*Cali POV*I am woken up by a knock on my door. Argh, who could that be now? It’s ten pm for heaven’s sake!I ignore it but it continues until it’s clear that the person is not going anywhere. I grumpily get out of my bed and swing the door open. My frustration’s mate walks right past me. “Phoebe?”She looks flustered but I am pissed that she’s waking me up at this hour. She better not be coming to give me her usual lecture on Leroy. “Leroy is acting weird. I think he is ill,” she blurts out and really looks shaken. A part inside me twists. Alpha wolves hardly get sick. Injured yes but sick, hardly. No, I can’t fall for this. I have been avoiding him. This must be a ploy to get me to see him. I fold my arms across my chest and look at her. “Why do you think so?”“I don’t know Cali. You know him better than me. You go see him.”I frantically shake my head. How can she out of all people suggest this?“No. I am staying away from him.”“He is just laying there not moving and refusing
*Cali POV*I jump off the bed with my heart pounding. Hopefully Phoebe does not read too much into this. It’s a stupid hope but I still hope. I insisted on sleeping with my clothes instead of the shirt Leroy offered me. Fully dressed looks innocent, right?Leroy is still fast asleep. Yesterday’s fight for dominance with his wolf must have exhausted him. “Phoebe…I,” my mind blanks out. “How is he?” she asks with the same worried voice she had yesterday. I look at her in disbelief. How is he? Seriously? Like she did not just walk in on me in her mate’s arms? What’s wrong with this girl?“He…is fine, I think.”“Thanks Cali. I can’t thank you enough.”I frown and nod my head. Am I being crazy for thinking this is weird? Am I reading too much into it? I think I would be enraged if I was in her place. I would crash everything in this room. The whole pack house would know and hear my roar. I would be many things but grateful. Her next words completely paralyse me. “Do you think you and L
*Cali POV*Ouch! My leg stings like hell and bent in an unnatural way. Shit! I broke my leg. Leroy is going to kill me!I try to sit up but I am stuck between two heavy rods. These will need very strong people to move. Where the hell is Alloy when you need him?I take out my phone from my pocket. Marcus is too far. Calling him will only worry him. Leroy will go crazy, I can’t call him. My human friends will have no idea where I am. Directing them will take too long. Not only that, I will have too many questions to answer about this place and other pack houses. Phoebe is the only other person I talk to and whose number I have. “Cali. You missed your lecture,”she scolds the moment she picks up the call. She completely freaks out when I tell her what happened and of course tells Leroy who shows up with the all our pack male Beta’s. They all have questioning looks as they free me but too scared to utter a word. Our Alpha is so mad, all the veins in his neck are bulging out. I want to beg
*Cali POV*The Epsilons keep closing in on me. They are sprinkling things at me and it stings my skin. I look at where it stings and see my broken skin but it soon heals and closes as if nothing happened. Everyone gasps. My secret is out. I am definitely dead. “A witch!”“Alien!”Guesses of what I am fill the air. Wait! How am are even able to hear them in their wolf forms? What am I?Sky is howling and trying to push forward against the massive wolf. He won’t quit until the second one, even bigger than the one he was wrestling moves forward and growls at him. Thats definitely Terrence, Alloy’s father. He is a giant of pure muscle and that does not even do justice to him. I am standing but have to look up and sprain my neck to see his head. All the other wolfs are in a submissive position now, except Sky. He growls back at the Lycan Kings. That is deadly. My heart is sore for him. I called him a spoiled brat at times but he is fighting against Lycans for me. Something is not right.
