After talking with the prisoner, Harper entered the kitchen to find her father by the table. He lifted his coffee cup in a greeting and smiled at his beautiful daughter.
"Good morning."
Harper smiled back. "Good morning."
"I have good news," her father told her. "I've arranged for a ball to happen on your birthday, and the Moon pack's alpha will send his three sons for you to pick and choose from."
Still smiling, Harper sat down by the table. Her father had already prepared her coffee, knowing she woke around this time.
"And they all have alpha potential?" Not that Harper cared. She didn't want to marry a man who wasn't her mate. It was what her father wanted, but her heart yearned for true love.
Her father arched an eyebrow. "Why do you sound so sad? I thought you wanted to give up your future alpha position."
"I do, and I don't," Harper admitted. "I want to finish studying at the university in the human world, but I also care about my pack. If my future husband is a bad person, it would be terrible for the future of our pack."
Harper had always been good-hearted. Her mother had praised her for it, while her father deemed that quality worthless.
"Good thing you have three men to choose from then," her father gave her a brief smile before it suddenly faltered. "The Comet pack has threatened to attack us yet again. Liam, their alpha, is very interested in the portal."
Harper slurped on her coffee. "Does Liam have more men than us?"
"Not yet."
"Good," Harper smiled even though her stomach felt like it had been filled with lead. She knew Liam's pack was growing. "I better hurry and find myself a husband so I'm on equal grounds with Liam. Or at the very least, so we are protected by another alpha."
"Agreed," Her father raised a cup to her words. "A mated werewolf is stronger than a lone wolf. I know you want to find your mate, but sadly, we don't have time for that if we wish to save our kingdom."
"I understand."
"I know you do because you're an intelligent girl."
Harper smiled but frowned when images of that handsome man from her dreams clouded her mind. This time he was sulking and seemed to openly judge her. It made her heart shatter because she knew what the moon goddess wanted.
Harper's true mate was out there somewhere, and the moon goddess was trying to make her find him. But even if Harper had the option to listen to the moon goddess's request, she didn't know where to look.
Her mate could be anywhere. Harper didn't even know what species her mate belonged to. She hoped for the man to be another werewolf, but the face in her dreams was far too beautiful.
Werewolves were usually rugged and heavy. Harper's kind bred strong men, and even though her mate seemed incredibly muscular, he was more lean than swollen. And his facial features were too delicate and prominent for a werewolf.
Could her mate be a vampire?
Harper continued sipping on her coffee. Her thoughts were all over the place, and so was her heart. She wanted to make her father proud by marrying a man from the Moon pack, but at the same time, her heart yearned for true love.
"Could we wait with the ball?"
Harper's father nearly choked on his coffee. "What do you mean wait?"
There was a heavy sigh. "After I've turned eighteen, I want to be given a little time to search for my mate. A week would be fine."
"Are you crazy?" Her father scoffed, rolling his eyes at his daughter's selfish request. "You know that Liam is dangerous, and you have to be mated to stand up to him!"
"But—"
"THERE WILL BE NO BUTS!" Crazed eyes met hers. "You've been spoiled rotten enough. I've never heard of another alpha's daughter being as soft as you, and now you wish to find true love? You have duties, Harper!"
Her lips quivered, yet her father continued.
"From early on, you've taken home injured animals, dogs, cats, and fucking birds—that is not the way of an alpha!"
Frustration built up within Harper. "Well, maybe I don't want to be the next alpha!"
Silence fell, but it was the scary kind. The calm before the storm, and Harper knew she was in trouble. Darkness was moving over her father's features, and his lips quirked into a cruel smile.
"Did you just say you don't want to be the next alpha?" Her father scrutinized her, disgust in his gaze. He didn't tolerate weakness. "You're exactly like your useless mother!"
Tears prickled behind Harper's eyes. "My mother wasn't useless!"
"Oh, yes, she was!" Her father smirked. "Not only was your mother a fucking whore, but she was also too soft for this world, and guess what? That's why she is no longer breathing!"
