Thea
– Present Day –‘And they lived happily ever after.’Of course, they did; Bleh!I sigh and snap the book closed, letting it rest on my stomach. I just lay with my feet dangling over the arm of one of the many leather wing-back chairs in the library. Thousands of books fill the dark mahogany shelves that line the room. I have read them all at least once, some two or three times.Coming to the library to read is one of the few things my father, the alpha king, allows me to do. I’m locked away like a fairytale princess, except I wasn’t kidnapped at birth, just cursed.Ugh! I swing my legs around to a sitting position before I stand up, and run my hands down the soft material of my black t-shirt dress. I wander over to the window that overlooks the training grounds where I can see the warriors all gathered together for the morning session. My father and half-brother, Kenrik, watch from the sides.Kenrik is preparing to take over as Alpha of Golden Claw soon. Father will hand down the title after Kenrik and Ahlana mark each other as chosen mates under the full moon next month. Last month, under the supermoon, Kenrik happened to come across his fated mate. She was an omega that had accompanied Alpha Jonah from the Dark Fang pack while he was visiting for a treaty meeting.That was a short-lived romance, to say the least. Father made Kenrik reject her on the spot because he is a purist and a prick. He is delusional in his quest to keep the Adler bloodline strong. Kenrik had to mate with a female of Alpha blood, no ifs, ands, or buts. Ahlana was Alpha Jonah’s daughter, she’d just turned 18 and hasn’t even had a chance to look for her mate.Jonah didn’t even think twice before he signed her over for an alliance. I’m sure he would have sucked father off to get that deal if that’s what it took.I feel kind of bad for her. She spends much of her time with Gamma Niko’s mate, Sophia, learning every detail she needs to serve as Kenrik’s Luna and queen. Typically the current Luna would teach the prodigy, but Luna Iris died in a freak accident on the back portion of the territory. I wasn’t alive yet, but I knew it was the reason the waterfall was off-limits.I feel bad about the whole thing, but I didn’t know her, and I suppose if it hadn’t happened, I wouldn’t be alive. Though I’m not sure you could call this living.My existence leads to the whole hypocritical aspect of fathers' purist ideology. Luna Iris died when Kenrik was only one, and according to our father, the best way to ensure our family kept the lineage was ‘with an heir and a spare.’I, however, was not the spare he was hoping for. My mother was an omega whose mate was killed in battle. They were both desperate, I guess. He mated solely to get her pregnant and produce a spare, breaking his own rules in haste. He killed her the day I was born because, shocker, I’m a she, not a he.Being a she-wolf in this pack sucked. We can’t train, fight or serve in the ranks of the pack. As outdated and sexist as that seems, no one dares to go against Alpha King Maksym.There's a light knock on the door before it creaks open and pulls me from my thoughts. Niko steps in. He’s younger than most of the other ranked members, only in his thirties, but even though he serves my father, he has always been kind to me.“Princess Althea, Alpha Maksym has requested you meet him down in his office,” he says, holding the door open for me.I roll my eyes, sucking in a deep breath and then slowly releasing it. I nod at Gamma Niko as I head for the door. I’m greeted in the hall by one of Golden Claw’s head warriors, Anders. Anders has been one of my guards for as long as I can remember. He’s also my favorite because he often would bring his easy-on-the-eyes son, Apollo, around.“Princess,” Anders greeted, falling into line behind me as Niko leads the way down to the second floor where the offices were. Either Anders and Niko are almost always with me, if not both. I always have someone with me at all times, except for at night when only the night guard watches the family wing of the house.Our footsteps echo off the marbled floors and the ornately decorated walls that lined the halls throughout the packhouse. My stomach begins to knot as we approach the office door. He almost never wants to see me outside of dinners.Niko knocks on the door and waits to be summoned. He holds the door open, and when he bows and Anders takes his place to the left of the door, I know I’m going in alone.The office can almost be considered cozy. Much like the library, the walls are lined with mahogany built-ins. The fireplace, surrounded by granite, sits opposite a picture window that overlooks the back gardens. Father is seated behind his large solid oak desk. The pack’s oracle, Calliope, is seated in a leather chair across from him.That's weird, but after a few slaps across the face growing up, I’d learned to keep my comments to myself. I make my way to the leather sofa closest to the crackling fire and sit.“Happy birthday Althea. Please stand and undress for Calliope,” he says in a monotone voice, his dark eyes quickly returning to his computer screen.A rush of nerves floods my system, and I suddenly realize why he called me down here…— FLASHBACK —I can hardly sit still as I watch the full moon grow higher in the sky. Tomorrow is my sixteenth birthday, which means I get my wolf tonight. I’m scared to shift. I’ve heard it's quite painful, but that's okay because I know for a fact I will get to go outside tonight!Pack members start to gather in the clearing by the back gate. All the wolves look so beautiful under the moonlight; as they shift back, they look so happy. A small pang of jealousy surfaces as I see Beta Christopher gather them up and make a small speech, the pack clapping and cheering as they break apart to mingle.At 11:45 on the dot, my father is escorting me to the clearing for my shift.I hope Apolo is still around. He got his wolf a few months ago; maybe we can run together.The crisp night air sends a shiver down my spine when we step outside. I love how the outside smells. As we make our way across the lush lawn, the cool grass tickles my bare feet with each step. I look around for Apollo, but it seems everyone, but Calliope has left. Oh well, at least I’m outside.