Francesca’s POVThe coronation of the Alpha King and his chosen Luna is one of the most sacred events for any Pack. It’s one that is celebrated in a grand affair, and remembered for months after the fact. Every Pack had its own special way of going about it, the rituals they always made sure took place and all the flurry of activity and prayers that happen, taking advantage of the full moon and asking the Moon Goddess to bless us and grant our heart’s deepest desires.“Mother, you look absolutely stunning,” I said, my tone dripping with admiration as I stared at Alpha Jessica Reginald, where she sat dressed in a lovely golden gown, about to be crowned the Luna of the Sangria-Crescent Pack.“Thank you, darling,” Jessica replied, smiling, her blonde hair framing her gorgeous face like a halo. “Come sit with me.”The other women who’d been helping my mother get ready for the coronation excused themselves and walked out of the drawing room.I threw them a discreet smile as they exited the
Francesca’s POVI have refused to step foot outside of my new bedroom since we arrived in Alpha Ian’s mansion. I was doing my best to ignore how stunning the room was, trying my best to hold onto my anger. I was justified in being angry, in being absolutely furious with my mother’s decision to remarry. She has chosen to give up her position as the head of our pack and was now going to be second in command to a man. And not just any man. Someone who was ten years younger than her. Just thinking about it made my blood boil.I’ve been uprooted from my beloved home and now I’d be forced to live in this soulless mansion. I couldn’t shake this feeling that something terrible was going to happen. There were times when I would feel a certain way, when the hairs at the back of my neck would stand on end and my heart would start racing for apparently no reason. And since my mother told me she has sought an alliance with Alpha Ian and he accepted, I’ve been getting that feeling more frequently.
Francesca’s POVAs soon as the words left my mouth, I regretted saying them. I had no intention of backtracking though. Hell, no, I wasn’t a coward.“What did you just me to me?” he snarled the words, eyes glinting like steel.“Would you like me to repeat myself, Dadd—”“Do not dare,” he cut me off sharply, his fingers tightening around my neck, slightly cutting off my air supply. I felt light-headed but I stood my ground. “I swear to the Moon Goddess if you ever call me that again, the consequences would be dire. Don’t you know your limits? Your insolence knows no bounds. I’m about to marry your mother. You can’t talk to me like that.”“But it’s okay for you to tell me, a grown adult that I would be spanked if I misbehave?” I shot back angrily. “Are we supposed to pretend a comment like that has no sexual connotations?”It seemed as though my words were the equivalent of an electric shock to him. He instantly released the grip he had around my neck and took several steps back. His fa
Alpha Ian’s POVControl.That was the one thing I cherished the most. I expect it from every soldier under my command. And I demand it of myself in the absolute, and yet, with a few select words from Francesca, I was completely unhinged. I eyed the punching bag before me as if it were the source of all my problems, taking the time to properly secure the wrappings around my fingers. I assumed a menacing stance and started throwing punches with all my might. I was like a man possessed, growling low in my throat as my fists pummeled the poor bag. I felt pent-up, and restless, as though my wolf was caught in a trap and was about to chew his leg off just to escape.Do not project your issues onto me“Very clever, Cassius,” I quipped in response to my wolf.I’m just saying as your wolf, I am zen about the situation“You are zen about the way that arrogant girl talked to us?”Well, her insults were directed at you, not me“She didn’t insult me, not really,” I protested, trying to defend my h
Francesca’s POVI learned that training in our new pack was done a little differently. The hours were longer. Dominic was brutal and relentless. After he’d had enough of seeing us at each other’s throats with the sparring, we were instructed to move to the training hall. This was where all the gym equipment was. He had us lifting weights and doing push-ups, not letting anyone slack off. We didn’t stop until he was satisfied with our progress.“That was good guys, well done,” he said to a room full of panting young wolves. “What’s with all the death glares? You know you’d have had it harder if Alpha Ian was here.”I was slumped against the wall, trying to recover my equilibrium. “If your elder brother would have done worse, then he’s a sadist,” I said to him.Dominic turned around and stared at me. He didn’t speak for a while. I thought he was this close to reprimanding me for saying something disrespectful about the Alpha. Instead, he walked over to where the chilled water bottles wer
Francesca’s POVAfter the training session, I spent the rest of the day in bed, cuddled up under the covers and listening to rock music. My mum has told me time and time again that my eardrums will burst because I always turn up the volume so loud. But this was how I liked to listen to music. It drowned out my thoughts. Nothing else existed in moments like these save the beat, the lyrics, and the vocals. It was like being transported into another world and the escape was very much needed.As the day crawled to an end, I forced myself to get out of bed and step out of my room. I found my mum in the sitting room. She was engrossed in a phone call. I waited until she was done talking to ask my question.“Where’s Alpha Ian?”“Why are you asking about Ian’s whereabouts?” There was genuine puzzlement in her tone.I slipped my hands into the pockets of my hoodie. “I need to talk to him.”Jessica arched an eyebrow. “Why? So you could be disrespectful some more?”“Ouch, I deserved that,” I sai
Francesca’s POV There is something to be said about being in denial and suppressing unwanted feelings. It might not be the healthiest way to live but there are times when it is needed, especially when facing the reality of said feelings is not an option. The next hour I spent in Alpha Ian’s presence at the shooting range brought out a plethora of mixed emotions in me. For one, he seemed genuinely interested in helping me improve my shooting skills. He kept guiding me, giving me tips and pointers in order to better my aim and this made me want to impress him. It came naturally to me, this need to please him, to have him praise me in any shape or form. When I finally hit the target, he gave me this nod accompanied with a blinding grin and I felt such pride bloom within me. There was an underlying excitement to being in the same space as him, breathing the same air. I didn’t know why exactly. I just felt it. There was a comedown after we returned to the house and went our separate ways
The scent of lavender permeated the drawing room. Servers were placing champagne bottles and glasses on the small tables situated before the couches. The room was huge and airy, with white curtains fluttering in the breeze blowing in from the open windows. There were bouquet of flowers scattered around for aesthetic effect. It was to convey a certain mood and it was definitely doing its job as I already felt as though today was the wedding. I woke up in a festive mood, all unsavory thoughts regarding Alpha Ian seemed to have left me. My focus needed to be on my mother and preparing for her big day. After everything has been arranged per my mother’s specification, I was left alone in the room. It didn’t take long for the guests to start trickling in. My mother joined us after a little while and she and her friends launched into a chaotic conversation filled with laughter and talking over each other. I kept glancing at the door, wondering when Bianca would come. She arrived right befor