Adira Wade

Pain rippled through me as I watched my chosen mate, and future alpha, Grayson Mars utter vows of love to another woman, Stacy Stevens. She was the beta's first daughter and my former best friend. 

Like everyone else, Grayson turned his back on me when my parents were accused of being traitors to the pack.

Alpha Mars didn't hear them out and he ordered them to be killed. According to them, they traded pack secrets with our enemies and were part of a coup to overthrow our current alpha but it was all false, my parents were loyal members of the pack. The only reason I was left alive is that they didn't find evidence against me, however, they didn't retreat me well... They locked me up in cells and tortured me for months in hopes I'd admit to being part of the 'coup'. All that didn't hurt as much as Grayson's betrayal. I begged him for months not to leave me but he did, in fact, he did that in the presence of the whole pack, he embarrassed me and ordered me not to go anywhere close to him because we were done. He couldn't be with the daughter of traitors or his father will take away his title as the future alpha of Topaz moon pack. 

I clenched my fist and jaw when the couple on stage said I do. For a split second, his eyes found me in the crowd, and regret instantly consumes him whole but I looked away in anger and disgust for him. Stacy cupped his face and kissed him deeply, she then turned to me and smirked. 

" Bitch," I murmured to her. 

" I win," She whispered. Her eyes beamed with satisfaction. 

Stacy Stevens was a friend of mine for years and was always by my side but when things went downhill for my family, she was one of the first people in line to insult me. The woman even went as far as to seduce my fiance and fuck him. She later announced to everyone that she was going to be his future luna, not me. I remember being stunned into silence for days when the news broke.

' He's not the one,' My wolf said softly, she was not angry or hurt by their union anymore. Heck, the two would kiss and hug in front of me, but I still felt pain. 

' I loved him,' I sighed, tears welling in my eyes. 

' I know but someone better is coming for us, he will love us,' She was sure of her words. 

" Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you, the future alpha and Luna of Topaz moon pack, Mr and Mrs, Mars!" The alpha cheered and the crowd burst out in merriments too. I snarled and left only to meet my two other nemeses, the beta twins Debbie and Cara. These two have made my life unbearable since middle school. I crossed my arms against my chest and glared at them.

" Get out of my way," I snarled and they only smirked, approaching me. Debbie flipped her brown hair over her shoulder and shoved me. 

" You're in my way" She gritted. Cara made an attempt to push me to the ground but I grabbed her by the hair and pushed her away from me. They still behaved like typical high school bullies despite being in their twenties. Always picking fights for no reason at all. Cara attempted to punch me in the face but I ducked and hit her with force, and blood splattered out of her mouth. She saw red and both twins lunged at me. I fought them with everything in me, my inner wolf resurfacing. Even though I have not yet shifted, I was stronger than them because they didn't have any form of training, too scared they would mess up their hair or manicured fingers.  

The two girls were heaving and blood poured from their lips and nose. We were separated by the guards and soon, the beta came in a hurry, inspecting his daughters for injuries before his hateful gaze fell on me. 

" You little bitch, what have you done to my girls," The beta female spat as she slapped me across the face, the impact would have made me fall to the ground if the huge guard wasn't holding me.  

" What is going on here," The alpha roared. He must have heard the ruckus all the way from the backyard. Everyone bowed to the intimidating man except me. I hated this man so much and showing him any kind of respect would be agreeing that killing my parents was right.    

" I found this daughter of the traitor assaulting my poor kids, alpha, this woman is dangerous and needs to be banished from this pack!" Yelled the beta female. I only glared at her. 

" She will be punished but-" 

" They started it, they always do yet I'm the only one who gets punished," I spat. The alpha was angry at me and grabbed my cheeks, I whimpered as he applied more force. 

" Just who do you think you're talking to like that, child, I can kill you right now and won't be punished," 

" We should just banish her alpha, she will cause trouble for us just like her parents," The beta spoke. I always knew that he hated my father and whatever supposed evidence they found, it was he who found it and was their replacement. 

