~Tamia~
I did not speak to Leo throughout the drive.
Every attempt he made to speak to me was shut down by my silence. When we arrived home, I went straight to the bedroom.
Our house had four bedrooms. We chose it so our children would have a room each to themselves, but that wouldn't be the case now. I wonder which of the rooms I will be asked to move into when Amanda moves in.
Linda's words remained on my mind, and just like hers, I knew my bed would be cold soon.
"Tamia, please," Leo said, following me to the bedroom.
"Please, Tamia," he pleaded, and I turned to look at him.
"Please, what? Everyone is talking about it, Leo. You humiliated me at the party. So what she is your fated. Did you have to leave my side, get into the balcony and make out with her? Do you know the meaning of self-control?" I asked him, and he bowed his head.
"The feeling was overwhelming," he said, and I laughed.
"Better go to Whitewood and finish what you started, Leo. Do not wait for my approval because it will never come. I will never say it is okay so you can feel good. In fact, it isn't okay! It hurts! It feels like a betrayal, and I can never get over it. So don't waste your time hoping I will see the light because I won't. I am the loser in this. Not you, not her, not the fucking pack members, just me. Me and Kaira." I said, walking into the bathroom to shower.
I stood under it while the water ran, and I was frozen. I did not know what to do. Where will I go to? Just like Linda and Avery, I was trapped. I could not go anywhere without an invite because I was his luna. I could not dream of finding love. No one would want to try with me. I was stuck.
I sat under the water and wept.
I was trying to prepare my mind for the dark days ahead, but I couldn't. My heart was too broken, and I was too afraid.
"We will have to try, Tamia," Kaira, my wolf, said, resigning herself to our fate.
"What if she is mean and evil and wants him and everything to herself?" I asked my wolf.
"Then we will let her have it. We can't fight this. She is higher than us, and she is his fated. We do not stand a chance. We just have to hope that she is nice and considerate, or a cold bed would be the least of our problems, Tamia," my wolf said, and I wept. This was all too much.
One month passed, and I watched Leo fight the bond. He never went to get her from the Whitewood pack. Alpha Ramzey sent several envoys to no avail. I knew he was trying to prove something to me, and I appreciated him for it.
We made love a couple of times, but it was different. His heart and wolf weren't in it, making it feel like pity fuck. I had never felt so low in my life until now.
He spent long hours in the office and reduced his time working from home.
I knew he wasn't attracted to me as he used to be.
Alpha Ramzey had threatened war with us if he didn't take his daughter, and word had spread that he was soliciting help from others. Because of this, we were summoned to the council meeting.
The meeting was where Alphas in our region met and decided on issues. Every Alpha had equal rights in the council, and the judgement was binding. Every council consisted of all the alphas in a region. Every Alpha in the council represented their pack.
I was nervous about the verdict, but I dressed to go anyway.
While we sat in the car's back seat, Leo squeezed my hand gently.
"Don't be worried, Tamia. You will always be my Luna. I promise you," he said, and I nodded and smiled at him. I had somehow learned how to pretend I believed him. The truth was the only reason I was still with him was that I had nowhere to go.
A lot of issues were discussed at the council.
Alpha Sylvester Volkov of the Dark Wolf pack, and Lord of all werewolves was one issue that troubled people the most. He conquered an entire region and was heading for ours.
Some people argued that the Dark Alpha never attacked unless someone offended him. Still, most believed he was a bully, and we needed to prepare ourselves.
Being an Alpha from another region, I had never met him before, so I could not judge his character or decide whether the rumours about him were true or false. One certain thing was that the man was powerful, and he was feared.
After discussing how evil the Dark Alpha was and deciding what to do on the matter, Ramzey's issue with Leo was tabled.
"Why have you refused to do the honourable thing, Alpha Leo?" Kyle asked him, and I knew he would see kicking me to the curb for a fated as honourable since that was what he did to Linda.
