NO ALPHA

THE ALPHA BROTHERS: BOOK ONE

G. BAILEY

CONTENTS

Description

Prologue

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

Chapter 27

Chapter 28

Chapter 29

Chapter 30

Chapter 31

Epilogue

Author Note

Stay in Touch

Join Bailey’s Pack

About the Author

No Alpha Copyright © 2018 by G. Bailey

All rights reserved.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, brands, media, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

The author acknowledges the trademark owners of various products, brands, and/or stores referenced in this work of fiction, which have been used without permission. The publication/use of these trademarks is not authorized, associated with, or sponsored by the trademark owners.

For more information about the author and her work, visit-

www.gbaileyauthor.com

Cover design by FrostAlexis Arts.

Edited by Helayna Trask.

Created with Vellum

DESCRIPTION

A wolf with no claim. A disgrace to the wolves’ society. Never fit to be a mate for any wolf… Trash.

Elodie Masters knows she is too weak to escape her life as a pack slave, a wolf with no claim and overall blight to the wolves’ precious society. When her pack is attacked, Elodie should have run, but instead she is kept by the Alpha Brothers. Ruthless. Cruel. Heartless brothers…or at least that’s what everyone says about them.

And they were right.

The brothers don’t want her as a mate; they claim she is too weak to be anything…but they won’t let her go.

Yet sometimes strength hides in the weak, and you don’t see it coming until it literally bites you back.

Dark RH Romance 18+ WARNING: Contains dark themes not for the faint of heart.

PROLOGUE

ELODIE

“What is your name?” the alpha asks me; his voice is gravelly and deep. He also has an accent I have never heard before, meaning he isn’t from the two other packs in the alliance. I’ve served enough meals to recognize their accent. Where are these alphas from?

“Elodie,” I reply to his question straight away, not leaving a single breath between the end of his question and my answer.

“Come close to me, Elodie,” he demands. My whole body shakes from both fear and a nervous kind of desire as I step away from the wall. Each step towards the alpha is filled with equal parts dread and curiosity because I want to know why he wants me close. I pause a few feet away from him, and he stares down at me. “Closer.” The one word is a complete demand, and I move without question until I am stood right in front of him, feeling his breath moving the hair on the top of my head.

“What is your name?” I ask him, regretting it when I arch my head so I can look into his eyes. Alpha Bishop’s heart is right by my head, blood dripping from it onto the floor and hitting my hand that I move closer to my body. I block it all out, the blood dripping, the other alphas who I can feel staring at me, and the awful sounds from the rest of my pack who must be getting killed outside.

“Alpha,” he replies the single word like it is all I am allowed to know.

“Just Alpha?” I question and gasp as he suddenly wraps a beefy hand around my neck, holding tightly but not enough to really hurt me as he leans his face down to inches in front of mine.

“You call me Alpha. You do as I ask—without question—or I will dispose of you,” he warns me, and I don’t doubt for a second that he would kill me.

“Yes, Alpha,” I gasp, his hand tightening ever so slightly before he lets go though keeps his face close to mine. Our lips inches away.

“Now kiss me as your pack dies outside, and the blood of your former alpha drips down your pretty little dress,” he demands, and I do as I am told without a second thought. My lips press against his cold ones, and he pulls back before the kiss can really be counted as anything.

CHAPTER 1

ELODIE

“Watch it,” someone shouts at me before they bump into me from behind, and I fall face flat onto the ground. In the wet mud of all places. Great. I roll over to see one of my pack mates standing over me, smirking as I wipe the wet mud off my cheek. I don’t actually remember this one’s name, but I’m certain he knows who I am. Everyone does, and lying in the dirt is kind of ironic considering that’s what they all think of me.

“Elodie, what are you doing on the floor?” Lucy shouts, and I cringe as everyone runs away from me, including the wolf that pushed me after kicking my arm so I fall further into the mud. I pull myself up only to see Lucy stomping over to me, her hands on her hips and a frustrated look on her cold face as she gets to me. Lucy is the alpha’s mother and a very old wolf shifter at that. I don’t know why she keeps me alive when I know her son would kill me in an instant if he had his way. Or worse. The whole pack treat me like a human because I might as well be one, as I’m the only wolf ever known not able to shift into a wolf. I have little supernatural strength, or speed, or anything like most wolf shifters do. It’s frustrating as hell, but I know saying one word would get me killed.

“I have told you time and time again not to walk this way to get to the kitchens. The pack do not want to see you walking around, and you are only asking for trouble,” she says, her voice ringing with disappointment as she gets to me and roughly grabs my arm. She starts dragging me around the main house and the pack kitchens just behind it.

“I tried to go the other way, but one of the betas was waiting for me,” I try to explain, but she ignores me.

“A beta wouldn’t look twice at you. I have no idea why you are so scared of them,” she tuts at me. I just ignore her, knowing damn well I have every reason to be scared of the beta twins and the way they follow me. I turned eighteen yesterday, and without a mate or any chance of getting one, I’m fair game to anyone in this pack. The alpha said as much to me when I asked to leave the pack on my sixteenth birthday. I shiver at the memories. That did not go well. I was lucky to be able to walk out the pack house the next day.

“Now get in those kitchens and start washing up. I will be back to check on you later,” Lucy says and shoves me through the kitchen door. I do as I’m told and start getting to work on the dozens of dishes that are piled high, knowing being whipped by Lucy isn’t worth it. I just finish the dishes when Lucy comes into the kitchen with a paper list in her hand.

“The alpha has very important company tonight, and he wants you to serve them. I have made a list of acceptable food,” she states, and my heart pounds in my chest. If the alpha wants me there, that isn’t good. The last time I was in the alpha’s house, I left covered in blood and bruises, and I was lucky to leave with my life at all. I didn’t have any dignity left, that’s for sure. Lucy doesn’t seem to notice or care about me freaking out as she slams the menu in front of me and goes to walk away. Only she stops and looks back to run her eyes over me, before sighing loudly.

“You cannot wear that grey dress to serve the alpha and his guests. It makes you look like an outcast when you are not one,” she states. Outcasts are wolves without a pack—and something Lucy and the Alpha Bishop have always reminded me I could be. I think living out in the dark woods doesn’t actually seem like such a bad idea at times. At least I wouldn’t have to deal with being a slave.

“I might as well be,” I mutter under my breath, but Lucy doesn’t call me on it as she carries on her rant.

“I have a purple dress you may borrow for tonight, one I once wore. I will leave it in your room,” she muses, nodding her head like she is pleased with herself and walking out the room without another word. I look down at the complicated list of ingredients for the meal then groan in frustration. This is going to take me hours to find these things, and I have no idea if I can even pull off this kind of complicated, fancy food. I know I don’t have a choice as I start getting the things needed out of the cold storage. I cook this meal, or I might as well try running from my pack to be an outcast. The alpha warned me what would happen if I cross his path a second time…and none of it would be pretty.

CHAPTER 2

ELODIE

I  smooth down the purple dress with shaky, sweaty hands as I stare at myself in the mirror. My brown hair is up in a bun, pulled away from my pale skin, making my unusual blue eyes look like they are glowing from the reflection of the light. I look nothing like most wolves or like anyone I’ve ever met really. My parents disowned me the moment they realized I was a no claim, and I see them around the pack sometimes, but I look like neither of them. My entire pack has gold hair, brown eyes and tanned golden skin.

My looks just make me stand out more than not having a claim does. See, in this world, being claimed is everything. When you are three years old, you meet all the male wolves of similar ages in a gathering. And then you find your mate. They make a claim, and then you are protected until you turn eighteen and can be with your mate for life. Except that never happened for me. I went to five gatherings, and at seven, it was decided I was a no claim. Trash.

I wish I had people around who care enough to protect me, but my no claim status means anyone that has anything to do with me is trash as well. I’ve always dreamed of moving to another pack in the world, hoping they would see me differently. There are four packs in the world left now, and three of those packs have an alliance with each other. We are the smallest of the three allied packs and the nearest to the oceans. The fourth one, well, they live on sunny islands off the mainland and have nothing to do with the inland packs. I’ve only heard rumors of the heartless alpha trio that run the pack with an iron fist. They don’t have morals, they don’t have rules or no claims like me. They only have blood and honor…and those who betray them find a death which makes them wish they had never been alive in the first place.

A knock on the door shakes me out of my thoughts, and I climb over my bed in the tiny room to open the door. Lucy stands with hands on her hips and looks over my dress, nodding to herself.

“It will do very well. You look normal at least,” she comments and steps back. I go to hurry past her and get to the kitchen to serve food, but she grabs my arm as I pass.

“You will behave tonight. This is a very, very important night for the pack. I will kill you myself if you act out of character,” she hisses at me, her nails cutting into my arm and no doubt breaking the skin.

“I-I won’t do anything,” I stammer, and she lets me go, wiping my blood off her fingers on a cloth she gets out her pocket. She throws the cloth at me when she is done, but I just let the blood pour down my arm, pretending it doesn’t hurt until it naturally heals, leaving only dry blood.

“Clean that up, and get to work,” she snaps and walks away. Some part of me wants to cry from her treatment, but I don’t cry anymore. They tried to break me a long time ago, and they don’t deserve to see the tears. Or that is what I tell myself. I wipe my arm and slide the cloth into a pocket in the dress before running down the corridor. I leave Lucy’s house and run next door, using the back alley so no one sees me, going into the kitchen. I finish cooking the starter and leave it plated up on the side just as the door slams open. The alpha female walks in, her eyes running over my dress and then to the food. The alpha female is the prettiest wolf in the pack. She has perfect blonde curly hair, light green eyes and a skinny frame. Though just because she is beautiful on the outside doesn’t mean she is in her heart.

“They are ready for starters to be served. Get on with it,” she says in a disgusted tone and walks back out. I take a deep breath and lie to myself that everything is going to be okay. It has to be. I just have to do this perfectly. I cooked the food right, and everything is going well so far. I slide the five small plates onto a tray and pick it up. Luckily, I have some strength of wolves, so it isn’t too heavy to carry. I run around and use my back to open the door and pause when I turn around. I forget how this place scares me, but as I look at the blue painted hallway and the cream carpets it all comes back, making my skin run cold. Even though there is no sign of my blood on the carpet now, I can still picture it. I can still feel the pain, I can still remember every moment of that night like a picture I can’t forget.

“Where is that damn no claim with the food? If I have to show her a lesson again in how to behave, I won’t be impressed.” Alpha Bishop’s frightening, deep spoken words and low grunt after that make me snap out of it and rush down the corridor. I walk into the dining room slowly, keeping my eyes down to avoid eye contact like I have been taught. You don’t get to look the alpha in the eye, not unless you are challenging them.

“This is your no claim?” a man I have never heard asks; his voice is raspy. His deep voice sends shivers across my skin, and I curse myself for the reaction.

“Yes, what of it?” Alpha Bishop snaps, and I slide a plate in front of the alpha female before moving to serve my alpha.

“Speak to me like that again, I will end this talk now by ripping your tongue out. My brother will be here shortly, and this is a fair warning that he won’t be spoken to that way,” the man replies, and to my shock, my alpha coughs and blurts out an apology.

“Sorry.”

I firmly decide that serving the food and getting out of here is the best idea. I don’t want to be in the middle of this when it goes wrong. I’m going to end up getting the wrath of Alpha Bishop’s anger when this meal is over, I suspect, anyway. I slide the plate in front of my alpha and move over to the two strangers in the room.

“Look at me as you serve me,” the man demands as I slide a plate in front of him. I force my gaze up, locking eyes with a hauntingly dark pair staring at me. The man is huge, at least twice the size of me, and has messy brown hair. His skin is tanned like he spends a lot of time in the sun, and to my surprise, he has blue eyes like mine. He is handsome. More handsome than anyone I’ve ever seen.

“I hope you enjoy your food—” I reply, cutting off my sentence as I don’t know his name.

“Alpha Letric. What is your name?” he asks, though his tone has a suggestion of demand in it.

“We don’t allow no claims to converse with our guests. If you wish to have her sent to your bed later on, that is fine. Though I will warn, no one has broken her in yet as I was saving her for a special pack sharing occasion. I will, of course, offer her as a gift,” Alpha Bishop states, and a cold wave of fear washes over me. I straighten my back and look down, walking around the table to the last guest.

“I prefer my women to be willing. Begging for me, in fact,” Alpha Letric smoothly replies, and the other man in the room clamps his hand on my wrist after I put his plate down. I gasp as he pulls my hand to his face and sniffs my wrist. I don’t move, not knowing what to do as I look at this other man. He has golden hair, cut short, and his features are similar to Alpha Letric’s. When his light blue eyes meet mine, I can’t pull mine away. Not that I would ever want to challenge him. He is as big and frightening as my own alpha.

“I don’t care about willingness. I will make her beg,” he says. His voice is seductive, like a wolf calling a sheep into its lair.

“Now that seems like a challenge, dear brother,” Letric chuckles, like it’s some inside joke between them.

“It was,” his brother smoothly replies.

“I suppose it all depends on what our oldest brother suggests we do with her,” Letric says, though it sounds like a warning to my ears.

“I said you could borrow her for a night. I am not giving her away,” Alpha Bishop growls. “Not without a promised alliance. I honestly thought you would ask for something worth much more.”

“Worth is something that usually can’t be seen by someone who has none,” the man holding my wrist says and finally lets go. I almost miss his touch when it’s gone though. What is wrong with me?

“Very true, brother,” Letric says and stands up from his chair. My alpha stands too, both of them staring at each other in a show of dominance. I find myself stepping back until the backs of my shoes hit the wall, and I press my back against it. This is not going to end well. All of us are so engrossed in watching the two alphas stare each other down that none of us notices when another man steps into the room, stopping just behind Alpha Bishop’s back. I can’t see all of his features, only waist length black hair and a massive muscular build that makes him the tallest man in the room.

I gasp as a hand bursts through Alpha Bishop’s chest, the movement slow to my eyes which can’t quite believe what I just saw. Blood splatters everywhere, even on my shoes across the room. My alpha female screams, and oddly enough, Alaric is eating his food at the table like nothing happened. He doesn’t even care that blood is all over his food now. I stare quietly at Alpha Bishop’s heart in the other alpha’s hand as he pulls his arm back from the body, letting it fall. It hits the table with a sickening thud before sliding off to the floor, taking the table cloth with it.

“NO!” my alpha female cries, running from the room, and the three alphas let her go. The one with the heart looks at me in that moment, still holding the slightly beating heart in the air. The sounds of wolves howling and screams fill the night around me, making me more frightened than I could have been before. I make the mistake of meeting the alpha’s blue-eyed gaze, which I can only just see through his mess of dark wavy hair that looks so soft. I shouldn’t be attracted to the monster in front of me, but my body doesn’t follow those rules. Everything about the three alphas in here is desirable. It’s their nature after all, although I never found Alpha Bishop attractive. I guess that’s why he liked to beat me. Every other woman in the pack would submit to him without a thought.

“I want to keep her and so does Alaric,” Letric states while still eating, but I never break contact with the true alpha in the room. I can feel his power rippling across my skin like a heat wave that honestly makes me want to cry and run out of the room, but I won’t. The benefit of not having a wolf to shift into is that I don’t have to argue with my wolf on whether to run or not. I can just stand here, accepting that my death is coming, and I will not run from it.

“She is a good cook as well as beautiful,” Alaric comments.

“What is your name?” the alpha asks me; his voice is gravelly and deep. He also has an accent I have never heard before, meaning he isn’t from the two other packs in the alliance. I’ve served enough meals to recognize their accent. Where are these alphas from?

“Elodie,” I reply to his question straight away, not leaving a single breath between the end of his question and my answer.

“Come close, Elodie,” he demands. My whole body shakes from both fear and a nervous kind of desire as I step away from the wall. Each step towards the alpha is filled with equal parts dread and curiosity because I want to know why he wants me close. I pause a few feet away from him, and he stares down at me. “Closer.” The one word is a complete demand, and I move without question until I am stood right in front of him, feeling his breath moving the hair on the top of my head.

“What is your name?” I ask him, regretting it when I arch my head so I can look into his eyes. Alpha Bishop’s heart is right by my head, blood dripping from it onto the floor and hitting my hand that I move closer to my body. I block it all out, the blood dripping, the other alphas who I can feel staring at me, and the awful sounds from the rest of my pack who must be getting killed outside.

“Alpha,” he replies the single word like it is all I am allowed to know.

“Just Alpha?” I question and gasp as he suddenly wraps a beefy hand around my neck, holding tightly but not enough to really hurt me as he leans his face down to inches in front of mine.

“You call me Alpha. You do as I ask—without question—or I will dispose of you,” he warns me, and I don’t doubt for a second that he would kill me.

“Yes, Alpha,” I gasp, his hand tightening ever so slightly before he lets go though keeps his face close to mine. Our lips inches away.

“Now kiss me as your pack dies outside, and the blood of your former alpha drips down your pretty little dress,” he demands, and I do as I am told without a second thought. My lips press against his cold ones, and he pulls back before the kiss can really be counted as anything.

“Keep her close, Alaric. No one touches her until I say.”

“Yes, brother.”

CHAPTER 3

ELODIE

T  he screams of the pack outside haunt me as I stand next to Alaric’s chair, where Alpha told me to stay until Alaric tells me otherwise. Letric winked at me before leaving a few moments ago also, and the silence of the room is deafening as it makes the screams from outside so much more frightening.

“So, El, we best get going,” Alaric suddenly says, patting the table.

“Where?” I ask him, needing to have some idea of their pasts, plans, and where they are from. Maybe they come from over the seas, where it is said the children of the night live. Though wolves can’t live there, not without becoming prey. All my books I’ve read and the maps in them drift through my mind, and I still can’t come up with an answer.

“To our pack,” he states simply, like I should have guessed that.

“I don’t know who you are the alphas to. What pack?” I ask for a reply, and Alaric pushes his chair out, standing up and stretching out his arms above his head, revealing his tight flat stomach with ripples of muscle that somehow seem attractive to me.

“Have you heard of the Alpha Brothers? The only pack with three alphas who share the pack?” he replies, smiling when my mouth parts in shock and a little fear ripples through me as I step back on instinct. Of course I know of the pack that doesn’t have an alliance with any other pack, and now they are here to kill their neighboring pack. They tricked Alpha Bishop into thinking he could get an alliance that no one else could, and he welcomed them in, only to have them destroy everything.

“Why are you killing this pack?” I ask.

“Ah, sweet El, that is not my secret to tell,” he replies, walking up to me as I keep stepping back, and he only follows until my back hits the door, and he stops right in front of me, pressing his hard body against mine. Alaric places his hands on the door on either side of my head, leaving me no choice but to look at his face as he watches me.

“When Alpha is done with you, you are mine. I want to savour you as I stroke every part of your body. I want to make you beg, scream and plead with me for a release. I want my cock buried so far inside you that you never forget my name and who was inside of you,” he says, and I am speechless, my breathing heavy as I stare at him with what I know is desire burning throughout me. I’ve never desired anyone, but his dirty words and his lust-filled gaze make everything different with him. Alaric moves away from me, leaving me wanting more of him and fearing Alpha’s reaction if anything did happen. “See how easy it was to make you forget about the body on the floor in this room, the screams outside, and how everything is changing for you? I’m the alpha you come to for a distraction; remember that sweet El.”

“I will,” I breathlessly reply, as he is right, and I like his distraction. Alaric waves a hand through the door, and I quickly walk out and head for the open front door. When I walk outside, there is nothing but pure chaos. One side of the house is full of fighting wolves, whereas the forest and houses on the other side are on fire, with wolves running away only to get ripped apart by other wolves.

“If they submit, we let them live. The women and children usually do. We do not waste wolves’ lives, but there can be no resistance in our new pack,” Alaric explains to me just as I see Alpha in the middle of the pack square, ripping wolves apart in his human form in almost lazy motions like they are nothing more than soft toys. Every part of him is covered in blood, and from the way he moves, I know he enjoys the pain and destruction he is causing.

I should be scared, disgusted, or at least trying to run away…but instead, I stay still, watching him destroy the world.

“This way, El,” Alaric directs me, and I pull my eyes away to follow him around the pack house to the carriage pulled by three horses waiting right behind it. The carriage is round, made of black metal and red fabric that looks worn. The horses are stunning, massive with black fur. Their glowing red eyes lock on me as I walk to the carriage, and I reach out, smoothing my hand down the neck of the horse nearest me.

“How very enchanting you are. Usually, the dead horses don’t let the living touch them,” Alaric says, snapping me out of the moment, and I drop my hand. Alaric holds the door to the carriage open, letting me climb in first. He then shouts to someone to drive us away before getting in himself and shutting the door behind him. The inside is two leather benches with cushioned backs, and I sit on the one side as Alaric sits on the other. A few moments later, I hear someone climbing on the carriage, and then we are off, leaving behind my old pack. My world has changed in the blink of an eye, and I’m scared of what will be left of me when the Alpha Brothers are done.

“There are dead horses in the forest; I used to play with them as a child as no other children would play with me,” I admit to Alaric, wanting to stop the pressure I feel from his eyes staring at mine across the carriage. He leans back, crossing his arms as he stretches his legs out, and he places his leg next to mine. The simple contact makes me shiver.

“I train the dead horses in my spare time. We have over fifty of them which we can ride, and they pull our carriages. Wild dead horses are difficult to train, but perhaps you would like to help me in your new home,” he offers.

“I’d like that,” I say.

“Only if Alpha allows it though. Dead horses can easily kill wolves…he might not want his new toy damaged,” he warns.

“I’m not a toy.”

“Oh, my dear, you are. A toy that he will use until he throws you away. Though don’t worry, I will be there to look after you when he does,” Alaric says and sits back, chuckling at himself.

“I’m nothing; therefore, throwing me away is something I am used to. If this alpha thinks he can break me, he has a big fight on his hands,” I argue.

“I know he will break you, but I am interested to see how long you can keep his attention. You are so very beautiful, and that pretty mouth of yours never does seem to stop talking,” he says with a smirk and then slowly closes his eyes, looking like he is going to sleep. I glance out the window, seeing my old pack burning in the distance. My pack is gone.

