THREE YEARS AGO
I heard the sound of breaking glass from a distance and the shouts of people outside. It was chaos. I hurried inside to where my husband was sleeping before I left. What I saw almost made me faint. I saw my husband lying lifeless on the ground in a pool of his own blood. I cried and screamed in pain, but it didn't change the fact that my husband was already dead.At first, I thought it was a dream, but after several attempts to help him, he remained lifeless. I knew this wasn't a dream.Alpha Damien took over immediately and started selling the Omegas into slave trading. Other omegas were kept to serve him and help him with his evil plans.He sent his evil Omegas to forcefully bring other little Omegas and kill their parents if they resisted. Then, he would sell these little Omegas into slave trade.In our werewolf packs, the wealth was measured by the number of slaves one had, so slave trading became prevalent.Parents were being killed and houses were being burnt down. I could hear the cries of the innocent without anyone to fight for them.I stood there, confused and unsure of what to do, until my mom took me and hid me from the Alpha. However, this decision ended her life and I ended up running into the woods.In the woods, I tried to mind link my mother, hoping that somehow she had managed to escape the pack village. "Mom?? Can you hear me??" I waited for an answer, but none came.The mind link only worked within a certain distance, so I was most likely out of range. It was easier to believe that than to face the alternative answer.Suddenly, everything went black and the only words I could remember were my mom's last words. Her voice echoed in my head.*********"Are you alright?" Lord Alexander's voice brought me back to reality.I took a few shaky breaths, trying to center myself. I was okay. I wasn't back there, I was here. I was safe, at least for now.I had been fighting this memory for years, but it kept coming back like a terrifying nightmare.Then I noticed that Desmond and Lord Alexander were staring at me."What is your name?" Lord Alexander asked with authority."Um, I'm Natasha," I replied, stumbling over my words."Natasha," he tested my name on his own lips.I would be lying if I said I didn't like the way my name sounded on his lips."Natasha, which pack are you from?" He asked me again.Once again, I felt like telling him the truth, but I didn't trust him enough, so I decided to keep it a secret."I'm a lone wolf and I have been living in the woods," I lied. I wasn't good at lying, but I could tell that this lie was better than any other lie I had ever told. Judging from his expression, I could tell he didn't believe me."I don't believe you," he finally said it out loud."Are you ready to talk now peacefully, or shall I make you talk later by force?" He asked, expecting an answer. But I had already made up my mind to keep my identity a secret.I ignored him and didn't say anything. He stood up and left the room.My wolf longed for his presence as he left.****************ALEXANDER'S POV**I entered my office feeling frustrated. She lied to me - I knew she did. There was something strange about Natasha, and she was hiding something from me.I walked over to my table and picked up one of my favorite novels to try and distract myself. I tried reading the first line five times, but my mind couldn't focus. All I could think about was a girl with blue eyes - Natasha. Her image kept appearing in my mind."Damn it," I cursed.I stood up from my chair and walked to the large windows overlooking the kingdom. I could see the healing center in the distance, and there was a familiar pull urging me to go and see her. But I fought against it.I ran my hand through my hair in frustration. "What is going on with me? My vampire feels so restless inside me. He is pacing and on edge, but I can't understand why. There is no imminent danger, and I am physically fine, so why am I feeling restless?"I couldn't understand the feeling as I was being drawn to Natasha."Maybe it's the mate pull," I said to myself, shaking my head at the impossibility.How could a vampire have a mate pull for a low-ranked werewolf claiming to be a lone wolf?What would my kingdom think of me? My ancestors have forbidden marriages like this, and I will not be the one to fall victim to it.For over 350 years, I have been searching for a mate, but none have come. Even the ones my father brought to me were rejected because I didn't feel that special connection with them.I would be lying if I said I hadn't searched for a mate and didn't understand why fate hasn't brought us together. As a vampire lord, I needed a queen to assist me in ruling.That's where my parents come in. They decided to arrange a marriage for me. They helped me get engaged to Cynthia, the daughter of Lord Cyrus. I never wanted this marriage, but I had to do it if I wanted to keep the kingship in my lineage. Lord Cyrus is the leader of the neighboring kingdom, and marrying his daughter would not only make me rich but also the strongest lord in the vampire world. Marrying Cynthia would reunite