HAYLEE
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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 think of ways to escape his gaze because goddess did it burn my skin and make me breathless in a bad way.
“Haylee, that’s our–” My wolf, Liya, sputtered within my mind.
“This isn’t the time, Liya….” I cautioned my wolf…
“You will go back to wherever you come from and never show your face before me. Ever!” The Alpha King seethed at me, his smell of hatred towards me choked me as I inhaled.
One would think I would have gotten used to that smell after breathing and living with it all my life.
Everyone hated me.
My father. My Sister. My mate. My pack and of course, My mother.
Everyone but Leo– but after he was locked up because of me, he must hate me too.
“Listen to me, Haylee. Can you feel–” Liya started speaking again, sounding like a weak puppy.
But before she could get my full attention, Alpha Jett walked up to me, hissing at me, “Do you always have to cause chaos?”
“I d-didn’t–”
I stuttered not because I was scared of Jett but because I could still feel the Alpha King’s gaze burning into my skull like a laser.
Before I could pull myself together, my ex-mate's firm palm kissed my cheeks as he slapped me, hissing at me. My eyes stung, tears filling them up rapidly but Jett didn’t seem to care. He growled at me, raising his hand to hit me as he claimed that I had disgraced him before the Alpha King.
Helplessly, I closed my eyes, waiting for his next strike and I held my breath. Expecting.
But the sting didn’t hit me as I expected. Still, my eyes remained closed until his deep voice sent intense shivers down my spine, “You will not hit what’s mine.”
Those were Alpha Xalen’s words.
My eyes fluttered open and my brows furrowed when I saw Alpha King Xalen holding Jett’s hand and snarling at him. The Alpha King towered over Jett, dominating easily, and while some other she-wolves would have basked in the masculine aura rolling off the Alpha King, I could only bask in his words.
Mine, he said but why would he call me his?
“Because you are his, Hay,” Liya exclaimed.
“He said he didn’t want a slave–”
“You are not a slave to him. You are his second chance mate.” My wolf announced with conviction just in time for the Alpha King to shove Jett a few feet backward with one push.
My wolf’s words didn’t make any sense to me until Alpha King Xalen’s eyes connected with mine and his natural strong oud scent invaded my nostrils, pushing past every fiber in my body. He smelled like poison– the kind that my body seemed to need as my heart began to race even though I had sworn to never get excited over a man after Jett’s betrayal.
Goddess! My heart raced and that one word settled on the tip of my tongue, my lips parting, ready to let out that one word while still looking into his dark void orbs.
“Ma–”
“Don’t even dare, slave!” Alpha King Xalen seethed, shutting me up and waking me from this daydream with a snarl. “I don’t want to hear it.”
As he looked at me, warning me or probably daring me to disobey him and claim him before every one of his subjects in the hall, the world faded.
It was just us at that moment.
I gazed at every wrinkle of frown on his face, my brain memorizing every detail.
“How can he be mine?” I asked Liya, struggling to pick between panic and excitement.
My wolf let out a whimper, “I don’t think he will be for long.”
I was about to question her when I felt a force pressing and breaking every resistance my body had built over the years. The same whimper Liya released escaped my lips as I cried out, an unfamiliar pain hitting my head from the inside–
“On my mate’s funeral?” His voice and anger pierced through me, breaking through the walls of my mind. “You step into my pack on this day and you think you will be welcomed with open arms?”
How?
How could he speak to me through the mind link? I wasn’t a member of his pack neither was I his marked mate–
“I’m your Alpha King.” His voice boomed into my mind, causing my head to ache. “Your feeble mind isn’t out of… fuck that. I don’t have to explain myself to you.”
He didn’t have to. I understood that he was powerful and could penetrate my mind but does he know how painful it was to have him breaking into my mind like this?
“If the moon goddess thinks she can just send me another mate after taking my Laura from me, she must be delusional!” He barked regardless of my pain. Regardless of how many eyes we had on us. “On her funeral for that matter. Are you kidding me!”
H-how was that my fault?
I also didn’t ask for this and as much as he was hurting, I was hurting too.
