Reyna
I stumble backward as three pairs of blue eyes look at me as if I’m their last meal. The crowd moves out of the way, but then Alpha Malachi turns to face the other two with a frown etched on his face.
“Pardon my fucking language, but did I just hear you both recognize my mate as yours?” he growls, and I see his claws start to extend. “Correct me if I am wrong, please, gentlemen.”
Alpha Rune drops his hood and glares at him. “There’s no need for violence, Malachi,” he says, and the latter scoffs.
“Violence!” Alpha Malachi chuckles. “I am prepared to go back to war to have her as mine alone—”
“Such a brute. No wonder your father died at my hand,” Alpha Cassian says and crosses his arms. “It is obvious what has happened, and if you don’t put those kitten claws away, I will break them.”
Alpha Malachi growls and I take a step back…then another… until I’m running out of the hall as fast as my legs can take me. There is no way I’m going to stay in the middle of this! The Moon Goddess could not have given me three mates; three mates who literally hate one another!
Before I can reach the door, I get pulled into someone’s arms and slam against a hard chest. The scent of apple pie floods my senses and when I look up, it is directly into Alpha Cassian’s eyes.
“Where do you think you’re running off to, little one?” he says in that deep timbre of his and I swear I am a literal puddle right now. “There’s nowhere to run, not when we know you’re ours.”
“Ours? Cassian, are you listening to yourself?” Alpha Malachi says and I finally tear my gaze away from the Alpha holding me. “She cannot be ours because there is no way I am sharing her with the likes of you two. She needs to choose.”
I push Alpha Cassian away and shake my head. “You can’t make me choose—”
“She’s right,” a woman’s voice sounds out and Alpha Malachi rolls his eyes as he steps to the side. “She must not choose.”
I look at the woman who I know as Alpha Cassian’s mother and swallow deeply when she looks at me. She’s a classic beauty, one where her age does not show on her face. Her eyes are the soft yellow of a Luna, and I can tell there’s no anger in them.
“And what wisdom do you hold, oh great Queen Consort Deana?” Alpha Malachi says, crossing his arms over his chest. “Have you forgotten—”
“We must not speak here or have YOU forgotten we have an audience behind us?” she chastises, shaking her head before turning around to face everyone staring at us. “Alpha Alaric, please permit us to have a moment in private with this young lady.”
My heart drops at the mention of my father, and Alpha Rune looks at me with a frown. “Why does the name of this Alpha scare you?” he asks as my father approaches. “What has he done?”
I cannot get over the possession in his voice and I attempt to spew out a lie, but nothing comes to mind. “Ehm…he’s my father—”
“Your father?!” Alpha Cassian bellows, just as my father stops in front of us and I flinch. “You are the daughter of an Alpha and yet he has you working as a slave? Do not tell me he caused those bruises as well?”
“Hush, all of you!” Queen Deana says, before turning back to my father, who is as white as a sheet. “Is there perhaps a room where we can speak to this young lady?”
“Of course, Queen Deana!” he says, and gestures to the staircase leading up. “Please follow me.”
I stand there, feeling a bit lost, when someone places a firm hand on my lower back and when I look up, I see Alpha Cassian staring down at me. “Come, follow us,” he says, and I hear Alpha Malachi growl at this.
As we make our way through the hall, my eyes inadvertently catch sight of my scattered gold coins and a sharp pain pierces through me as I realise that I am now bound here forever. As I raise my head, I see Abby's face with a look of horror, and at that moment, I realise that it was all worth it.
But that little feeling all comes crashing down when my father opens a bedroom door and we all walk inside. He can’t even look at me, instead, he just tells the Queen he’ll be outside if they need him before walking out and closing the door behind him.
Now it’s just me and my supposed mates and a Queen mother.
I feel their eyes on me before I even glance up at them, but it doesn’t do anything to soften the blow at all. The intensity behind their stares makes me want to jump out the bloody window, and yet I cannot move at all.
