Filed To Story: Claimed by the Alpha I Hate Book Read Free
I stepped out from behind the billowing curtain in front of me, and faced the crowd of thousands.
Our world was no longer safe, no longer as secure as we wanted to believe. Vampires were no longer content with hiding in the shadows, and the witchesthey had plans of their own.
For years, we had turned a blind eye as the Vampire’s gathered, cultivating their race and accumulating their resources. Only when they were on our doorstep, did we finally see truth and fight back.
There were still many of us who had refused to believe the Vampires were even an issue in the first place.
Now, there’s something even greater calling to our attention. Something that will require both Vampires and Werewolves cooperation, which has been all but impossible in the past.
Things are changing since my father’s lifeblood watered the earth, and the power and weight of my new role came crashing down upon my shoulders. There is magic in the world, magic that many of us had forgotten about. It had left for a while, and no one alive cares to remember why.
It’s finally waking up again, bringing Goddess knows what along with it.
Two Days Before Announcement
“You’re sure they’re going to accept me? ” I asked for the thirtieth time since passing the ‘Welcome to the town of Pine Plains.”
I had yet to see a single building, house, or spec of life since passing that sign. There seemed to be nothing but unending forest, caps of juniper and pine that inched higher and higher as they veered up the slopes of the mountainous terrain.
The scent of sap and earth permeated the air, mixing with the richness of the trees, slipping through the sliver in the window as we coasted down the highway. The views were incredible; jagged walls of earth surrounded us as we drove through and around mountains.
We had been driving for hours now, but the finality of everything hadn’t truly set in until I saw the sign, reminding me that we were growing closer and closer to the capital of Nolan’s- -of our pack.
” I have no doubt they’ll accept you.” Nolan replied from the driver’s seat, the depth of his voice near matching the rumble of the engine as we sped up an incline. Even though the sounds were similar, only one affected me so much.
Eyes I had once thought were honey colored, but were actually full of golden fragments, were locked on me in the passenger seat. The way his eyes would heat when he looked at me for too long, darkening the golden hues into something savage, the impact of it hit me full force every time.
I swallowed heavily when they drifted downwards, to the charcoal-colored dress I had picked out for this special occasion. It was the most professional article of clothing I had in my closet, along with a pair of black pumps. The dress fit to my athletic form, which had toned even more over the last three months, and ended just above my knees. His eyes ventured back up, taking their time as I squirmed in my seat.
“They will accept you because you are my mate, and you deserve to be accepted. ” He smirked, revealing just a flash of canine before wiping the expression away. “As for our people, they will accept you because I do. They will respect you as I do, and trust will build over time.”
“Wow. They must have a lot of faith in you and your parents. ” I murmured in surprise. The next words that trickled through my brain might have been better left unsaid, but I had a bad habit of letting things slip past my lips. “Not many had that kind of loyalty towards Scott or his parents. Most of them only stayed because there was no other option.”
” Not everyone is capable of inspiring that kind of loyalty.” Nolan said with honesty in his voice, not at all irritated from the mention of my recently deceased ex-boyfriend. The man- -boy, I thought I’d mark, mate, and spend the rest of my life with. The excitement I once felt at being toted around on his arm made me want to gag. Nolan’s eyes flickered over to me again, though this time only for a fraction of a second. “You’ll notice that my family house isn’t very large. Most of the money that is taxed from the members of our pack is put back into the community, and the warriors who protect it.
Actually, a good portion of my parent’s income is from my morn.”
“Doesn’t your dad make money, from being Alpha?” I questioned, remembering how Scott and I would run through the maze-like halls of his house, which seemed more like a mansion or estate.
There had been a time or two when I was very young, where I had actually become lost within those halls. The first few times Scott had found me crying in the hallway, and would snicker at me as he led me downstairs. There was never a time where Scott had to go without something, never a time where his family worried about making ends meet.
“Being an Alpha doesn’t come with a paycheck.” Nolan chuckled lowly, the sound rumbling through his chest. Even though I felt like I knew the man well, some of the things he said surprised me. I soaked in every word, feeling out of step in the world of ruling. “A good Alpha takes what he needs to survive comfortably, only if his people are living in the same conditions.”
