Kane
"Mother," I groan, pinching the bridge of my nose. "You don't seem to understand what I'm trying to tell you." The endless battle between my mother and me seems to bring out the worst in me. For years, her psycho husband has led the pack like a dictator, and even though I'm well into my thirties, he refuses to step down from that title because he knows I'll bring far too many changes with me. "Amon, he's a lunatic." My statement finally catches her attention.
Mother rolls her eyes and snorts. "My husband isn't a lunatic. He is a righteous man and has brought so much freedom to our people; we should be grateful for all he does." She finally turns around to face me. I've been standing behind her for hours as she concentrates on covering her face with layers of makeup.
"Is that so?" I chuckle.
She crosses her arms in front of her chest and huffs, "Yes."
My mother used to be a wise woman, but all those years spent next to her crazy husband have resulted in severe brain damage. I love her to bits, but she's as blind as a mole. "What is freedom if he built it on the foundation of slavery?" Enough with the excuses; she needs to face reality before it's too late.
"Slavery? Boy, you're delusional. Those are your drugs talking, aren't they? Kane, darling, go home and lie down," she tries to put her palm on my forehead, but I push her hand away from me. It's funny how my own mother forgot that I stopped taking medication more than twenty years ago. Besides, I had to take them once, when I was very young.
I roll my eyes at her ignorance and lack of knowledge. If only I could talk some sense into her, she'd understand that Amon destroyed everything dad fought for. "You may overlook slavery, but I see it in action day after day, and I'm sick of it. There's no point in mentioning humans, they're little minions running around doing your dirty work. But those are not only humans; I'm talking about low-rank and middle-class shifters. What's the problem with finding a solution and living side by side in peace?" I raise my voice, hoping she'll hear me out. For once, she might try to be on my side and see things the way I do.
My attempts are dismissed in a blink of an eye as she turns back to the mirror and applies bright red lipstick. "I need to get ready for the dinner party. Annoy someone else, please. We can talk later," mother purses her lips and smiles at my reflection.
I've had enough of her fake life. "Yes, right, your extravagant dinner parties with loads of guests, gold and caviar, how could I forget? Those humans and shifters are dying in the mines for the price of your luxury. One of these days, the Council will notice what you're doing, and they will step in." As soon as I mention the Council, mother grants me a moment of her full attention."You won't tell them anything!" She screams as she presses her finger against my chest. Am I really the only person who truly cares about people who are dying, regardless of their species, skin colour, or age?
"Oh, I won't, but I make no promises for those who live under your rule. I'm lucky enough to have an actual brain and invest my money in properties- if I didn't do that, who knows, I might be standing next to the poor souls who built your lifestyle at the expense of their lives." I shrug and head for the door to her room. No matter how hard I try to have a reasonable conversation with her and inform her of any problem that comes up, she'd rather admire herself in the mirror and flaunt her husband in front of the guests.
"Silly boy, I’d never let you die in poverty," my mother calls after me, and I have to bite my tongue to keep my thoughts from escaping my lips.
"Yet, you allow others to starve, work until they drop, or catch deadly diseases. Such a hypocrite." I poke the issue once more. A tiny part of me hopes she'll pull her head out of her ass for once and listen. After all, she's the rightful Luna, while Amon got the title through marriage. Everyone knew he'd be a shitty Alpha, but no one could imagine the dreadful things he was planning for the pack.
"That's enough, Kane!" Mother throws her lipstick at me as she screams at the top of her lungs. She has a shit aim, by the way. "Leave before I get angry and call Amon."
"Too bad he doesn't scare me, right?" I chuckle and open the door. I bet mother is furious, so I throw a glance over my shoulder. "Whatever, I'm leaving this dump; enjoy your evening." As usual, I start with the nice part. Then, I wink at her and add, "Oh, and mother, I hope you choke on that caviar." I can still hear her screams after I close the door behind me. I love the moments when I can piss her off enough that she refuses to leave her room. One less party means a little more resources for the pack.
I force my hands into the pockets of my jeans and leave her packhouse. The poor people race back and forth to get the house ready before their beloved guests arrive. I don't understand what my mother is doing. Good leaders sacrifice everything they have for the people who trust them, not take away the last bit that people have. With these extravagant parties, she does nothing but feeds her ego while her people starve.
As usual, my eyes scan the woods before I take off. My house is on the opposite side of the territory- I chose the location to increase the distance between my mother and me. Though I still visit her from time to time, I prefer to stay away.
It's not often that an uneasy feeling sits in the pit of my stomach as soon as I enter the woods. Everyone knows how dangerous they are, but I've never had a problem walking through them. Never, until today.
Something is wrong, but I can't figure out what. As I keep walking, I try to focus on my surroundings. The trail looks the same as always; I don't see new footsteps, catch an unknown scent, or notice anything out of place. Yet, the feeling's still there, and I can't shake it off.
I take a few more steps forward, and suddenly, I want to change direction and go around the trail. I prefer to take the same old way, but if there's one thing I've learned over the years, it's to trust my gut feeling, and I won't ignore that today.
I guess I'm lucky because I notice fresh footprints in the snow. I kneel to take a closer look. My attention is immediately caught by tiny, frantic-looking footsteps, apparently followed by two shifters.
I follow the trail they left and spot a small hill. My eyes take in the surroundings until they focus on a brown bookbag. I'm pretty sure someone slid down the hill here and was too busy running to catch their belongings. What the hell happened out here? I carefully make my way down the hill, grab the bag and follow footsteps, humming a tune to keep myself entertained.
