Chapter 11Federico walked briskly through the thick forest, his mind racing, feeling frustrated like a relentless itch he couldn't relieve. He felt the cool night air on his skin, with only the distant chirping of crickets disturbing the silence. However, he quickly acknowledged that he was not by himself."Without looking, he said 'Maya,' anticipating her arrival before she even spoke. Her quiet, shadow-like movements always caught his attention.Moving ahead, she came out from behind the trees. Maya, the daughter of the king's most trusted advisor, tended to show up when Federico was most cautious. Her black hair flowed over her shoulders, and her eyes, consistently gentle when gazing at him, expressed a blend of worry and another emotion."Did you anticipate my arrival?" she inquired, her voice tinged with sadness but accompanied by a small smile. "I've never been good at being sneaky."Federico eventually shifted his gaze towards her, its intensity softening a bit as he looked at
Chapter 12Azalea angrily returned to her room, breathing heavily, with her hands tightly balled at her sides. Although her crying had ceased, the pain in her chest persisted, throbbing in sync with her heartbeat. The betrayal by her sister, the person who should have supported her, hurt more than any physical injury. How did everything fall apart so quickly?She walked back and forth in her room, her fast and uneven steps matching the storm of thoughts in her mind. Once, she had imagined discovering her soulmate, experiencing love, and finding something genuine. However, everything had now been taken abruptly. She was not given a choice and was treated like a mere piece in a political scheme, a marriage intended to benefit others rather than herself.The door quietly opened with a creak, and a hesitant maid entered, her eyes slightly widening as she observed Azalea's restless pacing."Is that Lady Azalea?" the maid inquired, her voice gentle and slightly unsure as she noted the tense
Chapter 13Ophelia's smile reappeared in the peaceful corridor outside. She walked slowly and carefully down the corridor, her heels making a soft echo on the stone floor. All the pieces were coming together perfectly. Azalea had to endure pain to solidify her place in the family, and before long, her sister would be gone from her life forever.While walking, she pondered about the upcoming wedding. There was just a matter of time left before everything was sorted out, and Azalea would have to accept her new duty as Prince Federico's wife. The marriage would strengthen alliances, and with Azalea out of the picture, Ophelia could move forward with her plans without her sister always hovering nearby.There was a lot of hustle and bustle in the palace as servants and courtiers got ready for the big ceremony. Ophelia enjoyed observing them labor, aware that soon she would have everything she desired at her fingertips.However, a sense of unease lingered in her thoughts, challenging her to
Chapter 14Federico faced the tall, intricate doors to his father's chamber, his expression indifferent yet his mind in a whirlwind. He was aware of what was waiting for him behind the door - his father and probably his brothers. It was impossible to avoid. Inhaling deeply, he pushed open the door and walked into the room.Predictably, Leandro and Thomas, his siblings, were already present beside their father, King Marcos. The room remained magnificent, with tall columns and walls decorated with luxurious tapestries, yet the mood was uneasy. Upon his arrival, Federico quickly spotted the annoyance visible on his brothers' faces, with their eyes narrowing in response. He couldn't care less, despite their clear resentment.King Marcos was seated in his tall chair, looking intently at Federico as he entered the room. His father appeared calm, yet there was an indiscernible heaviness in his eyes, casting a somber atmosphere over the room."Federico," his father started, speaking with a st
Chapter 15Soft beams were cast across the walls in Azalea's room as the morning light filtered through the large windows. Lying in bed, she gazed at the ceiling, absorbed in thoughts about what lay ahead for her. The manor was suddenly filled with the reverberating sound of loud, joyous music coming from outside. She became rigid, understanding immediately the implication. Federico's bundle had been delivered.Azalea abruptly sat up, her muscles tight, and cast the blankets aside. The beat of her heart quickened in her chest, and she sensed the usual surge of anxiety starting to rise within her. Today was the long-awaited day, the one she had been anxious about for weeks. The way she lived was going to be forever altered. With hardly any time to collect her thoughts, she saw the door to her room slowly open, and two maids entered with their heads down in deference."Miss Azalea, good morning," greeted one of the maids with a soft tone, exhibiting formality in her voice.Azalea gave a
Chapter 16Federico remained in his quarters, his eyes fixed as he looked out the window, observing the sun rising higher in the sky. He had become used to the weight of his duties as the upcoming ruler, but that didn't mean he had to enjoy it. Thoughts of his impending marriage, responsibilities, and family tensions filled his mind, clouding his thoughts. The sudden rap at the door interrupted his train of thought."Enter," he invited, his voice crisp.Jones bowing, entered the room with his trusted advisor. "Your Majesty, did you ask for a status report on the princess?"Federico gave a confirming gesture, his jaw tightly closed. "Did my dad send agents to check on her?" He spoke in a curt tone, showing his annoyance with the whole situation.Jones remained still, his expression showing no emotion. "Yes, Your Majesty. The monarch dispatched a small number of reliable scouts to investigate the princess's history and her present condition. All appears to be in place for the wedding to
