asked softly.“I’m not,” I snapped back. I didn’t want him to think I was some sort of innocent child. And I certainly didn’t want him to know I’d never seen a man’s chest like this before.He chuckled softly. His eyes flitted to the blanket that was practically wrapped up to my chin. “Let me see you,” he said in a sexy growl.I bit my lower lip. I was immobilized by fear of the unknown. I couldn’t just take off the blanket.He tilted his head to the side and raised an eyebrow.Then he walked around to the side of the bed. He held out his hand.“I won’t bite. I promise,” he said, his voice like liquid. I gingerly placed
Sadie’s POVBefore I could even react, I felt a warm, wet sensation on my chest. It took me by surprise. It was an unfamiliar sensation. I didn’t really understand what was happening. I glanced down and saw Arlo’s head at my chest, his mouth on my breast.He was sucking my nipple!My face turned bright red. Of course I’d heard about this. I wasn’t completely naïve. It had just never happened to me and it made me feel a little embarrassed. But as he continued kissing my nipple, the sensation intensified. I watched and was overwhelmed by both the sight of his mouth on my breast and the feeling of his lips on my nipple.I felt something warm and wet flowing between my legs. I couldn’t help. It trickled down my legs.Oh my moon goddess! Would it soak the sheets?What was that wetness? Why was it coming from…from down there?What was happening? His hand reached up and kneaded my other breast. I didn’t fully understand. But this feeling washed over me. It was a longing.I longed for somethi