Chapter 1

ALYSSA

“I’m not a coward, Father,” I told him for the one hundredth time. “If the pack is in danger, as the princess, I should stay and fight beside you to protect it. I don’t have to run to Alpha Duncan. You know how he is with me.” I folded my arms with a pout, hoping it would work on Father like it usually did, but surprisingly, it didn’t deter him, instead…

Father ran his hands through his hair, clearly frustrated. “You don’t understand, my dear,” he held my hands. “This battle isn’t one you can fight, trust me,” he lowered his head and released a long breath. “Right now, you’re my greatest weakness. What do the enemies do whenever they spot their opponents’ weaknesses?”

“Eliminate it to make their opponents handicapped,” I answered, and realization began to dawn on me.

I was my father’s weakness, so that means I’m the target. I’m the one in danger—the one they wanted to get rid of.

This war between our pack and Dark Knight has been going on for months now, with none willing to admit defeat. Apparently, we’re fighting them over our own borders. They believed the border belonged to them and wanted us out of the territory. And we knew too well that the border was ours. Our pack existed long before theirs, and we’ve never changed borders once.

Father had suggested they share the borders. He even called a meeting to discuss with them, but apparently, they wanted war.

We felt this war wasn’t just about borders, but they didn’t give us enough time to find out, and we weren’t ready to sit and watch them kill our people. So we fought back. And it’s been like this for months now.

I seriously can’t believe they’re targeting me right now. Not like I didn’t have the power to fight them off but my wolf had been sick and weak for months now and it’s gotten worse the last few weeks. I could still fight, but Father believed they would kill me before I even lifted a finger.

But how was I supposed to survive with Duncan? I had a thing for this man. We’ve met a few times, and they weren’t good meetings, by the way. 

The first meeting, I stumbled on him giving one of the visitors he came with a mind-blowing sex. I stood fixated on the spot, my core throbbing with heat, begging to be the one in her place,  while he yelled at me to leave. It took a few seconds to get my brain to work again, then send signals to my legs to move. It was embarrassing.

I’d rather not talk about the other ones. 

The last visit he made here, I’d gotten drunk during a party and babbled to him about my feelings for him and how I wanted him to fuck the living daylights out of me. If Father heard I said such foul words, I would be dead. But when I regained my senses, he’d promised to keep my secret, called me a delusional kid, and walked away. Like, just walked away.

I shook my head. No, I can’t go. I can’t face him.

“Father, I—”

“I want you to make this easier for me, Alyssa,” he patted my cheek, his eyes pleading. “Alpha Duncan is my best friend. His pack is the safest place you can be right now. He might look cold and aloof on the outside, but trust me, he’s the warmest person you’d ever meet…” he paused and sighed. “And he’s the only one I trust enough to take care of you.”

Are you sure about that, Father? He’s threatened to kill me twice.

I wanted to insist on staying with him so we could pull through this together, but the pleading look he was giving me right now weakened my defenses. He already looked exhausted from all this. I didn’t want to give him something else to worry about. Maybe leaving was the best idea after all. I can handle whatever Duncan throws my way. “How long will I be gone for, Father?” I asked in resignation.

“Until there is peace.”

I bit down on my lower lip and sighed. “Fine then. I’ll go to Alpha Duncan’s pack, but you have to promise to always call and text me so I can know how you’re doing. And please,” I stared at him for a while. “Don’t die.”

“I promise.” he pecked my forehead.

••••••

And that was it. Two hours later, I was on my way to Nightshade Pack. We hadn’t even arrived yet, and my palms were already clammy. I turned to look at Father, but he was too busy staring out of the window. Maybe he thought I’d change my mind if he engaged in a conversation with me.

I sighed and stared at my hands. The greenery of the pack came into view, and I began to take deep breaths. I’m totally prepared for this. We hadn’t seen each other in a year, so it was obvious that he must have forgotten about everything that happened between us.

All I had to do was pretend nothing happened, and I would be okay.

Nightshade Pack was everything my father had always praised it to be. Even though I’d been here before, it still managed to take my breath away. The stretch of land was wider than my own pack’s territory, and it carried this commanding energy, as though every tree, every stone, every brick was aligned to the Alpha’s will. The houses were beautifully carved, the rooftops gleaming under the afternoon sun. Wolves ran along the borders, massive in size, their fur glistening like sharpened blades, their eyes alert.

Everywhere I looked, the pack reeked of strength, wealth, and authority. These were warriors trained to be deadly and loyal. No wonder Father trusted Duncan with me. One look at his people and you’d understand why the Nightshade Pack was feared and respected across all the territories.

My fingers itched nervously as we entered the heart of the palace grounds. The main structure rose like a dark fortress. Tall, stone-carved walls veined with silver inscriptions and wards that shimmered faintly under the sunlight. The aura it gave off was nothing short of intimidating.

I took a deep breath, bracing myself until…  I saw him.

Duncan stepped out of the massive oak doors of the palace, flanked by two of his warriors. My breath hitched. The air seemed to shift, thickening with dominance that wrapped around my chest and made it hard to breathe.

He was taller than I remembered, broad-shouldered and still gorgeous. His dark hair was neatly slicked back, highlighting the sharp angles of his face. His jaw looked like it was carved from stone, and his mesmerizing green eyes landed on us, cold and assessing, and that was enough to make my entire body shiver.

He wore a black shirt that hugged every line of his muscles, veins protruding from his forearms as he folded them across his chest, looking every bit the untouchable Alpha he was.

The moment my gaze locked with his, heat pooled between my thighs. My core throbbed with a desperate ache I had no control over.

Just the sight of him standing there—dominant, merciless, breathtaking—was enough to send my thoughts spiraling into dangerous places. My thighs pressed together involuntarily, trying to cage in the need he effortlessly stirred in me.

And that was when it hit me like a punch to the chest.

I was in trouble.