Alyssa’s POVThe Red Maple Camp was not a kind place. It was created to imprison criminals and dangerous wolves. I certainly didn’t belong there, I was surprised I had lived this long. For the past five years, every breath I took and every word I muttered resulted in pain and punishment. It was my turn to clean the floors as part of my daily chores and I pulled at the wound on my back from the countless beatings and whippings I’d taken. I let out a hiss of pain, the wound and hunger making me dizzy. I took a deep breath, leaning on my hands to take a small break.My wolf, Carys, whimpered in warning, but it was too late when my watcher walked in. His eyes moved to the floor as he saw I wasn’t finished before his gaze roamed my body, making me shiver in disgust.I expected him to beat me for slacking off, but instead, he said, “It’s your lucky day Alyssa. Alpha Henry has come to collect you.”That couldn’t be right, could it? Had my father truly come to take me away from this place?T
Alyssa’s POVThe first face I saw when I returned home was Vivian, smiling innocently at me as she opened her arms, pulling me into a hug, “Welcome home, Alyssa.”I didn’t return her hug, just gave her a sharp nod and stepped back, I didn’t want to address her at all, let alone have her touching me. It was then I noticed the amount of wolves gathered, watching this reunion. I spotted faces I hadn’t seen since I was little, so many alphas and lunas that it was hard to keep track.“I wasn’t aware we were to have an audience, love,” My father spoke to Vivian.Vivian looked around in mock shock as she placed a hand on her heart, “Honey, don’t you think today is a special day? It’s not every day an alpha’s daughter turns eighteen! And I’m sure it’s tradition for the birthday girl to have a shifting ceremony.”My father opened his mouth to speak, quickly looking between Vivian and me. It was only my thirteenth birthday that Vivian had sacrificed her child and my father lost his true heir.
Alyssa’s POVMy father rarely mentioned my mother anymore, so hearing him say that, here in front of everyone made my heart ache.“Did mother have wings?” I asked softly through our pack’s mind speak. I had been so young I hardly remembered her.“She did, she was the only one in her family to have them. They were small, but they were a symbol of power, especially since the Feather Wing Pack had almost lost that magic entirely. Your mother was a very special woman and would be so proud to see this.”I wish she could see me too, I thought to myself. If she were here I wouldn’t have endured those years in Red Maple Camp.Whilst I was lost in my thoughts a my father’s praise, neither I nor Carys saw the stone flying towards us. The stone cracked against Carys’ face and she couldn’t help but let out a sharp growl.Caleb was glaring at us with more anger than a four-year-old should know, “Go away! Go away! You’re going to ruin my family!” He cried.He reached down, picking up another stone
Alexander’s POVI knew it was her from the second I saw her. Five years had grown and matured her with her silky chocolate hair cascading down the small of her back. Her blue eyes shined with defiance and will and it almost made me smile, proud to see the woman she had grown into. Our Mate, Caspian whispered to me in pride. Quickly, I shut him out as I reminded myself of why I was here.I hid around a corner after my glimpse of her. My mother had instructed me to wait until after Alyssa’s shift to make my appearance. It didn’t matter what her wolf was like, whether it was small and weak or strong and powerful, I was here to reject my mate, not accept her.“Alex, my dear boy, Frey is who I have chosen for you,” My mother, the Luna Queen Lina, reminded me before I set off for the ceremony, “This marriage will give you the support of both the Fire Bone pack as Vivian’s daughter and the Ice Heart pack as the future Alpha’s sister. You need every advantage if you want your father to pass
Alyssa’s POVI didn’t know if it was the sudden change of weather or the stress from the rejection, but I suddenly fell ill. I couldn’t eat and would barely sleep. My father insisted the servants brought me medicine and food, but I could barely stomach it. The iron bracelet on my wrist felt cold against my feverish skin. I stared at it with empty eyes, twisting my wrist to see it dance around my skin. After I shifted and Carys almost attacked Caleb, my father locked the bracelet around my wrist, restricting Carys and her abilities just in case. I could barely communicate with Carys, I couldn’t grow my wings and I couldn’t shift. Only he or someone more powerful could take it off. But it seemed the bracelet was also restricting my wolf’s healing abilities. I shouldn’t have been this sick. “You look like shit.”I didn’t even notice that Freya had entered my room until she spoke those cruel words. She barely had a foot in my room, like she was disgusted just seeing me.“Go away,” I mu
Alyssa's POV “Try this one.” My fiance, Taylor, ordered as his eyes trailed over me. As my father promised, he arrived at our pack in the early morning and I was pushed to meet him. My father thought a shopping trip for our future wedding would be a good bonding experience so we were in a store with me trying on dress after dress until Taylor was satisfied. It made me uncomfortable that there seemed to be no one else around at the moment. Maybe he wanted a chance to get to know me alone, but I didn’t like the thought of being with this man. Not with the way he looked at me. I left the dressing room in a blue off-the-shoulder dress that clung to my curves dramatically with a low cut on the chest. I tried to convince him I didn’t like it but he insisted. It felt like I was naked. Suddenly, Taylor pulled me against him so that we were face to face and my body was against his. I tried to push away but he held me tighter, admiring my exposed skin and curves with an evil grin. I
