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HAYLEE~~“Daddy!” Sophia cried out.I couldn’t look at her because my eyes wouldn’t budge, not even for a second. My eyes wouldn't shift from Xalen’s bloody frame.His clothes, his exposed skin, and even his face. He was bloody all over.And even though I couldn't look at Sophia, I knew tears were rolling down her cheeks as the wind carried her shaky voice straight to my ears. Sophia’s voice was not only shaky but also full of horror.The same horror was coursing through me, burning every sign of joy in my life like a merciless wildfire.I was visibly shaking, yet my legs kept moving as I ran with the warriors who were carrying Xalen on a stretcher. Sophia was running too, and we were both crying—one crying out loud and the other crying internally as they both feared the unknown.“Somebody get the princess out of the way. She shouldn’t see this!” An unfamiliar but authoritative voice echoed, snapping me back to life as I recalled that it was my duty to take care of Sophia and shield
HAYLEE~~I was losing my grip on the solid ground. I was losing my grip on Sophia, and I was losing my grip on sanity.“Haylee?” Sophia called out to me, fear latched onto every letter as she pronounced my name. “Why aren’t we moving? Daddy has been taken into the palace, and Uncle Roy is almost inside. We have to move.”Yes, I had to move.But I couldn't bring myself to.Liya’s words continued to echo in my mind, and I lost every will to continue walking or even living.“He isn’t breathing,” Liya had said to me a few minutes ago, and my feet had frozen along with every other sense I had. I was standing in the middle of the palace yard.“Haylee!” Sophia raised her voice as she tried to snap me out of the trance that my wolf’s words had trapped me in.I looked into Sophia’s eyes and began to wonder how she would react when she found out that Xalen was gone. Tears brimmed in my eyes as I thought about what would become of me and the kids now that Xalen was gone.Gosh, I was so fuckin
Princess Allison’s POV ~~It wasn't the re-echoing sound of the gunshots that woke me up from my afternoon nap. It wasn't the noise from the hell that broke loose when the gunshots shook the foundation of the realm.Neither was it the noise within the palace.I slept through all of that, but I didn't know I had at this moment. All I knew was that I was sleeping soundly until the sharp sound of my ringtone jabbed my eardrums, calling me back to consciousness.Even Nala groaned in my mind, “Gosh, why is he calling now?”My wolf's hesitation to get out of bed was loud and clear. Also, her assumption that the caller was the mystery man I had been talking to for the past few days was equally loud.I got out of bed, or more accurately, I stretched my hand to get my cell phone from the bedside table without leaving the bed. I answered the call, my eyelids barely open.“Calling to yell at me for letting a perfect opportunity slide?” I said into the speaker before the mystery man could talk
HAYLEE~~The Royal Healers have been in there with Roy and Xalen for almost an hour. My legs were becoming numb from standing so long, but I couldn't bring myself to leave or even sit, not when I was supposed to be guarding the door.And most importantly, not when I have a mate whose condition I still don’t know.Or maybe I knew.I mean, the pain in my chest wasn't as severe as it was before the Healers started healing Xalen. That was a good sign, right?“It is a good sign. I believe he will regain consciousness soon,” Liya said to me, her voice coming out less hostile. “I didn’t mean to be a bitch, Hay. It was just my instincts.”“I know, Liya,” I muttered to my wolf, using the mental connection between us. “How are you so confident that he will be fine?”“You would be confident too if you opened yourself to the bond completely. You aren’t feeling the strain on the bond anymore, and it’s not cold either. It means there’s life from both sides,” Liya answered, each of her words helpi
Princess Allison’s POV~~Xalen is alive.That was all I needed to hear and know to calm my racing heart.“Will Uncle Roy wake up?” Sophia asked with trembling lips as she stared back at the Healer who brought the news to us.Although I was able to relate to her pain when she told me to stop making scenes so the Healers could concentrate on saving Xalen, I couldn’t understand why she was crying over her dead uncle.Roy and I had never had an encounter. He didn’t stand out to me. I had no reason to feel anything towards him. Not hate. Not love. Not pity.As long as Xalen was fine, I was fine, and I could finally bounce back on Haylee for having the audacity to speak to me rudely and without any remorse. I would make her suffer for the statement she made.Hell, she yelled those words in my face like she was challenging me to counter her.“I am done tolerating her. She has to go. She is becoming too comfortable, Allie. I hate her,” Nala grumbled within me.Oh, I hated the mere sight of
HAYLEE~~I stood there with my jaw dropped.I couldn’t move. My mouth still agape as Princess Allison turned on her heels and marched off, or more like stormed off, fuming over the Healer’s actions that I knew she would have seen as a slap in the face.Anger was evident in every step she took, and I just couldn’t believe what I had just witnessed.My eyes cut to the Healer, whom I should really consider calling a warrior because it takes serious strength to hold someone as high up in the rank chain as Princess Allison in check. Even Alpha King Xalen had refrained from restraining Princess Allison or arguing with her.But this Healer did it without flinching and without remorse.“She is badass. This is the kind of she-wolf we should befriend, not Benita and her silly friends,” Liya gasped within me, throwing shade at Maeve and Orla.Speaking of Benita, I haven’t seen her since I ignored her at the entrance. I assumed she was looking after Asher and Jodie since she must have noticed t
