Alisha
I needed to leave.
I picked myself up from the bed slowly. Luckily the sun hadn’t even come close to rising yet and the man still hadn’t been roused from sleep.
Quietly I got dressed and tiptoed to the door, my heart pounding.
I entered a large hallway that I had never seen before. It was comparable to Sebastian’s home that I gaped.
Woah.
Who was this man that could live in such a massive house? I walked towards the end of one of the hallways which seemed to stretch on forever. It was then that I heard a soft voice cal out to me.
“Why hello..? I’ve never seen you before. You’re new.”
I turned to find an elderly looking woman with silver hair dressed in gold.
Though the woman’s voice was kind, my hackles had risen. I was hoping to leave before anyone would see me and now that plan was a bust. Crap.
The woman’s eyes surveyed me.
“You’re a quiet one, aren’t you?” She noted, curiosity coloring her voice.
“I’m, um… I’m sorry.” My stammers were not the assured tone I wanted to carry, and I shrunk back when she smiled.
“Oh darling don’t worry. I must say though, I didn’t expect you to be so confused. You don’t know your way around do you? The front door is the other way, dear.”
Who was this woman? And why was she helping me this way? I gaped at her as I processed her words.
“Um… thanks…”
I had to take my chance now and leave before she asked me any question.
I turned around, walking down the hallway to the other side, and luckily I found the large doors j guessed was the front door.
This place was larger than I expected and I briefly wondered who this house belonged to before I put the thought out of my head.
The sun had just begun to rise when I left the house and I began to walk down the path, realizing that I wasn’t in my pack.
My pack didn’t have these buildings, or this intricate architecture around its compound.
But where was I?
I continued to walk, aiming for the forest, and hoping k would come across the gate of this place sometime soon.
And just as well, for it was as soon as I reached the gates that I knew where I was.
The Red Wolf Pack.
Oh no.
I ducked my head as I passed through the gates, feeling shame crawl up my chest.
I had slept with a man that wasn’t even from my pack! To make matters worse he was a member of my pack’s enemy… this was too much.
I was glad that no one stopped me on the way, and even gladder that I found myself on the familiar road to my pack. If I could just get to my room before anyone asked too many questions, then I would be happy.
Using the back roads I made my way into my pack a short while after and began my short trek to the servant’s quarters.
I crept silently inside, seeing no one when I walked up the stairs. But as I reached my door and opened it, I was greeted with the angry face of Sebastian…
My heart skipped.
What was he, the Alpha, doing here?
He never came to see me even when he wanted me in his bed.
Usually it was another maid or a guard who would bring me to him.
What was he doing here?
Before I could speak, he did.
“Where the fuck have you been, you slut?”
I stepped back.
“Sebastian…” I tried to speak.
My head reeled back, with my cheek stinging from the force of his slap.
I covered my affected cheek, tears welling up.
“Where the fuck have you been? You went out with a man last night didn’t you?” He asked me without preamble. “The other maid said she saw you with a man. You were flirting with my guests, weren’t you, you slut?!”
“But I… I…”
I couldn’t say anything in my defense.
The sound of his sardonic, mocking laughter dug me deeper into the pit of humiliation.
“So you think you can whore yourself out like a common prostitute? Do you know how that makes me look?”
All I could think about was the image of him sitting and flirting with that blonde girl in the pub. And that wasn’t the only time he had hurt me, broken my heart.
Many times he would flirt with and sleep with other girls, he never gave a thought to how I felt. But now…
“Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t have you executed you worthless maid,” he growled.
My heart jumped at his words.
“P-please…I can explain.” Tears streamed down my face as he glared at me. Why did it hurt so much when I was used to his taunts, his barbs at me? I continued to babble, unsure of what I could say to make him calm down. He only gazed at me with anger in his eyes.
“There’s no use explaining shit to me,” Sebastian growled. “What you’re going to do right now is to get out of my sight. And out of this pack.”
What?
My eyes widened.
Was he… banishing me? From my pack? From my home?
