Chapter 1

➳

Nathan laughed as the young girl tackled him in a hug.

"You're back! I missed you so much," Madeline exclaimed, her face buried in his chest.

He embraced her in his arms, glad to finally see his sister again. "I missed you too, kiddo."

Like most young men in his pack, he had left for a couple weeks for training at the Mystic Moon pack to enhance his abilities. Supposedly, this Pack had the harshest, most arduous training program, aimed to create the strongest soldiers.

Madeline could tell how hard her brother had been working; his muscles were much more defined, and he seemed in desperate need of rest. "How was it?" She asked, lifting her head up to look at him.

"Well, I survived." He answered tiredly. A frown formed on her face, seeing how exhausted he was. She pulled away from the hug and grabbed his hand, leading him to their house.

"If I knew you were going to be back today I would've baked your favourite cake for you. Anyway, you really should go sleep." Nathan smiled at how caring his sister was. 

His smile slowly faded as he wondered what her reaction to the news would be: he had been specially selected to be a warrior at the Mystic Moon Pack due to his remarkable strength. He was sent back for a few hours to pack his belongings, before leaving his home forever. Being able to serve such a powerful Pack was a great honor for him, but he knew that his sister would be absolutely devastated by this.

Madeline wasn't like other werewolves. Literally; she was a human being.

Nathan's parents found her abandoned, deep in a forest when she was only a baby. They took pity and raised her alongside their own son. Growing up in a Pack amongst other werewolves, the human was constantly teased and bullied. Only her brother stood up for her; he grew very protective of her, beating up anyone who dared to lay a finger on his little sister.

The pack slowly became more accepting of the human girl. During her teenage years, she turned much more talkative and extroverted, growing out of her shell. She found a love for baking, regularly making treats and generously sharing them for the entire pack to enjoy. The werewolves now considered her the Pack sweetheart; she brought life and joy to the community. Despite her hard past, she always smiled brightly and treated everyone with utmost kindness.

Laying in his bed, Nathan pondered on how he would break the news to her. Her brother leaving forever is definitely not something she'll take lightly; the two have been together their entire lives. "... I'm too tired. I'll talk to her when I wake up." 

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"You're leaving... forever?" Madeline sniffled, trying to fight back her tears. Nathan sighed; it always broke his heart to see his younger sister cry.

"I'm sorry Maddie, I wish I could bring you with me. I'll still call you and visit you sometimes, alright? It's not like we'll never see each other again."

"But... I don't want to be alone," She said, whispering the last part. Her brother's frown deepened. "Do you really have to go?"

"Alpha Blade picked me out to be a warrior himself. I can't say no to him," He explained.

"Who even is that?" His eyes widened at her question.

"You've never heard of Alpha Blade?" Nathan could not believe it. He was a notoriously strong Alpha; people described him as cruel, monstrous, ruthless, the list goes on. Rumor has it that he has killed hundreds, if not thousands of people. Nathan vividly remembered his immensely powerful aura when they first met; he was almost shivering in fear. There was no way he could've said no when the Alpha requested him to be his warrior.

"Well... In short, he's a very powerful Alpha."

"You should've pretended to be weak so he wouldn't pick you."

"Why? It's an honor to be specially chosen to fight alongside with him. As much as I don't want to leave you, I can't turn down this opportunity." Madeline looked down as the tears finally fell down her eyes. Nathan pulled her closer, rubbing her back soothingly. "Don't cry, you know I hate to see you cry."

"Then don't leave," She wept into his shoulder.

"You'll be fine without me. You have the rest of the pack members to protect you." She continued crying softly into his shirt, drawing a deep sigh out of him. "I'm 20 years old now, I can't stay here forever."

Madeline reflected on his words for a moment. "Sorry. I'm being really selfish, aren't I?" She pulled away from his arms, looking at him in the eyes. "You deserve to do what makes you happy. I shouldn't hold you back," She avowed, wiping the tears from her cheeks. Deep down, she didn't want to let him go, but she knew she had to.

Nathan glanced at his wristwatch. "Alpha Blade is arriving in about 5 minutes. I should get ready to leave. Take care, I promise I'll come visit as often as I can." Nathan gave his sister a smile before grabbing his already-packed bags and setting them outside. He didn't have to pack much, since the Alpha assured him that he'd be provided with everything he needs there.

"Nathan?" Madeline asked, poking her head out the door. "Your cake is ready. At least eat a slice before you go, please?"

"You made a cake for me? Thank you, I'll be there in a minute."

Dread engulfed him as he saw a black luxury SUV pull up in front of his house. "Stop being scared of him Nathan," He thought to himself. "He won't hurt you. You're his warrior now." The windows of the car rolled down as he approached it.

"Good evening, Alpha."

The man simply nodded in response. "Ready to go?" His voice was strong and sonorous, sending a slight shiver down Nathan's spine.

The young man glanced back at his house, before mustering up the courage to speak. "Would you like to come inside and have some cake first?"

Tilting his head to the side, the Alpha's eyes met his. His gaze was so intense, Nathan held his breath. "Cake?"

"... Well, my sister made a cake for me, and I think she'd appreciate if you came to eat it too. Or, if you're in a hurry, I'll just say goodbye to her and we can leave," He blurted out.

"There's no hurry. Take your time, I'll wait." Nathan frowned, not liking the idea of the Alpha waiting outside.

"Please come in sir, she makes the best cakes. Besides, you said you had things to discuss with me, right? We should go talk inside."

He thought for a moment, before finally opening his side of the door, stepping out and locking the car behind him. Nathan smiled gratefully and led him inside.

The Alpha's nostrils were instantly filled with a strong, sweet vanilla scent. "It must be the cake," He thought, although a feeling in his heart told him otherwise. He brushed it off and sat down at the dining table. In front of him stood a small layered cake, beautifully frosted with buttercream, and decorated with fruits. He wasn't a big fan of sweets, but accepted a slice of the cake anyway. To his surprise, it tasted delicious.

The two males spent the next couple of minutes discussing Nathan's schedule and activities as a warrior once he'd arrive to his new pack. There was a war coming in the near future, and the young man was expected to fight on the frontlines.

Madeline sauntered downstairs to say her final goodbyes to her brother, but stopped in her tracks. She didn't want to interrupt the seemingly important conversation he was having. "Too late," She thought, as they had both already noticed her.

Alpha Blade's eyes scanned her entire body, taking in her small frame. She wore a flowy, peach-colored dress, which hugged her slim figure nicely and complimented her skin tone well. His gaze drifted up to her face, and his breath hitched. She was absolutely beautiful; he could not take his eyes off her. He had seen many pretty girls before, but something about her was enthralling. "Why is she making me feel like this?" His muscles stiffened when he realized what was happening.

"Mate," His wolf growled.