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• EIGHT • The Cost of Compassion
Last Updated:
2025-03-11 23:09:59
Lorea AsheThe weight of these choices is devastating, isn’t it? Going wolf isn’t the cure-all the Blue Ridge Alpha was hoping it would be. Cecilia’s compassion, the other Alpha’s compassion… sometimes, the most well-intended actions can precipitate the harrowing consequences. No good deed… goes unpunished. But who’s really at fault here? The Father - Turning his son, knowing his mental illness. The Son - Brutal, but lacking control due to his sickness? Cecilia - Stepping into a dangerous situation, and possibly accidentally bonding the wolf to her with her magic? Prepare for a deeper exploration of these complex emotions and the unintended destructive power of love in a future installment of the past: Down With the Sickness - ALPHA’S TREASURE.
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Worthless No More • Alpha's Treasure • • NINE • What Are You Sniffing At, Alpha?
Daniel sat quietly as he processed Donna's story. Lucas brought her the tea and sank back down in the chair he had claimed earlier. Henry was looking down at his hands, and Daniel could smell sadness, anger, and despair as they rolled off of Henry and narrowed down to one emotion. Hate. He shook his head. Poor kid."First things first. Henry, you will become a part of my pack. You will accept me, listen and obey me as your Alpha. I will teach you to control, live, and thrive with your wolf."Henry looked up at Daniel. Uncertainty and hope began to dawn on his face."Sir? How can I?" he whispered. “I lost my family, my home. I’m a monster! I’m the same as that thing that destroyed my life! I want to kill myself, and I can’t even do that!” He sobbed, and Donna's emotions overtook her as well, his pain adding to her own, causing her to quiver next to him as she hugged him tightly."You'll do no such thing," Daniel reinforced softly. "We are not monsters. Sometimes, there are bad things ou
Last Updated : 2025-03-12Worthless No More • Alpha's Treasure • • TEN • Sunshine and Silence
Samantha was embarrassed that she was caught staring at the man. She didn't know how long it lasted. He could have been dangerous with that acute predatory look in his eyes that seemed to stop time and make the world around her disappear, but the steadiness of his gaze, which should have daunted her, felt like the first solid thing she'd seen since her life began falling apart.The feeling he was seeing the things she was trying to hide was unnerving, so when his attention shifted and released its hold on her, she let her hair fall in front of her face, an effective curtain to shield her. She made it a point not to look his way again, but it was like she could feel his high energy and presence. It wasn't oppressive. It felt as if it was sunshine, but if the light had weight, a soft pressure against her skin.After he seemed to dive back into work, she began to relax again. The sun on her face after the meal and wine was heavenly, and soon she forgot about her faux pas. Unfortunately, s
Last Updated : 2025-03-16Worthless No More • Alpha's Treasure • • ELEVEN • Grapefruit and Spice
"What are you sniffing at, Alpha?" Donna had asked sharply through the phone. "It sounds like that nose is going to get you in trouble."Daniel wasn't aware he had his nose in the air, like a dog or wolf, that came across something interesting, until Donna mentioned it. The wily bastard had locked onto a scent that was sweet and lightly citric.What the hell? He frowned as he traced it back to the woman with the sunglasses. He could feel his wolf's contented purr as the smell became stronger when she lifted her face to the sun and shook her hair, letting the dark, loose waves fall behind her. His wolf was drunk on her pleasant fragrance, rolling around as it wrapped around them. Daniel leaned into his notepad on the table, exasperated at its antics.The woman looked radiant, basking in the sun with her head tilted slightly back. He enjoyed the way a smile hinted at the corners of her mouth and wondered briefly what her lips tasted like as his eyes traced their curves. He admitted his w
Last Updated : 2025-03-29Worthless No More • Alpha's Treasure • • TWELVE • The Wolf's Den