*Leroy POV*Everyone gasps in horror when dad drops to the ground. His wolf goes into violent spasms, his mouth froths before he lays there, lifeless. They are all shocked but I am not. I saw it on the wolf that bit Cali at the lake. I should feel a loss, grieve for my father, but I am too worried about Cali. There must be a reason she and her wolf are so mad. Dad and our old warriors know it. Whatever it is, is big enough for them to attack her without even checking with the Lycan kings. Talking about Lycans, they are just standing there as if being entertained. Diana charges forward and the rest of our old warriors follow behind her. They simultaneously close in on Cali from all directions. They are getting on my nerves now. I am the only Alpha of Ruber pack now yet they are following Diana’s instructions. Sky growls before leaping with the aim of landing in front of the gold wolf. He is mid air when our epsilon jumps in front of him with his coat completely covering him. I shi
*Leroy POV*I turn my eyes to the Epsilon who has not responded to my question. “Is she my mate?” I repeat my question. He sighs and momentarily closes his eyes. “I need to know,” I insist even though my breathing is becoming laboured. “Down the line mate.”I glance at him, my frustration building up. Mate, second chance mate and rejected mate are all familiar terms, not this. “What the fuck does that even mean?”I don’t mean to shout at him but this is all so messed up. “You cannot handle her right now, Your Highness. There is too much animosity between her pack and ours. And her upbringing under us has been terror at most.”“I had nothing to do with that.”He sighs again and shakes his head. “It does not matter. The Alpha bares the sins of his pack.”I know that arguing with him will not change anything. I focus on getting the facts instead. “When will I be able to handle her?”“When the time is right. When the sins of your father have been righted. When the suffering has bee
*Leroy POV*Even her authoritative voice sounds golden. Oh how I missed talking and even fighting with her. I catch a glimpse of my warriors shifting into their wolves. They are getting themselves ready to fight. More like to die because this woman is ferocious. “Stand down and let all her people go.”They shift back, bow and disperse. I sigh when I see her eyes burning with fury. I had no idea that all the nameless slaves from our pack were the children from her pack. Our pack killed their parents and made them nameless slaves. No wonder even the Lycan king shuddered at the discovery. Marcus, Linda and I rescued several nameless slaves and moved them far from here but majority are still here. They were abused and assaulted on a daily basis. No wonder she’s so mad. “I will give you the list and locations of the ones we rescued.”I see her eyes warm up momentarily before her rage returns. I walk closer to her. The Epsilon said I will transverse hatred and love. My heart hurts just
*Cali POV*I leave the Ruber pack palace emotionally exhausted. I walk into Marcus’ study with my head spinning. A part of me refuses to believe it, but I doubt that Phoebe would lie about something like this. “Leroy tells you everything. Is it true that I am his mate?” I ask the moment my eyes meet Marcus’. He sighs before getting up and embracing me. His actions are a confirmation of what Phoebe told me, but it can’t be. I frantically shake my head. “No. It just can’t be.”“I told you before that you two have a connection I cannot understand. It was like that way before Phoebe and before your wolf. I know that it’s hard for both of you, but it now makes complete sense,” Marcus says and I can’t refute his statement. I hate Leroy, yet something changes when our eyes meet. It is out my control, always has been. “He has a mate and will have others. He does not feel anything towards whoever will be his mate after Phoebe. Why the hell am I feeling this?” Marcus shakes his head. “I d
*Cali POV*“She is lying and trying to get between us!” Rose snaps, her eyes blazing at me. I don’t know when Leroy snatched Rose from Alloy, but in a split moment she is on the floor lifeless.“No one talks to my mate like that!” it’s Sky who roars. My hero. I strangely don’t feel any pain for Rose. I hope Leroy doesn’t regret this afterwards. “We are outnumbered,” Marcus reports as if Leroy did not just kill Rose. “Cali and the pups are priority,” Leroy says before running his hand over by tummy. Marcus and Alloy nod while I shake my head. Can’t they see that I am not the one in danger?“No. They are here for you,” I tell Leroy who shrugs. “It does not matter. You and our pups take priority,” he insists. “It matters to me, Leroy. Let me go speak to them. They will not touch me,” I present an alternative as the hauling gets closer. That means the gate guards and the ones outside are already outnumbered. “No!” they all respond in unison. “Stop being cavemen. They won’t touch me
*Cali POV*I insisted that we come to see the Ruber pack because I know my brother. He is trying to water everything down, but he would not be insisting that I convince Leroy to come if there truly was nothing to worry about. The elders are thrilled to see us, but I can sense something they are not saying. “Rogues are becoming a problem, Sire,” one elder says but Leroy is more focused on me than what is not being said. “We have always had rogues, we have competent warriors to deal with them,” he tells them dismissively. They bow their heads respectfully. I guess they can sense his irritation that we had to come. Many are also very scared of the do-called Sable king. I can’t contradict him here, but I need to have a word with Marcus and get to the bottom of what is really happening here. “Okay, speak,” I command him the moment the elders are gone. He lets out a sigh and avoids Leroy, who is giving him unimpressed looks. “We know how to handle rogues who trespass into our territory