" We shall deal with this impertinent child later, for now, we have a meeting to go attend ... The alpha king is coming," He told his beta who gave him a look of uncertainty

" Why?" 

" He is angry at us because of the death of those ambassadors and is probably coming to deliver his sentence," 

" But- but why now, it has been months and it was an accident," Beta Steven said. 

" The alpha of the blue rays claims otherwise," alpha answered. He indeed seemed worried but who wouldn't? The alpha of alphas was visiting this pack personally, it couldn't be good. The alpha king was the most powerful alpha amongst all wolves and was feared by many for his fierce reputation.

I was in the alpha suite, cleaning as I did almost every day when I felt hands around me. I jumped and clutched my chest. I glared at the man who dared put his hands on me. 

" Hey, you," he said. I gave him a dirty look, showing him how much I abhorred him. 

" Excuse me," I spat, grabbing my supplies and leaving the room but he held me again, wrapping his filthy hands around me. 

" Let me fucking go, Gray!" 

He was indeed shameless, he didn't care that Stacy can walk in any minute now. 

" I'm sorry they hurt you," He said, his gaze roaming around my body. I pulled my shirt lower, I didn't have a wolf so my healing was really slow. 

I scoffed and turned around. 

" You are married, don't touch, or speak to me again," I sneered. Opening the door, I met Stacy on the door, she gave me a disgusting look and her gaze went past my shoulder to see her husband. Grayson only turned around and went to his office. She sniffed me. 

" You are such a whore!" She screamed, slapping my face. I didn't even know if it hurt at this point because I was so used to it. I tried not to fight back, but she pushed me against the wall.

" How dare you come here to seduce my mate!" She shrieked. For someone who thought herself beautiful, she was insecure especially when it came to me. I easily raised my knee to kick her and she lets go of me. She crouched down, holding her stomach. 

" You fucking bitch! I'm your Luna!" 

" No you're not," I said in a bored voice. She knew very well that her mate came on me but is too proud to accept that. I bent down and grabbed her hair " Tell your fucking husband to stay away from me,"

Stacy attacked me again but I blocked her punches. The door opened and Grayson walked out, he pulled me closer to him and went to Stacy, cupping her face. 

" Stop it, you're embarrassing yourself," he said, looking around the bystanders. His gaze fell on me 

" Get out," he ordered. 

" I was already on my way, asshat," I murmured as I went on to clean the yard.

I was cleaning when my wolf, Kira, alerted me that we were being watched. I lifted my gaze to the top floor and indeed, Grayson was looking at me intently. I only glared at him with hate and my skin crawled when his new mate stood behind him, caressing his bare chest. I looked away and continued my work. 

After spending the day working on my knees and hands, I was more than happy to go home to see, my baby brother but the new Mrs. Mars wouldn't allow it! She fucking gave me more work in the kitchen. 

Everyone was running around in the kitchen, cooking and preparing meals for tonight's banquet since the king was coming. The chef, a short bitter middle-aged woman glared at me. 

" It's this unruly girl again, what is she doing in my kitchen!" She shouted. Yep, she wasn't too fond of me, in fact, no one at the packhouse was. No one answered her. The staff gasped when a loud bang resounded. 

" Again! Why is she in my kitchen!" she squealed, making me cover my ears. She wasn't only rude, but awfully loud too. I pursed my lips, waiting for someone to answer her since she didn't ask me directly. 

" The future Luna said she is to help out," Someone 

answered her. She snarled, and gave me a once-over, 

" Start peeling potatoes and don't cause any trouble because I will burn you with hot oil," she threatened. I only narrowed my eyes at her and took one long stride towards her. I towered over her and growled, making her jump. It pleased me to see her look of fear on her face and I smirked. 

My hand reached past her to get a kitchen knife and put it in her face, Mrs. Li was shaking in fear. 

" Someone get me the potatoes," I smiled creepily without taking my gaze off the short chef. 

I turned around and got a stool, peeling the potatoes without complaining. 