“Sebastian, please-“
My arm hurt as he suddenly grabbed me, pulling me out of the room. I began to plead with him to no avail, as he dragged me out of the house and towards the forest. He was muttering to himself, all curse words and growls. Each insult upon me was like salt upon my wounds.
As he dragged me, the eyes of some pack members followed us and my face burned with shame.
“Sebastian, please,” I begged him. “I’m your mate. I love you. Please have mercy,” I sobbed.
I fell at his feet as soon as Sebastian released me. Then I realised we were now in the forest, and he was standing and sneering at me. Slowly I got up, my head hurting and my body trembling.
“You have overstayed your welcome in this pack long enough “ he said, and my heart sank. He didn’t mean that, did he? “Now we will be free of you. You’re nothing but a curse to me. Love?” He laughed. “Who could ever love someone like you?”
I swallowed.
“But… but this is my home… I have no other place to go… My whole life is here…”
“You have no home here. No mate, not even a sliver of possession,” he snarled at me. “Do you think you can survive? You’re dead. You can’t even survive a day without me. And now I will show you that, your whore.”
With that, he pushed me, and I stumbled.
“Please!” I begged him, kneeling in front of him. “Please give me a chance! I can’t… I…”
“You’re nothing, Alisha. Just a maid who thinks herself a higher status,” he sneered at me, spitting at the ground next to me. “If we see you near this pack again, you will be executed, understand?”
I whimpered, watching helplessly as he walked away.
Where was I going to go?
Where could I go?
I had nothing.
…
DerekI groaned as the sunlight hit my eyes.“Fuck,” I cursed to the empty air, before slowly sitting up. I had been more drunk than I had wanted to last night.After a while of trying to recall exactly how reality hit me.Had I not come home with that girl?Alisha, I recalled her name.She had been a good companion for the night, more than most other girls I had been with.Realizing I was alone brought to mind that she had somehow gone while I was sleeping.I rushed to stand, angry with myself.I had met my guard down. And she had left while I was asleep.I had to find her, I thought and suddenly my hand flew to my chest.What was this?There was this pain deep within me, a longing for something I couldn’t name.My wolf side itched to come out and I growled out.“What is it?” I asked out loud. “What are you looking for?”The word came in a flash, echoing within me.Mate.Then it was over, or maybe it was just the beginning. Either way, the awareness of the presence of something that
Alisha:I stirred from my restless slumber to the sounds of birds. The forest was quiet at the early hours of the evening and I could see the dawn peeking through the morning sky. I was in a clearing, resting on one of the larger roots of the redwood trees around me. I had walked so long before I had come upon it that afternoon. And I had stopped to rest. My tears had long run dry but I was still shaken from everything.That was when I heard it; unmistakable sounds of footsteps, crunching leaves in their path.Following it was the sound of humming which made me tense and look around me. The voice was closer than I expected. I saw him before he saw me; a man coming up from my left.But it was too late for me to hide a I knew that as soon as he stopped humming, his face turned in my direction.I looked down as the footsteps grew close and closer.Now I was in trouble.“Now who are you?” I heard him ask, as if he was talking to himself.You’re dead. You can’t even survive a day without
DerekI frowned to myself.This was such an annoying thing.It had been days and since I had heard no word of this girl.Benjamin was walking beside me from the warrior’s cabin where I had an impromptu inspection on my way to see him from the training grounds. He didn’t speak; I bet it had to be because he knew of how badly my mood was affected.Why was this darned girl so elusive?Alisha…All I knew of her was her name and face.It was more than a little frustrating.“Relax, man,” I heard Benjamin say and I let out a frustrated sigh. “I have to say I’ve never seen you like this before.”I didn’t respond but I took my best friend’s words to heart. He was right - I had barely batted an eye for a girl before. But this was different. This girl was my supposed mate - something I didn’t even want nor need.I had to find her fast and-And…And reject her.I knew that was my intention from the beginning, but of course I doubted Benjamin would know much about it. All he knew was that this gir
