Chapter four
Orion's POV
The thought of not getting married to Sophia after all made me furious but oday had to go as planned. It was my chance to finally prove to my father that I can handle the affairs of the pack and I won’t let anything ruin it.
I was quite relieved that Omega from the other night never noticed the mate bond between us. I could never end up with an Omega, never. On second thoughts, it would have been nice to marry her inside of the substitute bride the Heartfield family would be forcing down my throat.
When she had run out of the hotel room that day, I had hoped to never run into her again but fate had something else planned. Why was she here at my coronation ceremony?
"Meet me on the balcony." I mind linked her immediately and made my way to the balcony to wait for her. I didn’t want to be seen with her and I didn’t want anyone knowing we were mates either.
I waited for a few minutes before she joined me. Her scent was heavenly and I was suddenly tempted to pull her into my arms but I resisted the urge to do so. I already made the mistake of sleeping with her once before, it can’t happen again. "Don't tell me you're stalking me." I brought my palm to my face and she looked at me with a disgusted expression which was new to me.
Ladies adored me.
"I would rather spend my time on something better." She hissed which pissed me off but all I did was slip my hands in my pockets.
"You have a very sharp mouth for an ordinary omega who was ekav with a stranger having her." I mocked and immediately felt bad when her eyes glazed with hurt. Damn the mate bond.
"You're a disgrace to the Heartfield family and I wonder how someone like you gained access into the family. Or let me guess, you were adopted and given the life you have now. Just because you belong to the Heartfield family you feel you have a right to say whatever you like?
She didn’t reply and instead avoided my gaze but I saw the tears she was trying to hide. I ignored the pain in my chest and handed her a file which my bodyguard had already dropped on the balcony before her arrival. "Sign the papers. We would be getting engaged as your family said but once Sophia comes back, we will get a divorce."
She picked up the pen and file as she scanned through the content before signing. "I should take my leave now Alpha Orion. I don't want Grandfather to be worried about me." She said like an obedient little puppy before walking away which really surprised me. I almost pulled her back and into my arms.
Instead, I picked up the file and tossed it at my bodyguard who was standing in the shadows before walking back into the hall. The first people I ran into were the Heartfield family.
"Orion. It's nice to have you back in the pack. It's been quite a while, son. You've grown so much." Old man Heartfield greeted me with a bright smile on his face and I squatted to give him a hug.
"It's good to be back Grandfather." I said with a bright smile. "But it is quite disappointing that I didn't meet Sophia. I really looked forward to meeting her after my time away."
I could feel my heart sink deeper and deeper every time I said that name. It hurts so much that she would leave when I decided to come and take back the position for her to rule by my side.
"No need to worry son." Madam Grace interrupted my thoughts as she hugged me and patted my back gently. "Sophia will return soon. Maybe before your official marriage with Ciara."
I looked at Clara who was standing behind Old man Heartfield's wheelchair and then looked back down at the old man.
"Lavender is a very sweet girl and I'm sure you will like her as soon as you get to know her more."
Lavender? That had been Sophia's favorite flower when we were kids. I pushed thoughts of our childhood back to the back of my mind. I couldn’t deal with them now. Not tonight. I had waited for over fifteen years to finally come back home to meet her but she couldn’t even wait for me. She eloped with another man.
"Maybe you and Lavender should get to know each other more." Old man Heartfield suggested but I didn’t want to get to know her. I had to get out of it and fast.
"I would have loved to but duty calls." I replied but Madam Grace interfered.
"Then both of you should meet during lunch tomorrow. I will be coming to have tea with Luna Stone so it won't be a problem." She pushed and I reluctantly agreed.
My eyes fell on Clara again and I almost called for her but before I could make that mistake, I spotted someone."Father." I walked over to Alpha Stone who looked at me with a raised brow. "Did you invite Blood moon's alpha?"
"It's your coronation ceremony, and it would be a bit weird not to invite even the enemies even though they might cause trouble." He pointed out and I brought my palm to my face.
"Out of all men, not Bryan, father." I growled gently and he looked at me with a frown.
"No matter what, he is still family. He is honoring you by visiting on the day of your coronation. It is part of every pack's rules not to cause trouble at a time like this so no need to worry about anything."
"Now he's family?" I scoffed. "You didn't see him as someone worthy right from the start and now he is?" I raised a brow with an unbelievable expression.
"Don't start Orion. We have visitors, control yourself." He snarled just as my mother, Luna Stone walked over to us.
I just turned to leave and the first person I set my eyes was him.
"Brian," I gritted and he smirked.
"Why don't you want me here? Afraid I will cause trouble and ruin your coronation?"