“Could you three please give her some room?” Queen Deana says, breaking whatever spell they had me under, and I blink it away. I look at the Queen as she walks towards me, then she takes my hand in hers. “What is your name, love?”
“Reyna,” I say in a voice just above a whisper before repeating it again. “My name is Reyna.”
“Hmm, it’s lovely to meet you,” she says to me with a kind smile on her face, before she turns to face the three Alphas. “Now, you three need to listen to me. Reyna cannot reject this bond with any one of you, or it would risk us angering the Goddess.”
Alpha Cassian steps forward with a frown etched on his face. “Mother, are you forgetting we were just at war with these two? There is no way we could share a mate.”
“There is no way I’m sharing her with anyone,” Alpha Malachi growls. “End of fucking discussion.”
“Must you always resort to violence, Malachi? This decision is not yours to make, but Reyna’s,” Alpha Rune’s hoarse, smokey voice echoes through the room and when I turn to really look at him, I am quite surprised at what I see.
He’s actually incredibly handsome. With dark hair and tanned features, his blue eyes stand out more than the other two Alphas, and I’d be lying if I didn’t find it alluring. Not only that, but he smells of…Oh, gosh, that’s where the rich chocolate smell came from.
The Queen claps her hands together to get our attention and we all look her way. “Well, tensions are high right now, so let us not make any hasty decisions. We need to get tonight over with so we can decide on what to do in the morning,” she says, then she sighs. “We need to speak with the Seers, then we can decide from there what happens.”
“Why the Seers?” I ask after miraculously finding my voice, and they all look at me. “Why do I have to wait for them when I can just reject you all and we can be on our merry way?”
Three separate sets of growls reverberate all around me and my heart nearly leaps out of my chest. I clutch the front of my dress and take a step back from them as all three advances on me with their teeth bared and blue eyes blazing.
“You would reject your Alpha Kings, little mate?” Alpha Cassian says with a smile on his face. “You would anger the Goddess so?”
I swallow hard and fumble over words, but nothing makes sense to me right now. Why are they looking at me as if they’re starved? Wouldn’t a rejection work out better for all three of us?
“But… you three hate one another,” I say as goosebumps shoot up my spine. “Why would the Goddess mate me to three enemies? What is the point of that?”
“Peace, perhaps,” Queen Deanna says with a slight frown on her face, then her eyes widen slightly. “That is the only thing I can think of. Perhaps this is her way…of uniting the kingdoms?”
“Rubbish,” Alpha Malachi says, shaking his head. “But be that as it may, we have to show face and so-called solidarity outside of these walls. So why don’t we have ‘our’ little mate go about as normal and speak again in the morning?”
Everyone nods and seems to agree with this, but as soon as we’re out of that locked room, I am already planning my escape. The horse should still be where Headmistress Neave left it, so if I can sneak out silently…
Breathing out a sigh with my mind made up, I form a small plan in my head where I run the heck away from all this!
As soon as we get back downstairs, I keep my head down even though I can feel everyone’s eyes burning into me. I have to act like everything’s okay, like I wasn’t just upstairs with three Alpha Kings and a Queen Consort telling me what’s going to happen with my life next.
I have to act like my life isn’t slowly being unraveled by the Goddess herself.
“Don’t run too far, little mate,” I hear Alpha Malachi’s taunting voice behind me as we reach the bottom steps. “Remember what we spoke about.”
“Yes, sir,” comes out of my mouth and I scurry away before he can say another word to me. I don’t know where I’m going right now. All I know is I need to get away from this stifling ballroom.
I run through the kitchen and out the maid’s entrance into the back alleyway, and as soon as I’m out of there, I take a huge gulp of fresh air… then I run for my life.
How did tonight go from something I was looking forward to, to my life being turned completely upside down? I’m supposed to be miles from here by now if I stuck to my plan of leaving as soon as everyone was distracted by the Alpha Kings’ arrival.
