HAYLEE~~I swear the earth shook underneath my feet, and I felt the kitchen threatening to crumble as Alpha King Xalen’s anger boomed through the atmosphere. His voice hit my eardrums hard enough to threaten to tear them. “Are you insane!” Those three words sounded nothing like a question, and I saw how Prince Asher’s face fell when he was also hit by the wave of his dad’s anger. Even Princess Jodie's body jerked in my arms, but I quickly began to rock the little princess and also assure the Prince that everything was fine. Thankfully, Benita came into the kitchen at that moment, and being closer to Asher than I was, she took over his care and whispered to me, “The palace will only get hotter.” “What do you mean?” I asked, brows furrowed. “I heard that Princess Allison spent the whole night moving Quuen Laura’s belongings to one of the guest rooms and she moved hers into the room the Alpha King and Queen Laura used to share. “ Benita said to me, whispering so Prince Asher woul
ALPHA KING XALEN~~If anger were a body of water, then it would be safe to say that I had been completely submerged beneath its surface, unable to break through the surface until she cried out in pain.“Aah!” Her cry hit the surface of my flooring rage, and I was plunged out of its depth.Allison was still yelling in my face like she had some kind of death wish, which I initially planned to grant, but my mind forgot about her as my focus shifted to Haylee, whose cry still bounced off the walls of my mind.“What is she doing here?” Theo gasped within me, his anger shifting into worry as my eyes found Haylee. I felt conflicted. I felt torn.Should I show Allison that I was the Alpha King even though I had been lenient with her, or should I give in to the urge to run over to Haylee, whose pain was still evident as she groaned, struggling to regain balance?“You threw the damn box at her! Go to her dammit!” Theo gritted his canines in anger, despite the fact that the anger I was expre
HAYLEE~~He really can’t be the man for me.Heck! I doubt any man is for me at this point. Like, what the actual fuck just happened? At first, I thought he would do something after he nearly snapped my backbone into two with the damn box. I thought he would at least be nice, but apparently, he only acted nice when he got his way. Last night with his daughter was a good example.I just couldn’t shake the feeling of hopelessness. Even my wolf lost hope when she saw the way our supposed mate reacted after what he did to us. Intentional or not, I received an apology. Yes, he was the King and I was merely a slave but–“This is how Sslavesget treated. We should get used to it by now.” Liya whimpered within me, her heart just as heavy as mine.“We have to find a way to end this,” I seethed, dragging myself far away from the palace even though I knew that I couldn’t escape the Alpha King. I just needed a few minutes to myself. A few minutes to breathe and focus on myself. I was lost in my
HAYLEE~~Jose—scratch that! At the moment, he was Leo, but the Leo I knew wouldn’t cut me off with a kiss that lasted longer than a minute. Leo tilted my head, and his hand supported my aching back as he deepened the kiss, pouring his passion into me.My eyes were wide open as shock zapped through me. My body was tense and rigid in Leo's—damn, Jose. My body was rigid in his arms as my arin tried so hard to process the situation. My best friend was kissing me. He was kissing me tenderly, and if I was being honest, this kiss could be my first kiss. Alpha Jett had never kissed me on the lips, yet as Jose kissed me, I couldn’t bear the thought of having my first kiss this way. I pushed against his chest with my palms, struggling to break free as soon as it clicked in my head that this wasn’t what I wanted. Or was it the way my body reacted against Jose’s touch? I couldn’t be sure, but thankfully, Jose didn’t try to resist my will to push him away. He pulled back, taking his hands off
ALPHA KING XALEN~~It was hard for Theo to decide if he wanted to be mad at me for referring to Haylee as a slave after many hours of looking everywhere in my home for her or kicking someone in the gut for putting his hands on his mate. But eventually, my wolf decided and seethed within me, “He can’t have his paws on her. Hell, she reeks of him.” And Theo was right. Aside from the fact that the warrior I now recognize to be Allison’s guard had taken a protective stance before Haylee, his scent was also oozing out of Haylee’s body. I would be dumb if I didn’t understand that the duo had been intimate in some way–“He wouldn’t dare!” Theo seethed within me, pumping anger but mostly jealousy into my veins, and my body accepted it, reacting to those emotions.I growled, “I believe I asked you a question.” Haylee tried to speak. At least that was my assumption as I heard her murmurs, but Allison’s guard beat her to it, saying, “She was at the clinic, Alpha King.” I have been the kin
HAYLEE~~“I didn’t mean to hurt you, Haylee. I’m sorry.” Alpha King Xalen said to me in a tone that sounded almost unrecognizable because it was too soft to be his, and for a minute there, the world as I knew it ceased to exist. I couldn’t believe my ears and neither could I get my tongue to function as his eyes locked with mine.“He didn’t say that. Has to be the bugs in your ears, Hay,” Liya said to me, unable to wrap her mind around Alpha King Xalen’s supposed apology as well. Liya’s statement was believable until Alpha King Xalen stepped closer to me, staring at me intensely and mumbling, “I was mad but not at you. Seeing another woman in the same bed I have shared with Laura for many years drove me off the edge, and I just needed to let Allison understand that I wasn’t okay with that.” He was explaining himself to me. Oh, dear goddess. Could I be losing my mind? “It’s no excuse for how I behaved, so I apologize again, Haylee.” Alpha King Xalen concluded, but I was still s
