Between Two Alphas: Two Mates, One heart

Ariana's POV

I have had a lonely life growing up. One would think living in a pack as powerful as the Crescent Moon Pack, being the Beta's daughter, surrounded by people and having a brother and a sister, I would never feel alone. But sadly, this is not the case.

My father has never bothered or cared about me for as long as I can remember. To him, it was like I never existed. He never blinked an eye if I was being beaten or maltreated by fellow pack members. Instead, he relished in my pain and he took every opportunity he could to punish me thoroughly.

While I suffer silently in the pack, my older brother Jeffrey is honored and cherished highly in our pack. He is the trophy child of the Beta family. My father makes sure to put all his efforts and resources into Jeffrey, who will soon take over his position. However, his aim is for Jeffrey to become the Alpha of Crescent Moon Pack by getting mated to Sheila, Alpha Stanley's daughter.

Just as Jeffrey is the pride of the Beta family, my little sister-or should I say stepsister, Chloe-is the princess of the Beta family. And just so you know, she hates me with so much passion, and for what reason? Because we have different moms, and her mother, Ursula, hates me as well, so I guess she passed that hatred down to Chloe as well.

As for my father, he loves his little princess unconditionally, he cherishes and appreciates everything she does, no matter what she does. To my father, Chloe and her mother were always right and he always took their sides.

My brother also never really cares about me. He is always too busy thinking about himself. He thinks he's better than me, although he never really says much to me, and he never allows anyone to bully me in his presence, but I think just like my father and everyone else in the pack, he blames me for my mother's death. Sounds crazy, right? Yeah, I know. Imagine being accused and held responsible for something you have no control over.

Chloe is fifteen years old, while I'm sixteen, and to be honest, the age difference between us always amazes me. To me, it seemed like it didn't take my father long to move on after my mother's death, or maybe he was already cheating on her-I don't know. Somehow, people didn't care about that but instead, they focused all their energy into bullying and blaming me for her death.

"Your father requests your presence," one of my father's warriors said as he looked at me with a disgusted face. Yeah, I know you might be surprised that I said my father's warrior. Well, unlike many other pack Betas, my father has his own warriors, although they weren't as strong as those of the Alpha. I believe the reason my father was given such privilege was because he's the richest man in the pack and also the Alpha's best friend. However, I believe his wealth is the main factor here.

"Where is he?" I asked, equally looking at the guard with a disgusted face.

"In his office. It is a family meeting," he replied and walked away.

I left the dishes I was doing and wiped my hands on my worn-out jeans as I made my way to my father's office. I reached my father's office and knocked on the door softly. I do things carefully to avoid being yelled at or beaten. When I hear "come in," I open the door to find my worst enemies.

It wasn't like I wasn't expecting to meet them there, though, and since they said it was "a family meeting," which I wasn't usually invited to, I knew they were all going to be there. My father sat behind his desk; Jeffrey sat on one of the chairs in front of his desk, while Chloe and her mother sat on the couch close to the window.

"I was told you called for me, Father, I said respectfully.

"Take a seat, Ariana," my father said, gesturing to the second chair close to Jeffrey.

I took my seat confused and wondering what the hell was going on. My father hardly calls me by my name except when something bad is about to happen, and judging from the wicked smile on Ursula's face it's definitely not good for me.

"I will get straight to the point without wasting anyone's time," my father began after he cleared his throat. "Ariana, there is a powerful Lycan King from the north who has requested a breeder in order to sign a peace treaty with us and become one of our allies. So I have discussed it with Alpha Stanley, and since you're of Beta blood, even though you're a useless one, we believe you could give the Lycan king amazing and powerful heirs. In two months, the Lycan king will be coming to take you to his pack. I'm telling you this in advance for you to prepare yourself."

What the hell did I just hear? I can't marry a Lycan. I'm still sixteen for goddess's sake and I haven't even met my wolf or my mate and they were already planning to sell me?

"Why me? Why not Chloe? I'm sure the Lycan king would not want the useless daughter of the Beta family."

"Ariana you have to understand that you're older than Chloe and you're not doing this for us but for the pack. Ariana, if you agree to this it will make Crescent Moon Pack one of the strongest werewolf packs in the world," Ursula said, trying to act all nice.

