Three hours ago, my mate and son died. My world turned upside down, filling me with terrible grief.
As if that wasn't bad enough, my closest and most trusted friend accused me of poisoning my family. Now, the council gathered to condemn me.I ruled as the female Alpha of the Wild Fangs pack, one of the strongest packs on the South Coast, loved by all, and envied by few.My husband, Marco, and I weren't fated. We had the usual issues that non-fated couples faced, mostly that we didn't connect sexually in the bedroom. Even so, we respected each other, and a year ago, our surprise son Ivan, a beautiful and healthy baby, came into the world. I'd give my life for my family. Now, a dark cloud came over me, casting a shadow over everything I cared about.With fat tears rolling down my eyes, I faced the council. Elder Logan, the oldest male in the Wild Fangs pack, scratched his bushy white beard, and his voice shook across the hall."Be honest with us, Dakota. Did you poison Marco and Ivan?"I raised my head and clutched my dead baby in one arm. "I'm not crazy. It's unfair to say that I killed my own family."The council members leaned in close, their voices hushed and thick with suspicion."We have concrete evidence against you from your best friend, Sloane, and mother-in-law, Margret" the head hunter snapped with a cold and unforgiving tone."I didn't do it! There was no reason to kill my husband and son!" I yelled as loud as I could, and my tears blinded my vision. Once a badass who kicked ass and was on top of her game, I had now become an object of mockery. "Okay, but why is your golden staff of power missing? Elder Estelle, the pack's nurse who helped me give birth to Ivan and bathed him morning and night for three months, said, "You're the first leader to lose your staff, putting us in danger." "It was stolen from me," I sobbed, getting down on my knees. "Please, Estelle. You saw my struggles to have a child. I could never hurt him."She put up her hand. "I won't let personal feelings cloud my judgment, Dakota."I turned away, holding my breath, and stared at my baby's round face. My boy was dead. How did I slip up? Whom did I hurt? Why was the moon goddess silent? Was she asleep? Or was she a mean and cruel bitch?Since the inception of the pack, males couldn't rule as Alpha. And ever since I became Alpha, I obeyed the moon goddess, leading my pack with a strict but loving heart.Three hours ago, I took a break from my duties to help my maid, who was like a younger sister to me, make lunch for my family.My beta, Sloane, joined us as we were setting the table. I served Marco a plate of potatoes and veggies and he was feeding our son from his plate when they fell over and began foaming in the mouth. "Hurry, Dakota! Get your golden staff!" Sloane cried as Marco and Ivan fought for their lives. Screaming in shock, I rushed to my room to get my staff, which has the gift of the moon goddess and the envy of all packs.But as I looked for it, I became very dizzy. I was sure I left it next to my bed."Dakoda, what have you done?" Sloane had screamed, her face reddening as she partly shifted into her wolf form, her henna-painted nails becoming sharp claws. "You killed your family! I'll expose you!""What! "How dare you accuse me of such a thing?" Sloane ran off, and minutes later a crowd was chanting the death song outside the pack house. They dragged me out like a criminal, accusing me of murder. I raised my head in the hall. A guard opened the door for Sloane. Behind her stood my maid Sara, whose frail body shook as she wept. My mother-in-law, Margaret, walked in crying, cursing me. The noise outside got louder as people yelled and jeered."She killed my son because she never loved him," my mother-in-law sobbed. "Marco told me that she used to take birth control pills in secret so that she wouldn't get pregnant.""What! That's a lie, Margaret. Don't do this to me. You knew better than anyone how hard it was for me to get pregnant.""You dare call me a liar? Everyone can see that you are not as innocent as you say you are. I told Marco he shouldn't marry you, but he didn't listen! Behead her!"My best friend agreed, calling me evil. My heart stopped beating. I could handle almost anything except being wrongly accused. I felt like ripping myself to pieces.My maid cried out loud and Sloane slapped her. "I didn't kill them," I wept. "I'm innocent." Sloane scoffed, pointing a finger at me. "There's no reason to believe you. You told me the other day that it hurt a lot to have sex with Marco because your wolf was always irritated."I gasped in shock, wishing I was dreaming. Sloane was using my secret against me. She was a tall, powerful woman with a lot of influence. If she could turn me down like this, I was hopeless. My surprise turned into pure rage. Sloane killed my family. How could I have been so blind?It was in her eyes, the cold calculation, the envy, a contrast to the warmth and loyalty I always knew her to possess.Fury rippled along my spine. "You disgusting pig! You did it! You killed them!" Sloane laughed loudly and wildly, her amber eyes burning with hate."You're such a loser. Ivan was my godson. I did your dirty job and was loyal to the end, but you lost my respect. I don't care what they decide, even if it means