the two kingdoms, and I would be the lord over both.But now, I didn't know what was happening in my mind. Natasha had invaded my thoughts without even trying. I didn't even know her last name, but she was all I could think about."Who are you, Natasha? and why are you making me feel like this?"I needed answers, and I needed them now. I still didn't understand why she hadn't told me the truth yet. I couldn't work with half-truths. There was one man I knew who could get the answers I needed from her."Jorge, I need you in my office," I called my second-in-command through the mind link.Jorge had been my second since the day I became a lord. He was serious and dedicated to his work, always helping me rule the vampires peacefully. He might be stubborn at times, but he was obedient to me.Unlike me, he had participated in several wars between wolves and vampires and had great hatred for the wolves. He was also one of the few vampires who could walk in the day, known as the Daywalkers. I was also a Daywalker, which was why I was a lord.I poured myself a glass of wine and took a sip as I waited for Judge to arrive.He knocked on the door, and I invited him in. He always addressed me as Lord Alexander and rarely used my first name."Are you aware of the wolf the patrol team caught trying to trespass into our territory?" I asked him."Yes, Lord," he nodded, showing that he knew."I need information about her. I believe she is hiding something from me, but I'm sure she is not a threat," I said."How can we be sure, Lord?" he questioned."I just know," I replied, taking another sip from my wine.From the expression on his face, it was evident that Jorge appeared to be confused. Jorge does not believe in concepts such as love, companionship, or destiny. He considers all of these to be childish notions. Instead, he is devoted to his work, which revolves around seeking truth and dealing with factual information.He was older than me, having lived for 600 years, and in all those years, he never believed in love or sought a mate."Jorge, there is something about her that I think might be good," I said, hoping to end his confusion."Something about her? But Lord, she is just a common rogue," he stated."Jorge, I don't see her as a common rogue. She..." I tried to speak, but he frowned."Lord, may I speak freely?" he asked."Yes, you may," I replied, taking another sip of my wine."If you believe she is hiding something from you, why not lock her up or even kill her?" he asked seriously.I didn't know what to say."Lord, why is she in the hospital instead of a cell?" he added, knowing I didn't have an answer.Those were all valid questions, but if it had been any other wolf, I would have fed her blood to the lower-ranked vampires, as she would not be worthy of my bite."I wish I had the answers myself," I muttered to myself, taking one more sip from my wine."Excuse me, Lord?""No, I was just speaking to myself," I cleared my throat. "Just do as I said, Jorge, and question her. Do whatever you need to do to get answers from her."He clenched his jaw but didn't say anything else.He turned to leave but paused with his hand on the doorknob."Lord?""Yes?""Consider yourself lucky. Your parents have chosen a suitable mate for you after you spent many years single."I was shocked to hear him speak like that, as he had never shown any interest in love or mates before.I observed as he left and closed the door behind him."Jorge, you truly have no idea how mistaken you are with the words you just uttered," I said, finally finishing my wine.**NATASHA'S POV**"Your vitals seem to be good, and you're healing very well," Desmond said as he removed his stethoscope from my chest. "How are you feeling?""Good, thanks for helping me," I replied with a smile on my face.He shook his head. "No need to thank me, I'm just doing my job."I nodded and looked out of the window. Desmond pulled up the blinds so that I could get a better view. I could see the moon, and there was something calming about it.There was a moment of silence in the room as I continued to gaze at the moon. Suddenly, I turned to Desmond and asked him, "What will happen to me after I've fully healed?"He cleared his throat and spoke calmly, "Natasha, I know what you're thinking. You think we're going to suck your blood and kill you, but we can't do that." He looked into my eyes, as if expecting a response."People might see us as evil and terrible, but I assure you, we are not like that. There may be several bad vampires, but that doesn't mean all vampires are ba
