The events center in Century Park was exquisitely decorated. Alpha had spared no expense in the details. Even the walkway leading up to the doors was carefully crafted to be bathed in soft glowing light. Cascading twinkling lights fell elegantly along the front of the events center building, creating the illusion of stepping into a fairytale. Bittersweet memories floated through my mind as I let myself inside. If my parents were alive, this would be the type of party they would have thrown for me.
Shrugging off the thoughts of what could have been, I quickly found the catering staff to ensure that everything was in order. After that, I checked with the event planner, made some last-minute changes to the seating chart, and checked in with some of the other Omegas. After all, we would be the ones helping to serve the visiting pack members. For a brief moment, I wondered if the Lycan family would truly show up.
The Lycans are the purest of the wolf shifters. Although we share a lot of similarities, they are the true descendants of the Moon Goddess herself. The royal Lycans are the family that sets the rules for our society and handles any major issues amongst the packs. Lycans do not have to wait for their fated mates to meet their wolves, they are born with their wolves. Lycans tend to live longer than us regular wolves, but we still live longer lives than humans. Lycans also have superior strength and speed compared to us. Rumor has is that Lycans are also all very good-looking. I got to meet the Lycan family once when I was younger, but that is a distant memory now, and I do not recall what they looked like or how they acted.
About an hour before the party was to start, Julie arrived with her parents. She gushed over the decorations and specially crafted ornaments hanging from the ceiling. They were moon crystals, crafted to catch the light and reflect stunning rainbows across the room. The entire center was bathed in light blue and pale pink, Julie’s favorite colors.
“Everyone gather around please.” My Uncle’s voice boomed throughout the center. All of us scurried to obey his orders. We quickly clumped together and awaited his next direction. “Now, as you all know, tonight is extremely important to not only my family but our pack as well. My baby turns 18 today and we have a ton of neighboring Alphas, Betas, and possibly the Lycans coming as well. Tonight needs to go perfectly, or there will be dire consequences.” I could see some of the younger Omegas shift uncomfortably at the use of his Alpha tone. Personally, I would welcome death. My life was miserable already, surly death had to be more peaceful. “I am pleased with the looks of this place and I want to thank you for all of your efforts. Please continue with your tasks and tonight should be a fantastic success.” He clapped his hands and dismissed all of us back to our tasks.
I was working on the finishing touches for Julie’s gift table when I heard Lily ask my Uncle if he really thought that the Lycan family would come.
“To not show would cause a grievance amongst our pack and them. After all, we have this region's strongest pack, and our pack has always been almost friendly with the Lycans.” He boasted proudly.
I had to physically stop myself from snorting out loud. The only reason why our pack was on friendly terms with the Lycans was due to my father. My father was a smart and honorable man. He knew that having the favor of the Lycans was imperative for the future of our pack. My mother also aided him as she was welcoming and full of grace. She knew that knowledge was powerful, and the Lycan family had the largest library in our history.
“Oh, Daddy what if the Lycan prince is my fated mate? How awesome would that be?” Julie clapped her hands gleefully.
“Julie darling, that is impossible. Their kind and ours simply do not mix,” Lily told her in a matter-of-fact tone.
“Lily, let her be,” Robert said sternly. “Our daughter is radiance itself. The Lycan prince should consider himself blessed if the Moon Goddess had made such a match. Now let us put this to rest, our guests will be arriving any moment. Julie, we have a little something for you to open before everyone gets here.” He handed her a beautifully wrapped box, with a lovely pink bow on it. I could not stop myself from watching Julie gleefully tear the wrapping paper to bits, letting it scatter to the floor like confetti. She lifted the lid off the box and my heart stopped.
Inside that box was my mother’s diamond bracelet that I had kept hidden in my room. I knew it deep in my heart that it was hers. Fury rolled through me and before I could stop myself, I was marching towards Julie. “Give that back to me. It was my mother's. You have no right to touch her stuff.” As my had reached to snatch the bracelet away from Julie, my uncle forcefully kicked me in the stomach, effectively dropping me to the ground.
“How dare you interfere with my family. You own NOTHING.” His voice painfully echoed throughout the event center. He bent over and I could smell his foul breath fanning my face as I lay clutching my stomach. “You are nothing. You have always been nothing. If I did not take you in, you would be a rouge, the worst of our kind. It is only out of my sheer generosity that I have allowed you to remain within the pack. Now get your fat ass up and back to work, or so help me, I will banish you.”
I felt like I could not breathe as I slowly got to my feet. Tears fell freely from my face, and I did not even bother to try to hide them. It hurt to breathe, and it hurt to move, but I did my best to ignore the pain as I limped my way into the kitchen area of the event center. My eyes quickly found some of the Omegas gathered there, but they quickly averted their eyes and scurried away. Once again, I am alone.
