Dane sensed the gaze of Esme directed at them, and he frowned. Searching for her, he found that she was indeed staring at them. No, to be more specific, she was staring at one of the youngest alphas of the kingdom, Julius Carter, alpha of Midnight Pack.
His frown deepened when he turned and found Julius staring at her with curiosity brimming in his eyes. But he could also see the conflict brewing within them. It was not hard to tell what was going on when he knew that the brat down was of age now. Tonight. A small smile crept up his lips at the realization. He didn't need to do anything now. His deal with Midnight Pack would become a reality now. The girl has truly proven useful after all… Who would have thought? “Shall we join…” Dane began but was interrupted by Julius, whose gaze was still on Esme. “Who is she?” He asked. The scent of chocolate and vanilla had him surrounded, drowning out every other scent, and his sole focus at the moment was her. Everything around him seemed to have faded into oblivion, but he was still conscious of the people around him, knowing they weren't truly alone. “Esmeralda Hawthorne,” Alpha Dane responded. He needn't act as though he didn't know who he was referring to. “Esme for short,” he added. The other alpha looker between them utterly lost. “Esme…” Julius said the name and felt his mouth water just by it, but it became a bother almost immediately. Without saying another word, he climbed down the stairs, his gaze locked on his beautiful blue eyes that stared at him with expectations and hidden excitement….? He frowned. Shouldn't she be happy? Why was she hiding her execitemet? He wondered, but then, he told himself that it wasn't a problem. At least she might be prepared for what was to come. He came to stop in front of her and saw her gulp down her saliva. He could literally hear her heart drumming, but he couldn't be sure it was out of excitement. He closed his and his Wolfe whine in his head space for doing so, but Julius ignored him. He took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. Then he spoke, “Esme…” Esme's heart skipped a beat upon hearing her name come out so smoothly from his mouth. His scent that had already enveloped her now seemed to frown her, pulling her towards him and raising her hopes. At that very moment, Esme didn't care about anything or anyone again. She could still feel the eyes on her–on them, but she didn't care. Right now, it was just her and her mate. She even made a mental note to thank the goddess once she leaves this hall. He took hold of her hand and gave it a gentle massage. If she had a wolf, she knew she would purr at his touch right now. The spark from it was nothing like she had ever experienced before. But, “I can not accept this bond…” his next words came, putting everything around them to a standstill and crushing her very being. The weight of his words hung heavily over her head. At first, she thought it was a joke he had uttered to lift the tension between them, but seeing how serious his face remained, everything, the world spun she staggered backward. Her hands slipped off his grip. Esem saw him instinctively reach out to grab her, but he forced them to hand back to his side. And without allowing her to collect herself fully, he added further shattering whatever piece if her heart remained intact. “I Julius Carter, Alpha of Midnight Pack, reject you, Esmeralda Hawthorne of the NightCrawler Pack,” his words were sharp and voice firm. Those near them heard this, and their eyes went wide as everything that's happening now made sense to them. Esme's Pack members were also taken aback to know that Esme found her mate but even more shocked that he was alpha. But then, everything started to fall into place when he declared his rejection. Ophelia, who had heard this, smirked triumphantly. Who was Esme to get a mate before her? Meanwhile, Esme clenched her fists, refusing to show any weakness. She had expected this but allowed herself to become vulnerable like this just because of the mate bond. She smiled once again for the umpteenth time tonight, in self ridicule. She looked up and met his gaze, eyes devoid of any emotion. Not even hurt, despite the turmoil within her. She then opened her mouth and accepted his rejection. There was no point in refusing it when he didn't even mind humiliating her in the presence of so many people. Her acceptance would also save her some face. “I, Esmeralda Hawthorne of the NightCrawler Pack, accept your rejection, Alpha Julius Carter of Midnight Pack.” Esme replied. She wouldn't let this break her. Not before all these people. As soon as she said that, she turned around and left in the hall. Her steps were neither slow nor hurried. Just measured. Like she was not affected by the rejection. Julius watched her go and felt the desire to go pursue her and comfort her. To explain himself, but he knew he had listed all rights to do that. “I am sorry, Esme…” he said in an inaudible voice, his fist clenching so hard his knuckles turned white. But