~Harper's POV~
“You already know my name is Harper Rae. I was born a member of the Foul Moon Pack. They are a growing mass of the most vile and dishonorable horde of wolves. It is not a rumor; they are recognized to be hate-filled and ruthless. They are nasty and take what they want. It is not beneath them to kill, steal, burn, and destroy anything and everything for their own nasty barbaric pleasure. Alpha Thane Kago took his father’s place as the leader of Foul Moon Pack nearly six months ago, and it has been my living hell ever since.
I was among the only decent members left in Thane’s pack when Thane took over. Women were raped and taken as slaves. Children were sold, most likely forced into hard labor. Husbands were murdered unless they submitted to Thane’s evil cause. Even still, they had to give up their mates and prove that they were willing to do unthinkable things to innocent packs and families. The Foul Moon Pack is already a large pack. It took a while, but he combed through members picking out the 'liabilities' who he decided would weaken his despicable army. If members of his pack show any kindness or pleasant traits, they would immediately be slaughtered. No member was able to leave on their own terms. My parents were strong and honorable warriors. They refused to burn down villages and the killing of innocent wolves. My parents’ beliefs and kind ways are what ultimately lead alpha Thane right to our doorstep. When Alpha Thane made his way to my childhood home, his sick mind decided that he would take me against my will to be his mate.”
I paused to take a breath and even my breathing. I could have sworn I heard Gabriel growl. Maybe I am hearing things. I continued with my story.
“I pushed back against Thane’s demands, but to my horror he attempted to humble me using fear. Thane decapitated my mother and father in front of me. I heard every cry; I saw every tear. I begged Thane to stop. I cried to the Moon Goddess as my father fought to get to my mother. Thane made my father watch as they tortured my mother. First cutting her hair, then breaking out her teeth. She tried to hold her screams back… I know because of me. My mother didn’t want me to see what was happening. I told Thane I would do whatever he wanted. I know his plan was to kill them the entire time. He was just playing with me.
Once he finally beheaded my mother, he moved to my father. He first told him about all his sinful plans that he had for me. Including using me for his own sick pleasure. Even though he planned to make me his mate, he didn’t plan on having a Luna. That didn’t matter to me though, I would die before I agreed to submit to this monster. Thane then grabbed a knife and slowly cut into my father’s flesh. It was as if all his screams were my own. My heart was dying right along with him. Thane took pleasure in the torture. He skinned my father with slow knife strokes just to prolong the pain. When he was done my father was nothing but read flesh and muscle, but he was still alive and awake. Blood was pooled at his knees where he was knelt on all fours still holding himself up. Pain had overtaken his once strong and loving features. My father breathlessly said to me ‘never forget who you are. You are strong and a fighter. You will live through this. Remember that your mother and I love you so much…’ Before my father could finish what he was trying to say, Thane looked at me with a wicked grin then turned back to my father and slit his throat right in front of me. His body still trying to take breaths filled the room with sounds of gurgling from the blood filling his lungs. The look on my father’s face at that moment is forever branded into my mind.
I watched until my father’s body went limp. The smell of blood was overpowering. Little did Thane know; I am and have always been too headstrong to lay down to such a sick monster. I pretended to submit, even though pretending was still nauseating. I knew it was my only chance to escape my prison. Thane was planning to mark me on my eighteenth birthday. I planned and packed a small pack with essentials. I negligently forgot food of all things. I knew Thane was starting to trust me. I forced myself to allow him to grope and kiss on me to make my act seem more convincing. Because of this, I never had an appetite to eat. Knowing I needed my strength I had to force feed myself the whole time I was his prisoner. He never went further with his dirty acts. He always told me he had big plans for me on my eighteenth birthday.
I had to remind myself that I had to do everything to get away. I was planning to kill myself if I was caught, so I needed to try my hardest to be successful during my escape. Revenge for my parents drove my desire to reach freedom. I plan to kill Thane if I am ever given the chance. For weeks I was mean to servants, pretending to be just as evil as Alpha Thane wanted me to be. I would yell at them, and break things then demand they clean it up. When I was alone, I always apologized to the servants, and they soon figured out my plan. They supported my escape. About three nights ago, a few servants stood watch for me as I slipped from my bedroom window. I never skipped on training, so navigating the shadows quietly was second nature for me. My only light that night was the full moon. I wanted to believe that the Moon Goddess was lighting my way to freedom. I ran as fast as I could into the woods. Before I lost sight of my childhood home, I turned to bid farewell. Taking with me pleasant memories of my parents that were threatened become overshadowed by my agonizing last memories of them. Refusing to cry or take too much time I started running.