CHAPTER 4

ELODIE

“Wake up, El,” Alaric’s deep, almost soothing voice drifts to my ears, waking me up. I open my eyes to see his face inches from mine, his hand on my shoulder. He is really good looking this close up.

“Did I fall asleep?” I ask, a little shocked and confused. It was a long day, but with how nervous I was and still am, there is no way I would just go to sleep. There is a blanket resting over me that has appeared out of nowhere. I try to think back to what happened. I remember Alaric giving me a drink of water after we had been riding through the forest for a long time, and the next thing I know, we are here. I sit up, feeling like everything is spinning for a moment until I notice the carriage has stopped moving.

“No, I drugged you as you needed to rest,” Alaric admits to me, though there isn’t a touch of guilt in his voice. What a complete ass he is.

“Y-You drugged me?” I question, openly glaring at him, but he just laughs and shrugs his shoulders before pushing the door to the carriage open, letting in a bright light. I hold my hand above my eyes as I climb out, waiting for my eyes to adjust to the light before seeing where we are. The smell of salt and the sounds of moving water fill my ears. The breeze blows my dress around, the breeze so strong here that it feels like it could blow me over.

“Welcome to your new pack, El. The Luxa Pack,” Alaric says as my mouth parts open at the beautiful site in front of me. We are nearly on an island, which is full of bright green trees, with a stunning beach where waves brush against the soft sand. There are wolves running around and people swimming in the sea. Everything looks so peaceful, relaxing. Where we have stopped is on a long brick bridge back to the mainland, looking like the only entrance to the island. The middle of the island is built up, and huts all lead up to a large grey stone castle that sits in the center. The castle has three towers, each of them facing a different direction.

“This place, it’s so different than anything I have ever seen,” I whisper, my voice getting lost in the breeze, and the dead horses let out a long neigh.

“As it should be. We worked hard to build our pack home,” Alaric says and waves his hand for us to go back in the carriage as he clearly only wanted to show me the island from a distance. They built all this?

“Take us to the towers,” Alaric directs the hooded man holding the horses’ reins before we get into the carriage, and he shuts the door.

“Where will I be living?” I ask him, curious about my place in this new pack. I’m not expecting much at all. “I had a small room at my pack, but I can work with any space. I once lived in the stables for a month when I upset the alpha’s mother.” Alaric narrows his eyes at me like I said something wrong, and I have no clue what it was.

“Okay, let me make something perfectly clear to you. You belong to the Alpha Brothers. All of us. We never let anyone we own live in conditions like that,” he spits out. “I hate how any wolf is treated like dirt.”

“But I’m a no claim. I don’t have a wolf,” I admit to him, though I know he’s already aware.

“And?” he questions, crossing his arms. “We do not follow the old ways here. No matter what you are, if you belong to our pack, you are someone who will be looked after.” His words are sweet, and I want to believe them so much, even if my common sense tells me that they are sweet words to get me into his bed. They have all made it clear I am some sort of game to them.

“I’ve heard rumors that no claims, even outcasts are welcomed here. That you look after them,” I say, remembering the one night Lucy told me about the famous Alpha Brothers. I don’t know if the rumors are true about their pack, but Lucy said it was all a fairytale. That no wolf in their right mind would see a no claim as an equal in their pack.

“We do. You will see, and you will be staying in our rooms. I expect Alpha will have you stay in his tonight,” he says, crossing his arms. “He always has the woman first.”

“That’s what you want me for then,” I say in disgust, because it’s clear they just want me for sex, and their poor mates must just put up with it because they are alphas. I don’t want my first time to be with someone else’s mate, but it sounds like I’m not going to have a choice. I’m just going to be a whore to them until they get what they want and leave. Lucy told me that’s what wolf men do best: leave after they catch the prize. Alaric frowns at me, like he can see what I’m thinking before he moves across the carriage and grabs my face with both his hands.

“We will have you in our beds because you are beautiful and smart. We are loyal to no one. None of us has chosen a mate. We never have, and you are not a whore for lying with us. You will be rewarded for your time with us, pleasured by our touch and treated as an equal,” he explains to me, but everything from when he said they don’t have mates seems like a blur.

“You’ve all never claimed anyone?” I ask.

“No,” he replies, his blue eyes seem desperate to tell me more before he suddenly goes cold and starts to move away.

“Wait, I have more questions,” I say, gasping as he pulls away from me and goes back to sit on the other side.

“Quiet now, we will be home soon,” he says, altogether dismissing me, and I scowl at him before crossing my arms and resting back. This pack kidnapped me; they might be pretending to welcome me, but it won’t be my home.

CHAPTER 5

ELODIE

When the carriage stops the next time, Alaric opens the door and waves me out first. The warm breeze blows against my lower dress as I look at the light outside. I climb out onto the stone ground, looking around at the large courtyard we are in. There are three big archways that lead to each tower just behind them. The main courtyard has a few barrels, a holder full of different weapons and little else. Alaric climbs out the carriage after me and closes the door before quietly talking to the hooded man. When he is done talking, he steps back as the hooded man directs the carriage around, back out the gated entrance we came in.

“Alpha Alaric! You’re back!” a woman happily shouts, and I turn to see an elderly lady walking over, stopping when she gets to us. The woman has on a grey dress with little flowers stitched into the corset part at the top. Her skin is lightly tanned, and she smells like cooked bread. Her grey hair is up in a complicated looking braid, spun into a bun. She turns and looks at me, and her eyes widen in shock. “Who is this?”

“Mary, this is Elodie. Alpha has decided she will live with us for now,” Alaric explains, and Mary smiles, coming over and slowly running her eyes over me.

“I can see why. Can she cook? Clean? Be of any use outside the bedrooms?” Mary asks Alaric, as my cheeks light up at her suggestion of why I’m here.

“I tried her cooking, it was lovely. Though she will be helping me with the dead horses during the week also,” Alaric says, and I grin. I can’t wait to help with the horses. I never had time to go back to the forest to see my old childhood friends. My old pack always kept me busy.

“Brilliant, I have needed someone to help me with you alphas for a while. I do hope Alpha keeps her around for more than one night like all the others before her,” she says, though the long sigh that escapes her lips suggests she thinks he won’t keep me around anyway.

“We will see, won’t we?” Alaric muses, his eyes drifting to me for a moment before going back to Mary. “Alpha is on his way back; he wants her in his room for when he returns. I must go and help with our new pack members. Can you take her?”

“Of course, Alpha Alaric.” Mary bows before grabbing my upper arm and pulling me towards the middle archway. I look back to see Alaric watching me go, his eyes locked on mine as every step away from him just makes me more nervous. I turn back to see where Mary is pulling me to.

“I can walk on my own, I’m not a child,” I tell Mary, trying to keep the frustration out of my voice.

“I’m glad to hear it,” Mary says, letting go of my arm and giving me a strange look. “Alpha doesn’t usually like the ones who talk back.” I don’t reply to her, knowing she might just be trying to make me more nervous than I already am. I don’t know her after all. We walk up to the double doors to the tower, which are made of dark wood with two metal handles in the middle. Mary pulls a key out and unlocks one of the doors before pushing it open, and I follow her in. The inside room is a dome, with a spiraling staircase that stretches all the way up the middle of it to the top where there is a loft room. On the other side of the stairs, there is a fireplace, a large sofa and one bookcase. The room is spotless; there is not a single book out of place.

“Light the fire for when he gets back and make yourself comfortable,” Mary commands as she opens a curtain on the only window in the room, letting in the bright sunlight from outside. We never had sunlight like this before because we always had the tall trees of the forest blocking it out. I was always in the shadows, searching for the glimpse of light that broke through trees.

“Are you leaving?” I ask Mary as she walks around me to the door and pauses at my question.

“Yes. Don’t worry, he never kills what is his. The brothers aren’t as heartless as it is rumored they are,” she says, looking back at me with a tiny bit of sympathy in her eyes. “I’ve known them since they were young wolves. They look after their own, and you can trust me.”

“So he might let me leave?” I enquire.

“No, I never said that, Elodie,” she says and walks out, slamming the door shut. I hear the key being turned only moments later, locking me in. I’ve traded one prison for another, but at least I might be able to escape this one. Maybe. I walk over to the window to look out over the views of the ocean. There is a beach just below the tower, at the bottom of a cliff. The waves look harsh as they blast onto the sand, but there are no clouds in the sky, no sign of a storm coming this way. The ocean is just angry like me, I guess, though I don’t know the entire difference between anger and fear anymore. I was born with both emotions, and they have both been my close friends for so long that they have mixed together somehow.

I look over at the fireplace and cross my arms against my chest. I’m not lighting any fire for someone that just wants to use me for sex and throw me away. I don’t want to be forced into anything. I look around the room, searching the bookcase but not picking up any of the books because they look old, priceless, and I’m not risking breaking one of them. My heart feels like it never stops pounding as I hear a key turning in the door, and I quickly turn around, walking to the middle of the room as the door opens.

My alpha is back.

CHAPTER 6

ELODIE

M y new alpha pushes the door open with his large hand, ducking under the door before pushing it closed behind him as he stands, looking me over. His very presence in the room makes me alert, it makes me nervous. Every inch of him is covered in blood like the last time I saw him killing my pack. All that blood dripping down him and dried in other areas is my old pack. The blood is in his long, black hair. On his leather clothes and serious face. On his large boots. It’s everywhere, and the metallic smell drifts over to me as I try to swallow my own fear.

I want to fear him for what he did, but my mind just feels happy that my old pack—and the bastards who treated me like a slave—are gone. They didn’t deserve to live, so why should I feel sad for their deaths? My alpha might have killed my parents today too; their blood could easily be covering him as they wouldn’t have submitted. Yet I don’t care. I am more scared of my parents and my old pack than the monster in front of me. I pull my eyes to him, just like I did when we met and find his dark eyes swirling with some emotion I don’t understand.

“Did Mary not tell you to light the fire?” he asks me, his voice gruff and deep. “It is cold.”

“She did tell me to light it for you,” I reply honestly, feeling my voice strong despite how this alpha is making me feel. He frowns before stomping over to me, stopping inches away from my face as he grabs my chin tightly.

“Why is it not lit then?” he asks, a low growl escaping his lips as his eyes burn with anger.

“It’s simple, I didn’t want to,” I reply, and he growls. Not a low growl, not a warning. This one is downright terrifying as he scares me.

“Kneel,” he demands as he lets my chin go. I know if I don’t, he will kill me. I can see it in his eyes. He wants to kill me. To get rid of the problem he invited into his home. I sink to my knees in front of him, my head only level with his upper thigh before I look up. I am not ready to die yet. I’ve fought too hard for life to die a simple death at an alpha’s hands.

“You do what I say, anything I tell you…or you will regret it,” the alpha demands. I look up from where I’m kneeling, staring into his almost stormy eyes that seem to change colour depending on his mood.

“Yes, Alpha.”

Alpha stares me down for a moment longer before he steps back and walks up the stairs.

“Follow me,” he gruffly demands, and I quickly stand up, jogging to the stairs to follow him all the way up to the top which opens up into a large bedroom with two windows that overlook the sea. There are light curtains that move in the breeze as one of the windows is open a little, and I look over as Alpha goes to the large bathtub in the room and turns on the tap. There is a gigantic bed against the wall near the open window, with red sheets perfectly folded back on the coverlet. There is a cupboard on the wall next to it, the doors closed. There is little else to the room though. Nothing personal or messy in the slightest. Either Mary is a good cleaner, or Alpha likes his own space to be clean and anything but personal.

“Sit on my bed,” my alpha demands, and I walk over as I look back at him, his eyes watching me the whole time. I sit down on the edge of the bed, smoothing out my dress just as the alpha begins pulling off his clothing like I am not even here, and I can’t stop watching. He takes his shirt off first, revealing his muscular chest that is littered with old cuts. Not that it makes him any less attractive. He throws the shirt into a basket next to the bed before pulling off his boots, lining them up neatly by the tub and then pulling his trousers and socks off. When he slips his boxers off, I look away on instinct until I hear his gravelly voice calling to me.

“Look at me, Elodie. I want you to see what you will have inside of you soon,” he demands, and like a sailor being lured into the sea by a siren, I look over at him. His seductive words calling to me. He is exquisitely handsome; every inch of his body is made of muscle and no doubt trained to be strong enough to rule a large pack. When I pull my eyes to the large, hard cock in the middle of his legs, I can’t help the words that come out of my mouth.

“That is way too big to fit inside me anywhere!” My comment makes the alpha surprisingly burst into deep, howling laughs that I can’t help but chuckle along too. His laugh is nice…really nice. He looks at me in surprise as his laugh dies off, and I almost miss hearing it. It makes him less intimidating and more…well, normal. He reaches and turns the tap off, and then climbs into the bath, showing me his muscular back, which has dozens of old scars like whip marks on it. Only outcasts or no claims are whipped, so why was he?

“Trust me, Elodie. I will make sure it fits soon,” he finally says before washing his face with water, washing the blood away and making him look more normal. For a moment, I almost forgot about the blood and where I am. “I have not laughed in such a way in many years.”

“They say laughing is good for you,” I reply, forgetting where I heard that one before.

“Do they now? I much prefer pain and loyalty. That is what is good for me,” he firmly replies, and I don’t really have an answer for that. “Come and wash my hair, Elodie.”

I know a demand hidden in a light tone when I hear one. I’ve never washed somebody’s hair before. It seems like an intimate thing to do. I slide off the bed and walk over to him, seeing his water is brown from the dirt and blood coming off his body. Alpha hands me a small bottle of shampoo, and I squeeze some into my hands before putting the bottle down on the floor. I pause for only a moment, my hands shaking from nerves before sliding them into my alpha’s hair and trying to relax. I’m surprised to feel how soft his hair is as I wash the soap in before stepping back, and he sinks his head under the water. I wipe my soapy hands on my dress before walking back to the bed, freezing in place when he gives one more command.

“Strip that dress off. Now.”

CHAPTER 7

ELODIE

“What?” I question him, needing him to repeat his demand, but I don’t turn around as I ask because I know the answer. There is no avoiding this now.

“You heard me, Elodie,” are his only words for a reply. I did promise I would do what he wanted…or I’m dead. I’ve been through a lot of pain in my past; the scars on my back will show him as much. They are almost as bad as the ones he wears. He said he likes pain—no needs it—because he thinks it’s good for him. I guess I hoped I wouldn’t be the one giving him what he needs. I swallow the knot of fear in my throat as I pull the sleeves of my dress down and slide my arms out. I undo the string lace at the one side, every string I pull out makes me more nervous and more frightened that he won’t like what he sees when the dress is off. I am not special. I am a no claim that no wolf wanted. This alpha should not want me, it doesn’t make sense. The dress falls off my body, leaving me completely naked with my back to the alpha as my deep breathing, the drip of the water from the tap, and the sea wind outside are the only sounds in the room for a long time.

“Lie on the bed,” he demands, and no part of his voice is gentle. His voice makes me move my shaking legs forward as I hear him climbing out of the water, the lavender smell of the water drifting over to me. At least it’s much better than the smell of blood. I walk over to the bed, climbing on before lying down, facing the stone ceiling and counting the bricks to distract myself from the overwhelming fear I feel getting worse. I hear my alpha drying himself with a towel, and every moment, I feel more scared until the counting cannot distract me anymore.

I nearly cry out in fear as the alpha climbs onto the bed, climbing up my body and parting my shaking legs as he holds himself over me. I feel his large cock pressing into my stomach, the hot smoothness of it actually feeling good in a strange way. His body feels warm pressed against mine, the weight of his body actually comforting in a strange way. His damp hair falls around his face, tickling the side of my head.

“You are untouched?” he asks me, the question almost softly spoken, and I can only nod for a moment until the silence becomes too much, and I have to answer.

“Y-yes,” I manage to say.

“I want your first time. I want you as mine,” he tells me, and I look up at him, shocked not only by his words but the bits of color I can see in his eyes this close up. It’s like he has the stars in his eyes, all of them swirled around so you only see lights across a dark blue background. It’s unique, much like I suspect Alpha is.

“Are you going to claim me?” I question.

“No. You have no claim, and that will never change. I never want a mate, and that will never change. I want your body, Elodie, and you will give it to me. If you fight me, if you resist, I will have you and then throw you out into the forest to be an outcast,” he tells me, and from the way he looks at me, I know he is not joking in any way. My alpha gets what he wants. Always. Or he takes it. I know that from the little time I’ve had with him.

“If I don’t resist? If I let you take me?” I say, and I bravely lift my hand to place on his chest. There is a little soft hair across his chest that feels nice under my hand, but everything else about him is hard.

“You will be in my pack, and that means you will be free. I and the other two alphas are the only ones allowed to have your body; that is your only rule. You will be given money, food and looked after here. My pack will never treat you the way your old one did. You will never be a slave to anyone again, Elodie,” he tells me everything I’ve ever wanted. I’ve never been free, and I always said to myself I would do anything to be. Yet from what he just said, I will be free but still owned by him and his brothers. That isn’t truly free, but it is better than my old life or one as an outcast with no wolf. I can’t hunt, nor do I have a clue how to find shelter. That doesn’t even include the risk of running into other outcasts that I cannot fight on my own.

“If I say yes, I have one condition,” I whisper, rubbing my thumb across his chest and feeling his muscles tighten in response.

“You may ask it. I might not give it to you, Elodie,” he says, moving our faces inches apart so I’m nervous to even ask.

“Don’t hurt me. Ever,” I whisper, and he frowns. “If you think for even a second you are going to hurt me, then you tell me to go.” There is a big pause before he firmly nods his head once.

“This first time will hurt a little, but I vow never to hurt you in any other way if you give me your body,” he tells me, moving his lips close to mine. “I will keep you safe, my pretty Elodie.”

“Then you have a deal,” I reply, the words feeling like they seal my fate, and my alpha smiles, a victory smile before he kisses me. The kisses are brutal, full of desire and lust, and I can’t help but enjoy the way he kisses me. I run my fingers into his hair, loving his soft groan against my lips before he pulls away and moves down my body. He roughly grabs one of my breasts, rubbing my nipple until it is rock hard, and I squirm on the bed from the pleasure. I gasp as he leans down, running his tongue around my nipple, and it feels incredible. I didn’t know anything could feel as good as this.

I almost protest as he moves his lips from my breast, kissing his way down my stomach before spreading my legs. I’m confused for a moment what he is going to do before he dives into my core, his tongue swirling around the nub at the top, making me cry out in overwhelming pleasure. He slides one large finger inside of me slowly, and I moan loudly at the way he controls my body. It doesn’t feel like I’m giving anything away to him in this moment. It feels like I would beg for this pleasure. A pressure builds and builds as he moves his finger in and out of me before my mouth parts on a scream, my back arching from the pleasure that blasts through my body. I don’t even notice my alpha climbing up my body, parting my legs until his hard cock presses into me. Even the tip feels like too much, like it is stretching me.

“Look at me as I make you mine,” the alpha demands, his hands resting on each side of my head as he slowly inches inside me. I cry out in pain as he hits my barrier, pushing through it and burying himself fully inside. He doesn’t move as he stares down at me, his cock making me feel full as the pain slowly disappears into a much better feeling. My alpha’s dark eyes lock with mine as he slides out and then pushes back in. This time it’s sore, but there is a blast of pleasure with every movement.

“Kiss me,” he demands, and I lean up, sliding my lips against his, and then he snaps, sliding his tongue into my mouth as he pounds in and out of me. I moan against his lips, the feeling of him inside me is incredible and overwhelming. I’ve been missing out on too much. The alpha lets out a loud roar as he comes deep inside me, setting off another blast of pleasure for me that makes me cry out. We are both breathless as he stares down at me, and I can only look back at him, in awe of this moment. He pulls out of me, which hurts, before pulling the blanket over us both and resting his head down. He goes to sleep next to me, not a care in the world, and not long after, I find myself drifting off too.

CHAPTER 8

ELODIE

I  slowly wake up, hearing the sound of running water and the smell of what I think is bacon and pancakes filling my senses. I sit up, holding the blanket close to me as I see the bed is empty, and Mary is turning off the bath water before she turns and sees me. Today, she has a white dress on that is covered in tiny little yellow and purple flowers. It really suits her. I make sure the bedsheet is pulled around me, my cheeks burning red at the look on her face as she sees I am awake. One eyebrow arches as she places her hands on her hips.

“That dress is for you. A present from Letric, and you might want to say thank you to him. Do clean up, and you have a good day. The alpha has expressed you are to sleep here tonight once again,” she simply says, before walking out the room as I see the blue dress hanging on the wall by the stairs. It’s tight at the top, extending into a long skirt at the bottom, and it’s made of a shiny, soft-looking blue material. There are little flowers embroidered into the bodice, and it is most likely the prettiest dress I’ve seen. There was nothing like this one in my old pack. We had old material, reused because no one knew how to make dresses like that anymore. I can’t believe that dress is mine.

Following the smell, I see a pile of pancakes, bacon and a glass of juice on a long wooden tray hanging over the end of the bathtub. I still move my eyes back to the bed, a strange empty feeling hurting my heart that my alpha left this morning before I woke up. He held me until I fell asleep I think, and I remember his warm breath on my cheek later on in the night. I guess I wasn’t that good at sex. Though Mary said he wants me back here tonight, so I must have been of some interest to him.

Even though I feel sore, I still smile and touch my tilted-up lips with my hand. I enjoyed last night. I thought it would be terrible like the girls in the pack whispered about when I listened in on their conversations. They said sex was painful, annoying and, if you were lucky, quick. Though there was a little pain, the pleasure was so much more that I simply forgot about it. He made me forget everything but the pleasure of the moment. I know I will never forget last night, no matter what happens from now on.

I slide out of the bed, leaving the sheet on the bed, and climb into the bath. I eat my food, enjoying every last bite because I’m so used to having pack leftovers that I can’t remember the last time I had a full meal like this. I also never leave any food behind. It’s a habit from all those years of eating next to nothing. I climb out of the bath and use one of the towels to dry myself off before hanging it over the now empty bath. I pull the new dress on, feeling that it fits me like a glove, and I’m super impressed. I run my fingers through my hair before looking at myself in the mirror. I’m surprised at how different I look. My pale cheeks have a little color to them, my eyes seem brighter somehow, and my hair is glossier. I’m sure I am just seeing things, but it is interesting to notice any changes.

