Chapter 1

The beginning that’s not the beginning

The day everything went to shit was no different from any other day. The hospital lights were glaring as bright as ever. My fingers felt raw from the hours they had spent in gloves and every inch of my body ached from the eight-hour shift I just finished.

“So please get back to me on that,” I held my phone closer to my lips as I recorded a voice message to my husband. “Oh, and I got you a gift for tonight. I’ve had the most stressful day at work and I’m really looking forward to our date tonight,”

I let the message send and smiled at the box of perfume I picked out for Gabriel.

My phone beeped at that moment and I opened the message excitedly.

My heart sank as my eyes zeroed in on the single response to my voice note.

NO.

Tears stung my eyes immediately and I shook my head.

“What were you expecting? You’ve not had a date night in eight months. Why would you think tonight would be different?” My wolf Nafira, asked sarcastically.

“Shut up. He’s just busy,’ I hissed at her irritated and dialed Gabriel’s number.

I held my breath, anxiousness swirling at the pit of my stomach as the phone rang.

He picked up the call.

“Hello?” A smile formed on my lips as I heard his breathing at the other end. “I know you’re busy for the date tonight. It’s alright. I’ve decided to cook, what would you like to eat?”

“This is Kitara,”

I frowned as the whiny voice of Gabriel’s secretary replied me. I moved the phone from my ear and put the call on loudspeaker.

“--and he’s busy. You can cook but don’t expect him for dinner tonight,”

“Kitara, give Gabriel the phone. Please,” My grip on my phone tightened and I took in a deep breath.

“He’s busy and–”

“Kitara, let’s go” In the background of the call, I heard Gabriel’s voice as though he had just stepped into whatever room his secretary was in.

“Gabriel! Honey, I need to talk to you,” I hurriedly said in hopes he could hear me through the phone.

“I’m talking to your wife,” Kitara’s voice sounded distant.

Thank the goddess. At least now Gabriel will take the phone and we–

“End the call let’s go,” Gabriel’s response made my stomach drop.

The call ended, the loud beeping noise filling the changing room as she hung up on me.

“Wow,”

Shame crawled up my spine and I turned slowly to see Prisca, my co-worker and best friend.

From her face, I could tell she had witnessed everything. My eyes trailed to the parcel she carried and I reached for it.

“Is that mine? Give it. Thanks,” I took the parcel from her and turned in hopes she would ignore what she saw.

“Herley this is wrong. You shouldn’t be married to a man who treats you this way,”

“Prissy my marriage is fine,” I dropped my bag and stared at her with my arms crossed. “Gabriel’s just busy trying to set up his company. You know he’s only going through this because—”

“Because his uncle swindled him. I KNOW. Trust me, you’ve said it more times than I care to remember,” She hissed.

I shrugged. It was true. Gabriel used to be very successful until his uncle cheated him and inherited everything he worked for.

“Look. I like my marriage and I need my marriage. It’s okay if you don’t understand,”

“Understand what! You’re a nurse Herley! Money shouldn’t be an issue for you but you slave away. Day after day and use the money on them,”

“Prisca stop,“ I shook my head and picked up my bag to leave.

“Why?,” Prisca sighed and her voice dropped. “I saw the parcel. You bought a laptop for them”

“Amber needs it for school,” I defended my sister-in-law.

“Herley that isn’t your responsiblity” Prisca sighed

“Bye,” I gave her a tight smile and walked out of the dressing room.

As I drove home, my mind trailed to the Lycan territory and that cold night six years ago.

The palace was alive with music and dancing as the pack members celebrated the high Luna and the twins she had just birthed. I stood at the edge of the ballroom watching them swirl and dance.

It was time for me to leave. To resume my banishment in the human world, yet I hoped the high luna would ask me to stay.

Maybe rekindle our bond as sisters.

But what I did was unforgivable so I had to leave.

I was a few steps to my room when I realised something was horribly wrong. I hid behind a pillar few seconds before two men came in view.

My heart thundered in fear as I recognized them. Dan and Lamphrey.

Seventeen years had past since I last saw them but I recognized my mother’s men and fear rushed through me.

Why the hell were they in the palace?

I listened to their conversation.

My mother Greta, sent her men to steal Daciana’s magical baby girl.

I shuddered to think of the baby experiencing the same things my mother did to me. She would train the girl cruelly in magic until she became an evil weapon against the lycan territory.

Without thinking, I rushed out of my hiding spot and looked behind me to the ballroom.

Too far.

No way I could get there to warn Daciana in time. With a heavy heart, I raced for the nursery. Having one advantage over the men, I knew exactly where the baby girl was.

In the room, the babe slept beside her twin brother unaware of how her fate was about to change forever.

I said a quick prayer to the goddess hoping Daciana could forgive me. With that, I plucked baby Batya from her bed and fled into the night.

It was hell. Plain and simple.

Struggling as a single mother was hell.

I was tired out of my mind. Dark circles under my eyes from lack of sleep as I held my daughter’s hand and pleaded with the school mistress once more.

“Please, I need this hour to pick up an extra shift. I promise I’ll have the money tommorow,”

“Don’t you get it?!” The woman sneered in irritation. “At this point, it’s not about the money you owe. She’s undocumented! No social security number, No valid address, No last name! For all I know, you could have stolen her,”

Her eyes flitted from Batya’s blue eyes to my dark brown ones and she scoffed, her hand reaching for her phone “No. She can’t school here. Take her and leave, get her proper documents or I’m calling child protection services.”

My heart flipped in fear.

“Please,” I begged, my voice cracking as tears rolled down my cheeks, “Can you—”

“She’s my daughter,” A man’s crisp voice spoke up behind me.

I spun around and saw Gabriel for the first time. “Use my last name. Davins. She’s my daughter”

I stared speechlesly as the mistress changed her tone and accepted Batya into her school with a smile.

He protected us and offered Batya a chance at a normal life.

Getting married was the easiest yes I ever said. Sure it came with issues but which relationship doesn’t have problems?

Besides Gabriel doesn’t ask the hard questions about my life before him and that is the most important thing.

I got out of my car, parcel firmly secured under my arm and made my way into the house.

“Here we go again,” Nafira sighed.

I didn’t reprimand her cause I honestly felt the same, my stomach dropping as I pushed open the door and stepped into the living room.

“Gabriel, I just got home. I know you’re busy but call me when you get this,” I made another voicenote and sent it.

“You do realise he’s never going to love you,”

I froze in shock as the living room lights came on and Amber, my sister-in-law looked up from her phone in amusement.

“My brother would never fall for a woman like you,” Her eyes dragged over me slowly.

My stomach twisted as I followed her gaze. My rough ponytail, my tired eyes and my chapped fingers.

I swallowed. I won’t let her words get to me.

“I don’t know your use around here,” She shook her head in irriation and turned back to her phone. You didn’t even make lunch,”

“Sorry,” I dropped my bag on the table and rolled my neck, exhaustion deep in my bones. “Here, your laptop arrived,”

She looked up from her phone and took the package from me. “Finally! I asked for it ages ago. You kept me waiting for three days,”

“Sorry. I had to pick up extra shifts and work for the money,” My tone was clipped as I frowned and watched her unwrap it.

“It’s old,”

I blinked in confusion. She literally just brought the laptop out of the carton.

“No, it’s not. I just bought it. It’s–”

“It’s not the latest edition. It’s useless to me,”

“AMBER!” I screamed in shock as she sent the laptop crashing to the floor.