“It was important to see our mother first, we needed to ascertain the state of her wellbeing,” Kelvin replies in a calm tone. “Luna, you look well,” Theo says, fixing his eyes on Leila. “I’m no Luna of yours,” Leila replies coldly, her blue eyes turning into steel. Luna…..It was what Tatum deceived her with, made her believe that making her Luna was a selfish act of love, made her think that as long as she held the position in the pack, she stood a chance to hold a place in his heart but in the end it was all a faux, a mirage, a smoke mirror that showed just how foolish she was to fall for him. Theo makes a face at her and he smirks. “Well the Alpha never divorced you, did he?” “Mama!” Amara runs back into the living room. “You changed the password to the ipad again, I can’t unlock it.” Theo squints at the child, visibly taken back. She addressed Leila as Mama, Leila was pregnant with Tatum’s child when she left the pack but that was five years ago, this child looks barely thre
As their car gets closer to the packhouse, Leila’s heart pounds with nervousness, an uneasy feeling grating her nerves.It’s been five years since she last saw Tatum, five years since she last saw the man she loved with all of her only for him to betray her, five years since he looked her in the eye and told her that her penalty was death even with his child growing inside of her, five long years since he took back his promise to never let her go and watched her jump to her uncertain fate.No matter how strong she appears on the outside, the feeling of seeing him again truly makes her nervous, she doesn’t know if she has it in her to hold herself from lashing out at him, from offloading all the bitterness and anger stuffed in her chest on him.Why would that even matter? Tatum means nothing to her, her only mission here is to prove her mother’s innocence.She frowns at the pack house as their car pulls up to it, for the two years that she was Luna, she can number the times she stepped
Tatum ignores her and turns to Kelvin, his eyes completely calm and confident as he takes his seat. “You understand this is standard procedure for your return?” “Yes Alpha,” Kelvin replies in a calm voice and Tatum's eyes shift from him to the little girl he is holding, his attention drawn to her distinct eyes. They look a bit like Leila’s father’s eyes, only his were a golden brown, not fully golden as hers. “You have very beautiful eyes, little one,” He says to Amara, flashing her a small smile but she frowns at him. “I may be little but I’m not little one, my name is Amara,” she replies in her tiny curt voice, pointing her little index finger at him. “Are you the bad uncle that sent uncle bully to bring us here? If you give my mama any trouble, I will give it back to you,” she issues him a stern warning, glancing at Theo whose eyes are keen on her. Tatum hides his smile, keeping his face stoic. “And how do you plan to do that? I am the Alpha and you’re in my territory.” “W
Leila sits with a deep frown on her face, watching as Kelvin pushes Amara on the swing from a bench at the playground.Tatum barely said another word to her, leaving his threat hanging. If he wasn’t going to try and punish her, the least he could have done was apologise to her for a start instead of throwing his stupid Alpha weight around with his stupid ego, threatening her with her mother.She scoffs internally.How arrogant of him, he even dared to call her a prodigal Luna like she just left and returned on her own accord, like it wasn’t his fault she left in the first place.For a moment, she imagines Tatum as Kelvin pushing Amara on the swing. If he wasn’t so gullible to let himself be deceived so easily by Carmela, they could have been a happy family, maybe Amara would even have a sibling by now.She catches herself and immediately shakes the image out of her head, feeling repulsed and disgusted at herself for even having such thoughts.Kelvin is the perfect father for Amara an
Carmela glances around and she can see the eyes starting to peer at them and as Kelvin comes to take Amara away, he smirks slyly at her.Everyone saw Leila slap her but she is so scared she cannot even dare to throw a tantrum and manipulate the event to her favour but Leila is making her look weak in front of her subjects, she cannot just back down so easily. She adjusts herself, massaging her cheek as she gives Leila a cold look.“Getting your wolf back doesn’t mean anything, he already thinks I’m his mate and we’re engaged,” she says, flashing her ringed finger in front of Leila.Leila scoffs and shakes her head in disappointment, completely unaffected by Carmela’s show off.“You know, it baffles me how it was so easy for you to fool him when you are so dumb. It took him five years to give you that ring and he can’t actually marry you, unless I divorce him. Confess your sins and I may grant you that wish, or maybe not,” Leila shrugs, a sly smirk curling her lips. “You don’t deserve
No matter how hard she is trying to stick to Kelvin’s advice of using logic over emotion, Tatum’s hypocrisy is something she cannot stand and the bitter words slip from her tongue in annoyance before she can hold it back.She suddenly realises he hasn’t asked about Amara’s paternity, does he suspect something? Is that why he is keen on providing safe accommodation for them?Amara doesn’t look her age, she looks way smaller, no thanks to the circumstances surrounding her pregnancy and all. She is a four year old child who looks like she is going to three, Amanda believes her growth deficiency comes from having to heal Leila a lot while she was in the womb.The mere thought of it makes Leila sad and bitter, her anger towards Tatum filling her heart to a climax but when she looks back at his eyes, the grey orbs hold the same stoic calmness to them, her words seeming like they had no effect on him.There is neither pain, nor regret or remorse in his eyes and she hates how unreadable he is
“You would do well to stop calling me that,” Leila sneers at him. Theo was one of Carmela’s staunch supporters. She doesn’t know if he calls her Luna out of mockery or out of respect but either way, she doesn’t want to be labelled as what she is not. “The truth is bitter, doesn’t mean we shouldn’t say it,” Theo replies in a cold tone. “You know what, while I’m here, I’ll officially divorce and reject your Alpha, that should put this matter to bed,” Leila replies as Amara gets to them and she picks her up. Theo scoffs and says in a voice that Leila barely hears as he leads the way out of the playground. “You can try.” “I will do more than try and I’m sure you all will be pleased about it,” Leila replies. “I personally have no reservations about the outcome of that event and I will speak no further on it. If it bothers you so much, the Alpha is your neighbour, you can sneak into his house at night and batter your grievances,” Theo replies and Leila halts, taken back by his words.
