Chapter 1

Kada’s pov

I stepped out of my room late at night to grab some water, but what I saw in the living room made my heart sink. 

My father, the legendary warrior once known as the greatest Alpha in history, sat quietly, staring at a framed picture of my mother and her wolf. 

It was a gift he had made for her when she was still a teenager, and the way he gazed at it, lost in thought, made me realize how much he still missed her.

My mother’s loss during the attack had changed him forever. He was never the same after that, and seeing him so broken made me feel helpless. 

I tiptoed behind him and wrapped my arms around his broad shoulders in a comforting embrace. 

“Hey, princess. What are you doing up this late?” he asked gently, reaching for my hand and kissing the back of it.

 He pulled me onto his lap like he used to when I was a little girl. “I just came down for some water. And you? Why are you sitting here all alone, Alpha Thor?” I teased, trying to lighten the mood.

He gave me a sad smile. “You know I’m not the Alpha of the Blackwood Pack anymore, Kaida. Don’t call me that,” he said softly. 

I rested my head on his shoulder, feeling his sadness. “Thank you, Dad, for choosing us, your family over a title. But I promise you, one day, I will reclaim our pack and restore your honor as the greatest Alpha.”

He smiled at me, and we chatted for a while before heading back to our rooms.

The next day, training was intense but fun. I enjoyed the thrill of sparring with our warriors and testing my skills. 

Jason, one of my friends and a fellow warrior, joked around as usual. “Hey baby girl, how about fighting the three best warriors today?” “Ooh come on, why do you all make this daughter of a fallen alpha feel so important?” one of  the warriors suggested with a grin, but before I could respond, a deep growl rumbled from behind us. 

Everyone immediately bared their necks in submission, everyone except my brother and me.

I turned and saw Alpha Atlas, the Alpha of the Crescent Moon Pack, striding toward us with that same commanding presence he always carried. 

“No, she won’t be fighting the three of you. Are you all not embarrassed to be beaten by her every day?” he scolded the warriors.

Jason muttered under his breath, “Who hurt the Alpha’s feelings today?” We both laughed. 

“Maybe one of his girls,” I teased, but the moment the words left my mouth, our eyes locked. His gaze was intense, and I regretted what I’d said for a split second.

 His brown eyes showed something, was it hurt? Did my comment affect him that much?

He shook his head slightly, but I could tell my words had stung. It wasn’t surprising, because Alpha Atlas was known for having multiple women fighting for his attention. 

It wasn’t hard to imagine why, he was handsome, powerful, and carried an air of authority that drew people in. I had always assumed that he enjoyed the attention.

"Alright, Kaida, you'll spar with me,” he said suddenly, his voice cutting through the noise. 

My heart skipped a beat. Training with Alpha Atlas was something I both loved and hated. 

He always had this way of distracting me with his presence, and I often found myself struggling to focus whenever we spared.

The rest of the pack took a break, gathering around to watch us. As we squared off, he leaned in close and whispered, “Hurt by one of my girls, huh? Are you jealous?”

 His breath was warm against my ear, sending a shiver down my spine.

“Why would I be?” I shot back, trying to sound unaffected, but my voice faltered slightly. 

He chuckled at my response. Taking advantage of the distraction, I struck him hard, surprising him. I knew he was holding back, he always did with me. 

I’d seen him fight others with fierce intensity, but when it came to me, he seemed to go easy. It frustrated me.

“Come on, Alpha!” I shouted, challenging him to fight seriously. 

The pack members started cheering and betting on us, adding to the fun. 

Alpha Atlas was one of the strongest alphas in our region, and fighting him was no small feat. But today, I wanted to push him, to prove myself.

He got distracted again, and I took the opportunity to kick his balls; Atlas locked eyes intensely with me, his black hair slicked back, and he charged forward. 

My fist connected with Atlas's jaw, but he countered with a swift move. He dodged, every punch aimed at him. He was playing defense; that was not what I wanted.

 "Come on, Alpha!" a pack member shouted, and he charged at me at full speed, trying to knock me down, but I moved faster, slamming him down on the ground. The crowd cheered for me. I was happy but the fight was not fair. He held back at some point and it didn't go well with me.

After the match, he leaned in again, with a playful smile, his warm breath whispering against my ear.

"Princess, come to my chamber later. You've wounded me terribly, and only you can tend to my injuries."

His eyes sparkled with mischief, but beneath the amusement, I saw something more,a flicker of vulnerability, a hint of longing or maybe I was wrong.

My heart skipped a beat as I met his gaze. Those piercing eyes, like pools of moonlit water, drew me in. I felt everything around us faded away, leaving only the two of us.

The alpha's voice, low and husky, sent shivers down my spine. 

"I'll be waiting," he whispered, his eyes never leaving mine.

My cheeks flushed as Looked into his eyes.

 He said with a wink before limping away dramatically. 

I rolled my eyes, but inside, my heart raced. Was he trying to seduce me?

Jason and Drake approached me afterward. “What was that girl?” Quite a nice performance But the Alpha was going easy on you, wasn’t he? It’s like he was afraid to hurt you,” 

Jason commented, and I nodded slightly, though I didn’t want to admit it. I had noticed the same thing.

Before I could respond, I heard an annoying voice behind me. “Bitch, what are you up to?” Akira, the leader of the mean girls in the pack, the wannabe Luna, and the daughter of the alpha of oakwood pack, which is our neighbouring pack, stormed over. 

“What were you trying to do, Kaida? Seducing the Alpha? Just because your families are close doesn’t mean you should try to get into his pants Slut.” I raised my hand to slap her on the face but Jason blocked it.

What does she want from me this time?

“It is not worth it,” Jason said.

“Did you just try to slap me?” Akira asked and I could see fear in her eyes.

“Stay away from my man!” she snapped, and I could see how jealous she was. 

She has always been mean to me. She and her friends even locked me in the locker room after school when we were in sixth grade.

“You are no longer an alpha’s daughter, and in this pack, you are nobody,” she said.

I shook my head and didn’t let her words bother me, but before I could respond, Piper, my best friend, stepped in front of me, shielding me from Akira’s fury. 

 “Get lost, Akira. Kaida has everything you don’t. She’s still an Alpha’s daughter, alpha blood runs in her veins. What do you have besides being a spoiled daughter of an alpha?” Piper shot back.

Akira’s face twisted in anger. “The Alpha isn’t your mate and you will never be a luna. You should stop wasting your time. 

“And you,” she pointed at Piper and me, “I will deal with you two.” She said and spun around dramatically, preparing to leave, but I couldn’t hold back. 

“You’re delusional, Akira,” I said calmly, dragging Piper away before things escalated.

“What does the Alpha even see in her?” Piper muttered angrily.

“The Alpha has his needs,” Drake chimed in. “He’s probably just keeping her around until he finds his true mate.”

“That would be unfair to his mate because Akira will never let her have peace; she is bad, so news,” Piper argued.

“She might not even know. What if she’s from another pack?” Jason speculated.

As we went our separate ways after training, I couldn’t shake the thoughts swirling in my mind. Those piercing eyes of the alpha, filled with warmth that took my breath away.