I scoffed, giving him one final glare before walking away.
As if.
Chapter fiveCiara's POVI charged at the wolf that was standing before me with all the speed I could muster but it was useless. Before I could reach him, he jumped on me and attacked me."That's enough." A voice called. "Miss Ciara, you should train on your stamina more."It was my coach, Spencer. I sank to the floor defeated. Despite all the training classes I had undergone, I was still weak."Aww, is someone feeling weak and useless again?" I heard the voice of the last person I wanted to see and sighed, feeling devastated."What do you want Bella?" I stood to my feet and turned to look at her."It seems you forget we have the same coach. Has your memory gone with your shattered heart?" She asked mockingly and I brushed off the hurt I felt at her words."How could you do that to me, Bella?" I asked her, angry tears stinging my eyes. "I trusted you, Bella. I thought you were my friend but all you did was take him from me and you know how much I loved Lucas Bella."She rolled her eyes
Chapter Six Orion's POVThat stupid girl.What had been running through the moon goddess's mind when she made her my fated mate? How can an Alpha bred like me be paired with the likes of her?I walked towards the pictures and picked one up, choking back my emotions.Where are you, Sophia?Sophia is the first woman to make my heart beat, the first woman to make me experience butterflies in my belly. I met her as a young boy and my heart accepted that she alone was the one for me.I was so sure she felt the same way I did, I mean before I went abroad, we had made a pact. Not some weird blood oath people took, no ours was different. We simply pinky swore.Everyone knows how sacred a pinky swear is so I felt secure because she had promised to wait for me. I never expected she would run off with some other man before I showed up.What woman wouldn't want an Alpha as her partner for the rest of her life?I sighed, placed the picture frame back where it had been on the cupboard and turned,
Chapter SevenCiara's POVIt's been two days since I moved into Orion's house and I already feel suffocated and unwelcome.Well, what was I expecting? The man didn't like me and he was my mate! It was in situations such as this that I found myself questioning the reason why I was weak and why I had been born an Omega.But did being an Omega officially qualify me as unlovable? Did the status Omega mean I was somehow less than these other wolves? Lucas had left me for my stronger best friend, Bella and now even my mate wanted another woman. Why? Because I was too weak for him.His obsession with Sophia has me wondering about the kind of relationship they had. If he was this crazy about Sophia, why did she still run off with her boyfriend, James? Or was that an indication that she didn't feel the same way he did?There were so many questions running through my head but I chucked them down as I walked towards the door. After the little scene Orion made over the pictures, I had made it my m
Chapter 8 Orion stormed into the dining room and charged towards Bryan. He glared at Ciara who was sitting close to Bryan and she stiffened before changing her seat. "What are you doing here?" Bryan didn't respond right away but took his time, devouring the piece of steak in his mouth and then washing it down with the wine that the servants had served them. "It's not nice to bully people Orion." He finally replied, his gaze fixed on Ciara and Orion clenched his jaw. What right did he have to tell him what to do? Ciara avoided their eyes and picked at her food. Orion could feel her nerves wavering all over the place and he snorted in disgust. "Ciara, come back to your seat and ignore him," Bryan said, ignoring Orion who was now glaring at him. Ciara eyed Orion first and then shook her head, refusing Bryan's request. Orion smirked, satisfied with her decision and turned to his brother. Bryan sighed and looked up at him, "It's the family month." he shrugged after saying that
Chapter 9Ciara watched Orion storm out of the dining room and sighed in relief. Why did he have to be so scary?"Why are you so afraid of him?" She heard him ask beside her and she turned to face him. "He is the Alpha." she simply responded not wanting to continue the conversation. "But he is your mate," Bryan said and the fork she had been holding dropped from her hand. "What are you talking about?" Bryan's eyes widened as he realized Ciara still didn't know that Orion was her mate because she didn't have her wolf yet. "I meant he is your Alpha," he corrected himself and she watched him for a while as if checking to see if he was lying. Satisfied with what she saw, she looked back at her food and decided to focus on finishing breakfast as quickly as possible. She didn't want to be anywhere near any of these men at this point, they spelt trouble. She was curious to know what kind of relationship he and Orion shared but she wouldn't dare ask him. It would be forward of her. "Al
Chapter 10Ciara's POV "Thanks, I have to go," I avoided his gaze as I walked away from him. I wish he didn't have to see me like that. After embarrassing myself and setting whatever pride I had left on fire, I made my way back to the mansion and headed straight for my room. It was somehow dark and no doubt, Orion wouldn't bother entering this room since he knew I would be here. I still don't know what connection he has to Alpha Bryan but I am still curious to find out. However, no matter what connection he might have, I can see that Orion would love it if it didn't exist. The tension between them during breakfast earlier had been thick, thicker than clouds during a rainy day. I was curious about it but at the same time, I didn't want to be caught in the middle of it. Orion already hated my guts, I didn't want to give him any extra reason to do so. I flopped down on the bed and sighed, closing my eyes as the thought of everything I had been through today rolled through my
