HAYLEE~~“Good to see me, huh?” The goddess-like woman before me uttered, beaming as her bright green eyes scanned my body.“You don’t even want to know,” I retorted, resisting the urge to throw myself at her.Was it even possible to touch her? I mean, this realm felt real, but that didn’t change the fact that it wasn’t physical.“Are you excited to see me because you genuinely miss me, or is it because you have more questions, Nerina?” She asked me, her smile still very much wide.If I were to be honest, I would say I missed her and also had questions for her, but it didn’t make sense to miss someone whom I knew nothing about. So instead of giving her all the answers, I chose to give her half, like she seemed to have been doing with me.“I have questions, and I haven’t been able to reach you, even though you claim I am in control of these meetings,” I uttered, and I had to watch her bright smile disappear gradually. To ease the awkwardness that was bound to settle around us, I ask
HAYLEE~~“You can’t look at me like that, Nerina. You asked me to be honest with you,” Aradia breathed as if she hadn’t just dropped a bomb into my life.She concealed my power and what I knew was an exceptional beauty. I mean, look at her! If I was destined to look anything like her, then I had been robbed greatly.“Your powers and beauty are manifesting thanks to the bond between you and Alpha King Xalen and also the poison you were being fed by those closest to you, Nerina. You don’t have to worry, and I had to do that—”“You seriously had to make me ugly? Do you even know the kind of abuse I had to endure because of how I looked? I get picked out and picked on every day!” I wasn’t sure if anger was what I felt or if I was blown away by the fact that my mother was so powerful.“I suffered, Aradia, so you do not get to casually drop that like it didn’t cost me everything,” I gritted.Aradia nodded and said, “I know, and I am sorry, Nerina, but it would have been much worse if you
ALPHA KING XALEN~~“This better be good.” Theo groaned within me.Although I didn’t growl, I was just as cranky as my wolf. I kept a straight face as I stepped into the throne hall, shifting my gaze from one deposed elder to the other.I was about to enjoy breakfast with my family when I got Evan’s message through the mind link. My beta informed me that my deposed elders had been clamoring to meet with me, and even though he had tried to hinder the inevitable meeting, they had all gathered before my throne.Frankly speaking, I didn’t expect the elders to come to me as a group. I believed they would rat one another out and sneak around just to be in my good books.“Clearly, they are gathered to fight back,” Theo informed me just as I sat on my throne, my eyes piercing through the souls of the old and supposed-to-be-wise wolves before me.They all fell to their knees as soon as I sat on the throne and chanted, “Long live the King.”“You may rise.” I breathed, sighting Wyatt and Evan
HAYLEE~~I have a lot to do.So much was on my plate, and I was struggling to keep a straight face.Before going to bed last night, Xalen and I concluded that I would begin my physical training today, and after speaking to Aradia, I have added spiritual training, reading books, and finding more clues to the list.I also needed to get myself examined so I could know what poison flowed within me.Training with Xalen and telling him about my time with Aradia was at the top of the list when we woke up this morning, but since Xalen had to meet with the Elders, I decided to get myself examined even though Aradia told me that the poison wasn’t harmful.“Who would think of doing that aside from Allison?” I asked myself and my wolf.Allison was the obvious threat to my life, but even though we lived under the same roof, she wasn’t close to me. The people closest to me were the kids, Xalen, Flavia, Roy, Benita, Maeve, Orla, and Jose.Of course, the last three were more like acquaintances at
HAYLEE~~Flavia handed my samples to trusted healers before we left the building, heading towards the general library without Sophia and Asher. I would have loved to leave Jodie with the healers as well, but she wouldn’t let them hold her.“I admire you, Haylee. You are one of the strongest people I know, and I hope you get your happy ending because you deserve it,” Flavia said to me as we walked side by side to the general library.My heart swelled, and a big smile found its way to my face as I muttered, “Thank you, Flavia. You don’t know how much that means to me.”She still doesn’t know everything about my past and who I was meant to be, yet she has accepted me wholeheartedly.We continued our walk, and I noticed that the library was in the heart of the pack, where most pack members resided. Although Allison and I stopped chatting as soon as we were allowed into the library, Jodie continued to coo happily, attracting more than a few annoyed eyes.I was about to mutter apologies t
Princess Allison’s POV~~Shockingly, Benita was right.I had supporters, and I was blown away when I saw just how many people were willing to be on my side.Earlier today, I waited for everyone, including the royal babies, to leave the palace before I called on Benita and asked her to lead me to where my so-called supporters had gathered after Benita reached out to them.Initially, I thought it would be a waste of time, but as soon as I stepped into the abandoned building that used to be the old court of elders, I realized that I was wrong.“Almost a hundred. It’s more than I expected,” even Nala confirmed.And they all bowed as soon as I entered the court. How thrilling! Of course, I yearned to lead the entire realm, but this was a good number to begin with.“Thank you for showing up,” I breathed after I occupied the gigantic seat that had been placed before the small crowd.“It’s our pleasure, Princess Allison,” they all chanted, causing chills to run down my spine.A smile stret