Alpha Prince Roy’s POV~~One minute, I was walking toward the bright, captivating light that seemed like the relief I needed after all I had been put through by my loved ones.My supposed loved ones.One minute I was chasing that relief because even though my body felt numb, my mind remained active, replaying my father's words of disappointment over and over again. My mind wouldn't let go of the part my supposed destined mate played in all of this. Neither did it stop blaming Xalen as well, even though he wasn't to be blamed.My mind was messed up, so I believed chasing that bright light was the only way to get rest and peace. I believed catching up with the light would wipe my mind and make me a new person.One minute I was a floating man full of hope, but the next minute, I was yanked back to what I immediately knew was life because air rushed into my lungs as my eyes flew open. My heart thudded loudly within my chest despite the almost unnoticeable ache, and I gasped, trapped bet
ALPHA KING XALEN~~Why the hell is no one telling me anything?Why won’t anyone tell me why the pain I was feeling suddenly intensified as the mate bond between Haylee and me froze completely, almost stealing my breath? Why wouldn’t anyone tell me why it suddenly felt like I was losing my life, even though my heart seemed to be beating fine?Not even one of the healers seemed to be paying attention to me.I would have said it was a relief when Sophia, who had been beside my body, told me something if she hadn’t burst into tears as she spoke to me: “Haylee collapsed, Daddy, and Uncle Roy is awake, but Haylee won’t wake up.”The news my daughter broke to me only confirmed what I was feeling, and despite the pain pinning me to the bed, I pushed myself into a sitting position, unable to console my daughter because I was fighting to see what the hell was happening.I mean, why would Haylee collapse?Why would her heart stop beating all of a sudden—Just as suddenly, I felt warmth rushing
HAYLEE~~Xalen didn’t understand me fully, and I didn’t expect him to because even I didn’t understand myself. I haven’t wrapped my head around my mother and my powers, so why should he?However, he had good advice for me, and he whispered it into my ears as his arms tightened around me, “One thing I know about power is that you can control it better when you stop trying to control it. I want to believe you are experiencing a block, Nerina. Relax and let this happen naturally, just like it did the day we made love.”That was advice that I should take seriously, but thinking about the first time Xalen and I made love sucked all seriousness out of me. My lips stretched into an uncontrollable smile, steamy memories filling my mind rapidly.And did he just call me Nerina? My smile widened even more, and I couldn’t be happier.“I am your person, Haylee. I will always be your person, so you can always talk to me about anything.” Xalen continued speaking, kissing my forehead and wrapping
ALPHA KING XALEN~~Running a pack with no elders would be harder, but I have come to realize that running an entire realm without the Elders in seat to handle issues from various packs was so much harder. The pressure increased day by day, and I wasn’t the only one bearing the brunt.Evan and Wyatt were in the same boat.Even though he had been burying himself in the population account documents, Roy was affected.Also, even though I tried to keep Haylee from the pressure, she had volunteered to handle some of the responsibilities.We hardly got to see each other these days, and even though it’s only been five days since I stripped the Elders of their power, it felt like forever.Fortunately, Haylee and I had decided that today would be a work-free day. We slept in, staying in bed even though we had been awake before daybreak. We chatted about the past five days and focused more on how well the people were accepting Haylee as their soon-to-be-crowned queen.“They can sense that you
Princess Allison’s POV~~My hands shook visibly, yet I dared not let the phone slip. I wouldn’t dare to ignore it because my back was against the wall, and no matter how cruel my dad could be, he was the only one who could help me find my way back to the right path.Or so I thought as I answered the call and put the cell phone to my ear.“What the hell have you been up to, Allison?” My dad couldn’t wait for me to find my voice before he yelled those words at me, slapping me right in the face even though he was still miles away from me.He continued impatiently, “What the hell do you think you are doing? How could you create this kind of mess? How could you humiliate me like this?”I exhaled, breathing through my mouth as I said, “What exactly have I done wrong? As far as I am concerned, you taught me everything I have done so far.”“Seriously?” My dad barked, and it took everything in me not to throw my cell phone against the nearest wall. “Did I teach you to get pregnant? Did I te
