The next month and a half are the worst of my life. Any motivation I ever had is gone now. Instead of just breakfast and dinner, now I make lunch too, and I'm still on pantry duty. Every moment of my day is filled with work from the time I wake up until the time I crash in my bed.
Thank Goddess for Lex. She keeps me going. Lex convinces me to enjoy the time that she and I get to spend together, which is when I'm cooking meals.
I find I actually enjoy cooking while Lex is with me. No one comes to bother me, so we get to have great conversations without interruptions. In the end, I have created something people will enjoy. I even found a couple of recipe books in the back of one of the kitchen cupboards and taught myself some new techniques and dishes to make.
Everything else in my life is complete shit. Alpha Graham allows pack members to hit me and verbally abuse me and they take full advantage at every opportunity. He comes to my room multiple times a week to beat me and berate me for imaginary offenses I haven't committed. Sometimes Ryan comes and watches. A couple of times he even gets the whip for his father, but he never actually hits me. I swear I see him smiling while he watches. Lex tries to convince me to fight back, but that would be a death sentence for both of us. If I fight back or even worse, if I shift, I'm certain I'd be killed on the spot.
Lex keeps telling me everything will change when I shift. She keeps saying we are a daughter of the Moon Goddess and we are her warrior. She is frustrated that I submit instead of fighting back. She is angry at me for keeping her a secret. She says doing so is making her weaker.
"Okay, Lex, a couple of problems with all of this," I try to tell her for the millionth time after we plop in bed. "First, I have no idea when I'm going to be able to let you out. I'm up and working every day from five a.m. until after midnight. Secondly, if the Alpha finds out I have a wolf at all, he might banish me and kill me or just skip banishing me and straight out kill me. Lastly, we are a slave, not a warrior. We aren't even an omega."
"Kas, we are not just a warrior. We are a child of the Moon Goddess. She is our mother."
I just roll my eyes, "Okay, okay. I don't know when I can let you out, but at the first opportunity, I will take it, Lex. I promise."
This seems to satisfy her. We keep having the same argument about werewolves all being children of Moon Goddess versus being an actual child of the Moon Goddess. She doesn't understand the difference. I think she actually believes the Moon Goddess is my mom, like, in the literal sense of the word mother.
Every night, I'm completely exhausted by the time I get back to my room. It's an even longer day if I'm visited by Alpha Graham. Lex has been the best friend I could ask for, even if she is frustrated and getting weak. She is always supporting me and pushing me to not give up. I feel guilty that I can't support her in return.
One day, Lori, Alpha Graham's personal omega comes running up to me while I'm making lunch and tells me the Alpha wants to see me in his office right away. I drop what I'm doing and hurry to his office.
I knock on the door quietly in case he's busy.
"Come in." He calls from inside. I pull open the door and peek inside.
“You called for me, Alpha?" I ask as quietly as possible. The easiest way to get away from him is to use as few words as possible and ask as few questions as possible.
"Don't just stand there, come in." He snarls.
I rush inside and close the door behind me. I stay as close to the door as possible in case I need to make a run for it.
"Kas, we have a delegation coming from the Blood River pack next week. Twenty wolves in total, all of the ranked members, their mates, the heads of their security and guards, and security detail for all of them. If all goes well, we'll be forming a pact with them. They must be treated with the utmost respect and courtesy. Bring lunches to the conference room every day and make a formal dinner every night next week, keep their pantries stocked, and stay the Hell out of the way. Got it?"
I look up from under my hat, still keeping my face low enough that he can't see my eyes. Yes, even after almost two months, he still hasn't noticed that I have purple eyes. Or if he has, he hasn't pointed it out. He also hasn't said anything about my silver hair. Which is just fine with me.
"Yes, Sir."
"Everyone will be here on Monday. Except for the Alpha, who is coming Tuesday. We'll be having a party after dinner to welcome him. Make sure there is enough food for the party. Give Sam the information for the additional food you need to make. Do you understand?"
"Yes, Sir."
"Good. We need to keep the Alpha happy. If not, I won't hesitate to let him kill you. Do you understand?" He stands up with his hands leaning on the desk, looking very intimidating.
"Y-yes, sir."
"Now get out of my sight," he points to the door behind me.
I scramble out of the room as fast as possible to find Sam. Sam is in charge of ordering supplies for the packhouse. He should be in his office right now. My mind is already churning through the special foods to make and the groceries I need for them. I also need extra supplies for the guest suite pantries. I wonder what kind of foods the Blood River pack likes?
Blood River is the largest pack in the northern region with my pack, Silver Moon, being the second largest. Alpha Graham says Blood River is vicious and strict. Most of their pack has served in the military at one point or another. They employ dark magicians and witches to help them keep power over neighboring packs. I wonder if they are going to bring any dark witches here. I hope not. I also hear their Alpha kills pack members who fail training tests because he doesn't want weak wolves in his pack. Definitely a guy I don't want to cross paths with.