Alisha:“Wrap the bandages tightly like this,” the soothing voice of Simon guided me as I redid the bandages for the third time. My hands were steadier than before and I didn’t feel afraid of being reprimanded despite having messed up.I had no idea why but old man Simon made me feel more comfortable than anyone else ever had…More than Sebastian ever had.I finished the knot on the child’s arm a lot firmer than I had before, and I smiled as I heard no word of caution or reprimand.“Alright,” Simon breathed out and inspected my work briefly before gently placing the child’s hand back into the sling. He was speaking to the mother now. “Make sure you keep him from using this hand, even when he tries to play with his brother.” The mother nodded. “Okay, see you next week.”I smiled and waved at the child as he waved toothily at me with his unbroken hand.As soon as the door was shut I began to clear up the equipments used. It was already 4pm, which meant that the regular clinic hours were
Alisha:I was in so much pain.Sebastian’s green eyes gazed down at me with fervor. The cruelty written within them only served toPlease don’t hurt me anymore, I tried to beg him but my words couldn’t even leave my lips. It was like there was a hand placed over them, stifling my screams that I could only hear in my head. It was torture, the worst torture, to be unable to move, as Sebastian’s blows were rained down upon me. How much he would hurt me…I wished I would fall unconscious soon.Suddenly it felt like I was jerked upwards, and I found myself rushing to stand on my feet.The sun had risen, and I was awake.Yet even as the edges of the nightmare faded away, I still felt that pressure building up inside me like I was about to burst.I choked on my spit and promptly covered my mouth with my hand.Soon I was at her bathroom sink, coughing up whatever I could.When the pressure in my throat and stomach reduced, I panted heavily, rinsing my mouth.The knock on the door of the bedro
Derek:“Damn it,” I cursed as the dart hit the outer side of the board.We were in my study, safely ensconced having eaten dinner and with enough drinks available to fell a skilled sailor.“You lost,” Benjamin cackled. “Again. Drink up, Alpha.”I cursed endlessly at him and he only handed me the half-full whiskey bottle. I took a swig and sat down on the couch, feeling the alcohol burn down my throat through to my stomach. I sighed. That was mildly pleasant.“The goddess smiles down upon you this night,” I teased my best friend. “That’s why I’m losing so much.”“Yeah, yeah, tell yourself that, Derek,” Benjamin laughed at me. Seconds later he turned to me again. “Look at us, a bunch of bachelors just having the time of our lives. I mean, at least one of us is a bachelor proper right?”I paused.“Right,” I murmured to myself, taking another sip of the whiskey. “Could you not say anything about that so loudly? The walls have ears you know.”I didn’t want anyone asides from Benny to know
Alisha.“Sit down and have some lunch dear,” Simon gently said to me. I sighed, for what felt like the hundredth time since this morning, and obeyed silently.Unlike what I expected he had not, even once, regarded me with pity or judgement in his eyes since last night. Since that news…I picked at the salad he had painstakingly made for me, and tried to eat a little.It was hard to deny the anxiety I felt within me.Just the thought of carrying a child, this child I had within me… it filled me with dread and made my heart pound so loudly I could barely hear my own thoughts.“Are you feeling sick again? I can prescribe something for you to take,” Simon asked and I shook my head.“I just don’t feel much like eating I guess,” I mumbled under my breath. He nodded, staring thoughtfully at me.“Do you feel anxious? Or is it something else?”I didn’t answer. But somehow he seemed to read my mind.I had no idea what to do now that I was pregnant.I can’t even take care of myself, much less a
DerekThe meeting with the pack elders had been grueling, and even more so with the Beta Gerard by my side. I only managed to relax once the meeting ended and I had left the meeting hall safely.I was careful to not speak to him, but he couldn’t help himself from saying the last word.“Have a good day, Derek,” Gerard sounded like he was smiling behind me. I grit my teeth and ignored him, walking away in the direction of my home.It wasn’t worth losing my temper right then.The only thing I had to console myself with was that the meeting didn’t take as long as I had expected. The Pack Elders respected Gerard, and against my better judgement, I allowed him to accompany me on these meetings rather than face their constant stream of interrogations alone.The moment I set foot in my house that afternoon I noticed the floral scent that threatened to choke my nostrils.It was way too familiar and as soon as I caught a glimpse of her seated on the couch in the living room, I knew there was tr
