HAYLEE~~I still haven’t gotten over the shock of hearing Alpha King Xalen tell Princess Sophia that she would be apologizing to me. I mean, I thought he would cut out my tongue as soon as he caught me reprimanding his daughter.But Instead of that, he asked her to apologize and just as I began to think about his parenting skills, I heard the sassy Princess say to the so-called Cruel Alpha King– a man who was feared far and wide, “I would do no such thing.”My gasp was swallowed by the louder ones from outside the burial chambers. The chambers were built in a way that everyone could see the inside of the chambers even if they were outside and the space was big enough for twenty people to stay by the late Queen’s side. Even in her death, she was loved. As harmless as that seemed, it made my heart hurt but I quickly pushed myself to focus on the scene before me… between the Alpha King and his daughter. Princess Sophia has his eyes but aside from that she looked like her late mom.
ALPHA KING XALEN~~A new lunar month without my Laura. I couldn't even hold her cold body anymore as she was buried last month and I have been living under the same roof with the girl the moon goddess sickly assumed would replace my Luara.I was staring at the moon and somehow, it was mocking me. “We usually do this with Laura,” Theo whispered into my mind, causing my heart to clench painfully. Would I ever get over her? I hope not. I hope I never forget how much I loved her and still love her. I hope she remains a part of my life for as long as I live.“She would have tried to count the stars a million times since we got here,” Theo mentioned another core memory. I smiled despite the ache in my heart. “And she would have called Sophia and Asher to join us. I would be rubbing her belly and speaking to Jodie…” I mentioned, describing the beautiful past without missing a single detail. Nothing about the present was beautiful. After Sophia ran out of the burial chamber last mont
HAYLEE~~It all happened so fast. One minute, I sighed, realizing that it was a bad idea to wait in the living room for him after putting the kids to bed. I should have been sleeping but I waited because I couldn't continue to live as I had lived for the past month. I mean, I had gotten used to holding Jodie’s weight, hearing her cries, and also taking care of the two other royal babies that had been trapped in a world without their mother. However, I haven't gotten used to the unexplainable pain on the inside of me. The pain has been growing ever since we left the late Queen's burial chamber that night. It was almost as if that night marked the birth of some kind of magnetic force between the Alpha King and me and each time he pulled away, tugging at the force, I got to feel the pain tearing me from within…. I didn't want to live like that anymore. It was too painful and even Liya was losing it gradually. I could lose my wolf and myself all because of the cursed bond between
ALPHA KING XALEN~~“What did you just do!” Theo exclaimed, groaning right after as raw pain consumed us both even though the slave had stopped talking.My body trembled as shock shook my core, making me wonder. I mean, how on earth did this happen? How is that possible? While I tried to fathom what just happened with the slave, Theo yelled at me again, “What did you just do, Xalen?”“I knocked her the fuck out. That’s what!” I groaned, my entire body aching with no explainable source of pain. “Why would you do that? You were this close to killing her.” My wolf lashed out at me, snarling within my mind.“I wasn’t even trying to kill her and why are you blaming me when I just saved us from feeling any more pain!” I growled right back, looking down at the slave’s unconscious body. A few seconds again, she had fallen into my arms but I was quick to drop her as her skin burned mine like a hot rock.“Knocking her out doesn’t help. We can still feel the pain and as soon as she wakes up
HAYLEE~~“Argh…” I groaned as my eyes fluttered, my head aching like it was about to explode. I blinked rapidly, holding my head as I pushed myself off the soft surface of my bed–Wait a second.Where am I? My blurry eyes looked around and I realized that I was indeed in my room and on my bed. If my head was banging, I would have thought what happened between Alpha King Xalen and me was a dream… a terrible dream. One where he confessed that he couldn’t fight the pull of the bond and one where he nearly took my life because I tried to reject him… a terrible dream. As the memories of what I assumed was last night, as I could see the brightness of a new day sneaking into my room through the windows, flooded my mind, I started wishing that all of it was a dream. It would be better and easier that way–“It’s not a dream. We were this close to death, Hay.” Liya let out a wolfy sob, reliving the injustice we suffered at the hands of our supposed mate, one who was supposed to protect
ALPHA KING XALEN~~I felt everything… I felt how she tried to reject me again and how she couldn’t. More importantly, I felt her pain like it was mine and it took so much of my strength not to groan before my special adviser or if we are being informal, my uncle.Also, I felt the rage that followed the pain and I didn’t have to be told to know that she had realized that I had taken away her right to reject me—the benefits of being the Alpha King. A tiny part of me felt happy as her anger swelled within me. She was a little crazy. Timid but crazy. I have seen her craziness a few times when she gets pushed to the wall. It’s like she says whatever comes to mind at that point and forgets about the consequences that might come after.She was interesting and I most likely would have gotten to know her better under a different circumstance or maybe I wouldn’t have met her at all.“My King?” My uncle’s voice resonated through my office as he called to get my attention.I exhaled audi
