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chapter 26
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2024-10-29 19:42:56It's probably a good thing that I never ate that piece of bread. My stomach clenched so hard at the sight of him that I probably would have vomited.
"You…" was all that I could whisper.He turns to Tyson, dismissing him with a wave of his hand. Tyson drops the chain to the floor with a thud, bowing slightly before he exits the room and closes the door firmly behind him."Sit." He instructs me as he pulls out the seat next to his, a slight smile revealing the sharp canines which had once torn at my mother's throat.I somehow manage to do as he says, my mind filling with memories of the night this vampire murdered my parents."I guess you'll be wanting to know my name." He says as he sits beside me. "I'm Valentino."He pours dark red wine into two glasses, placing one in front of me before he takes a sip of his own. I don't move. I can't move. My whole body seems to be frozen."I never expected you to grow into suchRelated chapters
Love Me Not : a haunted alpha tale Chapter 27
A few days have passed since I was last allowed outside of my cell, with only Tyson visiting every now and then to bring me meagre rations and water undoubtedly laced with enough aconitum to keep Ember suppressed. Occasionally I can hear shouting coming from Ricky's cell but the words are distorted and I have no clue what he's saying. I've never felt so alone in my life and it's starting to take its effect on me. There's always been someone around - usually Ricky or Ember - who I could voice my deepest feelings to. Now, the only ears who would possibly listen to me are the rats who, let's be honest, don't give a damn about me. The gross creatures! I wonder how Liam is. I wonder if he's searching for me. My heart aches that I never let him mark me when he wanted to all those months ago. There is a loud clang outside my door and I hear the key being placed into the lock before the heavy wooden door swings open with a groan. "Good evening, prince
Last Updated : 2024-10-29Love Me Not : a haunted alpha tale Chapter 28
The room I was assigned would probably have impressed a queen with its opulence. The floor was covered by a Persian carpet, golden thread dispersed throughout its weave. A giant canopy bed with a red, velvet coverlet seemed to dominate the room, however leaving enough space for the armoire and vanity table, both made of a rich oak. A gilded mirror hung above the dressing table, reflecting the soft light provided by the lit fireplace. A small en suit bathroom had been added onto the bedroom, notably not part of the original design of the castle.I stare out the window, my thoughts wracked with guilt at knowing my brother is still in chains in a damp and dark cell a few floors below me. "I promise we will escape." I whisper my promise into the night, staring up at the moon glowing brightly in the inky darkness.With a sigh, I look back over the bedroom and my eyes catch sight of the brush lying on the vanity. I stand, moving to it and letting my fingertips
Last Updated : 2024-10-29Love Me Not : a haunted alpha tale Chapter 29
The Lycan Council stare down at Ricky and I from their superior positions on the crescent shaped podium, haughty disdain on their ancient faces. "I'm sorry, but without proof we cannot believe your accusations against the Alpha of Red River." The middle one said somberly, his voice quivering slightly and further betraying his advanced age. "We agree and acknowledge that you were both imprisoned by a vampire, however after searching the castle where you say you were held, our agents have returned empty handed. The only evidence that a vampire ever resided there was a woman chained in the dungeon completely drained of blood." Iris. The bastard clearly had discovered that she had helped us and took his revenge the best way he could. "And the werewolf? Any sign of him?" Ricky asks, his knuckles growing white as he clutches the bannister which separates us from the podium. "No. I'm afraid the only person that was found was the human woman
Last Updated : 2024-10-29Love Me Not : a haunted alpha tale Chapter 30