Princess Allison’s POV ~~My mission in the royal pack was simple—make his life a living hell, frustrate him until he abandoned the throne, give my family the chance to take over the rulership of this realm, or, even better, make him marry me in the next three months.If I were being honest, I wouldn’t want to marry a man who was still stuck on his late wife and mate. However, this was politics, and as my father’s oldest daughter, it was my duty to bring the crown home.“He either marries you or dies, Allie.” My wolf, Nala, seethed into my mind as I descended the stairs, heading over to the kitchen. “I mean, what’s the point if he leaves the throne or gets dethroned by the Elders? He has a son, for goddess’s sake.”Nala was one who never took chances. My wolf is the reason I’m so confident, even when Alpha King Xalen is yelling in my face. Nala was a hothead. Fuck that—she was a volcano that looks peaceful but can erupt at any fucking time.My wolf was the reason my dad trusted me t
ALPHA KING XALEN~~I still haven't gotten over the emotions from yesterday. The anger Allison called out of me. The worry and guilt Haylee poured into me. Plus the hunger I had to resist during the moment Haylee and I shared last night. Although she didn’t seem to notice, controlling my hunger around her was becoming harder. This explains the jealousy I felt when I saw her walk in with Jose, Allison’s guard—that reminds me! I need to tell Wyatt to find out who Jose was and how he got to know Haylee. I quickly sent a message to my Gamma, asking him to see me at my main office, where I would be going today, to avoid anymore drama from Allison and unwanted feelings from Haylee. Despite these demanding feelings, I got out of bed and joined my kids in the dining hall. As soon as I entered the hall, Sophia grumbled, “Why is breakfast not here yet? I’m starving."Haylee’s voice hit my eardrums, and I was this close to letting out a deep possessive growl, “I can make something for you,
Princess Allison’s POV ~~If I saw the nightmare having breakfast with the family, I desired to be a part of it, even though every member of that family hated me; I ignored her.Haylee had proven to be my nightmare. The wall I stumbled upon each time I found a way to get myself out of the mess my life had become. Sadly, Haylee had remained a constant, and I didn’t see how I would get rid of her.Not anymore.I have tried killing her. I tried framing her. I tried making everyone hate her. Heck! What more was I supposed to do?“Why is she so indestructible? Who the hell is she?” Nala growled within me as I stormed out of the palace, eyes searching the compound and nose inhaling the air to find the bastard that renewed my hope.He should have left me to rot in defeat or at least let me figure this out on my own instead of using his silly tricks. Silly, futile tricks!“This is getting out of hand, Nala.” I whimpered to my wolf, walking aimlessly around the pack after I exited the palac
Princess Allison’s POV ~~I wasn’t there, but I heard the celebration. It was earthshaking, so who in the pack wouldn’t hear or feel it? Even though I didn’t join the celebration, the rumors of what led to such happiness reached me within the next hour. Since Benita was dead, I have been assigned another servant, even though I wasn’t welcomed in the palace. No one made me feel welcome, but I didn’t care because I trusted fake Jose’s plan to work just fine. I mean, it has been working for the past week. I thought nothing could change the outcome until my new servant came to my bedroom with breakfast. “What’s the noise about, Orla?” I asked the sweet girl who had replaced Benita. Although she was no Benita, she had been serving me with respect since she became my servant.“There’s no noise, Princess Allison,” Orla answered, staring straight into my eyes for the first time since she started serving me. My brows furrowed as I took the tray of food from her. I clarified my question,
HAYLEE~~Saying I was relieved would be an understatement of the century; I was overwhelmed with elation, a surge of joy that went beyond mere relief. The sound of joy and the promise of a better future were enough reasons for me to be happy.And I was.But at the same time, I was worried. Or maybe it was fear because I wasn’t sure I could live up to the pack’s expectations. The same expectations that I had infused into their minds when I said these words to them:“I promise to be a queen who leaves marks—marks that will remain unerasable throughout history.”Even after the small celebration that happened after my coronation was scheduled, I still couldn’t figure out how those words made their way out of my mouth. It was as if a part of me I never knew existed voiced those words… a part of me that was awakened when the pack openly accepted me.“You’ve always wanted to be accepted,” Liya chimed into my mind as I walked back to the bedroom with Xalen, who was grinning from ear to ear
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