**ALEXANDER'S POV**I did everything I could to remove my mind from Natasha, but it seems I was wasting my time as my heart keeps beating for her. The more I try to forget about her, the more I find myself longing to be with her."Who are you, Natasha??" I screamed, talking to myself. "I'm really going insane and I need to do something about it before it's too late."Everything about her keeps calling me. All I want is for her to exist, nothing else. I've never experienced this kind of pull in my life. I guess this is the strongest pull one could experience. In just a few hours of knowing her, my body has really changed. I feel like I'm being haunted because her love is hunting me like a ghost.I looked up at the moon and felt both sad and happy at the same time, unable to determine my mood."Moon Goddess, please help me make the right decision," I silently prayed, raising my eyes above the sky.Once again, I looked at the healing center and felt another pull to go back there. I wante
**NATASHA'S POV**I heard a loud roar in my room and instantly, I was on high alert. I sat up on the hospital bed where I had been sleeping and looked around for any possible threat. "Sorry, did I wake you up?" Desmond asked after noticing me. He moved to the window and opened the blinds, allowing the morning sun to stream into the room, illuminating the darkness. I couldn't even remember falling asleep, but I figured it had something to do with Desmond. After Jorge had hurt me, Desmond gave me a sedative to help me sleep while he worked on my rib. Since my Wolf was still weak, she wasn't healing as quickly as Desmond would have liked. "It's okay," I groaned. "What time is it?" "It's now 2pm in the afternoon," he replied. My eyes widened in shock. I had slept for so long, yet I still felt exhausted. Desmond came to my bed to examine me, poking and prodding me, causing me severe pain. I had to stay still so he could do his work. I really wanted to heal quickly so I could get back
3 YEARS AGO**NATASHA'S POV**I found myself in the forest just behind my parklands. The smell of smoke wafted through the air, coming from the compound, and the sound of people screaming filled my ears. My heart ached as I ran away from my home, my family, and the woman who had carried me for nine months in her belly. I couldn't save her, and I couldn't even fight for myself so I had to run.My mother's voice echoed in my mind, urging me to run. "Run, Natasha, run!" I pushed my legs to move faster, ignoring the pain. The sound of paws echoed behind me, indicating the presence of seven mature wolves chasing after me.I continued running, disregarding the wolves getting closer. Eventually, their paws faded away, and I abruptly opened my terrified eyes.This was it. I was on my own now. I frantically looked around the room, trying to take in my surroundings.I no longer found myself in the woods. I was in an unfamiliar place that I couldn't recognize. As I glanced at my sides, I noticed
**ALEXANDER'S POV**The sun was setting, bringing an end to another day filled with unanswered questions about Natasha and her true identity. It was driving me insane. She had managed to infiltrate every corner of my mind, to the point where I couldn't think or breathe without her face appearing in my thoughts. I desperately wanted to uncover the truth about her, but she remained tight-lipped. The last time I spoke to her, she had been hysterical. Judging from her reactions, I knew I was right. She was running from something, or rather, someone.The first thing I needed to do was to call Lord Cyrus and inform him that his supposedly impenetrable boundary had been breached by wolves, and that I had seen them today as well. I didn't know why they were here or where they were from, but their behavior convinced me that they were searching for something, or someone. Their eyes were fixated on my territory, confirming my suspicion that they were after Natasha. I had no idea what they want
**NATASHA'S POV**I slowly opened my eyes and returned from the dream world to reality. The medication Desmond had given me was wearing off, and I was beginning to regain consciousness. It took a moment for my vision to focus. I saw someone standing by my bed, but the sleep in my eyes made my vision unclear. At first, I thought it was Desmond, but as my vision cleared, I noticed that it wasn't him as the person standing behind me was taller. When my vision finally cleared, I confirmed that it wasn't Desmond.I immediately stood up in fear as I realized it was Jorge standing beside me. I quickly turned to the heart monitor and noticed that he had switched off the machines so that Desmond wouldn't hear my panicked heart. "Did you sleep well, my angel?" he sneered at me."What are you doing here? Desmond said that this wing of the center is for trusted personnel only," I replied, panicking in fear. He laughed darkly at my expense. He was looking at me like I was his prey, ready to devo
**NATASHA'S POV**Lord Alexander left my room after agreeing to the arrangement made by Desmond for me to move into his house. I tried to protest, but they didn't give me an option. They both agreed that it would be a safe place for me. My wolf was really happy about this, but I was against the whole deal. Being close to Lord Alexander will make it harder for me to fight the mate pull and complicate things further."I'm sure Jorge won't come back a third time after the severe warning Lord Alexander gave him, and I don't need to move in with Lord Alexander," I tried to convince Desmond to let me stay in the healing center, but he wasn't having it. "Natasha, we are doing this for your safety," I Sighed. "But