Chapter 4

Thea

– Present Day –

‘And they lived happily ever after.’

Of course, they did; Bleh!

I sigh and snap the book closed, letting it rest on my stomach. I just lay with my feet dangling over the arm of one of the many leather wing-back chairs in the library. Thousands of books fill the dark mahogany shelves that line the room. I have read them all at least once, some two or three times.

Coming to the library to read is one of the few things my father, the alpha king, allows me to do. I’m locked away like a fairytale princess, except I wasn’t kidnapped at birth, just cursed.

Ugh! I swing my legs around to a sitting position before I stand up, and run my hands down the soft material of my black t-shirt dress. I wander over to the window that overlooks the training grounds where I can see the warriors all gathered together for the morning session. My father and half-brother, Kenrik, watch from the sides.

Kenrik is preparing to take over as Alpha of Golden Claw soon. Father will hand down the title after Kenrik and Ahlana mark each other as chosen mates under the full moon next month. Last month, under the supermoon, Kenrik happened to come across his fated mate. She was an omega that had accompanied Alpha Jonah from the Dark Fang pack while he was visiting for a treaty meeting.

That was a short-lived romance, to say the least. Father made Kenrik reject her on the spot because he is a purist and a prick. He is delusional in his quest to keep the Adler bloodline strong. Kenrik had to mate with a female of Alpha blood, no ifs, ands, or buts. Ahlana was Alpha Jonah’s daughter, she’d just turned 18 and hasn’t even had a chance to look for her mate.

Jonah didn’t even think twice before he signed her over for an alliance. I’m sure he would have sucked father off to get that deal if that’s what it took.

I feel kind of bad for her. She spends much of her time with Gamma Niko’s mate, Sophia, learning every detail she needs to serve as Kenrik’s Luna and queen. Typically the current Luna would teach the prodigy, but Luna Iris died in a freak accident on the back portion of the territory. I wasn’t alive yet, but I knew it was the reason the waterfall was off-limits.

I feel bad about the whole thing, but I didn’t know her, and I suppose if it hadn’t happened, I wouldn’t be alive. Though I’m not sure you could call this living.

My existence leads to the whole hypocritical aspect of fathers' purist ideology. Luna Iris died when Kenrik was only one, and according to our father, the best way to ensure our family kept the lineage was ‘with an heir and a spare.’

I, however, was not the spare he was hoping for. My mother was an omega whose mate was killed in battle. They were both desperate, I guess. He mated solely to get her pregnant and produce a spare, breaking his own rules in haste. He killed her the day I was born because, shocker, I’m a she, not a he.

Being a she-wolf in this pack sucked. We can’t train, fight or serve in the ranks of the pack. As outdated and sexist as that seems, no one dares to go against Alpha King Maksym.

There's a light knock on the door before it creaks open and pulls me from my thoughts. Niko steps in. He’s younger than most of the other ranked members, only in his thirties, but even though he serves my father, he has always been kind to me.

“Princess Althea, Alpha Maksym has requested you meet him down in his office,” he says, holding the door open for me.

I roll my eyes, sucking in a deep breath and then slowly releasing it. I nod at Gamma Niko as I head for the door. I’m greeted in the hall by one of Golden Claw’s head warriors, Anders. Anders has been one of my guards for as long as I can remember. He’s also my favorite because he often would bring his easy-on-the-eyes son, Apollo, around.

“Princess,” Anders greeted, falling into line behind me as Niko leads the way down to the second floor where the offices were. Either Anders and Niko are almost always with me, if not both. I always have someone with me at all times, except for at night when only the night guard watches the family wing of the house.

Our footsteps echo off the marbled floors and the ornately decorated walls that lined the halls throughout the packhouse. My stomach begins to knot as we approach the office door. He almost never wants to see me outside of dinners.

Niko knocks on the door and waits to be summoned. He holds the door open, and when he bows and Anders takes his place to the left of the door, I know I’m going in alone.

