Prologue

The storm had blown in quicker than I anticipated, darkening the skies and bringing with it a torrential downpour of rain. The heavy water droplets seemed far colder than should have been possible, but then maybe that was just the weight of everything happening under the cover of the storm. Lightning flashed across the sky giving brief moments of illumination to the gray clouds and darkened forest, in the otherwise black night. 

I had been forced to move my timeline up. The rains didn’t usually start for another month. I had been planning this for the last six months. I had set everything in motion last week when I knew the storm would be coming in. It was time to do away with Liam and Gwydia De’Lune. I would take what I wanted this time, instead of settling for what I could get.

I had been working with a group of rogues and a handful of pack members that saw things my way. Liam was too soft to be Alpha, always wanting to be diplomatic instead of striking down the heart of the problem from the start. Sure, our pack thrived and we rarely had issues, but we weren’t feared. We weren’t seen as any real threat in battle. What would happen if it ever came down to a battle, or a war? It was time for an Alpha who would do what was necessary for the pack’s survival no matter the cost. It was my time.

I had grown up with Liam, we had been best friends since we were pups, always causing trouble and getting into mischief, causing our families some sort of generally harmless grief. That was until she came along. She came with her father to discuss an alliance between their clan and our pack. They weren’t even wolves. They were Fae and their lands bordered ours to the north in the “no man’s land” area of the mountains.

I had instantly felt drawn to her, wanted her. She wasn’t my mate, but she was an exotic and beautiful little thing, barely 5’3”, red hair, the most beautiful green eyes I had ever seen and curves for days. Then I watched her and Liam lock eyes and instantly recognized the connection of their bond. We’d all seen it happen before. She would forever be his. It was at that moment that I felt something change in myself.

A seed of jealousy took root. I tried to be happy for my best friend, tried not to let it get to me. I even took a chosen mate after my true mate rejected me for the guy she’d been dating. Maybe if my mate hadn’t rejected me it would have been different, but as it was the jealousy festered and grew over the next decade. All leading up to tonight. Tonight I would be good enough, I would get what I wanted, what I deserved.

Myself and about 10 of the pack warriors loyal to me were at the border of the pack territory, waiting for the rogues to arrive as back up. The storm had rolled in an hour earlier than it was supposed to and I was getting irritated standing in the downpour. I was just glad the rogue leader was as gullible as the others. All it took was a promise of land, and some she-wolves once the plan was successful, and the rogue leader was only too happy to help me out.

As for the pack members that decided to follow me, they weren’t hard to buy either, a brief mention of elevated rank, which came with more pay was all it took to get them on board. I sneered internally, none of these idiots deserved anything and I would be glad if most of them died tonight. There would be less loose ends to deal with in the end that way.  Truth be told they were merely a distraction so that no one would notice what was truly going on. I was the Beta, my job was to protect the Alpha and his family. No one would suspect me of being the cause of their end.

I might keep on Gamma Daniel and his mate Rose though, they were beyond loyal to me. They always had been. It didn’t take much encouragement from me to get Liam to appoint Daniel as Gamma, he trusted my judgment. The fool.

I turned towards the border, smelling them before I saw them. The smell of rotten garbage and body odor was unmistakable. I kept my eye on the tree line, watching as they came into view. I hated rogues, the smell of them, the sight of them. They disgusted me, but I needed them for this plan to work. I needed them to distract the pack warriors. Jackson, the rogue leader,  stopped in front of me, shifting from his mangy, muddy brown wolf into a 6’0” tall, naked man.

“Are you ready?” I asked, wanting to get this done and over with before the storm moved past us.

Jackson nodded, “We know what to do. We will stick to the plan. You will keep your end of the agreement.” It was a statement, not a question and I nodded to him.

“Good, good, and once the dust settles we’ll make arrangements for your payment.” I could feel a sinister grin slip onto my face, “Let’s get this done.”

I motioned to the men and the rogues, signaling to take their positions. Swiftly and silently we made our way into the village. Lightning was flashing across the sky, lighting our way and still leaving plenty of shadows to travel in, as if the Goddess herself was on our side. It was my time to shine and after tonight I would have what I wanted, what I deserved.