WilliamI tried my very best to perform my duties as the alpha prince in the dominion but each second and hour that passed by felt like eternity. I quickly hurried to the cabin house when the clock struck lunchtime carrying food only for me to end up eating it all alone.I found myself staring into the emptiness imagining what Alana is doing and then smiling bitterly when my room greeted me back silently.It hasn’t been a day since Alana left back to her village but it already felt like she’s gone for decades.It sucks feeling this way. It felt like I had just tasted death in each moment that I did not see her.Finally, when dusk came, I went into the security team in charge of the ambassadorship to check up on my mate.“Can I ask you about the update on Alana? I tried calling them but no one is answering me,” I said pertaining to Francine not answering her phone when I called her. I just thought she did not have a signal or maybe she’s attending to Alana. I also cannot reach Lucas so
Alana“Francine, did William call? Did he ask for me?”The woman looked up from what she’s doing on the computer and removed her glasses. “Yes, our lady. He asked if you are alright and I said yes.”“Really?” I took the seat in front of her in the room that Alpha Killian gave to my staff. “Did you tell him about what happened? With the assassins?”“No, I did not, Alana. I believed you when you said that it should be you who should tell him.”I breathed a sigh of relief. I don’t want him to worry about me. Knowing about him, I will not be shocked if he comes knocking on the gates of the mansion to bring me back to the castle. “Thank you very much, Francine. How is he? Is he good?”I miss him so much. I miss his scent, his face, his hugs and kisses. I miss everything about him.She rounded up the table to sit next to me, her face bright with anticipation. “Do you want to speak to him? I can call him for you since you refused to have a phone.”I was silent for a moment before I slowly sh
Alana“Why Alana? Are the memories back? Did you finally remember who you really are?” Sophia squeezed my chin and grinned at the fear that is slowly creeping at my body. “You are not by the side of the alpha prince anymore. You are back here in your prison, little mutt. Have you forgotten how you begged daddy to stop whipping you or how you licked the floor just for me to give you a piece of bread?”Her smile turned into laughter when tears fell from my eyes. “That’s right, Alana. Cry! Cry some more! Remember who you are in this family! You are just nothing but a rag mat in this family!”My whole body trembled as more tears flowed down my eyes. My nightmares are materialized again. The years of abuse right in the hands of my own family came back to me that not even the kind of love and care William showed me can erase.Sophia let out another hearty laugh seeing my reaction. “I think by now, you have returned to your senses. So now, you should return the funds for my house. I need tha
SOPHIA“Daddy! Daddy!” I opened the door to my father’s office in a rush. “Daddy!”But instead of him, it was my mother sitting on his chair reading some documents in her hand who stood up swiftly upon seeing me covered in both dirt and ash.“Sophia, what’s wrong?” She held my shoulders and gasped when she saw how helpless I looked. “What happened to you, my princess?”“Mommy, where is daddy?” I sobbed out loud. “Mommy, I want to see daddy! I want my daddy!”“Tell me what happened first. Why do you look so horrible?! What happened to you?!”My cries got louder than ever out of rage for that woman who just came back. How dare she do this to the heir of the alpha?! How dare she burn my precious house?! “That bitch Alana! She burned my house down! My precious house is instantly gone because of her!”Minerva’s eyes widened. “What?!”I bent my knees before her and cried my heart out. “Mommy, please help me tell daddy to put that bitch back into her cage! Mommy, she’s ruining my dreams to b
ALANA“Alana? Alana?”I straightened my back and turned around upon hearing Sophia’s voice. I am at the back of the mansion where there is creek water which greatly reminds me of the lake back at the capital. I never knew that there is something that exists here at the mansion.Oh well, I will really not know about this because I am not allowed to go outside. I was literally imprisoned by my own father.“Yes?” I replied to her with a confused look.She’s smiling from ear to ear at me as if she did not curse me yesterday for burning her house down. What is up with her? Why does she look at me so kindly? She has never looked at me in such a way before.“Do you have any free time now? I just want to show you something. Actually, mom and dad want me to come here to you personally to apologize,” she said and handed me a plate with a piece of a sliced cake. “Here, take this. I know you want to eat a cake so bad before. I am sorry that I could not give you one when you were here with us.”I
ALANAWe followed the trail deep into the forest with Sophia on the front while I was at her back beaming with happiness looking at the cake in my hand.She is busy talking on the phone with someone while I am enjoying the sight before us. This really reminds me of the forest in the capital that I need to cross every time I have to go to the cabin house that William built for me.“Sophia? Are we still far? You looked exhausted already. Should we stop for a while to rest?” I asked her when a good half hour had passed and we were still walking without seeing any clearing.“What? No, I am good. Are you hungry? Eat the cake. I baked that for you.”I smiled and stared at the strawberry frosting of the cake. It looked so appetizing.“Okay. I bet it tastes great,” I said and took a bite.It’s too sweet. It reminds me of the taste of the stale bread that Minerva used to throw at me in the cellar.Sophia laughed and patted my head. “Very good. Now eat some more. Better yet, you could stuff it
