APRIL’S POV “Are you out of your mind?" Alpha Winston growled as he flashed a cold stare at me. I shuddered. "I know you feel the mate bond as much as I do." I muttered. He sprang from the large bed and stalked over to where I stood by the closed door. We were in his private chambers, alone. Tension hung low in the air as he approached me. "Say that again, April" He said. He was now a few inches away from me, and his height towered above my small figure. My mouth ran dry as I clutched unto the basket of clothes in my hands. "April, I dare you to repeat yourself!" He ordered in a low tone. I broke into a cough and looked down at my feet. "Alpha Winston, I am-am only saying that there is a mate bond between us and—" "That is my point!" He barked. "I know fully well that you are my mate. May the Moon goddess curse me if I ever let you become my Luna. What would my subject even say of me?" My mouth dropped open. What was he even talking about? He edged backwards, running his eyes over my figure. Then, he spat on the floor. "You are only a weak omega! Do you need me to remind you of how unworthy you are to even be my mate?" He asked. I remained silent. I felt numb as I rolled over his words in my head. A moment passed and he was still glaring at me. "Do you know how shameful it would be if everyone out there knows that I've been mated to the weakest link in the rogue pack??" He asked again, rasing his voice. I shook my head, "I am so...sorry—" "Keep your nasty apologies to yourself!" He snapped, wagging a finger in my face. "It's a good thing we are having this conversation now. There is one thing you must do." I glanced up at him, a sudden eagerness to please him settled over me. "Anything, Alpha Winston." "You will keep our mate bond a secret. No living being must hear of it, until I am ready. Do you understand?" "But—" "The moment you spill a word of this, consider yourself as dead. I will make sure I snuff life out of you!" Cold sweat broke on my forehead and I stiffened. The air in the room suddenly felt too heavy for me. "April, have I made myself clear?" He asked. I nodded slowly and lowered myself in a bow, "I swear by the moon goddess, I will not reveal anything about our mate bond to anyone." His lips twisted in a smirk and his eyes shone with satisfaction. "Good for you. Now get out of my chambers!" His words hit me with a force. Yet, I remain rooted to the spot. "I know you are not deaf, April. Leave now" I turned on my heels and left the room, holding back my tears which threatened to break free. This was it! This was the kind of life I had been reduced to. A useless omega that who is hated so much by her mate. What other misery could one get? *************** I stood in front of the mirror, staring at my reflection. I could barely recognize myself as I had grown so pale over the weeks. Even after Alpha Winston had warned me never to tell anyone that we were mates, he kept making secret advances at me. One night, when he had just returned from a meeting with the council of elders, he called me into his chambers. My heart pounded in my chest as I walked in that night. "Alpha Winston" I had mumbled. He swiftly strode across his room and came up to where I stood. Then, he cupped my face in his large palms, his breath fanned my face, causing my skin to tingle. Without a word, he kissed me and took me to his bed. I had no memory of what had happened afterwards, because I was too giddy with excitement that he wanted me, at least so I thought. The following morning, I woke up in his bed with a spot on my neck that throbbed with pain. Marked. I had been marked by the very man who didn't want anything to do with me. After that day, he avoided me like a plague, but that didn't bother me. He had marked me, and it meant something. Somehow, it gave me hope—hope that one day, he would publicly acknowledge our mate bond. "Are you okay?" A soft voice said behind me, breaking into my thoughts. I exhaled, "Yes...yes. I am." I turned to flash a smile at her. We were both ushers for a mating ceremony that was about to hold that morning. I found out earlier that the female who was about to get mated was Serena, the only daughter of our pack's beta. I raked my hands through my hair, forcing myself to stop imagining what it would feel like to be finally bound in a mating ceremony to the only man who had ever marked me as his. "Let's leave. We're getting late." The woman behind me said with a hint of impatience. I bobbed my head again. Then, I took one last look at my reflection in the mirror before I scurried out of the dressing room, trailing behind her. As we approached the mating grounds, I noticed how excited almost everyone was. The air was festive and filled with the loud chatter of other members of the pack. Soon, we arrived at the venue. As I picked up a tray of food from the table at the side, to begin serving the guests, I shot a glance at the couple who were to mated. I froze. My eyes grew wide with shock and the tray of food fell from my hands. Everyone around me whipped their heads towards me, but I didn't care. I had my attention on the couple on the podium, with my mouth hung open. My mate, Alpha Winston was the groom in the mating ceremony and he had his hands snaked around the waist of his to-be Luna, Sera Sryll. He was looking down at her with adoration as the elder in charge read from