The Forbidden Alpha

Adea

I feel like I've been running forever. I get to the bottom of the stairs and push with everything I have on the door. Please please please, I think to myself. I step back and push my shoulder into the door and it opens for me.

I'm blinded. All I could hear was the ringing in my ears. The wolf's bane grenade had gone off. I squint as the fog cleared. Everything was moving in slow-mo as I tried to find him. Tried to smell him.

I couldn't hear Mavy. I stumble over a body and stared in shock as I found the head of the body belonged to Gabriel. I rushed past the arms, legs, and heads of familiar faces. Fumbling and moving trying to find him.

In the corner of my eye, I saw movement. I turned and see a pile rise up and fall as a shape pushes up through the bodies. I can see his black hair and my heart swells as I watch him search for me. When his eyes lock on mine I see the relief flood his face.

He stands up and I can feel the need to touch him grow and almost explode as he starts towards me. I can feel his need and his relief. I feel his shock... Shock fills his eyes and I frantically try to see what's wrong. I look down at his chest.. his beautiful chest...

The mate bond snaps and my world is cold and I'm all alone. All I can feel is a numbing pain as I fall to the ground. I can't look away from my mate but I can hear his footsteps coming closer. He drops something near my head and grabs my hair. He starts dragging me and I hit my head on a rock.

The last thing I see is the empty eyes of my mate before I lose consciousness. The last coherent thought I have is knowing that I'm alone.

*Beep beep beep beep beep beep beep*

I groan as I hear my alarm go off. I feel a migraine splitting my head apart as I reach around for my phone. Where did I put it? I feel around for it until I feel it on the floor next to the bed.

I roll over and groan. Fuck, I have to get up. The Alpha and his family get up at seven and I need to make sure that breakfast is prepared by the time they head to the kitchen.

The Moon Goddess must have been watching out for me because normally when a rogue stumbles onto pack land they are killed when found. I'm lucky that Alpha Joshua gave me a job at the packhouse and provided a room for me to stay in.

I've been here at the Half Moon pack for the last four years. My parents died when I was young and Alpha Joshua and his Luna Rose didn't have to help me but they did. I'm thankful for the roof over my head and the warm bed I have to sleep in.

I mentally push myself to get up and I just out of bed and throw on one of two of the new jeans I own, a white t-shirt, and a hoodie. I have a bag of clothes Mavy bought me but I haven't had the heart to open them yet.

I'm putting my hair up when I hear a quiet knock at the door. I look at my reflection in my small mirror and groan. "My brown hair looks stringy and frizzy, the only thing nice about it is its length. My brown eyes are dull and are a bloodshot red.

There's nothing I can do to make myself look better. Oh well. "Come in", I whisper. Knowing it's just Gabe coming to grab me for work. He's 5'11", has blonde hair, and a crooked smile. Not the tallest man in the pack but from my 5'3" I'm basically a midget.

I turn around and Gabe whistles. "Morning Ady. You look like shit", he chuckles, looking down at my frizzy brown hair. At 5'11", he's not the tallest man in the pack, but from my 5'3 perspective, he's a giant.

One time, after we first met, something went missing the day Gabe and I were working in the kitchen together. Some of the pack members blamed me for the missing clothes.

Gabe stood up for me and told them that I was with him the entire time preparing their food. Since then, he's been a great friend but sometimes he overshares his opinion.

I roll my eyes, "Morning Gabe." Tactfulness wasn't his strong suit, but at least I could rely on him to tell me the truth.

"Have that dream again?" He asks.

The dreams started after my 17th birthday and have been haunting me for a year now.

When I first had the dream, I woke up with tears running down my face. They were so vivid they had me questioning reality. The next night I had another dream and it continued. I would get them once a month until I was having them every other week. Nightmares have become a normal part of life.

"Like clockwork", I sigh as we head down the hall.

We close my door and I lock it. As we walk down the hallways I look at the tall white walls. They always make me feel so small. When I first moved into the packhouse, I fell in love with the old-fashioned vintage 19th-century European feel. Alpha Joshua is a little OCD so everything has a place and there's a place for everything. It keeps everything clean and organized so I guess it works.

"I had an amazing night with this she-wolf Ady you don't even know. Goddess! You should have seen the tits on her. I had her in-" I cut him off before he can finish.

"Please spare me the details, Gabe. I do NOT want to hear where, how, or what positions you had her in. I'll take your word for it. Now please shut uuup", I groan. Gabe is one of my closest friends but I swear he's a man whore.

After every sexcapade, he insists on telling me every detail like I care. He swings an arm around my shoulder and leans in. "Come on Ady, if I don't tell you who will I tell?" he whines. I can imagine his wolf pouting and I have to stifle a laugh. "Oh, my virgin ears," I say as I cover my ears. He continues to pout while we make our way to the kitchen.