ALANA“Alana! Alana!” I heard Lucas frantically calling my name in the entrance of the forest.I checked the device he gave me and it is still not working.I left Sophia and followed the trail back into the backyard of the mansion. I don’t really know what she’s planning to do with me there but the moment I tasted the cake, I knew something was wrong already.Is she going to kill me there? I don’t know. All I know is she is really plotting something against me. Her, my stepmother and I guess my father too. That last thought brought back my tears again.“Alana! Alana!” Lucas called me again.“Yes, I am here!”Lifting my long skirt to jump over the big log, I wiped my whole face and pretended like everything was alright.“Lucas, I am here and I am okay,” I said when he spotted me gasping for breath, concern was all over his face.“Alana!”He ran to me and to my utter shock, pulled me into his arms and hugged me tightly. “Thank god you are safe! I thought something had happened to you al
ALANAThat night, I came back to try to talk with William again. Carrying with me a platter of a chicken dish that I cooked, I smiled at the royal guard again. This time, I look more presentable. I am fresh from the bath and dressed with the white sundress that he gave me as a birthday gift. I am sure he will be happy once he sees me wearing it since he always complains that I don’t wear many of the gifts he gave me.“Please, can you ask the alpha prince if I can talk to him? Please tell him it’s Alana.”“Yes, ambassadress.”He knocked and opened the door again to call for William. This time, I did not dare to peep at the gap because I might cry incessantly once I see any part of him.“Alpha prince, the ambassadress is here. She is asking if you could talk to her.”I did not hear any answer from the room so I stepped closer to eavesdrop.“Tell her to go away. I will be busy tonight,” William said in a firm voice as the guard inside shut down the door.The royal guard looked at me with
ALANAI am tightly clutching the hem of my white wedding dress in front of the mirror staring at my own reflection.A woman of substance full of happiness and fulfillment stared right back.Lifting a finger, I caressed the reflection and smiled at myself. “You have come a really long way, Alana. Tonight, your dream will happen. William is really going to make true of his promise.Before his proposal, we had traveled the world together seeing things and places that he wanted to let me witness. Every word that he told me he would, he did for me.“Mother, father, I just wish you were here with me to see how happy I am,” I wished and hugged myself. “I wish you were here with me to walk me down the aisle to be married into the most wonderful man in the state.”As if on cue, a gust of wind blew and hugged me right then and there.I closed my eyes and savored the sensation. The wind whispered love and sadness but the love overrode the other.“We are so proud of you, our daughter,” said the co
WILLIAMThe moon is high above the clouds in the night sky bursting into the clearest lights as if it’s also getting married to the sun illuminating the palace down where a great wedding is happening.I kept on wiping off the sweat on my brow and clearing my mouth because it’s as dry as the desert.I was full of nerves and I can’t think straight anymore. I kept on asking the staff if Alana is still in her room just to make sure that she will be really marrying me. I’ve been here in the venue which is the beautiful garden in front of the great statue of the moon goddess three hours earlier just to make sure.“William, what the hell are you doing here this early?” My mother asked in confusion, still in her robe.She just got down here to oversee the whole preparation, to make sure everything is perfect.“The ceremony will start three hours from now. Please go back to your room now, William.”But I firmly shook my head at her. Being in my room only made me more nervous that is why I came
WILLIAMMy nerves are killing me but I am more determined than ever to pop her the question. Wiping the glistening off my brows, I looked at the mirror practicing what I am going to say.This is the most nerve-wracking moment of my lifetime. Not even those battles and wars I have been to could be compared.“Alpha prince, Ms. Alana is already awake. And the cake is ready too.”Swallowing the lump in my throat, I glanced at myself in the mirror before heading out to the kitchen to take the cake that I baked last night and asked the soldiers to guard all night so no one would be able to compromise its safety.“Okay, William. You can do it. You can do it! No!”I tripped on the cable and stone on the ground and before I knew it, the cake flew to the air and ended up on the ground.Smashed. The dirt eating up the white filling and the words on top of them being buried into non-existence.“No!” I growled, my eyes wide in bitterness and sadness.The cake suffered the same fate as the balloons