Daniel stepped off the plane onto the unpaved strip that was a hard-packed crusher run covered in short grass. He enjoyed the familiar buzz of insects, the wind whispering among the leaves, and the distant sound of a mountain creek, all welcoming him home.A local farmer owned the strip. Somewhere along his family tree was a great-uncle who was a werewolf, and the pack had been close to his family for a few decades now. He was standing next to another man by a white, unmarked Tahoe, and Daniel made a beeline for them."Good to see you, Daniel," the farmer greeted him, nodding."Jim, likewise," Daniel replied as he nodded in return. "Thanks for letting us through on short notice, this is a quick trip.""Anytime," Jim waved."Will you be joining us for the barbecue and run tonight?" Daniel asked."My family and I will be there, Alpha," Jim grinned. "For the barbecue, not the run. Justin here came down and grabbed a couple of pigs two days ago and has had them on the ground since yesterda
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The past several days blended into each other as Samantha stayed close to the house. Her attempt to enter the boutique left her feeling broken, defeated, and frustrated. She knew the feelings would persist as long as her eye was this fantastic shade of eggplant. It had been three days now, and each day, the bruise darkened with no sign of abating any time soon.The only saving grace to any of this was that Richard still hadn't come back home or reached out to her. The longer he stayed away, the more she dreaded seeing him again, and the pit in her stomach grew heavier knowing they were going to have to have a very difficult talk eventually.The afternoon she came home from the restaurant, she had looked around the house, lost. She lay on her bed and cried. It didn't get her anywhere, nor did it help ease the dull ache inside. She ran a hot bath and added Himalayan sea salt to it, hoping the warmth would penetrate her chilled core, but sat in the tub with her arms curled around her knee
Last Updated : 2025-04-03Worthless No More • Alpha's Treasure • • FOURTEEN • The Art of Letting Go
The food and new attitude did Samantha a lot of good. It was like she walked around the house with a fresh set of eyes. She tied her hair back and started with the laundry, looking at his clothes mixed with hers in disgust.She was a nuisance.A bother.Clingy.A child.She punctuated every thought with another item of his she threw in a separate pile to go back in the basket, then she yanked his towel off the hook and threw it on top of everything she left behind. Luckily, the washroom was upstairs, so she took her clothes and sorted them in there before starting the first load.After an initial pang of anxiety, feeling like she was being petty and immature, she decided that it felt good. Next, she stripped everything off the bed so it could wait its turn in the machines. Feeling a moment of satisfaction, she moved to the bathroom with cleaning supplies and started in the shower, scrubbing down the walls. Unsure what to do with his hygiene items, she gathered everything into a small b
Last Updated : 2025-04-03Worthless No More • Alpha's Treasure • • FIFTEEN • The Wolfless Alpha
Daniel's eyes popped open with a start. The soft tap on the door was just enough to rouse him from his deep slumber. He checked the clock on the nightstand, and it read four pm. Dammit. He meant to be awake before now.He got up and threw a T-shirt on over his dark jeans as he opened the door and found Lucas lazily leaning against the opposite wall in the hallway with his arms crossed."Sorry to wake you from your beauty sleep," he drawled, not looking the least bit apologetic. “Donna sent me to get you so she could have a word with you before the cookout officially starts.""I'm surprised she didn't get me herself," Daniel mused as he left the door open and put his shoes on."Why would she when she knows she can get me to do it," Lucas grumbled good-naturedly.Daniel followed Lucas down the stairway. As they descended, the smell of food became thicker in the air, making his stomach rumble and reminding him it had been a long time since his last meal. He could hear Donna just outside,
Last Updated : 2025-04-03Worthless No More • Alpha's Treasure • • SIXTEEN • The Meaning of Alpha
He knew this discussion and her displeasure, no, her infuriation, was inevitable. He hoped to take care of this tomorrow, but it was here in front of him right now, today."Donna, I do not want to, nor will I ever send Henry away," Daniel swore. "But I promised him he and his wolf would thrive, and they have. But I cannot in good conscience hinder or limit him either.""He won't go," she said stubbornly. "He doesn't want to.""That may be," Daniel sympathized. "But I think I owe it to Henry to let him make that decision himself, as much as it pains us both. You know his wolf is strong, Donna, you've known it from the very beginning. It was part of the reason you feared another Alpha would kill him.""He's not as strong as you, or Lucas, or Thomas, or Judd, or even Justin," she protested. "He doesn't even rank in the top three deltas!""No," Daniel said. "Not yet, anyway. A lot of that has to do with desire. Henry is happy right now with his position in the pack, but we can both feel hi