The office can almost be considered cozy. Much like the library, the walls are lined with mahogany built-ins. The fireplace, surrounded by granite, sits opposite a picture window that overlooks the back gardens. Father is seated behind his large solid oak desk. The pack’s oracle, Calliope, is seated in a leather chair across from him.

That's weird, but after a few slaps across the face growing up, I’d learned to keep my comments to myself. I make my way to the leather sofa closest to the crackling fire and sit.

“Happy birthday Althea. Please stand and undress for Calliope,” he says in a monotone voice, his dark eyes quickly returning to his computer screen.

A rush of nerves floods my system, and I suddenly realize why he called me down here…

— FLASHBACK —

I can hardly sit still as I watch the full moon grow higher in the sky. Tomorrow is my sixteenth birthday, which means I get my wolf tonight. I’m scared to shift. I’ve heard it's quite painful, but that's okay because I know for a fact I will get to go outside tonight!

Pack members start to gather in the clearing by the back gate. All the wolves look so beautiful under the moonlight; as they shift back, they look so happy. A small pang of jealousy surfaces as I see Beta Christopher gather them up and make a small speech, the pack clapping and cheering as they break apart to mingle.

At 11:45 on the dot, my father is escorting me to the clearing for my shift.

I hope Apolo is still around. He got his wolf a few months ago; maybe we can run together.

The crisp night air sends a shiver down my spine when we step outside. I love how the outside smells. As we make our way across the lush lawn, the cool grass tickles my bare feet with each step. I look around for Apollo, but it seems everyone, but Calliope has left. Oh well, at least I’m outside.

“Happy Birthday, Althea; tonight is a very special night, isn’t it, dear,” Father says with a fondness I seldom hear.

“Yes, Father! Tonight I get my wolf!” I almost shout, forgetting his rules. Women should be quiet, but my excitement is overwhelming!

His lips turn up into the slightest smile, “Yes, you do. Are you ready? The shift should start any minute now.”

I nod up and down, bouncing in place with pent-up enthusiasm. “Calliope will help you undress and dress. We wouldn’t want your dress to get torn, now would we?” He’s being so kind tonight. I quickly do as I was told and slip the dusky pink sundress covered in small daisies over my head before handing it to Calliope. My panties and training bra follow next. I feel a bit awkward standing out here in my birthday suit, but I don’t have time to think about it before a zap of energy runs down my spine.

I cry out at the unfamiliar feeling. Father casts a glare my way the second the sound leaves my lips. The zap spreads throughout my whole body. My skin feels like a thousand needles from the inside are pricking it. I want to scream at the pain again but one look at my father and I remember the rules. I bite down on my lip in an attempt to stay quiet.

I feel my bones breaking and rearranging, the air around me flickers. I close my eyes, fighting back the tears. After what feels like a lifetime, I become aware of a presence with me. I blink my eyes open and see my father staring at me with a look of pure adoration.

I have done something good! I look down to see snow-white fur so pure it glistens in the moonlight. I wag my tail. What a funny feeling!

— End of Flashback —

Calliope inspects each inch of my skin, looking for the same thing she did when I first got my wolf.

The gift marking of the blessed. The moon goddess herself blessed white wolves. They are like unicorns to shifters. They only appear every few decades and are often used and abused for the gift the goddess grants them.

I don’t have a gift, thus continuing the trend of disappointing my father.

Calliope searched me the night I first shifted. When she didn’t find anything, Father was outraged and demanded that she call for another vision. That one told her when I was 19 the legacy of the pack would be up to me.

“Alpha, there’s still no mark,” the fear is clear in her voice.

He shifts his gaze towards us, his mouth twitching at the corner, rage dancing in his eyes. His heavy glare makes me feel even more uncomfortable as I stand here naked. His eyes glaze over temporarily as he mind-links someone. A moment later, the door opens, Anders's eyes spotting me and quickly drops to the floor.

“Dinner is at seven tonight, Althea, do not be late,” Father says.

I pull on my dress and quickly dart out the door.