a scroll. This had to be my imagination! I reasoned. I blinked hard. Without thinking, I ran towards them with a loud yell, "You can't take her as a mate!" He jerked his head backwards and looked at me, his lips curling up with disgust. "April?" "Alpha Winston!" I sobbed, "I am your fated mate, and not her." "Mated to wolfless omega like you?" He sneered, breaking into a hysterical laugh. The entire audience joined him. Their voices rang out in the air. I felt heat creep into my cheeks and I wanted to curl up in shame. People around us broke into hushed whispers and my ears picked up some of their words. A weak omega. That's what I was. A lump formed in my throat as I stared back at Alpha Winston. He cocked his eyebrows, pulled away from the woman besides him and raised his staff in his hands. Silence fell in the hall. He stepped closer to me, his lips set in a hard line. "You can't mate her." I repeated weakly, "You have already marked me as your mate" "Enough of your delusions!" He barked. "This seems like the right time to end every miserable tie I have with you, April" Tears quickly filled my eyes and I grabbed one of his hands. "No! Please" He shoved me off, raised his staff a second time. "I, Alpha Winston Reyker, of the Blacken rose rogue pack, hereby reject you, April Matthews, as my Luna and mate!" He spat at me. My heart shattered to a million pieces, as my uncontrolled sobs got louder. "Accept this rejection right now and never appear before me again! You totally disgust me. Do you think I'd pick you over a full bred wolf who is a true shifter?" He asked, "The moon goddess played the wrong cards by gifting you to me as a mate" The amount of disgust and hated he had for me was so obvious now. My head spun and I suddenly became dizzy. I didn't know what hurt the most—the rejection or the fact that he had used my wolfless condition to mock me. I clutched my stomach and bent over with pain. Rejected. My mate rejected me. After living my entire life feeling unloved, having a true mate was the only way for me to finally feel valued again, but he rejected me! "I said, accept that stupid rejection, April! Let me live my life. I deserve a strong Luna and not a weak omega like you!" He yelled as he grabbed my hair and pulled it back. I winced and screamed in pain, but it didn't have any effect on him. "I..I accept—" I stuttered, gasping for breath. "Not like that, Omega! Accept it the proper way before I tear you apart" His menacing growl rented the air. I flinched as his grip tightened around my hair, making the pain even worse. I knew that he was ready to do even more, so I decided that it was best to just accept the rejection. "I...April Matthews, accept your rejection." "Good." He said, smiling with satisfaction. Then, he turned to look at the guards besides us, "Take this useless creature away from here!"
APRIL'S POV His words felt like a knife to my chest and I fell to the ground, with my hands clasped in front of me as I cried. "Alpha—" He kicked my sides, making me to fall over backwards, "Don't you dare mention my name again! I have nothing to do with you." His kicks became harder on my sides, sending shots of pain through my body. In an instant, a strong pair of hands grabbed my arms, pulling me up from the dusty ground. "Can you—" I started to say when a hand swung through the air and landed on my face, causing me to go blind for some seconds. My mouth suddenly felt wet, so I coughed and blood trickled out of my mouth, down my jaw. "Make sure she doesn't find her way to this place until the mating ceremony is over. I don't want to be interrupted by this nuisance one more time" Alpha Winston ordered, and the two guards who stood on both my sides, started to roughly drag me out of the crowd. I didn't know which was more humiliating; the mocking stares from the cr
KAYSON’S POV I knew something was up! I just knew it because my ears had picked up a cry that rang out far up in the woods. I became alarmed and I immediately broke into a run. Within minutes, I had shifted into my wolf form, and I was panting. The order had been under attacks by rogues lately, and I didn't want to risk it. I was alert as I sprinted in my wolf form in the direction of the cry. It rang out again; this time it was strained whimper and I was able to tell that it came from a female. A female in the red-zone? What the hell would a female be doing in this parts of the forest that was mostly dominated by ruthless rogue wolves? I did not spare any moment in trying to figure out an answer to the question that tugged at the back of my mind as my paws started to pound against the damp forest ground. I started to race faster as my senses directed me to where the predator was. As I drew closer, I slowed down my pace and peeped through a covering of shrubs. My e
APRIL'S POV "I wonder what you were doing out there, alone in such a dangerous place." Someone said besides me. I stiffened. My eyes were closed, but I could tell that I was laying on a soft surface. It wasn't the wet grass of the forest, neither was it the hardness of the ground. It felt more like a bed. I held my breath for a moment, struggling to remember if any of the guards had caught up with me. I could barely remember anything, but I was aware of every sound around my immediate environment. My eyes fluttered open, just in time for me to see someone pull his hands away from my face. A man! He had a chiseled jaw and his brown hair fell over a part of his face. He seemed shocked to see me awake and he drew back a few inches. I shut my eyes again, wincing as a sharp pain seared through my head. My head thumped, but that didn't matter to me. I was supposed to be focused on where I was. Had I been caught by Alpha Winston's men? I tried to remember the last