I wished I could sit the moon goddess down and ask her questions too–
He cut my thoughts short, his voice breaking into my mind again, and his words? They crushed the millions of particles that my heart had become after Jett’s rejection and my family's betrayal, “I, Alpha King Xalen of the Royal Pack, Leader of the Southern territory reject you, Haylee of Cresent Moon Pack as my second chance—”
I never thought I would get another mate.
But I also never considered the possibility of getting rejected twice.
Was I that worthless and– No, it’s because it’s his Luna’s funeral.
This can’t be my fault. Not this one.
I closed my eyes, waiting for the familiar pain of rejection to seize my soul but instead, the cries of the little girl filled my ears. She cried out before the Alpha King– her father could seal my fate.
“Fuck my life!” He cussed into my mind before I felt his consciousness slipping away as he broke the forced mind connection. He audibly commanded everyone to leave the hall, his anger still as loud as his baby’s cries.
I didn’t hesitate to turn away from him like everyone else, wondering if the rejection was done as I didn’t feel the pain that should come with it.
However, another order from him took my will to put space between us as his words sunk into my mind, “Not you, slave.”
My feet froze because it was at that moment that our hate story began.
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
HAYLEE~~I was drained of every bit of energy. Yet I was still standing in the kitchen where I had been since I woke up in the wee hours of this morning. I barely slept for three hours before I got up to prep for the warriors’ breakfast. It’s like preparing a meal for every member of the Crescent Moon Pack. After preparing breakfast with little to no help from the servants who used to do these chores before I was brought into the pack as a slave, I started preparing lunch for the chiefs of the pack because they would be having a meeting in a few hours and Owen had started talking about all I had to do for the Royal Family dinner. My sight was foggy, my throat was dry and the worms in my stomach were biting me, crying to be fed. However, despite having different dishes around me, I wasn’t allowed to eat any. Owen would kill me.“Just serve yourself a plate, Haylee. We need the strength. We need to sleep.” Liya cried into my mind. The last time I shifted and let Liya have a meal o
HAYLEE~~I didn’t know which one I paid more attention to with every second that passed without a word from the Alpha King– Owen’s shaky frame or the lips that kept parting only to close again like their owner couldn’t make up his mind. “I was ju-just correcting the Slave, My King. She was dis-disrespectful and stole–” If I was going to die, I would rather die a criminal who touched the King’s child and had the audacity to appear before him as his second chance’s mate at his beloved Queen’s funeral, than be called a thief for eating one spoon of rice. With that thought in mind, I cut Owen off, sounding more confident for some weird reason and despite the Alpha King’s presence, “I didn’t steal. I haven’t eaten in three days, My King and I know I’m a slave but I need food just like everyone else. I need food and sleep to function and I haven’t been having enough. If you want me dead, chop off my head or throw me to the rogues but please do not treat me like I’m lesser than–” “Shus
ALPHA KING XALEN ~~ I hated her. The way she constantly looked at me from under her long lashes. The way she inhaled. The way she exhaled. The way she walked. The way she looked in the servants’ uniform. The way her chest rose and fell as she tried not to let her eyes wander. I hated everything about her. The bright color of her hair. Her dull green eyes had only brightened when she stared at Jodie. The small curve of her lips as she smiled down at my daughter who had stopped crying like she was in some sort of magic land and not the arms of a slave… Fuck, I hated everything. Yet, I had to bring her into my home. After all, I couldn’t just drop Jodie with her and let her take care of my daughter in the Servants’s quarters where she had obviously been suffering– “You should have let me break every bone in his body.” Theo snarled in my mind, holding a kind of anger that was new to me. He was angry because the slave was touched by another man… because she was maltreated b
