Share

Chapter 3

last update Last Updated: 2023-04-22 03:51:45

Rachel's POV

As I was being driven by my brother, Cole to the Moon Stone pack whose territory was in the West, I leaned back in the passenger seat, staring out the window and reflecting on why we were heading to the Moon Stone mansion. I couldn't help but think of how I was being forced into marriage with this pack's Alpha, Damon.

After the incident at the party two nights ago when Alpha Damon had blatantly called me his mate, word had quickly spread that the Alpha of the Moon Stone pack had found his mate. Then my father had summoned me to his study and informed me that arrangements had been made with Alpha Damon's father for us to get married. He reasoned that our union would strengthen his business alliance with the Alpha's father, and hopefully Alpha Damon, too, and I had no choice in the matter.

He had threatened that if I dared refuse, he would rather cast me out from our pack than let my unreasonableness affect his business dealings with Alpha Damon's father. I wasn't sure if I'd be able to handle being a lone wolf, after I'd heard both good and bad stories about being a lone wolf. So I caved to my father's wishes.

I wasn't too thrilled with the whole idea, seeing as his reputation of being a cruel Alpha preceded him, and I didn't want to submit to any man, mate or not. But I also didn't want to risk incurring my father's wrath by refusing.

Cole glanced at me. "What are you thinking about, Rachel?"

I shook my head slowly. "Nothing. Just wondering what my life is going to be like from now on."

"You're worried about how Alpha Damon will react to having you as his wife, aren't you?" he rightly guessed.

I sighed. "I honestly never imagined being in this kind of position. I mean, I've heard stories about women getting sold to Alphas as their mates for different reasons and whatnot, but I never thought I'd end up in a similar situation."

Cole scoffed. "But I guess looking on the bright side, you didn't get sold off, right? This was a different kind of arrangement."

I rolled my eyes. "Yeah, sure. I was given two impossible choices to choose from. I'm not sure which one you'd have preferred I chose."

"Hey." He raised one hand up in a gesture of peace. "I'm not blaming you, okay? If anything, I'm actually glad you didn't choose to be cast out from our pack. Contrary to what you might believe or might've been told, not every lone wolf is stronger than a pack," he said in a somber tone. "Not every lone wolf can last long enough out there."

I knew that I had made a mistake when I had decided to speak out against what I felt was my father's cruel treatment of some of the weaker members of our pack, but I couldn't just stand by and watch as others suffered. And to make matters worse, I had refused to back down even when he lashed out and threatened me. It wasn't until after the whole incident that I was made to realize that my actions had served as a start to undermining his authority before the rest of the pack and that wasn't something that could be taken lightly. That was probably why he was so eager to get rid of me now.

I have always been an independent and strong-willed she-wolf. I grew up in a pack that had been harsh and unforgiving, and valued tradition and hierarchy above all else, but I had always felt stifled by my father's strict rules and regulations. Our pack was led by my father who ruled with an iron fist and who could be quite cruel and abusive sometimes.

I had been one of the few females in the pack, and I had been constantly belittled and mistreated by the males, especially because I had been expected to have my first turning at the age of seventeen which was the ideal age, but it didn't happen until I turned twenty. During the years in-between, my father had felt that since it hadn't happened, it was never going to happen. In my family, I was the only one who failed to turn at seventeen years of age.

My brother Cole cared for me and protected me in his own way, being careful enough not to coddle me and risk incurring our father's wrath. Our father had raised us both with an iron fist so we hadn't been allowed to show excessive displays of emotion towards one another, even if we wanted to.

Even our mother was widely, albeit discreetly regarded as the ice queen among the members of our pack because of her constant cold, and sometimes harsh, demeanor. When in public, you would've hardly guessed that we were her children. Her constant coldness and aloofness sometimes made me wonder how my father still loved her as much as he did. Maybe in their private chambers, behind closed doors, she was an entirely different person; a softer, kinder person. But if that was the case, we never got to see that side of her.

Her excuse for being this way was that in a world filled with creatures, including those of our kind and others, who were out to capture and subdue us, we needed to be tough and she and our Alpha were helping us achieve that.

As I grew older, I had fought hard to gain the respect of the other wolves and I believed that I had proven myself to be a skilled hunter and a capable fighter. However, I eventually saw that my efforts had been in vain. It was as if they didn't care how hard I'd tried to prove myself, they had already concluded and ruled me out.

So I had become determined to break free from the oppressive environment of my pack by speaking out against the injustices I observed. Little did I know that trying to break free would lead me down this path. Hell, the Alpha was my father and I thought I could leverage off that and his love for me as his daughter, even though I knew that he didn't take such pride in me; I just didn't think he would retaliate in this way.

As we rounded a bend, we arrived at a well-cleared path and my eyes grew wide with bewilderment as a familiar and strongly inviting scent hit me. The scent of a sexy masculine fragrance blended with leather, wet earth, lavender, creamy vanilla, and a subtle metallic scent that probably came from an animal that he had hunted. The scent belonged to Alpha Damon and I knew he wasn't very far away.

