~Elise~
“ You pathetic loser! Do you think you deserve the Alpha?” Lilith made her way towards me, pushing me roughly. I embraced the pain that I had anticipated as Lilith pushed me aggressively. Wasn't it bad enough to be the centre of attention by being mated to the most ruthless yet eligible Alpha? “ What bad-” I couldn't finish my mumbling when a scent rushed through my nose, my body weakening as it ravaged my very being. Instead of the pain, I felt giddy and tingling in-between my V-spot. Damn! My legs wobble as my eyes caught those hazel eyes drawing me deep, enveloping my senses. Yes, my senses including my fucking sexual sense! Memories of the steamy night rushed through and I could swear my face would be as red as tomato. “ Easy, sugary. I wouldn't want my Luna to be in pain,” that masculine voice rasped in my ears, making me blush even harder. I swear, I was already wetting my damn pants. As the Alpha's protective arm held me tenderly, I couldn't bring myself to look at that face again. “ Alpha-” “ Call my name. Xander. Or better still, you can call me baby,” His soothing voice cut me off. I felt my face getting hotter as he said the last statement. How come I never realise devils never have shame? Wasn't he the most ruthless devil Alpha? I swallowed hard, refusing to call his name or whatever he wished me to call him. Dude, these pack members' eyes were almost ripping my soul off. Can he just have pity on me? “ You are seducing the Alpha? Do you think you are the Luna?” I was still trying to pass a pleading message to him when the air suddenly turned stiff at the words uttered by Lilith. “ Oh…she is not? Please, tell me who she is?” Alpha Xander asked, smiling faintly. The pack members all shivered at the familiar smile. Who hasn't heard of the deadly faint smile of Alpha Xander? That was his signature of being extremely angry. “ Alpha, don't fall for her trick. She is a worthless, wolfless girl that brings disgrace to the pack. She can't possibly have a mate, let alone be mated as your Luna,” Lilith berated, her eyes filled with venom. Why does she hate me so much? “ Oh, really? Then I must be wrong..” Alpha Xander responded as his eyes remained fixed on mine, his voice booming through the gathering. My illusions seem to shatter alongside his words. I felt my heart pounding as I slowly realised it was all just my hallucination. “ Alpha, I-” “ You bitch! How dare you seduce the new Alpha?” Lilith's voice rang out, taking a step towards me as her eyes were filled with mockery. I stood frozen, my sister's words cutting deep into my heart. "You seduced him, didn't you? You threw yourself at him like the desperate little thing you are," she sneered. I felt a lump form in my throat as I tried to defend myself. I couldn't bring myself to look at Alpha Xander. Why was everything falling apart? "That's not true," I said, my voice shaking. "I didn't do anything." Lilith's laughter filled the coronation ground and I could see the pack members sneering at me. "Save it. Everyone saw the way you were staring at him when he mentioned the Luna position. You're just a pathetic wolfless human trying to get attention from the Alpha." I felt tears prick at the corners of my eyes as I thought about everything, including last night. I wanted to hear Xander say something or perhaps reject me if possible yet all I could hear was the murmuring in the pack. Alpha Xander was my second chance mate, and I thought he had accepted me. But now, I wasn't so sure. "Why are you doing this?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper. "Because you're a threat," she spat. "You're a nobody, and you're trying to steal the Alpha's attention. It's not going to work." I felt a wave of sadness wash over me. I didn't want the Alpha's attention if he didn't truly want me. I wanted to reject him, to tell him that I didn't need him. But a part of me still longed for him, still wanted to be with him. "I don't want him," I said, trying to convince myself more than my stepsister. "I don't need him." But my very own sister just laughed again. " Of course, you don't need to want him. You're just a fool who doesn't deserve anyone," she said. With Alpha Xander still looking at me, I let out a bitter laugh. I can't believe I got humiliated again and again by these people. Lilith spat out again, “ You think you can latch onto him after failing miserably with Jason? You are such a pathetic loser!” “ Failing miserably? Jason was my mate. You stole him…” I vented out, getting fed up. “ Your mate? How so when you don't even have a wolf? Even if you are a lycan, you still need your wolf to smell the mate bond. Stop being a pathetic loser!” Lilith mocked all over. “Loser?” I asked, not believing Lilith's words. I stole a glance at Jason. Even if he rejected me as his mate, shouldn't he clarify it? Shouldn't he tell the pack members that I wasn't lying? “ You pathetic-” Before Lilith could say anything more, a loud painful growl filled the air and Lilith was flung to a nearby tree trunk. “ Too noisy. Take her away!” Alpha Xander’s cold voice interrupted. Then he turned to the pack members, “ Anyone against her being the luna?” The crowd went silent, same as my troubling heart. Still wondering what Xander was up to, I felt my body drawing closer to his hard chest. Alpha Xander drew me close to himself and without warning, he claimed my lips in front of the whole pack. His kisses rendered me breathless and wanting more. Didn't he hate me? He was clearly listening to Lilith’s accusations, right? I was still trying to wrap my mind around this rollercoaster feelings around Alpha Xander and his staggering behaviour when he whispered in my ears. “ Try calling him your mate again and I don't mind claiming you right here, sugary,” he said, wearing a smirk. Bastard! Yet I could do nothing. My body seemed to want more even as I tried hard not to glare at him. “ Be