April’s POV Today was the day. It had been exactly one month since Papa died, yet I still couldn’t believe that he was no longer here or that a whole month had passed already. Until last month, my father, the pack’s Alpha, seemed untouchable, but now…I sighed again, and another tear rolled down. Why did he have to leave? Dad’s death not only broke me but shattered our entire family. I got up, headed to my wardrobe, picked out some lazy clothes, and went downstairs for a glass of water.The atmosphere all over the house was solemn; the whole place was quiet. I saw Dorian sitting quietly when I got to the living room. My stepbrother Dorian and his mother were the only family I had left. Although, I wasn’t certain that I still had him. Dad’s death had changed him more than anyone. It was like he had become another person entirely.I walked gently, unwilling to attract his attention. Unfortunately, the moment I crept up behind him, he raised his head, and his eyes narrowed as they settle
April’s POV I scrambled to my feet and rushed towards him, noting the smug, hateful grin on his face. I scrambled to my feet and rushed towards him, noting the smug, hateful grin on his face.“You seem a little surprised, April. Why the face?” He chuckled wickedly and approached me. In seconds, he grabbed my face roughly.“I meant what I said. I want you to be there. You are going to watch me ascend to the Alpha of this pack. And guess what you are going to do?” He pinched my chin harder, and fresh tears filled my eyes.“You are going to do nothing. Absolutely nothing.” He let go of me, and I nearly lost my footing. I stared daggers at him, tears brimming in my eyes. He was out of his mind.“You can’t do that! You can’t disregard Papa this way,” I managed to say. It was too soon. It had only been a month, and he was already planning a festive occasion?I struggled to gather my words, “The Empire demands that at least three months must pass before naming a new Alpha…”Dorian sneered a
April’s POV Last night, after everyone had retired for the night, I stubbornly returned to my room. However, Dorian had changed all the locks, sealing off everything except the maid’s room next to the kitchen. I held onto the hope that things would improve. Dorian would overcome his grief, and he’d remember that I was his little princess, right? Shaking my head to shake off the uncertainty, I headed into the shower, aware that it was a school day. With things already difficult, the last thing I needed was a bad day at school.Unlike my usual shower, all I could manage here was a simple wash. It didn’t take long for me to finish up. After dressing, I made my way downstairs for breakfast.Entering the dining room, I halted at the sight of Dorian at the table with Susan, my stepmother. Dorian’s gaze met mine, and he promptly stood up, knocking his chair backwards.“You made me lose my appetite,” he spat before storming out of the room. Susan’s eyes shifted to me, giving me a curt nod.
“Let go of me! Let me...”Before I could utter another word, a searing slap landed across my cheek, sending me sprawling to the ground. Paige and the other girls forcefully dragged me into the restroom and locked the door.Struggling to my feet, I attempted to defend myself, but an unexpected punch struck my stomach, sending me reeling in pain before I crumpled back to the ground. It became evident that facing all of them in a physical confrontation was futile; my only option was to escape.“And where do you think you’re going?” Paige sneered, yanking me by my hair. Almost simultaneously, someone else restrained my hands while the others unleashed a barrage of punches on my stomach and chest. Though I screamed in agony, my pleas went unheard, and no savior appeared.Alone and defenseless, I crumpled weakly to the ground. Soon, a chilling silence settled, and I succumbed to the encroaching darkness.****“Dorian!” I called out, struggling to keep pace with his longer strides. He enjoyed
Dorian’s POVI walked away from April. It had been 3 years since we declared Stacie dead, and I had been repeating the word ‘vengeance’ every day since the day they put her empty coffin in the ground.Yes, empty. Her coffin was empty. When they dug the car wreckage from the accident three years ago, they didn’t find my sister. We had hoped that, somehow, she would show up. Maybe someone had saved her after April’s father fainted. Yet, after waiting for three years, there was nothing. It was like she had disappeared into thin air. I balled my fist angrily.Every day, the thought that he had escaped the accident with only a concussion and ‘foggy memories’ made me feel even worse than ever. Zephyr Grey killed my sister. I was sure of it. The bastard must have faked that accident to cook up that useless story of having foggy memories.Three years later, he had gotten his karma. But his death had been peaceful. So I was going to rain my vengeance on his only family left: April.It’s been th
April’s POV The next day, I woke up miserable. It was my birthday, and there was nothing to be happy about. My soul was shattered, and all I saw around me was scorn and hate. The whole morning, I dodged and tried to stay out of sight. Dorian was out, and I sneaked out of the house to get to school. The breeze was cool, but I felt unusually hot for some reason. I looked at my skin, and it began to redden. I was getting flushed. Pulling out my phone, I examined my face; my cheeks were a terrible blotchy color. Luckily, I had a hoodie on, and I pulled it over my head to hide my face and the bruises from the day before. The last thing I needed was all those eyes staring at me. Walking to school with my burning skin, I tried to stay out of sight. It was challenging, and I felt paper balls hit the back of my head. I could still hear the whispers of those hateful people. My skin burned even hotter, and it was unbearable. I couldn’t keep my hoodie up in class. I had to get to the nurse’
My head throbbed as I struggled to sit up. Instead of my ‘new’ room, I was in Dorian’s room. Even though the design had changed since the last time I was here, I could still tell at a glance. My attention was pulled by the sound of the door and my face lit up as Dorian entered the room. In my darkest moment, he ended up saving me. “Dorian, thank you for...” I started but stopped as he raised his hands up. “You have the Alpha’s blood in you, yet you are even weaker than the people you should lead. Do you still dare to argue that your father was weak?” he asked with a blank face that was devoid of any emotion. I struggled to find the right words to reply. While Papa was not the strongest Alpha or anything, he was certainly not weak. Somehow, Dorian seemed to hold… A sweet and alluring scent pushed through my nostrils and I felt every part of my body tense from it. It tinged my nostrils, and I felt a powerful tug towards Dorian! My eyes widened in shock and I got up from the be
APRIL’S POV My eyes fluttered open, and I surveyed the unfamiliar surroundings. Where was I? It certainly wasn’t my room. I sniffed the air, but none of the scents here were familiar. Where was I? I tried to sit up, but a gentle hand pushed me back on the bed. “You need to rest. Don’t worry; you are safe.” Looking at the man, I noticed him trying to hang another bag of fluid on a stand, and a needle was in my arm. Puzzled, I waited for him to change the fluid bag. Sitting beside me, he offered a reassuring smile. “Where am I? How did I get here?” I questioned. He took a deep breath and began to explain. “This is Blood Shadow Pack. Our Prince found you in the forest. You were on the verge of death when he brought you here. You are severely malnourished, and you need to rest. I can tell that you need time to process all of this.” He rose from his seat and gracefully exited the room. As the door closed behind him, I found myself alone, and gradually, his explanation echoed in my mi