"Why should I care about people who never cared about me? Why would I want to make the pack whose members bullied me for years become one of the strongest werewolf packs? None of you give a damn about me, so why should I save you? Why should I help you?"

"Enough! Ariana of course we care about you. You're my daughter and I love you." My father replied.

"You love me?" I scoffed. "Wow, I can't believe Beta Adams just called me his daughter and said he loved me. For years I have been bullied by pack members, and you never did or said anything even in your presence. At home, they hit and starve me, and you don't care about that either. So I don't consider myself your daughter; why don't you sell your actual daughter to the Lycan King as a breeder? I can't believe you're even considering something like this, and my so-called big brother is aware and is okay with it. Mum would be turning in her grave right now; she would be ashamed of both of you and the kind of man you, Jeffrey, turned out to be."

"That's it, Ariana I've heard enough and trust me you know nothing about your mother," my father growled.

"Well I don't know a lot about my mother but I know you never cared about her. Because you were already sleeping with her replacement even before her death," I sneered.

"Dad, do you think we are doing the right thing? And I believe Ariana is right. Mum wouldn't have liked this. We can just tell Alpha Stanley to negotiate something else with the Lycan king or give him someone else," Jeffrey replied before my father could reply.

"Jeffrey, I know your mother wouldn't have liked this, but as a leader, you have to make certain sacrifices, and this is just one of those sacrifices you make for the greater good. Also, you know we need this to boost your chances of getting married to Sheila and becoming the Alpha Crescent Moon Pack. If I tell the pack that this was your idea, it will make them back you more, and Sheila and Alpha Stanley will respect you for your fast thinking and your leadership spirit. They will believe you're willing to make the necessary sacrifices to move the pack forward."

"Yes Dad," Jeffrey replied sadly.

"With all that being said, Ariana, you'll be getting married to the Lycan king in two months, and that is final. It is not up for negotiations," he said firmly.

"And if I refuse?" I said defiantly. I don't care if they beat me to a stupor; my body was not for sale.

"Looks like you have forgotten your place," my father growled loudly, causing me to flinch back.

"And that's the man who said I'm his daughter and he loves me," I scoffed.

I saw my father's eyes glow, meaning he was mind-linking someone, and a few seconds later, the door burst open as three warriors entered. One of them grabbed me and was about to inject my neck with wolfsbane but Jeffrey stopped him.

Ariana's POV

"Don't you dare inject her with that," he growled. "Let's go; I will walk her out. I need to have a conversation with her, then you can take her to wherever my father asked you to take her to."

Jeffrey walked me out of my father's office with the three guards trailing behind us. When we were completely far away from my father's office and the three guards were about ten steps behind us, he finally spoke to me.

"Ariana I'm really sorry for everything. I'm sorry for neglecting you all these years and not being the ideal big brother you wish for. It's just that mother's death took a bad toll on me, and with father and everyone else blaming you for it, I didn't really know what to do; I felt confused. I know deep down Mother will not be happy with me, but I promise to make it up to you, Ariana. I will do whatever I can to get you out of this situation. You just need to hold on for now. Jeffrey said softly.

"I thought you didn't care about me, Jeffrey. What changed?" I asked sadly.

"I have always cared about you, Ari. It's just that Father made it difficult for me, and things always get worse for you whenever I try to help. So I just thought it was best I act like I didn't care to protect you. I love you, Ari. Seeing your face every day and the kind of young lady you're growing up to be always reminds me of Mother. She'll be so proud of you," Jeffrey replied as he used his thumb to gently caress my cheek affectionately.

"I didn't know, Jeff. I thought you hated me just like everyone else, and I know how difficult Father can be. Thank you for telling me this and letting me know you genuinely love and care for me. It means a lot to me. I love you, Jeff." I said, giving him a hug.

"I love you too, Ari. I promise to look for a solution so you don't end up with that man, okay? But I'm sorry I have let the guards do what they were asked to," he says, giving me a kiss on my forehead.

I only nodded as I watched him leave, and the guards quickly grabbed me like I was some sort of hardened criminal. Jeffrey stopped and looked back, then he said to the leader of the guards, "You better not inject her with wolfsbane, because if I find out that you did, I promise you I'll personally melt silver, mix it with wolfsbane, and force you to drink it. So you better be careful," he said and left.