HAYLEE ~~ I understood that he hated me for reasons best known to him. But to be honest, I was a victim too. I have been all my life and the way he seemed to enjoy hurting me even though I was helping his kid was making it hard for me to breathe. My chest hurt. But my head was aching more due to the forced connection he– “You don’t speak much, do you?” The young woman Alpha Xalen handed me over to, asked, her eyes on me as if she was studying me. I have learned to be careful around Servants in this Pack since they all considered me beneath them. If my head wasn’t aching, I still wouldn’t speak to the nanny to avoid getting punched– “He wasn’t always like this.” I didn’t ask her but she supplied that detail anyway. “Well, he was hostile when he was younger but became very warm when he met the Queen. Losing her sent him back to his dark days.” I get it. He was suffering. But I have been suffering all my life and he doesn’t see me being a pain in his ass or that of anyone
HAYLEE~~“You do not belong here….” The voice I heard was soft and young, and it was supposed to be innocent and friendly, but it was everything but that. It was harsh and as I opened my eyes to see the small frame boiling with obvious anger before me, My brows furrowed. I could only stare at the little girl before me as I pushed myself off the nursery floor. I must have dozed off while putting Princess Jodie to bed. I thought working with Owen was hard but having a baby who won’t let me drop her for even a minute was harder. The good part was, I wasn’t getting slapped or starved. Aside from Princess Jodie, no one was yelling at me until now. “That’s my mom’s spot. Get up and get out of my sister’s room.” The young girl literally hissed at me. Her mom’s spot? Her sister? “Princess Sophia?” I breathed, Rather than respond, she seethed just like I had seen Alpha King Xalen do, “I told you to leave my mom’s spot and get out of my sister’s room.” I was standing in a cozy corner
HAYLEE~~“I swear to the goddess she was right here.” I had screamed three hours ago, my body trembling as he stared down at me with anger and perhaps worry in his eyes. Clearly, he wasn’t concerned about the way my heart was rising and falling rapidly, not when he was about to growl at me. But before he could, I added, “Princess Sophia showed up. She was furious. She sent me out of the room and I thought it was best to sit here while I waited for her to–” “But you fell asleep!” He shut me up, punching the nearest wall in a way that made me jump backward. “You fell asleep when you were supposed to be watching my kids.”“I didn’t mean to. I swear to the goddess–” I whimpered. “Enough swearing to the goddess, dammit!” He hissed maliciously, showing nothing but hate and disrespect to the goddess. That happened three hours ago and while I was shaken by fear and also been praying that the Princesses would return home, they haven’t and we have all been searching and by searching, I m
Princess Allison’s POV~~“Look who finally decided to answer his phone,” I breathed to calm myself.I have learned to always keep my cool whenever I have to talk with my dad. He should never perceive me as weak.“Drop the sassy attitude and explain to me how he is already on his feet, Allison,” my dad barked, his voice resonating in my ears in a way that caused my head to ache.I rolled my eyes to remind myself that I had to stay and sound confident no matter what. “How about you tell me if you tried to have him killed?”Because I have been caught in a bubble where humiliation and regret coexisted with me, I haven’t had the time to find out what really happened yesterday, but fortunately, my dad seemed to have all the sources he needed to hear the news despite the distance between both packs.“It’s all part of the plan, child. Although I was hoping he would die and this stupid charade would come to an end. It would have been a perfect opportunity for one of your brothers to take th
Princess Allison’s POV~~Apparently, news about how Alpha Prince Roy and Alpha King Xalen were saved by the ugly-ass slave has been spreading through the palace since yesterday. I didn’t find out about it until now since I have been in my room since I was humiliated yesterday by the so-called warrior healer.It wasn’t until Benita showed up in my room, claiming she had news for me about Haylee, that I learned about this.“And you are just telling me?” I seethed at Benita. “Why wait till now to tell me about it?”Benita trembled before me, stuttering as she said, “I didn’t hear about this until last night, Your Majesty, and when I tried to bring the news to you, I was told by your personal guard that you didn’t want to be disturbed.”Well, I did tell Jose to stand guard and make sure no one stepped close to my bedroom because I was hoping my dad would return the million calls he refused to answer.After Alpha King Xalen gave his healer and slave the right to humiliate me yesterday,