Instead, my dormant wolf decided to recognise her mates. MATES! PLURAL!
Rushing towards the manor, I slow down to a crawl as soon as I get home so the guards won’t think me odd, and change into something dark. Then I tie my hair up, find the rest of the money I had stashed away and sneak back out of the manor.
I am not sticking around for whatever the Alphas have planned for me. I can’t do that. My life will not consist of being chartered between kingdoms whenever the Alphas feel like they’re in the mood for me.
With my mind made up, I run back towards the castle and sneak to the stables out back. The bag with my things is hidden right by the black horse, as Headmistress Neave said. Now all that’s left for me to do is leave this godforsaken place.
“She’s a beauty,”
My heart skips a beat when I hear the hoarse, smoky voice behind me, and it feels like my legs want to give out from under me. I was so preoccupied with getting my things and leaving, that I didn’t even catch a whiff of the chocolate smell permeating the very air I’m breathing.
Reyna I turn around to face the Alpha behind me and see him leaning with his shoulder against the stable door. His Alpha blue eyes regard me curiously, and I detect no anger or annoyance in his scent. “Alpha Rune,” I whisper his name, and a faint smile appears on his face, astounding me. This Alpha is actually quite… gorgeous. Despite the, broody, mysterious air around him, he has an attractive young and chiselled face with the sweetest smile I have ever seen. “Hello again, darling. Where are you off to in such a rush?” he asks as he cocks his head to the side. My stomach clenches at the curious smile on his face, and I feel like I’ve been caught doing something I shouldn’t be doing. Well… I take a step back from him and swallow hard, only for him to push off from the doorway and walk toward me. That broodiness quickly shifts into something more dangerous, and my heart feels like it’s trapped in a vise. “I…uh…” “You can be lucky I’m the only one out of the three of us who can
I am roused from my sleep by the sound of hushed voices and I’m about to tell them to sod off when I hear my name.“...Yes, I am well aware of that. I know we’ve had our differences and we all hate each other, but I think this is more important than that. I caught her trying to run away last night. We all terrified her.”I sit up quickly in my bed, only to realise that I’m not even in my bed. Before I could even wonder where the heck I am, everything comes flooding back to me and the sweet bakery scents hit me right in the gut. Oh, Goddess gracious, I have three mates and they’re literal enemies!My heart is beating so fast that I think I might just pass out from lightheadedness. Placing a hand on my chest, I try to calm myself down by leveling out my breathing. However, before I can even get my heart to settle down, the carriage door swings open.I know for a fact that I am not a light sleeper; that when I sleep, it shows on my face. Right now I can feel my hair standing up wildly a
ReynaI roamed through a foggy forest that appeared to stretch on for miles. The trees are veiled in mist, which made it difficult to see and created an eerie stillness. Am I dreaming right now? That seems to be the logical explanation, seeing as I seem to be alone here.My heart leaps into my throat when I see a huge, shadowy figure appear in the distance, its form indistinct. I squint to try and make out what I am seeing, but my mind cannot comprehend what this creature could be.Black fog in a misshapen shape. However, it was the eyes that grabbed my attention - two captivating orbs of purple that shone like jewels in the darkness. An inexplicable urge pulled me forward as if the creature beckoned me to follow.Step by step, I ventured deeper into the fog, my heart racing with both trepidation and curiosity. Each footfall sent echoes through the silent forest, heightening my awareness of the unknown lurking in the shadows.As I trailed behind the creature, a sense of familiarity w