why Lord Alexander's house? Isn't there another house I could go to, like a safe house or even your house? I promise to be a good housemate. I'm low maintenance, and you wouldn't even notice I was there."Desmond shook his head. "I'm sorry, I can't let you stay in my house because
***JORGE'S POV***Jorge, come to my office immediately," Lord Alexander's voice echoed in my mind through the mind link. "Okay," I muttered to myself as I moved away from my desk. Lord Alexander was going to unleash his anger on me because of what I did to Natasha at the Healing Centre. Well, I had been waiting for that. I walked through the hall towards Lord Alexander's office. The guards moved aside as I passed through the hall. I could feel their stares and hear their whispers. I was a leader who was feared and not loved by the kingdom. Every vampire respected me because of that. Many vampire leaders would wish to have the love of their people, but not me. I wanted everyone to fear and respect me. I didn't want love because love is for the weak and it is pointless. Every powerful and sensible vampire would want his people to fear him and not love him because fear brings obedience, and obedience means an efficient and effective kingdom. My stupid Lord, on the other hand, disag
**NATASHA'S POV**I returned to Lord Alexander's room after collecting the wine that Cynthia had ordered. I had been tempted to run back to Lord Alexander's house, but then I realized that I would run into his mother and Cynthia's parents, who didn't seem pleased with my presence. So, it was either braving the storm from Queen Saraphina or braving the storm from Cynthia. Whichever choice I made, it was still uncomfortable for me. Cynthia seemed like the lesser of the two evils, but I had been wrong.I was about to open the door to Lord Alexander's room when I noticed Desmond walking in my direction. When he saw me, he smiled at first, but when he saw the chilled bottle of red wine in my hand with a glass cup, his smile quickly faded. He scowled at the glass and then looked at me."There is some wine in Lord Alexander's room. You should have just taken one of those bottles from the big fridge.""I know, but it's actually not for me. It's Cynthia's. She sent me to go and get her a bottl
**NATASHA'S POV**We walked through the healing center and headed towards the lord's wing. As we passed by, the nurses and other staff greeted Desmond and some even bowed their heads. This was strange, considering he wasn't ranked higher as a Vampire. He may have been the head Healer, but that didn't give him any real ranking in the vampire kingdom. Technically, he was just a Healer and nothing else."Why do some of them bow to you?" I asked.He shrugged. "Some still believe that I should be second-in-command and not Jorge. Vampires in my bloodline have been second-in-command for decades. I was the first to break that chain. A lot of them believe that Jorge should not be Alexander's second-in-command and they believe I am the one fit for that. They don't agree with Lord Alexander's choice of second-in-command.""Do you?"He glanced at me. "It doesn't matter what I do or don't agree with. It's Lord Alexander's kingdom and he is my best friend. I support whatever decision he makes.""I
**NATASHA'S POV**I was still bothered by Zoe's words. She was right; as the true first lady, I was meant to be one of the leaders of this kingdom.I never thought in my entire life that my mate would have been a Vampire lord. Since the war that occurred between the three factions years ago, it was rare for the Moon Goddess to mate a Vampire and a wolf or a human as there is no longer peace in our world.Even if there is a situation where mates come from different factions, they end up rejecting each other. So there is absolutely no way that Lord Alexander would mate me, Natasha. Maybe the Moon Goddess made a mistake because, on paper, Cynthia was exactly what Lord Alexander needed. I came with too much baggage to be the first lady of the White Vampires. I wasn't raised to be a Vampire leader like her. I was raised by two omega wolves who know absolutely nothing about leading a pack, let alone a kingdom.The little experience I had in ruling was from my late husband, who was an Alpha
**NATASHA'S POV**Zoe brought some boxes to help me pack all the clothes in the drawer and wardrobe. I wasn't sure if I was allowed to take them since they were already there before I entered the room, but Zoe assured me that all the clothes are mine because Lord Alexander bought them for me. We had been packing in silence for the past half an hour. Zoe occasionally glanced at me, but didn't say anything. Her stares were unsettling, especially given the current tense atmosphere. When I couldn't take it anymore, I dropped the pile of shirts I was packing and stared at her. "What is it, Zoe? You keep looking at me as if I've turned into a wolf or something. It's unnerving and only adding to my stress, not relieving it.""I'm sorry," she squeaked and then busied herself with packing the shoes from the shoe bag into the boxes.Instantly, I felt