" I heard that he can't keep a woman, they all die and that's why even at the age of twenty-eight, he has no queen," One of the kitchen helpers said to her friend. They were talking about the alpha king.

" Why?" 

" I don't know... He has a short temper and easily kills them when he's bored," The girl frowned.  

" Debbie once said they danced together at a party. She wouldn't stop praising his good looks," 

" I know, we heard that story the whole year," The other young lady giggled. 

" What else do you know about him?" 

" Other than what you know, nothing. The king keeps his life private despite being on the throne for seven years," 

I listened to the girls converse about the alpha king and what they said shocked me. They made him sound like a monster and a shiver went down my spine. 

 By the time it was evening, everyone was frantic, running around and when someone announced that the king's entourage was here, it was silent.

" The hall, now, now," The organizer commanded, breaking the stillness in the room. Someone put a tray of drinks in my hands and pushed me out. 

The hall was decorated beautifully and the king's entourage was already on the high table along with our alpha, his family, and the beta's family. However, the king's seat and two others were empty. Was he running late or was everyone just early? And why the fuck did I care! My heart was drumming in my chest. I was snapped out of my thought when a slap landed on my cheeks. 

" Ouch!" I groaned. Mrs. Li was fuming at me. I glared at her in anger. 

" Why the fuck did you slap me, you wench!" I shouted. My eyes blazed with anger and she gasped epically, her heart pounding as she slowly backed away from me.   

 " Y- you- you were spilling all the drinks, so lost in your thoughts and I did the first thing I thought," She screamed. I groaned at the back of my throat. I was fucking tired of people laying their hands on me. I had the strong urge to react and slap her back but I contained myself. 

" Breathe, breathe, Adira," 

I walked past the woman, making sure to hit her slightly with my body. I refilled my tray with new drinks and went back to the banquet, serving. I glanced at the king's empty seat again. Where was he?

  My lazy gaze roamed to Debbie and Cara, they asked men from the king's palace to dance with them but they were rejected. That immediately brightened my mood. I was working with a gentle smile on my lips when I was suddenly pushed into a dark corner of the room.  I gasped, seeing Grayson smiling at me. 

" Let go of me," I hissed, trying to push him away but his hands were tightly holding my waist.  I could smell the alcohol on him. 

" I know you hate me," He whispered in my ear. My gaze wandered around the room to see if someone could have seen but they were too busy drinking and dancing. 

" No, I don't, Grayson. I despise you," I said. I managed to detach myself from him but as I turned to walk away, he grabbed my wrist and turned me towards him, my chest slammed into him and he wrapped his arms around me. 

" Forgive me, please," 

I didn't care to hear him out. I was still struggling with Grayson when it hit me, the most remarkable scent in the world, fresh cut grass. The whole banquet went silent as two extremely tall handsome men entered the room.  

" TOUCH MY MATE AGAIN, AND I'LL RIP YOUR FUCKING ARMS OFF!" A growl resounded. 

The two men made room for a third person to walk through, the man who spoke. He was the most gorgeous man in the entire world, standing at 7 ft, with black hair, dark blazing onyx eyes, and high chiseled cheekbones. His blazing gaze stuck on me and slowly, I felt Grayson's arms ease around me and I almost stumbled but touched the wall for support. The man took three large steps towards me and raised his hand to caress my cheek, I felt sparks rush through my skin, making me jolt back.  

" Mine," He growled. I was trembling ever so slightly and my heart was pounding as he stared at me like I was worth everything. I wasn't though. I've been told and reminded that I was nothing every day of my life by the way they treated and mocked me but the handsome man's gaze on me made me feel like I was worth something. It was a foreign feeling, I didn't know what it was yet but it made me powerless- not in a bad way. I was frozen in place, unable to react whereas my eyes were stuck on his own.  

" That girl can't be your mate, she's nothing!" Debbie's infuriating voice shouted, and the king abruptly shifted his gaze to her. Her body instantly started to tremble. She backed away, cold sweat running down her temple, and she stumbled and fell to the ground. 