HAYLEE~~While waiting for my test results and Xalen’s return to the palace, I dug into the one book that seemed to have held on to my attention and mind—Cursed in Crimson. Just like Flavia narrated briefly, the first red wolf was quite phenomenal and pitiful.Reading about her felt like torture because I could have sworn I was transported back in time to the era and place she existed. I could have sworn I felt every whip and lash she had to endure, even though she was powerful enough to destroy the entire realm.“They even formulated a poison just for her,” Liya gritted within me as my eyes caught the name of the poison.“Crimsonbane,” I muttered, letting the name of the deadly potion roll off my tongue.Apparently, that was the only concoction that could harm a red wolf. With the right amount, the first Red Wolf was manipulated, controlled, and forced to commit many evil deeds. Also, with the right amount, her heart stopped right after she laid the Crimson Curse.I also discovered
HAYLEE~~“Give it back, witch!” Allison’s screams kept getting louder, and even though the servants weren’t in my sightline, I could sense their presence as they lurked around to be a part of the drama.Xalen, who had had enough of Allison, seethed, “Witch? We all know you are the witch, and if your witchy powers have somehow disappeared, so be it. Good riddance to bad rubbish. So shut the hell up.”The smile on my face grew bigger as my mate came to my defense, but I was happier because Allison’s face dropped, and I could see just how lost she was without the power she had stolen.“I won’t stand for this! She took my throne. She stole my mate, and now she has taken the only thing that matters to me!” Allison cried out, genuinely disturbed.Rather than calm her down, I breathed with a smirk, “Shouldn’t your baby be the only thing, or in this case, person, that matters to you? I can only imagine what kind of mother you would be, Allison. My heart goes out to your child—”“Don’t you
ALPHA KING XALEN~~Mornings and nights have become my favorites. I wake up to Haylee in the morning and share breakfast with the family before facing the rest of the world. And at night, I get to leave the chaos behind, return to my loved ones, and fall asleep with Haylee in my arms.But today, this cherished morning had to end earlier than usual. In that moment, I worried it would be yet another tough day for my mate and me.“It’s Roy. You might want to see this,” my cousin’s voice boomed through the room before I could even open the door.Sophia and Asher had been hanging on me as I stood there, but as soon as they saw Roy, they jumped on him instead, giving me a moment to compose myself after the strenuous dancing and singing.“You call that singing? Haylee calls it a sound. A bad sound,” Theo mocked me through the link.Roy’s cry for help snapped me out of it. “Can you get one of them off me? I’m not a father yet, and this is pure torture.”“More like practice, brother,” I quip
HAYLEE~~I cried my heart out to sleep last night. I was sad after the meeting with Kaylee, and even though Flavai tried to console me, I couldn’t shake off the mood. I thought sleeping early would help me relax, and I yearned to reach out to Aradia so we could talk.Before I went to bed, Jodie was cranky, and she wouldn’t stop crying until I carried her. I didn’t know when I fell asleep with her in my arms, but it was a good sleep. It was as if she was crying to reach me so she could comfort me, even though other people had failed to do so.Jodie just happened to be my little comforter.That was the first thought that came to mind as I slipped out of the sleep realm that morning. Although I didn’t get to connect with Aradia, I woke up feeling less sad, and I didn’t understand why until my eyes fluttered open and instantly connected with Xalen’s happy eyes.“Good morning, sleeping beauty.” Xalen’s voice and love rushed into my mind as he spoke through our mate bond.His eyes twinkl
ALPHA KING XALEN~~In that moment, my pack members got their priorities right. I could feel it in my bones, yet I added, “Protesting to have Haylee punished for being a good person caught in the middle of bad ones or evil would mean you are ready to have Alpha Richard as your Alpha and King.”To clarify, I added, “Yes, I will stop being your Alpha and give the pack to him. He and his family will lead you, and just like now, when they commit a crime or treat you unjustly, you won’t be able to prove it. Even if you can, the court will be against you, and your fellow pack members will wage war against you until you die in silence or get killed despite your innocence.”For a few minutes, I didn’t utter another word. I needed everything I had said to sink into the hundreds of minds listening to me.After a while, I continued, “I would be lying if I said I hadn’t thought about leaving after I found out that Laura was used against me. I wanted to give up because I was tired of losing ever
