ALLISON KEELERMr. Smith paused mid-sentence seeing me scurry into the hall going straight away to fix myself in the row of the well-groomed girls. I had woken up too tired, my stomach had churned in ways that rendered me weak, my headache persisted and my morning fever had made me sob. I had waited until I felt a bit better before reluctantly getting out of bed to begin my day. Yes, I was pretty clumsy that morning and if I thought Mr. Smith was going to let it slide then I was mistaken. Gravely mistaken."You're late!" He spelled it out with his staff tapping the floor. "I don't feel good," I replied honestly. I was barely holding up, I felt so lightheaded. "Can I at least take the day off?"Mr. Smith stared at me like I had lost my mind. It didn't matter to me, all that did matter to me was feeling better. I needed some rest. "I got a report from Maggie that you didn't sign up for duty two days ago. You missed two days in a row." His cold voice spoke. A few girls grumbled at t
ALLISON KEELERThe search for Faye's diamond ring continued, stretching out from my room. I locked my room on my way to have the laundry done. The goddess had saved me from the evil plot. Now I knew just how to count my enemies. That didn't mean I was off the hook. Karla still dropped a few hints here that I must've hidden it somewhere. Yes, I hid it somewhere. I saw the ring.I had no idea when Phoebe had slipped the ring into one of my pillows, the one she'd probably suspected I didn't get to touch often but the goddess was solidly beside me. My hands had aimlessly wandered and felt the odd object in the pillow that morning as I slept in. It wasn't until I took the pillowcase off did I realize it was an expensive diamond ring, one that hadn't been there when I changed the sheets and pillowcases the previous morning. My brain cells acted quickly to get the ring from my possession. I went further to sweep the entire room, closet, and bathroom clean of any inexplicable material. L
ALLISON KEELER"Where did you hide it?" I whirled around to see Karla's glares piercing through to my soul. What now?I took off the iron from the linen I had been pressing all noon, I waited so she could empty her guts and leave. She didn't. "That's a pretty expensive ring and Phoebe confirmed she left it in your room." She started towards me by the pressing board. "What are you talking about?" I feigned innocence. "Faye's ring." Her glares softened, and her hands found her hips in an akimbo style. "It wasn't found in your room because you must've taken it out." "I didn't take anything out, what are you talking about?" I tried not to snicker at the confusion on her face. "You're saying you didn't see the cushion-cut diamond ring in your pillows?" She let out a dry chuckle, "You've got to be kidding me!""Faye doesn't deserve this," I muttered under my breath going back to get the pressing done. "Excuse me?" She grabbed my arm and vigorously twirled me around to face her. "Wh
ALLISON KEELER "Stealing is an offense in Hornsgate and it's punishable." Grimsby posed with his face inscrutable. "I didn't steal anything!" My fists balled tightly, my eyes not leaving Phoebe's humorous ones. "Lead me to where you kept the ring!" Faye barked with a flustered face and puckered lips. She looked like a wild cat. Shaking, I led everyone up the stairs. Grimsby seemed so interested in this entire quest that he chose to come up the stairs as well. Faye's grumbling wolf had mine tighten the more inside of me. She was too scared now their aura was overwhelming. I stopped before the gigantic flower vase by the pearly hallway before the acrylic painting of the moon goddess on the wall. My eyes dropped on the strokes of silver light emanating from her, I couldn't dwell on how perfectly the artist's work was, all I could dwell on was praying silently for the goddess to vindicate me. My eyes fell from the painting to the ring glistening beautifully where I had lef
ALLISON KEELER "What's the correction theater like?" I broke the lingering silence. Evelyn glanced at me and shook her head, "You don't want to go there. Trust me, you're pregnant." She mumbled a curse and spat, "I should've warned you of Phoebe. But I thought she liked you genuinely." I remained silent only to release a breath and sigh, "I've made a pact to not trust or have any friends here in Hornsgate." "I completely understand just how hard it will be for you to trust anyone else, especially after Phoebe. I've heard what just happened with our Luna. I know you didn't take that ring." "Thanks." I mumbled, "It's not the first time I've trusted people and got betrayed." I felt tears brimming in my eyes as Colton danced back to my mind. "You don't deserve to be treated that way. It's why I stay completely on my own." "Any mate?" I asked. Her eyes remained on her fingers a little longer before she shook her head, "He rejected me." "I'm so sorry about that." I completel
ALLISON KEELER I blended into the girls scuttling for safety. With sweaty palms and ragged breathing, I gave the map one final glance making my mind on the path to take to the gate. Although my wolf was as good as dead, I still had my humanoid sight, good night vision. With everyone's apprehension about the fire, trying to either go off to safety or try to put the fire out before the fire truck arrived I stealthily slipped to the garden, sprinting unnoticed toward the garden, my steps were heavy yet silent. I was panting as I got to the gate I had been eyeing for days now. This was it. No security guards were patrolling the garden, there was none before the gate. This was a major relief. With quick hands and darted gazes I worked on the heavy bolts which squeaked loudly from how rusted the heavy iron gate was. But I doubted anyone could hear the squeaking gate from the stir from the apprehensive girls. My heart thumped wildly, my teeth chattered and my soul was braced
