Eden’s POV
This is the seventh time I’ve called Alpha Caleb tonight, and as usual, he hasn’t answered.
It’s our two-year anniversary, and I didn’t have a wolf, that’s why I had to call my husband on the phone like a human. Then I could only try shooting him text: [Caleb. I know you’re busy. Just wanted to confirm when you’d be home tonight? I’m making your favorite steaks ^^]
“Stop wasting your time on stupid phone calls,” The omega maids leader, Alice, said, rolling her eyes, dumping a basket of clothes at my feet. “Make yourself useful. You’re the Luna and you have nothing to give to this pack. No wolf. No kids. The least you could do is help with the laundry.”
No wolf. No kids.
The words stung. I bit my lip. She was right, I was wolfless. But I didn’t want to be! I wanted more than anything to be a good Luna for Caleb, for our pack.
“If I catch you slacking off, I’ll report to the Alpha and have you locked up in the dungeon.” Alice added, her gaze turned malicious. “You know how tough it is in the dungeon,” She brushed past me then, deliberately bumping into my shoulder.
I shivered with dread. I knew all too well how terrifying the dungeon was. Alice had falsely accused me of theft, and Caleb locked me up there. Alice would whip me and hurl insults at me every day, not allowing me to eat or sleep. To survive, I had to admit guilt and apologize to Alice.
Since then, the pack members had grown more disdainful toward me. Caleb became even more distant. I absolutely did not want to be locked up there again.
I quickly checked my phone. Still no response from Caleb, so I started sorting his laundry. But as I picked up his dress jacket, I felt something inside the pocket. I reached in and saw a beautiful invitation. It was addressed to Alpha Caleb and myself.
It was an invitation to a banquet! To honor the return of the Lycan King!
The Lycan King? He had returned? He’d been gone for almost 100 years! This was a serious event! I scanned the invitation for more details. My eyes flew open in shock when I read the date. 7pm. November 1(st). That was tonight!
But how could that be? Caleb hadn’t mentioned anything about a banquet, which was odd, since this was the first formal invitation he’d received since taking over the pack. How could he forget to tell me?
He couldn’t attend the banquet without me! That was against our rules: Alphas must attend all events with their Lunas. If an Alpha went to an event without a Luna, it could be seen as a sign of internal pack issues. That was the last thing I wanted for Caleb! I had to get ready fast and meet him there!
I glanced at the clock. It was ten past six! Maybe that’s why he wasn’t answering his phone – he was busy preparing for the big event. I’m sure he meant to tell me. It probably just slipped his mind.
I ran upstairs, pulled on a blue silk dress and piled my brown, curly hair on top of my head. I quickly put on some pink lipstick and mascara.
The Lycan King was back! This was going to be a very exciting night! Caleb and I could celebrate our anniversary tomorrow. This was his first official event as the new Alpha of our pack. And I would be right there with him, on his arm, as his loving Luna.
I arrived at the venue. There was a gorgeous outdoor area set up decorated with string lights that shone under the moon’s soft glow. Besides, this area was a massive tent, heavily guarded by two strong warriors. The banquet was inside the tent.
People were already gathered, and I recognized several Lunas and Alphas from other packs in the area. The air buzzed with excitement, as people discussed, in hushed reverence, the return of Zane, the Lycan King.
I scanned the crowd, looking for Caleb but I couldn’t find him. Strange, I thought to myself. Maybe he’s just not here yet.
Soon, my breath caught in my throat. I noticed that to my left, there was a throng of people. A tall, imposing figure standing in the center, with his back turned. He was dressed in an elegant fur robe, flanked by two warriors. Despite the distance, I could feel his powerful presence. I immediately knew it was him — the guest of honor, the revered Lycan King.
He was rumored to be one of the strongest, the most intelligent, most handsome Kings of all time. I stood, fixed in my spot, admiring him from a distance. And he was just about to turn around so I could see his face when something caught my eye.