My alpha said I was free…so the door should be open downstairs…right? I run down the stairs, only pausing to slide my shoes on and look over at the burning fire in the fireplace that someone has lit. I walk to the door and rest my shaky hand on the handle. This is the moment to find out if my alpha is a liar or not. I suspect not, but my heart still pounds as I turn the handle and the door opens with ease. I’m really free.

The sea air blows against every inch of my exposed skin as I step outside, the warm sun blasting against my skin as I look around. It is quiet, the distant sounds of people drifting to me as I walk down the stone path and then through the courtyard. I look at the two other towers before quickly walking out of the courtyard, down the stone path, and through the archway we came through yesterday. The path goes off in two directions, and I look down the one, seeing stables and two fields in the distance. When I look at the other path, I see it leads down the hill to the village.

My feet walk towards the village before I’ve even thought much on it, knowing I want to see the new pack I am part of. I’ve never felt safe to walk around, not ever. I’ve always run everywhere in my old pack because it was safer to get out of the way as quickly as possible, but I don’t feel scared as I walk down the path to the village. I feel relaxed and at home. Slowly, the stone houses come into view, the flowers plotted outside their windows, and the market is right in the middle of it where wolves are walking around. There are lots of wolves here, and not one of them stares at me at all as I join the crowd. It’s so strange…not a bad strange though.

I walk through the people, looking at the market stalls full of different fruit, vegetables, wooden carvings, jewelry and so many other things that it’s hard to take them all in. The stone houses have many doors, which makes me think they must be homes for the pack. The houses seem to go off in rows every four houses, with many houses behind them on each side. I walk all the way down past the market and come to a clock tower in the middle of a circle courtyard, which leads off into more houses and one main road that I can see goes to the bridge we came in on. The paths through the houses must lead to the beach somehow, somewhere I really want to see.

I walk to the clock tower, looking once at a group of men talking between themselves. They are the only ones who are stopped, and they are looking at me as they talk. I cross my arms, walking quicker to the tower so I can go behind it to disappear a little from their view when someone catches my wrist, making me stop. I try to pull my arm back as I turn to see the tallest guy of the group has my wrist caught tightly, his brown eyes watching me like a hawk.

“Now, you are a gorgeous little thing. Where have you been hiding?” he asks, pulling me closer as I use my other hand to try and pull him off me. “You smell very, very good.”

“Let me go,” I demand, and he cruelly laughs. His laugh reminds me of my old alpha’s. The laugh he did when he beat me, pulling my clothes off before beating me some more. The memory makes me freeze, and nothing I do seems to get me out of my own memories.

“You’re a no claim, new to the pack, and you’re telling me what to do?” he says, still laughing as he pulls me closer to him. I look around to see everyone has left us, and in this moment, I start to panic. In the mix of this moment, my freedom is gone, and I’m back to what I was before. A slave. Nothing. My vision blurs as he pulls me even closer, a sweat building all over my skin as he ever so gently kisses my cheek with his cold, damp lips. “I’m not—” is all he gets out before he chokes. He lets me go as I see a large hand clamped around his throat, pressing hard enough that the skin on his neck is going white. Letric’s angry, stormy eyes meet mine as I stumble back, rubbing my wrist as I finally come back from the memories. From the fear they bring at least.

“Did you say he could touch you, El?” Letric asks me, his voice like a grumble because he knows the answer, and I shake my head. “Then, my pack mate, you lose a hand for touching her,” Letric says and lets go of the man’s throat, and he speedily runs away.

“Thank you…for that…and for the dress, by the way,” I add in.

“You don’t have to thank me for anything,” Letric replies with a slight sigh, smiling at me for a moment as he runs a hand through his hair. An almost creepy look crosses over his face as his grin grows.

“W-Why are you smiling?” I ask, very curious why he seems so happy. His eyes drift to my wrist, and his expression changes so quickly. It’s a protective look I’ve seen on other wolves about their mates. I never thought I’d see anyone look at me that way.

“I love to chase and kill my prey. Today just got more fun,” he admits, and then he shifts. His whole body shakes before fur breaks out, and then it’s all so instant as he falls to the floor, transformed into a massive white wolf. The wolf looks over at me, coming closer as I hold my breath, feeling nothing but nervous. The wolf sniffs me before licking my wrist where I was hurt, and my eyes widen at the pure tender moment. His eyes twitch just before he turns and runs after the man who hurt me. You shouldn’t run from a wolf, let alone an alpha you’ve just annoyed. I guess the man really didn’t want to lose his hand and lost his mind. Now he will lose his life.

There is silence in the courtyard as I see a few curtains shift in the houses, and they all close. I know that I’m being watched, likely the most drama for this pack in a while. I wrap my arms around myself as a slightly colder breeze hits me, and I remember what I was going to do before the man grabbed me. The beach. I want to visit the beach for the first time. I follow the sound of the ocean down a row of houses, passing a few people in hoods who don’t look my way. I near the end of the houses, coming to a wooden row of steps that leads down to the beach. I smile and walk down them, pausing before actually walking on the sand and sliding my shoes off.

“Have you ever walked on sand before?” Alaric asks, making me jump as he walks to my side. I didn’t even notice he was here or that anyone was following me.

“How did you know I was here?” I ask him.

“I have a mental connection from a blood bond to my brothers. Letric told me what had happened, so I have come to check on you,” he explains to me. I thought only mates exchanged blood to make the bond. I didn’t know siblings could do that—or ever did. These alphas just seem to break all the rules, and for some reason, it just makes me more curious about them.

“I’m fine. You may leave now,” I tell him, looking back at the sea and smiling. The sea is so free, just like I want to be. It changes depending on its mood, but it is always perfectly beautiful to look at. I have read so many books that talked about the sea, but it is completely different to be here, looking over at it.

“You are so brave. No one else in this pack would tell me to bugger off the way you just did,” Alaric says, and I chuckle to my own surprise.

“I know you aren’t going to kill me, that is why, I think. I also thought we were close enough for me to talk to you without second guessing my every word. You have drugged me, I thought that made us friends. Though maybe it is because I’ve also accepted my death a long time ago. If you were to kill me, my life hasn’t been much to celebrate, so death is a blessing. I don’t want to die, but I am prepared if you do kill me. So why not say exactly what I think?” I explain to him, the breeze moving my hair around my face as I look up at his reaction.

“You are oh so fascinating, El,” Alaric murmurs, a strange look in his eyes as he stares down at me, and I answer his first question when I’m not sure what else to say.

“No, I haven’t walked on sand before,” I admit to him. “I’ve only read about the sea and the sand. I never left my pack before, you see.”

“It’s a good feeling. The sand is soft, though it can be annoying to get out of your toes,” he tells me, and I laugh as he takes his shoes off. “It took me years to like the sand once we came here.”

“Came here? Were you not born in this pack?” I ask him, and he looks out over the ocean.

“Come and sit with me, if you wish. I will tell you a story, but not one about our past. That is a story we never tell anyone.” He doesn’t wait for my answer as he walks across the sand, his hands in his pockets as the sun casts a beam of light all around him. He looks like an angel, just like the creatures that are meant to live across the sea and be more beautiful than even the sun itself. I take one step forward, sinking my foot into the incredibly soft sand. It feels like I’m taking my first step into my new life.

CHAPTER 9

ELODIE

I  follow him across the sand, loving how my feet sink into the sand with every step and the warm sun drifts across my skin. It is so serene here; there is nothing but the waves and the peacefulness of the moment. It makes me forget about everything that happened today and the fact Alaric is on the beach with me. I should be tense around one of the Alpha Brothers that I just don’t know well enough to trust, but that is not the effect they have on me. Alaric sits down, near enough to the water that the waves sometimes brush across his feet. He leans back, tilting his head to see me looking at him, and I don’t pull my eyes away from his for a moment. There is just this thing that stays in the air, both of us feeling frozen in the moment. I eventually pull my eyes away and go to sit down next to him, stretching my legs out so the waves keep hitting my feet with every movement.

“What story are you going to tell me then?” I ask Alaric after we sit silently for a little while.

“Would you like a story of war or one of life?” he asks me.

“Can’t I have both?” I ask, and he smiles before looking back over the sea.

“Both is a good story, I suppose,” he says and then glances at me before he goes to speak again. “Our land used to be united into one pack. The pack did not treat any wolves differently until one female wolf changed everything. She was the princess, heir to the pack and meant to rule as the new alpha when her father died. She had four younger, spoilt brothers who always fought between themselves. They were not respectful of wolf tradition and did whatever they wanted. Over time, the princess kept a secret—a secret that, in the end, she left our land to be with. She crossed the seas to the other land and was never seen after that. The old alpha died shortly after, his heart not being able to cope with the fact his daughter had been lured across the sea and his wayward sons would be the ones to rule. These sons fought between each other, eventually killing one of the brothers. The other three split the pack up between themselves. They went to three different areas of the land, and forever was the pack divided from that day on.” His story is haunting, and who knows if it is true.

“Is your story real?” I ask because there are three packs other than the one on this island which is a new one. I know the Luxa Pack only appeared around fifteen years ago. It was big news around the pack, even bigger when people realised they wouldn’t have an alliance with the other packs. And they had their own rules. Everyone discussed it for years as I grew up, and the other two pack leaders came to our pack to try to work out if they should attack the new pack about five years later. I don’t know what happened, but the other leaders left, and no one attacked anyone.

“Maybe,” he replies.

“Why were you murdering my old pack?” I ask him, and he tenses up ever so slightly, but I notice it.

“We believe the packs should be united under our rule. Your old pack was first, and we will attack the next one in two weeks,” he explains to me, and I’m sure I look nothing but shocked as I stare at him.

“Our pack was weak compared to the others. Or so I’ve heard,” I say, and he reaches over, tucking a little stray piece of my hair behind my ear before resting his hand on my face as he turns to face me.

“Are you worried about me, El?” he asks.

“No, don’t be so silly. I don’t even know you,” I say, shaking my head.

“Yet you are ours, and you are worried,” he says and moves even closer. “Can I kiss you, El?”

“I didn’t know alphas asked for permission,” I whisper.

“We don’t, not usually. But I want to keep you around, so I am asking. Tell me yes,” he nearly purrs, his voice deep and seductive, sending shivers all over me. He might not be asking, but he is making sure I don’t want to say no.

“I belong to you, you don’t need to ask,” I say, knowing it is true.

“You’re going to be the death of me, El,” he growls before he kisses me. The kiss is surprisingly soft, light, and I have a feeling he is taking in every little bit of how I taste as he kisses me. Alaric’s forest and almost vanilla scent is so much stronger when he holds me close to him, and I realise straight away it is comforting in an extraordinary way. Alaric pulls me onto his lap, his hands sliding to my ass and pulling me against him. I moan into his mouth when the hard bulge hidden under his trousers presses into me, and he chuckles, pulling away.

“I don’t like beach sex, El. No matter how fucking sexy you are. Sand gets fucking everywhere,” he tells me, and I can’t help but giggle.

“I never said we were going to have sex,” I reply, reaching up and running a finger over his lips.

“Alpha invited me over to his tonight. He wants to share,” he tells me as I drop my hand, wondering what I was doing and why he let me touch him like we are lovers. Like we have always known each other.

“Does he now?” I ask, my cheeks burning red at the idea of two of them doing what Alpha did to me last night. Alaric lifts me off his lap, helping me stand before lifting my hand to kiss the back of it.

“I will see you tonight, my El,” he tells me before walking away. I stand, watching him go, knowing a deep part of me wishes the sun would set soon so I can find out what it is like to be shared by two alphas.

CHAPTER 10

ELODIE

“Something smells delicious,” Letric comments, coming into the kitchen which Mary has let me take over today. I came back from the beach to find her waiting for me, insistent on me helping her prepare lunch for the alphas. The kitchen is in a basement, underneath the courtyard in the middle of the towers. The kitchen is all made of old, dark wood and wooden cabinets, with herbs hanging from all the ceilings and pans hanging off the walls. There is a large dining table on the other side of the room, where no doubt they all eat at. The room actually smells like garlic, which is mixed into the cheese pasta I have cooked for them. There is also garlic bread I made from scratch cooking in the oven, so that’s what else accounts for the smell.

“I hope you like garlic. I couldn’t ask Mary as she left me to it once I suggested to her a better way to make bread than how she was doing it. She said I was going to be too much for her to handle and she needed some fresh air,” I explain, feeling a little embarrassed.

“I remember her saying the very same thing about us all those many years ago,” he tells me, coming over to rest his chin on my shoulder, looking down at the food as his other hand goes to my waist like it belongs there. I can’t focus on anything but the feel of his hand for a long time, the warm and firm way he is holding me. I like anytime these alphas touch me, and I know feeling this way will be the end of me. “You should take her comment as a compliment.”

“I’ll remember that,” I say, clearing my throat, and I freeze, my hand pausing as I stir the pasta as Letric kisses the side of my neck, his lips brushing across my soft skin.

“Can I taste some?” he asks, his voice nothing but seductive.

“Are you talking about me or the pasta?” I ask, and I feel him grin against my neck as I let go of the spoon, only to have him spin me around. He presses me into the stove behind me, the heat from it burning my back as much as his eyes burn into mine.

“I want both, but I’m only allowed the pasta for now,” he tells me, though his eyes suggest that it’s extremely difficult for him to admit that.

“Allowed?” I question.

“Alpha hasn’t given me permission to have you. Yet,” he explains to me.

“You talk like he owns me, and I have no say in this,” I reply, being bold.

“I can smell how wet you are from me kissing your neck alone. I know I could bend you over that counter and easily slip inside of you. You want me that badly, so don’t pretend any differently,” he purrs, and I know he is right, yet I don’t say a word. “I’m going to make this harder for you, El. A punishment for you teasing me. I won’t touch you until you ask me, and I will only do exactly what you ask.” Before I can say a word in reply, he moves away from me, leaving me breathless and my skin feeling hot as he goes to the drawers.

“I will set the table. Alpha and Alaric will be here in a little bit.” Letric doesn’t say another word as I force myself to carry on cooking, searching the cupboards for bowls to put the food in. I carry the bowls to the table where Letric has set up glasses, knives and forks and even lit the two candles in the middle of the table. Alpha and Alaric walk in as soon as I set the garlic bread down, just like they sensed the food was ready. Letric brings over two glass bottles with fizzy water inside them, placing them on the table before sitting down. He pours the drinks for everyone as Alpha sits at the head of the table, locking his eyes on me as I sense Alaric sitting at the side, opposite Letric. I feel nervous seeing Alpha again. After last night, the way his eyes run over my body suggests he is thinking the same thing as I am.

“Sit opposite me, Elodie,” Alpha commands, and I do as I am asked, sitting at the table. They all immediately start using the large spoon in the pasta to serve their own food before breaking off bits of garlic bread. I hold my hands together, because no matter how hungry I am, I know better than to try and eat with the others.

“Why are you not eating? We won’t start until you do,” Alaric asks me.

“I can eat with you?” I nervously question.

“I told you you were free and equal in my pack last night before you gave me your body. You will eat with us every day like this. We have breakfast alone because we get up at different times to do our jobs. We always eat both lunch and dinner together if nothing else gets in the way. You won’t always have to cook as we can cook ourselves, and Mary likes to do her work. This is your life now. So, eat.”

I simply nod, completely lost for words before filling my plate and taking a bite of the pasta. It dawns on me that I have never eaten any of my food hot and freshly cooked before. I was always too scared to attempt to make myself a meal, and by the time I got the pack leftovers, it was always cold. The pasta tastes amazing, and a single tear runs down my cheek as we eat the food in a comfortable silence.

“How was your day?” I find myself asking them all.

“One of the dead horses has gone into labour. Though their labour can take several days, I was up early to check on her. I was hoping to collect you tomorrow morning to introduce you to the horses like we discussed,” Alaric tells me, and I smile, nodding.

“I’d love that,” I reply.

“My day was full of politics after my fun little chase. Nothing much else to speak of. I have to go back to it straight after here. I won’t invite you though, it is not something fun,” Letric explains.

“It doesn’t sound fun, but I would like to see how the pack is run one day. What about you, Alpha?” I ask.

“I killed three of your old pack that attempted to run away this morning,” he tells me, and I gulp down the pasta in my mouth.

“Why would they run?” I enquire.

“They didn’t like that they have to cook their own meals, wash their own clothes, and that you would not be their slave. They also disagreed highly on the fact we do not have betas here,” he explains to me, and I guess that it must have been one of the betas of my old pack and his mates. They were the ones I looked after the most, and they never did do anything for themselves. I used to look after their children too, and even though they were spoilt and a little rude, they are still children.

“Did they have a child?” I ask.

“Yes. I have given her to a childless couple on the island. They will look after her like their own,” Alpha tells me. “We do not waste life.”

“Thank you. The children didn’t ask for this war,” I gently reply.

“No, but that child would have been brought up to be the monster its parents were. We kill to make a change for the next generation,” Alpha replies before eating more of his food.

“And what change do you want?” I ask.

“You will see soon enough,” Alpha replies, and his tone tells me this conversation is over. We all finish eating before Alpha walks out, followed closely by Alaric, but Letric stays with me. After Letric helps me clean all of the table up, he leans against the counter, wiping his hands.

“Want to see my home?”

“Why not?” I reply. Maybe seeing his home will help me understand at least one of the Alpha Brothers a little bit more.

CHAPTER 11

ELODIE

L etric opens the door to his tower, letting me walk into the cosy room. His room is much different from my alpha’s. It’s cosy, filled with different things in every little corner. The fire is lit, making the room warm as I look around at the three bookcases on the one wall, covered in not only books but little objects as well. There is a general dark green theme in the room, making me think it must be Letric’s favourite colour. Then there is a big dark green rug, a small table with a game I don’t recognise on it and two chairs either side of it. The sofa faces the fire, with two blankets messily hanging over it. The fireplace even has little ornaments sitting on it. There is just so much to look at as Letric closes the door.

“What game is this?” I ask Letric first, walking over to the little table and touching the tiny statues. There are twelve of them on either side; all of them are different sizes and different animals made out of dark wood.

“It’s a version of chess, but the idea is to keep the alpha male and female wolf alive at all times,” Letric explains to me. I’ve never seen a game like this, and from the feel of the statues under my fingers and how worn out they are, it’s an old, well-played game.

“Just like a pack… Will you play with me?” I ask him, and he doesn’t say yes but slides into one of the seats, and I sit in the other. Letric takes his time explaining the rules to me in a way that helps me understand the game quickly. I don’t know how much time passes as we play the game together, and he beats me once before we start again.

“You’re good at this, sure you haven’t played before?” Letric asks as I take out his fox statue and place the statue next to my side.

“No, but I think it is just luck,” I reply, and he chuckles.

“I doubt it. You need to be smart to win. I used to play this game with Alpha and Alaric when we were kids,” he tells me, and I find myself more and more interested in the backstory of these alphas. They don’t make sense, neither does their pack that turned up out of nowhere. I want to understand them and why they want this war so badly. Why they want to change everything in our world.

“Who is the oldest out of you three?” I ask. I’ve guessed that Alpha is the oldest, who I still want to know the real name of. His father couldn’t have just called him Alpha. At least, I don’t think that is his real name. It feels like a pretence that hides his real name.

“Alpha is the oldest, then Alaric and then me. There are exactly two years between each of us,” he tells me, and judging from how old Alpha looks, they must all be in their twenties. It’s crazy that they have a pack already.

“Was it nice to have siblings?” I ask, not having a clue what it’s like to have a brother or sister. I didn’t even have friends I could pretend were siblings.

“Yes, because when things were bad, you had someone who had your back. Even when we were arguing, we still looked after each other,” he tells me. I watch him for a moment, wondering what it would be like to have someone there for me no matter what. Someone to care for me. I’m not fooling myself that the Alpha Brothers could ever be that for me. I know I’m a temporary woman in their lives. I know that I want a certain man in my life in the future, someone I could trust to have my back. A mate I guess, even if I am never claimed by them.

There is a bang at the door, knocking us both out of the moment, and Letric gets up, pulling the door open. Waiting outside is a man with wavy, brown hair and muscular arms. His green eyes look at me before returning to Letric. The man bows his head before lifting it and beginning to speak.

“I am sorry to have interrupted you, Alpha Letric, but there has been important news brought back from the scouts,” he explains, seeming more than nervous as his eyes flicker between Letric and me.

“Thank you for coming to me. Call the pack leaders and my brothers to a meeting in the hall,” Letric says, waiting for the man to bow in agreement before shutting the door and looking back at me as he crosses his arms, clearly thinking on something.

“You have to go, I guess,” I say, almost sad that we didn’t get to finish our game.

“Do you want to come to a pack leaders’ meeting?” he asks. “I want to spend time with you, and you have a smart little mouth at times. Maybe you could offer advice.”

“I’d like that, but I would also like to come back here to complete our game another time,” I reply, knowing that it will annoy me if we don’t.

“Tomorrow, I will ask Alpha to let you stay at mine for the night. We can have hot chocolate and finish our game before a long night,” he says, and I smile, knowing full well that I am blushing.

“I hope Alpha says yes,” I admit, standing up, and he smirks.

“You best give him a good night tonight. Though, from his thoughts alone, I am guessing that won’t be hard for you to do,” Letric suggests and laughs. “All you have to do is talk to him.”

“So, as well as talking in each other’s minds, you can hear thoughts?” I question, a little surprised that they are all so close.

“Yeah, we made the bond the day our father kicked us out his pack,” Letric admits, rubbing the back of his neck as a guilty look crosses over his face. “I shouldn’t have told you that.”

“Your secret is safe with me. I mean, who would I tell?” I reply, shrugging my shoulders. I like that he told me something personal about them all, even if he regretted doing so afterwards.

“You’re going to be trouble, El,” Letric mutters, a little grin on his lips before he opens the door and holds it for me. I walk out, waiting for him as he closes the door and comes to my side. We walk down the courtyard for a moment before he links his fingers with mine, the little show of affection peculiar to me. I don’t question why it makes my heart beat that little bit harder in my chest, but it does.