" Why the fuck is your son harassing my mate, Mars," He growled, he wasn't loud but the authoritative tone he commanded made me shiver. Alpha Mars was petrified, 

" Ma- Mate?" He stuttered as if trying to register it. If this was not a scary situation, I'd laugh at him. Grayson was so stiff, fear evident on his face. 

" Yes," He extended his hand toward me to take but I shook my head. I felt dread deep in the pit of my stomach, and I did one thing that came to my mind. Run. 

" Get her," I heard a bored voice command. I reached outside into the garden and climbed the first tall tree I saw, hoping the men he sent after me won't find me but they stopped right under me. 

" Did she fly? How fast is she?" I heard one of the men say. They lingered around. 

Crack. I closed my eyes shut as the branch I was holding on to broke and I fell right into the arms of one of the men. He looked down at me with a frown and dropped me to the floor, I landed on my side, I'm sure I was bruised too. 

" Jett!" His friend hissed. 

I groaned at the slight pain I felt in my arm. I glared up at the man who dropped me, and then his friends before getting to my feet. I backed away, running to go around him but he blocked my route. 

" St- stay away from me," My voice was quivering so badly and the man in front of me only smirked. 

" What if I don't, teeny bird? What are you going to do? fly into the sky this time? I doubt those short legs of yours can't take far," The blonde guy mocked and I was affronted. How dare he call me short? At 5'9 ft, I was taller than most girls my age!

" The king wants you back and I'm too drunk to chase you, let's go back, tiny bird." Jett, I think, said, making his friend chuckle. Was tiny bird a thing now? Seriously?

" That man who claims to be my mate is the king?" 

" Yes," he answered, I already suspected it by his aura but I couldn't believe it still.

" The king of wolves?!" My heart started to pound again. How can I be mated to a freaking king?!

" I'm not going to him, he's not my mate, no," I snickered. Adamant on not going in with them. 

My wolf didn't sense him as my mate, the goddess would not be too callous to pair me up with a killer. My words seemed to stun them and they glanced at each other. I used this chance to bolt, however, I didn't get far before I was hoisted into the air. One of the giants threw me over his shoulder. I screamed as I hung upside down, hitting his back with my elbow.

" Put me down," I yelled to no avail. He carried me towards the hall. He put me down in the most ungraceful manner and I let out a cuss, making the audience gasp at my audacity. Fuck werewolf hearing. I was in front of the high table. No one want spoke and I wanted to faint, I didn't know maybe it was from the way I was carried or it was the alpha king's grilling gaze on me but I didn't dare look, instead, I stole glances at alpha Mars and beta Steven who were glaring at me. Grayson just looked disoriented by all this, all alcohol was gone from his body now, and next to him was Stacy, she was embarrassed by all this especially since her new husband was all over me earlier. I felt it when the king stood forward, his demeanor carried authority, more power than any alpha I've known. No one compared.

The alpha king circled me and I shivered when I felt his nose on my skin. He was inhaling my scent like a drug he was addicted to. His finger reached under my chin and tilted my head up. His eyes showed shock. I could tell he was startled but kept his composure.  

" What's your name?" His voice was calm. 

" A- Adira, Adira Wade," I stammered. My heart still pounding in my chest everyone in here could hear it if I could.

" You're extremely gorgeous, really beautiful," He said.  My cheeks flushed. I never thought of myself as extremely beautiful as he put it. I felt ordinary. I was thin and not curvy like other girls. His fingers caressed my cheek.

" Why haven't you shifted yet?" 

" I- I don't know, sir," My voice was alien to my ears. Most of my peers shifted at age eighteen but I didn't. 

" How old are  you, Adira?"  My heartbeat was irregular, I loved how my name sounded on his lips. 

" Twenty years old," I murmured. My voice was so low but he heard.  

