Malachi POV.
Every day for the past four years, we have all tried to find Dahlia, but it’s like she has vanished from the face of the earth.
Destinee and Titus have used pack resources to find her, but always come up empty-handed. Today would have been her 25th birthday, four years to the day that she left after learning of not just mine but her parents and the pack’s betrayal towards her.
Every day, I try to get her to open the pack link, but nothing, not even Fenrir or Selene, have been able to find her.
“Daddy.” I am pulled out of my thoughts when my little boy Harrison enters the living room, rubbing his eyes and I stand up, moving to scoop him up.
“Good morning, little man. Did you sleep well?” I ask him as I kiss his head.
“Yeha. But I’m hungry daddy.” He says, nodding his head, and I chuckle at him. It has been hard the past four years since he was born.
Sapphire died bringing him into the world, so I have raised him on my own. We broke up not long after Dahlia vanished. Sapphire became horrible and mocked Dahlia and me. She told me she only wanted me because I belonged to Dahlia and that now I would be on my own.
I found her in our bed, with another male while she was pregnant, and that was the catalyst that caused us to break up. I was still there for her during the pregnancy. After all, Harrison is my son. My wolf Hyde confirmed it. I was so stupid. I should have broken things off with her when Dahlia turned 18. But like the idiot I am, I didn’t. Not that it would have mattered. Dahlia wouldn’t have found out until she turned 21.
When I turned 18, I knew Dahlia was mine, but the problem was she was only 12. So I had to be careful around her. It was easy at first, but then she shifted at 16 and Hyde went berserk. He could scent her more and wanted to mark her. She was a minor, and it is against the law, even if they are your fated mate.
I went to Alpha Destinee and Alpha Titus and told them what was happening and they agreed that I stay away from the packhouse and Dahlia until she became of age. That was when I started to sleep with Sapphire to stop the urge to mate and mark Dahlia.
It was hard staying away from Dahlia for all those years because we were so close, but I wanted nothing more than to go to her. To tell her, hold her and be there for her. But like everyone else in the pack, we failed her. She started drinking and rebelling, getting into fights. Pushing everyone away. No-one could get through to her. After a while, everyone gave up. Me included.
The day Dahlia rejected me was the day I found out Sapphire was pregnant and in the midst of it all, Hyde nearly marked her until we felt Dahlia’s pain. That snapped us back out of the primal need to mark and protect Sapphire because of her pregnancy. Thank the Goddess he never marked her.
So after four years, I am still looking for her, regardless. She is still mine, even if she doesn’t want me anymore. If she ever returns, I will protect her and do my job, but with each day that passes, the more I become convinced that she will never come back.
The toaster pops, bringing me out of my thoughts as I butter his toast and add strawberry jam, cutting it in half and bringing his plate and glass of orange juice to the table.
He thanks me and eats it all down. I smile as I drink my coffee as I watch my son, my little man. He is the light in my world. I never thought I would ever be in this situation, raising a child on my own, but Destinee has been lovely. She helps when she can and so do some of the others in the pack. However, I would like to see Dahlia again. Maybe one day I will, but right now. I have to focus on Harrison and the training the warriors of the pack.
Once he is finished, I get him dressed and grab his bag.
“You ready to play with the other pups?” I ask, holding my hand to him and he takes it. Nodding his head, I smile down at him as we leave our house and make our way to the daycare at the packhouse before I begin the training session.
Over the last four years, I have trained harder and have gotten bigger. I need to focus because if I don’t; I will slip into depression and that won’t be good for anyone. My son included.
My father was an alpha until the rogues decimated my pack. I was taken in by some of the kinder rogues and they looked after me until we were attacked and we made our way here.
The older couple who found me raised me and have been my parents ever since. Destinee and Titus both know who I am, but the rest of the pack doesn’t. That is how I want to keep it. The thought of being an alpha and taking my place has never crossed my mind. I am content with what I have. I don’t need a title to have meaning or respect.
I am shown the respect for those I train. Why complicate things?
“I’m going to draw you a picture today, daddy. If I’m good, can we get ice cream?” Harrison is a beautiful and thoughtful boy, and I smile down at him.
“If you’re good, tell me what picture will you draw me?” I ask as we walk and he tells me it will be special and a surprise. That he wants it to go on the fridge with his other ones. I chuckle at him and agree. Harrison is special. He is innocent and looks at the world differently. He is kind and gentle. Until you hurt him. I have taught him the difference between right and wrong, and also how to defend himself if he needs to.