CHAPTER 12

ELODIE

T  he pack leaders’ meeting is in the clock tower I found earlier, to my surprise. I didn’t think there was even a room up here. Letric leads me up all the way to the top of dozens of stone steps. There is a large stone table, with a gap in the middle of it and dark wooden chairs surrounding the table. The stone table itself has carvings of flowers, swirls and, as I stare a little more, I see animals carved into it as well. It’s a circular stone room, with one large window that’s letting a lot of light into the room as well as displaying an amazing view of the town. The sun is slowly setting in the sky now, making it at least afternoon. Apparently, Mary is cooking the dinner for tonight after I cooked lunch, or at least that is what Letric told me she said earlier today as we walked here. We saw lots of people on the way, and it was odd how many of them respectfully bowed to Letric or stopped to chat with him. He introduced me to lots of new people, all of which didn’t seem the least bit bothered that I was a no claim. They were nice, and it is still strange to me.

“Why is your new whore here?” a man asks as soon as Letric and I begin to move about the room. The man has long, greasy black hair, and his left eye is missing, leaving only a large cut in its place. His voice is gritty and cruel as he glares my way. Letric lets go of my hand, walking straight up to the wiry man that spoke. I gasp as Letric picks him up like a toy and throws him out of the window. His screams fill our ears as the five other people in the room whisper, and Letric claps his hands together.

“It seems there is a new, suddenly open position in the pack leaders. I have decided the lovely Elodie will be taking up that position,” Letric states, crossing his arms as he watches the rest of the room to see if anyone disagrees. I run my eyes over the other leaders. Four men stand closer together. Two of them are blond, tall and imposing as they look at me. The other two have brown hair, brown eyes and kinder expressions as they look towards Letric. The last one in the room is a woman, who only seems serious as she looks at me.

“Yes, Alpha Letric,” the woman says as I rub my arms, feeling nervous as they all look at me. Did I just become a leader? Seriously? I don’t even hide the shock from my face as Letric smirks at me.

“I see our sweet El has been causing trouble already,” Alaric says, passing me and briefly stroking his fingers across my hand as he passes me. Alpha walks in after him, nodding once at me before going to sit at the table in between Alaric and where Letric has sat down. Everyone else sits, leaving a seat next to Alaric free, and I realise that is where I am meant to sit, I guess. I sit down, and the moment I do, Alpha starts speaking.

“Why have we been called here?” he asks, and the only other woman in the room puts her hand up. She has light blonde hair that is greying at the top and a serious expression as Alpha nods for her to speak.

“The scout who was watching the Ruxsan Pack came back this morning. He told us some bad news that we felt was urgent we discuss. It seems the Ruxsan Pack do not want to fight alone and have joined up with the Xan Pack. The alpha submitted to their alpha, and now they are one large pack. All of them are within the city walls,” she says, and Alpha slams his fists on the table, making it vibrate, and I nearly fall off my seat in shock.

“Fuck’s sake,” Alaric growls, whereas Letric rubs his chin, and Alpha is now completely silent. The two remaining packs, both of which are much larger than this pack, have joined together, and that will make it impossible for them to ride out and win the fight they planned in two weeks.

“We will deliberate this in a week. I need time to discuss this privately with my brothers and come up with a plan,” Alpha eventually coldly states and stands up. “The leaders are dismissed.” Everyone quickly gets up, including Letric and me, but Alaric holds my hand, stopping me from leaving with everyone else when I try to. Alaric doesn’t say a word until the room is empty and there is nothing but the sound of him pacing by the window, his shoes rustling against the dusty stone floor. His jacket flaps open from the wind that blows harshly this high up.

“Come here, El,” Alaric demands, pausing right by the massive open window that Letric threw that wolf out of. I slide out of my seat and walk over to his side, freezing at the sight of the drop below and the blood on the ground from the wolf that is no longer there. I’m pretty sure a fall from this height wouldn’t actually kill a wolf, but it would damn well hurt and take a hell of a lot of time to recover from.

“Does the view scare you?” Alaric asks, coming behind me and pushing my knees into the stone, so I am forced to half hang out of the window. My heart pounds in my chest, sweat builds on the back of my neck, and the fear of falling blurs out all my senses until I can only focus on the actual question he asked.

“I’m not scared of the view but the fear of falling instead,” I admit to him. I’ve never been that high up, not since I was about eight and a group of wolves chased me around the pack, throwing stones at me. I climbed up a tree to escape them, but I couldn’t get down. I was stuck up there for a day before I got brave enough to attempt to climb down. I got about half way down the tree before my leg scraped on a branch, and the shock made me lose my grip. I remember falling. I remember the intense pain that came with it and how it felt to crash onto the cold, hard ground. I broke my arm and leg that day, and I had to lie on the ground all night until someone found me and broke my arm and leg back into place before taking me back to my room. Lucy only came to check on me once—to make sure I hadn’t died. I healed a few days later, and I spent weeks teaching myself how to run faster so that wouldn’t happen again.

“You would heal,” he claims, pushing me further into the wall, and I grip his hands on my waist. The overwhelming fear of falling almost makes me not notice Alaric’s lips on my neck, kissing ever so tenderly. I don’t know why he is doing this, but his kisses, the way he grips my hips tightly so I am forced to feel his hard body pressed into my back and how hard he is beneath his trousers, it distracts me ever so slightly.

“Are you going to push me? Is that what you want to do?” I ask him, my voice shaky but needing to know why he is doing this. I’ve heard some people just like the thrill of situations like this. Ones that put them close to danger, but I am not one of those people. Alaric suddenly pulls away from me, and I turn to see him walking to the door, running his hands through his hair.

“I’m not a monster,” he whispers, not looking once at me, and there is so much unspoken pain in his tender words.

“I never said you were,” I reply, moving away from the window, wishing my heart would stop beating so fast. I don’t think it was just the fall that made me feel that way, I think it was him too.

“You didn’t have to say it, I can sense how frightened you are. I know you feared I would push you,” he replies, crossing his arms but again not looking back to me. Part of me wants to walk over to him, wrap my arms around his waist and tell him he isn’t the monster he so very clearly thinks he is. Another part of me just doesn’t understand or know Alaric enough to do something so foolish. I could push him too far in only a moment, and I don’t want him out of my life yet. I want more time with my alphas. An endless amount, if I am being honest with myself. The Alpha Brothers are dangerous, addictive, and I just want more.

“Do you want me to not be frightened of you?” I ask, curious.

“Yes,” he replies, and the word is so open, so inviting. I don’t get him, I really don’t, but I know what he wants in this moment. The only problem is, I’m too messed up and broken myself to be what he needs. I think we are the same on a very basic level. Two souls who are nothing but broken, looking to the other to fix them. Except that takes time, love and patience. Things I don’t think the Alpha Brothers could ever give me.

“I’ve never trusted anyone in my entire life. No one. Everyone has hurt me, used me and treated me like I am nothing. I don’t know how to trust anyone, and I fear you are still using me even now. You want my body; our alpha has promised you me. How can I trust you?” I find myself replying, though my words are so defenceless as they leave my lips that I don’t even know if I believe them myself. Alaric doesn’t reply to me, only nodding his head before he walks down the steps, leaving me alone with my thoughts and the warm wind from the window. I walk over to the window, waiting for Alaric to come out of the tower, and when he does, he looks up at me like he can sense me watching him. I see nothing but longing and pain in his expression before he shifts into a large white wolf and runs away.

CHAPTER 13

ELODIE

“Hello, Alpha,” I say after shutting the door to his tower. I thought a lot about everything during my walk back to my alpha’s from the clock tower. My life has changed so much that it feels like I’m spinning around in a circle, and I don’t know who is going to catch me when I fall. I’ve figured out the best thing I can do is try to find something to ground myself and remember not to fall for my alphas. I know they won’t catch me, and the fall would hurt so very much. I have to protect my heart and everything I want to keep of myself while I am with them.

Alpha looks up from the sofa he is sat on, a tray of what looks like hot soup and bread are on a coffee table in front of him. The fire casts dark shadows across the parts of his face his long hair doesn’t hide, and his dark eyes just watch me. Curious. Angry. Confused. I see it all, but I do not understand why he feels any of them for me.

“Alaric will join us shortly. Your words upset him,” he tells me. Ah, the overprotective brother. Their relationship confuses me the most. They are so loyal to each other, even with Alpha in charge.

“I didn’t mean to upset him,” I honestly say.

“I understand you far more than you would know, Elodie. I understand never wanting to trust anyone when your life has been nothing but one of a worthless slave’s,” he tells me, much to my surprise.

“How could you know that?” I ask, confused as he waves a hand at the seat right next to him on the sofa.

“Come and eat with me. I want to tell you something about us,” he says, and I have the feeling it is a big thing that he wants to tell me anything about himself. I quickly make my way over, sliding off my shoes by the back of the sofa before walking around and sitting next to him. Alpha shocks me by pouring me a glass of red sparking liquid and handing me a roll of bread before getting the same for himself. I’m not used to anyone doing anything for me, let alone serving me, so I don’t know how to accept this moment for what it is. I stay quiet, drinking the fizzy red drink that tastes sweet and eating the bread before Alpha decides to begin speaking.

“We don’t have mates. You know this and what it means,” he finally admits, casting his dark, coal like eyes on me.

“Were all three of you no claims?” I ask since that is the only conclusion I have managed to come up with. I’ve never heard of an alpha being a no claim or of a no claim who can shift into a wolf form. These three are a complete mystery to me—one I want to find out. If they can shift into their wolves, then maybe there is the slight chance I could too one day. Lucy used to tell me it was simply impossible. That if you don’t shift between the ages of five and ten, then you will never shift.

“Yes, we were no claims. We never found mates, and our father didn’t want us around much longer after he figured out we wouldn’t choose a mate. Or no female was of interest to any of us. I was eight when our father tried to kill me and my brothers. We all shifted, even Letric who was only four. We ran and kept running until we got to the sea, and we had to swim to escape the pack chasing us. That’s when we found this island,” Alpha tells me, and I try not to show how sorry I feel for him in my expression as he looks at me. I can see he knows it.

“Alpha…I’m sorry,” is all I can think to say, and I place my glass and half the roll back on the tray as Alpha stares at the fire. “We were nothing, worthless to everyone, so we decided to fight and make ourselves more. We decided we are not worthless, and we decided to get revenge, to change the world that made us the monsters you now don’t trust.”

“I never said I don’t trust you or Alaric or Letric. I said I don’t know how to trust anyone,” I admit, and Alpha almost smiles as I reach for his hand and hold it tightly. I don’t think Alpha is a monster, not deep down in his soul. There is good in him, I can sense it.

“You are so very like me, sweet Elodie,” Alpha says and reaches over, pulling me by my waist onto his lap. Alpha doesn’t make a move to kiss me, he just slides his hands very slowly up and down my back, the movement making me shiver as I stare into his eyes.

“Is that a bad thing?” I ask, my voice quiet, but I know he can hear me.

“No. I am strong, and nothing can hurt me. No one can hurt me,” he tells me, but I suspect he is lying. I don’t know why, but I think he is. I don’t reply to him, but instead I move closer, pressing my lips to his just to remind myself what he tastes like. Alpha groans against my lips, pulling my hips closer as he deepens the kiss in a way that makes me very quickly want nothing more than to repeat last night. Alpha grabs my dress, ripping the bodice open as his large hands grab my breast, teasing my nipples with every squeeze as Alpha never breaks the kiss. I reach down, pushing my dress out of the way, undoing his trousers’ belt, and freeing his long, hard erection. He groans when I rub my hand down it, and I love the slight bit of control I have over him in this moment. Alpha doesn’t wait long before he pulls my hand away and lifts my hips, lining his cock up at my entrance.

“Fuck me how you want, sweet Elodie. Show me how naughty you can be,” Alpha says, his dirty words sending desire all through my body as I slowly inch myself down on his cock, letting him fill me up until our hips meet. There is a slight burn, but the pleasure and the way Alpha looks at me with his dark eyes soon make me forget all about it. I roll my hips, noticing how Alpha throws his head back, and a low growl escapes his lips. He likes that. I place my hands on his chest and roll my hips again. Every time I do it, it hits a spot inside me that gets me close to the overwhelming pleasure. Suddenly, the tower door opens and I freeze, Alpha’s hands tightening on my hips as Alaric comes in the room and pauses before he shuts the door. The cold breeze blows against my nipples, making them somewhat harder than they were before.

“Don’t mind me. Can I join?” Alaric asks.

“Yes,” I find myself saying before Alpha can say a word then bringing my gaze back to Alpha, who smirks before grabbing my hips and rolling them once more. I gasp as Alaric comes right behind us and pulls my dress completely off me, leaving me naked and pressed between them both. Alpha thrusts in and out of me as Alaric kneels behind me, his hand going to my breast, rubbing my nipple. I throw my head back on his shoulder, and his other hand slides down my flat stomach before finding my slit, and his fingers start rubbing circles on my clit. I cry out only moments later, unable to stop the explosion of pleasure that shoots through my body. Alpha roars loudly as he thrusts a few more times and finishes deep inside me. I gasp as Alpha lifts me off his lap, laying me down on the sofa and looking at his brother as he stands.

“I want to watch you fuck her,” Alpha says, his words making my eyes widen as I imagine Alaric inside of me. I want that. Alaric strips all his clothes off slowly before sliding over me, his cock resting at my entrance as I widen my legs for him.

“You can tell me to leave, and I will,” he grumbles.

“But I don’t want that,” I admit, and he keeps his eyes locked on mine as he very slowly pushes himself inside of me. He feels amazing, perfect, and I shiver from the pleasure. Alaric grabs my face, kissing me hard as he thrusts in and out of me, every thrust of his cock sending me closer and closer to the edge. His tongue swirls against mine, his hands grab my breasts as his cock fills me, and I cry out as a shocking orgasm ripples through me. Alaric growls loudly before I feel him finish inside me, his whole body shaking for a moment as he moves his lips from mine. “Fucking hell. You are different. So perfectly different.”

“Here,” Alpha offers me a blanket, and I tuck it around myself.

“I think we might need to get you a new dress,” Alaric says, pulling me into his lap as Alpha pulls on his trousers.

“I will buy you one tomorrow,” Alpha comments.

“So, I will have to stay naked all night?” I ask, and Alaric laughs.

“I’m pretty sure we can come up with something to do to make sure you don’t get cold,” Alaric whispers into my ear.

“I have the perfect idea.”

I smile at Alpha’s words just as he walks over to me.

CHAPTER 14

ELODIE

“G ood morning, Mary,” I say, stretching my arms out before I sit up in the empty bed, smelling another cooked breakfast and hearing the bath running in the room. Mary turns the water off as she looks over at me and sighs.

“As you are clearly staying for more than one night, I think we should have a little talk before you go about your daily activities with Alpha Alaric today,” she tells me, and I nod, happy that I’m spending the day with Alaric, not so much that Mary wants to talk to me about god knows what.

“I’d like that,” I say, and she nods before walking out of the room, and then I spot the red dress hanging on the hook by the door. It’s a long, dark red dress with black flower patterns around the bodice of it. Again, the dress is beautiful, and I don’t know how I will ever thank the Alpha Brothers for that gift. Or the dress they ripped off me yesterday. My mind drifts back to last night and all the things they did to me, the pleasure that never stopped all night. I lost count of how many times they were inside me, making me lose my mind in pleasure before I fell asleep with them in the early hours.

I am kind of sad they weren’t here when I woke up, but then the sun looks high in the air, so I bet I have slept for a lot longer than I thought I did. I sink into the bath, seeing there are green herbs instead of roses floating in the water like yesterday. They give off a minty and refreshing scent that I’ve never smelt before, and I actually really love it. I rest back for a little while, relaxing in the water before noticing that I should eat the food rather than relaxing in the bath for too long.

On my plate this morning are two eggs, bacon and a sausage. All of it looks amazing, and I literally can’t believe my life right now. I don’t even know how I got lucky enough to get to this point, and it feels like life just couldn’t get better. I eat all the food before washing my hair and getting out of the bath. I take my time drying my hair and brushing it with a hairbrush I find on Alpha’s chest of drawers that wasn’t there before. It makes me think he bought it for me. I brush all my hair out and dry myself off before putting the dress on, which pushes my breasts up until they look like they are going to fall out of the bodice. Ah well, I’m sure they won’t. I run down the stairs to find Mary sat on the sofa, looking at the fire. The sofa makes me blush just remembering what we did on it last night until Alpha carried me upstairs with Alaric following.

“Do not fall in love with the brothers, Elodie,” Mary warns, standing up and turning to face me. “Many girls like you have fallen for them, only to be hurt in the long run.”

“So, they have kept lots of girls like they do me?” I ask, knowing it will hurt for her to tell me the answer.

“No, not like you. I did not lie when I said the Alpha only keeps women around for one night. I don’t know why they have kept you for longer, but I do not wish to see someone like you hurt more than you need to be.”

“I won’t love them,” I firmly reply. I am not that stupid. I know what I am to them.

“Good. You will eventually become a shadow in their minds that they do not want around. I will find you somewhere to live in the pack, a good, safe home. You will find a good wolf to settle down with. To eventually have children with and be happy,” she says like she has it all figured out, which I have no doubt she does by this point. I bet she planned my entire life out from the moment she met me, only to be confused why I am still here.

“Aren’t the Alpha Brothers good wolves?” I ask, crossing my arms.

“No. They are not, and do not forget it. They are cruel, brutal and kill without hesitation. They are not good wolves. They are wolves who will do anything, sacrifice anything to become alphas of this world and fix the world order,” she says, and I know it is true. What Alpha told me of their childhoods, it makes sense that they will do anything to fix the world to make sure it never happens to anyone else.

“Even me.” I whisper. “That’s what you mean, isn’t it? You think if I fall for them, they won’t blink about getting rid of me if I become too much of a distraction from the war.”

“Exactly,” she says and crosses her arms. “I am the constant in their lives because I am not distracting and have always been there, so they do not notice me.”

“When did you meet them?” I ask, guessing it has been a long time.

“I was thrown out of my pack because I interfered with the beating of a child. They beat me instead until I could not see my skin under the bruises and blood, and then left me on the beach. I swam across to the island when it was clear I was in more danger with outcasts than I was of my old pack finding me. No one lived on the island, so it seemed a good idea. When I got to the island, I found the Alpha Brothers. Alpha was ten and Alaric eight. Poor Letric was only six, but they never needed me. They had made a home, and they let me in. I repay the debt by looking after them for the rest of my life,” she tells me.

“Alpha told me that they came to the island to escape,” I say, understanding their past all the more now.

“They were running just like me. Hiding from the monsters of the world we live in. I helped them make better shelter in the ruins of the old town, and then over time, I brought them up. They built the town on their own at the start, then slowly they took outcasts in, and it became the town it is now. Their pack is full of people who never had a pack, those who ran from the packs because they didn’t fit in or follow the barbaric rules. This pack is worth fighting for,” she says. “Nothing can get in the way. Even love, my dear.”

“The pack is free and happy. I understand why,” I reply, and she nods.

“So, you understand why nothing must come between them and finishing their war. The world needs a new order, and the Alpha Brothers will bring about that order with blood and war. It is the only way,” she explains to me.

“I get it,” I reply, and she nods before walking to the door and pulling it open. “Alaric is waiting with two horses in the courtyard for you. You should go,” she tells me, and I nod, sliding my shoes on before walking past her to the door.

“Thank you for helping them as children, and I am sorry your old pack kicked you out. They made a mistake, because I think you were, and are, brave and wise,” I say, not waiting for her reaction before walking out the door and going to find Alaric. Mary may be wrong about some things, but she is right about others. Falling in love with the Alpha Brothers could be the end of me.

CHAPTER 15

ELODIE

I  relax my arms to my side as I see Alaric in the courtyard, two dead horses standing at his side, and he is holding the reins to them. They say the dead horses are born in death and normal horses are born in life, though I’ve never actually seen how a horse is born in death. I want to ask Alaric about the pregnant horse later on. If they are born, then they are alive, right? The horses are pure black with long hair just about hiding their eyes from me, and they are so tall, so much that I am curious how I am going to climb up onto one of their backs.

I step closer, placing my hand on one of the horses’ neck as I smile at Alaric who steps closer to me. He doesn’t say hello or anything at all as his one hand slides into my hair, and he pulls me into a kiss. A small moan escapes me as I enjoy the hot, demanding kiss until he breaks away from me and grins. I run my eyes over his black shirt that stretches across his muscular build, his even tighter trousers made for horse riding, and how his sleeves are rolled up, showing off his tanned skin. As I look at my own skin, I see I have a tan already even after only being out here a little time. Everything from his vanilla scent I can now smell to his powerful appearance draws you in. It is apparently a born alpha thing.

Alphas are meant to be seductive, smart, and draw attention, no matter what they do. Usually alpha children are the next alpha, but anyone with an alpha wolf could challenge an alpha of a pack and kill them, then becoming the pack’s alpha. The rules are tricky. My old pack should have submitted to Alpha when he killed Alpha Bishop, but because he didn’t claim the pack and attacked them instead, they fought back. I clear my throat, wondering why my thoughts went off track for a moment then.

“Morning, my sweet El. Are you ready for a horse ride? I want to show you the beaches of the island,” he tells me, offering me the reins of the horse on my right. The one I touched when I stepped closer. I look up at the horse, knowing that he must trust me to let me touch him. It took months to befriend the dead horses around my pack, when they would run from anyone else. Trust has to be earnt, and it is important never to break it.

“Morning, and yes, I’m really looking forward to this,” I admit, and he smiles, walking back and nodding his head up as he pets the side of my horse’s neck.

“Good, now I’m going to lift you up on Darkness. Don’t worry, he is one of the laid back horses of the bunch. Derek over there is the wild one,” he says, and Derek lets out a little huff like he can understand what we said, and it makes me chuckle. “You ready?” Alaric asks with a grin, and I step closer, turning my back to him, and he grabs my waist. Like I am a weightless child, he lifts me into the air, and I swing my leg over the saddle before pulling myself on as Alaric lets me go. I get comfy, pulling the reins closer into my lap as I watch Alaric walk back and then run, jumping at the last second and seamlessly sliding onto Derek’s back. I pat Darkness’s mane as Alaric sorts his reins out and gets settled.

