Chapter one
Quinn's pov “No, no, no!!!” I screamed, joking up from the bed with my hair as rough as it could be. Thick sweat trailed all over my body, and my hands were shaking as though there was no tomorrow. My chase paced as my drumming heart, and it got really hard for me to swallow. “What kind of nightmare is this?” I asked, and just then, I heard a banging sound. “BOOM!” The house shook, making my eyes widen. I immediately threw my legs off the bed, holding on to my nightgown as I rushed out of there with worry in mind. “You’ve got to be kidding me,” I said when I got to the living room. My parents, who were leaders of the pack, were already dressed up in their armor, ready for battle. “Mom, Dad, what's going on?” I said with worry imprinted on my face. However, my mother rushed towards me and grabbed my shoulders. “You better save my daughter. You better!” She urged, pushing me towards the way I came. “Take Laila and carry her to the bunker. Do you hear me?” She asked, and I nodded with my lips slightly parted as I rushed to my sister's room in order to save her. Laila was the elder daughter, but I was treated with more disdain. My mother always said I was the reason her marriage almost fell apart, well maybe because I didn't look anything like my parents. They had to run a DNA test, which was a lot of trouble, according to my mother. However, the test proved I was their daughter. My father, on the other hand, never saw me as his daughter, unlike my sister, who was an epitome of beauty. She was treated like a queen, and I went to serve her. “Laila!” I screamed, running up the stairs like a mad woman. It was better to carry out my mother's orders than receive the beating of a lifetime. I rushed to her door, and because it was locked, I had to bang on it several times before the door was opened. “Hey bitch, I'm trying to get my beauty sleep!” She screamed, but I pulled her arm, dragging her out of the room. “We don't have time. The pack is under attack, and Mom said to get you to the bunker for safety.” The sleep in her eyes seemed to disappear. “What?!” I nodded. “You heard me, so you better buckle up and get ready to face whatever might come your way.” This was the only time I got to speak my mind to her. Once I had said those words, we continued making our way to the bunker. However, at the next turn, a group of men spotted us. I paused, it was as though time froze before it played again. “Run!!!” I screamed, and It seemed like she followed my voice because Laila ran as fast as her legs could carry her while I followed behind. “Ugh!” She growled, falling to the ground, making me halt. I didn't know what she saw, but she started pushing herself backward. “Damn it, we're surrounded,” she expressed, making my heart skip a beat. “Mother's going to kill me.” I was more worried about my mother not being happy with my sister being caught. “Come on. There's always a way!!!” I yelled and started running, but also bumped into a huge man who carried weapons in his hands, making me shake in fear. “You both are coming with us.” Before I could process what was going on, we carried and placed on their shoulders, kicking and screaming, but they didn't let us go. The moment we got out of the pack house, we were greeted with the stench of blood, and black smoke that filled the air. Our eyes saw the red fumes of fire that burned, showing there was an invasion. “It's worse than I thought,” I gasped, but the moment was short-lived when my body hit the ground. “Aw!” I cried, and creased lines formed on my forehead as I tried to massage my arm, which hit the floor hard. However, I was grabbed in the neck, making the place grow quiet. The smoke seemed to fade away, and I noticed my sister was also being held with a huge claw up her throat. “Our baby!” My mother screamed and then turned to me with a gaze that showed she wanted to kill me at a spot. My father, on the other hand, seemed in plenty of shock. He dropped his weapon, his eyes fixed on Laila. “Please… please…” my mother cried, and then I heard footsteps. It was enough to get our attention since everyone had turned quiet, including my parent's army. “You all think you're so smart right? I must commend you, Alpha James. You know how to back out of an agreement.” My father shook his head. “I'm sorry. I was taking time to think about it. What you asked for was so hard to give. The allegiance wasn’t a problem but what you asked for to seal it.” He moved closer to my dad, and landed a slap on my father's cheek, causing him to go on his knees. “You know what he wanted. He asked for your eldest daughter to be married to me. What's wrong with that? Why is it so hard when you have