I get to Sam's office and knock on the door. I can hear noises coming from inside, but he doesn't answer. I knock a little louder. What a jerk. He has to know I'm here. He knows my scent. Just tell me to come in, already.
“I don't like this guy, Kas. He's creepy. He stares at your boobs," Lex complains.
“Well, we don't have a choice but to work with him, Lex. He's the money man.”
“Ugh. Fine, but let's make it quick.”
I knock again. More impatiently this time.
"What is it?" He finally growls from inside.
I open the door to find there's a mostly naked female wolf with long blond hair sitting on his desk. Her legs are wrapped around his waist. She hides her face in his chest. I can't see who she was, but there is no denying whose scent it is. Sam is not wearing any pants and he is sweating.
"Get the fuck out, Kas! I'm busy here!"
I stand there wide-eyed, jaw slack for a moment. I can't be seeing this. Sam is having sex in his office...WITH THE LUNA.
"GET OUT, KAS!" He yells louder.
I come to my senses and slam the door closed. I run back to the kitchen as fast as I can. I can feel the blood drain from my face. If anyone finds out what I just saw, I am dead meat. Holy crap Holy crap Holy crap Holy crap.
Lex thinks it's hilarious. She laughs in my head throughout lunch preparation. I'm just trying to erase the scene from my mind.
I'm about to take the platters out to the dining room when Sam comes charging into the kitchen. He makes a beeline at me, grabbing me by the throat, and pinning me against the wall. He hauls back and punches me square in the face. The back of my head slams against the wall so hard I see stars. I can feel blood dripping from my nose as I slide down the wall with a groan.
"You didn't see anything!" His eyes are pitch black as he growls at me. I can feel his claws extending into my neck drawing blood, "You understand, you little bitch!"
I'm paralyzed with fear. I can't answer. I can't even nod. Suddenly I feel like I'm falling backward in my mind. I blink quickly a few times. It feels like I'm looking out of someone else's eyes.
"Let her go!" The voice comes from me, but it isn't my voice. It's Elexis. Her voice booms and sounds almost ethereal. The dishes on the counter shake as she growls deeply at Sam.
I watch helplessly, as my hands glow violet and grab Sam's wrists. As I grab him, his eyes widen in fear and he starts howling in pain. A sizzling sound comes from where my hands connect with his skin. He quickly releases my neck and we both fall to the ground.
"How are you doing this? What the Hell are you, Kas?"
I stand up feeling much taller than my five-foot-tall frame. Lex’s voice booms from me, "I'm a warrior child of the Moon Goddess. If you tell anyone what has happened here today, I. WILL. KILL. YOU."
***Trigger Warning - This chapter has sensitive content related to Sexual Assault.*** Sam scoots back on his backside away from me, wide-eyed, then clambers up and runs away as fast as he can. Suddenly, I'm thrust back into my normal state of mind and I fall back to the ground, exhausted. My hands are no longer glowing, but they feel like they are on fire and full of static electricity. "Lex! What was that?" I scold her, but mostly because it scared me. "I couldn't help it. He was threatening us." "Okay, but what was with the glowy purple, burny hands thing?! That's not normal!" "Kas, we've been through this. We are a child of the Moon Goddess. We are special. The 'glowy purple, burny hands thing' is a gift from our mother. There is more, too. You will see after we shift for the first time. Until then, I'm not strong enough to show you. Besides, it isn't like I hurt him; his wolf will heal him before he is back in his office." "I-I don-, wait, you mean the Moon Goddess is my a
I finish pantry duty, making sure everything is set in the guest rooms. I had Sam order bouquets for each of the suites as an extra touch. In the guest Alpha's suite, I also add a bottle of champagne. If this is the last thing I ever get to do, I want it to be something that makes someone else happy. It is almost one-thirty in the morning before I plop into bed, exhausted. It has been a shit day. If Luna Caroline has anything to do with it, it will probably be my last. Lex is exhausted too. She stops sulking long enough to tell me she needs me to shift, but I can't. I have no time or energy. I keep promising her I will, but I feel like I've broken that promise. I float off to sleep to the sounds of her whimpering in my head while I cry into the pillow. To my surprise, my alarm wakes me in the morning. Lex makes me promise to hang on for one more day. We go through the motions of the life I hate. While I'm getting ready, I look in the mirror to find my hair is completely silvery white
I make a four-course meal of Caesar salad, bacon-wrapped shrimp appetizers, beef wellington with braised Brussels sprouts for the main dish, and a key lime pie for dessert. I also make bruschetta, crostinis, tomato fritters, mini calzones, assorted veggie trays with dip, and chocolate truffles to serve for the party. I finished the desserts and veggie trays between breakfast and lunch so there was less for me to worry about now. I realize Lex's advice of finding happiness in cooking has helped me enjoy making this dinner. Maybe because I'm serving people other than my pack or maybe it's because I'm making special food, not just the regular stuff I make for the pack? Either way, I don't mind my work today. I feel a sense of pride in it. There are servers for dinner service since it's a formal event. I stay in the kitchen and make sure everything is plated and going out the door in perfect condition. I'm in the zone, as they say. I peek out from the kitchen after each course is served