“Impressive,” I admit, and he grins, before making a ticking noise and directing his horse forward. I do the same, squeezing my legs around the horse as he moves to follow Alaric out of the courtyard and towards the town. Alaric guides us into the town, taking a left in the middle of the market and past a long row of houses until we get to the beach.

“Time to really ride, sweet El,” Alaric calls before he digs his heels into the horse’s sides, and his horse races down the beach.

“We can beat them, don’t you think?” I purr to my horse before copying Alaric’s movement, and my horse races off. I laugh as the salty wind whips my hair around as we catch up to Alaric and overtake him, racing off down the beach. My horse goes to the right a little so he is running in the water, the warm water splashing up my legs as we go faster. There is nothing like this in the entire world. The free feeling of riding a horse, the knowledge that you are truly free. We eventually stop when we come to the bridge, and I slow my horse down before waiting for Alaric to stop next to me. He climbs off and comes over to me, his wide grin matching my own. It’s strange how something like riding can just make you feel so much better.

“You ride the dead horses like you were born to do so,” he tells me as I slide my legs to one side, and he grips my hips as I jump down into his arms. He holds me close to him, making sure my feet don’t touch the sand. Chuckling, I wrap my legs around his waist, keeping my hands on his shoulders. His hands hold my ass tightly as he walks us to the water.

“So do you. It’s clear you love riding,” I reply, and he nods while walking us into the water.

“Though I do not like being beaten. I think it’s time you had a little punishment now,” he teases as we get farther into the water. The waves push against his legs as he walks us in, though he doesn’t seem to notice as he looks at me only.

“If your punishment is to drop me in the water, I think you’ll find I don’t mind that. The water is warm, and I can swim,” I reply, raising an eyebrow at him, and he laughs.

“Who taught you to swim?” he asks.

“I taught myself. There was a lake in the forest, and I got bored as a kid. The dead horses weren’t always around, so I taught myself to swim, how to make a fire, and just lots of other things. Though tree climbing was always one of the things I was bad at,” I explain to him.

“I’m impressed. I taught myself the same things. So did Alpha and Letric. We had to learn quickly as kids on this island alone,” he tells me.

“How did you eat?” I ask, curious how they managed to survive alone on an island. I’ve heard the outcasts hunt in the forest for food like many of the pack do. The forest is full of deer and rabbits. Everything else, they grow, though this island doesn’t look like it has a lot of land to grow things.

“The fish. Let me show you how we learnt to hunt, and then I will punish you tomorrow night when you are staying at mine,” he says, and before I question why I am not staying at Alpha’s or where I will be tonight, Alaric drops me into the sea. I fall backwards, getting soaked before I kneel forward and glare at his back as he walks to the beach.

“Don’t worry. The bridge is closed due to the war, and no one comes here. We are alone.” I stand up and look around, seeing that we are alone before undoing my dress. I walk back to the horses and throw my dress over my horse’s back just as Alaric comes back with a long stick. Both ends are extremely sharp, and he has taken all his clothes off, so he is now only wearing shorts that tightly stick to his body, showing me how happy he is to see me. His eyes stay fixed on me for a long time, and I wonder if he is going to kiss me, but he shakes his head and rubs his hands with his face.

“Come on,” he says, holding out his hand, and I slide my hand into his as we run back into the water. We walk against the waves until we get deep enough for the water to settle a little, and we start swimming. This water is a lot different to swim in than the water of the lake, plus it is warm, not very cold like the lake always was. Luckily, my old pack was nearer the ocean than the Xan Pack who live up in the very top of the mountains where it is said to always snow, and their water is frozen solid.

“Can you swim underwater for a moment, just to watch?” Alaric asks once we get far out, and I nod, knowing I can do that. The water is so clear here that it will be easy to see with the bright sunlight as well. Alaric grins before diving under the water. I take a deep breath and dive in, ignoring the way the salt water burns my eyes as I adjust to it.

There are lots of different size fish swimming around us, and the ones in the distance look a lot bigger. All the different colours of them look amazing as they reflect from the water and the sun above. I watch as Alaric straightens up in the water. He lifts the long stick over his shoulder and waits. Just as I think I need to swim back up for air, he throws the stick over his shoulder, and it slams into the stomach of a large silver fish. The fish floats up with the stick as I swim out, gasping for air, and Alaric appears above the water a little bit later. He swims to get the stick and comes back to me as I float.

“That is seriously impressive. You taught yourselves how to do that?” I question, and he nods, wiping a hand through his wet hair.

“Do you want to learn? I know fishing is a bit boring—”

“I’d love to learn,” I interrupt, and he smiles, before swimming closer and kissing me lightly.

“I’m going to put this fish in the satchel, and I will be right back to show you how to do it,” he explains to me.

“Okay,” I say, smiling as he looks at me strangely for a moment before letting go and swimming away. I lie on my back in the water, looking up at the bridge and frowning in shock when I think I see someone on it. I sink back in the water, hiding my body as I search the place where I thought I saw someone and not seeing anyone again. Why would someone be in the middle of the bridge watching us?

CHAPTER 16

ELODIE

“Here you go, Mary,” I say as I hand over the eight fish tied with some string at the top as she holds her nose from the fish smell and takes them from me. Alaric had to leave to sort out a pack issue with Alpha, so I thought I’d come to the kitchen and start cooking the meal for tonight.

“This will make a lovely dinner tonight,” Mary says then raises her eyebrows at me. “Have you been fishing all day with Alpha Alaric?” she asks as she walks off to the kitchen to put the fish on the counter. I follow her over and pull one of the fish in front of me. Grabbing a knife, I start cutting it while answering her.

“Yes. Alaric packed us lunch as well, and he taught me how to fish. How was your day?” I ask, and she mutters something under her breath before answering me.

“I had a fine day. I collected more herbs from the garden. Did you catch one of the fishes?” she asks as we gut the fish.

“Err no. I need a lot more practice. I’ve learnt my upper arm strength is nowhere near Alaric’s,” I say, and she laughs with me. We don’t say much more as we finish sorting out the fish, and we cut up a dozen potatoes before Letric walks down into the kitchen. Letric has on a white shirt tucked into tight black trousers.

“My two favourite girls,” he says, kissing the side of Mary’s head, and she shoos him away as he comes over to me. “Can I steal the lovely Elodie from you, Mary?” he asks as he wraps an arm around my waist and pulls me to his side. I can’t help but smile up at him, and when I look over at Mary, she nods with a sad look in her eyes.

“Yes, go on. I will bring you dinner later on,” she replies.

“Great! We will be back at the tower in about an hour,” Letric says and leads me out of the kitchen and up the stone steps.

“Where are we going then?” I ask him, and he grins down at me.

“There is a party in the town to celebrate a mating. There will be dancing, and I want to dance with you, Elodie,” he tells me. It makes me remember all the parties in my old pack and how I was never invited to any of them. I used to cook the food, help with the alpha female’s and beta females’ hair, and then I would watch out of a window as they all had fun.

“I can’t dance. I’ve never danced with anyone actually,” I reply, and he shakes his head.

“I don’t care if you step on my toes or knock me over. We are still doing it,” he tells me, and he laughs at the look on my face as we get outside. “Come on, I’m trying to be romantic and all that.”

“Why on earth would you want to be romantic with me?” I ask, and he glowers.

“I like you, El. Isn’t that clear?” he asks.

“It’s clear I’m temporary in your lives. Mary explained it all to me, and I get it. I really do,” I admit, even though I know I’m getting addicted to my time spent with the brothers. I can’t imagine my life without them now, and I know I need to start thinking of a future in the pack and just seeing them around.

“Maybe not all of us want you to be temporary,” he quietly tells me as we walk down the path. I look up at him, wanting him to expand on what he just suggested, but he shakes his head. “I have a better idea. Why don’t we just live for now and worry about everything else later on?”

“I can try that,” I say, knowing it is what he wants.

“Okay, so this is a date, and I’m taking you dancing,” Letric says, and I chuckle as he links our hands as we get into the village. All the stalls are lit up with little candles, bright flowers tied together on strings, and all of the people walking around the market look happy, talking amongst themselves and laughing. There is music in the distance, and Letric leads me through the crowds of people to the clock tower where there is a large band playing different instruments as a woman sings in front of them. Letric grins and pulls me into the couples and people dancing to the music. I laugh as he spins me around, pulling me against his chest as I wrap my arms around his shoulders. I try to keep up with Letric, but even as he leads me, I trip on his feet a little, and somehow, he manages to whisk me around so no one notices. I find myself relaxing more and more as the beautiful music plays, and I relax to the song.

“Lodie! Lodie!” I hear my name called by a familiar, little voice, and Letric lets me go to turn around as I see who called me.

“Annie!” I say, holding my arms out as the little girl throws herself into them, and I lift her up. Annie was a little girl who was the daughter of one of the betas, but her mother died in labour, and her father didn’t want much to do with her. She was mainly passed around the pack, and I looked after her quite a lot. It’s clear someone has been caring for her, likely much better than she was before, by the looks of the little white bows plaited into her blonde hair and her stunning pink dress. She looks happy.

“Who is this?” Letric asks just as a woman runs over, her eyes widening as she sees me holding Annie and then Letric.

“I’m Annie, Lodie’s best friend,” Annie proudly says, holding out a hand for Letric to shake. Letric shakes her little hand and bows to her, making me smile.

“It’s good to meet you, Miss Annie,” he says, making her giggle.

“I’m so sorry, Alpha Letric and Leader Elodie,” the woman says, and I shake my head. “Our daughter ran off while I was getting her a drink.”

“It’s okay. Annie was from my old pack, and we were friends. Are you two dancing to the beautiful music here?” I ask Annie, and she nods. Her new mother smiles at me, looking relieved.

“Yes, but you sing better. I miss your songs that helped me sleep,” Annie says with a dramatic sigh, and Letric grins at me as I put the little girl down.

“I’m sure your new parents can sing to you whenever you ask. I hope we can see each other again sometime,” I tell her.

“Me too! We could make sandcastles on the beach!” she exclaims, walking to the woman’s side and taking her hand. “Bye!”

“Bye, Annie!” I reply before turning back to Letric.

“So, you can sing?” His sensual lips curl mischievously. “You didn’t tell me that.”

“I can sing a little,” I reply, and my eyes widen as he takes my hand before leading me through the people to the woman in front of the band. Her song just finishes when we stop in front of her.

“Alpha Letric, how are you?” the woman asks, letting their band carry on playing a song behind her.

“Good, Peria. My friend, Elodie, can sing,” he says, dropping me right in it.

“Oh, you must sing for us then, Elodie!” Peria states, looking overly excited. “Do you know a song you want to sing?”

“I don’t know…” I mutter, crossing my arms.

“You can do this. Do it for me, sweet El,” Letric asks, and I bite my lip, before taking a deep breath.

“I know the Claim of Wolves song,” I admit, and Peria grins before whispering to the band who stop their music. The woman offers me her hand and pulls me onto the little stage before we both look at all the people staring at us. Letric steps back into the line and crosses his arms, giving me a nod.

“The lovely Leader Elodie is going to sing for us tonight,” Peria loudly declares, and everyone expectantly waits as the woman steps down while the soft, haunting melody of my favourite song starts playing. I close my eyes as the song leaves my lips, and I sway to the music, hearing my voice echo as the wind carries it around.

“When the wolves stake a claim,

Oh, the joys it can bring.

The claim is near. The claim is gone.

Oh, when the wolves stake a claim.

The girl with no claim sings along.

The girl who grows to a wolf with no song, but oh she loves to sing along.

When the wolves stake a claim.

Oh, the wolves will claim…

The claim of the damned, the claim of the lost.

A claim that follows the old song…

Oh, when the wolves stake a claim,

What hearts it can break…when the wolves stake a claim.”

My song echoes around the crowd, and as I sing the last note, my eyes lock onto Letric as he walks to me. As the music drifts off and the crowd cheers, Letric steps in front of me and kisses me. For only a moment, I feel like a wolf who was just claimed.

CHAPTER 17

ELODIE

I  laugh as Letric opens the door to his tower, and we go in, seeing the fire is lit and there is food on the coffee table, covered with metal lids. The smell is amazing, and the room is lovely and warm compared to outside now. I ended up singing three more songs after the first as Annie danced with Letric. Letric danced some more with me when Peria took over as the sun set in the sky around us. It was a fun night, one I know I will never forget.

“So that guy never dances? Ever?” I question Letric as he shuts the door, still chuckling about the story of how my songs I sang made one of the grumpiest wolves in the pack decide to dance with his mate.

“Never. Seems I’m not the only one that finds you enchanting, Elodie,” he teases, and I chuckle.

“I’m not enchanting, Letric,” I reply. I don’t get why they all seem to think I am so enchanting when my old pack saw me as nothing more than a shadow to do their bidding.

“Yeah, you are,” he says, walking over to me, and my laugh dies off when the mood changes in a moment. The tension builds as Letric stops right in front of me before gently sliding his hand down my arm. “I broke my promise tonight.”

“What promise?” I ask, watching how he runs his eyes over me, taking in every part of me. From my fast beating heart I know he can hear, to the way he makes me feel that tiny bit nervous. Yet I don’t want to hide myself from Letric. I know I never do.

“I told you I would not touch you until you asked me, but I kissed you tonight because I couldn’t think of doing anything but kiss you,” he admits to me. “I had to kiss you. I had to be close to you.”

“Then don’t ask. I don’t want that,” I admit, biting my lip as I step closer and place my hands on his shirt. I slowly slide to the buttons in the middle and start undoing them one by one, the tiny sound feels like they echo in the room from the tense silence.

“Tell me what you want, Elodie,” he asks me. His deep, gravelly voice is so different from any way I’ve heard him speak to me before.

“I want you to take me to your room,” I bravely reply, and he grins before taking one of my hands in his, linking our fingers as he walks us up the stairs and to a door. Letric pushes it open, pulling me inside before shutting the door. I look around his bedroom briefly, seeing his bed is gigantic in the middle of the room, taking up most of the space, with a large cream rug under it that matches the cream sheets. There are three large windows overlooking the sea, and they don’t have curtains on them, letting the moonlight shine into the room and light it up. There are two more doors in the room that are closed, and two bookcases are on one wall, with a mirror between them. A dressing table is next to the door we came in, covered in little shells, crystals, and other small things. Some of them even look carved into little animals.

“Now what do you want Elodie?” Letric asks as I look back at him.

“Show me exactly what you want to do to me. What you are thinking. I want you to show me what it is like to be with Alpha Letric for a night,” I say, watching his reactions like a play.

“You might regret asking for that. I’m not like my other brothers who prefer to rush to the end prize,” he says, slowly walking around me. Every time his skin brushes mine it makes me shiver.

“How do you know they rush with me?” I ask.

“They project their thoughts quite clearly when they are with you. I am not guessing anything,” he whispers to me, stopping right behind me and resting his hands on my shoulders. He slowly pushes my dress down as he continues talking. “You might not know it, Elodie, but you are something different to us all. We have never been enchanted by anyone for more than one night.” I don’t reply to him as my dress falls to the floor, and I turn around, stepping out of it. Letric looks down at me as I press my body against his and place my hands on his chest. I slowly push his shirt off his shoulders, before sliding my hands across the smooth muscles of his shoulders and down his chest to his stomach. I lean closer and kiss his chest before kissing a little higher each time until I get to his neck and feel him shiver as I kiss a certain part.

I gasp as Letric slides his hand into my hair and almost roughly pulls my head back, so I am face to face with him. He kisses me in an unexpectedly harsh, brutal and unyielding way. It’s delicious, intoxicating, and I never want him to stop. Letric walks us back until he pulls me onto the bed, rolling himself on top of me, and I part my legs for him before he pulls back. Letric stares down at me for a moment.

“I get it. I understand it completely now,” he says, but before I can ask what he means, he is kissing me again and pressing his body into mine in a way that makes me forget any words. Letric moves his lips from mine, taking his time to kiss down my neck and to my chest. He spends a long time teasing me with just my nipples, flicking his tongue over each one and learning what makes me moan louder, I suspect. Letric moves off me to lie at my side, his one hand on my breast as his other goes straight between my legs, and he slides a finger inside me. I reach over and undo his trousers as quickly as I can as he moves his finger in and out of me, the pleasure overwhelming. I finally free his erection and take it into my hand, rubbing my hand up and down his cock and enjoying the sounds that escape his lips as he presses his head into my neck.

“Dammit. I can’t wait,” Letric suddenly says and removes his hand, flipping me onto my stomach. I go onto my knees as he pulls my hips back, lining himself up in a position I haven’t done before. I cry out as he slides inside me, filling me up and feeling incredible. Letric holds onto my hips tightly as he slams in and out of me, every slam drawing me close to the edge. I love this position—or Letric’s cock, I’m not sure which, but damn I want to do this all night. I cry out as he slams harder and I tip over the edge, riding out my orgasm as I scream his name. Letric growls loudly as he comes deep inside me a few thrusts later, and it feels incredible. I fall to the bed, breathing heavily with him as he falls next to me and pulls me into his arms. I rest my head on his chest, hearing his loud heartbeat under my ear, and a strange warm feeling spreads in my heart.

“You are trouble, El. So much trouble, and I tell you what,” he whispers to me.

“What?” I whisper back, looking up to see him staring down at me as he talks.

“Don’t ever stop. I like a little trouble in my life. So do my brothers.”

CHAPTER 18

ELODIE

“I ’m no good at this!” I frustratedly exclaim, lowering my bow after another one of my arrows misses my target all together, hitting the bush behind it instead. That damn bush must be full of arrows at this point. Letric had this smart idea that I should learn how to use some weapons, especially because I cannot shift. I look over at him as he pulls his own arrow back on his bow, seeing the way his muscles strain and his eyes narrow as he aims. He lets the arrow go, and it powerfully shoots off. I look over to see the arrow land dead in the center of his target, just like his four arrows around it did.

“It takes time to learn control. Why don’t we try some basic defensive training?” he asks, coming over and taking my bow out of my hands.

“At this point, it may be our only hope,” I overdramatically say, and he laughs as he clips the bows back on the metal holders before sliding his hand in mine. We walk out of the large room full of targets, through two doors, and down a hall until we get to a smaller room. This one has mats on the floor and white walls. The door slides shut behind us as Letric slowly peels his shirt off his body, and I gulp at all the toned, lickable abs on show.

“Don’t you think not wearing a shirt is a distraction?” I ask, licking my dry lips as Letric curls a finger at me, telling me to come closer.

“It’s hot in here,” he says with a grin. “You could lose yours, if you wish.” I look down at the loose grey shirt I am wearing which is tucked into trousers. Mary helped me find suitable clothes after Letric explained I couldn’t wear a dress to train. It wouldn’t work, and I actually like these clothes more than I thought I would. I wonder if I can avoid wearing the dresses all together and stick to these?

“I’ll keep mine on, thank you,” I reply, and he only laughs as he stretches his arms above his head, no doubt teasing me more.

“Right then,” he finally says, leaving his arms at his side. “If someone was to run at you, what would you do?”

“Run away?” I almost sarcastically reply, and I can see he is trying not to laugh as he answers me.

“You know better than to run from our kind. No, you stay still. Don’t move, not until the very last moment, and then jump to the side. Most people won’t expect that, they would expect you to run,” he tells me. I guess it makes sense in a strange way. I don’t know if I could fight that natural instinct to run, but it’s worth a shot.

“Would that work if a wolf was running at me?” I ask, curious. My question seems to make him pause.

“No, our wolves are too fast. Too intelligent. I can’t train you to fight wolves without weapons when you can’t shift,” he tells me and starts walking back. “Right, let’s try out this idea. Remember, hold your ground and then move. Also, if you don’t move, tuck your head in and let your body roll as you land. It will hurt a lot less than if you try to fight the landing.”

“Got it,” I say, feeling more than a little nervous now as Letric stops and then runs at full speed towards me. Even though I have a feeling he will not hurt me, that he would catch me if I fell, it is still frightening to see an alpha like Letric running at you. When he gets close enough, I jump to the side and scream as I trip over my own feet, slamming my face onto the floor when I land. Thank god the floor is soft. I roll over as Letric stands over me, his hands on his hips.

“Well, you did it…then tripped over yourself. I don’t think either of us won that attempt,” he says, offering me a hand and pulling me up. I laugh as he pulls me up, and I wrap my arms around his shoulders.

“I’m not good at this,” I say. “I don’t think I was born to be a fighter, Letric.”

“Yeah, you were. You fight everything, every day. It’s who you are,” he says, leaning down and slowly kissing me as his hands slide into my hair. The sweet kiss ends all too soon as he pulls away. “We have all the time in the world to teach you to fight. I’m not worried anyways.”

“Why?” I ask, running a finger down his neck, finding his pulse under the pad of my finger tip and feeling his fast beating pulse.

“El, no matter what, I would always defend you. You don’t need to learn how to fight when you belong to us,” he says. Letric is the master of sweet words that lull my mind and soul into a false sense of security. I know he doesn’t mean to trick me or lie to me, but nonetheless, I cannot trust his words.

“Yes, but this is temporary, Letric,” I remind him. No matter the time we spend together, the nights in his bed, Alaric and Alpha will never accept me in their lives permanently. I doubt it is what Letric really wants anyways.

“Your stay in our pack is not, but I don’t want to discuss the future. I want to live in this moment,” he says, kissing me once more before letting me go. I think over his words as he walks away, going back a similar distance as before. I guess I will always have their protection in a way because they will let me live in the pack. I’ve never thought much on how awkward that will be for me. I will be stuck watching them take other women, seeing them around. I know it’s better than a life as a slave, but it makes me want to guard my heart all the more. I know if I started loving the Alpha Brothers, then living in the pack when we are over would be a new form of hell. “This time don’t trip, sweet El,” Letric says before running at me again, and I can’t help but smile. I might not have forever with them, but I can enjoy the now.

CHAPTER 19

ELODIE

“I  love that song,” Annie says, yawning loudly around her words as I finish singing and tucking her pink blanket around her. I don’t know about Annie, but I am exhausted from chasing her around the pack on our day together. Annie’s new parents said she has had trouble sleeping, and they wondered if a few hours with me would help. It seems to have done. I know Annie misses her old pack, even if they did treat her as nothing more than a responsibility to pass around. I glance around her room, seeing the teddy bears, toys, fluffy rug, and I know for certain she is loved here. I can see in her parents’ eyes anyways.

