Her demon Alpha

Alex Heartman

Alex pulled off his shirt and dropped to the floor with his palms propping his chest up. His muscles rippled as he did his early morning push-ups, a routine he had grown accustomed to since he turned twelve.

'Fifty-five, fifty-six!" His wolf, Max, counted in his head as he effortlessly pushed himself up and down.

Just when he reached sixty-nine, there was a knock on the door and he paused, jumping to his feet.

"You may come in." His deep voice reverberated throughout the navy blue walls of his room.

The doorknob twisted and his royal maid stepped into his room. Alex noticed her cheeks turning crimson as her eyes traveled down his chest.

"Oh!" She squealed, widening her brown eyes and quickly shielding her eyes with her palm. "I'm sorry, my lord. I didn't mean to-"

"It's fine, what brings you to my chambers?" He inquired, maintaining a straight face.

"It's time for breakfast, your highness." She replied, still pressing her hand to her eyes.

"Will be there in a minute." He crisped and she gave a curt bow, quickly exiting his room.

Alex trudged into the bathroom. He stayed under the water faucet for ten minutes before striding out and dressing up for the day.

Taking a last glance at his reflection, he blinked once and took in his warm green eyes, which had clouds of emptiness floating in them. He sighed, combing his blond hair back.

He strode out of his room and locked gazes with his mother who was sitting beside his father.

"Ah, there you are," His mother said, seeming irritated by his tardiness when her green eyes took him in.

"Hi, mom." Alex greeted dryly with a blank expression and then averted his eyes to his dad. "Hello, father."

"What took you so long to arrive?" His father asked with a crease on his forehead.

"Morning routine," Alex said, taking a seat opposite his mother and patiently waiting for the royal maid to serve his dish.

His father's plate was already filled with roasted lamb and potatoes, and so was his mother's plate. They were going to begin breakfast without him but he didn't care, he was used to it.

"We have something very important to discuss with you but that'll be when you're done eating." The alpha, Heartman explained, helping himself to a piece of roasted lamb.

Alex shrugged, picking up his fork and stabbing a lamb, carefully shoving it into his mouth. He chewed slowly, shuffling his gaze between his mother and father.

The alpha leaned closer to the Luna and whispered into her ear. Her cheeks turned crimson and a shy smile tugged her lips. She glanced at Alex and he averted his gaze to the cup, which the royal maid was filling with water.

'What do you think dad wants to say this time?' Max, Alex's wolf asked.

'I have no idea.' Alex responded in his head, chewing some of his potatoes.

'Were you caught plowing someone's daughter?' Max asked in a bid to tease Alex.

'We both know I'm not promiscuous.' Alex responded.

'You should, maybe we could have some real fun instead of-'

'Im not interested." Alex snapped and Max tsked, recoiling and keeping his mouth shut.

Alex felt his ears twitching when he heard his mother chuckling, seeming as if his father had whispered something flattering into her ears.

"Oh, you!" She beamed.

The jug slipped off the maid's hand and landed on Alex's thighs. He jerked to his feet, feeling the cold liquid soaking his jeans.

"What is your problem?!" The queen exclaimed, staring daggers at the royal maid.

"I'm so-so sorry my queen, I didn't mean to do that." The maid's voice shook as she apologized, staring at the floor the entire time.

Alex felt bile rising in his throat but he swallowed it. He could hear how violently the maid's heart pounded against her chest in fear.

"You-"

The Luna wanted to speak again but Alex interrupted, taking his seat and picking up his fork. "It's fine, mother." He looked at the trembling maid. "You may leave."

"Thank you." The maid hastened her steps out of the warm dining, which was simply decorated with only a flower vase filled with pansies on the large dining table.

"You're lenient-"

Alex sighed, interrupting his mother's long lecture about why he shouldn't have let her leave without being punished.

"I'm not too lenient, mother... I like to be fair and that's it." He pointed out, helping himself to a glass of orange juice.

They sit in silence and only the sound of their cutleries hitting the plates could be heard.

"Well," the alpha cleared his throat, setting his cutleries down and steepling his fingers. "Alex, I'm going to make you the next Alpha, while your mother..."

The king drawled and Alex gazed at them, watching as his father took the Luna's hand in his and planted a short kiss on it.

"... And I go for a tour around the world." The alpha announced.

"Oh." Alex let out, staring blankly at the duo who he always found their uncanny resemblance weird.

'I heard sex is the reason couples look alike.' Max chipped in but Alex ignored his wolf.

"Aren't you excited?" His mother's thin voice rang.

"Well-" Alex didn't get to finish his sentence because his father interrupted.

"Yeah, we know you are." The king wiggled his brows at the queen.

"Stop!" The Luna chuckled, jerking in her seat.

Alex sensed his parents were playing tag under the table.