" Are you scared of me?" He asked. I didn't answer his question. Who wouldn't be scared of this dominating figure? He had a fearful reputation and I was still stunned by this information. He sighed and went back to his seat, he called me to the high table. He frowned when I was hesitant and he growled, making everyone uneasy with his dark aura. I didn't want to anger him so I did slowly and surprisingly, he pulled me to his lap, placing a kiss on my shoulder. 

The crowd was shocked, my gaze was lowered to the ground and I heard his cold voice " It's rude to cast your gaze down in front of so many people, face your subjects, my Queen," 

My gaze first went to my alpha and beta, their gaze was icy and it made me feel like I did something wrong. Grayson was just livid, he was gripping a table knife so tightly that his hand was white and the Steven girls just looked terrified. I smirked inwardly. I was the alpha king's mate and no one can treat me like shit again, at least not these incompetent buffoons. The party continued with just one hand gesture from the king and the drop-dead silence was filled with chattering. 

" Tell me about yourself, mate," He asked. 

" There's nothing to tell, my king," 

" There's always something... " 

"I'm an orphan, and I went to community college. I have a diploma in teaching and I'm a pack fighter, I used to help train the young ones," I tried to make my words clear and loud for him to hear. I was still frightened of him. 

" That's impressive, do you have any relatives," he asked and I nodded. 

" I have a brother, Lucas, he's twelve years old and I'm the one taking care of him," I told him. Lucas was my cousin but his mother died in childbirth hence, my parents adopted him since we didn't know his real father's identity. He urged me to eat and only did I realize I didn't eat since last night. I picked up the closest fruit in front of me, a pear, they were my favorites. I took a bite of it, while he watched me. I wanted so much to get off his lap, it was so embarrassing in front of everyone but his hold around me told me he won't let me get up.  

" What is your name?" I asked and he chuckled. 

" I'm Wyatt McMillan," His name was nice and it suited him. His fingers were gently caressing my arm, helping me feel at ease. 

' Is he our mate?' I asked my inner wolf, Kira. She was also confused as we have not shifted yet and we can only truly know that for sure when I shift for the first time. 

' Let's wait for the blue moon, but I can feel the faint sparks,' The Blue moon is when shifters find their fated mate. 

' Yea, me too,' 

The party continued and I was tired, at this point, I couldn't even keep my eyes open. I leaned against him as darkness enveloped me.

Wyatt's pov

She was mine, and oh goddess, she was more beautiful than I expected. She had long blonde strawberry hair, amethyst eyes... A unique color. I was restraining myself from fucking her right there. My mate was beautiful and to think I didn't want one and now, I couldn't imagine losing her. 

Adira, my Adira. After years of hoping, and praying for a reunion, here she was in my arms. I doubt she'd remember me since she was a child when I saw her last, we were only kids.

My mother and hers were best friends growing up, but they separated since they went in different packs. One day, aunt Meryl came to the meet us with her little girl too. She was only five and I was twelve at that time but we connected well. I remembered the anxiety that welled in the pit of my stomach when she was leaving, 

' Can she stay here?' I asked my mother. She smiled at me and shook her head. 

' No, my baby, maybe when you are older, you can go to see her,' Mother had told me. I nodded and gave her back to her mother, little Adira gripped my shirt so tight and cried, she wanted to stay with me. We eventually parted, I thought of her a lot but eventually, that day became a blur and my mind convinced me that it was only a dream until I found her again. I couldn't forget those eyes. 

She stirred a little in my arms and only did I realize she was sleeping. I carried her out of the hall, many eyes watched me in awe and women were jealous of her. 

Adira was not popular, and I could tell she wasn't treated well by the way they glared at her but that is about to change now. 

' And that pup, the way he touched her,' My wolf, Rolf, growled. 

Anger took over when I remembered that, he touched her like he had some sort of claim on her. My wolf growled in my head. Our mate was mine, only ours. I was told that our rooms were prepared and not wanting to wake her, I lay her gently on the bed. I watched her sleep before placing a lingering kiss on her forehead.  

