Mel's POV I try to hold it together as I find Moon at the grand dining table eating a bowl of Mac-n-cheese. “Where’s Mom?” she asks.I force a smile. “C’mon, the ceremony is about to start. Are you finished eating?”She nods, and Beth collects the empty dish and ushers us outside. “Hurry along, you don’t want to upset Alpha,” she urges gently. The sadness in her eyes tells me she’s aware of what’s about to happen, too.I quickly locate Bliss and Patrick, sitting down waiting for the ceremony to begin. Bliss frowns when her eyes land on me. “Hey Mel, Malcom has been looking for you. You haven’t checked your phone?”I place Moon in the empty chair beside her. “I need you to watch Moon for a minute,” I rush out.Her eyes widen. “But Malcom-”“Don’t let her out of your sight,” I shout over my shoulder as I hurry in the opposite direction. Dad is walking around, charming his people like the corrupt fucking asshole he is. It works in my favor though—that means he is too busy not to mind his
Jaxon’s POVI slip off my clothes and step into the warm water, the sediment at the bottom of the lake squishing between my toes. The sun is beginning to set, but the summer air is still very warm, matching the temperature of the lake.Nervousness creeps in as I stand before the entire pack. Everyone is seated in rows, dressed in white outfits that will be shredded when they all shift for our first run with me being Alpha.My heart pounds in my ears and sweat dampens the back of my neck. I scan through the crowd of faces I’ve known my entire life until I find those alluring violet eyes staring back at me. Melanie gives me a small smile, and it seems to make everything okay. I swear, I want to drown in those eyes. Hell, I’ll volunteer to drown between her legs if she’d let me.Alpha Damon clears his voice loudly to gain everyone’s attention as he stands beside me. This is rather intimate—us standing in the water naked together. I’d prefer literally anyone else."Greetings!” he booms. “T
Jaxon's POV Melanie and Ameer stand up and walk down the aisle to the front of the pack. They both kneel in before me, showing their allegiance. I place a hand on her shoulder, trying to ignore the sparks dancing along my fingertips. “I appoint you, Melanie Stokes, as the Beta of the Nightshade Shadows.”Her expression is neutral, but I catch a glint of pride as she blinks back the tears forming in her eyes.I do the same to my best friend. “I appoint you, Ameer Carter, as the Gamma of the Nightshade Shadows.” Ameer smiles broadly, just happy to be a part of my team.The murmurs in the crowd continue, and I can feel their skepticism. I know choosing Melanie was going to be controversial, but this was the only way to protect her. They’ll just have to shut the fuck up and respect her.I immediately feel their auras shift to match the authority of their new ranks. As Melanie and Ameer stand up, I turn to the pack, all eyes on me as they await my command. “As your new Alpha, I will now le
Jaxon's POVAs we near the clearing, Alpha Damon suddenly shifts back into his human form, letting out a loud, guttural roar. He hunches over on the ground, clutching his stomach. His eyes are wide as they glaze over, trying to contact his mate. “Sienna? Sienna!” he shouts before collapsing.I can still hear the blood pumping into his heart, so he’s not dead. He most likely just passed out from the pain of losing her. Being an Alpha has saved him from death. The lucky son of a bitch.On cue, Melanie shifts and crouches beside her father, trying to shake him awake. She begins to sob hysterically. “Oh my Goddess, someone help! Something’s wrong with my father!” she screams.Our female is in pain! Shadow howls. He wants us to comfort her, but thankfully I’m in control. I don’t know why he’s reacting like this; he knows this is all an act. I shift and block the view of her naked body with my own. “Get the doctor now!” I roar. Several wolves scurry in the direction of the pack hospital, w
Mel’s POVIt has been three days since Mom died, and my asshole of a father continues to lay motionless in the hospital bed. I keep thinking that if he were on a breathing machine, I’d rip that shit out of the wall without a second thought. I wish he would have died when she did, but apparently, the saying is true: evil never dies. Life just continues to fuck me with no lube, but Goddess forbid karma catch up to him. When he wakes, he probably won’t even care when he realizes that his mate killed herself to get away from him.Like every morning since it happened, Jaxon arrives with breakfast in hand. Today, it’s a cup of coffee and two chocolate-covered donuts with sprinkles. I wonder why he keeps coming back—maybe he just feels sorry for me. Or perhaps he’s trying a different angle to get into my pants. Although, he hasn’t made any inappropriate comments yet, which is surprising. I’m sure it has been hard for him not being a complete pervert for once.“Good morning, Beta Melanie. How
Mel's POV “I haven’t been at the house myself…you know, Alpha duties,” Jaxon says, a hint of weariness in his voice. “But my mom says she is adjusting well. She and Ava are practically getting along like sisters,” he chuckles, mostly to himself. “If she does know anything, she’s not speaking about it.” I scoff. “Look at me already failing at looking after her. What a good big sister I am.” Guilt eats away at me, knowing I haven’t been there for my sister as much as I should. He brushes his arm against mine, and I can’t stop my body from shivering in delight. I hope he didn’t notice. “You’re not failing her. Moon is very happy,” he replies softly. “Yeah, until she finds out that Mom-” I can’t even finish the sentence without feeling my stomach churn. I take a few deep breaths, then meet his gentle, green eyes. “Jaxon, I need to know. How did she do it?” I ask in a voice barely above a whisper. I’ve been dreading asking him this very question, and he forbade anyone from telling me.
Jaxon’s POV“What the fuck do you mean I can’t banish him?” I roar, my body trembling as I glare daggers at the council members sitting in from me. Shadow claws at my control, demanding to be let out.Dusk’s blue eyes remain cool and unwavering, which pisses me off even more. “Jaxon, he was grief stricken. There’s no evidence proving he knew what he was doing when he attacked Melanie.”“No evidence? Just look at her neck!” Shadow’s furious growls echo in my head as he listens to the bullshit being fed to us. I pace back and forth to keep from shifting, while Ameer leans against the wall near the door of the office.Usually, The Alpha Council does not involve themselves in pack affairs, but today they showed up to tell me who I can and cannot banish from MY pack. They weren’t the ones who had to walk in on Damon continuing to strangle his daughter while she was already unconscious. They didn’t have to see the bruises on her neck, or her swollen lips. The only thing that kept her alive w
Jaxon's POVSuddenly, a memory resurfaces in my mind. The second half of the memory of the first time I met them:We crouch down in the bushes waiting for Alpha Damon’s command. After my dad died, he never appointed another Beta, so only me and a select few were put on this task force. It’s a job that requires precision and absolute obedience—traits that matter the most to Alpha.Alpha Owen finally emerges from his house with his mate and two teenage sons. A family, clueless about what’s about to happen to them.Jaxon, this doesn’t feel right, Shadow whimpers.I know, but we can’t defy our Alpha.He knows that I’m right, but it doesn’t quiet the queasy feeling gnawing at my stomach. Our Alpha wants this territory, and it’s our job to get it for him—even if that means killing innocents.Alpha watches from the shadows, “assessing” my performance. I take down one of his closest rivals all by myself, shifting into my wolf form to complete the gruesome task. After tearing Alpha Owen’s head