"You know I love you, right? How about we finish what we started this morning?" His father voiced, rubbing his nose against that of his mother.

Alex averted his gaze to his plate with a blink as he felt sick in the gut at their display. He continued eating his food, not showing any signs of emotions.

*****

Alex peeled off his clothes, not bothered about what his father said, perhaps, he didn't mean what he said, and even if he did, Alex was used to leading the affairs of the kingdom and doing things on his own ever since he defeated his three masters at the same time at a young age.

He walked into the lake he always swam in whenever he wanted to meditate, while Hendrix, his personal assistant sat on a stone.

"Father wants to make me alpha," Alex announced, immersing himself in the water.

"The moon goddess! That's great news!" Hendrix beamed.

Alex didn't feel excited, he was rather numb and unaware of how to react.

"Aren't you excited?" Hendrix asked.

"No-" Alex paused and the hairs on his nape were propelled in the air when he heard a soft and distant giggle. "Did you hear that?"

"Hear what?"

Mia Jayden

Mia wore her black cape and tiptoed to the door, trying to be as quiet as a mouse while pressing her ear to the wooden door to listen for sounds.

Her heart jumped to her throat when the thought of what she was about to do filled her head. Adrenaline rushed through her veins as she pulled the door open when she could hear the distant chatter of the maids in their various shifts.

She snuck out of her room and plastered against the blue walls of the hallway, which had many paintings of the alphas that reigned before her dad. With a heaving chest, she stealthily made her way into the wing that led to the grand foyer. This wing had ornaments and flower vases around it with paintings of the past Lunas.

'Where are you?' Mia's friend mind-linked her and she juddered, holding her breath not to give herself away.

'I'm doing the hard part, can you not do that next time?' Mia glanced from left to right and was about to climb down the stairs when she saw a guard approaching. She rushed back, hiding behind the statue of her grandfather.

She squeezed her eyes shut, palming her mouth to stay calm. The guard trudged past the statue and halted, slowly curling his fingers around the head of his blade. He glanced around and shrugged before walking away.

Mia let out a breath, nursing her chest to stop her erratic heart.

'I'm trying to sneak out,' she responded.

When she reached the last staircase, she peered at the guards that stood on each side of the large door.

She gulped, striding to the door with her head high.

"Good day, your highness," the guards chorused.

"Hi, how do you do?" Mia beamed, voice like that of a Nightingale.

"Very well, we thank you." They offered her a curt bow and she nodded her head, making her way to the door. "Are you going out?"

Mia blinked once then twice, stopping in her tracks and wracking her brain for something to say.

"Excuse me?" She smiled, showing off her canines and pearly whites.

"The queen ordered us to not-"

"Oh, I'm not going far." Mia shrugged.

"But the Queen-"

Mia was quick to cut him short

"No worries, I already got her permission." She smiled brightly attempting to skip past the guards.

They stood their ground and even went as far as joining shoulders, successfully closing the tiny space between them.

"Your highness." Perz called out after her.

Mia cursed under her breath, "Perz the head guard just had to make an appearance."

Perz was a highly clever and skilled man and Mia hated him for it. He always managed to obstruct her fun. He had guarded the Diamond Shadow Parks palace since he was but a boy and now he was in his mid 50s and a total pain in the ass.

"Oh, Perz. How lovely it is of you to make an appearance." Mia managed to maintain her smile. "Now tell your guards to let me through."

"I'm afraid I'd have to send Theo up to confirm your claim, mi lady." Perz ignored her order as he, with the wave of his hand, assigned said assignment to Theo his right hand man.

"Of course, you should but only if you'd want to risk getting reprimanded by the Queen for interrupting her very private time with her husband." Mia stated trying to sound as carefree as possible blowing imaginary dust off her fingers

Theo stopped dead in his tracks. His face contorted in confusion as he looked at Perz who was shooting daggers at a smiling Mia.

She knew he'd never risk interrupting anything intimate between her parents not by sending a guard, neither by mind linking him.

Mia hoped he would buy her lie because her cheeks were killing her from all the smiling.

With another wave of his hand, he made Mia's silent wish come true. The guards parted their shoulders, giving room for free passage.

Mia skipped past them, smiling brightly.

"Miss Mia," Perz called and she glanced over her shoulder at him. "Be safe."

"Sure will." She assured, throwing open the doors as she made her way to meet Rain who had been waiting for her just outside the palace door.

"That took longer than it used to."

Rain was quick to point out.

"You're losing your touch."

Rain moved quickly towards the woods.

"No, I'm not." Mia retorted defensively trying to keep up with her pace.

"Right," Rain said sarcastically.

"Yeah. Just missed my little chit chats with Perz."

"Whatever, Mi." Rain was quick to shut her up before she went on about how fabulous her "chit chats" with Perz usually went.