Gabe turns on the light and snaps me out of my daydream. Alpha Joshua and Luna Rose were very considerate of me. They took me in and gave me a place to stay. I was a rogue and they could have killed me for trespassing on their territory.

Instead, they welcomed me into the pack, gave me an initiation party, and gave me a home. Without them I would have been a rogue and most likely would have lost myself.

After I recovered I started working in the Half Moon packhouse where the Alpha, his Beta, Gamma, and their spouses stayed. I've been here ever since. We enter the kitchen and it's wide and open. There's a long wooden table with black leather chairs. The kitchen sink and marble counter tops are on the right. Instead of pantries, there are long wooden shelves on the wall that holds the plates, bowls, and cups.

I put on some music while Gabe and I start making breakfast. Later Gabe will make lunch while I go to school. We see each other again for dinner and we work as a team to make dinner.

Music makes the work go faster. I enjoy my early routine with Gabe. As we're setting the table Mavy comes running in and wraps her arms around my waist. "Good morning Adea! Thanks for breakfast!" she kisses me and takes a seat.

"No problem Mave. I made your favorite!" I sing. She giggles as I grab her a plate. "How'd you sleep?" She sighs, "When I got home last night I was so tired I slept like a log!"

Alpha Joshua and Luna Rose had twins which are rare for werewolves. Mavy and Shane are polar opposites. The top of Mavy's head lines up with my chest while Shane towers over me at over is 6 feet and they both have black wavy hair. Mavy has gray eyes while Shane has brown eyes like Luna Rose.

Shane walks in and stares at me, smirks, and sits down. Gabe elbows me reminding me to get their trifecta breakfast onto their plates. Today, we went for simple I fill their plates with scrambled eggs, buttered toast, and bacon and excuse myself as Alpha and Luna walk through the door.

Alpha Joshua looks exactly the same and Luna Rose hasn't aged a day. Alpha is tall like Shane and has black wavy hair gray eyes, while Luna Rose has pencil straight brown hair and brown eyes.

"You don't need to leave Adea. You're more than welcome to sit with us for breakfast." Alpha smiles at me. I can't leave now so I grab a plate and Gabe fills my plate with scrambled eggs, crispy bacon, and buttered toast, and smiles. I swat his arm and take a seat in between Shane and Mavy.

Shane eats his food quietly while Mavy turns to me, "Trent is coming over before school if you wanna hitch a ride with us Adea." My mouth is full and before I can chew my toast, I swallow my toast making my eyes water, "It's okay Mavy. I've got to get some stuff done before school but you can go ahead."

Trent and Mavy aren't dating but his feelings were obvious. I did not want to be the third wheel and have Trent give me the stink eye the whole way to school. "Oh okay Adea," she smiles looking a little sad. Turning back to her plate she picks at her food.

Shane scoffs, "What've you got to do Ady? Scrub the toilets?" Alpha Joshua glares at Shane, "Shane", he warns. Shane tilts his head and stares at his dad, "Yes, Alpha?" he asks with a smirk on his face. His eyes have started glowing.

Mavy reaches over me and slaps Shane's shoulder, "Shane don't be such an ass. She's not a slave!" She sits down and looks at me, "I'm sorry Mavy. Excuse my idiot brother." She rolls her eyes and checks her phone.

Shane reaches over and touches my lower back. I sit straight up as chills crawl up my back. Shane looks down at his plate, "You know I'm just joking around don't you Ady?" he lifts his head and turns to look at me.

Gabe stops and stares at us. "Yeah, I knew you were joking..." I tell the table. His hand slides lower on my back. "Shane's sense of humor is oh so funny." "Daddy have you guys decided where the Crescent Ball is going to be this year?" Mavy asks.

"We have a meeting this afternoon to vote on where the ball is going to be. " Alpha tells her. "Out of all the packs, it's come down to the Silver pack and the Desert Moon pack. Where will our vote go Josh?" Luna asks Alpha Joshua.

"We know that the Silver pack isn't well off so it might be a burden financially for them if we vote to have them host the Crescent Ball. But if we don't have the ball at the Desert Moon pack then we only have one other choice..." he says lost in thought.

"Wouldn't the best choice be the Desert Moon pack then?" Mavy asks. "Is the Desert Moon a safe place to visit?" Luna asks. "It's safe we just don't have an alliance with their new Alpha." Alpha Joshua says. "Desert Moon would be the better of the two because they can afford to throw the ball and it could be a good opportunity for our packs to get to know each other. We'd have a chance to talk about an alliance."

