Chapter 1

The first time I saw her I could see the cracks in her armor. I could see her eyes darting towards him as if seeking his constant approval. His small sneers her way told me that he noticed it too. But not because he was paying any attention to her. No, because he wanted her to obey. The tendrils of tenderness coming from her was cold, lacking. There was nothing welcoming about her when you searched deep enough. She wanted to flee more than I had ever seen in a person. Chainmail started slipping over her heart and I could see it all within her eyes. Internal wars were the ones fought hardest. But she was losing. A slip of her smile and another sneer her way had her picking up the corners of her mouth in that plastered-on kind of way. Hollowness flooded her being, almost vibrated off of her. Yet she wasn't hollow.

Lowering my gaze, I took in her form. Took in every detail she so carefully constructed to keep others out. Or keep him at bay. Her eyes were turned down, barely ever meeting anyone's, even as Ciaran spoke of the agreements between packs. He could see it as well, those painfully obvious signs that she wanted to head for the hills. I also know he noted how utterly gorgeous she was. Wide hips. Thick thighs. Ample chest with freckles lining the small part I could see above the baggy long dress. Her hair made of liquid gold shimmering in the late afternoon sunlight. Ciaran would no doubt spot her unease, but it was her beauty that would put this entire trade agreement at risk.

Ciaran answered the Alpha's question, his voice going low. Not good. Not in the slightest. Alpha Eugene wanted more from this trade than what was previously agreed upon. However gracious Ciaran might be, he also had his limits. The Luna in front of me stiffened, her eyes growing wide as she continued staring at the ground. She understood what Alpha Eugene had asked, knew that it would be seen as offensive. Took more than he gave. The little two headed snake.

"If I may, this might take more time than we had first anticipated. Might I ask the Luna if she can show me the primary school? We have a brilliant education program and I would be delighted to tell the Luna all about it." I interjected, keeping my voice even. Ciaran smiled at me slightly, he could see right through it all. Alpha Eugene spared a glance towards his mate, who was still staring at the ground, but her eyes had gone a bit more wide, that cracked armor half way down.

"Absolutely not, the Luna is quite busy and barely made time in her schedule for this meeting." Eugene said, shaking his head. He tried reaching for her hand and she barely noticed his touch when he finally did take it in his. Bastard. Utter cunt. The lies from his mouth was rotten and tainted. Was that a tinge of jealousy in the air? The armor surrounding her had slammed back into place, her eyes closing halfway. Somehow, she had accepted her fate long before we had come here.

"We will gladly include an all paid upgrade to the school if she will make time in her busy schedule to accompany Ozias." Maverick replied, his voice a welcoming beam between the growing rage within my chest. He had also noticed the way her spine was constantly bent, her eyes never lifting. Once upon a time, we knew another woman like that. A jab at my heart at the memory sent me spiraling slightly. Slamming the doors to my heart shut, I forced a smile on my lips.

Alpha Eugene narrowed his eyes at Maverick, but the broad shouldered Gamma kept his gaze calm. Neutral. As if nothing could trip him up. Eugene's Beta leaned in to Whisper something within the Alpha's ear. A nod from Eugene and his gaze settled on Ciaran again. Ciaran was the image of male perfection. Arrogant, powerful and utterly intimidating. It was why we had chosen him as our Alpha so many years ago.

"I'll tell you what, the Luna shows Ozias the school and you can have the extra shipment each month, free of charge. Plus the school's technology will be upgraded." Ciaran proposed and I had to force myself not to look surprised. Money was almost limitless within our pack, but Ciaran never gave anything for free. He took a liking to the girl more than I had thought. Knew that Maverick would open up a door to her. Goddess. She looked so much like her.

Eugene seemed to mull this over in his thick skull and greed won out. You could see the start of a wicked smile at the corners of his mouth. There was no doubt that he would whore out his mate if it meant he gained something.

"Then it is decided. Alvara, be a dear and show the Beta to our primary school. Take two sentinels with you. I will call and tell the head master to expect you." Eugene rumbled and pressed a kiss to Alvara's temple. The muscles in her cheek feathered from the contact, but that armor remained tightly wrapped around her.

"Maverick, go with them. I will only be needing Dargan. Make sure to assess just how much will be needed for the upgrade." Ciaran instructed, a bemused smile on his lips as he took in Alvara again. The Luna stood, giving a small bow to Alpha Eugene before walking to the door. Ciaran's eyes held her firmly. From the vague sway of her hips, to the tips of her hair brushing the top of her ass. The Alpha, to my relief, was too deep in conversation with his Beta to notice the lust within Ciaran's face. And Maverick's. And Dargan's.

How had he done it? How had he seen her and not balked? Not feel that dull pain echoing through all of our memories with Savanah? Even Dargan must have noticed the uncanny similarities between the Luna and our dead.

"Ozias, will you not be joining the Luna?" Ciaran asked from in front of me. His eyes held a certain amount of restraint in them, as if he was willing himself not to escort her himself. I smiled, forcing it to my eyes.

"Of course, I apologize for not standing. Work has been muddling my mind, it seems." I lie and I know Ciaran could tell. Maverick snickers from beside me, already on his feet and waiting. Alvara had stopped short in the doorway, a casual glance thrown over her shoulder. I was keeping everyone waiting.

"What can I say, when money is involved, Ozias barely ever thinks of anything else." Dargan comments to Alpha Eugene and I stand. Bidding them a farewell, I bow to Ciaran and take my leave behind Alvara. Maverick follows but I can barely hear his footsteps echo down the hallway. A waft of deliciousness floods my nose as we pass a kitchen, an elderly lady standing behind the stove.

Alvara's hips sway gently as she walks, her hair moving with her body. It all seemed fake. She had constructed this persona around her and it seemed so familiar. Hadn't Savanah done exactly the same thing when she had met us? I shoved the memories away as hard as I could before we cleared the house and stepped into the driveway. Hopefully this trip would set my mind more at ease.

The pack was the size of a decent town, yet it was still small compared to Eiecerunt. Narrow streets came by in a jumble as we zoomed towards the school. We had all driven in one car, one of the Alpha's, and various people had waved as we passed. To his people, Alpha Eugene was a saviour. A saint. To us, he was simply a greedy man who had gotten the title after his father had passed away from cancer. Carian had dealt with the old Alpha in a much different way than he dealt with Eugene. The young and very inexperienced man was also widely known to be a womanizer before he had mated with Alvara.

"Tell me, Luna, how long have you now been mated?" Maverick asked, his smile obscenely bright as he directed it towards her. She had been mainly silent during the brief ride, often just staring out the window. Her white dress was dirty at the hem from being too long, but she didn't seem to mind at all.

"It is coming close to eight years now. I was nineteen when the mating bond snapped into place." She replied, keeping her voice low. There was no affection within her voice. No trace of happiness. Simply complacency.

"You must have been thrilled, seeing as he was the son of an Alpha. Surely, that is all a woman could ever want." Maverick pressed and I shook my head at him, willing his mouth shut. Alvara's eyes glazed over as her mouth set into a hard line.

"If you think that is all a woman wants, then you clearly aren't mated yet. Women need more than just a title to be happy." Her reply sent my own mouth into a shallow frown. We were all mated once upon a time. All to the same woman with fire in her eyes. The same spark of that fire now lingered within the Luna's eyes. She wasn't the tame princess she so desperately portrayed herself to be.

 

"Forgive me, Luna, but my ideas of love and mates had long since ceased to be." This seemed to catch Alvara off guard, because her head had flicked to the window again. I could see her biting her lip, refraining from saying anything else. There was some part of her, clearly, that thought the exact same thing.