Calhoun's POV
"We have a little birdie in our midst," Bruce slams his fist on the executive wooden desk, startling the men seated at the table with us."He has been gathering bits of information and sharing them with our enemies, so the crafty can plot their attack and bring us down," Bruce continues as he pops his head from one man to the other, through a suspicious squint.It's evening and I'm supposed to spend quality time with Natalie since it's nearing the hour of our wedding night, but I excused myself from her, promising to return in a few hours. When in reality I wanted to be away from her to clear my head. I literally forced Bruce to our pack conference hall despite how hard he tried to resist, claiming it was my wedding night and I needed to ensure other engines were serviced. The bastard sure knew what he meant.From The power seat where I am, I mind-link with my Beta who in turn tells me the culprit amid us.It's no other person than Donovan, our very own Delta.Who would have thought?"Seize him!" This authoritative command erupts from my mouth as I jerk my finger right in his face."Alpha Calhoun?" Donovan rises to his feet and fakes confusion for a second, "I don't understand.""Photos of you were captured," Bruce slaps a beige file at the table, "you not only snitched on us with Alpha Pete, but you also had his men brought here and disguised them as servants. Poisoned the first wedding cake, set the kitchen on fire, and killed two men just this morning."My eyes almost bulge out of their sockets in shock, when I take a look at the photos.To think such things happen right under my nose and I didn't have the slightest clue. Two people were killed? Shit!"Don't let me repeat myself," I growl, referring to my order earlier.At this, my men grab Donovan, and press him to the floor, making his face kiss the cold marble floor."Too bad eyes were on you the entire time. You wanted to turn our Alphas wedding into a disaster but you failed woefully," Bruce chuckles to himself and looks at me, "What should we do with him?"With anger seeping through my veins, I rise to my feet."Don't kill him yet, lock him up in the cold dungeon and do more research about him. Afterward, he'll serve as a scapegoat to other spies in this pack."Despite Donovan's pleas and struggles, my men drag him out of the conference hall.Bruce kisses his teeth and turns to face me, with both his brows uplifted.I know he always has something to say when he looks at me like this."It's your wedding night, you ought to let me handle things," he says at last."Why didn't you tell me about the deaths and the poisoned cake?" My frown is huge on my face, "I am your Alpha.""And as your beta, I should look out for you when it's required," Bruce thins his lips and clasps his hands together, "you should go spend the night with Natalie. You don't want to keep the woman waiting."My chest rises and falls when I try to think about Natalie but her daughter paves into my mind.Kristen. My mate. My wife's daughter."You saw her, didn't you?" I ask Bruce after a slice of silence passed between us."Yes. I thought she came to ruin things because you two hooked up last night. It's just so sick that she's Natalie's daughter," Bruce puts his hands on his waist and sighs."She's my mate," my throat works after I make this known to my beta. And for a second, he stiffens like he just saw a ghost."Kristen is your mate? F*ck me!" He exclaims, "How do you intend to go about things?""Natalie is my wife, Kristen is my stepdaughter. Things would've been less f*cked up if we weren't mated. And there's the mate bond which powerfully consumes every emotion in me.""F*ck!" Bruce curses, loud enough for everyone to hear even though we're behind closed doors.***"You're here," Natalie rises from the bed when I shut the door behind me. The grand room has candles and petals of flowers everywhere.Natalie is wearing a black lingerie, looking breathtakingly magnificent with her black hair falling on her shoulders.She leaves the king-sized bed and walks until she's standing in front of me. Her scent is supposed to be enticing, arousing but because my mind isn't here, I just feel unsettled.Natalie takes my hand and puts it at the small of her back, before tipping her head to kiss me.I let her kiss me for a few seconds before I pull away."What's wrong, Calhoun? It's our wedding night. We've anticipated it, you made jokes about how I'll be unable to walk for days," she presses her body against mine.Not only does my wolf control my body to maintain distance between us, my hands are stubbornly refraining from touching her."I'm sorry but can we do this another time?""Why? I prepared for this," worry takes over Natalie's face and I feel like the biggest jerk to ever exist. I