Wolf Rider

It wasn’t real. Any of it. I was taken for a fool. Kent—he pretended to love me. The realization was sinking in slowly, but then why did it feel so real? Why did he save me? Kept me from leaving his castle? Pretend to love me. Or even ask me to live here. There had to be something I didn’t know. Or was Kent always just this cruel?He picked Marianna now, even after everything we had together. Of course he did. She could be a proper wolf mate for him. Me? I couldn’t give him anything. I wasn’t a werewolf. I may be a daughter to a werewolf, the only female alpha on our cluster of land, Astoria, but I was nothing. I couldn’t transform. Not even when the moonlight was strong. It’s always been like this. I was my mother’s biggest secret. Hidden away. Not accepted as part of her clan. It never bothered me. Even when I felt it made my mother love me less but now as Kent laughed and snickered at my hope for our future, it broke me. Before I had always felt alone and useless. Then Kent came a

Kent, an Alpha, probably tired and under pressure of taking care of his clans. He probably doesn’t get to enjoy the simpler things in life like the sunsets. So this was why my sister Marianna was sauntering around in her room in an orange dress which reflected back golden light when she moved, because Marianna was right, I always knew what these werewolves liked. The dress was perfect. Marianna looked perfect. Kent won’t know what hit him. “Mother,” I lazily called. When she didn’t answer I yelled, “Mother, get your butt up here now!” My mother rushed in. “Wow, Marianna. You look amazing!” My mother said with astonishment in her voice.“Doesn’t she.” I added. “Yes,” my mothers tone changed when she responded to me. “I want you out of the house today. When Kent is here.” “Why! You usually just make me hide in my room. I’ll do the same today. I won’t make a sound like you asked me to.” I pleaded.“No, he is an alpha. It’s too dangerous. Go to the market.” She shot back.“Mother, I

Kent’s POV I was honestly expecting a fierce, charming, mysterious woman, and all I saw was a scared—albeit somewhat bratty—girl. No doubt, it was because she had no idea who she was. All the mother’s doing. Though if I spawned one of those things, I’d keep it a secret too. I may not even let it live. Once the noise of the two dimwitted girls left, I snapped at Max, so he could leave too. He followed my instructions as he always did, and once it was just Madam Amelia and I, I let me guard down. “On top of everything, she is half human? You know her kind are not allowed in Astoria.” I informed her. Perhaps she was under the impression that Astoria, which my great-grandfather founded, allowed humans just because we took a vow not to hurt them. Well some of us took that vow. Others, like my dear brother, didn’t care. “She is the safest here.” Madam Amelia shot back. For a werewolf in her old age, she was quite a thing to witness. She had kindness in her eye, but her actions an

“We are walking there?” I wined. “I travel transformed usually.”“Oh I have an idea, why don’t you transform and run back to your castle, and I just stay here? Win-win.” I sarcastically said. He glared back at me. “How long is the walk?” “Two hours if we cut through the forest.” “I am not allowed in the forest,” I said.“I am allowing it. My permission is the only one you need now.” He barked. “My permission is the only one you need now.” I mocked. “Start moving!” I barked back.He started walking without arguing back. So fast I could barely keep up. “Wait! Wait up.” I yelled. “Wait for me!” He slowed down, giving me a chance to catch up to him. He was right at the entrance of the forest which wasn’t far from our cottage. “Don’t ever, ever, command me like that again.” He said. His black-red eyes are more red than black now. “I wasn’t commanding,” I said, taken aback. “I was just joking.”“I want you to quietly follow behind me. Not another word till we get to the castle.”

Kent’s POVThis was crazy. I had essentially kidnapped a woman–no, she was too immature to be called one. I had no idea what to do with her. So I snapped my fingers and called out, “Max!”Max’s paws pitter-pattered as he walked down the castle steps and met me at the side, right underneath the creature's tower where I was pacing.“Release,” I commanded. The wolf turned into a man. I handed him his clothes. “I did the wrong thing, didn't I?”“No, not at all, sire. It was a great idea to have a wolf rider in your castle!” Max sarcastically said.“She doesn't even know what she is!” I said. The guilt I had been feeling about this particular fact had resurfaced. To the creature, I had ripped her away from her home for no reason. Maybe she thinks it's because she is human—half-human—but that factor made this very complicated. Now she was under my protection. A human. Someone I didn't just vow not to hurt but protect. “That doesn't make her any less dangerous. Until we tame her. She is—a t