he didn't move from where he stood. Meanwhile, Alpha Dane couldn't be any more irritated than he already was. Looking at where Esme had gone off to, he followed her. He knew where she was going, and that was the attic—her room. Esme sat on the floor beside the door, hugging herself and her face buried between her knees. Her shoulders trembled as her emotions took over, and tears streamed down like a waterfall. Her hair, once a beautiful ponytail, now looked disheveled and had taken the shape of a loose morning updo. Strands stuck to her face in an unkempt manner, but she couldn't care less. “I shouldn't have expected anything,” she cried. Her blues glistened with tears, a perfect semblance of the water's surface. “I shouldn't have. Why did I even…” she sobbed more. The urge to pull her own hair was strong, but she knew her poor hair was innocent. She heard footsteps approaching and from the sound of it she could already tell it was either Alpha Dane or Dawson and she didn't want to see either of them or anyone at all, so she quickly pressed down on the door putting her whole weight on it. Although it would do much to prevent them from yanking it forcefully, she wanted to know that, at least, this time, she tried to keep them out. She felt the slight push to the door, and she drummed rapidly. She closed her eyes and put more force to it as much as she could muster. When the push ceased, she immediately had a premonition. As if on cue, the sound of the lock turning was heard. “Since you won't let me in, stay in there until you die,” she heard Alpha Dane's voice boom through the door and shivered, quickly trying to pry the door open but it was not responding. The mocking laughter of Dane was heard, and she gave up. Gave up on everything. He gave up on herself. Her belief in the goddess watching and protecting her—she also gave that up too. “If you truly are Hawthorne, breaking down something as simple as a door should be that hard. Prove yourself and come out,” Alpha Dane said, and the sound of his retreating steps followed and then–silence.There was something special to being a Hawthorne. The Hawthorne name was respected throughout the country because of this one reason, and that reason was that they were blessed by the goddess. Their silver hair, believed to bear semblance to the moon goddess, was what identified her as a Hawthorne and nothing more. While her family, though late, were remembered for the gifts—her father had great strength, one that rivaled the lycans despite being a wolf shifter if not surpassing most of them. Her brother possessed the ability to heal, not just himself, but others too. His battle prowess was sung by many. While, Esme, had not even a wolf of her own. Her mother, though not Hawthorne by birth, was a skilled warrior, but she—Esme, was weak. For someone born into a family of warriors, she was a disgrace, and if her family were alive to see her now, they would be greatly disappointed. Esme cried for herself for so long that she lost track of time and didn't even know when she fell asle
Every bad situation will have something positive. Even a dead clock shows the correct time twice a day. —Anonymous— With a darkened expression, Grant stared at his beta for a while without uttering a word. His mind was a wandering mess. “The seer?” Grant asked, and Leornado gave him a look with his brows raised. “Where is she?” He asked, rising to his feet. Without waiting for Leornado. He marched for the door, and Leornado had to run after him due to his long and fast strides. If there was one thing that they all knew was that the woman's words, though always twisted and probably exactly on point, she was never truly wrong. Whatever she saw, there must be some truth to it. He knew something major was about to transpire. “She is in her tower, your Majesty,” Leornado replied, finally able to match Grant's pace. Grant didn't speak after hearing that and rather increased his pace. The maids and guards they came across bowed respectfully to the alpha king, but he didn't acknowl
A low and ferocious erupted from deep within Grant that had Leonardo backing away from him, taking backward steps until he was out of the door and his back pressed against with his bowed and eyes staring at his feet. “Alpha…” Leonardo uttered, respect and submission dripping from his voice and stance. Grant staggered forward. The battle between them and the beast in him, visible. After almost two minutes of battling it out mentally, Grant leaned on the wall and slid to the ground, sitting with his elbow propped on his right knee while his palm covered his face. “I didn't mean to do that,” he said. Even without referring to anyone in particular, Leonardo knew it was him his king was talking to. Leonardo finally raised his head and looked at Grant. He sighed in relief, knowing the man had won over the beast. He then sat down beside Grant in a similar posture. “I know that very well, your Majesty,” Leonardo replied. “Have you figured out what he wants? The alpha beast, I mean.”