A mix of sadness and anger churned inside Haper, and she gritted out her following sentence. "My mother was not a whore."
"She was," her father drank more coffee. "And there is nothing that can change my mind about that."
Harper's blood was boiling. Her mother, Marta, had been a person the entire pack had cherished. During Marta's time as the luna, Harper had looked forward to the future. But when Marta died, everything changed for the worse.
Now her father, alpha Jensen wished for Harper to marry a stranger. But marrying someone who wasn't her mate went against everything Harper believed in. The mate-bond was sacred, was it not?
Harper could still remember how her mother used to tell her, "Never give up on finding true love, my dear," which made Harper miss her mother now more than ever.
Harper believed in true love as well.
"I can't believe you brought my mother into this conversation... You're such a cruel father..."
Harper's father narrowed his gaze, growling. "Because using your mother as an example of failure might make you understand that you need to change. No longer can you look away from your duties as the future alpha! You have to grow the fuck up!"
"No! I told you that I don't want to become the alpha!"
Her father slammed the table. "Even if you get married and give up your alpha position, you still have responsibilities as a luna! You have to stop being spoiled and take some responsibility!"
With angry tears in her eyes, Harper left the table in haste.
Her father stood up to yell at her to come back, but Harper ignored him. Anger was seething under her skin. How could her own father trash-talk her mother like that?
Harper clenched her fists and decided it was time for a rebellion. She would find her mate.
Saint's body had been in a slumber for over a decade. No access to food or water had turned him into a weak shell. His pride and muscles were gone, and he needed water and sex to recover his strength. He drew his knees to his bare, dirty chest for warmth with a sigh. Even though Saint didn't age, he felt like a ghost inside this cell. Lost. Forgotten. Never to be seen by the world again.The life of a prisoner didn't suit him. Saint had once been a powerful ruler who made women fall like flies right by his feet. He had been beautiful. Seductive and deceiving—someone you couldn't trust with your life.He had also been a conquerer. That's why the werewolves had locked him up in the first place. At first, Saint had laughed at being locked up. He thought someone would come to save him. But years passed, and no one ever came.Eventually, the lack of food had made Saint's body enter an eternal slumber. Now, he was perplexed about his awakening.That woman who had talked to him earlier...
Guilt and fear were washing over Harper in waves. She had just released the prisoner—what if he was dangerous? That realization made her heart thump erratically. Harper had made the reckless decision to free Saint in the heat of the moment. It seemed like what the moon goddess wanted.But what if Saint was dangerous?Even though Saint was dirty and malnourished, there was confidence in his eyes. It threw Harper off her game as she continued to wash the grime off his shoulders. Had Saint not been malnourished, Harper knew he would be a pretty big man if she were to judge from his height. Or maybe Saint was always thin?Regardless, Harper had never seen a man so skinny and broken. Perhaps she underestimated Saint, but he didn't look like he could hurt a fly. He was in grave need of food. Saint's ribs were visible. Even his blood veins were visible. Saint was sickly thin, and he had many bruises covering his arms. How Saint was still alive was a mystery to Harper.The man was obviou
Harper's dream was different as she slept on the couch.Instead of facing her mate, she watched his muscular back from afar. He was standing on a hill in front of the castle in the Autumn air. Werewolves were racing toward him in their wolf forms. Leaves circled from the sky, wolves howled at the skies, and anxiety immediately struck Harper.She knew the werewolves weren't friendly. Their paws hit the ground as they violently leaped forward. She could feel their anger from a mile away. These werewolves were here to kill.So why didn't her mate escape?Snarling and growling could be heard coming closer. It made Harper's chest fill with fear. Again, she asked herself why her mate wasn't running away? If he continued standing there, he would be killed!Even though this was a dream, Harper shouted. "Please, move! Run! Get away from the hill, or you will die!"As expected, her mate didn't pick up on her voice. Instead, he peculiarly lifted his hands and fingers. A chant left his lips, and
