Forever Yours, Alpha

~Serena~I will never forget the day the life I knew was ripped from my grasp by the people I trusted and loved. This was the day I tasted the bitter tang of betrayal, leaving me with nothing apart from anger and hatred. This was the day I learned how revenge can motivate a person to endure anything, even death.~~The chains linking the shackles around my wrist sang a terrible song of death and agony. It was heavy and cold, leaving bruising marks on my blood-matted skin.Anton and Mike dragged me by the arms, their fingers digging into my skin. They had been part of my family’s security detail since I was a little girl. Now, they’re the entourage leading me to my execution. They were indifferent. Cold and distant. They don’t see me as the princess of this pack anymore, but a mere criminal who tainted their pack with disgrace.Everyone we came across through this excruciating walk towards the amphitheater where I’ll meet my end vibrated with hate and anger.We halted before a metal do

~Serena~Werewolves live and hunt in packs, and when a member is sentenced to exile, they become rogue, destined to live and die alone. I can consider myself a rogue now, except I am wolfless. This rogue would recognize me as a human with the scent of a wolf from Embercrest. His enemy.As the alpha’s only child, I was taught self-defense at an early age, but I never needed to use these skills outside of sparring or training. Heart lodged in my throat, and I pressed my back against the tree as a rogue emerged from the bushes before me. Barely skin, fur, and bones, its mud-matted brown fur clung to its body like a second skin. Hunger gleamed in its eyes, seeing me as its first meal after famine. Baring its teeth, it snarled and crouched, leaping in my direction. Its movement was unsteady and slow.I jumped out of my hiding spot, rolling away from the rogue as its body slammed into the tree with a loud thud. It hissed, shaking its head to gain his balance, locking eyes with me as I stood

~Declan~I was careful not to use inhumane speed in chasing Serena’s doppelgänger. The ghost of her had haunted me for the last five years.No, I haven’t forgiven myself for causing her pain and death. Part of me knew I was chasing someone who didn’t live in this realm anymore, but my wolf refused to accept that Serena was really gone. He was a stubborn one, more stubborn than me.A war raged between my mind and my heart as I merged into the crowded walking path. My mind said it was all my imagination, but my heart believed this imagination, and so did my wolf. He was restless. If someone in this crowd would investigate, they’d see the gold swirling in my eyes. My wolf fought for dominance. I paused and willed my wolf to calm down, craning my neck in search of the blond girl in this ocean of people going about their lives.There were about thirty blond-haired women within a hundred yards. Through my heightened sense of sight, I spotted the blond in the pedestrian lane at the corner o

~Declan~The moment my foot settled on the ground floor landing, I understood why my wolf had been eager to know the lady in the blue ball gown.It started with a scent so delicious that I deliriously salivated for a single taste. A growl rumbled from my chest, loud enough for Seth to look over his shoulder and frown at me. His frown quickly morphed into concern.“Declan.” His wide eyes scanned my face, then our surroundings, worried someone might notice the change in me. It took all of my strength to control my wolf from catapulting forward to take over the situation. The tension coiling inside me was chaotic, a storm ready to wipe out everything in its path. Liquid gold filled my eyes, my canine elongating, and my fingernails lengthened, digging into my palms as I tried to keep it together.I was shifting. And a crowd of influential people in the human and shifter world would witness it if I didn’t control my wolf.Deep breaths in and out, I willed my heart to slow its beating and

~Declan~My fingers in one hand were enough to count what I liked about being an alpha. In the eyes of an ordinary wolf in a pack, being an alpha was a noble title. Some wouldn’t hesitate to spill blood just to gain control over a pack. In the wrong hands, being an alpha could be a powerful sword he could wield to overpower the weak.It comes with power and respect, but if anyone would ask me what being an alpha was like, it was a heavy burden I had to carry over my shoulder. Although it was my birthright, being an alpha didn’t have its appeal to me. I blamed this bloodline for my mother’s death. If my father wasn’t the alpha’s son, those rogues wouldn’t have targeted our family.Serena was the only reason I agreed to be an alpha. Honoring her is also the reason I am still an alpha to this day. It felt like letting go of Embercrest also meant letting go of her memory.I had help, of course. All these years, Jared had kept me sane. He protected me from the scrutinizing eyes of the Ember