Chapter two
Ciara's POV
The faint rays of sunlight hit my face and I opened my eyes gently. My eyes were still blurry as I sat up. This most definitely wasn't my room. Where was I?
I couldn’t remember coming to this place yesterday night, in fact, I couldn't remember much of anything except those scary men that had tried to force themselves on me. I deeply wished it wasn't the men I remembered walking in on that brought me here. What happened?
“Let go of her..”
I remembered something just then!
The stranger that had walked into the room while I had been struggling to run away. Did he save me? Was this his house? His bed?
I immediately pulled the blankets up to check myself and a cry of alarm left me as I realized I was naked. I had a one night stand with a stranger! What have I done?
"Looks like you're finally awake."
That same voice from last night said and I looked forward. My breath caught as I saw the same man from last night standing there in his robe with his rock-hard chest peeking out through the opening of his bathrobe.I got lost for a moment staring at him but his cough pulled me back.
“See something you like?”
I blushed and looked away which made him chuckle. I didn’t look back to him until the bed dipped and he aws suddenly sitting so close to me, attacking my nostrils with the sweet smell of his shampoo.Focus Clara!
“Why am I here? This isn’t my room.”
"You don't remember?" he asked as he reached for the glass of water on the nightstand and handed it to me. I hesitated for a bit knowing better than to make the same mistake twice. “I promise you I didn’t put anything in it. It’s just water.”
"Remember what?" I asked instead, ignoring him and his water.
He sighed and downed it all at once, some of the liquid trickling down his chin and disappearing into his robe. I followed the trail shamelessly until it got lost in his robe. Looking up, I found him staring at me, an amused look on his face.
"The way you begged me to have you ast night because you were edgy?”
“What?”
He chuckled again at my shocked expression and shrugged. “You were drugged last night and your body was craving for sex badly. You jumped me and-”
He didn’t finish but I didn’t need him to. I buried my face in my palm as I remembered how I shamelessly begged him to ravage me.
“You took advantage of me.” I accused him and he scoffed.
“You asked for it and I gave you what you wanted. It had been a while for me too, so sorry if I was too rough.”
I blushed and frowned wondering why I couldn’t remember our time together. Was that a side effect of the drug?
"I should have just left you back with the men…"
"Then why did you bring me in in the first place? " I snapped at him and he just stared at me with a blank expression.
I jumped off the bed ignoring the burning sensation in my thighs and picked up my clothes. I didn't tell grandfather I was going to spend the night out and his wife would definitely make my ears bleed with her screams.
"Where do you think you're going?" He asked but I just ignored him. Hopefully, I will never see him again and this embarrassment will pass.
I couldn’t believe Lucas had actually stood me up and somehow drugged me. I had slept with a total stranger and I didn’t even remember anything.
Angry tears rolled down my cheeks as the elevator door dinged open and I rushed out of the hotel building. I hailed a taxi that drove off immediately I got in and I leaned back in the seat, letting the tears fall.Lucas had been my best friend, I couldn't believe he would do this to me at all. Wasn't the break up enough? Did he have to set me up to be raped by dozen guys? At least I got saved from that but I slept with a total stranger.
The tears continued to roll down my cheeks and I didn't know when we got home.The driver looked at me sympathetically but didn’t say anything more for which I was grateful.
"Here we are ma'am. The Heartfield estate."I wiped my tears hurriedly and paid the driver before walking towards the entrance. When the guards saw me, they immediately let me in and soon my personal driver arrived to pick me up. I might be an Omega but I lived a pretty decent life.
The Heartfield estate was one of the biggest in the pack, owned by my grandfather who was a very wealthy man. But despite his wealth and influence, he couldn't even get me the man I wanted.
I have always been his favorite grandchild but sadly, money can’t get me everything. I stepped out of the car and the maids immediately rushed towards me to lead me in.
"Ms Ciara, old master Heartfield has been asking for you since last night. You should visit him." My personal maid, Lydia informed me and I just nodded walking into the house. I met my grandmother in the living room and immediately all the blood drained from my face. I had been hoping I would at least get some moments to myself before I had to endure her nagging.
"Where have you been since last night Ciara? Not picking my calls?" My grandfather’s wife, Madam Grace asked, a frown on her face.
"I'm sorry grandmother. I had no reception where I was and I had to sleep out with Lucas." I replied with my head bowed. "Good morning grandfather."
"Good morning lavender. Get a morning bath and come down to eat breakfast." were the only words Grandfather said and tears filed my eyes again.
Just as I turned to leave my grandmother’s words stopped me in my tracks.
"Heartfield, we don't have a choice. She would be the one to marry Alpha Orion since Sophia decided to elope with James.”