The words used to describe Saint in the past were: aggressive, unfriendly, monstrous, untamed, bloodthirsty, and treacherous. He had been a monster and someone everyone had feared. People ran when they saw him. Whole cities had left their homes, and Saint had never had any friends. Things were different now. Harper was friendly and innocent, the complete opposite of Saint. She was precious and someone he wanted to protect. He was already falling so hard for his mate. Perhaps it could help him become a better person? Saint smiled at the thought, but his senses snapped to life once he heard humming coming from outside the door. He inhaled the air and repressed the urge to growl. The air didn't carry the scent of Harper. No, this was someone else. A butler? Regardless of their identity, Saint couldn't let them find him. If anyone found out Saint was set free, they would capture him and chain him inside the basement again! "Harper?" It was a man speaking. "Are you awake?" Frowni
Smiling, Harper looked up at the setting sun in relief. Soon, she would get to see Saint's face again. She had thought this day would never end. Every minute at school had felt like an entire lifetime. But now, Harper was finally walking down the street with Tanja and Frida. "Ryan is so cute," Frida swooned and touched her cheek while thinking of the guy she was dating. "He came to my house with homemade cinnamon buns. Regardless of my father's glares, my parents eventually opened up to him. No one can resist his baking."Harper smiled. "Ryan sounds like a great guy.""Indeed," Tanja agreed and wagged her eyebrows meaningly. "When do we get to meet him?""Huh?" Frida blushed. "Guys, I just started dating Ryan—you're not meeting him anytime soon!"Harper grinned. "Ah, young love!"Tanja put her hand to her forehead. "Indeed... It's so beautiful... Dazzling, really...""Guys, stop! It's embarrassing!" Frida was entirely red in the face. Ryan was the first guy she had ever dated. "Why
Today was the day to try dresses for the upcoming ball. Unfortunately, Harper wasn't looking forward to it. Testing fabrics and getting free acupuncture by the dressmaker didn't sound like fun. Harper knew she would be injured, so she was unwilling to leave her bed. She rolled around in the morning light. Birds were singing outside the castle, and Harper parted her lips in surprise. Saint was lying on his stomach in her kingsized bed. Harper blinked in surprise and then blushed—that's right! How could Harper have forgotten?! She had given her bed to Saint, but somehow she had forgotten about it during a bathroom visit at night! Now Harper was lying next to Saint, who still wasn't awake. His broad back was naked, and his thick hair fell into his face and hid his muscular arms. Yet there was no denying Saint had transformed from a skeleton into an intimidating behemoth. Saint probably needed to turn a bit to get through doors now. He was a tank of a man, and Harper's heart gallope
After sharing breakfast with Saint, Harper was standing inside an airless room with the dressmaker. Her nose could barely gather any oxygen, and Harper suspected the windows were never opened to ventilate this room.It made Harper want to head outside. The weather was lonely. Sunlight shone through the windows, and birds were singing. Harper would have loved to take Saint out for a walk, but sadly, she was stuck inside this room."Ouch! Be careful, please?!" Harper cried out while wearing a blue satin dress. It brought out the blue from her eyes and looked good with the dark brown color of her hair, but the fabric sat way too tight. Penny, the dressmaker, glared up at her. "If you stood still, it wouldn't hurt, young lady. You're making it harder than necessary to put the needles in place. Stop dancing around.""I think you're pulling the fabric too tightly around me. I feel like I'm wearing a second skin," Harper grimaced. "And I'm shaking because you're clumsy with the needles!"A
When Harper wandered back into her room to eat lunch, Saint was already waiting for her by the door. Harper couldn't peel her eyes off him. Large arms were parked over his mighty chest, and his shirt sleeves were rolled up. The muscles in Saint's arms were huge and exposed. Harper wanted to touch them, maybe even lick them if Saint would allow it.Harper realized she sounded crazy, but...Saint looked like sex-on-a-stick if you ignored the hair on his face. But it frightened Harper how he lacked respect for her personal space. Saint behaved like a giant cat that got straight in her face."H-hello... "Harper nervously said."What is that smell?" Saint questioned. "W-what do you mean?" Harper asked.She tried to keep eye contact with Saint, but her curious gaze had a mind of its own. It crept over Saint and made her absorb him. And Harper gulped at what she saw.She couldn't help but notice how Saint made Asher's clothes look like they were from the children's section. The sweatpants