"Run away? I didn't run away!" I jump to my feet in shock at the accusation. “What do you mean you didn’t run away? Lana said that you went with a man that you met at the club. The rest of your team tried to find you but there was no sign of you.”Janet’s face is serious and I can tell that she believes every word she said. She wasn’t lying – which means that Lana lied to the rest.“I was kidnaped! I was injected with a drug and taken from the club byforce, and I was with Lana when it happened. She was knocked unconscious by the man!” I try not to shout but its darn-near impossible to keep my emotions under control.Janet’s face pales even further – I didn’t think that was even possible but apparently it is.“Kidnaped? Who? Why? Oh goodness, things are such a mess!” she coversher face with her hands, her shoulders shuddering as her body is wracked with sobs.“Both Ricky and I were taken by a vampire – the one who kille
Last Updated : 2024-10-29Love Me Not : a haunted alpha tale Chapter 31
I don’t object. Every cell in my body is in full agreement with me going to see Liam.“She can’t just waltz in through the front door and knock on his bedroom door.” Ricky objects, crunching the snack bar wrapper into a tight little ball.“I don’t have to.” I find myself smiling, hope blooming inside my chest for the first time since we entered the pack lands. “I just need to get to the back of the house without being seen.”Both Silas and Ricky look at me skeptically, as if I’d suddenly gained the ability to walk through walls or something.“I will need a change of clothes though.” I point out my stark white blouse, clearly visible in the dim light.A few hours later, I look up at the rose covered trellis and feel as if I have been transported back in time to the first time I had climbed the obstacle.I had snuck into my old cabin and stole a black shirt from the pile of clothes hanging over the chair where a sleeping Ashley had
Last Updated : 2024-10-29Love Me Not : a haunted alpha tale Chapter 32
I watch from the shadows as Kane and Matt make their way to their cabin, exhaustion clear by their body movements. They grumble to each other softly but their voices are too low for me to make out what they're saying, even with wolf hearing. Slowly, I edge closer, careful not to make any sound."I'm going to go and check the schedule for tomorrow again. I refuse to believe that they have us doing another double patrol. Check you just now." Matt says before he turns away from the cabin and heads toward the notice board at the other side of the training compound. Kane sighs loudly and shakes his head before he leans against the side of the cabin as he moves to pull off his muddy trainers. I slip quietly behind him, summoning as much strength as I can muster before I grab him from behind and place a hand firmly against his mouth to stifle his cry of alarm. "Hush! It's me!" I whisper hurriedly into his ear before I let go of his mouth and
Last Updated : 2024-10-29Love Me Not : a haunted alpha tale Chapter 33
Kane, Ricky and I watch the sun set from our vantage point at the top of the hill which overlooks the Dark Moon pack homestead. From up here it seems like a picturesque village, all the inhabitants going about their day as if they don't have a care in the world. Only we know the ugly side, the side plagued with intimidation and corruption. We watch in silence as the guards change over, night shift taking the place of the day shift with a shared joke and a slap on the back. They are all young men, all unknown and almost definitely from Lorenzo’s old pack. He would never trust a Dark Moon member to guard their own Beta. Ricky looks over at Kane and myself, a sadness in his eyes which seems misplaced in the man who has always been so happy-go-lucky. The way he has changed since he left the training program is hard to comprehend. It almost feels as if I no longer know my own brother anymore - although I'm sure that once his wolf returns to him we will regain some of
Last Updated : 2024-10-29Love Me Not : a haunted alpha tale Chapter 34
Sneaking into the pack house in the middle of the day was a lot easier than I had imagined it to be - either Lorenzo had refocused warriors to the border leaving too few to maintain the security within the pack, or Lorenzo believed no one would be foolhardy enough to attack his residence since he had made examples of Harris and Gail. Probably both. Janet had agreed to visit some pack members and was going to try to convince Vicky to go with her, leaving one less resident present in the house. However, judging by the guttural sounds coming from Vicky's bedroom, Janet had not been successful in getting her daughter away. This change of plans actually works in my favour though, leaving Lorenzo otherwise occupied. I sneak in through the kitchen door which leads out into the garden, moving as stealthily as I can muster through the lower floor. No one is there. Liam's study is an utter mess, polar opposites to its state from when I had last visited. Papers li