***#****#***

2 weeks later.

It was cold. So cold.

My skin and body were numb. I shivered as I lay on the cold floor. The cell I was locked in had a completely cemented floor and a metal door. I had no light, no fresh air, no clean clothes, and no actual place to sleep except the cold, cement floor.

For the past two weeks that I've been here, I have been deprived of food and water. If it had been six months ago, my nursing mother, Charlotte, would have brought me food and water because she would have pleaded with the guard who held the key to my cell, and he would have given it to her. But Chloe found out that Charlotte had been sneaking food into the cell and told my dad. My dad blinded one of the guard's eyes with a silver knife as a warning for such not to happen again.

Right now, I have no hope, and every part of my body feels deathly weak. The smell of my own urine and feces seems to grow worse with each passing day. There is no toilet in the cell, so whenever I'm pressed, I have to go to a particular corner and relieve myself there.

As I lay on the floor I couldn't help but think. Maybe it would be in my best interests to become the Lycan king's breeder. Perhaps I could win his heart, make him fall in love with me, and, if he does, use the influence of his power to punish my father and the people of Crescent Moon Pack for the way they've treated me. If I can make him fall in love with me, maybe I can even convince him to destroy the Crescent Moon Pack.

The soft unlatching sound of the door lock echoed in the quiet room, pulling me sharply out of my reverie and back into the present.

"Hey, mutt! Get up. The guard who wanted to inject me with wolfsbane two weeks ago called out. "You've been ordered to go clean the whole bathroom at the castle and also the kitchens."

Gathering my strength, I force myself to stand up off the floor, stumbling as I walk over to the opened door. The guard led me to the bathroom at Alpha Stanley's castle through the backdoor at my father's mansion.

"Don't go into the showers or use the bathroom. Clean them!" he ordered. "When you're done, go straight to the kitchen, wash the dishes, and clean the kitchen. Don't steal anything there, and you're not to eat anything in the kitchen, even if it's leftovers. I hope I've made myself crystal clear."

I slowly nodded my head in affirmation.

"I'll be back in an hour so you better be done before I get back," he said as he walked out.

Slowly, I started cleaning the bathrooms right after he left. Luckily for me, the bathrooms in the castle were usually not as dirty as those in the pack house, so it didn't take long for me to finish. Afterwards, I left the bathroom and headed to the kitchen. I felt weak when I saw all the dirty dishes scattered around and how messy the kitchen looked.

I sat on the floor, tired and frustrated, my whole body vibrating and my legs shaking. I looked around the kitchen again, and then my eyes caught something. The big window in the kitchen was open. And immediately an idea popped into my head; perhaps I could escape. Unlike the bathroom, the kitchen is on the last floor of the castle, and the protector seems to have been removed. It was unusual, but I didn't care.

This is a rare opportunity for me to escape, and I'm not going to let such an opportunity go to waste. I looked around outside to see if anyone was around. Then I jumped out of the window and landed on both feet. The air outside was so fresh, so good and it felt refreshing. The sun was bright and shiny, but most of all, it felt very hot on my bare skin.

I scanned my environment; there were no guards in sight, so I moved on autopilot, running towards the pack border, and the next thing I knew, I had crossed the pack border, and I was running into the forest by myself in search of my freedom.

I breeze past trees, not stopping for breath as I move swiftly. After about an hour of running, I noticed with relief how quiet the wind was, as I could only hear my breathing. I don't know how far I have run despite running for hours, but I stop at a beautiful lake. My legs are shaking as I hit the ground. I whimpered aloud as the rocks jabbed my knees.

I used my arms to drag myself to the lake. The cool water hit my hands first. I sat down in the lake, my full body submerged. I start to scrub all the dirt off myself. I wet my hair and then ran my fingers through it nicely. When I was done washing myself, I drank some of the water going past me by cupping it with my now clean hands and sipping it.

The water was refreshing, it was nice and also cold.

I got up out of the water and lay down on a big rock close to the lake. I lay there, my whole body tensed and shaking from being wet. In my weak and tired state, I lay there until I fell into a deep, needed sleep.