"Your chosen cannot leave you unless you reject her. It is wrong to have relations with you fated and then abandon her," he said sternly, and Leo shook his head.
"I did not go all the way with her, I swear," he argued, and Kyle shook his head.
"Not according to Amanda," he said, and Leo frowned.
Either he was lying, or she was lying; whatever the case may be, people would likely believe her because of her ripped dress.
"We do not want a war among ourselves, Leo, do the honourable thing," Alpha Gabriel said and looked at me.
"You should not hold him back from his fated, Luna Tamia. It is cruelty," The chauvinistic bastard said to me. What was my crime in all this?
"Do not blame me for this, Alpha," I warned the man, and he took offence.
"I am not the one under scrutiny. Do not get me involved." I warned him, and he growled.
"It is because of you he hasn't taken Amanda in. We can't have two powerful Alphas go to war because you don't want to share. Fate has made it, so deal with it," the man said, and I did not bother to respond because there was no point arguing with the bastard.
"You are expected to take Miss Amanda Richford in by the end of the week. Or the council will be against you. You might be powerful. You might have more land and wealth than all of us, but together, we are stronger than you. Do not force our hands. You have hurt Alpha Ramzey and should make reparations by doing the right thing." Kyle said, and the case was closed.
We did not stand a chance against the entire council, so I knew we would welcome a guest into our home soon.
I returned home with Leo fuming with anger.
"I will move my things out of the master's bedroom tomorrow morning," I told him, kicking myself out of the room before he did it.
"No," he said.
"We will remain together. Since Amanda is hellbent on coming here, she will sleep in the other room," he said and looked at me.
"I swear to you, Tamia, I did not sleep with her," he said, and I nodded at his empty words and went to the bedroom.
I tossed and turned most of the night because I knew my life would be different in the morning.
Morning came, and Amanda arrived.
People stared as they moved their things into our home. I pointed to the guest room, and they reluctantly moved her things there. It was as if they felt she should not be there.
After they had arranged everything in her room, the people she came with left. I avoided speaking to her and decided I would leave the house when she chose that moment to speak.
"I am sorry for the inconvenience this is causing you, Luna Tamia. Know that if the rejection was an option, we would have done it in a heartbeat, but a powerful Alpha like Leo would not want to be weak neither do I. I promise I will not try to replace you," she said, and I knew she knew it was only a matter of time.
"Thank you," I lied and stepped out of the house. I walked to the woods, shifted to my wolf form, and ran.
I remained in my wolf form all day, until nighttime. I returned home and noticed that Leo's car was parked in front of the house. It was times like this I wished we lived in the packhouse; they would never have privacy.
I entered the house and heard their voices coming from Amanda's room. They were arguing about something. From the discussion, it was clear she had lied against Leo that they had relations, but they only made out. At the end of it all, she won and now is currently living with us.
I went to the master bedroom to shower.
Two weeks passed, and Leo treated Amanda like a ghost in the house. I began to feel sorry for her. I could see his efforts to stay away. She had asked for rejection several times already. I knew she did not mean it; she was only doing it to get a reaction from him. I wondered how long he would hold out on her.
I woke up with a sharp pain in my chest. I felt disoriented, but the pain soon made me focus. Leo wasn't beside me, and I did not need to guess where he was. This pain was different; it was draining and excruciatingly painful, and soon it stopped abruptly. I did not understand what had happened but was grateful that it had stopped. I laid back down to sleep but couldn't. Tears of fear, betrayal and sadness streamed down my cheeks, and I knew that my life had been altered completely.
Sleep eventually came in the morning's early hours, making me wake by noon. I could not take my normal morning runs because the sun was up, so I opted to shower. I left the room and went to find something to eat in the kitchen, and there they were, laughing and talking. They were silent when I entered the kitchen, and I had to cover my hurt.
"Please ignore me," I said and headed for the coffee maker.