Alpha Titus has said he can sense his wolf, and he has Alpha blood, just like Hyde. He suggested that he trains early because even at four years old he can be mistaken for a child who is at least six.
We think that is why sapphire died bringing him into the world, because she wasn’t strong enough to deliver him. Only a strong female can give birth to an alpha male.
“Harrison.” I’m pulled out of my thoughts seeing the little blonde headed girl run towards him and he breaks free of my hand and runs towards her.
I smile as they hug each other when I see her mother. A snobby she-wolf who thinks she is better than everyone.
“Sarah, what have I told you about running off? Good Goddess, stop hugging him.” I snarl at her when she turns her blue eyes at me, filled with disdain.
“But mom, Harrison is my friend,” Sarah whines when her mother Joanne pulls her daughter away from Harrison.
“Hey, there were just hugging. What is your problem?” I say to her as I take Harrison in my arms and he hides his face in the crook of my neck. It’s not the pups but their parents that are the damn problem.
She scoffs with her nose in the air, like I am beneath her.
“I will not have my daughter playing with the son of a whore. He needs to learn his place.” She spits and Hyde growls at her. Not because she called Sapphire a whore but because of her attitude and disgust towards an innocent pup, my pup, my son.
“That’s rich coming from you, Joanne. Or have you forgotten what you used to do before you found your mate?”
I snap my head to the side and see her, Dahlia.
She is here; she isn’t alone.
“Dahlia!” I mutter, but she isn’t looking at me. The men move to stand on either side of her. Goddess, she is more beautiful than I remember her to be. She is stood not even ten feet away.
Her long brown hair is in a ponytail. She is wearing all black leather and the men beside her are all huge, wearing the same thing. Where the hell has she been?
Dahlia POV.After four years, our training is complete. Out of the twenty of us that started this journey, only fourteen made it through.“So, we heading to your pack?” Lucius says as he puts his arm around my shoulders and I roll my eyes at him.One night, while I was showering. Six of the males tried to rape me. They knocked out the omega when I was showering and attacked. I fought them off, but six on one I couldn’t. I took down three before I was slammed headfirst into the wall.It was Lucius, Brent, Johnny, and Dex that pulled the male off me and Lucius ripped his throat out before they killed the others. Since then, we became friends.“Don’t you have your own pack to go back to? Why are you so incessant to follow me like a lost puppy?” I say to him when he whines and sticks out his bottom lip. Oh goddess no, not the puppy dog eyes.“Don’t you do it.” I warn when he does it. Goddamn it.“Please, we will behave.” My eyes widen. We?“We, what we? Who is we?” I ask when I see the ot
Dahlia POV.“Well, look who decided to come home.” She scoffs at me as I move closer. I ignore her and smile at the little blonde-haired girl, who looks extremely uncomfortable and sad.I move to my knees in front of the little girl and she gulps, looking up at the huge alpha males behind me.“Hey, what’s your name?” I ask her gently, and she looks at her mother before she looks at me.“Sarah.” She stutters out, well that won’t do. I don’t want this pup to be scared of me.“That is a lovely name for a pretty little girl, and who is this?” I turn and look at the little dark-haired boy who is looking at me with the same eyes as his father.“Harrison.” I smile at him as I stand up.“Nice to you meet you both. I’m Dahlia. Do you both know the way to the day care?” I ask and they nod, biting their little lips and I smile at them, seeing them relax slightly.“Ok, why don’t you both go and head inside while the grownups talk?” I say as Malachi nods his head before kissing his son and setting
Malachi POV.Goddess, she looks amazing. She has changed so much, but those eyes have haunted me since the day everything went to shit. The day she rejected me. Four years ago today.“She looks amazing. I can only imagine how Celeste looks.” Hyde says as we walk towards the training ground.It is taking everything in me to not turn around and run to her. Take her in my arms and beg for forgiveness.“She does, she really does Hyde. Give it time. We hurt her. She won’t forgive us so easily. Dahlia has always been stubborn.” I tell him when he whimpers before he grunts.“She will come round when she is ready.” He says, and I nod as we enter the training grounds. The wolves are in lines and ready to train. I set my bag down and strip my t-shirt off and give out instructions.I walk around the warriors that are sparring as I feel eyes on me. I turn and see Dahlia standing with the four unknown males beside her.Her critical eye watching everything, every move. One of the alphas points and
