I stumble into my bedroom, collapsing against the door and gasping for air. Had that really just happened? I hold my hand against my still slightly bleeding neck, swallowing thickly and shaking my head in pointless denial.Sebastian had just marked me, so I now bore two marks, which was not what I would call a good look. I rush over to my mirror, grimacing at the state of my neck. He had really tore into me, I’m assuming to make sure it was more prominent than Killian’s on the opposite side of my neck.Tears fill my eyes as I grab a tissue and try and wipe the remaining blood off of me. I hear a knock at my door and I curse under my breath. “What?!” I call, an edge of irritation in my voice. I turn around with a glare as my door opens. I’m surprised when it’s Camilla who enters my room. I softened my face a little, because at least it wasn’t who I had thought it was, Sebastian. I was ready to strangle him right now, so he’s lucky it wasn’t him knocking on my door.“Everything oka
I sigh as I’m dragged away from where Camilla and Lucas are now talking to be apprehended by Killian. I had thought about wearing a scarf or something until I had the mental capacity to deal with Killian’s reaction to my new, very permanent mark, but had decided against it. Now I was regretting that choice a little.“What is this?” He demands again when we stop, and he shoves my hair out of the way to glare at the new mark on my neck. I had cleaned all the blood off, but it was still brand new, so there was plenty of bruising around the bite marks.“Sebastian marked me.” I say evenly, crossing my arms and watching his face for a reaction. Saying anything different would just make him think I thought he was stupid. Might as well rip this bandaid off, I guess.“I can see that.” He growls, his eyes flashing with anger. “And you let him?” “He didn’t really ask me, but it’s not like he forced me either.” I say a bit lamely. While it was true that Sebstain didn’t talk to me before sinking
The next day was set to be an awkward one. The remaining members of Killian’s pack were traveling over from his land and would be here by tonight. When the official challenge ceremony for Killian and Sebastain did happen, all members of both packs involved were meant to be present. And who would want to miss something like this, anyways? It wasn’t every day two Alpha’s went head to head, with their packs as the collateral. I wake up early, earlier than Sebastian. I sneak out from under his arm and head downstairs, rubbing at my arms and trying to wake up. I hadn’t slept well, my mind was too busy feeling guilty over everything that was happening. It was hard not to feel like this was all my fault, considering the beef was over me. Denying it just felt… tacky. I sit in the kitchen, not even moving to get breakfast, just thinking about the day ahead for a few minutes/I get up and start making myself a bowl of oatmeal when I hear a door from upstairs, followed by footsteps coming dow
“What if he’s annoyed to see me again so soon?” Camilla asks in a worried tone from beside me as we make our way to where Killian and Lucas were staying. “I’m sure he won’t be. Why would he be?” I ask, trying to reassure her. She’d been peppering me with anxious questions about Lucas the entire walk over here. Has he ever said anything about his mate? Has he had a lot of girlfriends in the past? What does his type usually look like?I answered all of her questions to the best of my ability, but to be honest, I didn’t know much about Lucas and his mate. Killian had told me he knew who she was, and she was even still alive. Apparently she just wasn’t interested in being with someone who wasn’t an Alpha though. Which was ridiculous, because Lucas was a perfectly fine mate to end up with. I don’t have the burning attraction for him that mates too so I don’t have too much gushing to do over him, I just know he’s a good guy. I didn’t tell Camilla all his business, just that he wasn't wit
“Here they come…” I hear Killian mutter from behind me as we stand at Sebastain’s pack’s border. I nod a little as I start to see wolves slipping out of the trees. “Who’s bringing Eli and Ella?” I ask him as the few wolves sit in front of us, waiting for the rest of the pack members to catch up. “Ashton and his ducklings.” He replies, his eyes flicking over who had gotten there first. “They’re in human form though, since they had to carry the twins. So it might take them a little longer.” He shrugs a little and I nod. If nothing else, I was looking forward to seeing my kids. And, I was looking forward to the fact that no matter what happened today, no matter who I ended up being with, this would be the end of me not getting to live with the twins and raise them like I wanted to. If I had to stay with Sebastain, there was no way I could continue to let Killian keep them, only seeing them a couple times a month if I was lucky. I don’t know how Killian would feel about that, but hones
I hurry across the pack lands, my mind whirling with thoughts of why the hell rouges would be heading this way for a challenge ceremony.How did they know Killian had challenged Sebastain? And what was their interest in it? Did they want to watch? If so, why? So they could take advantage of whoever lost? Or were they interested in being a part of the challenge? It wasn’t common, but more than two parties could participate, as long as the numbers from each pack were even. Typically it was a card pulled to save pack lives over a personal matter, because let's be honest, these types of things usually happened over something like what was happening now. Very rarely were these ceremonies held for something political or actually important. As I approach Sebastain’s house, the bad feeling in my gut intensifies. Especially when I get close to the front door and can already hear loud, angry sounding voices. “What right do you even have to challenge me?” I hear Sebastain asking someone in an
“I just don’t understand who he thinks he is. Challenging you in your own home like that.” Even though for once I agreed with Serena’s whining, because it was her saying it, I found myself rolling my eyes at her slightly pompous statement. She had shown up a few minutes after Felix’s departure, saying she’d seen some dirty looking wolves running off the pack lands and demanding to know what was going on. I was sitting on the couch, Sebastian was sitting beside me, leaned forward with his hands folded, and his mother was pacing the room in front of where we sat. “I don’t see why you even accepted!” She huffs for what seemed like the tenth time, throwing her arms up in the air dramatically. “You are the Alpha of the strongest pack in the nation, you shouldn’t be lowering yourself to that dirty “King’s” level.” She spits out the word “king” like it left a bad taste in her mouth. I’ll be honest, her reaction was a bit… strange to me. I mean, I get her being upset about some big scary