good. Let's do the rest in our chamber tonight,” he whispered again. Was this truly the ruthless alpha?Xander Pov "Still defiant?" Lucia snarled, pouring more power into the spell. "Fine. We'll see how defiant you are after a few hours of this."She gestured to the guards who had appeared at the cell door. "Take him to the torture chamber. Make sure he understands exactly how worthless he is."As they unlocked my chains and dragged me to my feet, I caught sight of Lilith huddled in the corner. Her eyes met mine, and I saw something that gave me hope.Guilt. Not just shame for betraying me, but the specific kind of guilt that came from lying. She knew something she wasn't telling Lucia. Something important. Or maybe I was just forcing myself to believe that even though it was not true. The guards hauled me out of the cell, but I managed to lean close to Lilith as we passed, I wanted to whisper to her but I didn’t get to. "Take him away," Lucia ordered, but there was something in her voice now. Uncertainty. Like my refu
Xander's POVLilith, Elise's sister.My heart didn't stop because I was afraid or hurt, but it stopped when I saw the once peacock looking Lilith looking like a rogue. She looked nothing like the spoiled princess I remembered. Her fangs protruded, bloody and fractured. It was a sign of being beaten several times by warriors. She was badly injured because she wasn't a warrior. She was just an over pampered girl. My eyes swept through her blonde hair which was matted. It was extremely dirty, hanging in greasy tangles around her face. Her clothes were torn and stained, and there were bruises covering every inch of visible skin.And it was her eyes that made my stomach lurch. They were hollow, empty, like someone had sucked the life right out of them. It wasn't just the beatings. I could sense something darker, like the aura used by Lucia. How much has she suffered?"Lilith?" My voice came out hoarse with shock, not pity. Don't blame me, she had always bullied my mate. If not for Elise
Xander Pov Sixteen years and I still feel my heart beating for her. The moment I saw that chubby rice ball, bloodied but still cheerful, something in me knew. Not just that she was my mate, but that she was meant to be more than that. Meant to be my equal, my partner, my other half.Even if I tried to tell myself I was just pretending for the sake of who she was, my heart kept accusing me. I played along with Amma's plan yet my heart was the one playing me.I thought I had it under control, right from the moment Amma told me she was the one. Yet, that control seemed to slip the day I saw her crying over Jason. Even when it was all part of the plan, my heart couldn't stop aching for her. Even if that night at the cave was all an act, I couldn't stop thrusting into her all night long. I wanted to mark her when even Skye couldn't control himself. But I stopped. I wanted to have her heart even if that wasn't part of the plan." Even if you weren't supposed to love her but it won't mat
Xander Pov "Remember what happened sixteen years ago, Xander. Remember why I accepted that little girl as your mate before you even knew what she was." Amma's voice was soft now, almost gentle. "It wasn't because of duty or politics or pack alliances. It was because your soul recognized hers."She was right. My whole being felt heavier as I listened to Amma's words. The words she always told me about Elise came resurfacing. " Amma, don't tell me..."" I made it that way, Xander," Amma said calmly. "That night Vivian brought her to me, I fed her potion to counter her mother's own which made her seem weak and powerless. I had to shut her wolf out too, not just her witch powers."A potion? That was why Vivian always secretly brought Elise to Amma all those years before her sudden disappearance. If Vivian had played along with Amma, does it mean Elise adopted father also knew about the deal?" Amma, why would you shut her wolf out even after feeding her the potion when you know you cou
Xander's POVThe silver chains burned against my wrists, a constant reminder of how far I had fallen. It had been days since Lucia dragged me down here and chained me like a rabid animal.But it wasn't the physical pain that was killing me. It was the images Lucia planted in my head before she left me to rot.Elise. My Elise. In Drake's arms.The thought made my stomach churn, and I pulled against the chains until blood ran down my arms. The silver seared my skin, but I didn't care. Physical pain was nothing compared to the agony tearing through my chest."You're going to tear your hands off if you keep that up."I looked up to see Amma standing at the cell door, her weathered face creased with worry. My grandmother looked older than her age, her grey hair pulled back in a tight bun, her green eyes sharp despite her age."Amma." My voice came out as a croak. "How did you get past the guards again?"She held up a small vial filled with clear liquid. "Sleeping potion. Lucia's guards are
Elise Pov " Drake, what am I?"Silence as Drake took more steps towards me. He stopped in front of me and his hands found it's way to my cheek. It traveled to my neck, drawing me to his chest as he let out a growl.He inhaled deeply once more. This time I was sure he was getting intoxicated by my scent and his words affirmed it.He breathed out. " I could drown inside you all night long, little devil. You smell heavenly and just right for me. You are just like her, though sweeter. More intoxicating.""My mother," I whispered, trying to push those flirty emotions out. "This is about my biological mother."He let go off me, a deep chuckle filling the air once again. He moved around, towards the rolling study chair and poured himself a glass of wine. He gulped the whole content before moving back towards me. My eyes never left him, not even for half a second. After what seemed to be like forever, he finally looked at me.H