"Good morning, Luna Tamia," Amanda said too nicely, and I looked at her. She turned to face me so I could see Leo's mark on her neck. It explained why the pain stopped abruptly, as Linda had told me.
I began to laugh immediately. That was the response that came out of me. I laughed and nodded.
"Congratulations," I said, lifted my mug and left the kitchen.
"Tamia, Tamia!" Leo called out, and I stopped walking and turned to face him.
"Please, Tamia. It doesn't change anything. You are still Luna," He said, and I laughed. There was no way I was going to let Leo use me.
"No, Leo. I am not the only Luna anymore," I told him, and he frowned at me, wondering what I meant.
There was no need for me to elaborate now. I will do so when the opportunity presents itself. I looked at his clothes, and it did not seem like he had anywhere to go, which meant they would be together all day. It was time to start planning my exit. Yes, he won't reject me, and now that he has claimed her, I won't feel pain when they are together again. It was time to start searching for places I could move to. I might not be able to settle down again, and I might have to move to a different region and lie that my mate is dead, but I knew whatever I needed to do needed to be quick. Amanda didn't seem like a nice woman, and I did not want to find out.
~Tamia~ Another month passed, and things got worse between Leo and me. He never spent time with me anymore and seemed to have miraculously moved out of our bedroom. I saw it all coming, yet it bothered me. He took her along to functions he was invited to and told me to mind the pack. I was working on my exit, so I kept telling myself it would only take a little longer. I would often stare at my neck where his mark rested and want to clean it off. I hated seeing it so much, I always covered the area. My tears had run dry. Some lunas reached out to me to sympathise with me, and others congratulated Amanda; she wasn't named Luna yet, and I knew why. Amanda was a medical doctor, and she wasn't trained for battle. Naming her Luna would mean she would have to take up all my responsibilities, including leading battles. I guess her life was too important for that. I planned on surprising Leo soon. I was sitting in my office when Leo barged in and began to yell at me. He was behaving
~Tamia~ "What is the Alpha of Greenwood Pack doing here?" I linked Linda, and she scuffed. "Kyle feels our region needs to create an alliance with them to fight the Wolf Lord," Linda explained, and I frowned. "Wouldn't that be looking for trouble?" I said and she shook her head. "I think so, but the alphas don't. You didn't attend the last meeting, so you missed the Chauvinism. They are teaming up to take the fight to the Wolf Lord. They said our world would be better without him. He has taken over the entire north and western region," She said. I turned my head toward Alpha Devin, who stood patiently waiting for me to finish my conversation with Linda. "I will think about it," I said, and he was stunned by my response. He wasn't expecting me to say no. "Well then, I will wait patiently until you decide," He bowed and walked away. I could hear Leo growing in my head. "I am going to spank you when we get home," He growled. "Save the bedroom stuff for your fated; we are way past
~Tamia~ "No need," I replied, and he walked to me and looked into my eyes. I knew he was hurting, but his pain was nothing compared to mine. He was the one on the gaining side. "I can't let go, Tamia," he said and placed his hands gently on my shoulders. "It is normal to give up on a situation and someone you don't understand, Tamia. I understand your anger and why you will flirt with Devin. I know you have a strong reason to give up on us, but I am asking you to give me a chance. I know we can make this work. I am willing to do anything for you, Tamia. I know I am wrong, but tell me what to do to keep you. I will do anything to keep you, Tamia. I was hoping you could teach me how. I will learn to be a better person for you please. Amanda was beyond my control. I am sorry. You know I tried. Please, Tamia," He pleaded with me with tears in his eyes. Leo went on his knees and hugged my legs. "Please, Tamia. I am trying to the best of my ability. Let me prove myself to you. Let me