Mia glared playfully at Rain as she walked briskly past the gate. Mia waved the guards stationed there. She never had an issue with them as they never stopped her 'cause once she passed the palace doors, she was good to go.

They both made their way behind the first tree they could find to strip out of their clothes.

"Ready?" Rain smiled mischievously at Mia. Moments like this helped remind Mia why they were best friends. They had similar energies.

"Was born ready." Mia was bubbling with excitement as they both shifted into their wolf form taking off into the forest.

*****

"You guys are awfully late,"

Steph complained when Mia and Rain got to the others.

Mia and Rain had changed back into their clothes just before reaching the others with Mia still adjusting her jean

"As usual," Kala said in a bored tone looking really upset, while Cade remained quiet.

They were all complete. Their clique of five

"Take a chill pill, Kal. We aren't that late,"

Rain retorted sharply.

"You should have been here over an-"

"Okay, okay that's enough. We're sorry we're late." Mia quickly cut in. They were here to have fun not settle quarrels between Kal and Rain.

"So who's ready for some fun?!"

Mia said cheerily. Smiling brightly and causing the others to follow suit.

They all laughed as they made their way deeper into the forest.

The day was no longer young and darkness was fast descending on them.

There was no way they could hunt in the dark so they had to be quick.

Today, they were to hunt down a reindeer which Mia was positive she'd win but to her total dismay, she lost to Steph who hadn't stopped teasing her on how terrible she was at hunting.

Rain and Kal had gotten into another fight so they hadn't participated much in the hunt. Cade had tried to stop them from killing each other so he hadn't participated much either. Sincerely, he wouldn't have either way, he was just that dude who preferred to 'just observe' as he'd often defend.

"The only reason you beat me this time was because I was too distracted with Rain and Kal."

Mia defended as they all sat by a fire place where they roasted their prized reindeer.

"Don't try to pin this on us, Mi." Kal simply stated while they all watched her in amusement.

"And besides, Steph always kicks your ass."

Cade added and Steph smiled in victory.

"Whatever," Mia said playfully, while they all joked at her expense.

After drunk dancing and playing amongst themselves, Cade decided to tell the group a story.

"It's a story about the very ground we sit on." Cade started, widening his green eyes.

"I hate the sound of that." Kal complained. Mia couldn't help but agree.

"Don't be such a baby." Steph scolded.

"Well, like I said earlier, it's about this very land." Cade continued. "Legends have it that there was once a man possessed with a demon wolf. He was the alpha of his pack and whenever this demon came over him, he would lose control of himself and hurt anyone and everyone he could."

Kal drew closer to Mia who was in no way enjoying the story.

"One day, he even killed his family when he was possessed by this demon. He lost everything by his own hands. He is said to have come to this same grounds and took his own life when he realized what he had done to his family."

Mia's heart skipped a beat and beads of sweat lined up on her forehead. Horror stricken, they stared at Cade in utmost silence.

"How true is your story?" Mia asked, breaking the story.

Cade only shrugged sipping from his drink, seeming unconcerned.

"That was disturbing."

Rain stated and they all agreed, giggling. Deep down, they knew they all loved scary stories.

Next Steph graced the occasion with another really disturbing story about a kid gone missing in the woods and was never found.

"That's enough!" Kal screamed at Steph, causing Mia and the others to guffaw.

Stella Jayden(Luna)

"Perz! Perz!!!" The luna of Diamond Shadow Park screamed, shaking the walls of the palace.

"Your highness." Perz bowed, shaking in fear. He was well accustomed to how temperamental the queen was.

"Where's Mia?!"

"Your highness, I-er, we-"

Perz struggled for the right words. He had been fooled.

"Are you retarded or are you just plain stupid?!"

The Queen's nostrils flared and her face was now red.

"Where . Is. My. Daughter Perz?!"

"Your Majesty, S-she is not-"

Perz stuttered. The Queen terrified him especially when it had to do with the princess

"What did I tell you about letting her out of this palace?!" Her canines elongated and red veins marred her forehead.

Perz hoped it was a rhetorical question.

"Did I not instruct you to not let my daughter through those doors, Did I not?!"

"You-you d-did your highness-"

"Did I stutter when I told you those words?" She fumed; chest heaving.

The Queen balled her palms into fists, her hands were itching to slap the guard and she refrained from doing so.

She had warned him. But on the other side, she knew how mischievous Mia was and how manipulative she could get to have her way.

"Where did she go?" The queen swallowed her anger.

"I don't-I'm not sure," Perz responded; eyes on the floor.

"You don't know?" She narrowed her eyes into crinkled slits as bile rose in her throat. "So you let my daughter out of this palace ignoring my orders and doing as you, please. Perz?"

Her voice had gone dangerously low.

"Your Majesty I-"

She clenched her jaw and walked towards Perz as a foxy smile played on her lips. "Do you like where your head is Perz?"

