Chapter Four
Kendall’s POV
My mother and my sister stood outside the door. My mother shook her head at me asking me to keep my mouth shut but I rolled my eyes.
If he controls them, he can't control me.
“I will rather run away with my mate than end up with someone who is like you!”
“I am not surprised. You are a result of your mother's disobedience.” He said bitterly, pointed at my mother and left.
“Listen to your father, Kendall. You can't…”
“No mom, I'm going to do whatever I want to do. Don't expect me to live under his shadows like you. Sometimes, I wished I wasn't born into this family.” I spat.
My mother stared at me for a while then she shook her head.
“Follow what he says, Kendall. That is the only way we can survive.” I shook my head. I was going to make a difference.
******
I stared at myself in the mirror as they worked on enhancing my beauty. This was the day that I will start writing my own story.
The door opened and my mother stepped inside. She wasn't smiling. She just had her usual blank expression with soulless eyes. She wasn't happy for me. Even though she was, I wouldn't know. She hadn’t shown any emotions throughout for a long time and I knew it had to do with something with my father. I sighed as I stared at her through the mirror.
“Would it kill you to be happy for me?”
“Should I be happy that my daughter is digging her own grave with her own hands?” I turned to her. This was the longest she had spoken in general.
“Father is happy for me. You should try it.”
“You and I know who your father is. You are making a big mistake Kendall.” she said and turned around.
I wanted to stop her, but I didn't want her to demean my spirit. It was my D-day. I wasn't going to allow demeaning messages from my mother to bring me down.
I heard the door open again. The atmosphere changed immediately and my body was filled with goosebumps. He was here.
The maids left us alone at his command.
“We shouldn't see each other for a few hours before we tie the knot. They say that it brings bad luck.” I chuckled but he didn't seem to get the joke as his face remained passive.
“I came to give you a chance to redeem yourself.” What is he saying? I tried to get what he was trying through reading his facial expression but his face remained stiff.
What is going on?
“I am going to ask you a question and I need nothing but the truth from you.” My heart beat increased. He appeared behind me and stared at me through the mirror.
“Were you present at the beginning of the fire incident that took place ten years ago at Riverdale pack?” His eyes deepened their intensity and I feared that he was going to see what I had hidden deep inside my heart.
“Yes I was.” I answered truthfully. His eyes went black for a moment and he pulled me up from the chair roughly. His hand grabbed my neck.
I stared at him in shock and tried to remove his hand from my neck but he was stronger than me. His hand tightened the more and my eyes rolled back inside my head.
“So I had been right all along. It was you.” I shook my head even though I didn't know what he was referring to.
I didn't want to be the person he thought I was. I tapped his hand frantically begging him to release him as I fought for my life.
He suddenly let me go and I fell to the ground hard. I coughed hard. My hands went to my neck and I tried to rub it.
I stared at him as I coughed.
“You are going to pay for everything that you did. I swear on my parents grave.” He said,
In a few minutes, he was out of the room. I blinked my eyes rapidly. It felt like a dream. I closed my eyes and told myself that I was just imagining things except that when I opened my eyes, I was still lying on the floor.
I struggled to my feet and stared at myself in the mirror. The marks were still there.
I closed my eyes and allowed the tears to drop as I mind linked my father. It took him twenty minutes to come a d when he came, he had smiles all over his face. I had never seen him that happy my entire life.
“How come you are not dressed when your presence will be needed in the next one hour?”
“Father please, I have a favor to ask of you.” I said and he turned his attention to me.
“Please, call off the wedding for my sake.” The smile drained off his face as he stared at me.
“What do you mean? Wasn't this your dream?”
“Yes, but it has turned into a nightmare overnight. Besides, you didn't want me to end up with him.”
“That was then. He promised to hand over half of the smaller packs he is in control of after the ceremony. Do you know how much our status has increased since the news of your wedding spread?”
“Father, please listen to me this time.” I begged with tears in my eyes.
“Stop crying. You are spoiling your makeup.”
“I can't do this father, he threatened me.” I sobbed into my palms.
“You can and you will. Wipe your tears, Alphas don't cry.”
I expected him to ask about the marks on my neck and wrists but he didn't. I even twisted my neck bearing the pains but it seemed as though he was blind.
“I will be leaving now. Allow the maids to touch up your makeup.” He said and left the room before I could protest.
The maids walked in immediately. As though under instructions, they started working on covering the marks on my neck.
I wanted to mind link someone but who was I going to mind link that was not afraid of my father and my mate but there was no one.
I felt alone in my world.
As I stared at my reflection in the mirror, I realized that what I had been running away from all these years, I was walking into.