“We’ll need to move the ceremony outside, with the rogues joining in now there won’t be enough room outside.” I tell one of Sebastain’s pack members as I walk to the meeting hall with them at my side. They nod, and break away from me to hurry off with their new instructions. I don’t know how his pack had learned about the new challenger so quickly, considering it'd happened all of an hour ago. But as soon as I’d walked out of Sebastain’s house, the guards had immediately approached me, asking if it was true that Sebastain had been challenged by the rogue King. Then when I had started walking to the meeting hall to see if any of the committee members were lingering around, one of the event organizing pack members had approached, asking if the space we had planned to use for the ceremony would still work. They were who I was talking and walking with now.I hadn’t been able to find Sebastain again, I’m assuming he’d probably turned into a wolf and was tearing through his land somewhere,
Three days later and I was starting to get nervous that Beatrice wasn’t actually going to accept my offer. I guess I just kind of assumed most, if not all wolves would jump at the opportunity to be Alpha. Even though I myself was in the middle of trying to hand off the title to someone else. Either way, I’d pretty much expected her to sleep on it, and come back the next day, full of energy and ready to lead her people. I was not expecting her to go full on ghost on me, avoiding me everytime I came within fifty feet of her. I had spotted her across the training grounds just now, and had waved to her as I began to approach. She had quickly turned to one of the other guards she’d been with, said something, and darted off into the trees before I had time to talk to her. So I was currently just lingering around the training grounds, waiting to see if she’d come back. If she didn’t want the Alpha spot, that was fine, I guess. But I needed to know for sure before I moved onto someone else
“You’re kidding, right?” Beatrice asks me after a moment of staring at me with a slack jaw. I consider, then shake my head “Seems like a weird thing to kid about.” I say earnestly.She laughs a little incredulously, shaking her head. “Why?” She finally asks. I shrug a little. “Well, I don’t know you well enough quite yet to completely hand it over to you, but from what I’ve seen so far, I’m at the very least interested.” She looks like she’s having a hard time believing my words, which I really don’t understand. She seems strong, physically and mentally. Seems smart and knowledgeable about her pack. People seem to listen to her, respect and look up to her. I still wanted to get to know her a little better to make sure she wasn’t going to make the personality shift all my previous candidates had made. But there was really good potential in her, that much I could tell for sure.“This just seems… out of nowhere.” She says, sitting back in her seat a little.“I mean, not really. I’ve b
We walked into my office, Beatrice close behind as I held the door open for her. She mutters a quiet “thanks” and I move behind the desk as she plops into the chair on the other side.“So.” I say once we’re sat. “Tell me about yourself.” She raises her eyebrow a little, like she was expecting something else, which I’m sure she was. “Uh. I mean… What do you want to know?”She rubs at the back of her neck a little, looking suddenly awkward. “Anything. Where you grew up. What your parents are like, what you spend your time doing.” “Well. I grew up here, in Sebastian's pack. He… found me, after my pack was wiped out by a group of rogues.” Her face changes a little when she brings up her former Alpha, contorting into a pained, regretful expression. “I think I was seven when he found me. He was barely a teenager himself, but I still remember how big he had seemed to me when he’d first found me tucked away in a bush. I don’t even know how long I’d been hiding, but he’d said it looked like
I guess the universe was getting bored with toying with me, because two days after I’d had to boot Andrew, my most promising candidate yet made themselves known. A woman. Her name was Beatrice Longfall. Though her connection to her once royal bloodline was weak at this point, it still shone through when she was working and leading her pack mates.Apparently, she’d been off with a few others for a while now, looking for Sebastain. To no avail. Her and the twelve pack members who had been with her didn’t look pleased when they’d returned, irritated almost. They all just said they couldn’t find him, but I wondered if that was true. What if they had found him, and he had refused to come back? I’m sure that stubborn pride of his wouldn’t allow it, even if it’s what made sense. I didn’t pry too much though. I first saw her leading a group of guards out to the borders, her walking in front as they all strode behind her. All it had taken was one snap of her fingers, and they were all shift
I sigh heavily, letting another file I’d built for a new potential Alpha fall into the trash can. This one’s name had been Andrew Powell, a long residing pack member with good combat skills. When I'd asked around about him, all anyone had to say was good things, and everyone seemed to know him. With that in mind, I had eagerly pursued him, and of course, he was just as eager to accept the challenge.He’d started off great, doing his best to make a good impression. Then it was like something changed, and he let the mask drop. He started acting like he already had the Alpha title, parading around telling everyone what to do. So this morning, I’d brought him into what I was currently using as an office, and told him he was no longer being considered for the Alpha position. Of course he had gotten pissed, started telling me I wasn’t even qualified to make this kind of decision, and that maybe he would just take the title without my blessing. At least I knew now I was right in my choice.