EPILOGUE IIIALISHATWENTY YEARS LATER“Mmm,” I grunted as I sat up, my back hurting after using Derek’s body as a pillow.He had woken up early and left the bed, I remembered, after giving me a kiss as usual.I shouldn’t have drank so much.We were all getting on in years now, and though I had clocked forty-one last night, I still had a long life ahead of me.I smiled to myself as I remembered the way Misch, Benjamin, Hilda, mark and Derek had coerced me to take not one, not two, but THREE whiskey shots.Damn them all for being able to hold their liquor while I, barely used to drinking even at my age, had NOT.“So damn unfair,” I muttered under my breath, and thought briefly about postponing the training session I had with Mischa, Markson and Erika.The two children had grown up so fast, and were already 19 and 20 respectively, already becoming accomplished warriors at their age.Erika was much like her mother, a consummate warrior. I smirked as I remembered the way that Mischa and I
EPILOGUE IIHilda:I opened the windows of the kitchen to let in the fresh air, and enjoyed the beautiful scents of spring. My nose in the air, I sniffed, and ended up my twitching a little.I had grown sensitive to the scent of pollen around the air ever since I had given birth to Alis, my lovely daughter.She was five now, and a delightful little one to have. I began with the task of preparing lunch, as breakfast had long passed. The children would be coming over today and I also needed to go out to get some herbs and meats for dinner and breakfast tomorrow.Somehow, my role in the Red Wolf pack had settled into becoming a part-time assistant for Doctor Simon, who was soon retiring, and handling the children. Meaning, Alisha’s and the Alpha’s four children, Mischa’s and the Beta’s daughter, and mine.That was often a lot to handle, but I many ways I enjoyed it. I loved having children around me and hearing the sounds of their laughter. It reminded me of my own voice which had been s
EPILOGUE IDerek:“…And they all lived happily ever after,” Alisha finished, smiling at the dozing faces of our twins.Finally, I thought with a light chuckle. Some peace and quiet.The head of my son killed on my chest and I gently carried him out of his sister’s bed, and took him over to his own bed.Meanwhile Alisha strengthened, and I heard her take a deep breath.Her abdomen had rounded delightfully, growing our baby in her.Her due date was soon, according to Simon the last time he checked over her. And each day I prayed I wouldn’t have anything that would take me out of the pack long term, because I didn’t under any circumstances, want to be out of the pack when she gave birth. I had missed the birth of my older two children due to my own foolish mistakes, I didn’t want to miss this next one at all.“What are you thinking about?” Alisha asked me, as though she could read my mind.I smiled at her, knowing the best way to rile her up.“Our bet,” I replied with, and felt y grasped
Alisha:I opened my eyes to the sound of birds chirping. The sheets were warm underneath my body and I felt peace within me.There was finally a conclusion, I thought, to the pain and suffering, the hiding and secrecy that had been occurring for ages now.Now I could calmly walk down the streets of our pack with my twins in hand and not fear that Gerard would show up. I could embrace my relationship with Derek fully without needing to second guess myself.Sebastian was Gone.And Gerard, was Gone.Everything was well.“Hello, love,” i felt an arm I knew to be Derek’s worm its way around my waist and I smiled at the contact.It had been several days since I moved back into his home- now OUR home, and I had never felt more complete in my life.“Good morning,” I murmured to my mate, feeling his lips on the back of my neck. I turned my head and met his lips with mine, and I close my eyes as my body felt alive, wrapped up in his.“What are you thinking of?” He asked me as our lips parted an