Continue to read this book for free
Scan code to download App

Latest chapter

  • Alpha Damon's Unwanted Luna   Chapter 26

    Damon's POV Sleep never came. I sat at my desk, fingers steepled as I stared at the security report Caleb had delivered. The words blurred together, but the message was clear - our men had spotted faint tracks along the northern border. No confirmed sighting, but enough to suggest movement. Enough to suggest Vaughn's men had been there. My jaw clenched. That rogue's words from the day of the wedding echoed in my mind. Vaughn knows about your little arrangement, Alpha. Of course he did. A sharp knock at the door pulled me from my thoughts. "Come in," I called. Caleb stepped inside, his expression as grim as ever. "He's not talking." I didn't need to ask who. The rogue we captured had been locked up for over a day now, yet he refused to say anything more than that cryptic warning. I pushed back from my desk and stood. "Then we'll make him talk." The scent of damp stone and sweat filled the underground cells beneath the packhouse. The rogue sat on a cot inside his c

  • Alpha Damon's Unwanted Luna   Chapter 25

    Rachel's POV The laughter and chatter around me felt distant, as if I were watching the celebration through a thick layer of glass. The toasts had begun, voices rising in cheer as people lifted their glasses in honor of a union that didn't feel real to me. I barely registered what was being said. Words about alliances, about strength and prosperity for the Moon Stone Pack. Beta Caleb spoke first, his usual sharp demeanor softened just enough for this public display. My father followed, his words clipped and measured - proud of the deal he had struck, rather than the daughter he had just married off. Cole's toast was the only one that made my throat tighten. His words were short, but laced with a quiet, unwavering support only a brother could give. "To my sister, who always finds a way to survive. May she do more than that here - may she find a way to live." A strange hush settled after his words, but only for a beat before the next person stood to speak. I exhaled,

  • Alpha Damon's Unwanted Luna   Chapter 24

    Damon's POV The ceremony was over. Rachel stood at my side, her face unreadable as the final guests filed out of the hall. The moment we had exchanged vows played in my mind on a loop, but I shoved the thoughts aside. It was done. The alliance was sealed. I should have felt a sense of accomplishment. Relief, even. Instead, there was something gnawing at me - something I couldn't quite name. Then, I felt it before I saw her. Maya. She was a storm brewing just beyond my line of sight. I turned my head slightly, just in time to see her approaching with sharp, determined steps. "You actually did it," she hissed under her breath. "You married her." I clenched my jaw. "Now's not the time, Maya." Her blue eyes burned with fury. "When exactly is the time, Damon? When will you stop pretending that this -" she gestured vaguely toward Rachel, who was distracted by a conversation with Francine, "- means nothing to you?" "It does mean nothing," I said coldly. "It was necessary.

  • Alpha Damon's Unwanted Luna   Chapter 23

    Rachel's POV The ceremony was over. I had expected to feel something - anything - when the vows were spoken, when the bond was sealed in the eyes of the pack. But instead, I felt... nothing. No relief. No anger. No sense of finality. Just an odd hollowness that settled deep in my chest, like I had been walking toward the edge of a cliff for so long, only to realize there was no drop at all - just more ground stretching endlessly ahead. The reception was in full swing, though it hardly felt like a celebration to me. Pack members mingled, laughing, drinking, toasting to the union of their Alpha and his Luna. They were celebrating for their own reasons - security, alliances, stability - not because they believed this marriage had any love to offer. The whispers had started as soon as the ceremony ended. I had caught bits and pieces of them as I walked through the crowd. "She looked beautiful, but did you see how he barely even looked at her?" "He kept the vows so brief...

  • Alpha Damon's Unwanted Luna   Chapter 22

    Damon's POV The hall was already filling with guests by the time Caleb and I arrived. My father stood near the front, speaking in hushed tones with a few high ranking members of the pack. As soon as he spotted me, his gaze swept over me in silent scrutiny before giving a curt nod, satisfied that I had made it on time. I straightened my suit jacket, rolling my shoulders. Everything about this event felt suffocating - the sheer number of people, the weight of expectation pressing down on me, and the knowledge that within the next hour, I would be bound to Rachel in a way that couldn't be undone. Caleb, standing beside me, exhaled. "We made it." "Barely." My eyes flicked across the hall. Faces blurred together, none of them particularly interesting - except for one. Maya. She stood near the middle of the hall, her back stiff, her hands clenched at her sides. She wasn't even trying to conceal her fury. When our eyes met, hers darkened with resentment. If she thought I was goi

  • Alpha Damon's Unwanted Luna   Chapter 21

    Damon's POV Caleb and I moved swiftly through the hallways of the packhouse, urgency pressing down on us. The wedding was starting soon, but this couldn't wait. The rogue they had captured claimed to have a message from Vaughn, and whether it was a trap or not, I needed to hear what he had to say. We crossed the courtyard, stepping into the fading light of dusk as we made our way toward the pack's holding cells. The timing was terrible. Guests were arriving, the ceremony was being finalized, and I should have been inside, preparing to take my vows. Instead, I was heading to interrogate a rogue. "This could be another one of Vaughn's games," Caleb muttered beside me. "Maybe," I agreed. "But if there's even the slightest chance that he actually sent a message, I want to know what it is." We reached the underground cells, where two guards stood stationed outside the heavy iron door. They straightened at my approach. "Has he said anything yet?" I asked. One of them shook

More Chapters
Explore and read good novels for free
Free access to a vast number of good novels on GoodNovel app. Download the books you like and read anywhere & anytime.
Read books for free on the app
SCAN CODE TO READ ON APP
DMCA.com Protection Status