Chapter 1

Crescent’s Pov

One year later

“Thinking of getting the nice dress for your girl?” Aaron teased, his hand slapping my shoulder as he laughed.

I snapped out of my daze, a soft smile glazing my lips as I turned away from the shop, “I’m not interested in having a girlfriend now, not when I haven’t settled properly.” I muttered, trying to keep my voice as low and muscular as possible. Moments like this reminded me that I was yet to learn from the past. 

Dresses were still my weakness, no matter how hard I tried to hate them, I always find myself standing right in front of one. And now, I need to have Aaron believe the illusion that there was some girl waiting, hoping to have this dress on them as an expression of love.

There was no girl, it was only me. But I couldn’t say that. The last time I did… no, I can’t think about that now. The rune pulsed on my chest, reminding me that it had truly happened, a minute I had a mother and now, all I had was a scent hiding rune and a black journal with words that literally make no sense to me.

He cackled, head thrown back as he laughed, “You say the funniest things boy and I like that,”

Boy. The word cut through my chest, the pain hitting harder than when he had smacked my shoulder. This was my identity now. A boy in the shadows, keeping my identity hidden from everyone and everything.

Jonathan had taught me that. Loose lips get killed.

When I had arrived the storm bringer pack, no raised an eyebrow. I kept a low profile, stayed away from people and picked up odd jobs to keep myself from falling apart. I couldn’t mourn my mother, didn’t have the opportunity to bury her.

That hadn’t only changed me emotionally but it did physically too. I had dyed my copper red hair brown, something that would cause a second look. Something forgettable. Mother had always talked about storm bringer pack, said it was a refuge to those that needed to run.

She wasn’t wrong. No one asked questions, no one cared.

But that wasn’t the only thing, storm bringer pack was written in red on the black journal, circled a few times like it was an important part in my journey. I didn’t know how I made it here, but I knew that my mother would have wanted me to be here. 

I just have to find out why.

“Have you heard? The lycan prince is coming in tonight,” Aaron muttered, his eyes gleaming with excitement. Aaron had stuck to me like a second skin the night he found me sleeping under the bridge. I had been wary of him when he had offered me a home and bread.

But over the months, I had gotten to understand that he was an orphan who made a living for himself by being a palace slave. A job that I had happily accepted when he said there was an opportunity. I could hear my mother’s voice in my head, telling me to be careful of who I trust.

Aaron never asked questions, his words, “We all have a past, storm bringer pack is the future we hope to have,”

“Lycan prince?” my voice sounded weird in my ears, the curious undertone had me kicking myself. Don’t engage, ignore, move on.

“Yes, he is returning to the pack after five years of being away,” he said, his voice filled with admiration.

“Oh,” I hummed.

“Guess what?” Aaron muttered, slapping my shoulders in excitement.

“Would this stop the physical assault on my body?”

He chuckled, “You really are one soft weird boy,” comments like this reminded me that I wasn’t trying as hard as I ought to.

“Tell me what you know and stop with the suspense,” I hissed, changing the topic immediately.

“His return means a new opportunity,” 

“Speak in clear terms Aaron,” 

He rolled his eyes, obviously not enjoying my nonchalance attitude, “he is going to need servants and I signed us up. I hope we get picked,” 

My heart dropped, my palm felt sweaty as his words registered in my mind, “What?” my voice sounded an octave higher than usual. I quickly cleared my throat, “You did what?”

He beamed, “the pay is better and we can finally have a chance to see more of the castle grounds than what we have seen,”

He wanted better. But I was okay with the mediocre. No attention, no eyes, no questions.

“I don’t need it. I am happy where I am,” I hissed, storming away from him as I picked up the bucket, ready to go for my next work.

“Too late, the selection process is now,” he said grabbing my wrist as he dragged me away from the path I was meant to take.

“I don’t want…”

“Failure to comply will lead to death,” he warned.

That shut me right up, I had heard of the lycan prince, the man who had a throne made from bones of his enemies. He only drink from the tears of people. Yet Aaron admired him like he was some god and not a tyrant who just went around invading packs and taking lives.

“Look, we probably won’t be picked, we just have to try our luck,” he said.

I released a sigh, staring hard at the boy who looked like he was close to busting his seams. He really wanted this and that only made me feel guiltier at the fact that I was praying to everything possible to not have this.

“Fine,” I relented, I liked my head on my shoulders. There will be a thousand people there, nothing will make me stand out.

Aaron almost screamed, “Just wait until you see his second in command, beta Ryan, and the man is as fit as a god,” he said in a dreamy tone.

This was one of the reasons living with Aaron was easy. He didn’t hide the fact that he was attracted to men. And it also helped that I wasn’t the bulky type of men that he dreamt about.

The courtyard was packed when we arrived, the air fizzled with excitement and fear. I looked around, counting the guards that paraded the grounds. A habit that I had picked up over the months. If I needed a way out, I needed to be sure that I knew the weakest point.

Aaron frowned, looking around with a nervous expression on his face, “These aren’t the usual guards,”

His words filled me with dread. A loud bang echoed through the courtyard; the door locking shut. We were trapped in.

My heart slammed hard against my chest, my eyes looking around in mild panic. More guards had filled the grounds, their faces stoic with swords in hand as they marched in. “What is going on?” I whispered, moving closer to Aaron’s side.

I wasn’t going to protect me, but I needed to be sure that he would give the necessary distraction that I needed to make my escape. A collateral damage I wasn’t proud of, but needed.

The dagger pulsed in my sheath, hidden under the large shirt that I wore, reminding me that if the time needed, I could defend myself, or die trying.

He turned to me, his eyes lacking their usual warmth, “he is here, a day early,” 

For the first time I heard fear in his voice.