Chapter 0007
Chapter 7
Cam's POV
The apartment Alaric and I shared looks the same as it did a few days ago, but somehow everything has changed.
"You've changed," my wolf Lucy says gently in my head.
"Thad no choice."
Grabbing my suitcases, I look through the items deciding what to take. The expensive clothes, designer watches and jewelry. lavish gifts... Alaric can have it all. Apparently, that's all he thought I wanted from him. Oh, how wrong he was.
And how wrong I was.
Even this apartment, I thought it was our place. Our safe haven away from prying eyes, where we could be alone together. Where we could truly be ourselves.
It was the only home I'd ever called mine.
But I realize now that it was never mine. And it was just one of many homes that Alaric owns. This was just where he kept his "gold-digging low-born" a secret. A fresh sting hits me, recalling Alaric's words from earlier,
Now that Lilia was moving into the Alpha family mansion, I doubt Alaric would ever need to come back here again. He'd probably just send his staff to handle it, to handle the memory of me.
I wish I could offload my own memories. I can almost still smell the coffee that Alaric spilled all over the floor, hands moving too quickly wrapping around me as we kissed... Or the pancake flour that he playfully dotted on my nose that day he tried to make me breakfast....
Throbbing pain returns to my chest. Reminding me of the bond that was severed. I should hate him,
Tearing my eyes away from the kitchen, I catch a glimpse of myself in the hallway mirror. My red hair is a little too wild, my green eyes a little too tired, but otherwise I'm healthy. My body is strong, and my mind is sharp.
I'm incredibly lucky. Orphaned at only three years old, I probably shouldn't even be alive right now. If not for the kindness of Pack DarkWood and its Alpha family, I'm not sure where I would've ended up. No, I couldn't hate Alaric. Our past was just too complicated for it to be that easy.
But I wouldn't give him any more of myself. Taking one last look at the apartment, I made a vow to myself, to Lucy, and to my baby that today was the last day I'd ever mourn for Alpha King Alaric, I slam the door shut behind me as Lucy howls.
Suitcase in tow, I knock on the door of the most comforting place I can think of: Ruby's apartment.
Even after working a full shift at the hospital, she has enough energy to whip us up a delicious dinner. She vincredible.
There are SO many options out there these days, just look!"
Ruby held up the screen, showing me the online profiles of pack currently accepting new members.
We pride ourselves on communing with the natural spirits and devouring all who cross our paths' Come on, Honey, they can't be serious!" I read one pack's profile, unable to stifle my laughter.
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15:24 Wed, Jan 1 GL Chapter 7
"Okay, okay, I didn't say they were all good options, Sweetheart Ruby was laughing so hard she was nearly in tears. She turned the screen back to face, herself and scrolled through for a few moments, "Alright, now here's a real contender." I snuggle up to her side to see what's on the screen:
Eamon's subtle smile is looking back at me.
-Pack BloodyMoon-
1 roll my eyes. "Honey.."
"You know, you look more like him than Lilia." She glances at me smiling playfully, "And obviously way more beautiful than her, too. Maybe you're the real long lost princess of BloodyMoun"
A fresh cackle of laughter erupts from her lips.
I let out a half-hearted chuckle, my eyes locked on Eamon's vibrant red hair. The
What if... What if I was the princess of BloodyMoon?
Was that even possible?
Eamon's POV
fiery shade as mine.
My fingers rubbed the back of my neck as I returned to the hotel room, trying to relieve the knot that had formed. My visit with Lilia in the hospital wasn't too long, but I was feeling tired nonetheless. My Beta, Walter, cleared his throat, subtly alerting me to his presence..
"Sorry, Walter. I hope the wait wasn't too long.
I usually tried my best to avoid long hours for the old man. Walter had been my father's Beta before me, and he had an unwavering loyalty to Pack Bloody Moon that I had to respect.
"No trouble at all, Alpha King. We just need to discuss the plans for the anniversary. It's fast approaching..." His raspy voice trailed off given the delicate subject.
"I remember," I sigh. I always remember,
I could never forget that day.
The day my mother died.
Every year on the anniversary of her death, I planned for my sister and five younger brothers to gather to remember her.
Walter handed me the old leatherbound photo album. I'd asked him to bring it on this trip so I could select a photo Somehow, I thought it'd be easier to deal with that task in an impersonal hotel room, rather than sitting in the house my mother used to occupy. The very first photo is our family portrait, taken when my parents were still alive. There's all of us kids, arranged in a line with my mother in the center, smiling down at her baby daughter on her lap.
She loved Lilia so much. After Lilia went missing as a small pup my mother was completely and totally overwhelmed and devasted with grief. So much that it killed her before she could see her daughter return safely, two long years later.
In the portrait, my father stands with me on his right side, a signal of my destiny to succeed him in leading the pack. Every deep, dark red hair on his head is perfectly positioned. He pride himself on surrounding himself with perfection.
And on his left.., very close indeed, on his left is Nanny.
2/3
Wed, Jan
Chapter 7
She never liked me inuch, or maybe I never liked her.
But Nanny loved Lilia, almost as much as my own mother. Flipping through more photos, I see more photos of Lilia through the years as a child,
We all noticed how different she looked when she returned home, her nose and eyes not quite the way we remembered. them. Nanny always brushed us off when my brothers and I talked about it, snidely reminding us that children grow and change as they age. When the genetic testing that Nanny had arranged proved that lia was, in fact, our sister, that left no doubt. She was the same princess who went missing, even if she looked a little different.
So we all spoiled her. After all she had been through, no one in the Alpha family rested until Lilia was fully pampered and soothed. We cherished her like a precious gift that might disappear at any moment.
My thoughts go back to the red-headed she-wolf I met earlier with Alaric at the hospital. Cara.
As an ex-lover, it seemed like a foregone conclusion that Cara would try to sabotage Alaric's relationship with Lilia, but for some reason I can't bring myself to plot against Cara.
Something about her intrigues me. Her hair is a perfect match to mine.
And not just mine.
I look back at the family portrait. The same bold, fiery red locks all softly on my mother's shoulders.
I knew something about Cara looked familiar.
"Walter," I call to my Beta, not daring to look up from the picture of my mother's face. "Look into this Cara from Pack DarkWood for me, please. I need to know more. And above all else, don't let any of my brothers find out about her," "Of course, Alpha," Walter says simply. "Can I ask why, sir?"
I bite my lip, deciding whether to tell him my suspicions. I trust Walter with my life, and the information may prove useful in his investigation, so I relent.
""Because intuition tells me she might be my siste