“Happy Birthday, Althea; tonight is a very special night, isn’t it, dear,” Father says with a fondness I seldom hear.“Yes, Father! Tonight I get my wolf!” I almost shout, forgetting his rules. Women should be quiet, but my excitement is overwhelming!His lips turn up into the slightest smile, “Yes, you do. Are you ready? The shift should start any minute now.”I nod up and down, bouncing in place with pent-up enthusiasm. “Calliope will help you undress and dress. We wouldn’t want your dress to get torn, now would we?” He’s being so kind tonight. I quickly do as I was told and slip the dusky pink sundress covered in small daisies over my head before handing it to Calliope. My panties and training bra follow next. I feel a bit awkward standing out here in my birthday suit, but I don’t have time to think about it before a zap of energy runs down my spine.I cry out at the unfamiliar feeling. Father casts a glare my way the second the sound leaves my lips. The zap spreads throughout my whole body. My skin feels like a thousand needles from the inside are pricking it. I want to scream at the pain again but one look at my father and I remember the rules. I bite down on my lip in an attempt to stay quiet.I feel my bones breaking and rearranging, the air around me flickers. I close my eyes, fighting back the tears. After what feels like a lifetime, I become aware of a presence with me. I blink my eyes open and see my father staring at me with a look of pure adoration.I have done something good! I look down to see snow-white fur so pure it glistens in the moonlight. I wag my tail. What a funny feeling!— End of Flashback —Calliope inspects each inch of my skin, looking for the same thing she did when I first got my wolf.The gift marking of the blessed. The moon goddess herself blessed white wolves. They are like unicorns to shifters. They only appear every few decades and are often used and abused for the gift the goddess grants them.I don’t have a gift, thus continuing the trend of disappointing my father.Calliope searched me the night I first shifted. When she didn’t find anything, Father was outraged and demanded that she call for another vision. That one told her when I was 19 the legacy of the pack would be up to me.“Alpha, there’s still no mark,” the fear is clear in her voice.He shifts his gaze towards us, his mouth twitching at the corner, rage dancing in his eyes. His heavy glare makes me feel even more uncomfortable as I stand here naked. His eyes glaze over temporarily as he mind-links someone. A moment later, the door opens, Anders's eyes spotting me and quickly drops to the floor.“Dinner is at seven tonight, Althea, do not be late,” Father says.I pull on my dress and quickly dart out the door.TheaI have a love-hate relationship with family dinners. On the one hand, it’s nice to be around my family, whether they acknowledge me much or not. On the other, it's exhausting to listen to how my father and brother go on about their ill-treatment of people.I glance across the elegant marble table to Ahlana, her head bent down as she slowly picks at the salad in front of her. Becoming an Adler woman was a hard lesson to learn, and by the looks of the faint outline of a handprint still on her face, she is still talking back. Kenrick is seated to her right with father at the head. Elder Advisor Egan sits between father and I. When I saw that he was in the formal dining room tonight, I knew that this dinner will be spent going over my shortcomings and to plan what to do with me as I still have no gift.I finish off the last of the one glass of wine I am allowed at dinner and lean back in the high-back mahogany chair. Usually, I’d try my luck for another glass, but tonight I have a
TheaI am a curse. White wolf or not, there is no way I could be blessed and be the cause of so many deaths—my mother, Calliope, and now Apollo. I was robbed of time to love him, and now, I don’t even have time to mourn him.A harsh growl pulls my eyes away from the hole in Apollo’s chest to the feral man that is towering above me, discarding Apollo’s heart into the river. I feel like my own heart is sinking along with it. Tears fall freely from my eyes as I scoot myself backward. I turn over, my body shaking as I attempt to get to my feet.A rough hand grabs my braid, yanking me up and back. Even if I knew the slightest bit of self-defense, I have no false hope that my attempts would do anything to this beast twice my size. He has a tight hold on me as his cold eyes rake across my body. “Mmm, no mark, perfect for breeding,” his voice is gravelly, like it hasn’t been used much.Breeding? Oh no, no, to breed me, he has to mark me. With the full moon, he can do that.Sheer panic wa