Once I couldn’t run anymore, I walked, and I walked unsure of where I was going. My only direction was away from Alpha Thane. I would stop to rest only a moment before continuing in the direction I was going. I knew that if I slowed down Thane would find me. I knew if I was caught, that I would be living in a nightmare. I realized all too late that I forgot to bring food. My body was growing weaker by the hour. I thought I was never going to make it to freedom. At that point I was welcoming death, I was numb from the heartache of losing my parents the tragic way that I did, and the thought of knowing I was now alone in this world with no one left that cares about me. It is such a lonesome feeling… I don’t know how far I traveled, or when I fell asleep. I just know I woke up to your guards asking me questions. They were strong but polite, even though I was a stranger. It was in the middle of the night, but your people were so kind to me. Once they realized I wasn’t a threat, they offered me a warm bath and a comfortable bed for the night. That is when I met Kelly, one of your Omegas. She gave me some clean clothes and made me feel welcome right away. I could have told you more about the torture and vial things that I went through, and the things that were done to my family. If it is okay with you, I would like to end my story here.”
CHAPTER 5: DON’T PITY ME~ Harper’s POV ~I took a deep breath, reaching my hand up to wipe the tears that I didn’t realize had been streaming down my face. I knew I looked a mess. I took a moment to calm myself and try to stop the pain that was growing stronger in the center of my chest. The pain of losing my parents was heavier now than it has been the last few hours. The cause, no doubt due to me reliving my story. I wanted to erase those memories. I know that until I see Thane Kago die, I could never fully heal. I wanted to help the servants and what innocents that are left in that place. At this moment, my confidence in that ever happening wasn’t there.“Your story is very tragic young lady. I am sorry to hear of all the horrible things that you have been through in the last few months.” I nodded as an intended thank you. Not wanting sympathy or pity. I looked over to Gabriel, for a moment all the pain and sorrow I was feeling faded away. He was sitting in his chair with his el
CHAPTER 6: SHE’S NOT ONE TO BEG ~ Gabriel's POV~It was as if my heart stopped the moment the scent hit me. Perfume like the smell of a dozen fresh roses fogged my senses. Mika, my wolf excitedly jumping, and pawing was a new reaction of his. I had had my wolf for two years now; this strange behavior took me by surprise. I shut Mika out. I had a meeting with a potential new member of our pack. My father will never turn a wolf in need away. I am here to help him determine if any ill intent is detected from this, she wolf. The protection of our pack is our top priority. Before I could fully gather my senses, there was a soft knock on my father’s office door. I looked up from my standing position to the left of my father’s desk where he was seated. The feel of his authority was thick in the air. When the door opened, my jaw nearly hit the floor. I had to stop myself from nervously shifting back and forth on the balls of my feet. This girl is different… She had already walked midway
CHAPTER 7: THE MOMENT SHE WALKED IN~ Gabriel’s POV ~I somehow managed to keep my wolf back for the remainder of her story. I agreed with my father, Harper was no threat to our pack “I have no issues accepting her into our pack, do you?” I ask my father through our link. My head is still resting in my hands with my eyes shut. My father’s response makes me want to egg him in the head. “I knew you would have no objections the moment she walked through my office door. HAHAHA.” His laughter boomed in my head. Yeah, I’m going to egg him in the head. I heard her sniffle and despite my head being down and my eyes closed I knew she had been crying. My heart ached for her. I know that the pain of losing her parents in the way that she did must be overwhelming. I hated the fact that she had to relive everything while telling us her story, but unfortunately it had to be done. “Your story is very tragic young lady. I am sorry to hear of all the horrible things that you have been through in t