Chapter three Ciara's POV I stood in front of the mirror after the maids finished dressing me for the ball at the Alpha's mansion and sighed. Today was the day of my engagement to Alpha Orion. My grandmother, step-grandmother, had somehow managed to convince my grandfather to agree to this union because Sophie had escaped. Tears clouded my vision as I studied the silver dress I had been asked to wear. I looked like Cinderella on the night of the ball after her fairy godmother had transformed her rags into a beautiful dress. The dress was beautiful. A knock on the door pulled me out of my thoughts and I watched as my personal maid walked into the room with a smile on her face. She looked every bit like a bride whereas I looked like I was being sent to the gallows. “Ms Clara, it is time.” Lydia announced and I nodded, walking towards her as she led the way. I walked down the hallway and walked past a slightly opened door, clenching my gloved hands. Sophie’s room was still the sa
Chapter four Orion's POV The thought of not getting married to Sophia after all made me furious but oday had to go as planned. It was my chance to finally prove to my father that I can handle the affairs of the pack and I won’t let anything ruin it. I was quite relieved that Omega from the other night never noticed the mate bond between us. I could never end up with an Omega, never. On second thoughts, it would have been nice to marry her inside of the substitute bride the Heartfield family would be forcing down my throat. When she had run out of the hotel room that day, I had hoped to never run into her again but fate had something else planned. Why was she here at my coronation ceremony? "Meet me on the balcony." I mind linked her immediately and made my way to the balcony to wait for her. I didn’t want to be seen with her and I didn’t want anyone knowing we were mates either. I waited for a few minutes before she joined me. Her scent was heavenly and I was suddenly tempted t
Chapter fiveCiara's POVI charged at the wolf that was standing before me with all the speed I could muster but it was useless. Before I could reach him, he jumped on me and attacked me."That's enough." A voice called. "Miss Ciara, you should train on your stamina more."It was my coach, Spencer. I sank to the floor defeated. Despite all the training classes I had undergone, I was still weak."Aww, is someone feeling weak and useless again?" I heard the voice of the last person I wanted to see and sighed, feeling devastated."What do you want Bella?" I stood to my feet and turned to look at her."It seems you forget we have the same coach. Has your memory gone with your shattered heart?" She asked mockingly and I brushed off the hurt I felt at her words."How could you do that to me, Bella?" I asked her, angry tears stinging my eyes. "I trusted you, Bella. I thought you were my friend but all you did was take him from me and you know how much I loved Lucas Bella."She rolled her eyes
Chapter Six Orion's POVThat stupid girl.What had been running through the moon goddess's mind when she made her my fated mate? How can an Alpha bred like me be paired with the likes of her?I walked towards the pictures and picked one up, choking back my emotions.Where are you, Sophia?Sophia is the first woman to make my heart beat, the first woman to make me experience butterflies in my belly. I met her as a young boy and my heart accepted that she alone was the one for me.I was so sure she felt the same way I did, I mean before I went abroad, we had made a pact. Not some weird blood oath people took, no ours was different. We simply pinky swore.Everyone knows how sacred a pinky swear is so I felt secure because she had promised to wait for me. I never expected she would run off with some other man before I showed up.What woman wouldn't want an Alpha as her partner for the rest of her life?I sighed, placed the picture frame back where it had been on the cupboard and turned,
Chapter SevenCiara's POVIt's been two days since I moved into Orion's house and I already feel suffocated and unwelcome.Well, what was I expecting? The man didn't like me and he was my mate! It was in situations such as this that I found myself questioning the reason why I was weak and why I had been born an Omega.But did being an Omega officially qualify me as unlovable? Did the status Omega mean I was somehow less than these other wolves? Lucas had left me for my stronger best friend, Bella and now even my mate wanted another woman. Why? Because I was too weak for him.His obsession with Sophia has me wondering about the kind of relationship they had. If he was this crazy about Sophia, why did she still run off with her boyfriend, James? Or was that an indication that she didn't feel the same way he did?There were so many questions running through my head but I chucked them down as I walked towards the door. After the little scene Orion made over the pictures, I had made it my m
Chapter 8 Orion stormed into the dining room and charged towards Bryan. He glared at Ciara who was sitting close to Bryan and she stiffened before changing her seat. "What are you doing here?" Bryan didn't respond right away but took his time, devouring the piece of steak in his mouth and then washing it down with the wine that the servants had served them. "It's not nice to bully people Orion." He finally replied, his gaze fixed on Ciara and Orion clenched his jaw. What right did he have to tell him what to do? Ciara avoided their eyes and picked at her food. Orion could feel her nerves wavering all over the place and he snorted in disgust. "Ciara, come back to your seat and ignore him," Bryan said, ignoring Orion who was now glaring at him. Ciara eyed Orion first and then shook her head, refusing Bryan's request. Orion smirked, satisfied with her decision and turned to his brother. Bryan sighed and looked up at him, "It's the family month." he shrugged after saying that
