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
ALPHA KING XALEN~~My heart was racing. My soul was threatening to abandon my body. I lost track of time as I walked along with Evan, searching for all three of my kids. I was ready to blame the slave when I found out Jodie wasn’t in the Palace but when I heard her mention Sophia’s name, I knew my daughter was back to be a sweet indispensable pain in my ass. Sophia was a menace. No one would call her this but yes, she is a crazy five years old and Laura was the only person she ever listened to. But now, Laura was gone and she wouldn’t listen to anyone else which was why I had to send her to the Healers even before the funeral because I knew she would have thrown tantrums all through the funeral and create a scene that wouldn’t be good for her reputation–“Somehow, it sounds like you are describing yourself,” Theo muttered despite how weary we both were. “You were a menace and a crazy bastard before Laura came into our lives and now that she is gone, you are back to the old day
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~~I was wrong to think the change in my title wouldn’t change my routine. I mean, I have become the talk of the pack, but also people approach me now. Just yesterday, I was walking around the palace with Princess Sophia and baby Jodie when a group of servants who walked past us greeted not just the princesses but me as well.They acknowledge my presence.“I hadn't noticed how much our scent changed when we were demoted by Alpha Jett, until the promtion from Alpha King Xalen,” Liya said to me, enjoying every bit of this new attention even though I knew I would soon shy away from them.I had just put Princess Jodie to bed for her afternoon nap. Prince Asher was also taking a nap, and Princess Sophia was somewhere in the palace, doing goddess knows what. I would have gone in search of the Princess if I hadn’t planned to get food from the palace kitchen, eat, and take a nap right after.However, my plan was interrupted when Benita and two other servants walked into the kitchen j
Princess Allison’s POV~~No reactions?Not even a single one from any of them?Yes, Sophia failed me first, but never in a thousand worlds had I imagined that Alpha King Xalen would also fail me. Or was my intention to wipe out their precious mom and beloved mate wasn’t clear enough? Was I not doing enough?Could I be losing my touch already? Hell, I just got here for goddess’s sake!“Relax, Allie. We aren’t losing touch.” Nala said into my mind, more like seethed. “This shows that we must go lower to get his attention.” “How low are you talking about?” I asked my wolf as I slammed the door to my bedroom. “Do you remember what Dad said before we left home? Nala asked me. I nodded instantly. “He said we have an ally within this pack. Someone close to the Alpha King and that this ally has enough to break Alpha King Xalen’s strong spirit.”“Exactly.” Nala chimed in response. “I believe it’s time we reach out to this ally.”Although my wolf was smart, I couldn’t agree with her at t
HAYLEE~~As I rushed after Princess Sophia and Prince Asher with their little sister in my arms, I asked myself why anyone in their right mind would be hellbent on making kids as young as five and three years old sad. What is she driving at?What point is she trying to make? “The same point Dad and Kaylee had been trying to make all our lives,” Liya said to me. My wolf’s response made me realize that people like my dad, Kaylee, and Princess Allison really have reasons to be who they are. My dad claimed he was harsh with me because I was a replica of my mom, but that wasn't enough to abuse any child. Kaylee claimed the reason she hated me was because I stole her life, her mate, and everything from her, but I never did, and even if I did, it wasn’t enough reason for her to give me into slavery and wish me death. After all, she took everything from me, and I still don’t wish her death. In Princess Allison’s case, the desire to be Queen has blinded her enough to kill any sense of h
ALPHA KING XALEN~~I still haven't gotten over the emotions from yesterday. The anger Allison called out of me. The worry and guilt Haylee poured into me. Plus the hunger I had to resist during the moment Haylee and I shared last night. Although she didn’t seem to notice, controlling my hunger around her was becoming harder. This explains the jealousy I felt when I saw her walk in with Jose, Allison’s guard—that reminds me! I need to tell Wyatt to find out who Jose was and how he got to know Haylee. I quickly sent a message to my Gamma, asking him to see me at my main office, where I would be going today, to avoid anymore drama from Allison and unwanted feelings from Haylee. Despite these demanding feelings, I got out of bed and joined my kids in the dining hall. As soon as I entered the hall, Sophia grumbled, “Why is breakfast not here yet? I’m starving."Haylee’s voice hit my eardrums, and I was this close to letting out a deep possessive growl, “I can make something for you,