KnoxMy legs burn from running across multiple territories for the last few hours. The adrenaline pumping through me is enough to keep me going. I’m not stopping till that rogue is in shreds. I follow the river path, and as I came to a line of bushes, I catch that scent again. Thank the goddess! The sickening sweet, coppery smell of blood mixes in the air as I navigate through the brush. I hope he is wounded and not another wolf.As I come into a clearing near the bank, I am not prepared for what I see.The naked body is littered with teeth and claw marks, but the gaping hole in his chest ignites my anger. Just like Lyra, this man- hell a boy, he looked to be only 18- lays lifeless on the ground. Even if there was a doubt in my mind about the scent, this right here proves it is the very same rogue.Small whimpers make my head snap up as I creep slowly through the trees.The whimpers slowly fade and are replaced by gargled gasps as I come around from behind the large, oak tree. The
KnoxPrincess?Maksym has that obnoxious son, Kenrik, but never once has a daughter been mentioned. After the warrior leaves, the doctor turns to me, “Thank you for bringing her in. We’ve got it from here. You can use the phone in the waiting area to call someone if you need to.”I say nothing. Instead, I silently take in the man in front of me. He’s shorter than me, but as an Alpha, that’s to be expected. His forehead is etched with wrinkles, and he seems slightly out of shape for being a shifter. I’ve found that silence makes people uncomfortable, and when you pair that with a position of authority, you’ve got the perfect recipe for someone to ramble out things without prompting.I meet his gaze and raise a single eyebrow. I can see his nerves starting to surface as he fidgets with the buttons on his coat then clears his throat.“Alpha Maksym is, er, well protective of his only daughter. Being in the state that she is in, and the fact she was outside of the packhouse…well, he’s goi
TheaTheaMy eyes shoot open at the burning pain that is spreading across my face. The harsh fluorescent lights make me squint at the person that I assume hit me.“Do you have the slightest idea of how much trouble you’ve caused?”Father.I blink quickly to clear my eyes. Shadows make his harsh features more ominous as he glares down at me.I try to talk, but my throat burns, and a strangled gasp is all I can manage. “It is your fault my best guard no longer has a son. You know better than to leave the packhouse, you are not to be seen or heard, yet here we are tonight with you causing chaos among the pack, so much so that now another pack alpha knows of your existence.” He paces back and forth across the room as anger radiates from him. “You were to be blessed by the moon goddess; that was the only value you had, and then that fucking oracle lied about that too. I’ve kept you alive for all these years, waiting for you to be of use to this pack and nothing! Do you know how fucking e
TheaSoft, steady beeps call to me, but I’m so comfortable that I’m not ready to get up yet. I stretch my arms above my head lazily and blink my eyes open slowly. I feel a pinch and pull on the back of my hand, and my eyes shoot open at the sensation.I’m in what looks to be a hospital, but it’s not Golden Claw. I sit up, looking around at the beige walls and white tiled floor that glows in the bright sunlight pouring in from the window. I scan the room for a clue as to where I am when an unfamiliar but very handsome man catches my gaze.“Mornin’, Sleeping Beauty,” his deep voice calls out.I scramble backward, wrapping my arms around myself and end up smacking my head against a monitor parked near the bed.“Ouch, easy princess, no one is going to hurt you,” the man says, his face softening. His hands are up in surrender as he steps forward. He pulls a chair up behind him and sits at the edge of the bed.“I’m Bennet, and you are at the Onyx Ridge pack. My alpha, Alpha Knox, found you
TheaThe next morning the doctors say that I can be discharged in the afternoon, but only if I am sure to stay hydrated and take it easy for another day or two. I guess the rogue ended up tearing some tissue in my windpipe, but with shifter healing, there will be no permanent damage.Knox was with the doctor when I woke up, he said that I’d be staying at the packhouse and we’d discuss my future later.Future…How funny is it that I’ve never thought about my own future? I’d been living each day as they came, so settled into my routine, but what do I do with my time now?As I sit here in my hospital room, the shock has worn away, leaving me with an alphabet soup of emotions. Sure, I was used to being alone for long stretches of time, but I saw Apollo almost daily. He was someone to talk to, laugh with…and now, I had no one. My chest constricts as more tears blur my vision. I couldn’t possibly have any more to cry after last night. This isn’t fair! I won’t even get to go to his funeral!
KnoxSomething about how Thea looked in my office earlier gnaws at me. Hell, a lot of things about her confuse me. When she first arrived, I had to lock my wolf away. He hasn’t acted that way in a long time, not since Lyra.“I want you to take Thea to Sybil tomorrow. She’s healed physically, but it's been a hell of a few days for her,” I say, turning to Bennet as I re-rack the dumbbells.He nods as he finishes his set, “Yeah, she seemed a little off when she left your office.”I feel a small pang of jealousy at the thought of how Bennet has been spending time with her since we brought her to the packhouse, but I push it aside. I had no reason to be. I saved her, and she’s a pack member now, nothing more. Right?I cut across the gym in the basement of the packhouse to the heavy bags. Bennet and I continue bullshitting as we work through a few rounds.***I kick back the comforter, and pull on a pair of black joggers and matching hoodie before lacing up my sneakers. I head downstairs a