Chapter 5

Thea

I have a love-hate relationship with family dinners. On the one hand, it’s nice to be around my family, whether they acknowledge me much or not. On the other, it's exhausting to listen to how my father and brother go on about their ill-treatment of people.

I glance across the elegant marble table to Ahlana, her head bent down as she slowly picks at the salad in front of her. Becoming an Adler woman was a hard lesson to learn, and by the looks of the faint outline of a handprint still on her face, she is still talking back.

Kenrick is seated to her right with father at the head. Elder Advisor Egan sits between father and I. When I saw that he was in the formal dining room tonight, I knew that this dinner will be spent going over my shortcomings and to plan what to do with me as I still have no gift.

I finish off the last of the one glass of wine I am allowed at dinner and lean back in the high-back mahogany chair. Usually, I’d try my luck for another glass, but tonight I have a feeling I will need a clear head to keep my mouth shut.

As I set my glass down silently, I fold my hands in my lap while I wait for the main course. I can’t help but to listen to the obnoxious exchange between Father and Kenrik. I guess the royal patrol came across remnants of a rogue camp this afternoon across the river in no man’s land. Kenrik had the bright idea to set it on fire to eliminate the dirty beasts.

Maybe they should light the alpha office on fire if we are getting rid of beasts…sometimes the biggest monsters are those in a position of power.

I quietly let out a breath and tilt my head to try to get a read on Elder Advisor Egan. The man gives me the heebie-jeebies. He’s at least 60 and in decent shape, I guess for a man his age, thanks to shifter genes but, his head is bald I wonder if his wolf is too?

I snicker to myself, accidentally drawing attention my way.

Egan eyes me, his tongue darting out to wet his lips. “Let an old man in on the joke, sweetheart.” His eyes linger on my barely exposed cleavage for a little too long. Gross.

I feel my cheeks heat up. I smile politely at the old perv and take a drink of my water. Luckily, Father and Kenrik are still laughing about the rogues and that it would send the message to stay clear of the royal pack, and the other packs can deal with growing rogue issues.

Thankfully, the kitchen staff steps in. All conversation dies off as they quickly gather the salad bowls and place down the steak, asparagus, and roasted, fingerling potatoes. Once they leave, Egan breaks the silence.

“So, tell me, Maksym, why does Golden Claw no longer have an oracle?”

No longer? My steak knife clatters as it falls from my hand, my mouth going dry, and my chest constricting. I apologize as all eyes focus on me, and I return to cutting my steak.

“She was a fraud, to say the least. When I knocked up that omega for a spare, I had her call for a vision; she said the baby in the womb would be the future of the royal pack. Then when the bitch gave birth to a female, I summoned her again to explain herself. That was when she spoke of the baby being blessed by the moon, and that her power would reveal itself in time. When Althea didn’t present with a gift after her shift, Calliope claimed she was being told to wait until she was 19. Now here we are with a useless, white wolf and a dead liar.” He said everything so nonchalantly that it sends shivers down my spine.

A knot of fear starts growing in my stomach, killing my appetite. For the first time, I fear for my future and wonder if I even have one. I swipe my hands down the smooth skirt of my burgundy satin a-line dress to rid the sweat. As I reach for my water, I lock eyes with Alhana, a shimmer of sympathy glistens in her blue orbs. She’s been here long enough to know the evil of the Adler men.

“Hmm, so what purpose does she serve now? I could certainly take her off your hands,” the old creep says.

Yuck. No freaking thank you!

Kenrik’s muddy, brown eyes narrow as he slowly takes me in. “She’s got a pretty face, a body that’s easy on the eyes, and she’s still pure. I’m sure that’s got to be worth something to another pack as a treaty negotiation or something.”

If I wasn’t repulsed by the fact he was my half-brother, that could almost be mistaken as a compliment.

Father slaps his hand down on his shoulder, “Now that’s the spirit! Way to be thinking like a future Alpha King, my boy!”

If I wasn’t already sure of my place, this conversation cements it. The three men go on talking about my potential and new value throughout the rest of the meal as I patiently wait to be dismissed.

**

“Thank you, Gamma Niko; I’ll see you tomorrow,” I say, bowing slightly to the slender, dark-haired man after he escorted me to my room in the family wing.

He nods, “Happy birthday, princess; sleep tight; tomorrow is a new day.”

I feel the tears pricking at the back of my eyes. Tomorrow is a new day, but who knows where I’ll spend the next night. Father was so impressed with Kenrik they retired to his office for a drink and to scope out the best potential trade for me.

Forcing the emotions back, I smile and close the door to my room then turn to look around cream-colored walls with blush pink and gold decor. I loved this room growing up. I mean, what little girl doesn’t want to be a princess? But as the years passed, the large room became suffocating and now feels more like a prison.

I sigh, kicking off the heels and peeling down the semi-formal dress.I head into the large, ensuite bathroom for a hot shower. The water pelts my skin, turning my naturally tanned skin red on contact. I sigh and let my sobs wrack my body as the water hides my tears.

The moon goddess was supposed to bless me, but here I am, seeming more like a curse. My mother and Calliope are dead, and now my father and brother would use my virginity as barter for some crappy deal with another pack.

I curse loudly, the emotions of the day and the last nineteen years, bursting out of me. Once the water turns cold and my throat burns from crying, I finally decide to get out. I grab the fluffy, pink towel from the rack. I dry myself off quickly, the cold tiles under my feet sending a shiver down my spine. I dart into the closet, pulling on a light blue, cotton tank top and matching sleep shorts.