two daughters? You should be happy your allegiance was to be sealed with your daughter, and nothing else. Do you hear me?!” My father was unable to answer that question which caused the strange man to boil further. “You all are at my mercy now. You better hand over your daughter to me, or else!” My mother helped my father up and pulled him away. It seemed they were having some kind of conversation, but then I didn't know what they were talking about. All of a sudden, she turned back to face us with tears in her eyes. “My eldest daughter….” She cried and then rushed towards me. My eyes widened because I knew I wasn't the eldest daughter. I was the youngest. However, I was made to serve my elder sister because of her beauty. “I'm sorry, but you have to do this to save the pack.” She said out loud, and then moved in to whisper into my eyes. “If you betray us, I'll kill you with my bare hands, so you better play along. Do you understand me?” Little did I know my family was a group of actors. “Sister!!!” Laila, who never cared about me, started to cry. How she got those tears was a mystery to me. Even Dad maintained a cool expression as though he couldn't bear to let me go. “Enough!” Beta Dylan, who was also feared, roared as he was known for yelling, making everywhere quiet again. He moved to stand in front of me, his eyes scanning me. I was sweating so much, my hands were wet, and my heart kept drumming until he turned to face my father. “You have done well. At least this should save your head and that of every pack member.” Then he turned to face the guards, pointing at me. “Take this one home. The alpha has a lot of things he plans to do with her.” I felt like the ground should open and swallow me up. “A lot of things?” I muttered being dragged away. “I wonder what.” Those weren't the only questions I had in mind about the situation. “Why did he want a woman from the pack, and what was my awaited fate with the well-known crippled alpha?”Chapter 2Quinn's pov.“You don't need to be scared, he's just a crippled Alpha.” My wolf said.She wasn't wrong. We had heard a lot about the alpha over the past few years, but then one rumor about the reason why he never came out to invade or negotiate with packs was that he was crippled. “Maybe he wants me to be his servant,” I replied to my wolf, trying my best to be still as the vehicle carried us away.My hands were shaking. It was as though my body feared the future. I was trying my best to ensure that I wasn't bothered, but the situation needed fear.“We're here!” One of the guards announced to my hearing, and instead of feeling better about ending the excruciating journey, I wished the journey never ended.The guards helped me out of the car but secured me tightly so I wouldn't run away, and I tried my best not to annoy any of them because there was no one to save me there. My mind only reeled around what my life was going to become.Suddenly, the huge door was pushed open,
Chapter 3Quinn's pov“Well, why isn't she answering?” The audience became demanding. Little did they know that I was about to marry a man I just met.Alpha Perrin cleared his throat, and I raised my eyes to meet his glaring gaze. I knew what he meant, but was it all worth it? Was I really about to remain tied to a stranger for the rest of my life?“Ma'am, you have to answer. Do you take Alpha Perrin to be your lawfully wedded husband?" Even the priest sounded like he was urging me.I swallowed, my eyes being raised to the man who was standing there. He had a serious look on his face as though he was about to skin me alive."Yes!" I screamed hesitantly, or maybe it was the pressure I felt. However, no one seemed to care about it.The elder in that same faith turned to Perrin and asked him the same question. However, the man who had just met me for the very first time didn't hesitate to agree."Yes I do," Perrin answered, his voice firm.Then the elder nodded and continued."In the nam
Chapter 4Quinn's pov I stretched my hands feeling pains all over. My headaches, and so did my eyes.Suddenly, I opened my eyes widened, wanting to see if all I had been. Through was a dream, but it wasn't so."No!" I growled, hitting my hands against the bed. It seemed like I had woken up on the aggressive side of the bed this morning.My head suddenly turned towards the door, my eyes shaking due to fear. My hands grabbed the shit because I thought Perrin was the one behind the door. But then again, I knew Perrin wasn't going to knock."Who is it?" I asked, and the lady behind the door spoke."I'm sorry. I didn't mean to disturb you, but I was asked to prepare you for today, and also bring you to the breakfast table."I sighed. "Come in."In a short while, she came in and lowered her head."I'll be preparing a bath for you now..."I nodded and continued to ponder on what the other lady said last night."Was I going to be killed just like that?" I pondered and was worried about the w
