Chapter three
Ciara's POV
I stood in front of the mirror after the maids finished dressing me for the ball at the Alpha's mansion and sighed.
Today was the day of my engagement to Alpha Orion. My grandmother, step-grandmother, had somehow managed to convince my grandfather to agree to this union because Sophie had escaped. Tears clouded my vision as I studied the silver dress I had been asked to wear. I looked like Cinderella on the night of the ball after her fairy godmother had transformed her rags into a beautiful dress. The dress was beautiful.A knock on the door pulled me out of my thoughts and I watched as my personal maid walked into the room with a smile on her face. She looked every bit like a bride whereas I looked like I was being sent to the gallows.
“Ms Clara, it is time.” Lydia announced and I nodded, walking towards her as she led the way. I walked down the hallway and walked past a slightly opened door, clenching my gloved hands.
Sophie’s room was still the same way she had left it days ago. Sophia should be the one marrying Orion and not me. Sophie eloped after my grandmother told her she would have to leave james and marry Alpha Orion, her childhood friend. It happened within the same time Lucas broke up with me.
What a matching tragedy.
I walked down the grand stairs where grandfather was sitting on his wheelchair with Madam Grace standing right next to him. I ignored her and stared at Grandpa who was smiling at me.
"You look beautiful lavender." Grandfather complimented and I smiled.
“We should go.” Madam Grace reminded us and I took over control of Grandfather’s wheelchair.He reached for my hand on the handle and squeezed it. "I know this won't be easy for you Lavender because you're in love with Lucas but Sophia is missing and time is running out. We agreed to the Luna coming from this family." Grandfather said and I just rolled my eyes.
Even if I didn’t want to go through with this, what choice or say did I have in it? I have to do whatever grandfather says or he might change his mind and send me back to my parents in the Blood Moon pack.
"Take the new car lavender." Grandfather instructed as his personal assistant took over from me and I obeyed.
My thoughts were clouded as we drove towards the pack mansion. I don’t know anything about Orion but I’m very sure he will be one of those rich spoiled brats. How would I even deal with it when he realizes I’m not a virgin? Grandfather would be so disappointed in me and he might send me back..
My thoughts were interrupted by the sudden slam on the brakes by the driver and I realized we were here. So early?
I got out of the car with the guard taking my gloved hands and I walked towards grandfather and Madam Grace."Help your grandfather Clara." Madam Grace ordered and I immediately did as I was told. The cameras flashed brightly as we walked down the carpet into the large building. I wasn't really used to these big parties because I opted to stay back in the house whenever I was invited and Grandfather never minded. Madam Grace was a different story.
"Old man Heartfield." I heard a much older voice and then I saw the Alpha standing before us."Stone." Grandfather flashed him a bright smile and the Luna hugged Madam Grace gently."This is Clara. She is the one who would be getting married to Orion."
"Isn't she your Omega granddaughter?" Luna Stone asked, looking at me. I was used to the stares everyone gave me because I was a weak Omega.
"Yes she is my granddaughter." Grandfather simply said and Alpha Stone looked at me from head to toe.
"Sophia would have been much better if she didn't run off with James. Orion still loves her very much." Alpha Stone pointed out, looking at Grandfather again and I felt tears prick my eyes.
"Of course, Sophia is a much better choice. Sadly we don’t know where she is. Clara was the other choice because she is a Heartfield." Madam Grace added and a tear rolled down my cheeks as I watched them laugh at my expense before Luna Stone and the Alpha finally walked away.
It shattered my heart that they were both looking down on me, despite the fact that I was used to it because other people did it too. It’s not my fault I was born weak now was it?
I opened my mouth to excuse myself and run to the bathroom to cry when Grandfather spoke.
"Stay close lavender, Alpha Orion will be arriving very soon."
There goes my escape plan.
I walked away from them and stopped by the dessert table to check for something to eat. Anything to keep me busy until alpha Orion showed up.
"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to another Alpha crowning ceremony of the Silver Moon pack. I'm sure half of us were here when Alpha Stone mounted the throne of power to continue our past Alpha's reign. Now, today, we crown our new alpha and get him his new bride." The whole hall echoed with applause and I was forced to clap my hands, my eyes fixed on the grand stars from where the new Alpha would be making his appearance.