Ariana's POV

"She's not dead, just unconscious." A gruff voice pierced into my consciousness and a foot hit my stomach, pulling me out of my daze. I hunched forward, holding my stomach to prevent any more attacks.

"Yep, she's very much alive. Who are you, rogue? And what are you doing in Beaumont? Answer now, before I kill you for trespassing." The voice threatened.

I avoided their gaze. "Please, don't kill me. I don't mean any harm." I pleaded, fear enveloping me as I recalled what Alpha Stanley used to do to rogues and trespassers. I was hoping to continue my journey to the human city when I woke up. I had no idea I had already trespassed.

"P-please w-where am I." Trembling in fear, I managed to ask one of the guards.

"What is going on here?" A male voice questioned before the guard could reply. A young man who seemed to be in his twenties approached us with two other men beside him, but from the way he spoke, I could tell he was someone with a high rank in the pack. His curious eyes fell on me.

The two guards bowed their heads in respect. "We found this rogue in this part of our border while on patrol."

He studied me for some seconds before turning to the guards

"Have you reported this to my father?"

"No sir, your father is out on pack business. And we just found her not quite long ago," the first guard replied.

"Okay, that's good."

"What do you want us to do with her, Beta?" One of the guards asked and took a step closer to me, but the young man who they called Beta growled loudly, and then the guard took a step back. I just lay on the floor watching the four men and hoping and also praying to the moon goddess that they would spare my life by letting me go. But suddenly I began to feel dizzy and gradually everything began to blur and I was drifting in and out of consciousness before darkness finally took over.

Victor's POV

I just got back from my mother's pack a few hours ago, and since I returned, I've been feeling restless. My wolf wanted to run desperately, so I decided to take a walk into the forest with Robert, the gamma of our pack, and William, our head warrior. While we were walking and having a light conversation towards the pack border, where we could strip off our clothes and shift for a run, I noticed two warriors who seemed to be talking to someone.

"What's going on here?" I asked while walking towards the guards to get a view of what was happening.

The two guards bowed their heads in respect. "We found this rogue in this part of our border while on patrol," the first guard replied.

I shifted my gaze from the guards to the young girl who was lying on the floor. She looked worn out, sad, alone, and hungry. She was also very thin as if she had been starved for most of her life. I instantly felt the urge to help her. She was too young and looked so innocent for me to neglect. I believe she couldn't be more than a year older than Olivia, my stepsister, or probably they might even be the same age.

"Have you reported this to my father?"

"No sir, your father is out on pack business. And we just found her not quite long ago," the first guard replied.

"Okay, that's good," I replied.

"What do you want us to do with her, Beta?"

We normally kill any rogue or wolf that trespasses into our territory, but she was different, and I couldn't even imagine giving an order that would harm her.

One of the guards took a step closer to her, and I growled loudly. He flinched and stepped back.

"We take her home." I walked towards her, picked her up, and started walking away. I noticed that she had already passed out before I carried her, which proved exactly what I'd been thinking-she was hungry and exhausted.

"Are you sure, Victor? Don't you think she could cause harm to the pack and will your father be okay with this if he finds out?" William asked, surprise evident on his face.

"I'm more than sure," I yelled. "Don't worry about my father, I'll take care of him. Now let's go!"

I took off, running as fast as I could to the pack hospital, with William and Robert trailing behind me.

"Stelhanie! Stephanie!" I yelled out to our pack doctor through the mind link as I got closer to the pack hospital.

"Yes, Beta," she replied.

"There is an emergency. I'm bringing in a patient; she is a rogue, and she's currently unconscious."

She rushed outside and directed me to a ward. "Set her down on the bed."

"Please, you'll have to step out, Victor let me quickly run some tests on her," she said after cross-checking the girl's body carefully.

"Okay, doc. I'll be outside waiting for you. But I hope she'll be okay?" I couldn't help but ask.

"She will be fine, Victor. But is she your mate?"

"No. No. No," I replied. Although her question caught me off guard. Why would she think the girl is my mate?

"Okay, just wanted to be sure. Please let me get to work now. She said, and I walked out of the room to allow her to do her job.