“Her pulse is weak, but she will make it,” the pack healer said as she examined Esme. Her face contorted when she saw the many scars on the body of Esme, but she was quick to mask it before the wrong set of people saw it. “Give her the medicine and apply the herb to her wounds. "She will recover faster that way,” she said again as she packed up her stuff. She knew the girl had been maltreated and abused by everyone, but seeing her like that and the result of the actions, the marks on her body were equivalent to being branded. Such scars would leave a lasting effect on a person. The physical ones might fade with time, but the emotional scars might never fade, especially if she keeps on being subjected to such cruel treatment. She felt bad for her, but there was nothing that she could do. Not unless she wanted to offend the alpha and his family as well as all the Night Crawler Pack. “Thank you, Lucy,” Alicia said, truly grateful that the woman could make it in time. Lucy nod
WARNING!! THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS SENSITIVE CONTENTS THAT MAY OR MAY NOT BE ACCEPTABLE TO ALL! Esme only regained consciousness just before sunset. As soon as her eyelids fluttered open, she immediately wished her timing had been better. At least after the two people in her room were gone. She could barely make out their images, but she knew without a doubt that they were right there, staring at her without an ounce of pity, despite her close brush with death. She didn't want to look at them, so she turned her back to them, her eyes once again shut tightly. “And here I thought you were dead,” Dawson was the first to speak out of the two siblings. She didn't need to look at him to know what kind of expression they had on their faces. “I told you she is just feigning her illness,” Ophelia said, her tone laced with irritation, as if she couldn't stand the sight of Esme. The smell of herbs filled the room, but these siblings acted as if they couldn't perceive it. Even Esme hers
WARNING!! THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS SENSITIVE CONTENTS THAT MAY OR MAY NOT BE ACCEPTABLE TO ALL! ****** As the reality of what was about to happen to her dawned on her, Esme sobbed. She couldn't fight him even if she wanted to, and even if she could, her body was too weak for that now, and he knew that all too well. “Let me go…” she said, but her voice was barely above a whisper and lacked the power in it to stop him. “You should learn to be more obedient, Esme,” he said, ignoring her pleas as he added more strength to his hand and pried her legs apart. “You are meant to be mine sooner or later." Dawson grinned. "There is no difference between seeing you now or seeing you later,” Dawson continued, and more tears streamed down Esme's eyes. Esme didn't know which hurt more. Was it the physical wounds on her body or the torment she was facing at the moment? All she knew was that the pain was unbearable. The humiliation was too much for her to maintain her composure, and she cried
“No need to hurry. No need to sparkle. No need to be anybody but oneself.” — Virginia Woolf******************Meanwhile, The closer the deeper they drove into the South, the more restless Grant became. His beast was no longer willing to be caged and wanted to assume control. They didn't even have the time to rest because the king wouldn't let them. They also didn't visit every pack as they had originally planned, also because the alpha wouldn't let them.“Do you feel anything now?” Leornado asked. They've been driving for hours after leaving Sunset Pack. It was one of the two packs that they were able to visit before the alpha decided against stopping at every single one.“Just keep driving,” Grant said. His eyes were closed and hand on his forehead. He was fighting his beast internally as all he wanted to do was burst out of the car and run. Doing that would just terrify the people. A rampaging lycan was no joke.“Understood,” Leornado replied. He was getting tired of hearing the s
“Stop the car,” Grant ordered, and Leonardo instantly slammed on the brakes. It was after he did that he realized how lucky they were that there was no accident. He was so used to doing everything that the alpha commanded him that he didn't take a second to think about what he was asked to do and just did it. The screeching sound of the brakes of the cars behind them as they came to a sudden halt filed the air. Leonardo cursed under his breath at the disturbing sound. “Your Majesty…” the car's door slamming shut was heard. Grant was already out of the car before he could say a word and he let out another curse before unbuckling his seatbelt and dashing after the alpha. ‘Some of you come with us while the others find a good place for the cars, don't disturb the people here,’ Leonardo commanded through the mind link. He then heard a collective, “Understood,” from the warriors before cutting off the link. Meanwhile, Grant dashed through the street, his beast in full control and his