"Now, Alpha Orion has just returned from abroad and it is the right time for him to take the throne and rule like his father has been ruling us all these years." The whole hall was filled with applause again.
"Without wasting much time, let's welcome, Alpha Orion."
As soon as my eyes fell on Alpha Orion, I felt as if all the air had been knocked out of me. He was the stranger I had slept with!
Was this karma?
As he got closer though, his eyes met mine and his scent reached my nose, flooding my senses and making it impossible to focus on anything else.
"What are you doing here?"
I gulped, realizing that he was suddenly standing in front of me.
"I.."
I didn't get to finish before a voice in my mind yelled."Mate!"
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 t
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 116Ciara's POV “Focus lavender,” Gramps sang as he sent a punch my way. I ducked out of the way just in time to avoid it hitting my face. Gramps had offered to help me transition beautifully into my dire wolf phase and since he knew more above them than I did, I had taken him up on his offer. It had been two weeks of torture and each time I walked more frustrated than ever. I had a lot on my mind and I had hoped this would help distract me but it wasn't. “Snap out of it,” I sucked quickly before his hand could touch my face. He grinned and I rolled my eyes. Straightening my back, I leaned forward again and blocked his next attacks, sucking in air as the pressure in my chest increased. “Okay, I think that's enough for one day,” he said and pulled back. I frowned and stared at him in confusion. “What's going on?” He pinned me with a hard look as if trying to read me. “I should be asking you that.” “What?” I asked, avoid his gaze. He shrugged and picked up a water bot
Chapter 115 Ciara's POV I got down from the car and muttered my thanks to Ryan before walking towards the house. I had been texting Bryan in the car on the way here so I knew he was already home but I didn't expect to find him standing at the entrance, waiting for me. When he saw me, his face spread into a wide grin and he opened his arms wide. I smiled and ran into them, burying my face into his neck as he held me by my waist, my feets not touching the ground. “I missed you,” he whispered in my ears as his arms tightened around me. I held on tighter and inaled his scent. “I missed you too and before you ask, Lacey is with her grandparents. They decided they wanted her around.” He groaned as I struggled to be put down but obliged. Once my feet touched the ground again, I leaned against him and kissed him deeply like I had wanted to do when I first saw him. I didn't know it was possible to love someone so deeply but yet here I was falling helplessly in love with him mo
Chapter 114 Bryan's POV “Alpha Bryan is here to see you, Alpha,” “Tell him I'm busy,” I rolled my eyes and pushed the door open, tired of his excuses. He was obviously avoiding me or Ciara or both but it was clear. “What do you think you're doing?” I asked as I walked inside. Orion sat up in his seat, a scowl on his usually tight face. “Bryan, I don't remember agreeing to a meeting.” I shook my head. “I don't remember asking,” I turned to James. “You can go now, I'll take it from here.” James eyed Orion before he sighed and walked out leaving us alone. “What are you doing here Bryan? I have a lot of work to do.” “Yeah? Like what?” I asked as I walked around the desk. “There is no serial killer on the loose any longer as it turns out, all is right in the world again.” He sighed and slammed the folder in his hand on the table. “Goddamnit Bryan can't you just go and be happy with her? I'm trying here.” I narrowed my eyes. “What are you talking about?” He rolled h
Chapter 113 Ciara's POV “Well, what are you doing here?” Grandma Grace exclaimed as she opened the front door for me. I rolled my eyes and handed Lacey over to her as I walked inside. Ryan was sitting in the car outside and no matter how much I had convinced him to come in, he refused. “Of course I'm happy to see you, I'm just surprised.” She closed the door and turned to me. “Is everything okay?” She asked and I nodded. “Why wouldn't they be?” She raised an eyebrow and I sighed. “Everything is fine Grandma I promise. I just missed you all so much and I thought, why don't I come visit?” She didn't look convinced but she wasn't trying to pry the real reason out of me either. “Where's Mikey? The house is too quiet.” She laughed. “Well, he and your grandfather went to the store.” I narrowed my eyes. “Alone? Grandma, it's…” She cut me off before I could finish giving her a lecture. “You don't need to remind me how unsafe it is around here child but your grandfathe