cutting off your head.Elder Quinton, my late dad's best friend, ordered everyone to be quiet while he was talking. "Before making a decision, we took the evidence into consideration," he said with his eyes fixed on me. "We shall pronounce your verdict in the presence of everyone."The door flew open with a bang, and the angry crowd rushed into the hall, pushing the guards out of the way.Surrounded by the mob, they closed in, yelling and glaring at me with hate."We pronounce you guilty," Elder Quinton's voice rang out through the hall. "Unfortunately, we don't have first-hand evidence against you and can't sentence you to death. You're hereby banished from the pack, forever. You are no longer welcome here and anyone caught keeping in touch with you will be punished severely. Your leadership position is hereby transferred to Beta Sloane."Sloane ripped my bracelets, once a symbol of my power and respect, off my arms. I was kicked out, now a laughing stock. "Please let me bury my husband and my son." I cried but the crowd chanted no!Sloane snatched my son away and I grabbed her dress, screaming hysterically. "Give him over to me!"She pushed my hand away and gave me a nasty look."What else do you want with that poor child? Dice him up into cubes?""You'll pay for this," I roared. "The seed you planted will grow up and choke you to death."The hall fell silent. Sloane froze for a minute. Then she flung her head back and burst into wild laughter. "Rot in hell, Dakota."Sloane convinced many people that I was guilty, and even those who believed me, like my gamma, Erika, who was crying in the background, were scared to speak out against her. Only my maid was with me in this fight.Warriors who used to love me grabbed me out of the hall by my dress. Sara held on to me tightly, going through the same pain."Stay, Sara. I can't take you with me.""I'll never leave your side!" Her voice trembled and she grabbed my arm.I was hurt, alone, and without a family. I took my first step, then my second, and my third, until I reached the pack's border, where my legs went jelly and I fell to the ground as a loud thunderclap echoed in the sky.Rain poured down on me, and I looked up at the sky, cursing the moon goddess in my heart for repaying me with evil in return for my good deeds."I'll be back!" I put my hands on my chest, my voice harsh and echoed over the mountains. "Those who killed my family will die a slow and painful death!" Sara rocked me back and forth, and hot, bitter tears ran down my face."What's up next?" She trembled, wiping her tears. I didn't say anything, and I felt lost and empty for the first time in my life.Seventy-two hours later Sara and I ran past a bamboo brown forest. The tall stalks loomed over us, making creaking sounds that terrified Sara. Three days of running, hiding, and trying to stay alive in this forest with no place to go. I never thought I'd get to this point. My evil pack mates didn't let me bury Marco and Ivan and this gave me constant nightmares. Our stomachs growled with hunger. We'd been surviving on nuts and berries, but it wasn't enough to sustain us in our human form. Sara was exhausted, and I had to find a way to feed us soon. My so-called Alpha friends rejected me. Like wildfire, the news of my misfortune spread. Nobody wanted to associate with an outcast on the run. I thought that the bond between tribe members was unbreakable and that maybe one of the packs would understand my hardship, but I was wrong. "Do you believe in Karma?" Sara asked me when we sat under a tree to catch our breaths. I scoffed and looked down at the ground. "Not anymore. Karma
We got to an old, single-story building named "The Academy" Worry clenched my stomach. Before even seeing a topless girl beckoning from the balcony with breasts like ripe fruits waiting to be plucked, I knew this place was a whore house.Sara's lips curled with disgust and she turned on our mind- link. "What are we doing, Dakota? I don't like this place.""I know, Sara," I replied, offering a watery smile while maintaining a safe distance from 'Madame.' "We need some food to fuel our human bodies and I stink badly. I promise not to let anything happen to you."She stared at me like I'd gone crazy. Madame turned around, her clown faces morphing into a grin and eyes sparkling with excitement. "Come… come," she motioned with her hands. I stopped walking and her smile died. "Madame, I don't know how you intend to help, but we're not interested in selling our bodies."She exchanged glances with the male beside her and I stared past her to the peeling paint on the brothel's walls. "Hone
AxtonSeeing my mate left me stunned and frozen. My mouth hung open, forming a silent "O" of surprise.She was so damn beautiful. In my twenty-four years of existence, I'd never seen someone so unreal. Her piercing blue crystals locked onto my gaze as if they could see through my soul and her lips, plump, rosy, and puckered, were the exact way I anticipated my mate to be. I blessed the moon goddess. She must have been listening to my silent prayers because this woman was captivating in every sense of the word. Coming here at this hour was a blessing in disguise. Earlier, Elias, my best friend, and I snuck into my late dad's study in search of a copy of his will.The Alpha role had been vacant since he died six months ago, causing fierce competition between my brother and me. The wait for the official reading had me on edge and I was dying to know who'd be Alpha. Quiet as mice, Elias and I tiptoed through the halls to the study, hoping no one would see us. No one was allowed in there