“Do you like dolls? I bought you a doll house,” Tatum says and an omega appears with a box beside him.Amara squints at him before she carefully observes the box and looks back at him.“Will you help me build it? Mama doesn’t know how to,” she replies innocently.“Well, I live just opposite you,” Tatum points to the identical building behind him. “Helping you build it won’t be a problem.”“Really?!” Amara’s excitement shines, “Will you take me to the playground too? Mama has refused to let me go.”Tatum rolls his hand and curtsies to her. “Alpha Tatum at your service, Lady Amara.”Amara holds her gown up and returns his gesture in a cute way. “Thank you Alpha.”“I’m here!” Leila’s voice reaches them before she appears and the small smile on her face morphs into a scowl when she sees Tatum, her heart betraying her once again and pounding at the sight of him.“Tatum.”“Hi.”Amara looks between the both of them, squinting her eyes. “Mama, why don’t you like Uncle Alpha? You like everybod
“Stop here,” Leila says to the driver bringing her back to the Blood oak pack territory, her voice low and sullen, her eyes pregnant with tears but she holds it in, determined to stay strong for her, Amara and Tatum.They both needed her and she had to make a choice.Something inside her feels torn that she chose Tatum over Amara, that she chose the father who abandoned them over the child who brought joy back into her life.She remembers how sad she always was when she was pregnant with Amara, how the days spent in the cell being nibbled on by rats while she starved haunted her sleep throughout that period.She was not herself then, often lost in her thoughts thinking, swimming around in her anguish until it drowned her.But Amara was the light that the goddess sent to her darkness. Once she was born, it was as if alongside her, Leila also pushed out her sadness.Amara gave her hope, something to look forward to, something to live for.The tears push heavier against the blanket of he
“Again!” Trent yells at the warriors training with Tatum who Tatum had just put to the ground.Tatum is on his knees, one knee on the floor, the other bent with his elbows resting on it as he pants exhaustedly.His shirtless body is dripping with sweat, mixed with his blood oozing out of the whip marks on his back and the side of his torso.“What are you waiting for?!” Trent yells, trashing the whip and landing it on Tatum’s back. “So you think that rebel, Alpha Leo will give you time? Pathetic,” he spits out with venom.As the silver tip of the whip cuts into Tatum’s back and tears his skin on the way out, it sears him with pain but he barely reacts to it, only looking at Trent with a deadly look in his eyes, his teeth clenched.No matter how much pain he has to endure, he will never break before this ceremonial Alpha.He folds his fists together and smiles maniacally at Trent, blood covering his entire dentition. “You need to hit harder, old man. You’re an Alpha now but you seem to
Leila stares at her phone for the umpteenth time, feeling very worried. She has a lot on her mind but chief of them is that Tatum hasn’t replied to her messages in days and she cannot reach him via phone call.They’ve been at the Northstar pack for over a week now and it was only the first two days that she was able to communicate with him.Tatum mentioned that Trent had given her three days to return or she will be banished and she has been here for days more than that. After the incident at the training for the competition, she couldn’t just leave the next day, Amara needed her but now, she’s worried something might have happened to Tatum because of her absence to show up during the stipulated time window.She sighs and decides to go see Jenny to talk about it. Jenny can look after Amara and also keep her out of trouble. She needs to go and help Tatum no matter what.His position is their only true security.She steps out of the room given to them in the pack house to go to Jenny’
“My daughter!” The sound of the head warrior’s yell as he rushes towards the scene jolts Leila to the harsh reality of what Amara just did. It’s not just that she used her powers in public, breaking a rule that had been given to her but she also used it to hurt someone. Athena flew yards into the air, if anything happens to her, Amara could be in real trouble because of it. “She’s not breathing! Help, somebody do something!” The head warrior yells, clutching Athena to his chest, blood oozing from the corner of the limp girl’s head. Leila rushes towards them as fear of the worst grips her. She ignores Amara who stands there with a blank expression, her face staring at Athena and her father and she tries to hold Athena but the head warrior shoves her away. “Don’t touch my daughter, your child did this, she is evil,” the man spits out with venom, casting a cold look at Amara. “Why?” Leila immediately turns to Amara, holding back the bitter words she wanted to reply to the man with