Esme walked into the room after having a lityk3 conversation with Alicia and learning that she was doing fine. She looked even happier here in the palace and according g to her, everyone treated her nicely and didn't look down on her because she was an omega.Esme couldn't be happier to see her onky friend happy. It felt great to see her smiling like that.Now, she was back in her room and wanted to rest. Grant was right when he said she had had a long day. Her body needed rest, and after the ordeal of the sudden pain and the knowledge that someone placed a curse on her, everything was just too much for her to handle, and right now, she felt exhausted. She sat on the bed and looked down at her feet. She had new and clean shoes on her feet. Even the dress she had on was new. The clothes they had prepared to take along with them were probably hurt along with the pack, and they also forgot to go and get them while leaving.She sighed and fell backward on the bed. It was sift and warm an
“You don't look so good,” Dawson commented with a massive frown on his face. Although he was talking to Ophelia, he never looked at her. Ohpelia clicked her tongue in distaste. She glared daggers at him. Even though he felt her glares, he still didn't spare a glance and sunk his teeth into the steak on his fork. “Why is Esme not here, Dad?” she asked as if she didn't know that Esme was no longer within the pack premises. She wanted to k owing if her family knew about it where she had gone and, most especially, the people who took her. “She ran away,” Dane replied, pausing to look at her briefly before he looked back at the place in front of him. “Eat your food and don't worry about her. She will come back once she gets some sense,” he even waved his hand dismissively as if it didn't matter. “You seem quite certain. Why so?” Ophelia asked. She pulled and picked the plate in front of her and began putting food on it. “The man she went to doesn't seem like just anybody. I saw him,”
The sound of the door opening jolted Esme awake. Sitting up abruptly, a sharp, unexpected pain shot through her her, from her abdomen upwards. “Arh…” she winced and cried out. Her hand clutched her stomach as her expression twisted.“Be careful. You are not fully recovered yet,” she heard a voice that sounded familiar say, but she could recall where and who she heard it from. She scurried away when he wanted to touch her to check on her. Eyes were filled with fear, and she continued to move back, ignoring the gnawing pain in her stomach. ‘Instinctive reaction,’ He paused at that thought. His expression that had just brightened up at the sight of her waking the moment he came in, darkened. But when he saw the fear in her eyes, he sighed. “I won't touch you,” he said, raising his hands and stepping backward.Esme looked around and took in the unfamiliar room. It was too large to be her own. And thisan right here… it was then that she recalled how she ended up on the room. Her par
Grant narrowed his eyes on her as she flinched. Had she not already been kneeling, she was sure she knew would have given away by now. “Explain yourself,” Grant commanded. “Your presence seems to affect her, providing the needed relief. I…I think it would be more effective if you were to mate her, your Majesty,” Calista said and closed her eyes tightly waiting for his outburst but even after a few had passed, there was none and she opened her eyes and looked at him.He appeared to be considering it….!? Calista blinked, and then she inwardly sighed in relief. At least he wasn't offended by the suggestion. “That won't do,” Grant spoke. In his arms, Esme shuddered when she heard Calista's suggestion. Her hand gripped his shirt so tightly she thought her fingers must have gone through the fabric already. “She is not ready for that. Do something about the pain,” he added, his eyes meeting those of Calista and the healer. “Make it stop for now. Then I will think of something later,” he