I replayed his words in my head for the rest of the drive, trying to apply them to my own newfound position as Queen of the Vampires. As we coasted down the curved highway that wrapped around the base of the mountain, I thought of my new role and how much trouble I had encountered in just three short months.
Since the d***h of their once King, things have been rocky. I was a newcomer , a tribrid without any roots. The ones who followed me did so out of duty and sense of self-preservation, but there were still many who voiced their opinions against me. I couldn’t blame them, not entirely.
After all, my first act in their world had been to assassinate their King.
The dark thoughts that swarmed my head scattered a s my name fell from Nolan’s lips, fleeing from the sun that washed my world in tones of gold and amber.
“We’re just a few minutes away.” He told me with a grin, chuckling when my eyes flitted out the window.
“Is the capital of your pack in the middle of the forest?” I asked, lifting an eyebrow at him.
While I had expected a sprawling city, or at least a semi -bustling town, neither Maya or I would have complained if it was. It would give us an excuse to go on more than our morning runs, which had become few and far between already.
“Now you’re picturing huts, and little wooden cabins. ” Nolan deadpanned, making me snicker where I sat.
“That and small fishing boats, nightly town bonfires…” My teasing trailed off when we coasted down another hill, and around a sharp curve.
Traffic seemed too thin at some point, making us and the two cars behind us the only ones on the road.
In a moss -colored minivan behind us, with rusted rims and a bundle of lavender hanging from the rearview mirror , was my grandma, dad and Sean.
Breyona, her parents, and Mason followed behind, in a blacked-out SUV that held both Giovanni and
Tristan inside.
We had decided to bring Holly along as well, to expose her more to the world. It was Holly I worried about the most.
She seemed to shut down once being rescued, fearful of this new place. She rode in the blacked-out
SUV with Tristan and Giovanni, even though she could withstand direct daylight. Her half witch, half vampire genetics made sunlight uncomfortable, but not deadly.
As lost in thought as I was, I wasn’t oblivious to the passing forests and ravines. From the corner of my eye, I saw a flash of silver, and turned my head to see the very distinct outline of a wolf dashing through the woods. Anytime it neared closer to the tree line, I could see a flash of silver and a long snout.
“I think we’re being followed.” I told Nolan, nodding towards the passenger window.
He glanced over once, then twice before rolling his eyes and cursing. What I did notice was the very distinct lack of surprise on his face.
“Of course, mom told him we were almost here.” He snorted, turning his eyes back to the road. I watched the muscle in his jaw move before looking back towards the silver wolf. “The welcoming committee tailing us right now is my younger brother, Brandon.”
“Well, I don’t know how skilled he is at swimming, but he’s running out of ground to run on.” I snickered, now fully invested in watching.
The forest began to thin out, giving me a better view of my mate’s younger brother. We had talked about his family many times, but Brandon was always a subject that made Nolan uptight.
Brandon’s wolf was silver with some onyx patches around his face and ears. Nearly the same size as my wolf, he kept up with us easily, even over the rocky terrain. He was agile , I ‘d give him that. He pressed off of a particularly large stone and landed on four paws just a few seconds later , never losing speed. His eyes, which were a more washed-out shade of Nolan’s honey color , kept darting towards us.
“He’s showing off for you.” Nolan deadpanned, never once looking over from where he sat. “If you wave at him, he might never leave us be.”
For good measure, I waved a couple times.
Another minute in and I watched withheld breath as the road we were currently on became a two -lane bridge. There was no more earth on either side of us for Brandon to continue running on, just a steep rocky slope, and a near endless looking lake that glittered beneath the sun.
“He’s not going to jump.” I shook my head, certain of it. A few more seconds passed, but he wasn’t slowing down. If anything, he was gaining speed with every leap and push. I looked towards Nolan with wide eyes, “Is he?”
Nolan glanced over at the cliff and was quiet for just a second, “The fall won’t k**l him. Won’ t even break a bone if he sticks his landing right.”
“That’s going to be hard to do as a wolf. ” I pointed out, just a tad more concerned than Nolan.
New Book: Veiled Desires of the Alpha King Novel
Dayson was the alpha of the largest pack in North America. Powerful figures from other packs sought to offer gorgeous girls as potential mates for Dayson. He steadfastly rejected these advances, he was not a pawn to be manipulated. But eventually there came a mysterious girl he could hardly say No. Who was she?