Kayson's POVAs I watched Reese, my Beta walk out on me, his defiance still lingered in the air. I couldn't believe he had the audacity to disobey me in front of a stranger. But I pushed aside my anger and focused on the wounded female in front of me. She looked pale and fragile, her small frame almost disappearing into the bed."Go back to bed," I told her, my voice firm but gentle. "We'll talk later, when you're feeling stronger. You'll need all your energy for our next conversation." I paused, my eyes locked on hers. "You owe the pack an explanation and the truth about why you're here, and what you want."She stuttered out a thank you, her eyes darting away from mine. I could sense her fear, her uncertainty. She knew she was at my mercy, that her fate was in my hands. And I knew that fate was usually sealed for strays like her, who stumbled into our territory uninvited. But something about her struck a chord in me. My instincts whispered that there was more to her story, that she
Alpha Kayson's POVAs I stood at the conclave, I repeated the ancient chants alongside the other Alphas. The elders led the rites, their voices echoing through the mountain plane. This sacred gathering was strictly invitation-only, and any stranger would be met with swift death. The location was always a secret, changing with each conclave to ensure our safety. I had chosen to bring only one escort, Thane, my trusted gamma and pack member. His loyalty and prowess were unmatched, and I knew he would have my back in any situation unlike Reese these recent times.Just as the procession reached its midpoint, a loud commotion erupted from the base of the mountain, where our security team was stationed. The noise grew louder, with snarls and growls filling the air. Every Alpha's eyes narrowed, their hackles raised as they sensed potential danger. Some of the Alphas had already shifted into their wolf forms, their eyes glowing in the darkness. The procession halted, and Thane instinctively m
ALPHA RYDER'S POVAs the elder declared the meeting adjourned, I felt an inexplicable pull towards April. My instincts screamed at me to protect her, to keep her safe from harm. I moved closer, my eyes locking onto hers as she sat up, her vision stabilizing. For a brief, electrifying moment, our gazes met, and I was transported to a dreamlike state.Memories flashed like fireflies in the background of her eyes, my wolf, Onyx, and a strange, familiar landscape. It was as if I'd seen it all before, yet I knew I hadn't. The vision vanished as quickly as it appeared, leaving me with more questions than answers, but one thing I'm nearly sure I is that she felt what I felt too.My rational mind struggled to make sense of it, but I couldn't shake off the feeling of déjà vu. It was as if our souls were reuniting, yet I knew we'd never met before. I felt a deep connection, a sense of belonging, and I knew I had to keep her close.I took advantage of the chaos and lifted April onto my shoulder,
April's POVThe heat of passion consumed me, and I was utterly lost in its flames. I couldn't explain, couldn't rationalize, how I ended up entwined with Alpha Ryder. One moment, I was seeking comfort in his embrace, the next, our eyes locked, and a long-suppressed mutual desire burst free.It was as if our connection was beyond my control, beyond explanation. A primal force that neither of us could resist. His hold tightened, and I felt his hardness pressing against my almost bare thighs, sending shivers down my spine. As I raised my head to meet his gaze, he captured my jaw with his large hands, his fingers digging into my skin with a possessiveness that made my heart race.And then, his lips claimed mine in a kiss that was both fierce and tender, devouring me with a hunger that left me breathless. My lips seemed to have a mind of their own, responding to his passion with equal fervor, as if our mouths were made to fit together like two pieces of a puzzle.His fingers traced the cur
Alpha Ryder's POVI couldn't help but wonder if this was all real, how did we end up here? But my thoughts were cut short as she tightened her grip on my thrusting dick sending waves of pleasure through me. I felt myself surrendering to the moment, my body responding with an intense release that left me breathless. The sensation lasted longer than I expected, leaving me drained yet somehow I felt more alive than I had felt in ages. My past exploits as an alpha seemed to fade into insignificance beside this moment and trust me, that says a lotThe blush spreading across my face seemed to say, 'I'm yours, completely and utterly yours.' And in that moment, I knew I was given to her without reservation or regret.As I dressed, I noticed April's gaze avoiding mine, her face flushed with embarrassment. My wolf senses picked up on her discomfort, and I drew closer, concern etched on my face. 'What's wrong, my Luna?' I asked, gently turning her to face me. 'You're safe with me, your Alpha. No