I wake up feeling woozy, laying on my stomach in my bed. What the Hell? Was last night some sort of weird dream? I think the Alpha from Blood River attacked me. No. That doesn't seem right. As hard as I try, I can’t remember the details. I hear unfamiliar voices in the hallway, but I also hear the doctor and nurse Diane. There is a large man, wearing all black, standing in the doorway with his back facing me. I realize I'm not wearing a shirt. I'm only covered by a sheet and my back is covered in bandages. "Lex, are you there?" I ask, suddenly feeling scared. "I'm here, Kas." Her voice is soft and far away. "Are you okay, Lex? I'm so sorry." I can feel her weakness and pain. Tears sting my eyes. "You have nothing to apologize for, Kas. I'll be alright. You were strong. You held out as long as you could. I tried to slow down time to give you more time to get help, but it made me weaker." "Wait, that was you?" "Well, yeah, but it didn't work the way it was supposed to. I can expla
Bronx's POV As soon as my guard, Tyree, told me an omega was trying to get in my suite, I left the party and rushed upstairs. My wolf, Saint, urged me to hurry. “Something’s wrong. We need to get to her now,” he growls. I don’t have any pack secrets in the suite, but that doesn't mean I want a stranger going in without my permission. As we turn the corner, we see a scrawny little girl at the end of the hall struggling to push open the heavy door of my suite. The scent of fresh rain and lilacs wafts in the air, somehow making me feel less angry. The girl looks up at us from under her baseball cap when Tyree yells at her. I can’t see her face from the shadow of the hat, but I don’t need to. I’m immediately drawn to her. My heart almost skips a beat. “Mate,” Saint cries out, taking over control of my body. He strides over and roughly pushes her against the door. I feel my fangs extending as I deeply breathe in her scent. “Saint, don’t you DARE mark her.” I warn, pulling on his co
Bronx's POV After about fifteen minutes of failed attempts to try to convince Kas to come out from under the bed, I call Lenora and a nurse to help coax her out. I go to my room to shower and change while they do that. Lenora meets me out in the hallway before I can go back into Kas’s suite. “Is she alright?” I ask, searching Lenora’s eyes for the truth. “Yeah, but that whole thing exhausted her. She is back in bed sleeping.” She admits, shoving her hands in her pockets. "Bronx, I know I told you to be here and be with Kas, but maybe you should go get some sleep yourself." She looks at me sympathetically. "I can't believe you were so distracted that she was able to break your nose. You have to take care of yourself if you're going to take care of her." I sigh in frustration and rub my hands over my face. “I’m fine, Lenora.” "No. You’re not fine. An eighty pound she-wolf just broke Bronx Mason’s nose. Does that sound fine to you?” Her tone is forceful. “I'll stay here for a few
Kas's POV I wake up to see it's nighttime. I'm pretty sure the bed I'm in is the softest bed in the world. The scent of coffee and dark chocolate fills my senses and for the first time in forever, I feel completely relaxed. Happy little sparks shoot around my body. I realize I'm cradled in a large man's arms, like a kid with a teddy bear. He's so tall that I feel like a little kid next to him. My face is against his t-shirt, breathing in his intoxicating scent. I'm too short to look up to see his face from my position, but I already know it's Alpha Bronx Mason. I start to feel panic try to rise in my chest, but Lex gently pushes it back down. "Enjoy this moment, Kas." She whispers when she feels me starting to struggle. "He is your mate. He isn't going to hurt you." “We don't even know him, Lex. He could be dangerous.” “Oh, shush it. He's not dangerous while he's sleeping. He doesn't have a knife or anything. Just relax. Please, give this a chance.” I take a deep breath letting h
We stay like this for a while until he says, "How about we get you something to eat? You haven't had anything solid in almost a week." I pull away from our comfortable position and think about it. "Yeah, I'm pretty hungry." I agree. I don't actually feel hungry, but I don't want to make him upset with me, either. Not when things are starting to go so well. “Alright, I'll make you a little snack. Then we can get the kitchen to bring something up for you.” “Thank you. I'm just going to freshen up real quick, if that's okay?” "Of course. The bathroom is through that door." He points to the back of the suite. He helps me get out of his lap and I make my way to the bathroom. I look in the mirror and realize I'm a mess. My face is visibly dirty and there is still some dried blood in my tangled hair. I look down and see my hands and arms are just as gross as my face. I sniff the shirt I'm wearing. I smell terrible. UGH! How embarrassing! I wash up at the sink as quickly as I can. At t