Princess Allison’s POV ~~My mission in the royal pack was simple—make his life a living hell, frustrate him until he abandoned the throne, give my family the chance to take over the rulership of this realm, or, even better, make him marry me in the next three months.If I were being honest, I wouldn’t want to marry a man who was still stuck on his late wife and mate. However, this was politics, and as my father’s oldest daughter, it was my duty to bring the crown home.“He either marries you or dies, Allie.” My wolf, Nala, seethed into my mind as I descended the stairs, heading over to the kitchen. “I mean, what’s the point if he leaves the throne or gets dethroned by the Elders? He has a son, for goddess’s sake.”Nala was one who never took chances. My wolf is the reason I’m so confident, even when Alpha King Xalen is yelling in my face. Nala was a hothead. Fuck that—she was a volcano that looks peaceful but can erupt at any fucking time.My wolf was the reason my dad trusted me t
HAYLEE~~“I didn’t mean to hurt you, Haylee. I’m sorry.” Alpha King Xalen said to me in a tone that sounded almost unrecognizable because it was too soft to be his, and for a minute there, the world as I knew it ceased to exist. I couldn’t believe my ears and neither could I get my tongue to function as his eyes locked with mine.“He didn’t say that. Has to be the bugs in your ears, Hay,” Liya said to me, unable to wrap her mind around Alpha King Xalen’s supposed apology as well. Liya’s statement was believable until Alpha King Xalen stepped closer to me, staring at me intensely and mumbling, “I was mad but not at you. Seeing another woman in the same bed I have shared with Laura for many years drove me off the edge, and I just needed to let Allison understand that I wasn’t okay with that.” He was explaining himself to me. Oh, dear goddess. Could I be losing my mind? “It’s no excuse for how I behaved, so I apologize again, Haylee.” Alpha King Xalen concluded, but I was still s
ALPHA KING XALEN~~It was hard for Theo to decide if he wanted to be mad at me for referring to Haylee as a slave after many hours of looking everywhere in my home for her or kicking someone in the gut for putting his hands on his mate. But eventually, my wolf decided and seethed within me, “He can’t have his paws on her. Hell, she reeks of him.” And Theo was right. Aside from the fact that the warrior I now recognize to be Allison’s guard had taken a protective stance before Haylee, his scent was also oozing out of Haylee’s body. I would be dumb if I didn’t understand that the duo had been intimate in some way–“He wouldn’t dare!” Theo seethed within me, pumping anger but mostly jealousy into my veins, and my body accepted it, reacting to those emotions.I growled, “I believe I asked you a question.” Haylee tried to speak. At least that was my assumption as I heard her murmurs, but Allison’s guard beat her to it, saying, “She was at the clinic, Alpha King.” I have been the kin
HAYLEE~~Jose—scratch that! At the moment, he was Leo, but the Leo I knew wouldn’t cut me off with a kiss that lasted longer than a minute. Leo tilted my head, and his hand supported my aching back as he deepened the kiss, pouring his passion into me.My eyes were wide open as shock zapped through me. My body was tense and rigid in Leo's—damn, Jose. My body was rigid in his arms as my arin tried so hard to process the situation. My best friend was kissing me. He was kissing me tenderly, and if I was being honest, this kiss could be my first kiss. Alpha Jett had never kissed me on the lips, yet as Jose kissed me, I couldn’t bear the thought of having my first kiss this way. I pushed against his chest with my palms, struggling to break free as soon as it clicked in my head that this wasn’t what I wanted. Or was it the way my body reacted against Jose’s touch? I couldn’t be sure, but thankfully, Jose didn’t try to resist my will to push him away. He pulled back, taking his hands off
HAYLEE~~He really can’t be the man for me.Heck! I doubt any man is for me at this point. Like, what the actual fuck just happened? At first, I thought he would do something after he nearly snapped my backbone into two with the damn box. I thought he would at least be nice, but apparently, he only acted nice when he got his way. Last night with his daughter was a good example.I just couldn’t shake the feeling of hopelessness. Even my wolf lost hope when she saw the way our supposed mate reacted after what he did to us. Intentional or not, I received an apology. Yes, he was the King and I was merely a slave but–“This is how Sslavesget treated. We should get used to it by now.” Liya whimpered within me, her heart just as heavy as mine.“We have to find a way to end this,” I seethed, dragging myself far away from the palace even though I knew that I couldn’t escape the Alpha King. I just needed a few minutes to myself. A few minutes to breathe and focus on myself. I was lost in my