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
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~~“I’m pregnant with your child, Alpha Jett.” The world as I knew it froze at that moment. My eyes widened and my breaths became shallow as shock and undefinable emotions coursed through my body, replacing the initial excitement and hope that I was feeling.This can’t be h-hapening… This should never happen. Those words shouldn’t be coming out of my sister’s mouth… her eyes shouldn’t be glinting like that for goddess’s sake!She was my twin sister and–“You’ve got to be kidding me.” Alpha Jett’s voice cut through the thick layer of my thoughts.If I weren’t looking at his face, I would think he was mad about my twin sister’s announcement but the twinkle in his eyes. He was happy. My twin sister just announced that she was carrying his child before everyone in the pack during a party meant to celebrate my nineteenth birthday… A party I believed would be used to crown me Luna of Cresent Moon Pack because a year ago, on my eighteenth birthday, I discovered that Alpha Jett was
HAYLEE~~I was ripped off Kaylee by the familiar coarse hands that had shown me to the door of hell many times in the past– my father’s hands. For the first time, I cried to the father in the beast he had willingly shown me over the years. I stupidly thought he would take my side for the first time. A girl could wish, right? So I cried, “Dad, you can’t let her do this. You can’t just stand there and watch Kaylee snatch my mate–” But my statement was interrupted when his palm settled over my cheek like thunder. He slapped me and I tasted blood in my mouth as my father yelled in my wet face, “How dare you attack your sister! How dare you lay your hands on her? The Alpha has chosen a mate and it’s not you even though the moon goddess thought someone as plain as you could be Cresent Moon Pack’s Luna. That was a mistake on her path and we have corrected her mistake.” No, the only mistake here was having him as a father. The only mistake was picking to look like my heartless mother wh
ALPHA KING XALEN~~I don't know.I don't know how to exist in a world where my mate doesn't. A world without my Laura. I have spent the last five days beside her motionless body and even in that state she managed to look beautiful. She managed to capture my heart like we were teenagers again. How I wished she would open her eyes and tell me, “It’s a joke, Xalen. How can I die and leave you and the kids?” But today, I had to put her to rest. I had to bury her according to tradition so she could find peace in the afterlife. My heart was heavier than my bulky body and breathing felt like a crime because Laura wasn’t breathing. She was six feet under the ground we used to walk as the King and Queen of the werewolf realm–“Come forward and present your gifts.” My trusted Beta, Evan, voiced, calling on the visiting Alphas and leaders of the numerous packs under my jurisdiction.The funeral has ended as far as I was concerned. I had buried Luara and I don’t understand why these people
HAYLEE~~Fuck me!What the fuck was I thinking? No. I didn’t think when I heard that little child crying.My stupid brain just reacted to her and as I have always done with kids, I reached for her and offered comfort because no one offered that to me when I was growing up with an abusive father and a mean sister.And now that I was standing before the Alpha King, my heart was about to beat its way out of my chest. My body shook with fear as cold shivers traveled down my spine. There was something about his dark eyes that–“Don’t make me repeat myself?” His voice was cold, laced with anger that no one deserves, not even a criminal.I took my eyes off him, fighting the uneasiness my wolf was feeding my mind with. I said slowly, “I’m Haylee from–’ “Silence!” He snapped at me, causing me to jump away from him. If my mind wasn't shaky at the moment, I would have wondered why he asked me a question only to shut me up when I gathered enough courage to respond. However, I could only thin
HAYLEE~~“How dare you!” the hostile voice pierced my eardrums before an icy feeling cut through my skin, sending shivers down my spine. My eyes flew open and I jolted to my feet even though my brain wasn’t fully awake. I wobbled, my body shivering as I felt another icy feeling. I was drenched. I was soaked. Yet, I couldn’t scream as my eyes met with Owen’s angry ones. “How dare you fall asleep, Slave?” Owen, the head of servants in the Royal Pack, snarled at me.He was holding two black buckets whose content he just poured all over me. My hair and the dark brown dress I was given three days ago were dripping. The chilly air of the night wasn’t helping my case– everything was against me.“I d-doze—” I tried to speak but my teeth chattered and I instinctively wrapped my arms around my body, “You dozed?” Owen hissed. Ever since the Alpha King stopped me from leaving the hall three days ago, my life has changed drastically. One would think the Alpha King who didn’t hide his hatred
ALPHA KING XALEN~~“Really?” I barked.Anger built up within me as the hope I was holding on to seemed to be fading every second. I had so many people around me yet I felt so alone. I once had a plan for my life and future but now? Now I was lost with no hope of finding my way. Perhaps if Laura comes back to life. She was my compass– My moral and geographical compass. “We have searched and did everything we can, My King but there’s no evidence that the Queen was murdered.” My Royal Gamma, Wyatt, repeated as he fell on his knees before my throne. “Then have the trackers tear everything down,” I growled, barely keeping my ass on my throne.Wyatt was too scared to open his mouth so Evan stepped in and said to me, “The trackers did everything, My King. The Healers also testified that they found nothing toxic in her body. It’s a natural death–” “Don’t even tell me that!” I cut my Royal Beta off. “How can that be a natural death? She gave birth to Jodie without complications and two