Benjamin:“Oh goddess,” Mischa’s sigh made me smile. “That was some workout.”We lay side by side facing each other in the dark, sweat sheen over our naked bodies.“I’m glad you feel that way,” I chuckled at my mate’s words, wrapping my arms around her and pulling her closer.The scent of her hair drove me crazy, and I wondered like so many times before what kind of oil she used on it. She was always taking care of her curls with expert ease.Only the bathroom light was on in the entire house, leaving a trail of light towards our bedroom, and I enjoyed the sounds of silence, thinking about how the day had gone so quickly with all the happenings. I was glad that finally, Gerard was condemned for execution, and Sebastian, the thorn in our sides that had troubles us so much, had eventually been taken out.“Things are going to go smoothly from here on out,” Misch murmured and I marveled silently at how we always seemed to think the same thing. Almost like we knew each other since we were
Derek:I turned to glance at the Silver Moon Pack warriors who watched me and Sebastian as their Alpha lay curses on them.In their eyes I saw defiance and weariness, and I smirked inwardly.“Do you think they would come to your aid now that you’ve finally been taken off their hands?” I sniggered at Sebastian, who flared up at me. It wasn’t very much effective as he probably hoped it would be, for his eyes were swollen form the best down I had given him.“YOU ARE ALL TRAITORS!” Sebastian was livid, baring his teeth maniacally at his men. “I will KILL YOU ALL!”“Not if I have anything to say about it.”Kaiden’s voice reached me and I smiled. So the Beta did arrive.Sebastian’s face upon hearing Kaiden’s voice was nothing compared to his expression when his Beta entered the scene with the rest of their pack’s men.“You!” Sebastian spat in Kaiden’s direction, and the Beta only regarded Sebastian with indifference. “What the duck are you doing here? Disobeying my orders?!”“Your orders me
Alisha:Sebastian’s declaration made me want to retch hi whatever was left in my stomach since last night’s dinner.Well, he hasn’t changed one bit I thought. He was every bit as reprehensible as I remembered. The sense of entitlement he still had over me made me furious as well.However I was content to let Derek fight this battle for the both of us. Talking with him would only give me a headache.“Is that so?” Derek said, a calm look on his handsome features. “I had no idea you can still lay claims on someone who has absolutely nothing to do with you. And your threats, Sebastian, are nothing more than words to me. You know you will never win against me.”That served to drive Sebastian more into unbridled rage and frustration.“Alisha is mine!” He growled.Derek took a step forward, and I saw the tension in his jawline and neck as he all but spat out, “She was NEVER yours! She is MY mate, and mine alone! You made that very clear with the way you treated her when you had the chance! A
Derek:The trial had filled me with pain and guilt from the get go. Knowing that my mother had to reveal her past with my father brought me no measure of relief.But thanks to her and Alisha,The door suddenly opened and a guard rushed inside, panting as though he had run a full mile.“What is this?!” The Elders were incensed upon the trial’s interruption.“Silver Moon Pack warriors are out our gates!” The guard blurted out in such a loud voice.Immediately I went rigid. Alarm filled my body and I looked to Alisha who met my eyes at the same time.Sebastian was at our door. And that news brought a chaos that shattered the peace of the meeting hall.I could see the Pack Elders themselves had begun to lose their heads and it made me grit my teeth in frustration.“Everyone please be calm,” Alisha’s voice was like a steady lighthouse in the storm. “Now isn’t the time to panic. We can’t let this distract us. I believe we have to move against Sebastian at once. But Gerard must be put behind
Alisha:I looked to the Elders, all of whom were shocked into silence at Melissa’s confession.“Things got so bad, that I had been unable to have another child. Or rather, I couldn’t carry the pregnancies to term. That was because, due to many of Marcus’ actions, I would end up having a miscarriage before long. There were several times…” she swallowed heavily. “That I had to deal with those losses without any support.“Hearing that shocked me to my core; she had never told me this before! Turning to glance at Derek, I saw pain on his face, and knew he hadn’t heard of this either.How badly he must feel, I thought, to see his mother this way.Every part of me longed to comfort them, but I knew I couldn’t put a stop to this trial just yet.Melissa took a deep breath and exhaled slowly before continuing. “That night Marcus died, was another of his worse nights. Derek stopped him, and Marcus tried to attack him. No… he tried to KILL his own son. And Derek had no choice but to defend himse