Epilogue Years Later Harper sat on the balcony, watching her and Saint's daughter, Caroline, playing in the big garden. She was laughing while their golden retriever chased her around a rose bush. "You can't catch me, Bobby! You're too slow!" BARK BARK!! A smile curled Harper's lips as she listened to Caroline's giggles. Her floral dress was dancing in the winds. And Bobby, the golden retriever, was trying his hardest to get to her. Life was great. Mating with Saint hadn't made Harper into an eternal creature. She wasn't immortal but had remained the same. Instead, finishing the mating ritual had bound Saint's life to hers, and they would die together. It meant Saint could finally rest the day Harper died of old age, which made him happy since he didn't want to keep living on forever without his beloved mate. "So it's here you're sitting all by yourself? Where is my invitation, huh?" Harper looked up, meeting Saint's brilliant smile. Now looking younger than her, Saint wa
It should have felt awkward that Saint had come out of nowhere and plowed his way back into Harper's life. But it didn't. Even if they had spent months apart, all the feelings remained intact. The mate-bond sizzled between them as Saint pushed open the doors to the castle. No one else was awake, but the nymph made sure to shape-shift back into his more humane self. Harper was still caught in his beefy arms. She looked up into her mate's eyes and blushed. And even though she enjoyed the closeness, she wet her lips and forced herself to say, "You can put me down. I can walk up the stairs myself." "What if I don't want to?" Saint shot back with a smirk. "What if I want to keep you tucked safely in my arms and never let you go?" The playfulness in his eyes made little knots spread over her skin. Bees and butterflies buzzed in her belly. She hadn't seen Saint in forever. It made her weaker than usual to his silent charm. And her last resistance broke as she reached out her hand to
Harper was on a mission. She knew that the feeling of something calling her hadn't been imaginary. Whatever was out there on that icy lake had spoken to her soul and reached into her heart. Therefore, she threw on her clothes in the dark and snuck down the stairs while holding a lantern. Her mittens warmed her hands, her earmuffs covered her ears, and she wore a bomber jacket—Harper was ready. She carefully opened the door, hoping no one would hear her leave the castle behind. Tanja thought she was crazy, as did the rest of her friends. They thought losing her mate had driven Harper mad; maybe they were right, but Harper needed to get out there on the lake. The reason was that Harper believed in miracles. She was pregnant with Saint's child, which proved that blessings were real. Saint had told her nymphs couldn't have children, but here she was. Perhaps more incredible things could happen?Harper didn't know, but she had hope. It gave her the strength to walk through the sno
HarperSix Months Later"Dear Saint," Harper leaned against the big tree Saint had become after the battle six months ago. "As you may know, I'm pregnant. The baby belongs to you, and sometimes when I sit here, I want to bawl my eyes out... Why did you have to go?"With quivering lips, Harper wiped away tears with her mittens. "I know it's a horrible thing to ask for... But sometimes... Sometimes I wish I could be where you are... I know I'm pregnant, and while I love our baby, I'm... I'm unsure how to do this on my own... How am I supposed to handle parenthood on my own?"Harper's eyes traveled to where Tanya and Jack were making snow angels, and then she blinked at Frida and Asher standing further away. Everyone seemed to have found their happiness. Everyone except Harper because she had lost it. She had lost Saint. And the pain was constant. It didn't come in waves. No. The grief made her want to constantly cry. Even now, Harper fought her tears. She was all alone and didn't