ALANAWarm arms enveloped me from the back as his scent embraced me.“What are you thinking? Hmm?” William asked, nuzzling his nose against my bare shoulder.I was on the balcony, enjoying the fresh breeze on a full moon night, my mind wandering towards Francine.After William came back to life, the alpha king and the queen luna threw a feast which was still ongoing in the entire palace while William chose to pull me into his room to have his own sweet wicked ways on me.Not that I am complaining though. This is what I want. To be with him and to savor each second of our lives together.I intertwined our fingers on my stomach and tilted my head to my side, leaning into his chest on my back to give his mouth a better access to my neck.Love making is not painful anymore and the remnant of the monster inside me is almost gone, especially when I am in William’s arms. Controlling anger seems to be easier now. The feeling of seeing red in my eyes is also gone now.Everything seemed to be f
ALANA“Alana…” he called my name with his raspy low voice as if trying to figure out if I am real or not.I just stood there, in so much awe at the truth that he is finally back to me. William is alive! William has come back to life. He is back to me! William has come back from the dead for me.With trembling hands, I placed a hand on his cheek relishing the warmth in it. I am trying to convince myself to believe that this heat is going to be there for years while trying to forget that for once, I held his cold body in my arms.“You are back to me, William,” I said in a trance, my mouth breaking up into a smile of relief. “William, you have really come back for me!”In a split of a second, I pulled him ever gently in my arms, careful with his limbs, scared that once I blink, I would just wake up from this dream. “Alana?” he called for my name but I did not respond.Burying my face on his neck, I inhaled his scent. It’s warm and intoxicating just like all the moments that we have been
ALANAI gazed at Francine and felt shiver run down my spine. Why does she look so happy as if she’s been anticipating death all her life? Sure, there is pain but the happiness in her face is remarkable.“Come on, Alana,” she urged me again and put my hand on top of William’s. “Child, you are going to do me so much favor if you are just going to listen to me and do what I will be telling you. Call for William’s name over and over again. He already heard you. You already took his attention and now it’s time for him to go back to you. Do it, Alana. Please, this old maid is begging you.”My mouth downturned because of emotions pouring in as I clenched William’s hand.“But if I am going to do that, then I am going to lose you, Francine,” I said as my voice crackled.She just laughed it off and wiped the tears on my face. “But you are going to gain back, William. He is going to be alive again, Alana. He is going to fulfill his promise to you. You are going to get married and have lost of ki
ALANAI clenched my hands around William’s when I realized what was happening.My tears fell but I did not open my eyes and continued calling for William’s name.“My love… William, it’s me, Alana. Please, come back to me, my love. Please, fulfill your promise to me.”The stench of more fresh blood coming from Francine assaulted my senses but I continued shutting my eyes even when all I wanted to do is to stop it all.“Alana, do not stop calling for his name. William needs you now. Please, I can almost sense him. I can see him now. Please, call for his name again.”I let out a sigh and called his name over and over again. The hand for which I am holding ever so tightly started to have life again.My heart leaped, rejoicing because maybe, he is finally going to be alive again but all of that happiness went away when I heard the grunt of pain in Francine’s voice.It took all of strength in me and mental fortitude to let go of William’s hand and opened my eyes at her.Truly enough, I coul
ALANA“But your William is different. Way way different from all of them, Alana. He is the single person I met who can easily surrender his precious life for someone he loves. Back when he was a child, I doubted if he could ever do something for you because he tended to be selfish but I was wrong. He magically changed for the better when he began yearning for his mate.”She slowly rose up from the floor and offered me her hand with a bright smile on her face. “Alana, that’s the precise reason why I was here in this world. That is my purpose for living. I could live on and on for hundreds of years looking for someone like you and William and now is the perfect time. Child, you both did not disappoint me.”I accepted her hand while staring at her face, disenchanted by the happiness in her voice.She slowly led me to William and held the white cloth to remove it.“Francine!” I stopped her from doing what she intended to do. “What are you doing?”But she just smiled at me and assured me w
ALANA“Ahh!” I let out a growl as my tears and pain drowned me again.“Tell me, Francine,” my voice croaked as I tightly held her hand. “Am I really worth it? Does someone like me, an abandoned person who was hated by everyone I know, deserve someone like the alpha prince who’s loved by everyone? I should have been the one who died! It should be my body lying cold there because my existence in this world is abominable! It should have been me! Why does he have to save me when I am the monster that should have not been born in the first place!”Gentle hands wrapped around my face, wiping my tears slowly. “Alana, you are not a monster. You are asking me if you are worthy enough to be saved by the alpha prince, then it’s a yes, Alana. William did not hesitate to save you because he loved you. Sacrifice is the most noble thing a man can do to his woman.”She smiled at me and cupped my face again. “It’s a life worth living for him because he has met and loved you and you loved him back. He