Chapter 17Azalea knew it was time for her to go down and face the life Mack and Ophelia had chosen for her; she regretted all her past events right from crowning Mark the alpha of the pack and not standing up for herself when Ophelia spoke to her without respect.Now as she thought about it she wished she had done something to change her fate and to change the way things were happening now but nothing could be done. Not anymore.Two maids walked into her bedroom with a smile on their faces and she rolled her eyes mentally.Azalea stood at the top of the magnificent staircase, feeling her heart race as she gazed down at the spectacle unfolding below. Ophelia and Mack were by the entrance, showing respect by bowing to Federico's pack members. Seeing the two of them together, smiling and being friendly, caused her anger to rise. Her claws' sharp edges trembled, her fingers moving involuntarily, as her inner wolf became agitated. However, she couldn't allow that to occur at this moment,
Chapter 18Azalea moved with several emotions in her mind while she trailed behind the guards and elders towards the car that was waiting, with a jumble of conflicting thoughts in her mind, the elders of the Red Moon Pack were friendly, and the guards showed respect, but none of it eased the turmoil she felt. A combination of fear, anger, and anticipation of the unfamiliar tightened in her chest.Taking her place in the back seat of the car, Mrs. Allysa, who had stayed mostly silent during their previous talks, smiled warmly at her. "Dear, you should feel honored," Mrs. Allysa started, her voice gentle with a touch of pride. Marrying the oldest prince is a wonderful honor. In the past, I was presented as a present to the monarch. It is a custom, one that enhances the connection among packs.Azalea hardly noticed her, her gaze locked onto the path ahead. She couldn't shake off the echoes of "gift" and "tradition", leaving a bitter taste in her mouth. She was not considered a present. S
Azalea POVI ran out of the throne room and tears began to flow down my face. I tried to hold it in but I couldn't even hold it in for long as all the tears poured and I tried to cover my mouth just to silence it.I can't continue doing this, I keep lying to alpha Federico that I love him when I don't…yes, I have affection for him but that love could never be like the one I felt for Luther, Alpha Federico kept asking me if I loved him but I kept saying I loved him when I didn't.I wish I could just truly love him but I couldn't do it. Walked sluggishly to my room and closed the door as I began to think about all that Alpha Federico said, he kept mentioning my second chance mate coming back but I couldn't really agree to my mate ever coming back. What if he came back and I hate him? What if I reject him because I have become too deeply in love with Luther?But I won't want anyone to pass through the rejection. I knew how much pain I held in the day Kade rejected me and now I would hav
ALPHA Federico The priest and everyone stared at me as my beta asked the same question for the second time. I knew that I wouldn’t dare tell them that I had just stolen my own son's mate.“It’s nothing, I just remembered that I need to discuss something with Luther.” I lied before moving backward a little and then left the secret room and went back to the palace.I staggered slowly through the hallways as I was unable to believe what just happened…it began to make perfect sense to me, that was why Azalea wasn’t able to stay away from Luther even though my inner wolf was very weak.It was because of the pull which she kept feeling and that was what I had always thought was cheating.“I tried to separate them but I was just making the situation worse and their bond to keep getting close,” I muttered to myself as I staggered like a person who was drunk, I stopped again when I realized something.“How am I even sure that they haven’t slept with each other in secret already?” I asked myse
Alpha Federico povKade was soon done with his childish treat and walked away but I wasn’t as calm as I sounded, I looked at Azalea and she was happy because I backed her up…I was also happy because happiness was the only thing I wanted, all I wanted to see was a smile on her face at all times and she never deprived me of that….I smiled back at her subconsciously before looking away, “You shouldn’t mind him, If truly she was seeing things and kept having nightmares we like to have heard her shouts at least once or twice but none of that has happened.” Azalea said before looking at me with a smile.Just when I was about to reply to her my phone beeped and when I checked it was a message from my Beta letting me know that the priest I had sent on an errand had arrived.“I need to go, I have very important things to attend to,” I said to her and stood up even before she could question my reasons,As I walked down the hallway I hoped that he had found a way and that the priest had nothing