Chapter 9Ciara watched Orion storm out of the dining room and sighed in relief. Why did he have to be so scary?"Why are you so afraid of him?" She heard him ask beside her and she turned to face him. "He is the Alpha." she simply responded not wanting to continue the conversation. "But he is your mate," Bryan said and the fork she had been holding dropped from her hand. "What are you talking about?" Bryan's eyes widened as he realized Ciara still didn't know that Orion was her mate because she didn't have her wolf yet. "I meant he is your Alpha," he corrected himself and she watched him for a while as if checking to see if he was lying. Satisfied with what she saw, she looked back at her food and decided to focus on finishing breakfast as quickly as possible. She didn't want to be anywhere near any of these men at this point, they spelt trouble. She was curious to know what kind of relationship he and Orion shared but she wouldn't dare ask him. It would be forward of her. "Al
Chapter 10Ciara's POV "Thanks, I have to go," I avoided his gaze as I walked away from him. I wish he didn't have to see me like that. After embarrassing myself and setting whatever pride I had left on fire, I made my way back to the mansion and headed straight for my room. It was somehow dark and no doubt, Orion wouldn't bother entering this room since he knew I would be here. I still don't know what connection he has to Alpha Bryan but I am still curious to find out. However, no matter what connection he might have, I can see that Orion would love it if it didn't exist. The tension between them during breakfast earlier had been thick, thicker than clouds during a rainy day. I was curious about it but at the same time, I didn't want to be caught in the middle of it. Orion already hated my guts, I didn't want to give him any extra reason to do so. I flopped down on the bed and sighed, closing my eyes as the thought of everything I had been through today rolled through my
Chapter 155Bryan's POV I never knew there would come a day when I would have to grit my teeth and suffer in silence. But as the guard led Ciara, my mate who I hadn't seen or been with for months, it took my entire being to resist charging at him. My wolf fought with me to break free and wring the necks of all the men present including the Alpha Rogue King himself. “Surely you were raised better than that Alpha Bryan,” the Alpha Rogue King said, pulling me out of my thoughts. “How could you act rashly and touch my woman without thought?” My fists clenched at him referring to my mate as his. The audacity! My feet moved on their own accord and before I knew what was happening, I had my fists raised, ready to attack him. “I wouldn't do that if I were you,” The arrogant idiot smirked and stood there staring at me. . The smug look on his face made me even more upset and it took Old Man Heartfield pulling me back to stop me. “Not now, son. I believe his royal majesty had been tryi
Chapter 154Ciara's POV After entering the throne room, I was led to the dining area where once again I was blown away by how much money had been spent on the place. The chairs were classy, giving off a sense of royalty with the Victorian style craftsmanship. Unlike what they had told me, the Alpha Rogue King hadn't been waiting for me and it took about 30 minutes after I was seated for him to make an appearance. From the moment he entered the room, the hairs at the back of my neck rose and I knew I had to be wary of him. “Ah there you are,” he greeted me, his eyes and face smiling as he motioned to my seat. “Please have your seat,” Once he had taken his seat after me, the guard standing closest to him clapped and immediately the door opened. I watched in awe as a row of maids walked in carrying plates, trays, cutlery and different materials needed to set the table. They worked quick, their hand busy with the sound of the cutlery clanging against the plate as the only source o
Chapter 153Orion's POV It's been two days since I watched my brother and Old Man Heartfield leave me behind to search for Ciara. In those two days, they were all I could think about. I came so close to getting into my car and joining them but each time I stopped myself. Whenever Mikey's name or an image of Lacey's face when she had been crying the other day came to mind, I told myself it was better one of us stayed behind because the goddess forbid that we all perished together leaving these kids on their own. Because of that, I allowed myself only those two days to wallow in self-pity but afterwards, I pushed them to the back of my mind, refusing to obsess over it any further. In the last few days since they left, I had managed to get closer to the children. Missing thr boys was a constant in my life but with Lacey and her brother around, it was at least bearable. Since meeting the duo the first time, there had been a deep yearning inside me to get to know them. Granted I wa
