ASHLEY
I woke up the next morning on my bed. Which was strange because the last thing I remembered was collapsing on the bathroom floor. And not only was I on the bed, but I also wasn’t in those drenched clothes, I was now in a very comfortable piece of pajamas and the duvet was covering my body. It almost seemed like someone had tucked me in. But I knew better than to think or believe that someone had really tucked me in. The three people in this house with me would rather give me off to the lion to devour than to lift a finger to help me. I must have done that myself but I had no recollection of it whatsoever. Was I starting to space out and forget things now? My eyes fell on my bedside clock and a short scream left my mouth. It was 6:45 am. I should have woken up a long time ago to prepare breakfast for the triplets. Heck! My heart dropped drastically when I realized that I didn’t remember to iron their school uniforms before I slept off. They were going to kill me. I was sure of that. I looked around the room, trying to plot my escape so I’d return when they were calmer. I had not even gotten out of bed when my door was flung open with so much force that my heart dropped again. They filled in, looking angry as hell while also looking exceedingly dashing in their well-ironed uniforms. I stopped when I realized that their uniforms were ironed. I didn’t remember ironing it. Or did I? No, I was sure I didn’t. So where did they get well-ironed uniforms from? “Good… good morning.” “Save your useless stuttering,” it was Carson who growled at me, looking so pissed that I could see angry fumes coming out of him in waves. “So you’re a princess now that we have to come and wake you up before you’d prepare breakfast for us, right?” “No… I mean… I was just…” “No,” Brody interrupted me, “I’m sure she wants us to wake her up with breakfast in bed.” “And I don’t blame her, I blame the comfortable bed she slept on. If only she had slept on the cold floor like she rightfully deserved to, she wouldn’t have overslept.” “I see,” Axel replied Carson and from the sinister look in his eyes, I knew he was scheming something that’d make me bleed. “And luckily for her, I’ve figured out a way to rectify that. Today will be the last time you’ll sleep on a bed till your lousy mother is back. Now, you have three minutes to pick whatever you’ll need from this room before we lock the door.” “What?” I stared at them in disbelief, they were kidding, right? They couldn’t chase me out of my room! “You have 2 minutes now,” Brody grinned at me, a completely sardonic and sinister grin. That propelled me to move. I moved around in a frenzy, and grabbed my school uniforms, underwear, nightgown, dresses, phone, school back, laptop, purse… I was about to grab my duvet when… “Your time is up! Now get out.” “Please, I just need…” A strong hand clasped around my wrist, crushed my bones and pushed me outside. Brody locked the door and kept the key securely in his pocket. They were really locking me out of my room. Without a duvet. “From now, till the whore you call a mother comes back, you’ll be sleeping on the kitchen floor,” Axel announced, “that’s where you belong to anyways.” Then they started to walk away, leaving me with the new level of wickedness that they just unlocked. “And our breakfast in 10 minutes if you don’t want us to start our morning with a whipping session.” That was Carson and I felt my heart break even more. But I did not even have time to waste around by putting myself. I quickly tied my clothes together and made my way to the kitchen. And as I was preparing their breakfast, I realized they didn’t get angry that I didn’t iron their clothes even though they already ironed it themselves. Or did I iron it last night and forget it too? ***** Axel was the last one to speed off. They all drove their cars and never offered me a ride unless our parents were around. And even if they offered me a ride, they’d drop me somewhere on the way and make me trek the rest of the distance. But if our parents weren’t around, I was made to trek the whole distance from home to school. It wasn’t a really far distance but trekking that distance after waking up by 4 am to prepare breakfast for them was too much for me. And I couldn’t take a bus. They’ll find out. The one time I took it, they found out and I was punished harshly. That was when they got the whips because I was a goat who wouldn’t listen unless whipped. I plugged in my AirPods and started walking. It was hard but I was already used to it and in no time, I could see the gates of Empire High. I was already late, almost an hour late and I was hoping that the teachers and disciplinarian prefects already left the gate. That way, I’d be able to sneak it. But I had no such luck when I got to the gate and I saw who was standing behind it.ASHLEY Jasmine, the disciplinary prefect