Princess Allison’s POV ~~Goddess! I was boiling with rage.But mostly drowning in the harsh sea of humiliation. That was supposed to happen differently. I shouldn’t be the one getting lashed by Haylee’s words. They felt like whips on my body, and even though I was currently far from her, I could still feel her words burning into my skin.I could feel the people’s gazes piercing through my bones, dissecting me in ways that should never happen.What has happened to me? Fuck! What is happening to me?Never have I suffered so many losses in a row. For the past few days, Haylee had been winning and kicking my ass, and I hated it! I thought everything would go my way after I tried to seduce Alpha King Xalen.I believed I had won, even though he didn’t fuck me hard like I thought.However, every decision I made after that made things worse. Every turn I took led to failure and humiliation.“That should never have happened. She was supposed to collapse before everyone. That damn bitch assu
HAYLEE~~Amidst the chaos that erupted in the hall after Xalen’s announcement, Allison’s explosion was the loudest.“That can’t be. She has bewitched the King!” she exclaimed. “I am to be the next queen. I am to be his mate because I carry his child in my womb.”Allison’s exclamation didn’t fail to get reactions from the pack members who had gathered in the hall for this meeting. Once again, she was a snake, and I believed she saw Xalen’s announcement coming and was fully prepared to oppose him publicly.From where I was standing, I could hear people murmuring, “She is pregnant?”“He can’t tarnish her honor like that, even though he is the king.”“He has to marry her and make her queen.”“But the other woman is his true mate. We need a true mate to become the Queen so we can have peace in the realm.” It was only a few murmurs that were in support of me, but I didn’t let that break me.In fact, I heard someone question, “How can we be sure she is his true mate? Wasn’t Queen Laura hi
HAYLEE~~One minute I was thinking about going to Gladys for help and more training that could help me reach my supposed mother, but the next minute, Xalen and Roy returned home, and we all began to prepare for the general pack meeting in the throne room.When I asked Xalen what the meeting was about, he answered before kissing me chastely, “You will see, Hay.”He also made me wear the prettiest dress that I owned before he left to get a few documents in his home office. I left his bedroom and joined Flavia and the kids downstairs, waiting for Roy and Xalen to join us.However, Allison showed up before both men, and she grumbled, “Prepare to be shoved right back to where you belong, slave.”While Flavia growled at her and stepped forward to show Allison that she wouldn’t hesitate to smack her, I ignored her completely because she was the least of my problems right now. Although I had been trying to explain the power Allison somehow possessed, I didn’t let her words get to me.“She i
ALPHA KING XALEN~~It wasn't surprising when Gladys confirmed that, truly, Uncle Calvin's death happened over two months ago, and neither was I stunned when she announced that he was poisoned with loads of poisonous silver.“Whoever fake Calvin was, he helped us figure out a lot even though he was trying to do the opposite,” Theo told me as Roy and I walked towards my pack office, where I planned to meet with Evan and Wyatt.I couldn't disagree because Theo was completely right.Thanks to fake Calvin, I discovered that Laura and I had a fake bond, made up with Roy, and found my way to Haylee without having to feel guilty.Thanks to fake Calvin, I understand that I had to be careful because even though I had lost so much, I still had so much more to lose.“It's unbelievable, My King,” Wyatt breathed after we all settled down in my Pack office. “The healers explained the result of the examination to us, but I can’t believe such a thing happened, and we didn’t know until now.”Evan no
HAYLEE~~“She didn’t show up.”My wolf, who heard every thought that crossed my mind throughout the night, said this as soon as my eyes fluttered open for the hundredth time that morning.I had been slipping in and out of consciousness all through the night, hoping and longing to be sucked into the realm that allowed me to communicate with a woman I knew nothing about but who had proven to be valuable after Elder Calvin was found where she said he would be, even though she didn’t mention that he was dead.A realm where I could be Nerina.But even though I tried, I didn’t get to meet with my supposed mother.“Or I failed to connect with her.” I sighed, pushing myself off Xalen’s bed, which we both fell into last night after we hit a dead end with the red wolf theory, but he wasn’t here at the moment. “I remember she said something about how I brought her to that realm the last time we were there.”“That’s accurate, and the two times you were able to reach her, you and Xalen connecte
Princess Allison’s POV~~It’s been a crazy, humiliating day for me.I still hadn’t gotten over the marks Haylee and Alpha King Xalen had given themselves overnight, yet I was getting accused of murder. Not that I cared that Elder Calvin was dead, but it kinda worried me to think he was gone.I mean, wasn’t he the same man I had been talking to over the phone? I thought he had been helping me, or should I say I had been led to believe he was the mystery ally I thought could help me.After the news of what he did spread, I simply assumed he was working with my dad, and while that would be a conflict of interest, I believed my dad had found a way to tie Elder Calvin down just like he did to the red wolf in our basement.“We have to reach out to him, Allie. I know you are terrified, but now that Elder Calvin is dead, you need to know what’s going on,” Nala said, urging me to drop my fears and call my dad.My dad had tried to reach me this morning. In fact, I missed several calls from h