Someone’s necklace flashed in the light. I turned and saw Caleb. My Caleb! There he was. He was smartly dressed in one of my favorite suits, navy with a matching silk navy tie. I lifted my hand to wave to him, but I stopped it in mid-air.
There was another woman on his arm. She was elegantly dressed, in a long, flowing gown. Her necklace flashed in the light again. She was gorgeous. And she was laughing happily with Caleb. If I didn’t know better, I’d say they looked like a couple...
Next second, the woman turned around, and I saw her face—
Scarlett.
My half-sister.
And Caleb’s first love.
Eden’s POVScarlett?But how could that be? She’d been gone for two years now. I squinted to make sure my eyes weren’t deceiving me. They weren’t. It was her, all right. Anxiety washed over me. Questions swarmed in my head. What was going on? When had she come back? And why was she with Caleb? I stood, stunned, able to move. A knot grew in my stomach. It twisted and turned inside me. I had a very bad feeling about this.I shook my head. No. I was just overreacting. There had to be a logical explanation. All I had to do was talk to them. They would explain everything. My half-sister would never…But before I could ask them any questions, they sauntered over to the banquet entrance. They breezed through the security check and disappeared into the banquet tent. I weaved my way through the crowd to the entrance of the tent. Two warriors stopped me.“Name?” they asked, blocking my entrance. It was standard protocol, for security. I peeked around the large guards and saw Caleb and Scarle
Eden’s POV“You can end the marriage now. I’m back,” Scarlett said. “And unlike her, I have my wolf. A strong one. I’ll give you children, Caleb. Lots of little wolf pups. True heirs. Unless you want her to have your children.”“As if I would ever let Eden have MY children!” Caleb scoffed. “She’s the daughter of a traitor! I can’t let a traitor’s daughter give birth to my bloodline!”Scarlett giggled at his cruel words, and I was shocked. He was my husband! How could he be so cruel? He smeared my mom's name, calling her a traitor!I had to stop them! I didn’t want to hear any more of this. But just as I was about to rush out, I heard their continued conversation.“So, dear, why did you suddenly leave me?” Caleb coaxed. His voice was so gentle. He never talked to me that way. “It's okay, darling. You can tell me.” “I was poisoned by wolfsbane. It was awful, pure torture. I wasn’t even conscious! My parents sent me to the Solace Pack since they’re the strongest pack in werewolf medical
Eden’s POVThe wolf approached me slowly. As I saw him clearly, my whole body trembled. He was bigger than any wolf I’d ever seen: stronger, with muscles that bulged under his thick, black, shiny fur that blended in with the darkness of the night. Everything inside me screamed ‘run’! I tried to, but the wolf followed. He was agile and swift, and his shiny fur gave him an air of regality as it fluttered in the wind. With lightning speed, he lunged at me. I didn't dare look back again, but I could sense his presence; he was right behind me, gaining ground. I dodged under branches, my heart pounding.But then suddenly, thud— The wolf pinned me to the ground with only its right paw. My cheek pressed against the earth, and I panted heavily. Was this the end? Despair washed over me.He rolled me over and pressed my arms over my head. He stared at me with an intense gaze. I could feel his heart pounding against his chest.“Open your eyes,” he commanded, his voice majestic.Trembling, I o
Eden’s POVIn the dark forest, danger never ceased. It attracted the very worst of the worst, cruel rogues with no morals. I needed to get out of this forest, to find somewhere safe. But even as careful as I was, the rogues lurked everywhere. I soon came face to face with two rogues.“See?” one of them said, clucking his tongue. “Told you she was pretty.” They both lifted their noses into the air. “I’m the Luna of the Sequoia Pack,” I said, trying to steady my trembling legs and intimidate them. “If you lay a finger on me, the Sequoia Pack will come down hard on you.”“You? Hahaha...” the other burst into laughter. “You don’t even have a wolf.”They knew I didn't have a wolf! Of course they did. I was foolish to believe otherwise. Any werewolf could feel it.“What kind of Alpha would want a Luna without a wolf? Pathetic,” one chimed in, joining the laughter. “If the Alpha of the Sequoia Pack found out you were damaging his reputation, he’d waste no time killing you.”Kill me?His wo