ALPHA KING XALEN~~After many hours of secret meetings with the ten elders who had come forward to take an oath of loyalty, I thought to check on my mate before moving on to speak to every member of the pack.She has been on my mind all day, and I worry about her.However, I knew I had to get this done before going to Haylee so I could give her my full attention. With that thought in mind, I shoved my desire to see her to the depth of my stomach, looking around my empty office as I opened my mind to every member of the Royal Pack, creating a general link so everyone could hear me.Everyone but the little kids under the age of thirteen.My pack members' curiosity could be felt through the link I created, but since I was their Alpha, that feeling wasn’t overwhelming. I could control it.I breathed into their minds, “Good evening, members of the Royal Pack. As you can tell, it’s your Alpha and King, and this is a general message for all of you.”I managed to calm my nerves, sealing my
HAYLEE~~“He would never have loved me if I didn't force him to. Hell, he is tolerating me because of what I know. Even now, he doesn't love me.” Kaylee smiled sadly.Her eyes were on me, and her sadness burned through the protective layer of my skin.I wished I could tell her that wasn't the truth, but at this moment, I knew nothing.“He would have loved you more than he loved me because he loved your mom more than he loved mine,” Kaylee stated, her voice blunt with no emotion. “Maybe if I didn't make him hit you, he would have felt love for you instead of the guilt I know he carries in his heart.”It was hard to believe Kaylee was the reason I got beaten. I mean, yes, I have always known she lied to our dad just to watch me suffer, but it was hard to believe she asked him to, and he did.Leverage or not, it doesn't feel right.Kaylee continued on that path, though, saying, “I couldn't let that happen, so I ruined his chances with you, threatening him every day so he couldn't hurt
HAYLEE~~Would I have turned evil and mean if I’d found out that my dad cheated on my mom when I was five years old?I asked myself that before I heard the rest of Kaylee’s story, and my answer was no.But if I had waited until she finished, I believe my answer would have been different.“Like all lying assholes, Dad didn't tell my mom that he cheated on her. And even though she felt the pain when he did the deed with your mom, he denied it and blamed her pregnancy for everything, saying it was just an early sign,” Kaylee breathed, adjusting her position on the floor where she’d sat since she entered the room.I let her continue without interrupting. I noticed tears trickling down her face, her inner child weeping as her heart was broken all over again. I could only imagine the pain Kaylee felt when our drunken father confessed all this to her.And for her to remember it so vividly—that must have hurt so much that she buried it deep in her mind.“My mom believed his lies, but the t
HAYLEE~~“All your life, Dad made you believe that the reason he hated you was because you looked like our late mom, or did he tell you she abandoned us?” Kaylee began. “I can't keep track of the story because it keeps changing.”Rather than tell my twin sister that I felt the same way but knew our mom was still alive somewhere, I let her continue. She added, “Well, I believed that too because he started hating you until I found out he lied about our mom leaving and then dying.”What did she mean before he started hating me? Was there a time Alfred loved me? That man hated me from the second I was born, but Kaylee wouldn’t know that because she is a self-centered brat. Or so I told myself.Still, I didn’t try to correct her. I simply listened.“When we were younger, about five years old, I found a picture of a woman who looked like an older version of me. I have Dad’s eyes and hair, but my face was all from this woman,” Kaylee breathed, holding my gaze. “I don't know if you remembe
HAYLEE~~“Feels like it’s going to be a good day, after all.” Liya chirped happily within me.In that moment, I believed the same because I assumed nothing could ruin my mood, not even meeting with Kaylee and Alfred.I assumed I was ready for anything they had for me. After all, what could be more shocking than the fact that I could communicate with a woman I had never met before and even bond with her?Nothing. I thought to myself, wearing a big smile and holding onto the memories that Xalen burned into my mind and skin earlier today.Since I needed a private place to discuss with Kaylee and Alfred— a place where Allison wouldn’t be lurking around with her minions—I decided to meet with them in Flavia's former room in the Healers’ building.“I am going with you and staying there with you, Haylee. Do you agree?” Flavia asked as soon as she saw me heading for the door.“Do I have a choice?” I laughed freely, oblivious to the shocking revelations that awaited me.“No, you don’t,” Fla
ALPHA KING XALEN~~I knew I should resist her because I had meetings scheduled but I could hear my wolf saying, “Fuck the meeting and the elders,” in my mind. I knew I should fight the urge to slam into her this minute and at least get her to the bedroom, but I couldn't.She was irritable.And even though she acted innocent, she knew I couldn't resist her. The best part of having a bond with Haylee was that I felt the same. Every feeling was mutual—Gosh, I shouldn't call her Haylee anymore. That name seemed to bring nothing but pain, trauma, and disappointment. Hearing her father and sister refer to her as Haylee and Hay made me realize that each time I called her by that name, I was reminding her of everything she should forget.I didn't want that for her. And since everyone seemed to call her Hay—even though she was the Hay to my Xay—I knew I had to come up with a better pet name for her—one that would be special to us.“Time is ticking, King Xalen,” Haylee moaned, trembling wi