Alyssa's POV I recognised him immediately, those piercing blue eyes were difficult to forget. The illegitimate first prince of the kingdom, Kai. He couldn’t have looked more different to his brother if he tried, golden hair, blue eyes, tall and broad shoulders, the only imperfection was the deep, jagged scar running down the side of his face, almost clipping his eye. “Move,” Caspian growled, trying to stand tall to show his authority. Kai’s wolf just growled back, taking a threatening step forward and snapping his jaws in a challenge. “What’s wrong Cas?” Prince Kai asked mockingly as he looked at me with interest, “I’m just being friendly.” “I know what your version of ‘friendly’ means,” Caspian took a step backwards as if he’d run away with me on his back. “Relax pup, I need a favour from the beautiful lady on your back.” I tried to ignore that comment as I slid off of Caspian’s back and fumbled into a clumsy curtsey, knowing I didn’t look the part of an alpha’s daughter
Alexander’s POVI thought I would be able to get over Alyssa easily, it wasn’t like I knew her anymore and I already committed myself to Freya. But my chest ached with a dullness that was hard to ignore. Maybe it was just the broken mating bond.I was in my palace, trying to regulate my emotions with servants scattered around tidying and making noise.“Everyone get out!” I grumbled, throwing my handout, not wanting to be around anyone at the moment.I heard ‘sorry’s and ‘excuse me’s but it wasn’t as if I was going to hurt any of my servants. Caspian was the hot-tempered ill-mannered one between the two of us.For once I was grateful he was not here. He’d tear down the walls of my room as punishment for what I did. And if any servants got in his way… I wouldn’t want to be them. I wondered where he had gone too but tried not to think of him too much.Quickly, I went to the cabinet where I kept my wine and took out a fresh bottle thinking that maybe the alcohol could calm the thudding in
Kai's POVThankfully, by the time I returned to my camp none of my men had noticed me missing and no one else had disappeared under Leon’s watch. It seemed I was correct in thinking that it was a diversion. The assassins hadn’t been able to find Alyssa and I hoped that she would be safe at home.We had to move further south and Mother Nature was on our side as the wet, muddy terrain was blessed by the sun and things became warmer. No more wringing socks out by the fire or having clumps of dirt caught in fur.But, even though conditions were better, I’d felt more uncomfortable than ever. I had a tarp instead of a cave floor, I had a tent over my head instead of spiders and a warm fire instead of shivering in blankets. But there was something I had then that I didn't have now.Alyssa.Her smile, her laughter, her voice, and her scent were all worth it.But at that moment instead of being with her, I was stuck with burly brutes who hardly knew how to bathe and clean up after themselves.
Alexander's POV I didn’t know what game my mother was playing but unfortunately, I had no choice but to go along with it if I wanted to ensure that Alyssa stayed safe. Regardless of whether my engagement with Freya was back on, she wouldn’t forgive Alyssa for supposedly coming between us.I was partly to blame for that, I hadn't exactly been subtle with my affection for Alyssa, no matter how much I tried to hide it and squash it into the ground.We sat together in the carriage. I was on one side with Freya holding me, her head on my shoulder as Alyssa sat on the opposite side, her gaze never moving away from the window.I’d give anything to know what thoughts were running around her head. I’d give anything to be able to fix the ones that made her frown.But I was part of the problem. All of this could’ve been avoided if I had just accepted her in the first place.“Aren’t you so excited for the wedding, Alex?” Freya asked, craning her face towards me so that her lips were only a few c
Alyssa's POVDespite the incident with Freya, the next few days passed peacefully, so much so that Vivian even smiled at me a couple of times. Genuine smiles.With Freya’s engagement to Alexander back on and being planned at the moment, and with Kai being stationed far away in the South for a who knows how long amount of time, Vivian didn’t see me as a threat anymore. She had everything she wanted.A powerful Alpha husband, an heir to inherit that title and her daughter to be a princess and possibly Luna Queen.With Vivian’s change in character, it was clear to me that Freya must’ve not mentioned any part of our conversation to her mother about Alpha Aaron. Either she thought it wasn’t worth the hassle or she was scared that if she told her mother and Vivian retaliated it would confirm whatever she thought I knew.So with the first bit of peace of mind I'd had for a long time, I relaxed.With the wedding preparations taking place, everyone had been neglectful of Caleb who was still on
