WILLIAM“Alpha prince!” Minerva stood up from her seat the second I entered the room hurriedly.I have to travel for hours just to come to the hospital where Alpha Killian is being treated to warn him to just shut his tongue-less mouth up.“What are you doing here, alpha prince? Is my daughter with you? Are you two getting along well?” Minerva asked in a joyful tone. “Is she doing fine, alpha prince? Can I ask where she is?”I threw her a cold look before saying, “Leave. I have to talk to your husband alone.”She blinked, embarrassment all over her face before nodding. “Yes, alpha prince.”I took the chair next to the pretending alpha and clasped my hands together. “I know you can hear me. This is the final warning to you, Alpha Killian. Stop whatever you are planning if you still want to live. Do not tell anyone about Alana if you still want your wife and daughter to live.”He snapped his eyes open and clenched his jaws. I know he wants to say something but he can’t speak anymore.“I
ALANAWe were all gathered around the bed of the queen luna where she is weakly laying down with the alpha king tightly holding her hand.When we arrived in the room, Georgia and Sophia were already there before us. Francine and Lucas also came with us.“Father, what happened to queen luna?” William sat down next to her mother and took her other hand. “Why does she fall ill suddenly?”“She was poisoned by wolfsbane,” the alpha king answered in gritting teeth. “The queen luna was poisoned by one of the people who have met with her this week!”All gasped in unison when we heard that. How could someone in the close circle of the queen luna do this to her? How can any of us here do that to her?The alpha king looked at each one of us intently. “I have a challenge for each one of you. The one who poisoned the queen luna must be here. I will give you one week to come out or any of you here can make him or her come out. If you fail my task, then everyone here in the room will get punished in
ALANA“William…” I whispered in disbelief.He is willing to take all the blame for me? My heart bled at the thought. He is willing to embrace being hated by his parents and the whole of the state just for me?The thought brought me dread even more.“No…” I shook my head wildly and stood up away from him. “I can never allow that to happen! You will be branded a traitor by your own father and will likely be banished to live as a rogue wolf! William, I can never allow that to happen!”He smiled at me and shrugged off his shoulders. “It’s okay. I could live as a rogue wolf for my entire life. I think I would love being one.”I gasped at him. Why is he lying to himself and me? Why is he doing this just to make me feel okay?“William, are you hearing yourself? How can I allow that to happen when I am the one who ruined you? If you did not find me in the basement, then you will still live your life by now. You will not be embroiled in this mess. Have you thought that ever since I came into y
ALANAAfter my conversation with William, I went to the queen luna’s quarters to check up on her condition but I was not allowed to get near her. All of the suspects in the poisoning are not allowed to so I just looked at her from the glass in her door.“I hope you’re going to be fine, queen luna. I hope you will wake up the soonest,” I whispered while gazing at her pale face.She is a very kind person. I thought she would not like me as the mate of her son because I am an ignorant lady but she looked past that and even taught me ger favorite ballet move.I saw and experienced her mother that I did not have.I sighed before turning my back just for me to freeze right in front of a pair of cold eyes of the alpha king.“Alpha king,” I greeted and bowed my head before him.“What are you doing here?” he asked in a monotone voice. “You should be out there searching for the culprit.”I nodded and clasped my trembling hands together. His presence is just too overwhelming for me. “I just took
ALANA“That is not true!” William snarled at Sophia. “You are just lying! You are trying to frame and implicate Alana right from the very start!”Sophia shook her head and appealed before the alpha prince. “Alpha prince, I am not lying! That is what my investigation said! Even though I am saddened to know that my sister can do that to the mother of her own mate, the investigation bore the truth and I cannot dare to tamper with it.”“Alana cannot do that. The queen luna is her instructor. She cannot do such things!” he continued to defend me but the alpha king shot him a look.“William, enough.”“But, alpha king!”He dismissed him by waving his hand. “Let’s hear what she’s going to say first. Tell me the details, Sophia.”And my sister gladly continued to pin me down more. “As you wish, alpha king. I believe Alana has the motive to kill the queen luna out of everyone here. Even though she is the alpha prince’s mate, her identity and ignorance are mismatched to the reputation of the alp
ALANAWilliam’s grip of my hand tightened with warm confidence.“It’s not like I am deflecting the questions, father. I just want to protect Alana at all costs from people who are going to use her for her weaknesses.”He threw me a smile and shrugged off. “Whether this is a test or not, I know that Alana has a pure heart and she can never hurt my dear mother.”I returned the smile shyly as my cheeks blushed. William never failed to make me feel seen and assured.“Alpha king, that was just a test? For real?!” Sophia exclaimed in disbelief. “But I swear that we really found wolfsbane in Alana’s room! Are you just going to ignore that?”The alpha king looked at his wife to explain everything.“The rooms of the three of you have been purposely put wolfsbane into so you would accuse one another. The rest of the suspects were just used as decoys to prevent the three of you from knowing that it’s a test.” The queen luna gazed at me proudly. “I just did not expect Alana to be so selfless to t
ALANA“There is no way I would let you go though those tests successfully, Alana,” Lucas said the second he came into William’s room to guard me because my mate left for an important meeting that afternoon.I was busy researching what to do to let my wolf out because the second test will be happening two days from now.“It’s not for you to decide, Lucas. I am telling you, I am going to win these tests and justify that I am his mate.” I raised my head high to look at him. “I will marry my only mate, Lucas.”He groaned and caught my arm tightly. “I am also your mate, Alana! Do not put me in the sideline as if your body does not respond to me more than it did when you are with the alpha prince.” His eyes lingered on the fading mark on my neck. “William already had you for months and now it’s time that I will have you all for myself and I will make sure to erase every bit of your memory with him.”I felt electricity run through me when Lucas put his hand on the small of my back causing me
ALANAThe day of the second test arrived but I still don’t know how to shapeshift into my wolf.I don’t how I am going by with the reproductive tests now but I am still coming because William believed in me. Somehow, I felt like I would still find a way to do it.The venue is in the woods. Francine and Lucas are with me while Sophia and Georgia’s maids were with them as we looked on at the queen luna surrounded by werewolf guards already in their wolf selves.Francine also told me that the whole forests are being roamed by guards to ensure our safety as there are probably rogue wolves lurking around ready to strike us.There are tents and tables set up for the doctors that would examine our blood.“The test today would be the simplest out of the tests that I am planning to conduct. It is to know who’s the most likely to be the most productive out of the three of you to easily give my son, the alpha prince, sons and daughters.”The queen luna looked up at the full moon above us and ope
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