~ Flashback ~~ 2 days ago ~~ 2:34 pm ~ × Trix ×As I flip through the pages in front of me and realize that a war is indeed coming, I let out a growl. The weight of the realization bears down on me, and I can almost feel the thick clouds of conflict gathering over our pack.The old, dusty book lies open on the table and I wondered how long the book has existed. Definitely way before my parent's parent's existence. A sharp ringtone interrupts my thoughts. I glance at the screen—Ryder. With a sigh, I pick up the call."Hey man, what's up?"“Hey, big dog. Listen, I’m out of town for a few days. Won’t be around for the meetings with the pack elders.”I rub my temples, the stress piling on. "Wait, what? Great timing. You know how important these meetings are."“I know, man. It’s just… this thing came up. It's really urgent and I gotta deal with it.""Ryder, you know we need everyone here, especially you. These meetings are crucial," I say, frustration creeping into my voice, 'cause I c
× Trix ×I keep wondering what Alvera means by what she said.I stand up, resolve hardening. "Alright, let’s do this." With a final nod from Alvera, I head out to find Dixie. I’ve got to lay it all out for her, make sure she gets the gravity of this situation. I stride down the hallway, my frustration bubbling over with every step. It's not like I want to see her fucking face or hear her whining voice, but I know it's the price I have to pay to keep my pack alive. I approach the last place I saw her and she isn't there. Where the hell is she? I pass by a couple of hospital volunteers and pause, barely keeping my irritation in check. "Have you seen Dixie?" I ask one of them, trying to keep my voice steady."She left a while ago," the volunteer replies, looking a bit nervous.Great. Just great. I grind my teeth and continue my search, feeling my anger spike. Of course, she’s nowhere to be found when I need her. Typical Dixie—always running off, never where she’s supposed to be. I s
×Present×× Trix × I’m eating my words alright. In fact, I’m consuming the anger that has been boiling in me since I told her to shut up and she didn’t.Watching her fall unconscious in my arms made me realize how weak and fragile she is. And like any weak human out there, she is going to die a silly death, something as silly as tripping and falling. It disgusts me.Her weakness disgusts me. “Take her to her room.” I order the maids standing at the corner of the room. Immediately those maids oblige to my order, I turn around to face my people. What we had to discuss is more important than Dixie being her human self and fainting so easily. After the meeting, I stand in the courtroom with only Alvera beside me. “Trix, you should go check on her.” Alvera clearly makes it her business to butt in my life whenever she thinks something is wrong. “Who are you talking about?” I ask, only for her to give me a knowing look. “You know who. She is your mate. She is not alright. You should ch
× Dixie ×BANG! BANG! BANG!I wake up to the brain crushing sound of a drum beating outside my room. My room is close to Trix's room so I wonder why someone is taking the risk of facing Trix's wrath.Coming out of my bed, I force myself to stand. I almost fall back in my bed because of how dizzy I am. The drum beating outside is not making things any easier for me. Still, I gather my strength and walk towards the window to shout with every strength in my lungs. “Take that fucking drum somewhere else or I'll introduce you to the dungeon!” I threaten them immediately. Two men with a portable drum run away before I can take a good look at them. Before I can take a deep peaceful breath, a maid comes in to inform me. “Luna..” With a bow, she said. “The Alpha said you should join the daily training sessions. So, I am here to assist you in getting dressed. ”Luna? What the hell is that?“What did you just call me?” I ask with a raised eyebrow.The maid hesitates before answering, afraid she
× Dixie ×How did Gran gran think being with these savage people will help me? They are not helping me. Instead, they are trying their damn best to break me. Watching the huge girl approach me, I stagger back. I look around, looking for a way to escape the fight but there isn't! So, I face my opponent who is a few inches from me. Even from that distance, she towers over me like a pole, a really big pole. “Denise! Denise! Denise!” Everyone around us cheers her name. A smile adorns her face at the obvious victory she would get in a fight against me. I lack the strength of a werewolf, the healing abilities or their sharp senses but I have guts. Lots of it. So, I push ahead, attacking the oaf first. At the last minute, I swerve and jump over one of them like I am in an obstacle course. Running as fast as I can, I hear Ryder yell. “Get her!” The loud thumping sound of their steps as they run motivates me to run inside. The number will reduce to fit inside. Besides, I doubt everyone wil