Saint was deathly tired. He had used most of the magic flowing through him, and enemies were still coming in. He needed to recover, but there wasn't time. Harper was carrying him on her back but was tackled by another werewolf. She whimpered, and Saint flew down in the grass.It hurt as he bounced into a bush, and he coughed. Jack was screeching above them in his wyvern-form, blasting wolves with ice, but more and more enemies were appearing. There wasn't an end to them. So many packs wanted only one thing: get to the portal underneath the castle. They were fighting to the last breath to reach it, and Saint widened his eyes upon seeing Harper scream."No, get off me! You fucking cunt! Ouch, you bit me! Let go!" Harper was no longer in her wolf form. She had turned back to a human from exhaustion and punched at werewolves trying to murder her. Her legs kicked and flared, and blood splattered over the grass.This was bad.This was so fucking bad.Further away, Asher was being torn a
Jack couldn't relax, and his heart wouldn't stop pounding. The mate he claimed he didn't want, Tanja, was out conjuring up spells to throw at the werewolves attacking the castle. She was screaming and fighting, doing everything to eliminate the enemy. A sight to behold and watch.Jack worried about her, but he was supposed to protect the alpha he worked for. Liam was supposed to be his mission, not Tanja.Yet his eyes kept steering back to Tanja as she defeated werewolf after werewolf. His little witch was terrific to watch. Her hair swept around her face, and her eyes doe-eyes were huge with battle spirit. Looking at her made Jack's heart clamor.He had opened up to Tanja and told her about Clara. And Tanja? His mate had been hanging on his every word. She had listened to him so patiently that he experienced flutters simply breathing the same air as her.Tanja was amazing.But Jack could tell she was growing tired. The last couple of spells had been sloppy. Tanja's legs weren't
It was nothing short of frightening to wake up to snarling werewolves. Harper opened her eyes in haste and blinked up at Saint. She was in his arms, cradled to his chest while roots grew from his legs.His skin had taken a more greenish gue, and his eyes were eerie black while he hissed at the werewolves surrounding them. His voice came out loud and melodic, like a singing siren. But Harper knew it was a warning to the wolves. His legs had turned into tree trunks, and some of the roots came up from the ground to grab two werewolves coming for them. Whimpers filled the air as Saint's roots and vines curled around them. It was frightening to watch. Harper shuddered as the werewolves were hit against the ground multiple times until they no longer moved."I'm sorry you have to witness this," Saint told Harper, tightening his grip around her. "But it seems the castle is about to get attacked by some unknown pack. Some of the werewolves are headed there, while others are here in the woo
Harper was excited about her training with Saint. She was waiting for him in the garden outside the castle. The flowers were dancing around her feet in the wind. There were only a few clouds in the sky—the perfect weather conditions. "Nice to see that you're in time."Harper turned around to the sound of Saint's voice. He hadn't spent the night with her because he claimed he wouldn't be able to keep his hands to himself. But when Harper's eyes landed on his toned body, she was suddenly the only one wondering how to focus. Saint waltzed toward her, wearing only a pair of tight grey sweatpants that hugged his bubble butt and showcased his v-lines. Tanned skin, abs, and a confident smirk—Harper was already close to experiencing withdrawal symptoms. She wanted to touch him!"Harper?"Saint gave her a questioning look when Harper repeatedly blinked, and she plastered on a smile. "Yes?"He bit back a laugh. "Did you listen to me?""Uh..." She blushed. "Not really.""Because what I said
When Saint arrived at the sunset island, Harper laughed so much that she fell off her mate's head. "I can't believe you accidentally swallowed a freaking seagull!"Saint caught Harper in his palm while desperately grasping for air. His eyes were red from tears, and he could barely breathe. It felt like there were feathers in his throat. And the cherry on top was that the freaking seagull hadn't been tasty either—Saint was confident the bird had been so scared it had shat itself when he ate it!"I think I'm going to be sick..." Saint pulled himself up on the sandy beach and made sounds that reminded Harper of a puking dog. "I hate my life, Harper... The seagull tasted like... Tasted like shit!"Harper cracked up and rolled off Saint's palm into the warm sand. Her rib cage hurt from laughing so much. "You're such a scary-looking guy, but really such a goofball!""Don't laugh at me..." Saint transformed back into his original, tanned self and coughed up a feather. He grimaced. "I need s