CHAPTER 8: THANK THE MOON GODDESS~ Gabriel’s POV ~I held the door of my father’s office open for Harper as she exited into the hallway. I internally kicked myself knowing good and well that I held that door not to just be a gentleman, but to get a good look at her ass as she walked in front of me. I feel like a real creep right now for checking out a girl who has recently been to hell and managed to walk back out. I couldn’t help it though, her long black wavy hair trailed down her back stopping mid back. I love her long hair, but right now I am thanking the Moon Goddess for not hiding this girl’s shapely yet slim Waist. My eyes trailed down her back, drinking in every curve of her hourglass figure. Continuing their descent, my eyes rested on her perfectly round and toned ass. I have always been a booty man, but this girl is on a whole other level. In my father’s office while she was introducing herself, I could tell she was having a reaction to me. The red blush that settled on he
CHAPTER 9: MEETING TANNER ~ Harper's POV~ Gabriel left me standing with this guy in the middle of the dining hall. His sudden departure left me feeling cold. I understand his need to do other things. He is the alpha’s son. Deciding I need to get to know the members of my new pack, I tried to loosen up. “Um… hi, sorry my name is Harper.” Tearing his gaze from Gabriel’s form disappearing up the stairs, the guy turned to me. “Nice to meet you Harper, my name is Tanner. I am Gabriel’s Beta.” I smiled and shook his outstretched hand. Tanner was as tall as Alpha Gabriel, and well built. The type of body structure you would expect a Beta to have. Although handsome, Tanner wasn’t as attractive to me as Gabriel. He had a nice personality. He had golden hair; buzz cut like something you would see in the military. His eyes were like navy blue. His face was round, but still suited his toned body. “The food smells good, were you planning to eat?” “I was, yes. Just a little uncomfortable
CHAPTER 10: MAKING ENEMIES ALREADY~ Harper’s POV ~I randomly glanced toward the corner of the dining hall, back toward the stairway. There was a tall girl standing with two other girls who had their backs facing me. The tall girl, however, was drilling holes into my skull. She had blonde hair that was straight and shoulder length in color. Her skin was slightly tanned, it made her look like she was fresh from the beach. Her arms were crossed over her chest, and she obviously was in a bad mood. Why was she staring at me? Maybe she is Tanner’s girlfriend. Not wanting to make enemies so soon, I decided to ask Tanner.“Um…that girl over there is looking at me. She doesn’t look happy, is she something to you?” he didn’t even turn around to look. In the middle of scraping his plate clean he ask, “Does she have blonde hair?” Curiosity hit me, not understanding if we were talking about the same person. “Yes, how did you know?” pushing his plate back he continued, “Is she tall and slim,
CHAPTER 11: MY NEW LIFE~ Harper’s POV ~My room wasn’t huge, but it was the perfect size for me. The walls were beige with thick white crown molding. The carpet beneath my feet was white, soft, and fluffy. I made a mental note to always take my shoes off at my door. There was a modern bedside table with a lamp and clock positioned neatly on top. My bed was full sized, with white crisp and clean linens neatly placed making the bed look newly made. Housekeepers must have freshened things up. I hope they don’t bother themselves every day. I am more than capable of doing my own housekeeping. Both the bed and bedside table were arranged against the far back wall from the front door and positioned vertically. In the far-left corner was a long modern window spanning from the ceiling to the floor. There wasn’t a place to hang curtains over it. I wouldn’t want to cover that view anyway. There was lush green grass covering the property that had a slight roll in the landscape. Even though it wa
CHAPTER 12: I HAVE TO CHOOSE A MATE~ Gabriel's POV ~I was awakened to a firm knock on my bedroom door. I groaned and rolled over to check my clock. It said 9:00am. Rubbing my face with both hands, my groggy vision was seeming to get clearer. There was another knock on my door. Rolling myself out of bed, I slipped on a pair of sweatpants. Taking my time, I stretched my arms and shoulder muscles while walking to my door. I unlocked it and walked away.“It’s unlocked” I said with an unintended hatefully groggy voice. Tanner opened the door and stepped inside, shutting the door behind him. I walked to my in-room kitchen and started my coffee pot. I always pre-set it, so it is ready in the mornings. Turning back to Tanner, I passed him up and went into my bathroom. “Good morning sleeping beauty. You look like you had a good night’s rest. Where were you yesterday? I thought we were going to go for a run in the evening. Kelly said you decided to stay in your room for the rest of the day,