guilty. Zoe was a low-ranked Vampire who had suffered a lot at the hands of higher-ranked Vampires like Jorge. Judging from the healed wounds on
**NATASHA'S POV**If I had only that little time, then I needed to spend it as close to him as possible, not stuck in this room away from him. The rain calmed, and now it was just a gentle drizzle. The night had not gone according to plan at all.If everything had gone as planned, I would have been far out of this territory and on my way to finding a new place to start a new life. I would have been miles away from Lord Alexander, which I know my wolf won't be happy with. My place was by his side as his first lady, as the Moon Goddess has planned for us, but the problem is that I had been fighting against the bond. There were still so many things up in the air for me. One such thing was Damien; he was out there somewhere, looking for me and hunting me for some unknown reason.But tonight has shown me one important thing. It has shown me that the safest place for me now is the Kingdom of the White Vampires. They are called White Vampires because of their fair skin. Damien is an evil w
**ALEXANDER'S POV**I had only met Cynthia once in my life before now. We met at a ball that took place years ago. I was often told that her beauty was like none anyone had ever seen before, but I had to disagree. If I saw Cynthia two weeks ago, I would have easily said she was the most stunning woman I had ever laid my eyes on. But then I met Natasha, my enchantress."Oh, thank the Moon Goddess, you're awake. I was so worried, Alexander. We came as soon as we heard about the incident," she said as she brought our connected hands to her heart.I pulled my hands out of her hold, not feeling comfortable at all. I didn't like her touch and certainly didn't want my hands anywhere near her chest."Cynthia, what are you doing here?" I said with a frowned face.Her eyes narrowed. "Really? That's how you greet your wife? After I traveled a long distance to see you?"I sighed, massaging my temples. "I'm sorry, Cynthia, I'm just not myself right now.""Oh, my love, I know," she said with a smi
**ALEXANDER'S POV**The smell of antiseptic wafted into my nose first, followed by a pinch in my elbow. My vision was dark, but I could make out a faint hint of light from above. I groaned as I tried to block it out."Alexander," a distant voice called to me.There were only a few people in the kingdom who called me by my name without any title: Desmond, my parents, and Jorge. Although Jorge preferred to call me Lord Alexander, him addressing me without the title wouldn't be offensive or disrespectful. At this, I knew that the person calling me must be between the four people I mentioned."Alexander," the voice called again.All I wanted was to sleep. Why couldn't they let me?"Alexander," the voice called for a third time, now sounding closer and clearer.It was Desmond.What was he doing in my Royal Bedroom?Beneath the antiseptic smell that hit my nose earlier, there was another scent. It was the scent I had grown addicted to in the last few days.Natasha.She had been here. She ha
**NATASHA'S POV**We burst through the door, carrying Lord Alexander on a stretcher. I followed closely behind. Desmond had to perform CPR because Lord Alexander's heart had stopped beating. He was completely surrounded by healers who were shouting out orders to one another as they worked on their lord.I felt a knot in my stomach as I watched them work. They were hanging various bags of liquid and injecting him with different substances that I couldn't identify. They were yelling out different stats for his vital signs that I couldn't catch.Despite the chaos, I still held Lord Alexander's hand, refusing to let go. Guilt washed over me as I contemplated whether I was somehow the cause of his problems. His eyes were closed, and those vibrant, bloodshot eyes that had taken my breath away from the moment I saw them were hidden from me.The healers moved around me, taking various blood samples and scanning his body for injuries. Desmond came up beside me and turned Lord Alexander onto hi
**NATASHA'S POV**The air around us was silent. Lord Alexander was still in vampire form, looking in the direction where the wolves were running to. From the way he was looking, I could tell he knew the Lord of the next kingdom. At this moment, I felt relieved as adrenaline began to leave my body.It was still raining, but the rain had become lighter. The thunder had calmed and there was no more lightning. I used my hands to wipe away the mud that splashed on my face. I didn't dare move towards Lord Alexander as I knew his vampire was still in control of his mind. Instead, I moved to where my bag was lying on the ground and shouldered it. When I turned around, I saw a now-human Alexander who was also naked. I shrieked and turned around, my cheeks heating at the sight of him.I felt an urge to turn and look at him again as the first glance wasn't enough. I knew it was my wolf trying to make me look around, but I resisted. "But he is your mate," my internal voice said, trying to convin