It took me a few moments to gather myself in the kitchen area. Rage, grief, and fear coursed through my bloodstream with every beat of my heart. It was like losing my parents all over again. Why did the Moon Goddess have to be so cruel? Knowing that Julie was wearing my mother’s jewelry was killing me.The guests soon started to arrive, and the music started vibrating through the event center. People were packing in and eagerly greeting my Uncle in hopes that their sons may be a match with Julie. Making a match with Julie meant that they would have an alliance with our pack. Although fighting amongst packs was rare, there was always the threat of humans, rogues, and other creatures.I, along with the other Omegas, started serving out drinks to the honored guests. We made sure that we kept our eyes downward so as not to offend anyone of ranking. By happenstance, I glanced up and caught Julie’s eye. She smirked at me from across the room as she was showing off the bracelet on her arm t
No one knew that I had even left earlier. Julie was too enthralled with Nathan to realize that I had left my post. She was parading him around to her friends. My Uncle was busy being congratulated on the wonderful match with his daughter, and my aunt was busy talking with the other Alpha’s wives. I was trying to be invisible, but my eyes were searching for the handsome man that had been kind to me outside.My voyeurism was interrupted by loud gasps and then everything got very quiet and the music even stopped. The room was staring at the front entrance doors. The silence was finally broken by a man that looked almost dwarfish in appearance as he stood in front of a rather tall and intimidating-looking man.“Announcing the royal Lycan family.” People around the room bowed their heads in honor of the royal family visiting. Once the moment passed, the music started again and the crowd surged towards the door, eager for a glance at the royals. I had no interest in the royals. I just wante
My body hurt, more than usual. I could hear voices, and I was struggling to open my eyes but my body did not seem to want to comply. I knew that something was not right, but my brain was very foggy. Eventually, I got my eyelids to comply but as soon as I opened my eyes, there was a blinding light and I quickly shut them again. The brightness caused an immediate migraine, and I groaned in pain.“I think she is coming to,” I could hear a man say but the smallest of noise caused the pain in my head to get worse. “I will give her another dose of sedative. I don’t believe that she should be awake yet.” Those were the last words I heard before slipping back into the dark.Pierce’s POVI could not explain how I knew she was in trouble at that party, but I did. Her fear practically choked me and I knew that something was terribly wrong. It did not take long to track her down and I broke that door off the hinges. The sight before me brought on a rage that I had never felt before. Seeing her ly
I followed my mother into the den, where my father was already pouring himself a glass of Brandy. To my chagrin, Emery also followed us in. Although he was next in line for power, there were times when I wished I could have private conversations with my parents. Unfortunately, when you're considered royalty, it seems that nothing is ever truly private.“There is something familiar about that girl. I assume that she hails from the Half Moon pack.” My father’s deep baritone voice travels easily through the room.“That is the general assumption that I have,” Emery answered him.“I haven’t visited the pack since Helen was killed. Perhaps I should have been keeping a closer eye on them,” my mother states in a wistful voice.“I never liked Christopher’s brother, so I have not associated with them for a long time. Pity about what happened to Chris and his wife, they were good people.” my father answers her.“Not to interrupt, but who are Christopher and Helen and what is our association with
I watched her sleep through the night, refusing to leave her room. I blamed myself for this happening to her. I should have never let her go after she ran into me outside that damn party. I could tell she was upset. Hell, she had been crying. The moment she ran into me, I felt a zing throughout my entire body, and Lucarius, my wolf, started jumping in excitement. I knew there was something different about her, but it was difficult for me to accept that she was my mate, even through Lucarius had been prancing and saying so. How could this small creature be my fated mate?In sheer size alone, I am a giant next to her. She is so wispy and thin, I feel like if I touch her wrong, she will shatter like glass. Will she accept me? I have no real experience with women. Girls threw themselves at Emery because he was next in line to be king, but somehow, I scared women. The only woman I was close to besides my mother was my cousin Felicity and half the time, I would not call her a woman. I didn’
Jadenne’s Point of ViewWaking up in a plush bed, in strange surroundings and hearing that I have been poisoned should have been a shock to me. In truth, I tried very hard to care about what the older gentleman was saying to me, but all I could think about was the gorgeous emerald eyes watching me from across the room. Even when he yelled, he was still attractive. I had to fan my face because the room was getting so hot. Finally, the older man left.“Do you truly understand everything that Dr. Beal explained to you?” His voice was slightly husky and a fresh wave of warmth spread between my thighs. I bit my lower lip, trying hard not to moan out loud. I never knew that a voice could be so sexy. It took a moment to realize that he had asked me a question.“Um, yeah, I think I understand. So basically, I got poisoned and my choices are death or us having sex.” Usually, I would not be so blunt, but here he was asking me questions when all I wanted to do was climb him like a tree. I could
I woke up pressed against what felt like a hard, warm wall. It took a few moments to realize that the wall was moving. Peering up, I stared at the most gorgeous face. The previous events came flooding back into my mind and I buried my head in his chest as my cheeks flushed. I could not believe that I had slept with a Lycan Prince.Goddess help me, he is going to lose his mind when he realizes that he slept with a lowly servant. How could I allow this to happen? I recall the doctor’s words that if I had not slept with Pierce, I would have died. I truly feel like once Pierce knows who I am truly, I will die anyways.I recall him saying that he thought he was my mate, and there is no doubt that he smelled amazing. I never knew that cedar and sandalwood could smell so good together. I inhale deeply, truly reveling in the scent of him.You need to complete the mark.I jumped a little, wondering where the voice was coming from.My name is Shilo, I am your wolf, but I cannot come to you full
Pierce’s Point of ViewLucarius was jumping around in my head all day, excited to go on a long run with our mate. He had already informed me that he had communicated with her wolf and her name was Shilo. I would love to put everything on the back burner and take Jadenne for her first run immediately but unfortunately, there were some rather pressing matters at hand.Before I took Jadenne back to the Half Moon pack to gather her belongings, I wanted some answers from the pathetic swine we were holding. I had linked with Felicity earlier to ask her if she would take Jadenne shopping so that she could get some clothes and I could finally get some answers. Of course, Felicity jumped at the chance to get to know my mate.I hated seeing my beautiful mate put on the torn clothes she had worn that night. Yet another reminder that I had failed to protect her. Walking up behind her, I can’t help but bend over and wrap my arms around her placing my head on top of hers. I don’t think I will ever