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
HAYLEE~~I had never seen Roy so out of control. Even when he was mad at Xalen, his anger was contained, and he meticulously planned his next move. But the second he saw Allison, who could easily be his dad’s killer, he lost it all.Some of the curse words that slipped past his lips had never been heard before now, and Allison looked frightened because she could sense that the man approaching her wasn’t the same one she had overlooked many times since he returned to the pack.He was angry.He was a ferocious alpha male whose anger had driven him to the point of violence.Fortunately for Allison, Flavia caught up to Roy before he could get to her. She wrapped her arms around his midsection and skillfully twisted around him, standing between him and Allison within a second.“No, Roy,” Flavia uttered, holding his gaze while he shook visibly.“She is one of them, babe! She is Richard’s daughter, and she could have easily carried out his evil work. She could be the killer and I have to—
ALPHA KING XALEN~~“This doesn't make any sense,” Roy blurted before I could, shaking his head, and I assumed he was thinking back to the last time we saw and heard his dad. “He shot me about ten days ago. He spoke to me, so you are mistaken.”Flavia immediately understood Roy's emotional turmoil. She removed her healer’s coat and walked up to her mate, holding him so her scent could calm him down.“I think we should take this to a more private place. Something is off, and now everyone should be a suspect,” Flavia murmured, looking around as a few of my men and healers moved around to do their thing.Gladys muttered, “I will stay here to keep an eye on the body and cross-examine the results, my king. But I have to say that I don’t expect anything to change. This man has been dead almost since the time the queen passed away.”My heart tightened not just because it killed me to hear that but also because I was confused. How could that be?I recall having many deep moments with Uncle
ALPHA KING XALEN~~Goddess, I was driven by undiluted rage.I mean, how dare he point fingers at my woman? My Haylee!Yes, Evan didn’t know who gave me the information, nor did he know that Haylee had become my mate. My marked mate, in fact. Evan’s explanation was also logical, but who cares about logic?He definitely wouldn’t care when he discovered the whole truth.“This is why we should tell the pack about the bond as soon as possible. I am not sure I can stand any more of these disrespects and accusations that are getting thrown at Haylee,” Theo gritted within me, coming to Haylee’s defense.I agreed with my wolf and made the decision to introduce Haylee to the entire pack the next day. I had to spend the entire day away from her because of my uncle, and when I leave here, I will have to go to the healers’ examination room to get updates.Being away from Haylee was hard—harder than finding my uncle’s dead body in a well.Evan, whose oblivion to my state of mind would soon get hi
Alpha Prince Roy’s POV~~He did deserve to die.After everything he had done to me, to Xalen, and to the family, he deserved to die the most painful death.Falling into a well and breaking his neck on impact seemed like an excruciating way to die, and yes, my betrayer of a father deserved it. I fully agree with this perspective, but why the hell was I burning with anger?Why did my eyes sting as I watched warriors pull his decaying body out of the well after hours of discussing the best possible way to do that? Why did I feel the need to punch someone, anyone, just because I found out that my father was dead?I didn’t understand this feeling, but I tried to explain it and convince myself that I was this angry because I didn’t get to torture my dad before he died. The initial plan after he shot Xalen and me and escaped was to find him and make him pay, but how do we make a dead, rotting man pay for his crimes?Jax chimed within me, his anger merging with mine as we both watched my da
ALPHA KING XALEN~~“I get that you are smitten, Xalen, but this isn’t logical,” Roy grumbled as we left the palace, walking side by side.“I am smitten but see no reason why this isn’t logical,” I responded as I opened my mind, finding the connection between my mind and Wyatt’s so I could ask him to meet Roy and me on the northern border.Haylee’s words echoed in my mind even though I had just left her in the palace with my overly excited kids and Flavia and Allison, but I wasn’t worried because I knew Haylee could defend herself.“Be careful out there and don’t involve anyone you can’t trust, Xalen. I need this to be true, not just to prove to the realm that you are a reliable King but also to confirm that I am not going insane.”Those were Haylee’s words. Even though I didn’t understand why she mentioned insanity, I knew better than to trust just anyone with the possible location of my traitorous uncle.Roy scoffed, snapping me out of my thoughts and taking my mind off Haylee. Sad
HAYLEE~~That was unexpected.Allison choosing to walk away instead of picking to create a scene like she always does was unexpected, but I didn’t think much about it because I assumed she was still in shock.“She would never have thought you and Xalen would show up marked. Did you see her face?” Liya let out a wolfish chuckle in my mind, making fun of Allison as she walked away.I did see her face, and it was so damn funny.I was prepared to stand up against her and drag her through the mud if needed, but she had to ruin that for me by choosing to walk away. However, knowing her, I would most likely get more chances to pay her back with the same coin of humiliation that I got from her.After Allison left, Xalen settled at the head of the table, and he was served breakfast by one of the servants. They were all looking at me or at least sneaking peeks. I could perceive Maeve, Orla, and Benita in the hall even though I wasn’t looking at them.I was certain Benita would find me after b