SHIRLEY HILTON "Colton broke up with me!" Grumbling, I lit the cigarette clipped between my glossy lips, with a long drag I took the stick from between my lips ignoring the pink lipstick stain now on the cigarette. Jace's head snapped my way. Now I got his attention. "Should you be smoking that?" He scrunched going back to his computer. Did he hear me at all? "Is that all you're honestly going to say?" I couldn't help the snappy edge to my tone. I got up from the couch in his home office towards him by his desk. He looked handsome today with the stubbles sprinkled on his hard jaws and the dark gleam in his eyes as he regarded me with the softest glint I got used to seeing in these lustful gazes. "Cigarettes aren't going to kill me!" I batted my lashes, taking the weight off my feet at the edge of his desk. His eyes fell on my exposed thighs and lingered a little longer before they fell back on his work. "I'm not concerned about you." His husky voice came. A laugh
ALPHA COLTON I looked away from the training Pack defenders who were training in the heat of the day. My defenders had resumed their training to get ready just in case the Northerners posted troubles. I felt oddly incomplete as my gaze darted around the vast training ground. It wasn't just about Karl not being around to join in the training. My mind settled on Karl. I had left my thumbnails in him when I acted out of rage. This made it hard for his wolf to recover from the injury. Vinny jogged up to where I stood, his tank shirt and face were dampened with beads of perspiration, and his breathings were heavy as he snatched the water bottle from my hand. He took large gulps then he emptied the rest on his head. "How's Karl holding up?" I just couldn't help but ask. "Slow, he's healing quite slowly, unlike his wolf." Vinny shrugged. But he knew just why Karl's healing process was taking longer than imagined. He was trying to guilt-trip me into offering to help Karl. "Not
ALLISON KEELER"What's going on?"I asked Alan after it took Dane forever to spill whatever he had in his guts. "We just received an email from the Western territories of the kingdom." Dane went ahead with a tone that sounded more husky than businesslike. "There's bound to be a war."A war? My face conveyed my shock. War was never a good thing especially when my territory was starting to thrive and recoup from bad governance."Our territory is safe." Alan must've caught the dismay on my face so he chipped in. "We're sealed by magic, it would be hard for the Outlanders to strike.""So why then is everyone acting this way?""The westerners solicit our amalgamation." Dane dragged out the words as though it was supposed to affect me. It did.The Western territories revolved mainly around Colton's territories. His territories were the majority. If we amalgamated our territories that meant going for those meetings, running into Colton, and risking the big discovery of the child we had to
ALLISON KEELER "There's a notice from the border," Alan dropped the folders in his hands on my desk, "It's a good thing we were on guard last night.""We would have been swept last night if we didn't take security measures?" I asked to be certain I understood him. "Here's your speech for this noon." Luca dropped a file on my desk. Smiling, Luca took a photo of me on my executive desk and smiled broadly into his phone. "Hmm, look how good you you look!""Delete that!" I growled at him stretching out to snatch the phone from his hand."You will need some executive photos," he held the phone out so I could see the photo. A smile curled on my lips. I looked so good. "Delete that," I said regardless. "We will have more patrol teams on the borders and send spies and trackers to see what they can gather." Alan went back to business. "You will address the entire Pack today by noon."I already knew that. Thoughts of standing before the entire Pack kicked in my anxiety. "Your executive a
ALLISON KEELER"Congratulations!"Evelyn gushed as I descended the stairs the night of the full moon. The silver dress I wore was perfect as the glow of the moon shone on it, and my hair and makeup looked extremely perfect. This was one of the things that kept me smiling all through. "So we get to leave this hole?" Darlene snorted. "I love this place." I did. The size didn't matter to me, all that did was have everyone together. Sir Garfield, although placed in a facility to help him recover quickly, was now an integral part of my life. A bigger mansion was no doubt going to fit everyone but it wasn't what I fancied at that time of my life. The ritual that night was a rare lucid moment. Without a trace of doubt in my heart, I picked Alan as my Beta. He knew so much about the pack and I was unsure why I picked Dane as my Gamma. This caused a stir in my circle but none of them seemed to own up to their thoughts. Was it because of the crown on my head now?"I don't know what's goi