HAYLEE~~“Let me reject you or I will make it easier for us both by killing myself…” I meant every word. The pain I would feel when the knife slit my throat can’t compare to all the pain I had endured in my nineteen years of living as the pathetic daughter and the unwanted mate. I was done. Liya was fighting against my will but my mind was made up. Alpha King Xalen either rejects me or watches me kill myself. “You have no right to barge into my office, slave…” He seethed, balling his fists as his face turned red.I could see the way his eyes dated from my face to the knife I was holding to my neck even though he remained unreadable. The only emotions I had seen him wear proudly were anger and pain when he was reminded of his Queen. “You have no right to stop me from rejecting you, Alpha King. It’s my right and you took it from me–”He snarled, “I have every right. I’m your king and I own you. You belong to me!” As tears fell out of my eyes, I pressed the sharp knife I had take
HAYLEE~~Day after day, I served my master. A master who wouldn’t look at me, touch me, or speak to me... Mostly because I had made sure our paths didn't cross in the huge Palace. Day after day, I have worked and cared for children that weren’t mine. I wasn’t complaining because of the natural love I felt toward kids but my natural love had been tested many times these past few days. Aside from the pain their father had caused me, the experience of the past few days had traumatized me and more than usual, I have been quiet. If allowed to diagnose myself, I would say my broken parts have shattered into more pieces. I was depressed. Also, the fact that Princess Sophia hated me wasn’t making my life any easier. I recalled supporting her when her Dad asked her to apologize, but the little Princess had somehow forgotten that or maybe she hated me for doing that.Whatever reason she had, she was hell-bent on making my life even more difficult. Just yesterday, Princess Sophia entered
ALPHA KING XALEN~~That was me taking a recipe from Haylee's cookbook or her kindness manual if that suited the context better. She advised me to open up, and I was doing that now with Roy. The mistake we made seven years ago with Laura was shutting each other out. To win this fight, I need allies, and who better supports me than my own blood? “I'm sorry for cutting off communication. I'm sorry for mating and marking your destined mate.” I had to apologize for that as well because, despite Laura's tactics, I could have done better. “I'm sorry for all the pain I caused you, Roy. I really hope we can put all of these behind us and move past the pain.”“Well done, Xay,” Theo muttered with a feminine voice that I knew was supposed to sound like Haylee, but seriously, that was a failed attempt. “Haylee would be proud.”My brain and mind got a quick reset after Theo's statement. I mean, before it used to be “Laura would be proud.”Damn! How I loved that woman. I was trying my best to
ALPHA PRINCE ROY~~I lost everything. Heck! I would have lost myself as well if my wolf hadn’t sacrificed his existence for me.Honestly, it was easier to blame Xalen. I just couldn’t bring myself to blame Laura, even though the truth was staring back at me as I looked at the familiar penmanship. I was trying to wrap my head around why Laura would do this. I have known her since I was a teenager. Laura was one of the orphans who came to the Royal Pack to seek refuge, and we became friends immediately. She was the perfect person to fill the void my dad and Xalen had created within me as they focused on politics.But she turned out to be a liar.She lied about the bond, claiming she didn’t feel it, and I stupidly believed her. She used to ask me to come home each time I did. She made me believe that Xalen had changed his mind.I also believed that the reason she kept writing to me was that she was kind-hearted. However, the truth was out. Laura wrote to me because she felt the strai
ALPHA KING XALEN~~I allowed it.I allowed Roy to pour the coal of his anger all over me until I perceived that he was getting tired, and before he could stop himself and feel ashamed, I grabbed his wrists, holding them in the air.“I think that’s enough, Roy,” I stated without any sign of pain. Even though he had managed to break a few of my ribs, the pain wasn’t unbearable.Roy yanked his wrists out of my grasp, and once again, I allowed it. He wouldn’t have been able to land a blow if I didn’t want him to, nor would he have succeeded in freeing himself if I wanted to hold him captive.He was a strong male. Or at least I knew him to be a strong male, yet he was no match for me.“Enough?” He seethed in my face, his eyes red, a hot flame of fury burning within them. “You took everything from me. You ruined me, and it took you this long to admit it? Heck! You made everyone believe I was crazy, and I started believing it too because I can’t seem to understand why you would claim a wo