Was this how Everly felt when I had been unfaithful in our marriage? Did she too feel this sadness, this envy, this anger?All I could think about was hearing those words from her, “I’m pregnant. And it’s not yours.” Over and over again like a broken record.Pure, unfiltered rage courses through my veins as I stomped out of our house, swinging the door open so hard it cracked against the wall behind it. I ignored the stares from the pack members I’d had outside with Ella and Eli, and didn't stop to answer their questions of where I was going and if I was okay. The twins would be fine with them for a little, maybe better than if they were left in my care.Because I was anything but okay. My woman was pregnant with another man’s child, and I had a very good feeling on who’s it was. I could tell by her hesitation, the tone in her voice. It was that bastard’s, Sebastain’s. The image of them screwing pissed me off, and made bile rise in my throat. I didn’t even want to think about them
“Hey, babe. How’d it go today?” Killian’s voice says in my ear through my phone. I swallowed thickly at his question, clenching the phone in my hand so tightly I was scared it was going to break. This was the part I was dreading. Killian and I were just reconnecting, and now I was about to tell him I was going to be gone for some undetermined amount of time. Not to mention… There was a baby growing in me right now. What if I was gone for months? I would show back up with a swollen belly. That would be nothing if not jarring. I mean, it’s not like I had cheated on him or anything. But I still felt guilty, horrible even, at the life growing inside of me. “It was okay.” I say, then fall silent. I know he’s waiting for me to tell him more, what I chose to do, because I hadn’t even told him my plan. It was kind of a last minute call. That, and I’m too weak. He had hugged me with such warmth before I left, kissing my cheek and telling me he couldn't wait for me to come home. “Uhm. I gues
Three days later…For some reason, Sebastian’s pack land looked different to me this time around. It seemed less foreign, for sure. I had lived there for a while, and spent plenty of time wandering around. Less intimidating, maybe, now that I knew there was no scheming man waiting around the corner. I walked behind Adam and a couple other committee members who had tagged along, a woman named Marlin, a man named Thomas. This morning, Adam and them had shown up at my door, and told me we would be travelling here today, to announce my decision to the pack and appoint a new Alpha if my choice was to leave. He told me I could have them fight me or each other, do a poll, whatever I felt was the best call to pick the new leader. Sebastian didn’t have an official Beta, so while that would normally be the first logical choice, unfortunately it wasn’t an option this time around. Strangely enough, none of them had asked what I was going to do yet today. Adam kept eyeing me, like he was doubti
Since returning to Kilian’s pack things had been… different. I was happy to be back with Killian and our kids. We were finally together, able to raise them side by side. I wasn’t having to look over my shoulder because I had to be on guard all the time, and Killian was paying me more attention than ever before. Apart from that, there were a few more serious things going on. For example, Sebastian’s pack was left without an Alpha. The committee members were breathing down my neck, telling me I either needed to relinquish my position over to someone else, or step up and take charge of the dozens of wolves looking for a leader. And don’t even get me started on Felix’s pack. They weren’t in my top list of priorities, I can't lie. Most of them had run off, only a few of the new members who had been forced into Felix’s pack had stuck around. Honestly, I had kind of been hoping Sebastain would show back up. I would be more than happy to hand his pack back over. I didn’t want it. I hadn’t