Alpha Colton"Bullshit," I spat with vengeful eyes on Grimsby. All he said to me made no sense at all. "Where the hell is she?""You're not here for war now are you?" Grimsby sounded nervous but he kept a feigned composure. "You give me the girl and we're all good." I tried not to let my fury consume me. "She's not here." Grimsby huffed.My face dissolved into a confused frown. What did he mean she wasn't here?He met my inquisitive eyes and chose to explain things."Allison is safe. Trust me but I'm not the only northern ruler bonded to this deal, we don't want to turn this into some bloodbath." His tone was gravely low, "Let's talk at my office."Vinny released a breath glancing my way. I completely understood the dangers of striking out at the moment. The risk to these innocent pack members' lives was great and even worse, the weaker Western territories were going to feel the heat. The northerners were only going to strike brutally as revenge. This didn't feel right. "It's jus
ALPHA COLTON "I can't sense her," I informed Vinny the second we made it through Hornsgate borders. "You don't expect her scent to waft up your nostrils if she's a million miles away from here." He replied, his gaze on the map on his phone. "Hornsgate isn't that big a place." I inwardly scorned it. I had been to bigger territories, this was absolutely not one of them. "Grimsby will realize we're in his territory in no time." Vinny glanced from his phone. "I want him to as soon as possible. I just can't wait to end this." I hissed and drummed the steering wheel as the car zoomed through the highway. The thoughts of the northerners pooling in on us were now so overwhelming that I gestured to Vinny to get the anti-wolfsbane and anti-silver spray that Haedon had given me. If anything, this barbaric Pac was only going to try to use these two lethal forces on us. I knew just that. From a distance, three trucks zoomed up behind us. There was every possibility they were Gri
ALLISON KEELER"Would you abandon your territory to become Colton's Luna if he wanted you?"Dane typed a few things on his computer making a few edits to the speech Luca had just sent him. My coronation speech."My people are now my priority. So, no." I was unsure why he brought this up. Dane rarely talked to me and lately, he was all bent on asking about Colton. Did he fancy the ruthless ruler as well?He stretched and glanced at his wristwatch before he put his computer away. "I want to grab dinner," he slammed the computer and got to his feet grabbing his keys, "Coming?"Me?I thought he didn't like having me around but what did it hurt? I nodded and got to my feet. I left Sir Garfield's home office to first check on Fihl before I followed Dane out towards his Rover. "I want to see the pack, I want to meet with and get to know my people," I said in the front seat of his car. "You will, in a few more days." He glanced at me and reached out to grab the little fancy gift bag stre
ALLISON KEELER Matt was eerily silent all through the meeting with the pack elders. Alan and Chase did most of the talking. The elders swore their fealty and were more than willing to back me up on my rulership as the Luna of the pack. The day for the official crowning was the next full moon which was in just six days. I was happy. My joy was radiant but Matt's silence caught me even as we were all gathered for dinner he didn't say a word. All he did was cast me weird gazes and toy with his salmon. Something was bothering him and he denied it each time I asked. I offered to help Evelyn clear the table and stack the dishwasher. She was teasing me all over again about Grimsby's felicitations. I rolled my eyes and remained silent. "A diamond ring?" She gasped, "That's an awfully expensive one." She was talking about the ring Grimsby had sent my way amongst other gifts and items which were now in Darlene's possession. I didn't want anything from Grimsby. But what if it was
ALPHA COLTON "This is extremely impulsive," Vinny breathed, "We don't act on impulse." "If Grimsby wants to make this into a war then so be it." "This can cause a lot of damage, this can lead to regret." "I'm already wallowing in both." I hissed, "There's nothing left to lose." "Your territories?" I flail my hand in the air in an attempt to ease the fury inside of me. "I've already made up my mind. Do what needs to be done around here, I'll be back in a few days." "I'd be doomed if I let you off on your own." He met the fury in my eyes and quickly added, "You're a strong Alpha no doubt but the Northerners..." "I want the Pack matters that need my attention to be instantly sorted out, I want you to..." "Fuck it, Colton, I'm coming with you." "You're not leaving my territory unguarded, you're the Gamma of this pack..." "Karl will take care of what needs to be taken care of. We'll find a wolf to track her scent and I..." I hoisted the backpack from the coffee table and hea
ALPHA COLTON "Not that frown again," Shirley clucked her tongue with a broadening smile on her face. "What do you want?" I asked my face, suggesting I was not pleased to have her meddle in my part of the property. I had been unnecessarily liberal when I chose to offer Jace a part of my mansion to live in. Now I had to deal with it. "I miss you." She pursed her lips reaching out to touch my face. I acted instantly to prevent her from touching me. Whatever we had ended a while ago. She was now with my stepbrother. There had to be some boundaries. A lot was going on with me and having to pick a fight over a girl with Jace became a luxury I couldn't afford. "From now on you will speak discreetly. There's nothing between us anymore so I expect a more discreet relationship." The smile on her face faded, and a snort appeared on her face. "There's no gain being with you." She hissed, "Jace had a lot more to offer. I'm happy and content with my small family." "I'm glad to hear t