Chapter 11 Bryan's POV "Alpha," Being here in the Silver Moon pack was becoming a serious pain in my butt. The only thing that made it feel worth it was my mate.Just thinking about Ciara brought a smile to my face. I didn't know her all that well but I was intrigued by her and I wanted to know her better. Orion didn't value her or pay attention to her but I knew I could give her all the love she deserved. Being so close to her and not being able to hold her and show that I owned her was killing me slowly.I would kill for a chance to be with her the way I should be with my mate and I wasn't talking about sex. For years I had hoped to find her, had searched everywhere in hopes that she would be out there somewhere. Along the way, I lost hope that she even existed. I just decided to settle for any unmated female willing to satisfy me. I scrubbed my hands over my face and closed my eyes. Orion was a fool for neglecting her like this and how was he even beating the mate bond? I was
Chapter 12 Ciara's POV I rolled over on my side and yawned, opening my eyes. Yesterday had been a fruitful day if I do say so myself. I had accomplished what I set out to do and I felt very proud. I was one step closer to my goal of being a strong Luna and being remembered as one. Orion ignored me when I served them the other day but I knew he noticed my presence. Either way, I was glad he had ignored me. I couldn't take any hurtful words at this stage. I was just starting to find myself again and I didn't want anything stopping that process. Bryan on the other hand was still a puzzle and I didn't know what to do with him. I found myself wishing he was my mate instead of Orion because, unlike Orion, Bryan was attentive towards me and my pain. He was sweet, kind, less scary and he was just different really. I knew he probably had his flaws and demons but at least he tried to be a better person and I was grateful for how different he was; like a breath of fresh air. I
Chapter 91 Orion's POV “Daddy, can I get a pen? Jeremy doesn't want me to share his,” I sighed without looking away from my associates and stretched a pen out. “The recent killings are a serious cause of concern for Alpha. Reports shows that they could be as a result of vampires,” I scoffed and shook my head as I listened. Vampires? What did they think this was, a fantasy book series? I had heard about the series of attacks and killings. Even my stepbrother's pack wasn't spared as their bonfire/imitation ceremony turned sour two days ago. I clenched my jaw and sighed, clasping my hands in front of me. It could be karma getting back at him for all the things he had stolen from me however the killings had started long before now. I would love to chalk it all up as something simple but it wasn't serious. If we had a serial killer on the loose then we had to do something about it. “Daddy, can you check this out?” James asked, holding up a piece of paper in front of my face. “Dadd
Chapter 90 Bryan's POV “They have to be vampires because how else do you explain this?” One of my men said and murmurs ensued. Some sided with him while others disagreed and some weren't sure what to believe or which side to pick. I sat back in my seat brooding. Last night had been going so well until people suddenly dropped dead. Werewolves were naturally strong so whatever was killing them had to be supernatural or else it wouldn't make sense. There were no signs of struggle on their bodies, just the bite marks and complete blood loss just like the other bodies that were found before. I had failed them. I had failed my people and I let whatever was killing and hunting down wolves enter my pack. So much for being a powerful Alpha if I can't even protect my own people. The door swung open and Ciara walked in. She ignored the men sitting and headed straight for me. I frowned when I saw the serious look on her face and got up from my seat immediately. “I came to check on
Chapter 89Ciara's POV “What do you want us to put on this Luna?” Lilian asked and I smiled, ignoring the title. I looked around the room. The tables were already packed with food. The bonfire celebration was going to be a grand affair from the looks of it and Bryan wasn't settling in terms of food and provisions. “Need some help?” I heard his voice and I rolled my eyes not bothering to look at him. “You can just leave that there, thank you Lilian.” I waited for her to leave before I turned to him. “Seriously? What are we going to do with all this food?”He looked around and shrugged, smiling at me as he closed the distance between us. “Why are you standing so far away?” He laced his arms around my waist and buried his nose in my neck. “I don't like being ignored.” “I'm not ignoring you. You haven't answered my question. What are we going to do with all this food? It's too much.” “It's a celebration, bonfire or not.” He stretched and picked up a sausage roll. “The more food the