× Dixie ×Alvera leaves us, giving Trix a nod. I follow her with my eyes as she disappears into the shadows of the hallway.“Relax, Piggy,” Trix says, his voice annoyingly calm. “I’m not here to drag you anywhere unless I have to.”I cross my arms, narrowing my eyes at him. I wish he had actually forgot the useless 'nickname' he gave me. It appears he hasn't.“You are so full of yourself, ain't it? You think I'm going to follow you just because you say it nicely? You're mistaken!” Making my frustration evident.His eyes flash with irritation. “You’re coming to the session, Dixie. End of discussion.”“Oh, so now you’re the dictator of my life?” I shoot back, my voice dripping with sarcasm. “Guess what, Trix? I’m not one of your loyal lapdogs.”“Could’ve fooled me with all the running and hiding,” he says, a smirk playing on his lips.I roll my eyes, feeling my blood boil. “Why do you even care? You’ve made it clear you think I’m worthless.”His smirk fades, replaced by a hard, cold sta
× Dixie ×Denise, the massive girl from earlier, steps forward, cracking her knuckles. She looks like she’s been waiting for this moment. My heart pounds, but I keep my expression neutral. No way I’m letting them see me sweat.The werewolves form a loose circle around us, creating a makeshift ring. Ryder gives a nod, and Denise comes at me. I barely dodge her first swing, rolling to the side. The crowd jeers, but I tune them out, focusing on my opponent.Denise is strong, no doubt about it, but she’s also slow. I find that quite confusing that a werewolf is slow. She is fat though; her fatigue could be the reason for her slowness. I thank whatever god may exist in this world for this opportunity to not be eaten alive without making an attempt.I use her slowness to my advantage, sliding and weaving, trying to stay out of her reach. She growls in frustration, her swings becoming wilder. “Come on, human!” she taunts. “Stand still and fight!”I don’t respond. I’m too busy planning my
× Trix ×I can't believe the insolent girl could challenge my authority. I’ve had enough of her impudence, but this? This is fucking unacceptable.My eyes darken as I signal to the guards to handled her. The rest is history.I head back to my office; anyone around could have felt the energy of anger radiating from me and I bet wouldn't dare to come close.I slam the door shut behind me, the sound breaking through the room. I lean against the heavy wooden desk, my hands gripping the edges so hard my knuckles turn white.The audacity of that girl is astounding. Who the hell does she think she is to challenge me like that?
× Trix ×After what feels like an eternity of trying really hard not to gawk at Dix, I finally spot the Nardoos Alpha across the room. And I mean, really, it’s a feat of self-control because Dix has been driving me to the brink of madness.Every time I glance down at her, the way she bites her lip when she’s trying not to laugh, or how her eyes light up when she’s teasing me about my lack of dance skills, it’s almost too much. Almost. But this isn’t the time to be a lovesick idiot. Nope. We’re here for a reason, and that reason just stepped into view. The Nardoos Alpha is hard to miss.He’s got that commanding presence that makes everyone around him take a step back. His shoulders are broad, his posture rigid, and there’s this air of arrogance around him that I can sense even from a distance. The way the crowd seems to part for him, it’s like he’s a king i
× Dixie ×I have to admit, it's actually super duper nice to know that Trix is all over me like a little lost puppy.And not just any puppy, I’m talking a full-on, tail-wagging, “I’d follow you anywhere” kind of puppy. Like... Bambi level cute. Who would’ve thought that the big, bad Alpha with that intimidating vibe would be this all in on me? It’s wild, honestly.If someone had told me a few months ago that Trix would be this way with me, I would’ve called them crazy and laughed in their face. But here we are, and I can’t even pretend like I’m not enjoying every second of it.And that kiss? Oh god, that kiss. It felt like the world paused for a moment. Like all of time stopped so I could just... feel . I still can’t get over it.My heart’s still doing flip-flops, and yeah, I know, I’m trying to be cool about it, but damn , I’m
× Trix×We pull away from each other, breathless, but the air between us still crackling with that electric pull. My heart’s hammering in my chest, and for a second, I can’t think straight.It feels like the whole damn room is spinning around us, like nothing else matters except the two of us standing here, tangled in this moment.I glance at her, and she looks back at me, those eyes wide and intense, like she’s feeling it too. There’s this... connection . Something deeper than words, something more than just the heat between us. It’s us. And in this split second, I know. I know what I want. What I’ve always wanted.I take a deep breath, and I’m suddenly aware of the way my hand fits against hers. Her palm, her fingers, they hold me like she knows exactly what I need without me having to say it. The bond between us is solid, unshakeable.