Chapter 152Ciara's POV Sunlight bounced into the room and I groaned as some of it got into my eye. Shielding my eyes, I sat up and looked around trying to make sense of my environment. The last thing I remembered was that I was leaving the old woman's home so why was I here? Except Bryan had changed the decor in my absence, this didn't look like our room. “Good morning ma,” I heard and jumped, my eyes searching frantically for the source of the voice. The sources were two girls who couldn't be more than twelve that were standing together at the foot of the bed and smiling at me. “Who are you?” I asked before I could help myself. I was so close to losing it. They exchanged glances and then turned to me. One of hem, the slender one walked up to me and bowed. “The Alpha King would like to see you.” As I was trying to take that information in, more light began to flow into the room. Looking up, I saw that the other girl had moved to the curtains and pushed them aside. With b
Chapter 151Bryan's POV “Are you still reading that?” Orion asked as he walked into my office a few days later and I nodded. The grin that had been on my face since the day the letter bearing Ciara's message had arrived was still on my face. How wouldn't I grin? Finally after months of trying to find her we got a letter from her telling us she would be home in a couple of days. Just when our hopes were down. It was like the moon goddess had finally smiled down on us. And if that wasn't worth a smile, then nothing was. “It's so nice to see you like this again, you know.” He whispered as he sat down in the seat across from me. We were back on talking terms to some extent because I was no longer mad at him and seeing him with Lacey had done something to me. It was a good thing Ciara was coming home soon so that situation could be resolved once and for all. All the guilt, secrecy and suspense would kill me if we didn't finally let everything out in the open. “Yeah, I can't wait
Chapter 150Ciara's POV “You're finally up,” I smiled just as my eyes started to close again. “No, no, you have to eat something first, sleeping beauty,” the old woman chuckled and helped me sit up. While eating, I dozed off a couple of times but she didn't mind after all she was used to it. It had been five months since Sophia ordered James to kill me and he let me go. After I landed in the old woman's home, it had been a repeated case of falling in and out of consciousness. When I wasn't in a semi comatose state, I was eating or rather she was feeding me because I couldn't do anything yet. The woman deserved a medal for how well she had taken up the role of my caregiver in these months. Anyone else might have given up on me already but she had been steadfast and so patient, never asking too many questions. When I asked why I was so groggy fearing that just maybe the old woman was planning something sinister, she explained that my body had shutdown to ensure I recovered fro
Chapter 149Bryan's POV There was a hollow feeling in my chest that wouldn't go away as I watched Orion walk out of the room leaving Lacey with me. Granted Lacey asked for me to hold her but still. Orion was her father but neither of them knew that and Lacey had only ever known me as her father. “Are you okay baby?” I asked as I patted her back gently. Walking into the room and seeing her like that kicked up my protective instincts. This would have been the perfect time to let Orion shine with her and to let their father-daughter bond grown but I couldn't let that happen. Was I that inconsiderate? No, it wasn't that. I just simply saw my little girl in pain and rushed to check on her. I probably should have envisioned her reaching for me to get comforted the moment I walked in but that was the last thing on my mind when I saw the state she was in. Orion had seemed upset when he walked out of here and I wished I could tell what was running through his head. “You're probably b
Chapter 148Orion's POV “We'll find Ciara no matter what and way before the Alpha Rogue King is able to get his hands on her.” I told Old Man Heartfield as we settled in his office. After briefly entertaining the children, we had moved to the office to round up our conversation. We didn't want to risk either of the children hearing anything we were saying, especially about Ciara's disappearance when we've been feeding them lies about her being on a trip. It was a stupid lie, one no one would even fall for but children didn't have so much wisdom and took everything you said to be true especially if they trusted you. The lies were becoming too much for me. Lying to Bryan was one thing but now lying to the children especially Lacey was a completely different thing. As I looked into her eyes and told her that Ciara travelled, it felt as if multiple pieces of glass were piercing my heart. I couldn't put my finger on it but there was a strange connection between us, kind of like a bo
Chapter 147Bryan's POV Two weeks later…“I'm glad you're feeling much better,” Orion said as soon as I parked in front of Old Man Heartfield’s house. Leaning back in my seat, I killed the engine and shrugged but I didn't reply. Perhaps all it took was for me to see him in pain for me to come back to my senses. Barely two weeks ago, I had been spiraling out of control and losing my mind but now, my mind was clearer than ever. Ciara's disappearance still kept me up at night but now I knew better that wallowing wasn't the solution, not by a long shot. Orion had lost so much in such a short amount of time and maybe if I had sucked it up and handled my grief better then finding Ciara would be the only thing we had to worry about. Now we had Ciara to find, two missing boys and a serial killer on the loose. “What are you thinking so deeply about?” Orion asked, tapping my arm and I was pulled out of my thoughts. What an idiot I have been….He sighed when I didn't reply and opened th