Eden’s POVMy cell door swung open. “Put this on,” Kate hissed at me. “It’s time for auction, you filthy bitch.”I’ve been locked up in this cell for a few days now. Kate threw me in here. She said since I don’t have a wolf, and I’m not even an omega, the Lycan King wouldn’t want me. So they didn’t take me to the square. They’ve given me barely any food and water, but at least my bruises have healed, more or less.I fingered the beautiful silk gown. I put on the dress and she came back. She brushed my hair and put make-up on me.“Now smile nicely,” she instructed me. I shot her a satirical smile. “NICER!” she yelled. “They want to see pretty girls. And pretty girls SMILE.” I flashed her a fake smile. My ribs were still sore from the beating. I didn’t want that to happen again. At least if someone bought me, I could get out of this cell.I was then led to a large stage. The audience was full of men, mostly Alphas I assumed. I was instructed to stand in line and wait my turn. I watched
Eden’s POV“Lycans?” The auction house broke out into exclamations. “Is it true? Are they Lycans?” Everyone whispered, wide-eyed at the thought. Anxiety and confusion rippled through the room.But then, the man at the table calmly took off his coat. Everyone watched as he hung it on the back of his chair, revealing a crisp white shirt and navy suit vest. He strode to the stage, letting loose a powerful Lycan aura. His air of nobility was palpable. His aura emanated from him and spread out through the room, passing over everyone, one at a time, and as it did, each person felt like they had been hit by an invisible force. Then his aura settled over them, like a heavy blanket. They were powerless under the suffocating pressure of the Lycan’s aura.I watched him, transfixed, as his aura hit me. It was like a lightning bolt straight to my heart. My heart raced and I began to breathe quickly. I couldn’t take my eyes off him, even though I knew that making eye contact and staring at him lik
Zane’s POV“Tear this place down,” I turned to my Beta, instructed. “And then burn it. Leave nothing of this auction house save for ashes.”The girl in my arms shrank back in response to my command, she clutched at my shirt.‘Easy now, Cookie,’ I thought to myself. ‘You’re safe now. You’re mine.’I took in her scent. Bread cookies. It was her. I had finally found her. ‘All will be well now, Slade. We found her.’Instantly, Slade, my wolf, calmed down. My mind flashed back to the first time we met.I was 21 years old, in wolf form, when I was ambushed by rogues. They caught me completely off-guard. They seriously injured me, slashing my legs and my stomach. I was so badly hurt that I couldn’t return to human form. I managed to escape, but just barely. I was forced to hide out in the forest, doing my best to camouflage my black wolf form with the dead of night.She found me one day while I was sleeping in a small brush clearing. Full of curiosity, she climbed over the bushes. She was yo
Eden’s POVI was the talk of the town, or so I heard. Rumors of the Lycan King bringing back a ‘rogue girl’ spread rapidly through all the packs. I had been here a few days, but everywhere I went, the omegas whispered. The news even spread out into rogue territory. Everyone was guessing who I was. What was my true identity? Why had he chosen me? I was asked to meet some of the omega maids in the bathroom. Apparently, they wanted to help me wash. I didn’t really want their help, though. They were a little on the rough side. But I was told I had no choice. But before I went into the bathroom, I overheard the omega maids talking. They were whispering about all the gossip spreading through the packs.“I heard the King fell in love with her at first sight, so he brought her back here. That’s what an omega from Red Stone pack told me she heard,” one maid whispered.“Nonsense. Why would he fall in love with a rogue? And an ugly, wolfless one at that?” another maid scoffed. “That’s