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** Please note that some chapters may have triggers: strong language, adult scenes, sexual assault, rape, abuse, and homophobic slurs. Chapters will NOT be tagged. Please read with caution. ****Prologue Many years ago, life was very different for werewolves. Back then, the weak were either discarded, killed, beaten, raped, or used as sex slaves. Throughout the years, life has changed, but not everywhere. Some Alphas still hold tight to the ways of old. The way they were taught. Midnight Moon pack, located in Watton of Michigan's upper peninsula, is one of the largest packs in North America with over 1500 pack members, and they no longer cling to the old ways. Alpha Thaddeus has continued his father's legacy, trying to rid the world of Alphas who are still stuck in the old mindset and not only still keep slaves but rape, beat, and starve their Omegas. Thaddeus's father started this crusade, but unfortunately, he never got to see it through. Thaddeus beca
Third Person's POV It's been six years since the day Thaddeus was rejected. The rejection was excruciating, and it took over a month before the pain entirely subsided. Initially, it left the Alpha weak, making it hard for him to do daily tasks. Food was the farthest thing from the Alpha's mind. He only ate when he was forced to. Even when he tried to eat, the Alpha would fall asleep in his wheelchair with this food barely eaten. The nights that should have been welcoming and restful they turned into anything but that. At night, the body experiences withdrawals from the loss of the bond, resulting in painful episodes that, at times, lasted over an hour. The Alpha woke every night sweating and screaming in pain. In the beginning, those episodes came several times a night. As more time passed, the episodes became fewer until one day, they were gone. It took almost a year before Thaddeus felt like himself again. But he wanted nothing to do with love and hoped he didn't have a second cha
Third Person's POV At six years old, a frightened, scared and lonely little boy was found wandering just inside the territory of the Blood Moon Pack. The little boy thought this was his salvation. He thought he had found a safe place to live and people who would care for him, but it turned out to be anything but that. For the first two years in his prison, he was locked in the basement alone. He was starved, hardly fed. When they did feed him, it was scraps or something old and rotten. Even water was scarce, and he was constantly hungry and thirsty. His body was thin and frail. He was cold and alone in the damp, dark, cold basement of the pack house. Hunger and thirst were the only torture he endured for those first two years. Then, when he turned eight, the Alpha made him a slave of the pack house. He was forced to clean and learn how to cook. It was a challenging task for someone eight years old who had never cooked or cleaned. He made a lot of mistakes as he learned. With tho
Third Person's POV After reaching the river, Zeus drops the bag in his mouth before shifting. The Alpha pulls his swim shorts on and then turns to grab his leg strap. When Thaddeus turns and reaches for his bag, he finds Xander has already dug through it. Thaddeus tilts his head and exhales as he watches the goofy Beta. “Xander, for crying out loud! Give me back my damn straps!” Thaddeus scolded the idiot, who took his leg strap and strapped his legs together before trying to waddle toward the water. “No! I'm a mermaid!... Hey, I have a good one for you. How do you recognize a nerdy mermaid?... She wears an algaebra!” Xander fell into a fit of laughter after delivering the punch line to his joke. Thaddeus tried not to laugh but failed, and he chuckled, earning a bright smile from Xander. “You're an idiot!” “Why thank y-” Xander began to say, but his words were cut off when he face-planted into the dirt. Thaddeus laughed harder and shook his head. “Serves you right! Now give
Third Person's POV It's been a little over two weeks, and he still hasn't woken up. Thaddeus has been by his side the entire time; he refused to leave. The only time he left was when Marcus or Xander forced him to go take a shower. His mate's body has healed tremendously. Almost all the bruises have faded, and the swelling has gone down. The last of his bandages came off two days ago, so Thaddeus brought him home today. Thaddeus had the doctors set his mate up in his bed. The feeding tube and IV were still necessary since he was unconscious. Nurses came in throughout the day to check on him, but Thaddeus never left his side. During the day, he sat by his side, and the Alpha slept on his chaise at night. Thaddeus didn't want his mate to wake up in the middle of the night and find himself not only in strange surroundings but also with a strange man lying next to him. He knew that would more than likely scare him. The first night was the furthest Thaddeus had been from his mate
Third Person's POV Thaddeus saw Aiden's shocked expression, which told the Alpha that the Omega didn't know they were mates. ‘How did he not know?’ Sure, it was the first time he felt the tingles from the bond, but couldn't he smell me? Couldn't he smell that I am his mate? Doesn't he feel the pull of the bond? Didn't his wolf tell him that I'm his mate? He had to have spoken the word at least once!’ The Alpha wondered, his thoughts racing. The Alpha had so many questions, so many things he wanted to ask his mate. Before the Alpha could open his mouth to ask the questions at the tip of his tongue, there was a knock at the door. Xander didn't wait for a reply. The Beta cracked the door open and popped his head in. “Hey, they're here,” Xander said, and then his face lit up when he saw his Luna was awake. Xander pushed the door open and entered the room with a smile beaming on his face. “Hey, kid! It's good to see you're finally awake!” The Beta said, and Aiden scowled at his
Third Person's POV Grace is an older lady in her 80s, but you would never know. Grace looks more like she's in her late thirties thanks to werewolf genes and the fact that they live much longer than humans. Grace is the head cook in the pack house kitchen. Before she became the head cook, she was Thaddeus's nanny and helped raise him. Grace is like a mother to Thaddeus. She is a kind and sweet lady with a motherly aura and a smile that makes you feel at home. The Alpha thought she was the perfect person to take Aiden something to eat. Anyone else may end up scaring him. But Grace will warm her way into his heart within seconds. …. When the Alpha left and closed the door, Aiden stared at it. The Omega was confused. He didn't know what to think. When the man said he was an Alpha, Aiden thought for sure he had just found himself in the same situation he just escaped from. He was terrified. He kept waiting for the Alpha to hit him or grab him by the hair and drag him down the sta
Third Person's POV The meeting with Alpha Michael only left Thaddeus with more questions. Michael believes the people watching his territory are scouts. But from where and why? The scouts weren't just watching River Pack from outside its territory. They have been caught deep within Michael's territory several times this past week. However, it seems their main focus is on the southeast corner, where Michael's territory connects to Thaddeus’s near the river—the same place Aiden was found. Could they be looking for him? If so, are these the same people who hurt him? The Alpha is exhausted by the time he finally makes it back to his bedroom. Thaddeus was disappointed to return so late and didn't get to say good night to his mate. Thaddeus enters his bedroom as quietly as he can. He approaches the bed and smiles at what he sees. Aiden is sound asleep, cuddling his pillow. The sheets are wrapped around him, tangled around his legs, with his foot sticking out. It's an adorable sight