“Thank you for inviting me to sing for you before bedtime,” I say, knowing she didn’t exactly invite me when I dropped her off at home; it was more of a demand. Though her parents made me dinner, told me some funny stories, and it has been a good night. I hope the Alpha Brothers aren’t too bothered by me disappearing tonight. I did tell Alpha where I was going today when I left his tower this morning.

“You are so pretty, Lodie. I want to look like you when I am bigger,” she says, yawning once again.

“Ah that’s funny, I want to be just like you, Annie,” I reply, and she giggles. I slowly hum the song under my breath until she drifts off to sleep, looking peaceful. I blow out the candle by the side of her bed and walk out of her room into the corridor, slowly closing the door. I walk down the stairs and see Vanessa in the living room, looking into the fire. She turns when a floor board creaks under my foot and smiles widely at me.

“Is she sleeping?” she asks.

“Yes,” I reply, crossing my arms as Vanessa looks back into the fire.

“I’ve always wanted children. Always. It took many years for me to realize that I could not conceive. I was heartbroken, lost almost. See, I came from a big family in the Xan Pack. I had three brothers and four sisters, and I grew up helping my parents care for them,” she tells me, surprising me a little. I know it’s rare for female wolves to have more than two children. I remember when a woman found out she was pregnant with her third child in my old pack. It was talked about for weeks, and the baby was given dozens of gifts. The alpha even gave me as a gift to help around the house for a few weeks. Though I always suspected there was more to that whole situation than anyone said. The alpha visited the baby and mother once a week, always at the same time, and they would make me leave the house with the other children while he was there. It was always when her mate had guard duty.

“Are they in this pack now?” I question, pushing my thoughts aside because surely one of those siblings have children so she could have at least been an aunt before Annie turned up. Or they could be here now to help with Annie, maybe offer advice.

“No, they are all dead. The Xan alpha murdered them all because I told him I would not sleep with him willingly. I love my mate and never wanted anyone else. The alpha killed my entire family before tying my mate up and making him watch as the alpha took what he wanted,” she says, her voice cold, and yet there is so much fear in it as my heart breaks for her. I drop my arms and walk over to her, wrapping my arms around her shoulders, and she embraces me back. We are silent for a long time as I feel her silent tears drop onto my shoulder. The Xan alpha is a cruel, terrible man. No wonder Alpha wants to destroy his pack. No one should be allowed to get away with what that man has done.

“How did you get here? Both of you?” I ask when I eventually pull away, and she wipes at her eyes.

“Someone helped us escape about a week later. We ran here where we were finally safe,” she says. “There are good people in the Xan Pack, ones who hide right under the alpha’s nose and help people.”

“Annie is lucky to have you,” I comment, meaning every word. “She was never loved in my old pack.”

“I want to be the best parent I can be, but I feel like I am failing. She doesn’t sleep, she pushes me away when I try to comfort her. I am clueless on how to be a mother,” she admits. I could have guessed that. She looks so nervous around Annie, frightened that she will say the wrong thing. I’m no parent, or anyone to judge anyone else, but I know Vanessa is a good person.

“You know none of that matters, right?” I tell her, and she gives me a confused look. “The only part that truly matters is that you are trying. That you are not giving up. Everyone eventually gave up on Annie, and it was only me that always welcomed her back when people who were meant to care for her got bored. She needs you, and in time, those little problems will fade when she realizes you love her and will always be there. That is what family is about, being there no matter what.”

“Thank you. You are so smart for a woman so young,” she says, patting my shoulder gently as the door opens and her mate walks in, holding a basket and looking panicked.

“Is everything okay? I felt—”

“Everything is perfect,” Vanessa interjects, and I smile at her as she wipes her eyes.

“It’s time for me to go back. I will come back anytime you need,” I say, and Vanessa nods her head as I walk across the room.

“You are welcome here anytime. I mean that. Our home is yours,” Vanessa tells me as I open the door.

“Thank you. Have a good night,” I reply, and she smiles, bowing her head before I walk out into the quiet night. I walk down past the houses and into the empty courtyard, looking up at the clock tower for a moment as a cold gust of wind blows my hair around.

“Elodie,” Alpha’s deep voice almost makes me jump in surprise as I turn to see him walk out of the shadows of the houses and up to me.

“Alpha,” I reply, tilting my head to the side as he stops in front of me and brushes my hair over my shoulder.

“Did you have a good night with the child?” he asks, resting his hands on my shoulders as I look up at him.

“Yes. Did you have a good night?” I ask him, and he doesn’t say a word, his dark expression saying everything anyways.

“Being the alpha means I have to make cruel and somewhat harsh decisions at times. I care little for the killing, for the hunt, but at times, it is hard to rule,” he says, pulling his eyes from me. “Come, I want to show you something.” I don’t get to reply to Alpha as he slides an arm around my waist, pulling me to his side as he leads me down the alleyway next to the houses and towards a part of the beach I’ve only ridden past.

“What decision did you have to make today?” I ask.

“A female wolf has died in labor last night. Her mate and her grandmother both wanted custody of the baby. The grandmother claimed the mate couldn’t look after a baby alone and never loved her daughter. The mate told us that he would be good father,” he gruffly tells me.

“So, what happened?” I ask as we get onto the sand.

“The grandmother tried to kill the mate, and he lost an eye before people intervened. They both came to the court, where I found the grandmother guilty, and I killed her. We have a zero-bullshit policy on attacks in the pack. We have a court of thirty wolves and three alphas to make sure that no one feels the need to take another’s life,” he explains.

“Was it hard for you to kill her?” I ask him as we stop on the sand, and Alpha leans down, picking up a large rock by his foot.

“Yes. I do not like killing my own people for matters like this. I have to see the bigger picture,” he tells me before swinging his arm back and chucking the stone into the sea. Suddenly the sea lights up green before the little green lights fly up in the sky, swirling around and disappearing.

“What are those?” I ask as Alpha picks up another stone and this time hands it to me before finding another.

“Fire flies that live in the sea. They only come to our shores a few nights a year,” he explains, throwing another stone in, and we watch the fire flies fly. “The first night we came here, these fire flies led us through the dark water to our home.”

“Thank you for showing me them,” I say, knowing this is a big thing for Alpha. I know him well enough to understand talking about his past and sharing things with anyone that isn’t his brothers is difficult.

“I’m not an easy person to live with. My life demanded so much of me that I only found pleasure in things I could not have. My brothers are my constant in my life, but that does make me clouded in my judgement of what is right. I do not know everything, and feelings are something I struggle to make judgement on,” he admits to me.

“I think you made the right decision with the grandmother. Though, even if you did not, you are only one person. Making the right decisions seems impossible to do at all times. Sometimes you just have to do what you think is right and hope for the best,” I say and, lifting my arm back, chuck the heavy stone in the water, though mine doesn’t go as far or make as many fire flies light up the sky. Even if I’m just a pebble next to a stone, it helps that I can still make waves.

CHAPTER 20

ELODIE

“A lpha told me you like to read,” Alaric muses, looking away from me at something else as he talks. I smooth a hand over my dress, which is still a little damp from this morning where it got wet from the sea.

“Did he now?” I chuckle as we walk back through the market, and instead of heading home like I suspected we would do after a long day at the beach together, Alaric leads me past two stalls and to a building with only one door and no windows on it.

“Well, do you like to read?” he asks again as I avoided his answer.

“Yes, but not the books Alpha has in his home. They are books on war, weapons and ancient times. I like books on fantasy, romance and forbidden stories,” I explain to him, and he grins.

“Oh, you are going to love this,” Alaric says, smiling like a kid in a candy shop as he pulls me towards the door by my hand. I run with him and wait as he pushes the door open and lets me walk in first. My eyes widen at the giant room inside with the open floors so you can see all the way up to the top floor. Every wall has a bookcase filled with books. There are rows of bookcases back to back, giving the room a grand feeling. Right in front of us is an older lady sat on a chair at a table, sorting books into piles.

“Trouble is back again, it seems,” the woman comments, and Alaric laughs.

“No trouble this time. I have the lovely Elodie to keep me in line,” Alaric teases, sliding an arm around my waist and moving me past the woman into the room. The woman only huffs, going back to her books as I wonder what that was all about.

“The forbidden books are on the top floor,” Alaric explains, making me wonder if he reads them too, and walks us past the people sat at tables in the middle of the room. We go to the start of the staircase that goes all the way up and walk past four floors where some people are reading or searching for books until we get to the top floor. We don’t see anyone as we walk a few rows until I stop and walk down the one with the most books in it.

“Where did you get all these books from?” I ask.

“I don’t know what this place was before we found it, but it was in ruins. The towers were the only buildings standing, and they were in bad condition. We built those up first, and then we found the basement under the courtyard after a lot of digging. All these books were in there, each one was wrapped in fabric. There are two thousand and eighty-nine books in here, not counting any new ones brought to the island,” he tells me.

“Whoever saved these books was a good person,” I comment, running my finger across a few as we disappear deeper into the row.

“Yes, I think so. There is a lot of history in the books, a past that was lost to us,” he comments and steps up right behind me, pressing me into the shelf. I hold onto the edge of the empty shelf in front of me as Alaric pulls my hair to the side and starts kissing my neck, making me shiver and my lips part.

“We shouldn’t,” I gasp, feeling his chuckle vibrate against my neck as I feel him sliding his hand under my dress and parting my legs.

“We shouldn’t, but that’s what makes it so much sweeter,” he whispers as his hand cups me, and he very slowly slides a finger into me. I moan, only to have Alaric cover my mouth with his hand, a low grumble leaving his lips as he removes his other hand. “Shh, you wouldn’t want anyone to hear. God, you are so fucking wet before I’ve hardly touched you.” I don’t reply to him, too lost in the sensation of him pulling my dress up and the sounds of him freeing himself. Moments later, he pulls my hips back with his one hand and slides deep inside me. I moan into his hand, shivering from the intense pleasure. As Alaric fucks me, pressing me deeper into the bookcase shelf, and I bite down on his hand to stop the cries of pleasure leaving my lips, I realize I love this. I love the threat of someone catching us. I love having Alaric’s cock inside me, making me close to losing all control every time he thrusts.

“Come for me, sweet El. I want to feel you come,” he whispers into my ear before biting down on my neck. His words, his cock and the perfect mixture of it all send me spiraling over the edge, not caring one bit about the sounds escaping my lips. Alaric growls as he comes, holding me in place as he rides out his own pleasure. We both chuckle as he pulls out of me, and I turn around as he kisses me once more, pushing me into the shelves once again.

“Why does it get better every time with you?” he asks, stroking a hand down my face. “I never want to stop this. It fucking scares me.”

“It scares me too,” I admit, and he sighs, before kissing my cheek ever so softly.

“There is a bathroom at the end of the path. Go clean up, and I will get you some books I loved which I think you might like,” he tells me with a wink, and I nod with a small smile, walking away as I hope the warm feeling in my chest disappears soon. I can’t fall in love with them, even if I know I want to. After I finish cleaning up in the small bathroom, I walk out and find Alaric with three red books in his arms.

“You like to read then?” I ask him as we walk to the stairs and start heading down.

“Not always, but as a kid, yes I did,” he tells me. I smile back at him, liking that he is telling me a little about himself before we get to the bottom of the stairs. I rest my head on his shoulder as we walk past, and the old lady from the table glares at us as we pass her. I quietly laugh with Alaric as we hurry to the door and pull it open, sliding outside before I shut it behind us. I go to speak when I notice people are running up the hill, and as I look back to Alaric, he swears under his breath.

“There is a problem. Come on,” he says, placing the books on a nearby stall before we run. I follow behind Alaric as people move out of the way for him. The closer we get to the towers, the more I start to panic that something has happened to my alphas. No, Alaric would have said. Something else must be wrong. We break through the small crowd, and I stop at Alaric’s side as we take in what has happened. There is a man in ripped clothes, looking scruffy as he holds a screaming baby in his arms. He is standing on a stone wall that is a sheer drop off the cliff into the sea before. The wind blasts against him as he shakes his head. Alpha is a little distance away, and Letric is trying to talk the man down from his side. I step forward and walk to Letric’s side. The man doesn’t look at us, just down at the baby.

“She looks like my mate. She looks so much like my mate who she killed,” he cries out.

“The baby didn’t kill anyone. It was a terrible thing that your wife died in labor, but the baby should not be killed,” Letric gently pleads.

“I thought I could take care of her, but I can’t. She makes me feel sick,” he spits out, looking up for a moment, and I notice one of his eyes is patched. I look over at Alpha who is watching me, and the story he told me of the dispute comes to mind. I have no doubt that this is the mate who wanted to keep the baby, and the grandmother was killed for trying to kill him and take the child.

“Then give her to me,” I suggest, getting the man’s frantic eye locked on me. “You will never have to see her again. Just let me take her away.”

“She will be gone?” he asks, his eye searching mine as I step closer again and lift my arms.

“I promise. I will take her away.” The man keeps his eye locked on mine as he sits down and hands me the baby ever so slowly. I look at her pale skin and dirty face, but her bright brown eyes stare at me as she cries. I step back, lightly rocking her in my arms as Alpha walks forward.

“No!” I shout, but it’s too late as Alpha slams a fist right through the middle of his chest. The man coughs, spluttering blood as Alpha moves his hand out before picking him up and throwing him off the cliff. There is nothing but silence as I am making hushing noises to the baby who has stopped crying. Alpha walks over to me, touching my cheek with the hand covered in blood.

“Don’t ever interrupt me again. This is my pack, do you understand?” he growls.

“Yes, Alpha,” I reply, knowing I shouldn’t have interrupted, but I also know he isn’t mad at me. He is mad at himself more. The decision he made was wrong, and I know he blames himself.

“Now go and give that baby to someone you trust before coming home,” he says and kisses me harshly before letting go and walking away.

“You did good,” Letric whispers to me before running off to Alpha’s side. Alaric stops at my side, looking down at the little baby.

“Do you have a clue where you are going to home her?” Alaric asks me, and I don’t take my eyes off the sweet baby.

“I know two amazing parents. They took Annie in, and I’m sure they won’t say no,” I say, then turn and walk through the people as I take the baby to her new home.

CHAPTER 21

ELODIE

I  cry out as an orgasm shatters through me, and all I can do is hold onto Letric’s shoulders in the shower as he thrusts one more time, finishing with his own shout escaping his lips. He rests his head against mine as the hot, steamy water pours down us before he kisses me ever so gently. The kiss is tender, sweet almost. I run my fingers through his brown hair, smelling nothing but his peppermint shower wash and shampoo. It’s been a month since mine and Letric’s first night together, but it always feels good. It always seems like it’s the first time with each of the Alpha Brothers. They are stealing my heart, along with ruining my body for anyone else. I couldn’t imagine anyone being like they are with me. Letric is sweet, tender and takes his time with me. Alaric is playful, creative and teaches me new things as he makes me laugh. Alpha is demanding, seductive and makes me crave him more after every touch. Each of them is making it impossible to think of them as a temporary thing in my life.

The only good thing that has happened recently is that the brothers haven’t spoken about the war or even trying to attack the Xan Pack. I doubt they have forgotten about it, but they keep the leaders’ meetings to talk about the running of the pack and nothing else. I don’t want to bring it up with them because I know I would do nothing but worry if they all went to war. I may never admit it, but as I look into Letric’s eyes in this moment, I know I love him.

“I like this shower,” I admit instead of my actual thoughts, looking around the steamy room as Letric chuckles and lowers me to the ground.

“I’ve never cared for the shower much until now. Now I want nothing more than to shower all day with you,” he replies. I let the water run over us, cleaning us up before Letric turns it off and we get out. I wrap a towel around myself before opening the door to his room and walking to a window, resting on the side and looking at how the sun touches the sea, the way it sparkles like a crystal almost. The sunlight shines on me, slowly drying my skin as well as keeping me warm.

“I will go and get us some breakfast. I don’t know about you, but I’m hungry,” Letric admits, pulling his shirt on as I look back at him. His wet hair dips down his white shirt, and his black trousers tightly show off the body I know is hidden underneath it.

“Okay,” I reply, watching him come over to me and kissing me gently before walking out of his bedroom. I open one of the windows, letting in the warm breeze and letting the sunlight dry me off a little more before picking my dress up and pulling it on. I make Letric’s bed up and clean up the room before wandering around, looking at all the little things on the cabinet by the door. Letric rarely leaves me alone up here, so I’ve never had a chance to look around before. I pick up a bronze little wolf which is about the size of a grape, and it is so pretty. It must have taken Letric a long time to carve all the solid bronze metal into the howling wolf in my hand.

“What do you have?” Letric asks as he comes into the room, carrying a basket in his hand. He puts the basket on the floor as I stretch my hand out to show him the wolf.

“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have gone through your things,” I admit, feeling a little guilty.

“Don’t be sorry. My space is always open to you, and that includes anything in it,” Letric tells me, picking up the wolf to look at it, and I lower my hand. “It’s odd you picked this. I found this chunk of bronze metal on my first day on this island. I learnt to carve it much later, and I tried to make it look like my wolf.”

“It does, except your wolf is white,” I say, and he laughs.

“Very true,” he says and looks back at me. “Give me one second.” I nod once before I watch Letric leave the room, and I go sit on the edge of the bed, peeping inside the basket to see a range of freshly cooked rolls and a glass bottle of orange juice. Letric comes back into the room a few minutes later and kneels right in front of me.

“What are you doing?” I ask with a chuckle as he is hiding one hand behind his back.

“Close your eyes for me, El,” he says, and I sigh before doing as I am told. I feel Letric lean closer, brushing my hair off my neck and then clipping something on me. “Open them.” I open my eyes and look down at the necklace he has placed on me. The wolf lies in the middle of my chest on a gold chain.

“Thank you,” I whisper in slight shock that he has given me a gift, before looking up at him and throwing my arms around his shoulders. He laughs, holding me tightly and spinning me around in a circle.

“It’s only a little gift,” he says, but he has no idea what that means to me. No one has ever given me a gift before, let alone something so beautiful and personal to him.

“I’m feeling a little jealous now. Where is my gift, brother?” Alaric’s humor-filled voice asks, and I look over Letric’s shoulder to see him stood by the door, leaning against the frame. His black shirt is tight, undone for the first five buttons and leaving little to the imagination. I swear the brothers seem more attractive every time I see them. Letric chuckles as he lets me go to face his brother with me.

“You’re not as pretty as El is, so you don’t get a gift,” he tells his brother, and I chuckle along with them. “Now, why are you here?”

“Alpha wants to see El,” Alaric explains, and a wave of nervousness fills me for a moment. Deep down, I know he won’t hurt me, that I can trust him, but another part of me remembers how he could snap his fingers, and this life I’ve built up would be gone in a moment. I almost expect it every day now. I see the look in Mary’s eyes every time she sees me. She expects me to leave soon as well. This is much, much longer than just one night, and I only want more, even if that makes me selfish. I don’t care if the world is evil as long as I have the Alpha Brothers at my side.

“Okay, where is he?” I ask, trying to pick up on Alaric’s emotions. If Alpha was going to end it, he would know. So would Letric.

“In the clock tower,” Alaric tells me. “I will escort you.” Letric kisses me gently before handing me a roll from out of the basket before I leave his home with Alaric. I eat the roll as we walk down the village, and when I am finished, Alaric wraps an arm around my waist, pulling me close to him. I rest my head on his chest, waving at the few familiar people we pass. I’ve learnt that the majority of the pack are good people who have bad pasts they needed to escape. Their stories inspire me, make me believe that no matter what is in your past, you can have a better future.

“Did you have a good night?” Alaric asks, picking up an apple from a market stall, and the owner waves at us as Alaric takes a large bite, letting the juice from the apple drip down his chin. I have the urge to lick it off him, but there are way too many people around for that.

“I had a very good night. Thank you,” I admit, and he smiles.

“Careful now, El. You are going to make me jealous,” he warns, and I laugh.

“I have very good nights with you too,” I tell him just as we get out of the market.

“I know. You don’t hide your emotions at all,” he says as we walk past the people and to the tower. “Especially not when I am inside of you and you are screaming my name.” His dirty words make me shiver as I keep my eyes on him, half expecting him to kiss me when he smirks instead. Alaric opens the door and slides an arm around my waist, pulling me to his chest so I have to look up into his eyes. “Come to the barn this afternoon. The pregnant horse I told you about a long time ago is finally going to have her foal. The pregnancy is extremely overdue compared to others, which usually indicates a rare horse of good breed. It’s a sight worth seeing at least once either way.”

“I’d love to see that. I’ll bring us some food,” I say, and he nods before kissing my forehead and walking away, eating his apple. I watch until he disappears into the crowd before I go into the tower.

CHAPTER 22

ELODIE

I  climb up the steps of the tower, pushing the door open at the top and seeing Alpha sat on his chair, looking at a large map on the table in front of him. There are drinks on the table, empty glasses and some fruit in a bowl. There are also several piles of paperwork littering the table. Alpha’s dark hair falls messily around his face, and the fact he is missing a shirt gives me time to run my eyes over his tight abs, smooth chest and muscular arms. He is perfection in every sense, seductive in every tight part of his body, and it is difficult to pull my eyes away from him. Especially when I know what it is like to have his body pushed against mine, his cock deep inside me, making me feel like it’s just him and me against the world. I doubt he feels that way, though after all the time I’ve spent with him, I still cannot pick up on his emotions. He is a master at hiding anything from me, and I’ve become a master at pretending he feels the way I do about him.

“Seems my brothers are addicted to spending time with you, Elodie,” Alpha says, and I watch him closely as I shut the door behind me, wondering if he means himself as well in that comment. Every part of my Alpha looks tense, annoyed, and his voice is nothing more than frustration and loathing. I doubt I’m the only reason he is like this. His eyes focus in on my necklace, and his hands tighten.

“I missed you,” I say, not hiding anything from him, even when I know he would never tell me the same thing. Even when I know telling him my feelings very well could be the final stone in the bucket that makes him throw me away.

“Stop treating me and my brothers like we will become your mates. We don’t want a mate!” he exclaims, his eyes never moving from my necklace.