“I….I dont…. I am not…” The healer fumbled with her words, which only aggravated Grant's anger, and once she felt the temperature in the room drop, she knew she had already messed up. “I have never seen anything like this before, my King. The child, she.. is not ill. I can't find the cause of the pain,” she quickly said, knowing she had to say something despite her stuttering, “Then what good are you being here, alive?” Grant stared at her, his beats prowling just beneath the surface. It was as mad as he was that the healer they kept around had proven to be useless at the time she was needed the most. The healer staggered back, her heart accelerating at the king's words, knowing that if something wasn't done, then she was done for. “Please your Majesty, let me try again. I know I can…” she said, trying as hard as she could to do something before her life came to an unwanted end. “Take her away and find someone more capable,’ Grant ordered, and the healer slumped to the ground. Her
Esme had never felt anything this before. This pain, it was as if her insides were being pulled at, and her heart squeezed painfully. It was excruciating. She couldn't even hear her own voice despite how loud she was shouting. She felt like stripping of her clothes, doing anything that could take the pain away, and then suddenly, she felt a pair of arms curl around her frame. She couldn't discern what was happening or but she felt the spark that traveled through her body. It was Grant. Even though she didn't want to get any closer than she already was, being in his arms did make everything feel better. She could breathe unlike before when breathing was also a difficult task to do just a few seconds ago. Wanting relief, she clung to him, her soft and delicate body clinging to his harder one. It felt just perfect. She sniffed him, and strangely enough, that helped too. She rubbed her face on his own while her hands curled around his neck as he lifted her off the ground. Gra
At the NightCrawler Pack,Dane stood in frustration. Not only has he lost his pack, but he has also lost the last Hawthorne. A pureblood blessed one. His aura reek menace and everyone who came close instinctively drew away, not wanting to get caught by in the Alpha's wrath.“Why did you let them take her, Father. You know what a great loss that is,” Dawson snapped, stomping towards his father. Ever since his injuries healed and he learned that Esme had been taken away, all he did was make a fuss. Regretting why he listened to his father and not slept with girl when he wanted to. Now, the so-called king has taken her. Even he couldn’t ignore the blessed bloodline. “We have to get her back,” Dawson stated firmly. His fists tightly clenched at his side, and his teeth gnashed against each other out of anger and irritation. The very idea that she was gone and no longer within their grasp rubbed him so terribly badly that he didn't care if the one who had taken her was the king.“Watch yo
Several hours later, Esme and Alicia were within the palace walls. The grand palace of Lyrria stood majestically before them. The air was refreshing, and the knowledge that they were finally out of the NightCrawler Pack offered them another sense of relief. Running from one of the cars, Alicia happily approached Esme. “My lady,” Alicia called, smiling as she looked ahead of them, her hands clasped together and her eyes brimming with happiness. “We are finally out of there,” Esme said, and Alicia nodded her head. “Yes. And it's all thanks to you, my lady,” Alicia said. She looked at Esme gratefully. She was still shocked that Esme was mated to the king, but then, she knew Esme deserved only the best the world could offer. The NightCrawler Pack and Alpha Julius just didn't see her importance and value, and now, someone else had seen it. The goddess smiled on Esme. Their lives would take a turn for the better.For the first time since the incident, Alicia smiled. She appeared rejuven
Meanwhile, as Esme and Alicia followed Leonardo to where the cars were parked, they encountered Alpha Dane and Dawson. They instinctively became more cautious, but that also had their hearts accelerating, and the abnormality was at once noticed by Leonardo. He looked at them and found nothing wrong, but once his eyes caught sight of Alpha Dane nearby, he immediately understood why. ‘The healer wasn't lying after all,’ he thought. He had believed her when she told him everything, but he didn't think it would get to the extent that the mere sight of him would frighten the girl so much. He looked at her and didn't know how to address her. Grant hadn't said anything about it yet. Although it would only be right to call her the queen, she was yet to be crowned, and no one else knew about her being the king's mate. “Miss Esmeralda,” he called and even walked around them to shield them from the direction of Alpha Dane. Esme looked at him silently, waiting for him to state his reason fo