Alyssa's POVAlexander was so convincing in his pleas that I almost believed it. If I hadn’t known any better I would’ve thought this display to be genuine and that he'd done this in front of me again just to spite me.I glanced up slightly, having looked away when Freya had launched herself at my mate. My heart stammered as I looked at the passionate kiss and saw Alexander looking right at me.I looked down again.Caleb tightened his grip on my hand. He was still so young that he didn’t understand what a mate bond was or felt like, he barely understood the concept. But even still, my younger brother must’ve sensed that there was a hollow space within my soul and the cause of that hollowness was the man kissing Freya. He squeezed again, letting me know that he was there.I squeezed his hand back and smiled at him.“We should give them some privacy, shouldn’t we?” I said, wanting to get Caleb away from whatever manipulation was happening there.Caleb smiled and pulled me towards the do
Alexander;s POVThe last time I was alone with Alyssa I’d made a right ass of myself. The last time we were alone I’d confessed to her and she rejected me so being alone with her now I couldn’t help but feel awkward and a sense of longing. I wanted to hold her and beg her to forgive me again, but it wasn't the time. What do you say to a girl you hurt and now are in love with?But I still wasn’t going to give up, not until she gave me a chance.Even if she didn’t I was going to protect her. And not because Kai told me to. I was going to make sure she was safe. We stood just outside of the Ice Heart Pack’s territory line and she gave me a small smile.I ran through the plan in my head again.The plan was that Alyssa would stealthily return to her room. Only two people in the Pack House knew that she had left the pack territory, those two people being a trusted maid and her brother. No one else should’ve expected that she would go anywhere else.She would make herself known and half an h
Kai's POVI didn’t like leaving things like this. There was an assassin still out there targeting Alyssa who for all I was aware of, may have been following us now, waiting for an opportunity to attack. Then there was this whole conspiracy that Vivian was a part of.How could I just leave her like that?But my duty was as the General of the Skeleton Army and if my father wasn’t already informed I hadn’t been seen at my post, he would about to be soon. I knew what the punishment would be, and it wouldn’t just be for me either. It would be for my squad and possibly even Alyssa too if my father found her to blame.Still, even with all of that in mind, it was hard to just walk away as if nothing had happened.We had only a few minutes before I needed to depart and Alyssa had to sneak home. Alex was to escort her, letting her be seen first before he announced himself and his engagement with Freya was back on. That was part of the plan, but it still didn’t feel right to leave.Even Carter w
Alyssa's POVI had to take a minute to sit down and think as I finished the last few pages of Alpha Aaron’s journal. It was like he knew that something was wrong. He hadn’t trusted Vivian for a while so why did he allow her to take care of him?Was it because he was too weak to protest? His handwriting showed how weak he was. Or had she threatened to keep Freya away from him permanently? I wouldn’t put it past the woman to do that. And if she had done something to Alpha Aaron, did she have something planned for my father?I thought learning more about Alpha Aaron would help me solve my problems, but instead, I only had more questions that needed answers and only two people alive could answer them. Vivian would never say anything to me about him, but Freya… She wasn’t as skilled in the art of manipulation as her mother.“Where do we go from here?” Alexander asked, his head in his hands like he was in just as much shock as me.“I don’t know,” I replied with honesty as my hope began to d
Alyssa's POVAlpha Evan left the three of us in his office with the journal. I think partially it was so he could deny things if something went wrong, but mainly I think it was his way of protecting and respecting his dead brother. I couldn’t fault him for that.I sat at Alpha Evan’s desk with the two princes beside me as I peered curiously at the book, stroking the leather and wondering what Alpha Aaron was thinking in his final days.I opened the journal up briefly and saw neat, perfectly cursive handwriting. But unfortunately, I didn’t need the beginning, but the end. So I skipped to the last few pages and could see the illness had left a heavy toll on the Alpha. The once beautiful handwriting was now an almost illegible scribble. Was it because he was so ill he couldn’t write, or something else?“Are you sure you want to read this, Alyssa?” Alexander asked gently.His concern made my heart flutter and Carys hum, but this was something I needed to do. I knew he was concerned about
Alyssa’s POV“That’s absurd!” Alpha Evan roared.Alexander and Kai requested an audience once they had gathered more information. It was just at the time that Alpha Evan was warning me to look out for my father. I was about to ask more when a servant announced that the princes were here. We had originally agreed to meet in an hour, but they must've found something out to have come straight to the Pack House.Alpha Evan allowed them in and looked at me curiously as the princes both stood by my side, asking if I was okay.When I nodded they started telling us what they knew, but when it came to the supposed abuse of Luna Vivian, Alpha Evan couldn’t contain his anger.“How dare you!” He stood to his fault height, no longer caring that he was in the presence of the princes of his kingdom, “Bring whoever is spreading these scandalous rumours and let them answer to me!”The princes stood firmly, not intimidated in the slightest by the anger of the Alpha. Kai pulled me behind him and Alexand