' She didn't recognize us,'

She was twenty yet had never shifted even though her wolf appeared already. I was reminded by how her eyes shone a distinctive purple when our eyes locked gazes from up close. They were only one bloodline whose eyes were like that. The moon wolves, I'll ask my mother to tell me more about the Wade heritage. 

I walked out of the room and down to the halls. That fucker, Mars killed two delegates. I pushed the door open to the conference room and they got to their feet, bowing low. They only sat when I did. 

" I hope you have a good explanation for killing those diplomats," I stared at the alpha. He seemed uneasy, the aura that surrounded me was domineering and suppressed their wolves. 

" We didn't kill them, they were involved in an accident, we wrote that in the report, my king," Mars said and I narrowed my gaze on him. 

" A fucking shitty report! Those delegates were sent to find out what happened to the Wades and hear from you in detail how and why they were killed without the parliament knowing of it," 

 This pack was growing suspicious. We learned about a year ago that they killed the beta and beta female of the pack, so, we sent ambassadors to investigate but never made it alive, they claimed there was an accident and died plus, they forcefully took over their neighboring pack.

" We- Well, we just heard an explosion as they left the pack and we rushed to the scene but it was too late as their vehicle caught fire,"

Beta Steven explained. He was a sketchy man who wanted power, I could tell. Could it be he had a hand in what happened to the Wades? 

" But it's been three years since the death of the former beta, why are you investigating now?" The alpha's son asked. I glared at him and he tensed. 

" Because there's something fishy going on here and you lots have been problematic lately," Jett said, grimacing at the young alpha. 

" I don't follow," 

" Taking over nearby packs? Are you fucking kidding me!" I boomed. 

" No, they started causing us problems first," 

" And the solution is to kill the alpha and take over their pack?" I asked. 

They kept on explaining their actions in a way that didn't make sense to me. I was growing angry and tired as the minutes passed by. They will have to be dealt with later.  

" My mate, tell me about her," I asked quietly and everyone's face paled. There was a drop-pin silence in the room. I wondered why they acted so strangely. 

" Should I repeat myself?" I snarled and the alpha was the one who cleared his throat to speak. 

" Well, her name is Adira Wade and her father was the traitor beta," He said and I growled at him. 

" She's a spoiled girl who causes us trouble," The beta finished, he had a scowl on his face. 

" Why was she serving when her rank is high?" Aspen asked. 

" I think I saw one of her peers taunt her too," My gamma, Jett, said. 

" Well, she ... um.. does some work for the pack, like- like everyone else," he stammered in his words. 

" And about the bullying well, she fights back, she is one of our finest female warriors," 

I chuckled humorlessly. 

" So you let anyone bully her because she's a warrior, what the fuck?" Aspen said, shaking his head. I was furious. 

" Her parents were traitors to the pack so you can't expect her to be treated like any other member, we are wary that she can-" I didn't let him finish his sentence I had him against the wall, choking the life out of him. 

" Did you imprison her after the death of her parents?" His face paled even more when I asked that. I saw some old scars on her body too.

" No, we didn't, King Wyatt, we only questioned her and let her go when we couldn't find evidence," he croaked.

" But you allowed your pack to treat a twenty year old like trash," I growled.

" My king, it's not like that at all, yes, there has been some incidents with her peers but all parties were punished," Beta Steven explained, his voice was trembling. The alpha's face was now turning blue, and threw him against a chair, he landed on the floor with a satisfying noise. I left the room and went to the guest bedroom where my mate was. I found her sleeping in a position I didn't leave her in. 

Bet she'll be getting more than half the size of the bed. I chuckled and stroked her hair. After taking a cold shower, I got in bed with her and I allowed her scent to lure me to sleep. 

Adira

Strong long arms were holding me tightly and as much as I tried to wiggle out of them, I couldn't. I sighed and inhaled his scent, it was alluring like fresh-cut grass. I took this time to study this man, my mate. I still couldn't believe it.. My fingers caressed his face, he had a stubble beard that suited him well and high cheekbones, his black hair was nice too and I couldn't resist running a finger in it and then his lips, his cherry lips were inviting and I could kiss them now. I jumped when his eyes suddenly opened and a slight smile graced his lips. 