~Tamia~ The men dragged me all the way. My heart broke to see wounded and dead wolves on the ground. What did Kyle do to doom our entire region? I wondered and fought the tears welling in my eyes. The Dark Alpha was ruthless, and I now understood why people feared him. I was dragged to the border between Mountain Pack and Valley hill pack. There I saw a massacre. Warriors were killed. Looking at the casualties, I noticed only our wolves were killed. None of the northern wolves died. It made me wonder who trained them and also made me dread the Dark Alpha. Where was Devin? He was supposed to be in our region to help when something like this happened, but he was nowhere to be found. I could not fathom the lives that were affected by this. A white van was waiting, and the men dragging me opened the door and ordered me to get in. I did what they said without question. My goal was to leave Leo; it wasn't to get killed. After all I saw on our way, I made a conscious decisi
~Leo~ I woke up in wolf form. Amanda knelt beside me, and she was weeping. I did not know what had happened. Did they conquer us while I was out of it? I shifted back to my human form, and she hugged me tightly and wept. I searched about for Tamia. The last time I remembered, three of us were in the living room when the intruders barged in. I broke the hug and gently got up to look at the mess that was once my living room. There was nothing to salvage. I had to replace everything. "Where is Tamia?" I asked Amanda, and she continued to cry on the floor. "Where is my wife? What happened?" I asked, and she managed to get up. "They were trying to take you away as a trophy. You were almost dead. So she gave herself up in your stead. I tried to talk her out of it, but she shut me out. They took her away in chains, Leo. We stood no chance. The attack ended the moment they took her," Amanda said, rushing through her words, but I was lost from the moment she said Tamia gave herself u
~Tamia~ After waiting for hours in a room unattended, we were carried to what looked like a throne room and forced to kneel. To my surprise, I saw alphas' daughters and sisters from our region in chains, kneeling. We were made to kneel with our heads bowed. "The Alpha will examine you all. Those fit for his harem will be chosen. Those fit to serve will be chosen. Those yet to be placed will be reserved. Do not aggravate the Alpha by smiling or looking into his eyes. It might mean instant death for you. Being a beautiful, alluring woman means nothing to him. So do not think your beauty will entice him. If you aren't a virgin, quickly state it, so we do not put you in the harem," a hefty dark man said. He had long hair and a beard too. He packed it in a ponytail. His eyes were midnight blue, and He looked handsome. From the authority he exuded, if he wasn't the Alpha, then I was guessing he was the Beta, and it seemed Avery had the hots for the man. Too bad there was nothing attractiv
~Tamia~ It would be fair to think someone in my condition would find it difficult to sleep at night, especially after personally meeting the Dark Alpha himself. After shaking and palpitating on the floor, Kaira and I got our shit together and went to lie on the bed. I slept off immediately. I woke up feeling refreshed. The bed was comfortable, and I wondered why the Dark Alpha had come to see me. I doubt we will be tumbling in the sheets any time soon. "I must say, Tamia, The Wolf Lord is hot," Kaira purred in my head. "We have to get our shit together and not look weak, or else we will end up being prey," I told my wolf. "I think we shouldn't overdo it; he doesn't seem to be the patient type," she said, and I smiled. "Then we should test his limits," I said with a smile, and she purred. My wolf's understanding of testing the Alpha's limit differed from mine. Hers had to do with tangling in the sheets. I went to shower in the bathroom, and I was surprised at the number of thing
~Leo~ A week passed, and the reality of what had happened to me sank in. I had sent Amanda home to her father, so I could mourn my wife. Max asked me to release her, but I couldn't. Releasing her meant I had given up on her and I didn't want to give up. I didn't know if she was well or what they were doing to her there. "We need to release her, or the Dark Alpha will see our mark on her as an act of defiance," Black warned me, but I couldn't. I decided I would write a letter to the wolf lord. Pleading with him to give me back my wife and promising never to work or act against him. I did not care if what I was doing was foolish, but I had to do something. I could not sit on my arse and mope. If he won't give her back, the least he can do is let me hear her voice and know that she is okay and happy where she is. "You will be causing more harm than good. What if he sees it as an act of defiance? Did it ever occur to you that Tamia gave herself so we could live? The situation was te