was standing by the gate, and from the wicked grin she flashed me, I knew there was no escaping this for me. “You know at this point, I think you should just drop out with how much of a serial latecomer you’ve become.” She knew the reason why I was always coming back but because she’s Jasmine, she never failed to worsen an already worse situation. Once upon a time, Jasmine and I were best friends. We were literally soul sisters. Then my mom married the Alpha King, Jasmine started coming over and immediately she caught the eyes of Axel, she changed and joined them in bullying me. I thought that when she started dating Axel, she’d talk to him so they’d leave me alone but instead, my best friend abandoned me and she joined them in making my life a living hell. My status as the stepdaughter of the alpha king gave her a rise on the social ladder because she was my best friend but she made sure to drop me to the lowest level when she
Ashley I held my breath as I walked down the hallway. I was conscious of the eyes on me, on the pointed fingers, taunting whispers, and sneering peals of laughter. That was my everyday life here in school. Walking in the hallway was always a dreadful experience for me. I could feel my heart beating fast, could feel perspiration on my entire body, could feel my palms growing sweaty. I hated walking alone. Nobody likes me in Empire High. The boys already gave everyone a green pass to bully me and they were always so eager to do that as if it’d score them some point with the triplets. I knew the number of steps I needed to take before reaching my class and I was almost done counting when I tripped on something and I landed on the floor with a thud. The hallway erupted in laughter. I felt a sharp pain in my knees and I looked at them to see that the right one was already bleeding. “Oh, my bad,” the voice that I recognized to be Jasmine’s mocked, “maybe you should get gl
ASHLEY Derrick asked me to be his assignment partner. I still couldn't believe it and even though I walked home under a scorching sun, I couldn't wipe the shit-eating grin off my face. I was ecstatic. But it took getting home and entering the house for my mood to sour completely. “Why are you just getting home?” Axel fired at me immediately I entered, the venom in his eyes terrifying my soul. “I... I... I had to walk and...” “Save your useless stuttering,” Brody cut me off by throwing a pillow at me. It hit me square in the face and the force of it nearly split my head into two. “Make us dinner,” Axel commanded and I instinctively looked at the wall clock. It was just 5 pm and we didn't eat dinner until 7:30. But I knew better not to argue. “Okay, let me just change from my school uniforms,” I started to make my way to the stairs, momentarily forgetting that I'd been locked out of my room when another pillow hit me square in the face and this time, the pain w
ASHLEYI tried to rack my brain about the strange happenings around me. I was either losing my mind or someone was actually doing me some favours.First I woke up on the bed after passing out on the floor, some nights again. Next, it was the ironed uniforms that I do not remember ironing. Now, a duvet! Same duvet I was very sure I could not pick before those monsters locked my room.Whatever was going on, I really did not have the time to dwell on it. This morning, there was a new kind of motivation. It was as if I had some leftover goodies from last night which I wanted to finish this morning.Then I recalled the reason, it was Derrick.I reminisced on the chat we had the previous night before I eventually went to sleep. A smile crept into my face. He really had a way with words and I smiled all through. I thought of going through the chat again, reading word for word, but there was no time for that.I wanted to rush to school. I wanted to spend more time with Derrick. With him, I
ASHLEYThe closing bell finally rang and my heart skipped a thousand beats. I quickly reached for my bag, I had to be ready when he appeared. As I stood up to adjust my uniform, Derrick was already beside me. I turned to him, and smiled. He smiled back, a cocky grin that gave him a sexy look, “were you going to leave without me?” he asked, with a side glance that seemed all knowing. I shook my head, “No way,” I said and proceeded to ask, “This is about the assignment , right?” I could no longer hold it in. I had to be sure what this was about.I could blame it on the state of things at home, but I always liked to be prepared. I always wanted to know what to expect. Call it trauma, but my step brothers didn't make life easy for me. My curiosity must have been plastered on my face because Derrick looked at me closely, “relax, let out some air,” he said and softly rubbed my shoulders. I sighed and covered it up with a smile. “Well, two things, Ashley,” he said and unzipped his bag.