" Good morning," He greeted, 

" Good morning," I responded, trying to get out of bed but he held me tightly, making my heart pound out of my chest as faint tingles rush up my body. He looked at me with his onyx gaze, taking me in and I swallowed, maintaining eye contact with him. 

" Have you taken me in?" His voice was manly and deep, it made me shudder. My gaze fell on his bare torso and I swallowed. I raised my hand and touched him before nodding. He was a cocky one and knew how handsomely breathtaking he was. He brought his cherry lips to my forehead, the gesture seemed innocent but it almost brought me to tears when I sensed the aura of purity around it. Ever since I was a child, I could decipher auras and hence didn't cower to others. My parents said It was rare and must have come because I was one of the special wolves born under the full-blood moon once in decades. " Are you alright?" Wyatt noticed my somber state.  

" Yes,"

Waytt McMillian. The alpha of alphas. He was the most powerful man walking the earth and was worshipped for his notoriety. How could he be mated to me? Maybe he was wrong but everything will be cleared the next blue moon. 

" I need to go," I whispered. He frowned, he looked even more handsome when he frowned. He reluctantly let go of me and I got out of bed. I checked the digital clock and it said 09 am. 

" Why are you in a hurry?" He groaned, throwing a shirt over his bare torso. 

" I need to check up on Lucas," I said, he extended his hand towards me and I took it. We walked out of the lavish guest room. I felt so many eyes on me and I held them. The twins looked at me with vexation, while others stared in envy and jealousy. I just wanted to go to my cabin now. Unlike most of them, Lucas and I stayed at a cabin not far from the packhouse. 

As we exited the house, we came face to face with Grayson and Stacy. I stopped in my tracks, making the king stop too. Stacy glared at me once before she fakes smiled at me, I didn't smile back though. My eyes met the man next to her, he was staring at me, covetousness clear in his eyes as he looked at our joined hands, I almost felt guilty and pulled away but the king growled and held my hand tighter. 

The two wolves in front of us composed themselves and bowed low to their king,  

" Good morning, king Wyatt," Grayson greeted, he tried to sound cheerful but failed. The king went past them and I followed, leaving Grayson and Stacy standing there. 

We walked for a few minutes without speaking, I was getting more apprehensive because he seemed upset with me. 

" That's me," I said, pointing at my lovely home. It was the smallest cabin in the pack but it was our home. It was well-kept and maintained. 

" Why do you stay here instead of the packhouse?" He asked, looking at the house in confusion. 

" Well, I'm not well-liked in this pack," I decided to tell him the truth. 

" Are they mistreating?" A strong aura surrounded him again and I pulled away, he was a scary man indeed. 

He took a calming breath, burying his face in my neck. My scent calmed him. 

" No," With the way he was acting, I had to lie because he might go there and kill the alpha. A smile made its way on my lips at the thought that he was angry my pack was mistreating me. 

" The alpha said my parents were traitors to the pack, so they killed them and they hate me for being their child," I shrugged, acting like it didn't bother me. His eyes were boring in mine. Void of emotions but from the way his jaw was clenched, I knew he was angry.

" You are Meryl and Ben's daughter," He whispered, caressing my cheek with his fingers. 

" You knew my parents?" I asked, surprised. My parents were quite popular because they were strong and both were original strong betas line, which was uncommon for a pair. Usually, betas were mated to warriors or gammas. 

" I knew them, they helped my mother and I once upon a time," 

" My parents weren't traitors," I croaked and he nodded. 

" I know that. They were good people and someone was just working against them," He said, cupping my face. Tears welled in my eyes at the thought of them, and how everything changed since their deaths. 

" You can cry," He said softly, and like he pressed a remote, tears streamed down my face, and he pulled me into an embrace.

" Adira!" An angry voice boomed and I was startled out of king Wyatt's arms.