ReynaAlpha Malachi holds his head proudly as we enter the dining room and of course, every head turns to face us. Gods, I’m sure the rumours about last night have spread heavily across the city. The Alpha’s illegitimate daughter is the supposed mate of the Alpha Kings.I swallow hard when we arrive at a private table and Alpha Malachi pulls a chair out for me. “Alpha Malachi, if I may—”“You don’t need to address me so formally, Reyna dear. My first name is fine,” he says, leaning his face close to mine. “I am sure Cassian will say the same thing since you using our titles feels so…wrong.”“For the first time in your entire existence you’re correct about me, Malachi,” Cassian says as she sits down in the chair next to me. “Just my name without the title, little mate.”I shake my head and scoff. “Weren’t you two just at each other’s throats last night? What happened in the time I fainted?”Malachi chuckles lightly. “A near-death encounter which could have been prevented if Cassian an
CassianWe’re seated in Alaric’s meeting chamber, watching as he and his Beta fall over themselves in a bid to explain how they had nothing to do with the attack this morning.I’m well aware that he had nothing to do with it, I just want to see him sweat a little.“This can be seen as a signal of war. To attack when all three of us are here in a neutral country? Why aren’t there more patrols out during the day? Do you want more bloodshed on your hands, Alaric?” Rune asks. He’s standing with his hands braced on the table in front of him, anger radiating from his scent. The last time I saw Rune this angry was when his uncle turned traitor and I informed him about it. It was the beginning of our truce, the seeds planted to end a war our grandparents started. A war none of us wanted.“I understand the implications, but please Alphas, rest assured we will find whoever did this!” he declares, and I lean back bracing my chin on my fingers. “We will—”“And?” I ask, watching as confusion inch
ReynaWe hurriedly left the kingdom after Malachi and Rune returned with clothing for me, the events of the attack still fresh in my mind. I couldn’t help but feel a mix of trepidation and curiosity. Cassian, Malachi, and Rune seem to move with swift determination after the meeting with my father, but no one would tell me what exactly was discussed.As we approach what appeared to be a hidden field, I notice a gleaming metallic structure in the distance. My heart skips a beat as the carriage draws closer and I am a confused mess as I try to comprehend what I am seeing. My eyes widened with awe as I took in the gleaming metal body, the polished finish reflecting the sun’s soft light. The sight was unlike anything I had ever seen before; it stood like a majestic beast, large and imposing.The carriage comes to a stop and we get out, all the while my eyes remain transfixed on the thing in front of me.“What... what is this?” I stammer, my eyes wide with wonder as I gaze up at the metal
Reyna The landing of the private jet is surprisingly smooth, and as the wheels touch down, my heart flutters with anticipation. What else lay in store for me to marvel at? As we stepped out of the private jet, the sight that greeted us was nothing short of awe-inspiring. “Wow…” I trail off when I set my eyes on Malachi’s castle in front of me…well if you could call it a castle! The castle stands tall and majestic, with the outer walls made of an enchanting, shimmering glass material that seemed to change colours in the light, creating an iridescent effect that catches the eye from every angle. Thin spires stretch out towards the sky, and odd spherical chambers are situated in front of the castle, each chamber bathed in an odd blue light. Trees of vibrant colours as far as the eye can see, giving it an ethereal glow. Malachi slips an arm around my waist and leads me outside. I can sense the excitement radiating from him, which is odd, since this is his kingdom. “Welcome to my kin
Reyna As we sit together in his living room, Malachi embraces me tightly, and I try to feel at ease as I listen to the gentle and calming beat of his heart. But it doesn’t work… I can still hear the moment the high priestess’ heart stopped. “She died because of me,” I whisper, clutching onto the lapel of Malachi’s coat. “Why did she die? What did I do?” “Shh, beautiful, it wasn’t your fault,” he says in a soothing voice as he runs his fingers through my hair. “She did what the Goddess called on her to do; nothing was your fault.” It doesn’t make me feel any better, none of it does. I groan as I settle deeper into his embrace and choose to ignore everything else. Cassian has gone off somewhere to call on someone, and Rune is on the opposite side of the room, brewing something. Right now I know I am being forward by sitting in Malachi’s lap and being this intimate with him, but being this close to my mate seems to be the only thing keeping me calm right now. He doesn’t mind either