× Trix ×I can’t believe I’m even in this room. This ballroom. This den of wolves who have caused my pack nothing but pain, humiliation, and loss.All this time, all this effort to keep my pack together, and now I’m dancing in the middle of it, in the middle of them, with my mate by my side, pretending like this is some fairy tale. Like none of it matters.But it matters.Dixie must sense the shift in my mood because she’s quiet now. She stops swaying, her hand still in mine, but she’s not pulling away. She’s waiting for me. I can feel the weight of her eyes on me, but I can’t focus on her. Not now. Not with the Nardoos Alpha still missing from this room.“What’s wrong?” she asks, her voice low, almost too calm. She’s used to me being distant, to my silence, but this is different. I don’t want her to know the truth, do
× Trix ×The room is alive with chatter and laughter, the kind of buzzing energy that comes with a hundred people trying to look effortlessly fabulous at the same time.But then, the music changes to a soft, slow melody begins to spill out from the speakers, the kind that makes everything feel like it’s in slow motion.Couples begin to fill the dance floor, and I can’t help but feel a tug in my chest. It’s like a pull that’s drawing me in, and I know exactly who I want to be with.I glance over at Dixie, who’s standing beside me, her gaze scanning the crowd, her lips curled in a half-smirk as if she’s silently judging everyone on the floor.I can’t wait anymore.“Dance with me,” I say, the words tumbling out before I can stop them. My voice isn’t demanding, but there’s a soft co
× Trix ×We’re in the car, cruising down the long, rough road that leads to the Nardoos Ball. I'm starting to get nervous and no matter how much I try to shake it off it's not going.Outside, shadows of trees blur by, and the silence in the car is interrupted only by the soft hum of the engine and the occasional crunch of gravel beneath the tires.I force myself to focus on the road ahead, trying to keep my breathing steady. It’s not like I’m really nervous, I’m an Alpha, after all, but something about tonight feels monumental, and it’s hard not to feel the pressure.I can’t afford to mess this up, not for the pack, not for Ryder, not for Dixie... especially not for Dixie.A light touch on my arm snaps me out of my scattered thoughts.Dixie is staring at me, her
× Trix ×I can’t help it. The laugh that bursts out of me is loud and I know it's echoing around the room. I laugh so hard I have to press a hand to my chest, trying to catch my breath.Dixie watches me with mock offense, but there’s a hint of something softer in her eyes, like she enjoys making me laugh this much.“Okay, okay,” I manage, wiping a tear from the corner of my eye. “As... as unforgettable as that look is, you won’t be needing it.” I stand and walk over to the small intercom system on my table, pressing the button that connects to the main hall.A few moments later, there’s a polite knock at the door, and a maid walks in.Her name is Laramie, and she’s young but experienced, always carrying herself with the quiet confidence that comes from working in a house full of chaos.
× Trix ×The light in my room catches on the glint of silver buckles as Dixie carefully secures the straps on my pack.Her movements are almost precise, fast. She’s exuding nervous energy but as always she wouldn't say so. She would rather disguise as an expert packer, and she’s trying very hard to act like her hands aren’t trembling, under my watch obviously.I lean back in my bed, using my hand as a shield for my head, watching her in a way that I hope comes off as casual.Spoiler: It’s not. Not even close. Because nothing about Dixie has ever made me feel casual. And right now, with only hours left before the Nardoos Ball, all I want is to make sure she’s... ready. Safe. But mostly, I just want to be around her.“We need to sort out your cover, and it has to happen fast,” I say, cutting into the silence. My
× Dixie ×I’m helping Trix fold the last of his shirts when he suddenly says, “Come to the ball with me.”I freeze, the shirt slipping from my hands as I stare at him like he just spoke in another language.Did he seriously just invite me to that ball? The one thrown by people who’d probably love nothing more than to see me six feet under? But there’s this glimmer in his eyes, like he’s actually waiting for me to say yes.And suddenly my mind is a chaotic mess of thoughts.“Hold up. You want me to go with you?” I ask, trying to keep my voice steady, but my heart’s pounding.He shrugs like it’s no big deal. “Yeah. Might be better if we’re together, you know, strength in numbers and all that,” he says, but there’s something else in his tone, liike maybe it’s not just about safety.