Chapter 5Quinn's pov"What condition?" He asked, his eyes glaring at me. However, I didn't feel like discussing it with him at this time, so I decided to do something else about it."When we get back home, I'll tell you," I said, crossed my hands, and left his side without looking back.By the time we got into the pack house, there were a lot of things already going on. I really couldn't explain all I was feeling. I knew there was a way to finally get my freedom back. This was my time to finally experience life."Enough!"He yelled, causing me to stop in my tracks. Perrin was just something else."You can't keep running. What are your conditions?" He asked, eyes fixed on me, and I felt like he was going to seem alive any minute from now."I wanted us to discuss this behind closed doors, but it seems like you aren't patient enough.""Just say it already..." He expressed. Waving his hands for his servant to bring his wheelchairAs soon as they did, he sat in the wheelchair and his eyes
CHAPTER SIX:Quinn POV I grumbled all the way to Alpha Perrin's room, knowing full well how much I didn’t want to be near him—not even a little. But deep down, I knew it was something I had to do. If I wanted to get out of the enemies’ grip as soon as possible, this was a small sacrifice I needed to make. “Can I come in?” I called out after knocking on the door. Silence. Typical Perrin. He wasn’t much of a talker. After a moment, I added, “If you are not decent, Alpha Perrin, I suggest you fix that. I’m coming in.” I waited for a beat, then pushed the door open. The cold air hit my face as I stepped inside. The room felt emptier than I expected, almost lifeless. “Maybe he’s not here…” I muttered, scanning every corner of the space, hoping he would appear. “Then why call for me if he’s not even going to show up?” I sighed, turning to leave.Suddenly, I nearly walked right into him—a wall of a man standing silently in my path.My mouth fell open slightly as I took him in. He stood t
CHAPTER SEVENQuinn POV What does he mean he wants me in his bed? That can only mean he wants to sleep with me, right? And even if it doesn’t, it should. Either way, that’s not something I want—especially not with someone as vile as Perrin.“I am not interested in you that way!” I blurted out. The words tumbled out before I could stop them.I watched his face shift. His whole body went rigid, his expression twisting into confusion. His brow lifted, like he was waiting for me to repeat myself.“What?” he finally asked, his voice sharp.I pushed him back, putting some space between us as I sat up and stared down at the bed. “I have zero interest in you,” I said firmly, though my voice softened into a whisper. “Our marriage isn’t real, and you know it. Sleeping in your bed, being... intimate with you? That was never part of the plan. I don’t want you touching me” Alpha Perrin’s expression twisted into something unreadable—anger? Amusement? I couldn’t tell.“You are really full of you
CHAPTER EIGHT Perrin POV "What does she want again?" my wolf growled inside me, and I couldn’t help but wonder the same. Did this woman actually do anything useful around here? Anything at all besides being a constant pest? All she ever did was try to stake her claim on Perrin. And now, here she was this morning, like an unemployed friend with nothing better to do on a Monday.“You really have no shame, do you?” she sneered, her face set in false confidence. But I could tell—beneath it all, she was burning with anger and jealousy. “Parading around like you belong here. Sleeping in his bed, acting all cozy. Guess I overestimated you. Turns out, you are nothing but a desperate little slut.”“Oh, and you are what? Perrin’s self-appointed guard dog?”” The words slipped out before I could stop myself. I might get into trouble with Perrin for this, but she was getting on my last nerve, and someone had to put her in her place.“What did you just say?” she snapped, her arms uncrossing as s
CHAPTER NINE Quinn POV "You’re taking too long to make one decision. What’s it going to be?" I didn’t know why, but cold sweat ran down my forehead as I gulped in fear. "I’m not sure I do well with blood," I confessed, looking at him again. "I don’t know if I have the strength to do this. I mean, if I do it, then what happens to us? When I want to heal you, my power will be drained, and—" "Do it," he said, cutting me off. His tone was more serious now, and the intensity in his gaze made me gulp again. Taking a deep breath, I stepped forward and crouched beside the man, whose face was twisted in pain. "We don’t have all day. And in case you haven’t noticed, I’m not a patient man," he said, breathing heavily. I stretched my hands toward the open wound. Closing my eyes, I tried to focus all my energy on it. I could feel my power traveling through every part of my body. My eyes shut tighter in concentration, and my breathing started to quicken. Warmth surrounded my hands. It