love her so much that I hate myself for being this way. I want to kiss, touch and make sweet love to her but I can't. Not tonight. When I know my mate is in this building and I can feel her even though we're far away from each other."Don't you like the lingerie, I can wear another one if you want.""No, no. You're so f*cking sexy that it hurts to look at you.""Then why don't you want me? Are you fed up because we've f*cked a hundred times and now you're fed up with my body?" Fear is evident in her eyes and I just want to punch the wall so badly, for stirring up this emotion in my wife."Something happened today and I cannot rest until I look towards the end of it. This pack needs to be protected, as much as you," I cup her cheeks and stare into her eyes, "and I am sorry that I cannot touch you tonight. I promise to make it up to you."Natalie's eyes soften at this and she nods.After placing a swift kiss on her forehead, I exit the room without turning to spare her a backward glance.The guards have evacuated this side because they wanted to give me and Natalie some privacy.Thunder cracks in the sky, indicating an impending downpour. But I doubt I'll stay indoors. My wolf needs to be let out for a run, to stretch.I am on the balcony on the third floor when my eyes spot something from afar.It's a small gray wolf running.Kristen. I know it's her right away because I can feel her.What is she doing out here all alone?Self-control leaves my body when I let my wolf take over. He doesn't even take the stairs but jumps through the balcony and chases after Kristen's wolf.Kristen's POVMy wolf increases her pace into fast gallops when she sees a big black wolf chasing after us. All my worries fade away and replace with fear, because it looks like someone is out to get me.For the third time, my wolf turns to throw a glance at the wolf right behind us and she accidentally hits a tree and falls. When I shift into my human form, my heart is already doing dangerous backflips in my chest because I can feel him. It's Calhoun. My mate and stepfather. He stops in front of me and shifts."What are you doing, Kristen?" "N-n- nothing," my response comes out in a stutter when he takes a step closer to me. Why is he here? Isn't he supposed to be with my mom, having the best of their wedding night?"Why did you take off like that? It's dangerous for a female to go for a night run in times like this," Calhoun holds out his hand to help me up.And it's not like I can accept it. I don't want any part of me touching him. Having him this close is doing no justice to m
Kristen's POVThe middle-aged man is drawing closer with his flashlight, stirring up a churn in my stomach as panic punches out of my lungs. "Relax," Calhoun quietly orders upon sensing my fear but I can't. Things are so messed up right now that I just want to close my eyes and wish I never came here. And the thought of my mom finding out what I did with her husband. Oh my God!It all happens in a swift motion when Calhoun leaves my body and before I am left with moments to process what's unfolding right under my gaze, Calhoun snaps the man's neck and lets his body drop to the wet ground.My hands fasten to my mouth to suppress the screaming intending to erupt from it. Because he just killed someone. An innocent man!And when Calhoun shifts his gaze back to mine, I tremble so hard that my teeth are beginning to chatter. "Put on your clothes, I don't want anyone seeing you like this," he commands, whilst he's standing naked in full glory. "You just killed someone," I force these wor
Calhoun's POV"I caught her trying to sneak out," I tell Natalie, something which isn't a lie."Why'd you even want to do that?" Her face transforms into confusion as she leaves the stairs and meets with us."It's just…I don't feel welcomed here." Kristen thins her lips and fiddles with her small, delicate hands. Hands that she had run through my bare back under the rain last night."But I thought we've gotten past this already," Natalie tucks her daughter's hair behind her ear and touches her cheek, "My poor baby is now a woman. I can recall when you always teared up when I left you in someone's care. Now you're all grown up, cannot wait to get away from me.""It's not like that, Mother," Kristen ensures she's avoiding my gaze as she tries to defend herself."You have three weeks until you're returning to school for your final semester. I want you to stay, so you can bond with Calhoun and me." Natalie clasp Kristen's hands in hers.And I just clench my jaw.If only she knows how I ca