Chapter 112 Ciara's POV “Come at me harder, you can do this.” I grunted as I charged towards Bryan, panting heavily. He was quicker though and by the time I got to him, he had moved. “Faster,” he chorused behind me, clapping his hands. I turned and frowned when I saw the smirk on his face. “You're enjoying this.” I accused and he shrugged. “Maybe, maybe not but what you gonna do about it?” he taunted and I sneered as I charged towards him. “Not fast enough,” he snickered as he swerved out of the way again, beating me for the tenth time that morning. I snorted and stepped aay, making my way to the bench where we had kept out things. “Giving up so soon?” He asked but I ignored him as I grabbed my water bottle and drank from it quickly. The tremor in my body relaxed a little as the water passed my throat and circulated. We had been at this since dawn. Bryan woke me up with a passionate kiss and promised to finish what he started if I agreed to train for four hours. N
Chapter 111 Orion's POV I twirled the pen in my hand absentmindedly. My body was sitting in my chair behind my desk in the office but my mind was miles away. What good was rejecting Ciara as my mate if I was going to feel restless when she was hurt or in pain? It was like we were more connected than ever and it took all of my willpower to stand up and walk out of that room when all I wanted to do was sit by her side and stroke her hair. I dropped the pen and began tapping my fingers on the desk. “You're an idiot.” My wolf said and I sighed. He was right, I was the biggest fool. Why would I reject my mate even if she was moving on? Why would I try to reassure my nemesis that she was alive just to calm his wolf when I should have blamed him for her condition? It wasn't his fault that Brianna had shown up at his pack but he could have kicked her out already. Mum had no idea her sister was back and from the looks of things, Brianna had no plans of showing up here to anno
Chapter 110 Bryan's POV I stormed out as soon as I heard noises outside and glared at Brianna who was lying on the ground with Ciara unconscious beside her. “What happened?” Orion was standing beside me wordlessly but I could feel how restless he was. “We were attacked.” She said in a breathless tone. “It seems most of your pack members aren't very fond of your choice in a Luna.” She staggered to her feet. “This wouldn't have happened if she had remained with Orion.” I growled and stepped forward. “How do you expect me to believe that you had nothing to do with it?” She scoffed. “If I did, you have no way of proving it.” She spat on the ground. “Although your mate held her own for a weak and useless Omega.” My heartbeat picked up as I bent over Ciara's limp body. Had she shifted out of desperation to protect herself? “And what is little Orion doing here? Does my sister know you're here?” she asked, turning to look at Orion. Orion ignored her as he came to stand by my side. “
Chapter 109 Ciara's POV Brianna suggested we start our run on foot in human form before she would shift and carry me on her back. I had left her and Bryan to talk privately but I was uneasy, bursting at the seams wanting to know what was said. The energy about her had changed when she met me in the garden and I knew their conversation had been tense which peaked my curiosity further. “You're staring,” she commented and I flushed. I quickly looked away and continued jogging. “I’m sorry, I just got lost in thought,” She stopped and placed her hands on her hips. “What's on your mind? You can be free with me,” I hesitated before replying. “How did your talk with your brother go?” She laughed and nodded. “I knew that was what you were mulling over in your head.” she raised an eyebrow. “What do you want to know?” “I know you both have a lot of things to talk about and I'm just curious about how it went. He said he'd give you a chance.” She nodded. “He did.” Afterwards, she
Chapter 108 Bryan's POV “You did what?” I roared as I turned to stare at Ciara. I clenched my fists and stared at her. “Relax, it's not that simple.” She assured him, holding her hands out. “I am not stupid babe, I know not to reveal myself like that.” I scoffed and rolled my eyes. “Seriously? You're going for a run. How do you intend to hide yourself?” She hesitated and didn't respond immediately. Then she grinned and shrugged. “I'm playing the role of the weak and useless Omega that I am.” My facial expression morphed from rage to confusion and then finally I grinned. “Wel, aren't you brilliant?” She chuckled and shook her head. “I know. You didn't think I would reveal myself to your psychotic sister did you?” The smile on my face was wiped off instantly at her words and as I was filled with irritation. “She's not my sister,” I whispered through gritted teeth. “I'm sorry, I'm sorry.” She apologized quickly and I sighed. “You're going to be the death of me woman,”