Last Updated : 2025-04-04
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Worthless No More • Alpha's Treasure • AUTHOR'S INTERMISSION
First of all, thank you so much to everyone who has been following along with the story! The journey so far has been filled with excitement, anxiety, partial loss of sanity, sleepless nights, and many, many pushes of the delete button 😂The story and characters are continuously developing, but please know that for right now, this is a first draft. I try to make it as perfect as I can to still post daily, but I know it is still full of mistakes.As the author, your feedback is extremely important to me. The good, the bad, and the ugly.I try to maintain continuity within the story and characters, which is quite a task considering I have elements spanning over almost twenty years, but if you catch anything that seems off (including other, basic mistakes), please let me know! My goal is to deliver a slow-burning, intriguing story with faster-paced action and subplots, hopefully, I'm able to do that! This is also my first published book, so thanks again as I navigate this learning curve!
Worthless No More • Alpha's Treasure • Chapter Sixty-Five
By Tuesday morning, Samantha was able to cover up her eye with minimal effort. She received a text from Daniel yesterday morning, asking if they were still good to meet at 230 today.Absolutely! Let me send you the address of the coffee shop.She looked it up, then sent him the link. After he responded with ‘Looking forward to seeing you’, a knot settled in her stomach. That ball of feelings was complicated. She was excited. She kept telling herself it was because, even after their brief interaction, he was the first person who felt like a friend in a long time. She ignored the little voice that taunted her with how attractive and sexy she found him, because adding butterflies to the growing knot was a terrible mix. On the other hand, especially after her fight with Richard on Saturday night, she felt guilty.She was going behind his back, and she knew it. But he would never approve and never understand, even though this was a professional meeting in a casual setting. She was hiring
Worthless No More • Alpha's Treasure • Chapter Sixty-Four
Long, polished, manicured fingernails tapped the granite counter in sequence, from pinky to forefinger. The clicking noise was grating on his nerves, but he knew better than to say anything to her.Her displeasure was already apparent, and Riordan knew better than to piss off a dragon.“You were careless,” she said contemptuously. Fucking dragons, thinking they were so much better than anyone else. But still, they were better than werewolves.Riordan felt his inner animal’s hate at the thought of those unnatural abominations here, in his city. The reason his grandmother raised him here was that there were no werewolves here. Pack-oriented shifters were condescending enough, but werewolves were the worst, and shouldn’t even exist. They were anathema. “I was only having a bit of fun in the park,” he explained. “I wasn’t going to hurt her.”“You’re a scavenging breed, gnoll,” she waved him off. “If the Clearfork Alpha hadn’t intervened, would you have just left it at the park? Your pref
Worthless No More • Alpha's Treasure • Chapter Sixty-Three
Paige didn’t have long to wait before she saw the four Clearfork wolves come into view. First was Judd’s brindled colored wolf. He had a striking pattern of tightly woven coffee and caramel colored stripes. His wolf was big and stocky, heavy in the shoulders, much like his human form.And like his human form, he ran silently, but was intimidating with his serious focus. His eyes flicked up to her on the rock, and she crouched lower. She saw that he was aware of her presence and was glad he chose to ignore her.Daniel’s wolf was next. She was surprised his wolf wasn’t dark gray or black. He had the most traditional wolf coloring, with his grays blending from silver to a darker nickel and white markings. Just a few steps behind him was Thomas with his reddish coat.Bringing up the rear was her
Worthless No More • Alpha's Treasure • Chapter Sixty-Two