After a while, the paw prints change to feet, and I suspect there must be a woman and two men after her. This doesn't look right. The owner of the tiny feet couldn't be human; Amon forbade them to leave their homes after the dark.
My heart skips a beat- but what if it's a woman? What if it's a human after all? What if she's in danger because two wolves decided to play the game of chase with someone Amon would allow to hurt?
I try to spot anything out of the ordinary, but there's nothing but the footprints. I lose hope of figuring out what happened or helping anyone who might be in need until a horrified scream startles me. Without a second thought, I take off.
SelenaTears run down my cheeks as I watch the two men change positions. The shorter one grabs my wrists so tightly his nails pierce my skin. If I ever get out of here alive, I'll have to deal with the loss of the last thing I valued and a darn infection. "No, you don't have to do this, please. I haven't done anything to you; please let me go." I plead with the men, but my desperation only amuses them.Gabe positions himself between my legs as his eyes take me in. I wish I could blackout so I wouldn't remember these horrible events, but adrenaline is pumping through my veins; it's impossible to pass out. He grabs my coat and rips it open; the same fate befalls the sweater and shirt I'm wearing underneath. Even though it's the mid
KaneThe poor thing radiated nothing but fear. Thank the Moon Goddess I arrived on time. If I'd come just a few minutes later, she'd be raped by two rogues. Damn, I hate those creatures with a passion!It was way too easy to get rid of the first one; the guy was too engrossed in his sick fantasies to notice me approaching him. Honestly, his friend wasn't any better, but his punishment was instant death since he tried to get away with the human girl. The other may wander the woods for a few days until he drops dead, but at least I was merciful enough to give him that much time to live.I watched as the girl ran from the scene. Though I tried to call after her to ask if the bag was hers, she didn't listen to me, nor did I try to catch up with her. Understandably, after everything that h
SelenaI feel dirty. I am dirty. I am disgusting.And it's no one's fault but my own. I shouldn't have taken the shortcut and entered those damned woods in the first place.Even though I made it back home in one piece, relatively untouched, I've never been so disgusted with myself before. My mind was a mess, and I had no idea how I snuck home unnoticed. If my mother or dad were to catch me- the near-rape situation wouldn't seem so bad anymore.I didn't bother to take off my coat when I got into my bedroom and rushed into the bathroom. It was the longest shower I'd taken in my life. The more I tried to scrape my skin clean of the dirt and phantoms of their hands, the dirtier I felt.
KaneI stand aside from the crowd. Some people noticed my arrival and started gossiping no longer than a few seconds later. I knew something like this might happen because it's the first time I have shown up, so obviously, everyone would make a big deal out of it.My mother and Amon walk around greeting any shifter near them but give the present humans the cold shoulder. I roll my eyes as I lean against the tree.My gaze follows them as they take their places on the platform. Amon clears his throat as he steps in front of the microphone. "I would like to congratulate everyone who has come here today. It may seem that there aren't many people here today, but I can assure everyone that you will find someone special today." No sooner do these words pass his lips tha
SelenaMom drags me down the street. Every time she pulls me to move faster, I have to adjust the straps of the stupid dress. I don't understand why I had to wear it- it's freezing outside, but I'm running around like it's the middle of summer.Not to mention the dress makes me look like a corpse. Plus, mom put so much foundation on everything she deemed as imperfect- my legs and arms are covered in yellow spots. Her attempt to hide the "hideous" parts has resulted in me looking sick.We get to the ceremonial clearing on time, but I still have to listen to everything mom says. She whispers insulting things; I know the wolves can hear us- a few give me nasty looks. Why me when she's the one being unreasonable and rude?
KaneAs I carry her away from the ceremonial clearing, all I can think about is how much I'd like to see this woman wrapped in my sheets. I'd fucking love to see her fall asleep and wake up in my bed.Although she's been mine since I chose her, there are a few rules I have to follow. I have to bring her home first and discuss when she can move in with me. It's a stupid tradition, but I can't change something we've been doing for centuries.I carry her to her house and let her stand back to her feet as soon as we approach the front door. Only when she raises an eyebrow, I realise I didn't ask her for the address."Great way to appear like a creep. Amazing first impression," my wolf laughs at me, but I blo
SelenaI don't know her. I don't know my best friend. The person standing in front of me is anything but the girl I once loved and adored.She has changed for the worse.And as if the yelling and accusing me of things I haven't done weren't enough, she slapped me.I stare at her wide-eyed, shocked beyond limits. But before I can regain my senses and say anything, my bedroom door is kicked down by the same man Kelly is so angry about.He ignores me and stomps straight towards her. I watch everything in horror.He grabs Kelly by the neck and forces her body against the wall. Her feet leave the floor
KaneI'm seething with anger as I head downstairs to stop by her parents. Selena's father looks worried, while her mother is pissed off about something."Tell her that today was the first and last time I'm going to take any shit from her." I clench my hands into fists to keep myself together. I don't want to cause more damage here than I already did. "I'll be back in three days; then, I'm taking Selena home with me, with or without her consent." I don't warn anyone anymore- every word that passes my lips is a promise.Her parents watch me leave. I'm fucking furious. How dare she act out like this when she knows I'm doing her a huge favour.As usual, my wolf shows up when I don't need him. "Calm down, you scare