Chapter Five Kendall’s POVI never thought the day of the festival would turn out like this. The air should have been filled with excitement and joy, but instead, it felt heavy with tension and resentment.My father, as usual, had been in one of his moods, barking orders and criticizing every move we made. Watching my mother and sister obey his every command without question made my blood boil.It was as if they were programmed to do whatever he said, no matter how unreasonable or unfair it seemed. I couldn’t stand it anymore.As we prepared for the festivities, I pulled my mother and sister aside, hoping to reason with them. “Can’t you see what he’s doing to us?” I whispered urgently, my frustration seeping into every word. “We don’t have to take this. We can stand up to him, together.”But before I could finish my words, my mother’s hand connected with my cheek in a sharp slap. Shocked, I stumbled backward, the sting of her betrayal burning on my skin.“How dare you speak against y
Chapter SixKendall’s POVThe atmosphere buzzed with excitement and anticipation among the crowd gathered for the mating festival.My heart pounded with nervousness, my senses tingling with the knowledge that Alpha Declan was there, just a few feet away from me.Alpha Declan was my mate, the one I had dreamed of since I could not remember, and now, finally, my dreams were becoming a reality.As I stood staring at him there in the room, my pulse quickened with every sight of his handsome face and powerful presence.It was as if the universe had aligned to bring us together, to fulfill the destiny that had been written in the stars.But my father hovered behind me like a shadow, his disapproving gaze burning into the back of my skull as he continued to demand that I go make introductions to the guests.Ignoring his persistent demands, I focused all my attention on Alpha Declan, my heart singing with the knowledge that he was mine, that we were meant to be together.But just as I was abo
Chapter SevenDeclan’s POVAs the last of the rogues fled, defeated, Kendall turned to me, her eyes beaming with tears in them. “Are they gone? Are we safe now?” she whispered questions.Turning to her, I offered a reassuring smile, though I could see the fear lingering in her eyes. “Don’t worry, Kendall,” I said, my voice calm and steady. “We’re safe now. The rogues won’t dare to attack us again.”Kendall nodded, though her expression remained tense with worry. I could understand her apprehension; it was only natural to fear the unknown, especially in times of danger.I knew that my pack was more than capable of handling any threat that came our way. “Alpha,” one of my men approached. “We’ve taken care of them, but a few managed to escape into the woods. What are your orders?”I considered my options for a moment before nodding decisively. “Send out a search party,” I instructed. “I want those rogues found and brought to justice. We cannot allow them to continue threatening the terri
Chapter EightKendall’s POVThe next morning, I woke with a heavy heart, the events of the previous night weighing heavily on my mind. Despite my best efforts to push aside the hurt and disappointment, they lingered like a dark cloud, casting a heavy cloud over the new day.As I lay there, the soft rays of sunlight filtering through the curtains, I couldn’t help but feel a sense of sadness wash over me. I had stormed out of the room in a fit of anger after Declan’s cold rejection last night.Unable to bear the thought of facing Declan after his rejection, now in the quiet solitude of the morning, I couldn’t shake the feeling of regret that ate at me from within.With a heavy sigh, I rolled over in bed, expecting to find Declan lying beside me, his presence a constant reminder of the distance that still separated us. But to my surprise, the other side of the bed was empty, the sheets cold and made.Confusion and disappointment flooded through me as I sat up, scanning the room for any s
Chapter NineKendall’s POVTwo weeks had passed since I arrived among Declan’s pack, and each day felt like years of loneliness. Declan remained as stubborn and cold as ever, his indifference to me constantly reminded me of my failure to win his affection.The pack members, too, made it clear that I was not welcome among them. They treated me with disdain and suspicion, their eyes cold and unwelcoming every time as they went about their duties.It was clear that they saw me as nothing more than an outsider, an stranger among them. Despite my best efforts to fit in though, to prove myself worthy of their acceptance, it seemed that nothing I did was enough to earn anyone’s trust.No matter how hard I worked or how honestly I tried to please them, I remained a stranger. But somehow, I refused to give up hope. Knowing that he was the key to everything, I was determined to prove to Declan and his pack that I was worthy of respect, that I belonged by his side as his mate.One evening, as I
Chapter TenKendall’s POVAs the day of the wedding approached, a sense of dread settled over me like a heavy cloud. I couldn’t shake the feeling of terror of what the future held with Declan as my mate and husband that gripped my heart. But with the arrangements for the wedding already made, there was no turning back now. The ride back to my father’s pack for the ceremony was a silent one, filled with tension and unspoken resentment between us. I sat stiffly beside Declan, staring out the window as the scenery blurred past, my mind a whirlwind of emotions.I missed my home, the familiar sights and sounds of my father’s pack. Returning felt like stepping into a nightmare, a reminder of the life I was leaving behind and the uncertain future that awaited me. Throughout the journey, I didn’t say a word to Declan, and he seemed content to let the silence stretch between us. Perhaps he too was wrestling with his own doubts and fears, or maybe he simply didn’t care.As we arrived at my fa
Chapter ElevenKendall’s POVFeeling suffocated by the weight of my choices, I fled to the bathroom, seeking comfort in the only place where I could be alone with my thoughts.The tears came fast and hot, streaming down my cheeks in silent torrents as I collapsed to the floor, the sound of my sobs echoing off the walls.But after a while, a new sensation washed over me, one that was far more unsettling. My stomach churned with nausea, and before I knew it, I was retching violently into the toilet bowl, the bitter taste of bile burning in the back of my throat.I stayed there for what felt like an eternity, the pain and despair running over me. But as the minutes stretched on, a new feeling began to take root within me, a feeling of defiance that that I had always had.I couldn’t go back to Declan, couldn’t bear the thought of spending the rest of my days in a loveless marriage, trapped in terrible life of humiliations, a life that was originally of my choosing — what a shame.No, I ha
Chapter TwelveDeclan’s POVAs I stood there in the dim room, the dagger clenched tightly in my hand, I watched as Kendall’s eyes widened in terror.The fear radiating off her was palpable, her body trembling as she backed away from me, her breath coming in shallow, ragged gasps.I could feel the power coursing through me, the rush of adrenaline as I held the dagger high, its gleaming blade catching the faint light of the room.But even as I reveled in the fear that I had instilled in Kendall, a part of me felt a twinge of guilt, a flicker of remorse at the sight of her cowering before me.But I quickly pushed aside those feelings, burying them deep within me as I advanced towards her, the dagger held out menacingly in front of me.“You thought you could escape from me, didn’t you, Kendall?” I taunted, my voice dripping with malice. “You thought you could just run away and leave me behind.”Kendall’s eyes widened even further, her breath coming in short gasps as she pressed herself ag