QUINNTheodore's words rang in my ear, as what he said rang in my ear again.This whole scenario made me realize one thing, "I didn't really know what I wanted. I was confused and conflicted between two people and i didn't think that a decision or a choice would be this difficult to make," I went north with Theodore, my arms hugging tight against me. The moving steps felt as if they were treading on thin and heavy ground.I don't understand why I agreed to this. I should have stayed by Perrin. He was the one I've chosen long ago. I already said I'm not leaving.So why does being here feel like betrayal? I thought, confused.He was a few strides ahead of me, relaxed, not like me, not holding any air of uncertainty. Not anxious, moving as if he belonged.There was something I really wanted to say, but the words failed me.And that stretched the silence between us.At last, Theodore stopped then turned toward me. His gold eyes are soft against mine."You don't have to be awkward, Quinn
QUINNAs I watched Theodore, about to leave my sight, my lips betrayed me, "Theodore."His name slipped my lips so easily, so naturally. I don’t even know why I said it. But, the moment I did, Theodore stopped.He turned slowly, eyes locking with my golden hues. He didn't say anything, but he didn't need it. I could feel it in the air- he was thinking I wanted him to stay.I could feel that Perrin was boiling beside me, I didn't need a seer to tell me that I had just provoked him because if I was in his shoes, I would have been provoked as well.I turned to Perrin, deciding to explain to him, "The thing is… I've known Theodore for some time now, Perrin. He was my childhood friend and we've been almost inseparable," I said.Perrin was quiet and feared me greatly.The room was now silent or rather hushed. The pack, the Elders, and the guards watched and waited. Their gaze flickered between the three of us. I had just stopped Theodore. What did that mean? I couldn't even comprehend why
QUINN Perrin growled as he twitched next to me; it was the sound I had heard before: A warning, full of anger and pain.Just like any other wolf, Perrin didn't take what he heard lightly My eyes widened as I felt that I was in deep trouble, for a second, my heart was racing fast, and I was confused for a second. I was numb earlier but I suddenly became aware of my surroundings and it then that I realized a hand around meI was hugging Theodore! My mind was racing, processing my surroundings; the way things happened all at once made it extremely hard for me to comprehend.The room went quiet. All eyes were on me. The Elders, the pack members, the guards: they all looked at me suddenly frozen with shock, confusion, even anger. But the scariest of the lot was Perrin.His hands were in fists; his jaw was tight. His chest rose and fell heavily, and his dark eyes burned in rage. He looked like he was barely holding himself back from shifting, from attacking.I swallowed hard before my br
QUINNJust like I expected, the next morning came quickly and I was overjoyed and nervous at the same time. In some minutes from now, I'll be made the Luna of this great pack, the thought alone made me blush.The sunlight reflected into my room through the curtains, making the room bright made me smile. My heart raced as I lay still for a moment to grasp the reality of what today meant. Today, I would be made Luna, the official leader of this pack. An equal to Perrin. Any remaining thoughts were interrupted by a knock at the door. "Come in," I called, sitting up. The door opened, revealing a group of the heads of each serving group in the pack house."It is time to prepare, Luna Quinn," one of them said while bowing. Luna Quinn. The words sent a chill down my spine; the thought alone was overwhelming, and now I was in the reality of it. The smile on my face was inevitable as the only thing that went through my small mind was Perrin. He made all of this possible.This reminded me