ALPHA KING XALEN~~“What are we missing?”Although Theo had raised that question in my mind before Elder Calvin pulled the trigger, Haylee shed more light on it and made me realize that I still had more digging to do.But first, I had to find Calvin.Wyatt, Evan, and the rest of my army had been searching for him since he bolted yesterday, but somehow, they hadn't found him. None of them had caught a whiff of him, and since I was too distracted to go find him myself, I had to settle for the pieces of information that Wyatt sent to me through the mind link occasionally.Taking care of the kids and Haylee while she was out had been my priority. I didn't want to leave Haylee's side, even though I had to.“We have to, Xalen. The sooner we find Calvin, the earlier we will get answers and put an end to this charade,” Theo said to me, despite my desire to remain in Haylee’s bed.“I know. I will just stay till daybreak,” I responded to my wolf, looking down at Haylee, who was also lost in t
HAYLEE~~I woke up to Alpha King Xalen’s arms around me.Although I didn’t know how long I had slept, I could perceive that I had been in Xalen’s arms for a long time because his scent was everywhere. I reeked of him. My sheets reeked of him. My room was drowning in his scent, and as I took in my first conscious breath, I drowned as well, loving every bit of his captivating aroma—a blend of primal musk and warm cedar, a heady mix of wild strength and soft spice that enveloped me in a comforting embrace, making me feel both safe and exhilarated."You’re finally back from dreamland," Xalen murmured into my ear, his stubbled beard brushing softly against my cheek.I smiled and wondered if he knew just how much I enjoyed his softness. I had found myself yearning to experience soft love, and even though Xalen and I had a rocky start, we were heading toward that kind of love.“How long was I out?” I asked, my voice barely a whisper.Xalen didn’t hesitate as he muttered, kissing my cheek a
Alpha Prince Roy ~~She was a dark beauty.Her dark hair fell past her waist, complementing her beautiful face. Her dark eyes pierced into my soul, threatening to make me vulnerable even though my instincts were kicking against it. And her skin tone?Goddess, she was perfect.And while I wasn’t trying to compare her with Laura, she was the opposite of her.Laura was beautiful in a harsh way. Her beauty could be seen from afar. However, this gorgeous dark beauty who was staring at me and waiting for me to break the ice of silence between us was the kind of beauty that one would only notice in proximity.It wasn’t loud.Instead, it was compelling and commanding.She was a dark beauty, and she was mine.“I still need to read your memories and get accustomed to the fact that a lot has happened while I was gone, but yes, I agree with you. She is ours,” Jax chimed happily within me, throwing all caution to the wind and eager to make his move on Flavia.But as much as the natural order wa
ALPHA KING XALEN~~I have never been electrocuted, but what I felt in that moment could count as electrocution.I felt it as soon as Haylee’s hands settled on my arm. I knew it was her touching me even though I was fast asleep and heavily drugged by the silver toxins. It was only her touch that could make my heart skip two beats even while asleep.It was only Haylee who could wake me up with one touch.Before the electrifying sensation consumed me, my eyes fluttered open, and Haylee was the first person I saw. Her eyes were closed, and her forehead was knitted tightly, telling me that she was trying to focus despite the beads of sweat that were starting to gather on her face.“What's she doing!” I exclaimed just as the sensation began to spread through me.To the rest of the healers, my exclamation might have meant a lack of trust and maybe irritation. However, it was worrying. I was worried because I saw what happened after Haylee touched Roy.I saw what happened to her, and I didn
HAYLEE~~“Arch what?”I blurted, confusion latching onto my mind like a parasite.Despite the confusion, I could tell that Flavia’s attention wasn’t on me. It was on her newfound mate, who wouldn’t take his eyes off her either. I couldn’t blame either of them. They had just found each other, yet they hadn’t had a moment to themselves.The chaos around us was overwhelming, but it only intensified when Sophia, who had been standing somewhere in the distance between Xalen and me, exclaimed, “Daddy!”My shallow breath hitched, and my mind went blank as if I wasn’t ready to bombard Flavia with questions just a second ago. My eyes cut to Sophia, who ran back to Xalen’s bed, crying, “Open your eyes, Daddy. Why won’t he open his eyes?”The Healer standing with Xalen gave Sophia a reassuring smile and said, “It’s okay, Princess Sophia. The King is simply sleeping. He needs proper rest to heal—”Oh, the silver toxins were still in his system.I couldn’t help but look back at Flavia after not
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
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