Last Updated : 2024-10-29
Latest chapter
Love Me Not : a haunted alpha tale Epilogue
"You look fine! Now can we go?" Liam grumbles as he leans against the door frame. He catches the reflection of my smile in the mirror as I'm hit with the deja vu of it all, just this time it's my mate nagging me instead of my brother. "I just want to look perfect for Ricky's ceremony." I admit, watching in the floor-length mirror as Liam comes to stand behind me, his hand resting on my rounding stomach. "You already do." He says, his lips moving to kiss his mark on my neck and sending tingles down my spine. Four years since we first mated, and I still react this way to his touch. Although I think his pup is helping him a little bit considering the urge I get to jump him every time he takes his shirt off. Apparently it's quite common in pregnancy though. I look at my reflection in the floor length mirror in my parents' house… Ricky's house. It's going to take me a while to think of it as that. The emerald green silk dress leaves very
Love Me Not : a haunted alpha tale Chapter 40
The sun set far too quickly. One moment it was high up in the sky and the next, it was kissing the horizon as it bid us farewell, making way for the moon to take its place. "Are you ready?" Liam asks as he wraps his arms around me and kisses my temple. "Do I have a choice?" I reply with a laugh, trying to seem braver than I felt. We stand in silence for a moment, staring out across the lake as the sunset reflects its orange and pink masterpiece on the clear water's surface. I'm faintly aware of my friends coming to join us - Kane, Daniel, Matt, Silas, Megan, Ash and Amber. Even Lana joined at the end of the line. Ricky takes his place beside me and clasps my hand in his, squeezing it gently. I can feel his emotions as if they're my own. Hell, they mirror my own. "It is time." Silas breaks the silence and I turn to face my friends. "I wouldn't have been able to get here without you… all of you." I feel a tear roll down my cheek but I
Love Me Not : a haunted alpha tale Chapter 39
The morning of the challenge arrived too quickly for my liking, and while I was as ready as I was ever going to be, I wasn't confident that I was going to win. Jaydon and Silas had taken personal responsibility to ensure I was "battle ready" as Silas termed it. Basically, they challenged me and tried to correct my weaknesses over and over and over again until I felt like I was going to break. I can't say how much it helped though. I caught a glimpse of Lorenzo fighting with Beta Wyk and he isn't as awful as I was hoping. What did help strangely, was being able to fall asleep in Liam's arms each night. We ended up moving back into my old cabin with the girls and, even though it was a tight squeeze, cuddled together each night in my bunk. Megan initially complained, believing that the top bunk would fall on her along with us while we slept. Her theory was quickly disproved when we managed to squeeze Liam, Amy, Ash, Kane, and myself on the bed without any sign of it
Love Me Not : a haunted alpha tale Chapter 38
To say that you could hear a pin drop might have been putting it lightly. My words - the challenge issued - results in such complete silence that I can hear my own heart beat. All eyes flit between myself and Lorenzo as we await his response. He swallows loudly, turning to Suarez for guidance… only Suarez seems to have disappeared into the darkness and suddenly, Lorenzo is all alone. He swallows again, the sweat on his palms glistening in the firelight as he fidgets. He knows that he has no choice but to accept. To reject the challenge would mean he would be forced to step down as Alpha anyway. "Alright, I accept," Lorenzo mumbles, his voice strained. Silas smiles knowingly, hooking his thumbs into the belt loops of his jeans. "Considering that neither opponents are from Dark Moon, the challenge will have to be carried out in two days during the full moon so that the Moon goddess can grant her blessing." "If the girl wants to challen
Love Me Not : a haunted alpha tale Chapter 37