QUINN"Oh my God," I yawned in bed as I stood to my feet. Even with all the troubles I had and hate that I have received, I was certain of one thing, I found love where I never thought I would find it. I found strength in myself that I didn't know existed. Most importantly, I found a home because of where I was and who I was with.Perrin.He had turned into my refuge, my rock, my everything.Even when I was still coming to terms with my past, he always stood by my side. Even when I mustered every ounce of my strength to tell myself I didn't matter; he would be there saying, "You do matter." And now, I couldn't even begin to consider my life without himI needn't have to.I and Perrin walked silently as his thumb stroked slow, soothing circles on the back of my hand. My heart beat in a steady rhythm, not because of nerves but because of the quiet confidence that, whatever lay ahead, I wanted to face it with him.In a few minutes, we stepped into an opening. It was absolutely beautiful
Quinn's POV The days after that day became slow and numb as I still couldn't come to peace with what my parents had said.Oops. I forgot, that they completely made it clear to me that I was no longer their child, or rather in the same words they used, they said I was never their childI've been someone else my whole life. The thought of it made me wonder if I had ever experienced a love from family beforeBut who? Who was the family? I had no one! It was disheartening.The truth had smashed to pieces everything I ever thought about myself. I had lived my whole life trying to please those who had never really wanted me. And now that I knew it, I didn't know what to do with that knowledge.Perrin stood beside me through it all.He did not push me into talking when I was not ready. He did not tell me to forget or move on. He just stayed, his presence strong and steady, like an anchor keeping me from drifting too far into the storm of my thoughts.In the beginning, I hardly opened my mou
PERRIN POV The instant those words fell from her parents' lips, her face instantly turned paleStepping back, she shook her head. "No. . you're lying."Her mother just smirked. "Believe what you want; it won't change the truth."Quinn's breathing gradually, trying to comprehend what was happening, her mind was reeling. She was looking back and forth between them, searching for something, anything, that could possibly indicate they were wrong. There was nothing.I knew the moment the full weight of those words washed over her.Then she ran."Quinn!" I yelled and stretched my hand toward her, but she was already gone.Through the doors she charged, her cloak trailing in the wind as she slipped into the black of night.My blood boiled. I turned to her parents, fists clenched. "Leave," I snarled. "Now."Her father laughed mockingly. "You can't order us around."I stepped toward him, my voice low and stern. "If you ever show your face again in my pack, I will kill you.""If there's somet
PERRINWalking from a distance down the long corridor to see Quinn, I heard shouting. Not just shouting, there must definitely have been heated arguments between them, turning even into a little fight that I expected not too much of. Just in a blink, Laila was over the balcony, clutching the railing for support with her hands. Quinn staggered back against the railing of the balcony, with Laila pushing her, trying to throw her over. Furiously, I headed down toward them, but before I arrived, Laila was already over the fence, limbs throwing about like crazy, trying to grab onto anything. But nothing seems to witness her last breath. Gone.The screams filled the area as I ran forward, I caught the railing by grasp and looked out below. Laila's body remained still. I turned back towards Quinn. Clutching onto the railing, she was breathing harshly and wide-eyed with shock. I reached out to her. "Are you injured?" She shook her head, trembling even now. "She... she tried to push me."
QUINNI narrowed my eyes, trying not to believe him.Perrin beckoned for me to follow him and I did. We got to his office, and standing in there with the thought that my elder sister had been dragged away was disheartening.I swallowed hard as Perrin turned to me, asking, “Tell me what happened! All that I didn't listen to before, I'm ready to listen now!" I looked down and then turned to the side as I didn't want to gaze into his eyes.I started talking, telling him about the night I was taken and how the guards had accused me of poisoning Gianna. How they never let me explain, never gave me a chance to defend myself. I told him how they had dragged me to a cold, dark cell, how they had starved me, beaten me, and forced me to heal until I was too weak to stand.I told him about their murmurs, making sure I left nothing out. The way the pack had turned against me so easily. How no one had come for me.How I had given up hope.Perrin listened, frowning at every word. His fists clenched