"Yes, I do," Perz gulped, taking steps back.

"I highly doubt it cause if you did, you wouldn't have done something as stupid as leaving my daughter to wander out of this palace with absolutely no form of protection. You are tired of living, right?" She gripped his neck and he choked, gasping for air.

Perz feared he'd peed himself at this point.

"Find Mia and anything happens to my baby. Even as small as a scratch, I'll have your head cut off." The queen warned through gritted teeth before releasing his neck.

Throughout, she yelled angrily at not just Perz but every other guard present.

"Get the hell out of sight!" They all scurried away grateful for the dismissal.

When the Luna was done shouting, she was panting with both fatigue and fear.

She had to mind link Mia but that child had blocked her out. From that moment, Mrs. Jayden was certain she was no longer under her roof.

She had stalked to her room and found it empty to her utter dismay and anger. How could a child cause her so much stress? Her heart beat frantically threatening to escape its imprisonment in her chest as her mind wiled with awful possibilities.

"Jay!" She barged into the alpha's study looking like a crazed woman.

Alpha Jayden had a good guess as to what had gone wrong even before his dear worrisome wife said a word. He kept his eyes fixated on the documents he was going through.

She paused, raking his body with her eyes and furrowing her eyebrows. "Do you even care about Mia?"

Alpha Jayden sighed in frustration, pinching the bridge of his nose. "You know I do, Stell."

"No, you don't." She countered folding her arms in front of her defiantly. "If you did, you'd know that your child is missing!"

"I do know she isn't in the palace and I also know she's safe, Stell. You worry too much. She's no longer a child."

He finally raised his head and locked gazes with her.

"She may no longer be a 'child', but she's my child and I'll never stop worrying. You know why I worry Jay."

Alpha Jayden sighed softly, saying, "I know, my love."

He got up and walked to the first and most important thing to him im the world. "I'll mind-link her and make her come home this minute. She might be able to block you out but she can't block the alpha."

He planted a light kiss on her lips and she nodded wearily.

He truly didn't understand why she worried so much. Yes, there was the mark but Mia was a big, strong confident young woman and she could take care of herself. He knew she could.

He tried to mind-link her and although he noticed a slight barrier, he was quick to break it. "Mia, I want you home at this moment. Your mother is worried sick."

He heard Mia sigh, "Aye, aye, Captain," She said in a tired resignation he was very accustomed to.

He looked at Stell smiling slightly. "She's on her way. Happy now?"

He was trying to playfully brighten up her sour mood but she was having none of it.

"I'll only be fine when my daughter is back home and safe."

She pushed him away and stormed out of his study.

Alpha Jayden ran his hand down his face in frustration before retreating to his chair and resuming his work.

***

Mia Jayden.

Mia bid farewell to her friends and started making her way back home to her mom.

"Mummy problems?" Kal asked in a mock tone.

"Back off." Mia feigned annoyance.

"Aww, mummy's girl's upset?"

Steph laughed and Mia playfully punched him.

"Enough guys," Rain said as she got up and demanded to walk Mia back home.

"This is unnecessary. I'll be fine on my own. I know this woods." Mia protested, not wanting Rain to walk her home like some guard.

"Not an option. I'm already seeing you off so drop it, Mi."

Mia rolled her eyes up to heaven and back to earth. "Fine, fine." Mia raised her hands in mock surrender.

Rain smiled in victory.

They got home a lot later as they didn't shift but walked in their human forms.

A few walks away from the palace, Mia was confronted by palace guards and Perz looked livid.

"Your hig-"

"I know, Perz. I do." Mia interrupted what he was about to say.

She tapped his shoulder in feigned regret.

On getting home, her mom scolded her as usual.

"I'm no child mom. I can handle myself." Mia protested, refraining from rolling her eyes at her mother.

Mia was more than tired of being locked away in her room all day long all because of some stupid mark her parents refused to tell her about.

"I only went out to hang out with my friends and that's what grown-ups my age do."

Mia deadpanned, feeling a lump in her throat.

"You're the future of this clan Mia! Act like it!" Her mother bellowed and Mia gasped.

Had she been acting otherwise? Her heart sank into her stomach, all she wanted was the freedom to live like normal girls her age.

"What if-" Mia started but stopped, breathing heavily as tears welled up in her eyes.

"What if what?" The Luna inquired, eyeing her warily.

"Nothing." Mia walked away and her heart constricted in her chest.

She didn't want to be the future of the kingdom at this point if it meant being treated like a prisoner. Mia didn't want to die or run away but she didn't want to live like this.

Mia went to bed that night all upset and annoyed with her mom for being just worried and her dad who never bothered leaving that damn study.

One day she was going to find her mate and go far away to where she can be truly free. This thought brought a smile to her cupid lips before she finally fell asleep