Chapter 88Bryan's POV “Sir there's nothing there. We searched everywhere but couldn't find anyone or anything.” The last batch of the search party we sent returned with the same dissatisfying news. I hung my head and closed my eyes. We've been stuck in the woods for days without food and water trying to hunt down the creatures responsible for the recent killings. “I can't believe we've been unable to find anything,” one of the men grumbled as he sank tor he ground. Soon, murmuring began amongst the other men expressing their disapproval and dissatisfaction with the situation. I listened wordlessly unsure of how to comfort them when I was also feeling down and depressed. How could we have found nothing in these last few days? It was disheartening and very shameful. “Alpha, I think you should return back home now. Luna Ciara must be beside herself with worry. Ther has been no news sent back to the pack since we left.” Ryan said respectfully pulling me out of my thoughts. At the
Chapter 87Ciara's POV I slid the new diaper under Lacey's bum and secured it around her legs before propping her on my lap. “Sleep baby,” She had been restless all day as if she knew that Bryan wasn't here or perhaps she could sense my internal struggles. “I'll be back,”That was what he said to me three days ago and yet I haven't set my eyes on him. He promised he'd come back to me and instructed me to look after Lacey and make sure she didn't miss him too much. It's been three days and there's no sign of him or Ryan. I had no clue if he was even alive or if something had happened to him. If only someone knew something. Presently, I was in his room where I had been sleeping since he left that day. Being around his clothes and objects that smelled like him was helping to calm me down but for how long?Perhaps it wasn't such a bad thing that I didn't have a wolf or else she'd be going berserk right now with her mate so far awayAlthough having a wolf, I'd know if Bryan is dead o
Chapter 86Bryan's POV “We have increased the security at the border. Three of our strongest men are stationed at the border every morning and switched with their replacements every night.” Gamma Luke announced to the entire room of men. I leaned back in my seat, half of my mind on the current situation with the killings, the other half was far away with Ciara, wherever she was. “Alpha, would you like to say anything?” I looked up and found all eyes on me. Schooling my expression, I shook my head. “Go on,” Ryan shot me a curious look and I shook my head before turning to Delta Storm. “I think we need to make training compulsory for both males and females. Let's give everyone a fighting chance against whatever is hunting and killing people in their numbers.” I paused and looked around waiting for any interruptions. When there was none, I continued. “Yes the men are stationed at the border and even in strategic places around the pack but it isn't enough. I think everyone deserves
Chapter 85 Ciara's POV I paced in front of the room waiting for an update on my daughter. Lacey had suddenly developed a fever this morning and I got really scared. As I paced back and forth, my mind kept reeling with different thoughts, different possibilities. Since I had no wolf, could my daughter have been affected? And then there was the issue with Bryan and I being mates, what did that mean? Since Lacey was Orion's daughter, an Alpha's flesh and blood, she should be protected, right? “Ciara,” I heard and turned, freezing on the spot. “What are you doing here?” “Orion,” I whispered, shocked and yet not that surprised to see him after all this was his pack. He pointed at my belly with a frown. “Did you…?” I raised an eyebrow. “Did I what?” Just then the hospital room opened and the doctor walked out carrying my daughter in her hands. I forgot all about Orion and ran to her, lifting Lacey into my arms. “Hey baby, are you okay?” I asked even though I knew
Chapter 84 Bryan's POV Two days… It had been two whole days since I let the cat out of the bag about the mate bond and it had been radio silence since then. I haven't had time myself to check up on her anyway so I couldn't really blame her. The affairs of the pack had been pretty tasking over the last couple of days and we had been getting news of a series of killings in the neighboring packs. I sighed and looked around the room at all the powerful men sitting here. This meeting had been organized to discuss plans and ways we could protect our pack members from being victims of these series of attacks. We had been talking and arguing back and forth for a while and we still hadn't reached a conclusion. There were no leads and no one knew who could be behind it either. The pack members were agitated and rightfully so because the killings were strange and unprecedented. “The bite marks and loss of memory of the incident are the popular traits of those who have suffered the
Chapter 83 Ciara's POV Three months later… “She's really beautiful,” Bryan commented as he paced around the room with my daughter, Lacey in his arms. He had practically moved into our house after I gave birth to Lacey and he was such a doting father to her that I had no regrets choosing him. We had started a relationship about two months ago after I gave birth to Lacey and it's been three months of bliss and happiness. Bryan is such an attentive and intentional man, the kind that many shewolfs in the pack would be dying to have and luckily he was all mine. I flushed and cleared my throat, looking to see Bryan already staring at me. He had a knowing smile on his face and i felt my cheeks grow hot and turn pink. “What are you thinking about?” He asked as he walked up to me. I stretched out my hand to take Lacey but he ignored them and sat by the side of the bed, leaning towards me. “Well?” He asked, his eyebrows raised. I sighed and shook my head. “Nothing important.”