*Leroy POV*I can safely say that I am the happiest man alive. My queen is now six months pregnant. The past few months have been complete bliss. I watch her sleep with my heart full. “Our mate is gorgeous,” Sky links and I chuckle right when she opens her alluring golden eyes and gaze at me. Lord, this woman is my life.“Morning, Beautiful,” I greet her and plant a kiss on her lips. “I look like a balloon ready to pop,” she refutes my words and sits up. “You are the most beautiful pregnant woman I have ever seen,” I declare and she rolls her eyes at me and pokes my chest. She really is gorgeous, but she does not believe me. “You are biased.”“Alloy thinks so too,” I tell her and she rolls her eyes again. “That smitten puppy does not count.”I can’t help but laugh. Alloy is amongst the most powerful hybrids around, but he becomes worse than a smitten puppy around my wife. I suspect that it’s the connection with the girls but my wife refuses to hear it. “Are you sure you are good
*Leroy POV*“Leroy!” “Come on mate. Leroy!” I can hear Marcus and Alloy’s distressed voices before Betty and others join them. I am not quite in a coma because I can hear everyone, but I feel so weak and limp. My eyes feel so heavy, I eventually keep them closed. “His Majesty!” Betty cries out with a shaky voice. I can even hear her galloping heart. She is truly fond of me. “Your Highness!”“What happened?”My Epsilon, then Rufus. They both sound anxious. “I don’t know. We were talking and he just collapsed,” Marcus explains while Alloy volunteers to go and find Cali. I turn to the wolf I have not spoken to since he became the Sable king.“Sky.”Silence. “Sable king?” I call and my idiotic wolf actually laughs.“I am still Sky. Bigger, stronger and better, but it’s still me,” he brags. He is still Sky alright. The cockiness, sound of his voice and our connection is the same. “What’s going on?” I get to the point. “Oh, that.”“What!” I snap. His nonchalant response immediately
Leroy POVEveryone is congratulating me on becoming the ultimate king, but I my mind is miles away. I can’t concentrate. I have to act now before another mate shows up. I just can’t lose Cali. Alloy raises his eyebrows when I pull him to the outside, away from eavesdroppers. “You should be ecstatic, but you are not. What’s up?” he asks.“I need you to kill me.”His eyes almost pop out of his skull. “Excuse me?”“I can’t have this wolf, Alloy. I need you to destroy my wolf,” I clarify my statement and he frantically shakes his head. “My king, I…”“I cannot lose Cali. I would rather die than betray her,” I interject before he tries to convince me otherwise. “I don’t get it. Did you two fight?”“I still have other mates,” I let him in on my curse disguised as a blessing and curses nonstop. “Shit! Damn it! Oh, man. This is bad. Bloody hell!“Now, what?” he asks after a good ten minutes of him cursing. “Gold could separate me from Sky. Maybe she can still do it with the Sable king,”
*Leroy POV*“Are you mad at me?” Gold asks with a squeaky voice the moment Cali drifts off to sleep. “Can I ever be mad at you?” I respond with a question. She is crazy and all, but I absolutely adore her, and I don’t think even Sky can be mad at her.“Good, because we have princesses on the way.”“We do, huh?” I ask, amused. Sky already told me about this when we were in coma. “Yes, we need to deal with that Alloy,” she says, and I can’t help but laugh. “I don’t think we have anything to worry about. Alloy is the most ethical man I know. We do need him to keep everyone in check and the pups safe,” I tell her, but she is not convinced. “Remember how crazy the Lycans got around you and Cali? Someone more powerful than me has got to be around here,” I add. I don’t know how I feel about Alloy being my daughter’s mate one day, but I need him here because he is capable, and I trust him. “What if he tries stupid stuff with our pups?” Gold asks, raising Sky’s protective side. “I will k
*Cali POV* I am relieved when the Palmville pack leaves with Zenith. That girl is crazy. It turns out that she is carrying Duncan’s pup. That did not stop her from trying to pass the pup on to Leroy. Now that the plan did not work, she has declared herself Duncan’s Luna, even though she is not his mate. It’s only now that Luna Sarah informs me that Leroy is lucky to have managed to reject her. Apparently, she goes for the Beta’s when she and Duncan fight. That has placed a strain between the Betas and their future Alpha. I can’t believe that they lied and sang her praises when they arrived here because they wanted to get her away from their son. I remember her even saying Leroy was all Zenith spoke about since they rescued her. It’s an hour later when Alloy and Neptune’s parents arrive with Rufus, their famous Epsilon. “Rufus wanted to tag along. I hope Her Highness does not mind,” Terrence says and bows his head. I make eye contact with our Epsilon. I know that Rufus
*Cali POV*Zenith has just stormed out when I feel a piercing pain followed by a burning sensation on my neck. “Your marks have resurfaced!” Betty exclaims. “Love always prevails,” she declares excitedly. My hand instinctively move to touch the two overlapping marks on my neck. My heart hammers against my chest. I don’t know what this means, but I think it’s a victory of some sort. “Two marks, this is incredible!” Alloy beams, quickly takes out his phone and takes my photograph. This man is really weird. I give him the look and he gives me a sheepish grin. “You are the only She-lycan. This is vital information for our species, My Queen,” he explains his weirdness. I only shake my head. I don’t have to the energy to deal with him right now. “Let’s give our queen privacy,” Betty instructs, takes a fast asleep Cale from me and ushers everyone out of my chambers, leaving me with the unconscious Leroy and the Epsilon. I am really grateful for her quick reaction and thoughtfulness.
*Cali POV*I am starting to think that being a nameless slave was preparing me for this. I am the most powerful queen with no dignity when it comes to my mate. I watch Leroy run out to his mate with a ripping pain inside. I feel like my heart is being torn apart. I guess he has made his choice. I can feel Gold breaking before shutting down. Unlike me, all she knows is being royalty. This hurts her more than it does me. I head to the shower and wash Leroy off before putting on a flowery summer dress. Maybe it will light up my gloomy mood. There is a lot of commotion around the second floor. Betty puts me up to speed about Zenith sleeping with Duncan. I am not surprised when someone calls for help to stop Leroy from killing Duncan. I know how possessive Sky can get. This is something that would drive him crazy. I don’t bother going to investigate, but head to my favorite spot in the garden instead. I hum a tune in my head and focus on planning my future without a mate. “It is not hi