NINEASHLEYAs soon as I walked into the palace, my mood changed. I was back to my most dreaded place in the world. I sluggishly walked into the living room and surprisingly, it was empty. I looked around for Carson, usually, he would be buried in a video game but he wasn’t. I could feel the hairs on my skin rise. Something was not right. My instincts screamed at me to run away. But why would I run when I had no idea what the problem was. I took a deep breath and headed for the kitchen. My heart trumpeted loudly as I twisted the door knob.I scanned the kitchen but there was nothing. Then I stepped in. That was the worst mistake I had made so far. In a split second, I felt my entire body crashing on the floor. Someone had poured a slippery substance on the floor and it swept me off my feet. I landed on my back and hit my head on the door. I screamed! I thought the world had ended. Pain shot through my body, accompanied by thunderous laughter from my stepbrothers. My heart broke as
ASHLEYI woke up at exactly 5am. I had made a routine of setting an alarm before going to sleep every day. I could not risk the triplets waking me up. Especially Axel, my worst enemy. In the last few days, I realized I woke up feeling happy. Now, I could look forward to seeing Derrick.I thought of the way he said my name. The softness of his touch on my face. I thought of his lips and a gasp escaped mine. The thought of him caused a sweet sensation in my stomach. I laughed as I recalled how jealous he was when I was watching Jordan’s video. I took a deep breath and buried my face in my pillow. As much as I wanted to spend the whole day thinking about Derrick, I could not afford to waste any time. I had a lot of things to do, including washing my step brothers’ cars. I was completely exhausted after doing all the chores and washing the cars. I yawned dizzily as I climbed the staircase to go back into the house. Just then the door was flung open and Axel appeared. I stepped aside
ASHLEYI woke up to a pair of deep blue eyes staring into my soul. I squinted my eyes, trying to take in my environment. I jolted in shock, my first instinct was to flee. It was Carson. He leaned forward as if to confirm I was still alive. Then he waved his hand in front of me. He put out his fingers, one, two and five. When I blinked, he nodded and got on his feet. “Thankfully, you are not dead yet. I was already wondering who will do the chores you left behind,” he said, “get up and do what you have to do. You have rested well,” he said, offhandedly and went upstairs. I noticed the living room was empty. I propped up on my elbows to see what exactly was going on. But a sharp pain cut into my skin, which caused me to wince. I quickly shifted my weight from the affected elbow. That was when I noticed the pieces of glass lying around. Then it all began to make sense. Axel had hit me hard against the wall because of Jasmine. I fainted. I was finally awake and all Carson cared about
ASHLEY I recognized them the minute I saw them. Their faces were covered as were the faces of every guard in the palace. But there was something different when our eyes met. I felt a spark on my inside. My wolf surged within me, causing my heartbeat to triple. “They have come to rescue you. Your true mates!” I tried to wrap my head around it but my mind was blurred. I knew them, I felt it strongly, but I did not know exactly why they came for me. I wanted to stay back and check what it was about, but Killian would not let me. When he insisted that I left the throne room, I had no choice but to leave. As I went to my chamber, I saw another wolf. His eyes ignited the same spark in me. We stood staring at each other and just like the other two, he also was dressed as a guard. “Who are you?” I asked, calmly. “You do not know me? Ashley?” He looked heartbroken and shattered. “I feel a connection with you, but I do not know exactly who you are.” We went into my chamber and he took h
AXEL“All we need now is to reach the palace,” Carson whispered as he crouched beside me in the forest.Things were not the same after Killian defeated us and took Ashley away. Breaking the mate bond was extreme. It made it impossible for us to connect with Ashley, thereby making the search for her longer than normal. But we finally found Killian’s pack.While he was busy shuffling between his pack and the capital,we were busy making our way deeper into his territory. We had killed many of his guards and he had no idea what was going on. We had eaten deep into his territory. We took our time, knowing that this was no small battle.As the days went on, we were able to make our way into the village, hiding behind cabins and caves.“Now that they know we are here, we have to be more careful. I would also suggest that we hurry up and get into the palace,” Brody said as we sat down to strategize.We entered the palace at night, through the back. We injected the guards and put them to sleep
KILLIANAfter the marriage ceremony between Ashley and me, a wave of fulfillment washed over me. I stared at her with pride. My labor of many years finally paid off.I instructed the maids to set up a room specially for Ashley. She was my Luna and I wanted that to be evident in e etu way. I assigned some maids a d to get. They were to ensure that her needs were met.I visited my secret room to do a power check. I was elated when I discovered that some heights which had seemed impossible a while back, I now surpassed.I had a meeting with the elders later in the day. I could see the hidden questions in their eyes as they stared at me. But no one dared to ask me questions.“The time to claim what was rightfully mine is here. It's time to ascend to the throne.”They stared at me, still confused. Then they began exchanging confused comments among themselves. I wonder how I surrounded myself with such dummies.“It's time to declare myself as king of the entire capital. I will now be the