Kristen's POV Today is the Greyhound pack run and it's quite surprising because just yesterday was Alpha Calhoun and my mom's wedding. It could have been canceled but Alpha Calhoun permitted them to go on with it since my mom fancies such things. She's euphoric to be Luna of the Greyhound pack, people completely adore her because of her outspokenness, elegance, and breathtaking beauty. Unlike her who has the perfect body, I am busty, petite, and with a slim build.We don't even look alike, I take more of my father even if I'm the bastard child.I should be happy Alpha Calhoun has finally agreed to reject me after the pack run so our mate bond can be broken, and then he can be with my mom. But I can't find any bit of happiness in me.Perhaps because he came up with the suggestion before I could. And the determination in his blue eyes gives out that he wants to get done with me for good. My wolf is against this, if there's any way she can make me decline Alpha Calhoun's rejection, sh
Calhoun's POVI am stunned in my seat when the whistleblower handles the whistle, because Kristen does a quick backflip and takes over the race immediately, earning screams from the crowd.People are running beside and in front of her but the determination on her face gives out that she isn't even afraid. A few men are having a hard time running in their human form, because their wolves are threatening to surface, making it difficult for them to keep on the right track. It's a run, after all, wolves love running.It's hard to pay attention to my wife when my mate is out there, running like her life depends on it. Before I know what's happening, my feet are moving and carrying me forward so I can take a proper view of the pack run.They're fourteen contestants in number, eleven men and three females. The pack run has different stages and obstacles to face.The whole world narrows and all I can recognize is my mate on the run. Kristen is the smallest and fastest. She looks so fierce and
Kristen's POV "Kristen, wake up."The gentle shake on my shoulders flicks my eyes open to my mother staring down at me."Mom?" I breathe out, utterly confused because I'm on the bed and I have the sheet covers on me. I was dreaming about participating in the pack run, right?"You've been out for three hours," Mom looks away from me as she informs me of this, "You passed out after winning the pack runs."Suddenly images of me contesting for the pack run through my head and I can remember everything.Holy shit!I can't believe Alpha Calhoun left his position and ran to my side. I was weak but I can recall when he carried me in a bridal style.No. He did not. How could he do such a thing? Mom might even suspect a thing and his people on the other hand would think something is going on between the two of us. Alpha Calhoun married Mom yesterday, so there's no way a man and his stepdaughter would bond so fast.It's dark and the music from outside is enough to notify me of the pack run aft
Kristen's POVI'm currently at the Greyhound council hall, with three elders, Bruce and three of Alpha Calhoun's men. But he's nowhere in sight."Just wait a little longer, he will show up," Bruce whispers to me and I nod in response.Calhoun's elders are still surprised to know that their Alpha has a mate and it's me, his Luna's daughter. Shame clouds me when my mind drifts back to what happened thirty minutes ago. Mom didn't raise a hand on me but she purposely smashed a glass cup against the floor and accused me of trying to seduce Calhoun.Her behavior is only a product of what happened at the pack run, if only she knows that we've not only gotten intimate but I am also his mate, she'll kill me.My impatience is getting the best of me, I want Alpha Calhoun to come here and reject me as quickly as he can. My mom's behavior is understandable but it instilled fear in me. I don't want her to get hurt because of me, upon knowing she won't hurt alone. She'd ensure I go through pains on
Calhoun's POV "You ought to be enjoying the honeymoon phase with your wife, not stick around like an unwanted guest. You should pass for a boil in the armpit." Nana Joyce casts me a suspicious look through her glasses."Ouch," I put my hand on my chest and feign sadness, "you hurt my feelings.""Cut me that crap and tell me why you've spent two nights here, Calhoun." The look on her face shows that she's not ready to listen to any excuses."I miss the good old days," putting my glass of wine on the table, I release a low breath and jam my fingers through my hair. It's not as if my response is a lie but it's far from the truth.Nana Joyce chuckles to herself before shaking her head at me."You know, that's not a very honest response. I am eighty-six and my wolf isn't agile like she was twenty years ago. We don't go out for runs anymore because I'm weak and you find me boring," she pauses to catch her breath before continuing."You built this mansion for me and put omegas at my beck and