It didn't take long for the recruits to discover that something secretive was happening in the training hall. Although with the guys, Megs and Doc coming and going, it can't exactly be termed secretive anymore. We decided that if I was ever going to ensure that my challenge was both well received by the pack and fair, we would need the recruits' help. They know me better than any of the pack members so will need to vouch for me when it comes to the legitimacy of my claim to the alpha title. "Hey, isn't that my shirt?" Ashley eyes my attire with obvious suspicion. I strike a pose like some fancy runway model and stick my tongue out at her before returning to my task of cutting and buttering bread rolls for the hungry wolves who were passing through for lunch before they resumed their duties. "You shouldn't leave your clothes lying around." I retort with a grin. "You try working eighteen hour shifts and have the energy to tidy up your living quarters. You're just lucky that shirt wa
Love Me Not : a haunted alpha tale Chapter 36
My body feels as if it's taken flight, all the emotions I'd pushed down since we escaped coming to the surface. I run to the spot that holds the most meaning to me in this pack, stripping my clothes off moments before I dive into the clear water. Hiding behind the waterfall on the ledge that Liam showed me, I curl into a tight ball and let the sobs wrack my body, tears streaming down my face. I don't care. I need this right now. Minutes go by before I'm able to pull myself together and head back to the water's edge. I dress slowly, my mind slowly piecing together information I had gathered over the last few days as well as my stay in Dark Moon. By the time I enter the training hall, I've got a few things well ironed out in my head. I can feel all eyes on me as I take a seat next to Liam and let him draw me into his arms. "What happened?" He asks softly, his hand gently rubbing my back, his heat permeating my frozen skin from my damp hair.
Love Me Not : a haunted alpha tale Chapter 35
It may not have been how I had always pictured my mind, but our marking had brought Liam back to me. I stare down into his eyes and feel every single emotion that rolls through him as he tries to make sense of what has happened. "What the fukk, Natalia!" Ricky fumes as he paces toward us. "What would have happened if that aconite in his system affected you? Huh? You would have lost Ember again. Did you think about that?" I glance briefly over to my raging brother, ignoring his tirade as I look back down at my mate. "I missed you." I whisper, kissing his lips briefly before I climb off of him and sit down beside him instead. It won't do to be in such an arousing position when the room is full of people. As much as I'd love to make out with my man… and go much further… I don't think our witnesses would appreciate the show. "Nats, babe… what happened?" Liam croaks, clutching my hand in his. I fill him in as quickly and efficie
Love Me Not : a haunted alpha tale Chapter 34
Sneaking into the pack house in the middle of the day was a lot easier than I had imagined it to be - either Lorenzo had refocused warriors to the border leaving too few to maintain the security within the pack, or Lorenzo believed no one would be foolhardy enough to attack his residence since he had made examples of Harris and Gail. Probably both. Janet had agreed to visit some pack members and was going to try to convince Vicky to go with her, leaving one less resident present in the house. However, judging by the guttural sounds coming from Vicky's bedroom, Janet had not been successful in getting her daughter away. This change of plans actually works in my favour though, leaving Lorenzo otherwise occupied. I sneak in through the kitchen door which leads out into the garden, moving as stealthily as I can muster through the lower floor. No one is there. Liam's study is an utter mess, polar opposites to its state from when I had last visited. Papers li
Love Me Not : a haunted alpha tale Chapter 33
Kane, Ricky and I watch the sun set from our vantage point at the top of the hill which overlooks the Dark Moon pack homestead. From up here it seems like a picturesque village, all the inhabitants going about their day as if they don't have a care in the world. Only we know the ugly side, the side plagued with intimidation and corruption. We watch in silence as the guards change over, night shift taking the place of the day shift with a shared joke and a slap on the back. They are all young men, all unknown and almost definitely from Lorenzo’s old pack. He would never trust a Dark Moon member to guard their own Beta. Ricky looks over at Kane and myself, a sadness in his eyes which seems misplaced in the man who has always been so happy-go-lucky. The way he has changed since he left the training program is hard to comprehend. It almost feels as if I no longer know my own brother anymore - although I'm sure that once his wolf returns to him we will regain some of