Dakota "... I can never be your mate."The second those words escaped my mouth, a stillness fell over the room and several pairs of eyes turned toward me like laser beams The conversation faded away, replaced by a tense silence as people watched my every move. My mate grabbed my arm with his hands which looked like they'd been sculpted from stone, with thick veins that pulsed with raw power, making my skin prickle with discomfort and shameful desire. He was a tall and imposing male, with over six feet of sheer muscle. His eyes clouded in a sexual haze and a direct gaze that disturbed me. His skin had a sun-kissed, deep golden hue and looked like it had been carved from the finest bronze. The moon goddess must be crazy for playing such a nasty prank on me. The last thing I needed in my life was a mate, much less a foreigner. "Why not? Who are you?" he asked, huskiness lingering in his voice, like a clap of thunder, commanding attention with its deep, powerful timbre. Sara fidgete
AxtonRunning out of the academy with Elias and some other males following close behind, our footsteps echoed down the road.My face set in a fierce scowl. I picked up my sword from my van and made a quick stop at my arms dealer to stock up on silver bullets.Because I was allergic to silver, I threw on a glove to handle the bullets. Cocking my gun, I kissed it, sighing in satisfaction. headed to the warrior base."Listen up everyone! These bastards won't stop until they've taken everything we hold dear. But we're not going to let that happen. We're going to fight with everything we've got, and we're going to send their corpses back to their pack. Are you with me?""Yes, Axton!" They chorused and armed themselves, rushing to the border with intense ferocity.Crouching behind a barricade, the tension in the air rose."Watch your back, Axton," Elias pleaded with a low and steady voice."I've got this."Xavier was nowhere to be found. No surprise there. He'd always been a coward. I took c
Dakota Alone with Sara in the room, my headeservesdn't stop racing with guilt and fear. I had to find a way to escape this foolishness. Axton's muscles rippling beneath his shirt and how his light hazel eyes stared at me caused a burning desire between my legs. I shouldn't have such abominable feelings. My husband just died. He didn't deserve this. "Damn it," I groaned into my hands. My body was betraying me and the only way to push these feelings and keep myself in check was to leave this pack for good. I lay in my bed, staring up at the ceiling. Sara sat beside me, lost in thought."What are you going to do?" Sara asked softly. "What else," I shrugged. "I can't do this to Marco."Sara's eyebrows twitched together and she tugged on her left ear. "But he's gone. You can't spend the rest of your life mourning him."My heart pounded with anger and I sat on the bed, wiping the sweat on my forehead. "Don't you dare tell me what to do? I'm not interested in having a mate. Not now, no
Dakota Standing before Axton, my heart raced. The hallway closed in around me and the scent of stale alcohol and cigarettes hung heavy in the air but my mating scent with Axton made it bearable. Other girls walked past, giving me the death glare.Axton stretched out his arm but I turned away. My body trembled with nervous energy, and sweat beaded on my forehead.His eyes, a swirling mix of desire and impatience narrowed and I could tell he was struggling to restrain his need for me. His smile was blended with a sensuous flame that made my courage crumble under the weight of his gaze.But I stood firm, refusing to give in to his charms. I'd never let my feelings for him cloud my judgment. This was all shades of wrong and sinful."What's the matter? Still, hate me?” “Definitely” I scoffed.His eyes twinkled like glassy volcanic rock and bore into me, revealing the raging beast of need within."Aren't you a stubborn little woman, Zina?" he said, his tone mildly condescending. "You know
AxtonWatching my mate flee my presence made my annoyance and impatience grow. The fact that she was a sight for sore eyes, a living work of art, yet rejecting me left a bitter taste in my mouth.There was more to her rejection. I could tell. Something was holding her back, but I couldn't figure out what. My heart went green with envy as I imagined another male in her life.I'd kill him with my bare hands. Thinking about it now, I wondered why she left her pack My fingers ached to touch her, to satisfy the longing in my heart. I sat in my van and stared listlessly outside the window. There was a burning desire to possess her and have her as mine, and it grew every second. But she was so stubborn and fearless with a maddening hint of arrogance.I wanted every part of her, from her ash blonde hair that cascaded down her back in loose waves, to her blue eyes that were clearer than the sea. And oh…her fucking curves. She was different from my pack girls, with their darker hair and skin