ALPHA PRINCE ROY (3)~~It's been tough.Being a werewolf without a wolf has been tough, but it's nothing compared to being a Royal werewolf without a wolf. It sounds the same, but it is absolutely different.I have had to train twice as hard to command respect from other wolves. Did I say twice? Let's try four times as hard.Sometimes, I find myself thanking Xalen for constantly kicking me out of the realm. I am grateful that I got to live among the humans because it's easier there. Humans can be a bit oblivious, but at least they aren't as stuck-up as werewolves.I threw a few punches in the air, hoping that would clear my mind and I would be able to focus on training. I have been out here, in the open field behind my childhood home, training my ass off.I was covered in sweat, but I couldn't bring myself to stop even though I was training alone like the lone wolf I had become in my own home pack. Plus, if I wanted to get back at Xalen, I would need all the training I could get.“
ALPHA KING XALEN~~Yes, I slept on the floor for the last four hours, but it was a perfect night. I got to sleep with Haylee in the room that would have haunted me for the rest of my life if she hadn't created new memories with me within its four walls.Yes, last night and the early hours of today were used to create new memories.Haylee had helped me conquer my fears, and with the help of my wolf, I have realized the next steps to take to get answers.That was perfection to me, and it would have been an impeccable morning if I had been allowed to wake up on my own, gaze at Haylee’s face while she still sleeps in my arms that I might have wrapped around her after she fell asleep four hours ago, and see her shock when she wakes up and sees my face close to hers.But Allison just had to ruin what could have been a perfect morning.Of course, my heart was still aching because of the wound Laura’s betrayal had inflicted on it, but before I fell asleep with Haylee in my arms, I made up
HAYLEE~~“I think it's high time I listened to him.”I couldn’t believe my ears. Although Alpha King Xalen hasn't said much about what happened between him and Roy, he has made it clear that there was bad blood between the two of them.“Can you tell me what happened between you both?” I asked because I could perceive some love there, even though their hatred for each other had overshadowed that.Xalen and I were still sitting on the floor of his matrimonial bedroom. At first, I felt weird being in here, but we had spent hours on that floor, and I was getting comfortable.The small smile on his face faded, and in that instant, I was certain he didn't want to talk about that topic. His silence was enough to—“Roy was my best friend.” To my surprise, Alpha King Xalen began, opening up to me for the millionth time that night. “He was my brother, and I knew how much he loved me until my parents died and his dad had to take care of me. Roy didn't want to share his dad’s attention, and be
ALPHA KING XALEN~~ROY.That was the answer to every question that had crossed my mind since we started reading Laura’s letters, and it was no different from the question Haylee’s observation brought to mind.That name was the answer I got no matter how many times I rethought or asked myself these questions.Who did Laura cheat on me with?ROY.Who was she sending those letters to?ROY.Whose kids was she desperate to have?ROY's.Who would hate me so much to want to be King and punish me by turning the woman I loved, who they also wanted, into a backstabber?R.O.Y.Who came back to the pack recently, popping in once in a while like he had always done and pretending I kicked him out of the pack when he chose to be away from his family because he couldn’t accept that Laura was mine and not his?ROY.Who has access to my home and could have planted these letters where I found them?ROY.Who could have killed Laura just to hide the traces of what they had done? And who would do that j
HAYLEE~~Although my relationship with Benita might have hit rock bottom, I came to understand what she meant when she told me that Alpha King Xalen has not always been cruel and closed off. I got to see that firsthand as his body began to shake visibly. Even when I wrapped my arms around him, he trembled, sobbing silently but loud enough to make my heart ache. This—what Alpha King Xalen and I have here—wouldn't have happened fifty-one days ago. This was growth for us, but a heartbreaking one. “Isn't this good for us? He hates her now, Haylee. This is the time for us to have him to ourselves finally. We wouldn't have to live in the shadow of that despicable woman.” Liya chimed into my mind. As much as I didn't want to agree with my wolf, I couldn't disagree either. I mean, finally, I could have my mate to myself. Yes, Princess Allison was still an obstacle, but I could feel the bond between Alpha King Xalen and me growing. Gosh, Haylee. Don't go dark now. “Thank you for doing
ALPHA KING XALEN~~I couldn't bring myself to dig into Laura’s letters. I was too scared of how hard the truth about the woman I had loved for almost a decade would slap me in the face.So, instead of searching and reading myself, I let Haylee do it, even though she was another woman who could hurt me.Every letter that Haylee pulled out only confirmed that Laura wasn't faithful to me. Yes, she cheated on me, not just emotionally but sexually.She cheated on me by swearing her allegiance to whoever the hell she was sharing those letters with. She betrayed me.She betrayed my trust and our love.As hard as it was, I was beginning to come to terms with Laura's betrayal. With every letter, my heart grew accustomed to the painful jabs it had to endure, and my stomach accommodated these same jabs as well.“I'm about to read the seventh one I picked, Alpha King,” Haylee said, her voice soft and hardly audible, as if she was scared speaking too loud would trigger me.I nodded and sent a s