Dahlia POV.“I take it that he is the ex-mate?” Brent asks me from across the dining hall table and I nod my head at him.“Would you ever forgive him?” Dex asks and I think, would I? Should I?“He knew who I was to him, but still got another pregnant. Come to think of it, I haven’t seen Sapphire. From what I remember, she was always hanging off him.” I say as I reach for the food in front of me.“Still, I agree with you for what you did, Lia. But we all know you still hold some place for him in your heart. Maybe talk to him and find out why we never told you,” Johnny says, bringing his drink to his lips.“I know why he didn’t tell me. But he could have when I turned 18. But he didn’t. He stayed away from me. Malachi is 6 years older than I am. So you know it’s pack law that you can’t claim your mate until they reach 18, especially if there is an age gap. He didn’t wait. I can’t blame him for that. What I can blame him for is not telling me when I turned 18,” I say, bringing my food to
Malachi POV.I stand there watching as Dahlia and Harrison walk hand in hand towards the ice cream counter.“She has always loved pups.” Sadia’s voice draws me to look at her, and she has an amused look on her face.“Yeah, she has. She has a heart of gold.” I say when I hear a scoff, I turn to look at the male with the blonde hair with a shit-eating grin on his face.“Yeah, she does. Shame you didn’t see that sooner.” He shrugs when the others look at me as well. They think they can intimidate me. How wrong of them to even think they can.“If you have something to say, just say it. No point in beating around the bush.” I say, looking at him when he chuckles before he places his hands flat on top of the table as he stands. He is tall, but not as tall as the others and definitely not as tall as me.“For a warrior, you are rather tall and broad. If I didn’t know any different, I would say you had alpha blood. We haven’t been introduced. I’m Alpha Lucius Santo of the Crescent moon Pack.”
Dahlia POV.Not all of the pack members have seen me. Only the ones closest to the packhouse. But then again, we have over 25,000 members in total.My parents have organised a celebration for me. To honour my return, I did tell them it wasn’t necessary, but one look from my mom had me shut up.So here I am, sitting by a huge bonfire with a soda in my hand. Looking into the raging flames of the bonfire.“See anything interesting in the flames?” I sigh as I lean back and shake my head slowly. It is strange being back home. I don’t know why I was scared to get it over with. Ok, who am I kidding? I was shitting myself. Mom can be damn scary at times, even more so than dad.“Oh nothing, just thinking.” I say as I think about what is excepted of me. I ran from the pressure of the title but now, instead of running from it. I had turned and ran towards it.“Now, that is a lie. Tell me, little one, what weighs so heavy on your mind that you are ignoring the celebration?” I look at him, Alpha T
Dahlia POV.I run in my wolf form, needing to process the emotions I am feeling. Malachi’s emotions. That is the problem with this gift. I take on their emotions like they are my own. My chest feels painful as we push ourselves harder, running at speed to outrun what we are feeling.We come to the lake, the full moon’s silver light dancing on the surface. Growling and snarling, feeling angry and sad that we weren’t here to offer support or comfort. To be there for him and his pup, even though he wasn’t there for me.Laying down on the cool grass, we breathe and concentrate on what we feel, not what Malachi feels. Calming down, I pick up the familiar scent on the breeze.Lifting my head, I see her, Aura. The wolf of my mom as she trots closer. We stand as she rubs her head against ours.“Daughter, why did you run?” She asks as she moves closer to us and sits beside us.“His emotions are strong. He feels guilt and sadness for his pup. It was too much for us,” Celeste tells her and Aura
Malachi POV.Sleep is evading me. I can’t get the way Dahlia seemed so pained before she ran away. Did she feel my emotions? Does she pity me?“She felt everything Mal, she felt how we did. She knows the truth now. Give her time, she will come round. I saw it too, pity. I don’t like it Mal. She shouldn’t pity us, not after what we did to her.” Hyde grumbles and I know he feels as guilty as I do for what happed four years ago. I mean, how could he not? He nearly marked Sapphire.“I don’t want her pity, Hyde, I just want her. She was ours until we both fucked it up.” I say as I roll over and climb out of bed and head towards the window, looking out over the pack.“It maybe too late for that Mal. I’m sorry to be honest with you, but I know deep down it is too late for us. It will be difficult to get her to forgive us for what we did. But I think that ship has sailed. She doesn’t see us like that, not anymore.” He mumbles, feeling his regret bleed into me.“Dahlia was never one to beat ar