I nuzzled into the pile of velvet cushions in my window seat and started to braid my long chestnut hair. I watch as the last of the pack members leave the packhouse lawn. I see Apollo down there, his dark skin glowing in the full moon’s light, his tight and springy curls dancing across his forehead; he was so sexy. His honey eyes glance up at my window, I’d always hoped I’d lose my virginity to him, that he’d take me as a mate, and we’d get the hell out of this place.

I crack open a sultry, romance novel, letting myself get lost in the hopes of being loved fiercely one day.

A quiet knock on my door has me blinking my eyes open; I must have fallen asleep.

I glance at the clock- 10:45. Who could be here at this hour?

I pull open the door cautiously to see a warm smile and honey eyes greeting me. I can’t help the smile that spreads across my face. My attraction to him has never been a secret.

“Happy birthday, Thea,” Apollo says, his large, muscular arms wrapping around my frame. He smells like the forest. He must have just come inside.

I feel the blush on my cheeks as my eyes meet his, “Thanks. Did you come all the way up here to tell me that? What about the night guard?”

His smile grows wider, “It’s Uncle Jerome’s night, and Alpha Maksym and Kenrik are still getting drunk off their shifter asses in the office.”

I roll my eyes at the thought of those two and their plotting, but I am so thankful to see my only friend.

“But I know you didn’t come all this way just to wish me a happy birthday. You could have done that with a mind link,” I say as he steps into my room and heads towards my closet.

“Of course not. Here, put these on,” he says, tossing a gray sweatshirt and a pair of black sneakers my way.

I cock my head to the side and stare at him, wondering what his angle is. “Come on, Thea,” He says, cupping my face, “don’t ruin the surprise.”

The playful smirk on his face and the way his eyes dance with the gold shimmers of his wolf has my stomach knotting. Not the same kind of knot I had at dinner, but the kind I get every time Apollo touches me.

I pull on the sweatshirt and lace up the sneakers. I place my hand in his and he pulls me into the hall, passing his Uncle Jerome who gives us a slight nod. Apollo puts a finger to his lips, signaling me to be quiet as we head down the servant stairs and out into the side yard, safely away from fathers sight.

I can’t help but giggle as he pulls me by the arm and we jog across the yard to the gate. My body buzzes with the excitement of leaving the packhouse. The crisp smell of the forest ignited my senses as we went past the perimeter and toward the river.

I suck in a deep breath as we reach the water, the cool air fills my lungs. The moonlight makes the river sparkle as it flows by.

“Apollo! Ugh, this is wonderful! I could kiss you, I’m so happy,” I say, twirling at the temporary freedom he’s given me.

His large hand circles my wrist, pulling me towards him. The warmth of his embrace contradicts his body’s hardness. I gasp, lost for words, as I look up at him.

“Then kiss me, Thea,” he whispers.

I push up onto my tiptoes and press my lips to his. He deepens the kiss and a soft moan leaves my lips at the intensity. Sure, we’ve kissed before, but this kiss is different.

I loop my arms around his neck as my legs turn to jelly. His tongue traces the seam of my lips, asking to enter. I swear my heart stops beating, and my brain short-circuited as he moves. I try to match his intensity. He pulls back after what seems like a lifetime and smiles down at me.

The uncertainty of my future floods back in as my hands fall from his neck.

His smile quickly fades, “Thea, what’s wrong.” Concern is clear in his voice. I rehash the conversations from dinner, and the tears I thought I’d cried all away are threatening to start again.

“No, we’ll run away; I’ll take you away. We will start a new life in a cottage in the mountains or some mushy setting like in one of your books. What do you say?” he says, cupping my face in his hands.

The warmth of his caress sends a calmness through me. For a fleeting moment, I think of a future with him. Could we be mates? Damn it for not being a supermoon. Before I can answer, a rustle in the bushes behind me has us snapping our heads in that direction.

He pushes me behind him just as a large dirty wolf steps forward, water dripping from his matted fur. Growling at us and baring his teeth, he takes another step our way. Apollo counters the wolf’s movements pushing me as he backsteps.

“Thea, stay back, ok?” Apollo orders.

The gross-looking wolf takes another step as the wind kicks up, filling my nostrils with the putrid smell of rotting trash. Is this a rogue?

His teeth snaps at us. The air shimmers and the sound of bones breaking and rearranging sings out in front of me. Apollo’s clothes lay in shreds on the ground, and his large, brown wolf bares his teeth at the rogue.

The rogue lunges forward, Apollo matching his action. Their claws and teeth strike against each other in the air before they land side by side on the ground.

Apollo quickly gets to his paws and manages to drag a claw across the rogue’s face. They struggle for dominance, each taking turns drawing blood from the other.

My heart pounds against my chest. I wished so hard I knew something about fighting, some way to be useful right now.

The snarls continue. Please be okay…

Apollo’s wolf is bloodied and forced to shift back. The rogue is not moving; he must be dead.

My curiosity gets the best of me as Apollo jogs back towards me to check on me. I slowly drag my eyes up his tall frame, they go wide at the appendage between his legs. Luckily, the adrenaline he’s running on doesn’t let him notice my stare. I tug my hoodie off to offer him something to cover up with. Instead, he pulls me closer and scoops me up, my legs wrap around his torso, the blood sticking to my legs and clothes. I don’t care about the stains because Apollo has returned to me.

Tears stream down my face as he reassures me. I rest my head on his shoulder and whisper into his ear, “Yes, I want to go away with you.”

He kisses the top of my head, “I love you, Th..”

My name dies on his lips as he starts to make gurgling noises. As I look up at him, we both fall to the ground.

Apollo's body lies heavily on top of me, the light in his eyes dimming, and a dirty man stands where we just were with a heart in his hand.