“Then let me go,” I suggest, wondering if he could really do it. I know I shouldn’t push him, but I can’t stop the words that fly out of my mouth. “Let me find a mate, someone who wants me. Someone who will keep me for more than just sex.”

“No,” he growls the one word, almost making it seem like his wolf spoke more than he did. He suddenly pushes up from his chair and storms over to me. He slams his hands on the door behind me, placing his face close to mine. “You belong to me. You are fucking mine.”

“Yet, I am not your mate,” I counter, watching how his whole body vibrates in anger as he stares at me. I know I shouldn’t push him too far, I know I shouldn’t keep eye contact with him for so long, but a deep part of my soul doesn’t want to submit to someone that won’t claim me. Someone who is burning a hole in my heart that I know no one else will ever be able to fill.

“Tell me you are mine,” he demands, and I stay silent long enough that there is nothing but the sounds of our heavy breathing in the room. I nearly jump when he picks me up by my ass, pressing me against the door. His one hand slides up my thigh until he finds my core, and I gasp as he slides two fingers deep inside me and his thumb goes to my clit. He rubs circles around my clit as his fingers slide in and out of me. I groan as the pleasure builds, and then he suddenly removes his hand. He frees his erection before grabbing my ass and lining himself up. He doesn’t wait or even pause as he slides inside me, pressing me against the door and slamming in and out of me. I cry out, and Alpha speeds up. At the same time, he places his hand on my neck and squeezes until I can only just about breath. It makes the pleasure so much sweeter. The perfect mix of pain and pleasure at the hands of my alpha. “Tell. Me. You. Are. Mine.” He growls each word out in time with his thrusts that draw me closer and closer to the edge.

“I’m yours,” I finally say as I explode around him, and he slams his lips against mine, swallowing my moans as he finishes. He continues to kiss me as we both come down from the high, and when he finally breaks the kiss, I miss it. I love him, I know that completely with every part of my soul as I stare into his eyes. This brutal, heartless and amazing alpha has stolen a part of me I know I won’t ever get back. Nor do I want it back, because he would only be handing me pieces of a broken heart.

“Don’t ever say you are not mine again, Elodie. I will not allow that,” he tells me.

“You confuse me, Alpha,” I say, letting out a little sigh as I place my hand on his cheek. I use my other hand to tuck some of his hair behind his ears, loving how soft his hair is.

“I’m not the only one who is confusing,” he tells me, his words tenderly spoken and so different from how he usually speaks to me. Alpha pulls out of me and lets me drop to the floor slowly before tucking himself back in his black trousers. He pulls out a chair right next to where he was sitting before and waves a hand at it, suggesting I sit down. I sit in the chair, and Alpha pours me a drink of water before sitting in his seat. Looking at the map in front of us, I see the island we are on is at the bottom, then there is an X over where my old pack was in the forest. There are two more Xs marking the location of the other packs, one higher in the forest and the other in the middle of the mountains.

“Can I ask you something?” I ask Alpha.

“My permission has never stopped you asking before,” he replies, and I smile at his snarky response.

“Which pack were you all from? It wasn’t mine, so that only leaves two known ones,” I ask him. The question has been buzzing around my mind for the last week.

“The Xan Pack,” he sourly replies. The largest pack in the mountains, the one I know the littlest about.

“What is it like there?” I ask him, and he knows I mean the condition of the pack and not the weather.

“The alpha runs the pack with an iron fist. The women are slaves, they are shared by all pack members whenever the alpha demands. The men are forced to work hard in the mountains for food and weapons, and they’re forced to populate the army they have. You were lucky to be brought up in your old pack, Elodie,” he tells me. I go to ask more when a loud alarm sounds in the distance. Alpha immediately gets up, going to the window and looking out. In the distance, there is purple smoke in the air near the bridge, though I have no idea what it means.

“Someone is at the bridge. Come with me, Elodie. You might recognize the newcomers from your old pack,” he demands, heading for the door before I can even think about it. “You can ride on my back.” My eyes widen at his suggestion, waiting for him to say he is joking, but he doesn’t. I quickly push my seat back and follow him out of the tower, where he shifts into a large white wolf in the blink of an eye. I’ve seen his wolf a few times over the last few weeks but never this close up. He is huge, powerful, and his fur looks softer than silk as he picks up his trousers in his mouth. Somehow, they are only a little ripped. The alpha wolf lies on the ground, looking back at me expectantly. I nervously head over to him, telling myself that this can’t be too bad. I swing my leg over his back, wrapping my arms around his neck as he stands up and runs off.

CHAPTER 23

ELODIE

We whip past the trees as I hold onto Alpha as tightly as I can, hoping that I don’t fall off and enjoying the fast ride. It’s like being a wolf, or as close as I will ever get to this feeling anyway. We run out of the trees and onto the path just before the bridge where Alaric, Letric and three other wolves are forming a line, blocking our view of whatever they are looking at. I slide off Alpha’s back, and he drops the trousers in his mouth on the floor before shifting back and pulling them on. Alpha walks over to the line, and I stay close behind him until Alaric moves to the side when we get near, his hand resting next to mine, and he links some of our fingers, but I’m more interested in the people opposite.

A few feet away are three people wearing thick coats, and their heads are bowed in a respectful way. The man in the middle is tall, older with grey hair and a serious expression as he looks at Alpha. There is an older woman at his side who looks at me with her blue eyes and dark brown hair shaping her face. She looks so familiar for some reason, but I don’t know why. She quickly looks at the man and then down to the ground. I’m guessing she is his mate. My eyes move to the other person here, a young, very beautiful woman on his other side who keeps her grey eyes locked on me like no one else is here. I immediately feel threatened by her, and I don’t know why. I pull my eyes to the man in the middle and slowly realize who he is even as Alpha speaks his name.

“The Ruxan Pack Alpha…what a surprise to have you at my door,” Alpha muses, crossing his arms.

“My name is Cipher, and I was the alpha of the Ruxan Pack like you said. I come here to forge an alliance with you,” he says, though his voice wavers a little. I think it is from fear, but it easily could be from lying.

“Funny that as we heard you went to the Xan Pack for the same deal. Did that not work out as well as you expected?” Alaric interjects.

“No, it did not. The mad alpha killed half my pack, and the rest of us escaped. I want a deal with you, and I have a prize to offer,” he nervously says.

“What prize?” Alpha asks.

“My daughter, Misty, is untouched and very attractive. She is a true born alpha female, which I have heard you have never found as not many exist anymore. She will be your mate, and I will help you fight the Xan Pack. It is a good deal,” he says, and in that quiet moment when no one speaks, I know how much it hurts to be jealous. To be unsure of anything except the fact that the game has just dramatically changed. I look at Misty as she undoes her cloak, revealing her perfect and very naked body underneath it.

“I will make a good mate. I will be more than you could ever dream of,” Misty purrs; even her voice is beautiful.

“We need to have a discussion, but for now, you are welcome in our pack. Letric can find you suitable accommodation,” Alaric says, and I look up at him, finding him staring at me instead of Misty as he talks. I pull my hand away, and he only frowns.

“And the rest of our pack?” Cipher asks.

“Can camp on the beach across the bridge. I do not trust you—yet,” Alpha says, and I look up to see him turn away from them and shift into his wolf before running back into the forest.

“This way,” Letric says, waving a hand. All of them shift, and Misty smirks at me before she turns into a large black wolf. Only alpha female wolves are black. They all run into the forest until only Alaric is left standing with me.

“I don’t think letting them in is a good idea,” I eventually admit, trying to get the image of the perfect Misty out of my mind.

“You are jealous,” Alaric says, stepping closer to me, but I step back defensively. He just invited her to stay here. I know I’m being unreasonable, but I can’t think straight. All I can think of is a horrible image of her all over my Alpha Brothers. But that is the thing. They are not mine. Alpha made that perfectly clear today.

“No. I just don’t think any of them are to be trusted,” I reply, ignoring the smirk on his pretty lips. “They clearly have a motive.”

“Maybe, but maybe they can be trusted anyway,” Alaric says and smiles at me. “Come on, we will go and watch the horse we spoke of earlier and then get some food.”

“Sure,” I mutter, following Alaric back up the path. Every part of me feels different now, deep down in my bones. I know my place is threatened, if I ever even had a place, and I can’t take my mind off how none of my Alpha Brothers ever said no to accepting Misty as their mate. If they take her as their mate, I know I’d prefer a death at the hands of the outcasts than the pain in my heart from watching that happen. What have the Alpha Brothers done to me?

CHAPTER 24

ELODIE

We walk in pretty much silence through the market, and just as we get to the end, the woman who was at the bridge steps in front of us. Up closer, I can see how pretty she is. Her long brown hair falls around her shoulders in waves, a line of freckles litters her cheeks, and her blue eyes are extremely bright. I still can’t shake the feeling I’ve met her before, though when I saw Cipher before, he didn’t bring his alpha female with him. I did hear he slept with two of the women in my old pack though, so that doesn’t say much about his character.

“Hello, again. I don’t think we got your name before,” Alaric says, offering out a hand to the woman to shake. She stares at me for an uncomfortably long moment before she looks to Alaric and shakes his hand.

“Melina. It is nice to meet you both,” she says and looks to me, offering me a hand. “You are?”

“No one special, but my name is Elodie,” I say, hearing Alaric’s displeased huff. I’m not their mate, so why pretend I am something more than I am?

“A lovely name,” she says and clears her throat as I let her hand go.

“Thank you,” I say, feeling a little awkward as she keeps staring.

“I’m so sorry. I am so sorry,” she suddenly says and then turns, running off down the path and disappearing into the people around the market.

“That was…well, weird,” I say, looking up to see Alaric watching the space she was in before he looks down at me.

“It was. I wonder what she was so sorry about,” Alaric says, and I don’t say a word as we continue walking, but I bet it was that she is sorry Misty is going to steal my alphas from me.

“Come on, smile for me,” Alaric says as we walk down the path to the horses, but I don’t reply to him, keeping silent as we get to the stables which are larger than I thought they would be. I don’t know how I’ve avoided coming here in all the weeks I’ve lived here now, but I have. There are at least twenty stalls on either side of the large building, and each one has a horse in them. Alaric walks three stalls down before he opens one and gestures for me to enter. I walk in, seeing the large space has a gap on a wooden wall and then hay all on the floor.

“We can only watch and not interfere. Sometimes, nature is like that,” Alaric explains to me. I walk over to the gap and look into the next stall where there is a horse with a large stomach lying on the ground. She is sleeping, looking cozy as she does so.

“She is asleep, so there is nothing to see. I think I will go for a walk and see you later,” I say, trying to walk past Alaric, but he catches me by my arms, and uses one hand to lift my face so I am forced to look at him.

“You are upset,” he mutters, watching me so very closely. It’s like he can read my every thought. I am terrible at hiding my thoughts on my face.

“No,” I reply, lying, and we both know it.

“Do you think you are so replaceable, Elodie?” he says, his thumb rubbing my cheek. “We do not want a mate, and we do not want anyone in our bed but you. Elodie, you have our full attention. Do not doubt that.”

“She is beautiful, and you never told her no. You never said she wouldn’t be your mate,” I reply, hating that my emotions pour out in my words.

“Not compared to you, she isn’t,” he tells me. He slides his hand to the back of my neck and undoes my necklace before pulling it off. Alaric pulls a little heart shaped bronze pendant out of his pocket and slides it onto the necklace before clipping it back on my neck. “I want you to have a little bit of me with you at all times.”

“Thank you,” I whisper, rubbing my thumb over the heart and wolf that look perfect together on the chain.

“Now, smile. We should go for a ride before dinner,” he says, leading me out of the stall and to the horses we rode yesterday. I might be unsure of a lot, but I know no matter what, I will always have these good memories to keep. I just have to hope I am enough for them all. Not just Alaric’s words.

CHAPTER 25

ELODIE

A laric takes the reins of my horse from me when we get back to the courtyard after our ride around the beaches where we stopped off for a swim and then rode back before it got dark. I almost forgot about Misty, but even Alaric’s kisses and sweet words can’t keep all the gloomy thoughts out of my mind.

“Go to the kitchens, you look hungry. I will meet you there in a bit once I’ve settled the horses for the night,” he tells me, before walking off with the horses. I walk across the courtyard to the doors, pulling one of them open and instantly feeling the heat from inside. There is a lovely smell of something cooking, and my stomach rumbles loudly. I walk down the stairs and pause when I get to the bottom step, seeing Misty sat at the end of the table where Alpha usually sits. No one ever sits there, so why the hell is she? Who even invited her here? All those dark thoughts about being replaced shoot back into my mind, along with the pain in my chest it brings with it.

“Elodie, right?” Misty sweetly says, turning in her seat to look at me. Her eyes run over my blue dress, no doubt questioning the mud on the bottom of it.

“Yes,” I tightly reply, stepping further into the room and looking around.

“Mary is collecting Alpha, Letric and Alaric for dinner. I would like it if you left us alone,” she says, making it clear she isn’t asking from the low growl she adds. “My soon-to-be mates and I need time alone.”

“Were you invited?” I ask, ignoring her comment on the soon-to-be mates part. Alaric would have told me…right?

“Yes. Were you? Or are you the pathetic little whore they like to fuck when they are bored who now follows them around?” she replies, and I cross my arms, not replying to her as pain etches through my heart that they invited her to dinner. It hurts that she might be right. I turn as I hear someone come in and see Alpha walking into the room. He nods at me before seeing Misty and not pausing as he goes to sit at the table at her side.

“Sit down, Elodie,” Alpha demands when I take a step back. I make sure to keep my head high as I go and sit on the seat next to Misty and opposite Alpha, who doesn’t look my way once.

“Tell me about yourself, Misty. I’m afraid it will only be us tonight. Letric and Alaric have pack issues to deal with,” Alpha says as he starts serving himself some of the chili and rice from the dishes in the middle of the table. I serve my own, trying to keep silent as Misty babbles on about how amazing she is. She rides horses, can fight with any weapon, and deals with a lot of political issues. She also feels it necessary to tell Alpha how she can place her legs over her head, and she doesn’t ever gag at anything. I think it might be necessary to tell her how I’d like to stab my fork through her hand, but I know better than to do that. I keep replaying Alaric’s words through my mind, telling myself that I am not as irreplaceable as I am feeling.

“You are very charming, Misty. Fitting for the only daughter of such a large pack. Did you not ever have any other sisters or brothers?” Alpha asks, and I finally listen into this conversation as I finish my food.

“It’s not a subject I like to speak of much, but there was a sister born before me. My mother was raped, and the child was killed upon its birth as it wasn’t my father’s child,” she says. She doesn’t even seem sad or upset as she explains that. Just like it’s a normal thing to kill a baby, when it is not.

“I am sorry to hear that,” Alpha says.

“They killed the baby? For what? Existing?” I ask, not bothering to keep the disgust and horror out my voice.

“I don’t expect a non-alpha to understand such things. I did not want to discuss this with you. You are upsetting me, so can you leave?” Misty says, letting out a low growl as she glares at me.

“Non-alpha or not. I know killing an innocent baby is an evil thing to do,” I snap, not wanting to back down. My hand shakes, making me drop my fork and slide my hand into my lap, wondering why it won’t stop shaking as Misty starts doing a fake cry. I can’t seem to see through the anger burning across my vision, making both my hands shake.

“Elodie, leave. Now,” Alpha demands, and I try to hide my shock as I look at him, seeing the anger on his face. It stops my hands shaking, and my anger gets replaced with pure pain. I nod and push my chair out before walking out the basement and taking in a deep gasp of air outside. I’ve made a mistake, a huge one. I fell for the Alpha Brothers, and now they are destroying me just like I knew they would. I look around at the three imposing towers, trying to figure out whom to run to and knowing that I don’t want to go to any of them in this moment.

Instead, I run out the courtyard and look down at the stables. I’m sure Alaric will be gone by now, and no one will be there. I need to be alone, even for a short amount of time. I run down to the barn, only slowing down when I get there, and then walk down the middle of the stables. I find the empty one we were in earlier just as I hear a low whining noise. I walk in and go over to the gap, lowering myself to my knees as I look in. The horse is clearly in labor, I can see the contractions in her stomach, even in the dim light from the fire lantern on the wall above the stable. I fold my arms on the wood as I watch, not noticing anything but the horse as the labor goes on.

I block out the way thinking of Alpha and Misty hurts my heart, how it is just proof that everyone uses me in my life. I’ve always been nothing, and that hasn’t changed. I know Alaric and Letric will do whatever Alpha tells them to do, so I’ve lost them in the same moment. If Alpha keeps Misty, then they will share her too. All of it makes me just feel sick.

I pause my thoughts as the horse slowly pushes out her foal, which is brown in color, covered in blood. The horse stands up once the foal is out and turns around, looking down at the foal. The foal doesn’t move, and as the time passes, the movement of the foal’s chest slows down until it eventually stops. The world is silent as, suddenly, the foal’s brown fur turns black, and it blinks its eyes open before shakily kneeling up.

I finally get how everything happens for them. The foal has to die to be truly born. Maybe that is a lesson we all need to learn before everything goes wrong.

CHAPTER 26

ELODIE

I  leave the horses in the morning, when the sun wakes me up by blaring into my eyes, and my rumbling stomach is making too much noise. After making my way back to the courtyard, I pause, not having a clue where to go. I don’t want to see any of them because I am not ready to think about what Misty means, and the only person I wouldn’t mind seeing is Mary. I rub my forehead just as I see the door to Alpha’s tower open, and I quickly hide behind the wall as Misty walks out. My heart breaks, dreading the thought that he likely slept with her last night. I mean nothing to him. There is so much pain in my chest as tears fall down my cheeks. I feel empty, lost and pointless. Misty walks right past me a few minutes later, not even noticing me as she goes on her way. My cheeks are wet with my tears as I storm down the path to the Alpha’s tower and bang on the door. Alpha opens the door, crossing his arms when he sees me. His expression is neutral. Like I am nothing to him at all.

“Did you sleep with her?” I ask him, my voice catching on a sob.

“Come inside, El,” he asks.

“Don’t call me that!” I spit out. “You are a liar!”

“You might want to watch what comes out of your pretty mouth next, El,” he warns, but I am past the point of caring.

“You promised me you would never hurt me, but you just did. You hurt me,” I say, my voice dropping into a whisper.

“Leave, Elodie. We had our fun, and we need an alpha female now. Misty is that. Now go,” he says, his voice void of emotion. Through all the pain, an angry feeling overwhelms me.

“Fine, but I swear you will never touch me again. None of you will,” I say, my whole body shakes with anger and betrayal as I run down the path, away from them all. I don’t know how long I run for, not noticing where I am until my feet hit the cold water as waves brush against them. I collapse to the sand, wrapping my arms around my legs and bursting into tears. I love them, and they do not love me. I was born as nothing, used to being nothing, and I always thought that was the cruelest thing that ever happened to me. But I was wrong. The Alpha Brothers tricked me, making me fall for them, and then threw me away like I was nothing. That was a crueler price to pay.

“So many tears,” Misty’s sweet voice drifts over to me. I don’t look her way as I hear her stop next to me, and her hand rests on my shoulder. I don’t even have the strength to push her away. I feel empty. “Some wolves are born to be used. To be nothing but good fucks for alphas who need a good time. You were that. I am born to rule. To be in charge and also be a good fuck they will never forget. You will be forgotten. Oh, it is so cruel a world we live in.” I listen to her words and finally decide I can’t show her the reaction she wants. I push her hand off my shoulder and stand up. I face her, the wind blowing our dresses and hair around like we are stood in the middle of a storm.

“Have them. I will not fight for anyone who thinks I am nothing,” I say, barging past her, knocking her shoulder as I hear her laugh.

“You are nothing. Remember it, Elodie,” I hear Misty say right behind me. I turn around to face her—just as she slams a rock onto my head, and I fall to the ground, hearing an unfamiliar male voice as everything goes black.

CHAPTER 27

ELODIE

I  let out a little pain-filled groan as I wake up, feeling rope tied around my chest and arms, and my legs are spread around a horse under me. We are riding fast through a forest, and I look down at the pale, muscular arms around me that hold the reins. I try to move only to find my hands are tied together tight enough that they are cutting into my skin. I feel terrible, and I try to think back to what happened, only to come up blank. I was arguing with Misty on the beach, then there was nothing. Like my rider can sense I am awake, he slows the horse down a little.

“Wh-who are you?” I nervously ask.

“You don’t know me. I am a friend of the Xan Pack. The head beta to be precise, Elodie Masters,” he tells me, making it clear he knows exactly who I am. If he is the head beta of the Xan Pack, then I have no doubt where he is taking me. If the pack is as brutal as Alpha told me they are, I won’t live long inside it. I can feel the cold in the air, and we are riding uphill now, suggesting we must be heading to the mountains.

“Why?” I ask, knowing I don’t need to say anything else. I just want to understand why the alpha could possibly want me, and why this beta wanted to take me. I’m nothing. They should have taken anyone else.

“It’s you or my sister. I am sorry for this. I truly am,” he replies, and I can tell he really is sorry from his tone alone. I struggle to keep my eyes open much longer, feeling myself drifting off and waking up every now and then as we ride. The side of my head aches, sending little sharp stabs of pain through my head every so often. Eventually, it becomes easier to stay awake as we run through the forest when, suddenly, we come to a halt near a creek.

“Are we stopping?” I ask. I know there is little chance I can escape this man, and where would I really go anyway? Back to the Alpha Brothers who I clearly mean nothing to? No, I can’t do that. I swallow the pain that is deep in my heart and force myself to forget it.

“The horse needs a break. We have been riding for a day,” the man tells me. He ties the horse near the creek on a branch before he pulls me off the horse and carries me, placing me so I am resting with my back against the tree. I look up at my captor, seeing his black wavy hair first, then his bright blue eyes and strange black markings on his cheeks that look like daggers. His outfit is all leather pressed tight against his muscular form, and he is covered in weapons. It makes me wonder how he got into the pack looking like this, looking nothing like anyone in the pack. Those marks on his face must have been difficult to hide.

“How did you get into the pack?” I ask, curious about this stranger and figuring I might as well get to know him before he hands me over to whoever wants me.