Leila looks at Amara who is fast asleep beside her in the middle of the night unable to sleep herself. Aside from the fact that she naturally finds it hard to sleep in a new environment for a few days, her heart is heavy. Tatum didn’t argue with her concerning returning to the pack in a few days but her daughter and her have never been separated for more than a day and she will have to leave her, perhaps for weeks or even months, depending on how long it takes for them to get Tatum back his position of Alpha. She runs her hand slowly through Amara’s hair, her eyes welling in tears as she kisses her daughter’s hair, taking a good whiff, a strong sense of anguish filling her for the decision she has to make, even though deep down in her heart she doesn’t want to leave Amara but it’s the only way to keep her safe. Aside from the anonymous letter that they got asking them to protect Amara, she also cannot shake a feeling deep in her heart that Antonio is doing all of this because he wan
“Welcome to the North Star Pack Leila, I am Alpha Caden,” Alpha Caden says to Leila before opening his arms and squeezing her in a hug. “And you must be Amara,” he smiles, breaking the hug and bends to pick Amara up in his arms, tugging her chin as he chuckles. “Thank you for having us,” Leila replies to Caden, hiding her surprise in her tone. Caden is not like anything she imagined or like most Alphas she knew who were either lean with muscle or bulky with the same. He looked very different, tall and robust with a stomach that could pass for a pregnant woman’s bulge but he has a warm aura to him and his sandy blonde hair has been twisted into short locks. “Thank you?” Caden suddenly frowns at Leila, making her wonder if she said something wrong. “Family does not thank one another. I find that offensive, Leila, you must apologize,” his tone softens and his frown morphs into a smirk. Leila smiles back to him, amused by his character. “I’m sorry Alpha Caden.” “Apology not accepted b
“I, Alpha Tatum Cromwell, under the all seeing eye of Selene, witnessed by the elders of the Council, renounce my position as the Alpha of the Blood Oak Pack.” He feels the rage of his wolf blending with his as he locks eyes with Trent who has a smug look on his face. Trent steps forward, joining Tatum in the middle of the circle. “Representing the elders, we witness your renouncement. Who do you name as your successor,” Trent’s face is flushed with a look of mockery that makes Zane boil even further. He should have had Trent sentenced to death instead but then he thought it would be quick mercy, he wanted him to suffer imprisonment for the rest of his life as a lesson for all his evil deeds but it seems that decision has come back to bite him in the ass. Zane frowns. “Not as my successor but as an interim ruler, I name—” he extends the claws of his left hand and slashes the wrist of his right hand. He looks slowly from the thick red liquid dripping from his wrist, making patter
“Alpha Tatum,” a tall bulky man dressed in a grey suit bows slightly to Tatum with two much smaller men dressed in similar styled suits walking behind him. They are at the annual werewolf trade fair. An event organized amongst allied packs to foster unity and commerce. Attending the event is the perfect cover for Leila to get away with Amara just in case Antonio still has any men watching them. Tatum gives his hand a firm handshake. “It’s been ages, Curtis. The years have been kind to you.” “As they have been with you. Our Alpha sends his greetings. The North Star pack will forever be grateful to you for saving our Alpha’s life.” “He would have done the same for me,” Tatum pats the side of Curtis’ arm with a small grin that barely lasts a second before he pulls the big man to the side. Curtis is the Beta of Alpha Caden Miles, the Alpha of the North Star pack. Many years ago, during his Alpha training, that was when he met Caden and saved him from being lynched by a pack of rogues
“That bastard!” Tatum yells, punching a hole through the wall of his office, his heart beating fast, his entire aura swirling in visible rage. “Calm down,” Leila says, not feeling any sort of calmness herself and Tatum can sense it, which only pisses him off more. It’s like they can’t get a fucking break, things just keep going from one crisis to the next and it’s all because of one man who wields too much power, it’s beginning to get to his head. It is completely unheard of for an Alpha to name another person as an acting Alpha when he is still alive and more so, even if that was to happen, Theo, his beta would have been in a better position to receive that honor, not fucking Trent. He hisses, tapping frantically on his table, staring at the warning message they had received concerning Amara. This whole thing has Carmela written all over it and Antonio in his vileness would be more than willing to oblige her. Whoever sent them this warning must have found out something. He nee