Azalea’s povWith those words, I was a bit taken aback by what she was trying to insinuate.“What do you mean?” I asked.“I won’t tell you anything, you just keep acting dumb and trying to find out why Luther cannot do without you,” Susan said and even though I was at the doorway she still walked away and left me in the garden again, while I thought about why exactly I felt this way and why she just said those words but yet I felt like what she had just said had some hidden meaning I have to find out more on.“She wouldn’t say those things if she hadn’t heard something or knew about what was going wrong in my life,” I whispered to myself before walking out of the Garden and into the palace only to see Alpha Federico waiting in front of the doorway with a frown making me wonder if I have done something wrong to him.“Why are you standing there and staring at me like I have done something wrong?” I asked Alpha Federico as then his frown turned to a cheerful look.“I was worried Susan wa
Azalea POVI couldn’t say anything and just kept quiet. Susan walked towards me with a smirk as she became so close to me I could feel the harsh breath from her nose on my skin making me very uncomfortable.“I understand what you mean,” I said but I still didn’t understand what the secret was all about.“I know you think the secret is a minor something but I called you here just to let you know that I would make your life a living hell, I liked you back then as I always thought that you would favor us when you became the Luna but now we all paved way for you to be the queen and now Alpha Federico made you the queen even without a ceremony and you threw us all away,” Susan said with bitterness oozing out of her voice but I still stood cool as I knew deep within me that she was the one who took that photo but with the way, I saw things now I knew she couldn’t do anything… she just wanted attention and to be favored by alpha Federico she was not as determined as Lucy.I walked up to her
Azalea’s povI lay beside Alpha Federico who was fast asleep, I couldn’t help but remember what he said. What good I possibly do to Isabelle that would make her regret ever being born into this world or even being in this pack?I don’t know why Alpha Federico can’t just chase them all away, at least Alpha Rozan left but why weren’t Isabelle and Kade leaving?Suddenly I remembered Kade and that made me angry with myself, I don’t know why I always remembered him. He rejected me and yet acted so emotionally with me,I stood up from the bed and wore my key favorite dress to stroll around and that’s when I searched around for my novel from the other day but couldn’t find it, “where could I have kept it?” I questioned myself and then I remembered the night of my intimacy with Luther, he had collected the book from me while he kissed me and took me to his room and that’s when I recalled seeing him drop it on the shelf in the hallways.I checked on Alpha Federico and he was still fast asleep,
Kade povIsabelle scoffed at my words but that was the truth and I didn’t intend on lying to Isabelle anymore, the love I had for her had slowly begun to wash away and I couldn’t deny the truth anymore.Isabelle paced towards me and with a frown she slapped, I held my cheek in surprise…I never expected her to slap me yet she did.She raised her hand to slap me again but I held her hand and threw it to the ground.“You can’t tell me who to love Isabelle,” I said to her but still she grinned.“I am your mate!!” Isabelle yelled and I couldn’t help but smile.“You are not my mate, you are the main reason why I lost someone as precious as Azalea, just to be with your fucked ass!!” I said to her out of anger and annoyance that Azalea was my mate but was deflowered by another alpha.“What do you mean my fucked ass!! Do you know what I passed through just to be with you!!” Isabelle yelled at me with a teary voice and even though I felt so much pity for her and tried to come close to her I rem
Isabelle povI rushed into my bedroom and touched my cheeks one more time to be sure I wasn’t dreaming…I yelled angrily and threw my phone into the mirror as I couldn’t help but yell.“Ahhh!!!!” I yelled angrily, I couldn’t stop thinking of what she said to me…“You think you can just walk in here and steal what’s mine!? Well, think again!” I recalled,How dare she do something like that, how can she say I was trying to steal what was hers ... .Alpha Federico didn’t even belong to her and still, she was in love with Luther.“I can’t take this, for goodness sake she almost killed me there and Alpha Federico couldn’t even stop her,” I muttered to myself before taking my seat and angrily starting at all the injuries in my body, I can’t believe I would need to hide my body due to how badly she treated me.I looked at my phone on the floor and I was slowly tearing up and unexpectedly the tears slid down my cheeks.“I should call Father,” I muttered and rushed to my phone as I tried turning
Azalea’s povI took my seat on Alpha Federico's bed as I tried to relax my nerves from all that I had just done, Alpha Federico handed me a glass of water which I collected with a wide smile and gulped it in.“I still can’t believe you did that to Isabelle and could still act cool about it.” Alpha Federico said followed by a chuckle, I smiled as I slowly sipped my water like it was wine…I couldn’t even tell how I felt, if I was being angry with myself for showing Alpha Federico I liked him.Suddenly everything I said previously started coming back to me as I dropped the cup and covered my face in embarrassment.I still couldn’t believe such words came out of my mouth. I told him I loved him!!Alpha Federico noticed I was shy and pulled me in for a hug.“I know you are a jealous kind but why would you take it to the extent of beating her almost to a coma.” He muttered to my cheek before kissing it gently.“I didn’t know what hit over me but it’s not just about jealousy, I just hate Isa