KILLIANI took Ashley to a dimly lit chamber. It was bare and cold, save for a funny-looking bed. I had to be sure that she was ready to do my bidding. She had to prove herself worthy of my palace.I stood over her, my gaze unwavering.“You will be my Luna,” I declared, enjoying the way my voice echoed in the room, “we will be married, and you will serve your purpose.”“Never!” she barked, her eyes spitting fire.I chuckled, a low sound that ended almost immediately, “we'll see about that.”I began pacing the room, speaking of our future, of our children, of a life together. The more I spoke, the angrier Ashley became. She was not willing to do my bidding. Her eyes pierced my heart as she shot daggers with them. But I didn't care.I had come a long way on this plan. I had put in so much to ensure that I got Ashley as my Luna. Having her tight here in my territory was proof that the universe was granting my long-term desire.I tried to resist the urge to hit her. She kept swearing at m
ASHLEYThe moon was full and heavy, sending shadows all over the forest. I looked around trying to understand where we were at the time. I looked around trying to trace the road from where Killian parked his car.“My men will take care of you for the night. Enjoy the space given you in the cabin. Tomorrow, we will continue the journey to my park.”I did not respond to him, neither did I look in his direction.“You heard me right?”I still couldn't wrap my head around the fact that this evil creature was the same Long Leg Ahjussi that I had known for so long. I felt miserable. I had been played. I let myself be used! To think I had sold some information to an enemy. “I want some time alone!”He looked down at me for a few seconds, “you can have your time alone but don’t try anything funny,” he said dangling his index finger in front of me.“I don't care what you would do to me!” I said, angrily.“Ashley!” he shouted, his voice laced with a wickedness, “I would advise you to corporate
ASHLEY“I am Ashley's online lover!”I stared at Killian with my jaw dropping in shock.Axel and Brody turned to look at me with confusion. I couldn't believe I was in such a terrible situation. It was too overwhelming to find out so many things at once.I thought we had escaped.Brody told me that waiting in the underground room was too risky.“That Killian guy is too sensitive and smart. We cannot let him get us so easily,” he paused and looked around, thoughtfully.Then he pointed to the wall at the other end of the room. I looked at the wall, wondering how we would go through it. He held my hand and rushed towards the wall. He stretched and tapped the wall and a pad of buttons appeared from the side. I had no idea that the wall was computerized. It opened up, creating a space for us to go through.I followed behind Brody and waited for him to close the wall again.“Carson is waiting for us outside the school walls. Just follow my lead and we will be fine. I'm sure Axel is facing h
AXELWas Killian monitoring us?I couldn't get my mind off what Ashley had shared with us. Killian was definitely monitoring us. We all agreed to be more watchful of him and to report any suspicious movement to the rest of us.I sat beside Killian during basketball training. Our team had just scored a superb goal and we were leading. Killian jumped on his feet and cheered for the goal. I remained in my seat while shouting at the top of my voice.Just then, Killian's phone chimed, and a message popped on the screen.If you let the info slip, then I think we need to act fast.I gasped and looked up. I was relieved to see that he was still occupied with cheering our teammates.His phone chimed again.She might have sensed something was off already and might have told the others. Was this about Ashley?I looked up to find Killian staring down at me. He quirked his brow questioningly at me. I ignored him and looked ahead.He sat quietly and picked up his phone. I expected him to check hi
ASHLEYHanging out with Killian was quite comforting. Being with him gave me a break from all the hurdles and pressure back in the palace. His presence always brought a sense of calm, a kind of balance in the weight of my life.There was so much to plan. I attended a series of meetings with my mates and the elders. Aside from the stress, I was getting used to the real life of royalty. But I found myself looking forward to the relief that came with spending time with Killian.I told Anita about him and I also told Long Leg Ahjussi. He said he was happy for me but he wouldn’t want someone else to take his place in my life. I laughed at him for being jealous.I reassured him that no one could take his place. While I relaxed with Killian in school, I did not discuss my life issues with him. I was careful to avoid telling him personal things and other occurrences in the palace. I felt more comfortable telling them to Long Leg Ahjussi. He was very understanding and we had come a long way.J
AXELI could not avoid the smell of sweat that filled the air in the basketball room. I sat in the front row, watching the others play, while waiting for my turn. The repeated thud of the ball against the floor echoed in my ears, while my eyes got busy with something else.I watched Killian, the new guy, with a mix of admiration and unease. His movements were effortless and his shots were calculated. There was an uncommon grace to his play that resonated with something deep within me. I concluded it had to be born from years of practice since he did not mention anything about being from a special breed or having any powers at all.But that grace, it was something. The fierceness with which he played could not be possessed by just any wolf. He seemed to have a perfect blend of expertise and that feral touch I couldn't place.At first, I'd been wary of him. His arrival had disrupted the school in a very haughty way. It felt like a sudden intrusion into our territory. But as the days pas