“Do you want a drink?” he replies, ignoring my question.

“No, now answer me. You are taking me to my death, so who am I going to tell?” I say, and he smirks. There is something almost attractive about his smile.

“If you drink some water, I will answer,” he counters. I don’t understand why he cares, it makes me want to understand him more.

“Deal, but only if you tell me your name,” I ask.

“River,” he replies, offering me a flask of water. I lift my tied hands, showing him there is no way I can hold the water. “I will untie them, but don’t try anything. I don’t want to hurt you. To answer your first question, I got into your pack easily, it was harder to get out but a friend helped me.”

“For a kidnapper, you are too nice,” I comment as he kneels in front of me and starts undoing the rope.

“I wasn’t trained to kidnap beautiful women. Especially women like you,” he says. “Ones that can’t fight off a wolf.”

“How old is your sister?” I ask, knowing it doesn’t really make a difference.

“Ten,” he says, his voice full of frustration and no doubt worry. “She is my last living relative. I’ve brought her up since our mother passed away five years ago.”

“I won’t run or fight. No ten year old deserves to die for me,” I say, resting my head back on the tree and flinching from the pain of the cut.

“You are making this worse, you know,” he chuckles as he releases my hands. “It would be easier if you were a bad person.”

“I’m not a good person,” I reply.

“Yeah, you are. In this world, you are a star in a very dark sky,” he tells me, locking his eyes with mine before shaking his head and standing up. He hands me the bottle of water, and I drink some as River messes around with the bags on the back of the horse.

“Why did your mother name you River?” I ask, seeing him freeze up and look back at me.

“She said my eyes reminded her of the river that flows behind her old home,” he explains to me.

“It’s a lovely name,” I reply as he comes back to me, holding up a new flask of water and a cloth.

“The girl hit you harder than was needed. I should clean this up,” he says, sitting next to me, and I grab his hand as he goes to touch my head wound.

“What girl?” I ask him, surprised that he doesn’t push me away, and instead he gives me a sympathetic look.

“I can’t tell you more. Let me help you at least,” he suggests.

“Because it will make you feel better?” I ask, still holding his hand.

“Yes,” he simply replies, and I let his hand go, shifting on my side and letting him treat my cut. I can guess it was Misty that did this to me, and that means the Alpha Brothers are in danger. I hate how it hurts and how I want to save them even though I know they will never save me.

CHAPTER 28

ALPHA

“I  love your tower. It’s convenient, but maybe we could extend it in the future,” Misty suggests as I shut the door behind me. Letric sits on the sofa, ignoring us all, lost in his dark thoughts. I know my brothers didn’t want to play along with this, but El can’t mean more than the war. Being brought up the way we were, I’d hoped they would understand this. Hurting Elodie is a price we have to pay, and it’s not like she won’t forgive us when we tell her the truth. She is ours.

I don’t want to play this ridiculous game. Misty won’t tell us anything, Letric mutters into my mind.

Maybe she won’t, but we have to know. Has Mary found Elodie yet? I reply, concerned she didn’t come back since this morning. My wolf nearly made me shift from its burning anger at treating Elodie the way I did. We both know what she is, love who she is, and know we have to get these answers for her. We do it all for her and for this world. If Elodie is who I think she is, then she is the most important person in this world.

No, no one has seen her. Alaric is looking now. If she leaves us, this is your fault. You didn’t have to go that far, Letric spits out. He won’t forgive me any time soon. He thinks we should have just explained everything.

Elodie won’t leave us, and I had no choice. Misty followed her and was hiding, listening in. She had to think Elodie was out of the way, I tell him what he already knows.

“Did you hear me? When I’m alpha female I want more colors in here. Nice fur rugs and things like that,” Misty says, repeating everything she said this morning when she came to give me breakfast at the crack of dawn. Elodie thought I’d somehow managed to put up with her for a whole night or even touched her. I only want one woman, and currently that woman hates me. I will fix it though. Misty walks over to me, swaying her hips with every step in a way I no doubt believe she thinks is attractive.

“Will you give me what I want?” she asks, stopping right in front of me and placing her hands on my chest. I tilt my head to the side as I see the chain on her neck and recognize it just as Misty leans up to kiss me. I grab her throat with my one hand, lifting her in the air as she squeals and scratches my arms to get me off. I carefully pull the necklace hidden under her dress, seeing the bronze wolf and heart on the chain.

“Where did you get that?” Letric asks, snatching it out of my hand, his voice deadly.

“Sh-she g-gave me it!” Misty coughs out, though I know she is lying. Elodie loves that necklace, she told me as much from how she held it in her hand. She would never give it up. Elodie is missing, and Misty clearly hates her for the same reason I pretended to give a damn about Misty. I wanted to reject the Ruxan Alpha’s offer the moment it left his lips, knowing if we really needed an alpha female, we could have one in a heartbeat. We would just make a mate. A true born alpha female is rare but also deadly. Alpha females can easily rule a pack without a male alpha at their side. Misty is nothing but a threat I never wanted to deal with until I met Elodie.

“Who is Elodie? What did your mother really do with that baby?” I ask, and her wide, scared eyes are answer enough. I was right. I keep squeezing her neck until it crushes under my hand, blood splattering everywhere, and I drop her body to the floor.

Alaric, did you hear? I send a message to my brother; his roar projected through my mind is answer enough.

Good. Find the Ruxan alpha and alpha female. Bring them here, I demand, and even though he doesn’t reply, I know he will. I look over to Letric, his thoughts a swirl of guilt, love and pain as he stares at the necklace.

“What do you want me to do? She will be long gone, and if he knows who she is…we both know where Elodie will be,” he says, and I tighten my hands into fists, fighting off the shift. My wolf wants to hunt what is his. So do I.

“He knows. He always fucking knows,” I growl, watching Letric slide the necklace over his head. “Ring the war bell. We form an army tonight, and we get back what is ours.”

“Yes, brother.”

CHAPTER 29

ELODIE

I  don’t know when I drifted off to sleep, resting my head back on River’s shoulder as we rode through the night and way into the next day. I never saw anything but trees, rocks, and well, more trees. I wriggle my nose as something wet lands on it. I open my eyes, seeing the snow falling all around us as we ride up a steep part of a stone path, the horse’s feet clanging against the stone. I shiver from the cold, noticing that River has placed his cloak around my shoulders while I slept. I pull it around my legs and hands, blinking through the snow as we get over the hill, and River stops the horse.

“Welcome to the Xan Pack. Otherwise known as hell that you can never escape from,” River mutters as I take in the size of the pack. It’s like someone has taken a big chunk out of the mountain, and then someone has built dozens of huts all the way up it. There are dozens of trees between the houses, with little pathways going off. There are two rivers, one forming a giant waterfall that goes through the pack, reminding me of River. The pack extends massively around the base of the mountain, and there is a long brown stone path that leads up to a big building near the top. The big building looks like a castle from my books, with massive pillars that stretch into the sky. Thick grey clouds hang in the sky, hiding the top of the mountains, and snow falls around us. It’s not thick snow, but still I feel cold and wet already.

“It’s remarkable…and big,” I say, and River chuckles.

“I’d make a rude joke, but I doubt it will make the situation any better for you,” he says, and I can’t help but laugh as he moves the reins and knocks his legs against the sides of the horse to lead us down the path to the giant stone gates under an archway of two wolves touching paws above it.

“Is the alpha going to kill me?” I ask, tightening my hands on the cloak.

“Death would be a mercy,” he warns. “If you get a single chance to kill yourself, do it. I say that because I care.”

“If you weren’t kidnapping me, I think we could be good friends,” I say.

“I am your friend. You are far braver than I could have expected you to be,” he replies. The idea that we are friends doesn’t help me feel better, but it does almost make me laugh. I didn’t know friends kidnapped each other and led them to their deaths.

“Bravery won’t save me,” I reply, feeling the fear building up inside me as we get closer to the doors. I know my death awaits me in here, but I can’t imagine the pain that I will suffer before death takes me away. I wonder if the physical pain could compare to the pain in my heart every time I think of the Alpha Brothers. Maybe it will be a good distraction.

“To die a brave death is one sought after by all those who recognize death’s price,” he whispers, surprising me a little as I remember that quote from a book I once read.

“Death’s price is nothing to chase, because those who are brave will only have death to embrace,” I reply the rest of the quote, and River’s arms tighten around me. We don’t say another word, leaving only this sad tension between us as we get to the gate, and the two stone doors open.

I look at the two guards as we ride past them into the pack, seeing their black leather outfits, dagger black marks on their cheeks, and large swords on their backs. The marks must be some kind of mark of the army maybe. I push all those thoughts aside as we ride through the pack’s lower town. We pass dozens of huts, brown stone houses and people walking about, ignoring us. Though I never see their faces because they all wear large cloaks with their hoods up, fending off the falling snow.

The path continues for a good ten minutes until we get to the other side where there is another pair of large stone doors. This time, there are four guards in black cloaks stood in front of the doors, and they lower their heads when they see us and move aside. The stone doors creak open slowly as we wait until there is a big enough gap that River rides the horse through. On the other side is only the same brown path we were on, with trees lining either side of the path, and every so often, there is a brown stone tower with a fire lit at the top, lighting the place up. The higher we ride up the mountain, the harder it becomes to wipe the snow out of my eyes. The air seems denser, harder to take in, though it all fades away when we get around a corner, and the biggest castle I’ve ever seen comes into view.

The castle is guarded by many wolves. The sight of the three pacing by the door and the two large brown ones who run past us, clearly making a patrol, scares me a little bit more than I already was before we got here. I breathe in a cold, shaky breath and exhale it into puffs of smoky air as River rides us right up to the front door. River climbs off the horse once he pulls to a stop and carefully helps me down before holding my arm as he walks me to the front door. He pushes the door open with his shoulder, dragging me inside with him.

The inside is warm, dimly lit and terrifying with every step we take down the entrance room and to the large stairs at the end. We walk up the stairs, passing two silent men in cloaks who wait at the sides and don’t even seem to notice we are there. The top of the stairs leads to a throne room, which is the only description I can think it would be called. The ceilings are high, and the walls are covered in windows. The windows are stained glass pictures showing wolves fighting, glowing symbols, and a whole lot of blood that gives the room a red glow. I pull my eyes to the only man in the room, sitting on a throne as we walk down the red runner in the middle of the room. The shadows hide his face, so I can only see his muscular build, long cloak, leather trousers and big black boots. A flash of red reflects off something on his head, making me think he has a crown to go with this room. He acts like a king or something, when he is just an alpha.

“As promised, alpha,” River says, letting me go and stepping away.

“Good. Go and get your sister. You have done well,” the alpha replies, his voice dark and deep and petrifying. I look into River’s guilty eyes just before he turns and walks away. I want to hate him, but I can’t. This isn’t River’s fault; this is the Alpha Brothers’, and I will pay the price.

CHAPTER 30

ELODIE

I  stay still as River’s footsteps disappear, and the alpha doesn’t move, doesn’t say a word. My fast beating heart seems to be the only sound in the room until the alpha stands. He rises off his seat slowly, so I can take in his familiar stern face, high cheekbones, grey beard that matches his long grey hair that messily falls around his face. There is a red crown on his head, a simple red jewel band that rests on his forehead, looking like a halo that’s fallen.

“Do you know who I am, dear child?” he asks me as he walks over and starts circling around my body, taking in every part of me.

“Alpha of the Xan Pack,” I reply.

“Correct. You may call me Alpha Tanner,” he tells me, though his voice sounds anything but inviting.

“Why did you go to the effort of ordering someone to kidnap me?” I ask, and Alpha Tanner stops right in front of me, reaching out and roughly grabbing my chin, his sharp nails digging into my skin and making me wince.

“It wasn’t an effort. It was easy, and I needed you,” he says, moving closer and placing his face close to mine as I try to focus on his words instead of the pain of his nails in my skin and the fear of what else he might do to me.

“For what?” I ask.

“Did my sons not tell you who you are?” he says, and my silence is enough of an answer as I try to figure out what he meant. Who are his sons? And what did these people not tell me? I have a feeling this alpha likes his own voice enough to tell me without me even needing to ask. “Tut. Tut. Tut.”

“You must be wrong about me, about whatever or whoever you think I am. I am a no claim, nothing but a slave to this world,” I reply, and he grins ever so slightly before he suddenly lets my chin go, and his other hand whacks across my face. I fly across the floor from the force of the hit and cry out as my hand goes to my burning hot cheek as tears fill my eyes. Alpha Tanner just laughs and laughs before sucking my blood off his fingers as I watch in horror.

“You taste just like your father’s blood. Sweet, brave and so disgusting,” he spits out.

“My father?” I gasp.

“The previous alpha of this very pack. He was an old man when he sired you though. Then I killed him only days later, taking this pack as my own. Your mother, well, she tried to make her mate believe the baby was his. She even claimed she was raped when he figured it out, but everyone knew the truth. I truly believed they killed you as a baby, getting rid of a true born alpha female with a claim to not only this pack but the Ruxan Pack as well. Seems they didn’t kill you at all,” he says, walking over and crouching down next to me as I run his words over in my mind. What he says is impossible. I’m not an alpha female, I’m not even a real wolf. I’m a no claim, nothing of interest to anyone. This doesn’t make any sense. My parents were nobody. Just two wolves in a small pack. If what he is saying is true, I met my mother yesterday on that bridge, and Misty is my half-sister. It can’t be true. I shake my head, tasting salty tears on my lips as my cheek burns from the pain.

“It’s lies. I’m a no claim,” I try to explain. “You have the wrong person!”

“Blood doesn’t lie,” he says, reaching out and running a finger over my cheek, cutting my skin with his nails. I cry out and crawl back, only to have him clamp a hand on my ankle, pulling me back as he licks my blood off his finger, and an almost pleasurable smile appears on his lips. “My sons would never have fallen for a normal wolf. I know what you are, and so do you. It is just hidden, but under pressure, you will shift.”

He doesn’t give me a second to process his words before he picks me up by my ankle and throws me across the room. I slam into a wall under the glass, the pressure making the glass smash and fall around me as I scream from the intense pain. I slide down the wall almost slowly as glass cuts all my skin, and the pain blurs the entire world from me. I hear Alpha Tanner laughing as I try to think of anything but the pain, but a new pain interferes as I realize he is the Alpha Brothers’ father. Their father is a monster, and this is personal to him. If I am who he claims I am, then he will kill me at some point. I’m a threat to him, and this all makes sense. Misty must have known who I was, that’s why she knocked me out and gave me to River. That’s why my true mother said sorry before running away from me. Everything makes sense, even if I do not want it to. I hear Alpha Tanner’s footsteps as he walks over to me and picks up my arm with his two hands. I scream until my throat is raw as he snaps the bone in my arm and drops it to the floor. The room spins as I see Alpha Tanner kneel in front of me, picking up a bit of glass and slowly cutting a line down my leg that makes me cry out.

“What is worse, Elodie? The physical pain I am causing or the pain in your heart, knowing your sister is so easily replacing you?” he asks.

“Kill me,” I plead, wishing the pain would stop. I have nothing to live for, so what is the point of begging for life?

“Why would I do that, Elodie? You are what I’ve wanted for a long time,” he says, throwing the glass away and crawling to me, pushing my legs apart, and grabbing my face with his hand.

“I am nothing,” I spit out, coughing on the blood in my mouth.

“When you shift, you will be everything,” he tells me, and I make out a blurry vision of him close to my face. “After all, don’t you want to be able to protect that bastard baby in your belly? I can taste his alpha blood mixed in yours. When he is born, I will fuck you and make you carry my children. When my child is born, I will kill my bastard grandson in front of my deadbeat sons who ran away. Then they can watch me fuck you before I rip their hearts out.” Alpha Tanner keeps speaking, but everything fades away except for two words. My baby. I’m pregnant, and he wants to kill my baby.

My body shakes uncontrollably as every part of me feels like it’s on fire until I let out a low growl and open my now clear eyes. Alpha Tanner is on his knees in front of me, and I can see my reflection in his greedy eyes. My black wolf is huge with glowing blue eyes, and before I’ve thought anything of it, my wolf jumps onto him, its teeth ripping into his throat and pulling out anything it can. The metallic taste fills my mouth as my wolf leans up, watching his shocked eyes as they glaze over and he slumps to the floor.

CHAPTER 31

ELODIE

I  cry out in unimaginable pain as I shift back, wondering if this fire burning feeling will always be like this when I shift. I sit naked on the floor as I open my eyes, every part of me is covered in Alpha Tanner’s blood. Parts of his body are scattered around the throne room, his blood is everywhere, and yet I only smile. He deserved it. Even if it means I will be killed for killing him. I remember the color of my wolf and how big it was. I am an alpha female, and that means Alpha Tanner’s story of my real parents must be true. I was never a no claim. I slide my hands to my stomach, letting out a little sob. I’m pregnant, something I always knew could happen, but it’s so rare for alphas and wolves who are not connected as mates.

If I can just escape here, I can keep me and my baby safe. The Alpha Brothers will protect the baby, even if they never want to see me again. I don’t know what other choice I have. I shakily stand up, knowing the shift healed all my cuts and broken bones before stepping over a part of Alpha Tanner’s leg in front of me. I walk to the middle of the room just as I hear footsteps and know there is nowhere to escape. River runs in with two men at his side, their matching dagger marks and clothing suggest they are guards. Maybe even betas.

“Let me go. I don’t want to hurt you,” I say, a threatening growl leaving my lips as my hands go to my stomach.

“I pledge my allegiance to the new alpha. Long may you run with the wolves as your pack protects you, Alpha Elodie,” River says, dropping to his knees and bowing his head. The men at his side do the same, their words echoing around the room.

“I don’t understand,” I say. River looks up and whispers something to the men at his side who bow once more to me before walking out the room. I keep my eyes on River as he stands up, unclipping his cloak as he walks to me.

“Here, alpha,” he offers me his cloak, and I accept it, covering myself up as the cloak sticks to the blood covering me.

“You think I am your alpha?” I ask, shocked.

“May I explain a story to you?” he asks, and I nod, watching him closely as I am not sure I can trust him yet. “Misty explained to me who you are, who you really are and why you had to be taken to the alpha. I left you here, and I am sorry for that but I had to get my sister first. The two men are betas and close friends of mine. We came to fight the alpha for you, but it seems you never needed our help. Your father and your ancient bloodline were the true rulers of the Xan Pack for thousands of years. You were born to be the true alpha.”

“My mother is the alpha female of the Ruxan Pack,” I say, and he nods.

“Then you are the true alpha of not only this pack but two packs by birthright,” he tells me what I know.

“No, I am more than that. I carry the child, a true alpha, of the Luxa Pack alphas. I am alpha now, and my son will be alpha of this entire world,” I say, holding my head high. I am not “nothing” anymore. I never was. River bows his head and offers me a hand.

“You might not need me, but I wish to serve close to your side. I was his head beta, and I would gladly be anything to you,” he tells me, and I suspect he might be of use to me.

“I want five betas, leaders in my place when major decisions need influence. You can help me choose, my new beta,” I say, and his attractive lips widen into a large grin. I look over as the two men from earlier come into the room, bowing their heads.

“Alpha Elodie, your people are gathered outside. They wish to see their new alpha. We have spread the word of your true birthright,” the dark-skinned man on the left says.

“Go ahead and open the doors,” I say, taking a step forward and into my new life. I step on something hard and look down, seeing the red jewel crown under my foot. I lean down, picking it up and sliding it over my head.

“You look like you were born to wear that. Your father wore it well,” River tells me, and I smile at him.

“I want to know more about my past once we have settled things,” I say, walking down the steps and towards the doors that the guards hold open. I hear the people outside; their cheers and shouts are hard to miss.

“Yes, Alpha Elodie,” River replies and waves a hand at the door. “Welcome to your new home.”

EPILOGUE

ELODIE

“A lpha Elodie, I have a message for you from the front gate,” the nervous wolf exclaims after running in here. I look over at River, who nods his head, suggesting I listen to what he has to say. The past week has been full of the political side of being alpha and of being pregnant with the new alpha baby as well. I’m glad for a moment’s peace. Well, I was until this man ran in here.

“What is it?” I ask.

“The Alpha Brothers are at the gate. Their army is in the forest, and they demand to speak to the alpha. They want what is theirs back,” he tells me. I’m surprised they came for me at all.

“Tell them Elodie Masters is the new alpha,” I say, standing up and crossing my arms. “You can also tell them they are not welcome in my pack unless they submit to me.”

“Y-yes, alpha,” the man says, looking terrified to tell them that before running out the room. I don’t blame him. I doubt the Alpha Brothers will take it well. My heart bangs in my chest as I think of them, and I force myself to push those thoughts to the back of my mind. They have Misty now, and they never loved me like I clearly loved them. I won’t be a fool ever again. I have my baby after all. He is all that is important now.

“Do you think it’s a good idea? You could have peace with them,” River suggests.

“They threw me out, broke my heart, and treated me like I am nothing. I will never be treated that way, neither will my child, because I fought to survive. I fought for this pack, to claim my birthright. So yes, it is a good idea. I am alpha, and I will never submit to anyone again.”

Pre-order book two, No Claim, here on Amazon…

AUTHOR NOTE

Hello! Thank you for reading No Alpha! The next book (No Claim) will be out on 15th January 2019. Link is here.

Thank you to everyone that helped me write No Alpha. A big shout out to Mads, Helayna, Cora, the Cat’s Pajamas and my amazing Pack Leaders.

Most of all, thank you to my readers.

You inspire me to keep writing every day with your kind reviews and amazing comments.

G. x

Please keep reading for an excerpt from True Light…

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

G. Bailey is a USA Today bestselling author of books that are filled with everything from dragons to pirates. Plus, fantasy worlds and breath-taking adventures. Oh, and some swoon-worthy men that no girl could forget. G. Bailey is from the very rainy U.K. where she lives with her husband, two children and three cheeky dogs. And, of course, the characters in her head that never really leave her, even as she writes them down for the world to read!

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Table of Contents

Title Page

Contents

No Alpha

Copyright

Description

Prologue

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

Chapter 27

Chapter 28

Chapter 29

Chapter 30

Chapter 31

Epilogue

Author Note

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Other books by G. Bailey.

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