Daniel was up early, feeling refreshed on Friday morning. He put on a pot of coffee for everyone, then slipped out and grabbed some bagels before they woke up.Thomas came out of his room while Daniel was setting the bagels out. “Alpha,” he greeted Daniel. Daniel nodded good morning while he bit into a bagel. Paige came out, looking half asleep still, and following her nose to the coffee.“Oh, good,” she crooned as she wrapped her hands around her mug and sipped the hot beverage before adding sugar and creamers to it. After a few more sips, she peeked up at Daniel with a mischievous glint in her eye. “Thanks, Mr. Covington. Did you sleep well last night?”“I slept very well, Paige,” he said carefully, wondering what she was up to. “And you?” It was almost like a switch had been flipped since yesterday. She seemed comfortable around him this morning.“Well, we were up late last night,” she told him. “But I think we narrowed it down to three for your approval.”“I trust the two of you,”
Worthless No More • Alpha's Treasure • Chapter Sixty-One
The rest of the dinner and evening with Edward and Mauricio went smoothly, if not necessarily comfortably. Samantha saw Richard was noticing her now, but the looks he kept casting her way were dark and thoughtful. They were making her nervous, but she tried not to show it as she resumed her practiced smile and commented politely when it seemed appropriate.After what felt like forever, dessert was served and cleared. She helped Mauricio with a quick cleanup in the kitchen, then it was time for Samantha and Richard to leave. Mauricio kissed the air next to her cheek, just like when he greeted her, looking for a promise from her to come back and see the horses, and Edward squeezed her hand, letting her know he would be in touch with her soon.Richard opened the car door for Samantha, and she felt he slammed it with more force than necessary. He didn’t look at her
Worthless No More • Alpha's Treasure • Chapter Sixty
Samantha caught Edward’s comment about being here twice this week. She wondered when and why he was over here, but then realized she didn’t know anything about his whereabouts or motivations anymore.She was anxious to get out of the room and out from under Edward’s scrutiny, so after polite greetings, she retired to the kitchen. She found Mauricio putting some final touches on a charcuterie board. He looked up and smiled widely, holding his hands up in the air.“Ah! Sobrina hermosa!” He exclaimed as he came around the island. He held her shoulders and gave her dos besos, or two kisses, one in the air next to each cheek.“Mauricio,” Samantha greeted him warmly. Maricio always seemed a little more reserved around Richard, but around her, he blossomed like a flower. He claimed she reminded him of his nieces back home, and he was a breath of fresh air after her emotionally tense day.In his presence, she could forget Richard’s oppressive cloud that had been hanging over her. Mauricio was
Worthless No More • Alpha's Treasure • Chapter Fifty-Nine
Richard roused when he felt Mari slip away from him. She seemed off and quieter than usual, and he got dressed while she sorted through her thoughts. By the time they finished dressing, an awkward silence had descended upon them.“I’m checking out of the room,” he told her. “Join me for lunch downstairs?” He saw her contemplating his request before she nodded.They were seated at a table in the hotel restaurant when Richard’s phone rang. A quick look told him he needed to answer it.“Uncle Edward,” Richard answered the call matter-of-factly.“Richard,” Edward greeted back with slightly more gusto. “Mauricio is hoping to get together this weekend. He’s been wanting to cook paella, which would be the perfect time for you and Samantha to join us! Please have her call me so
Worthless No More • Alpha's Treasure • Chapter Fifty-Eight
Richard was too preoccupied with his own thoughts to pay much attention to Samantha’s quiet distance. He spent the majority of his day in his study, with no interest in focusing on anything he set out to do, which was catching up on his week away from work.He was on automatic pilot as he showered and was getting ready for Uncle Edward’s dinner tonight. He placed the wine Samantha had set aside in a chilled tote and put it in the car. He came back inside and called up to her. She came down the stairs in a peach dress and white cotton wrap, and even though she looked beautiful, the effect was mostly lost on him.On the ride to Uncle Eddie’s, his jaw tensed as he thought about yesterday. He didn’t go back to work; he’d gone back to his room in the hotel, intending to check out, but a knock on the door shortly after he arrived r