Mavy squeals, "Adea maybe we can find our mates at the Crescent Ball if it's held at the Desert Moon pack!" I internally groan as I look at my best friend, "Visiting other packs raises the chances of finding your Goddess chosen mate..." "Me? You mean WE can find our mates at Crescent Moon this year." She elbows me and gives me the side-eye. I can just tell her eyes are telling me I'm not going to escape this year.

"Daddy can Adea and I go shopping this weekend for dresses? Please?" she asks with doe eyes. Alpha looks at us with a thoughtful expression and before I can tell them there's no need he says, "That sounds like a good idea. Nothing inappropriate Mavy, you hear me?" "YES! Thank you, Daddy".

Ding! Ding-Ding!

"Trent's here! Gotta go." She stands up and gives her dad a kiss and her mom a hug. "Adea we have plans tomorrow night! I'll see you at school." She glares at Shane as she runs out of the kitchen.

I stand up and grab all of the dishes and put them into the sink. Gabe cleans up after breakfast so I can get ready for school. "See you later Alpha Joshua and Luna. I'll see you guys after school." "See you after school" they smile.

"See you Ady" Shane calls after me. I don't know what is going on with Shane but he's been slowly getting more and more aggressive towards me. Thankfully pack slaves were banned here at Half Moon. Shivers run up my back as I remember his fingers on my lower back.

I grab my bag and run out the back door. My favorite time of the day is my morning run before school. I haven't heard my wolf yet but I think she's going to show up soon. My sense of smell is heightened and I love the smell of the woods in the back of the packhouse.

I pull my hair out of my bun as I run. I keep running until I get to the clearing where the grass meets the small creek. I take a deep breath and enjoy the smell of the woods. This creek is my safe haven.

I take off my backpack and lay down on the grass. The sounds of the grass swaying in the wind, the sunlight peering through the woods a mix of orange, blue, and yellow. The birds sing their song, and the cheerfulness in their voices brightens my day.

The light pounding of rabbits hopping along the ground brings a smile to my face. I could lay here all day if I could. Being out here makes me happy.

I hear a bell out in the distance and grab my bag. Time for school.

I can tell you the exact moment my life changed. Everything I knew was turned upside down. Being a kid left in the world without parents is haunting.

It all started the day after I turned 13 and my little sister Ava, was 8. My father was the Alpha of the Ice Moon pack and my mother his Luna. Ice Moon pack wasn't the largest pack but when my dad was Alpha we had 400 pack members.

One day my father was challenged and he had no choice but to accept. I remember how worried my mom was. The wolf that challenged my father was Davien Stockholm. He wasn't from our pack but he was massive in size even before he transformed. His dark hair fell to his shoulders and his body was muscular.

He lunged at my dad but one thing my dad had on him was speed. My dad ducked and punched him in the stomach. "Yes!" I fist-pumped the air. Ava copied me while screaming, "Go Daddy!"

Davien grabbed his stomach and his head came down and my dad uppercut him in the face. There was a crunch as Davien's nose broke and blood gushed out. "Ew Mom!" I said in disgust. I looked at my mom to see her worried expression.

"Don't worry, Mom." Daddy can't lose," I reassured her.

She smiled but her eyes never left my dad. Davien fell to the ground and put his hand on the ground. My dad looked up and saw me staring at him. He smiled and winked at me and Ava.

I smiled back and my mom let out a scream. I looked up at her and then looked back at my dad. Davien lunged at my dad and had him pinned to the ground.

My dad struggled against his hold but couldn't break through it. Davien cocked an arm back and punched my dad in the face. Over and over again. I stared in shock as my dad's face became unrecognizable.

I screamed, "Stop it! Stop it, please!" Ava was crying hysterically. Davien stopped and turned to me and my mother. He looked down at my dad and said, "Give me the title and I will spare you and your family."

My dad's eyes were covered with blood as he said, "I, Eduard Biscoff, step down as Alpha from the Ice Moon pack and declare Davien Stockhom as the new Alpha. In exchange, Davien Stockholm has promised my family and I, our lives."

After that day, my parents and I were cast out from our pack. We were declared rogues. I'd never lived anywhere but with the pack and the same could be said for my parents. My father didn't know how the human world worked but he grew up building the pack up along with his father.

He was determined to save us from going rabid. So he decided to move us to a human city where they both could try to get jobs. It wasn't easy but with what we were able to salvage they bought a small house.

We had a roof over our head and they both searched for jobs and put me and Ava into human school. It was hard for me to adapt, for the four of us. We weren't used to the eerie silence now that we weren't a part of the pack.

We couldn't even link each other. I honestly think if we didn't have each other, we would have gone insane, or rabid like other rogues. Thankfully we could almost fill the void with our little family.

It was quiet without a pack but we made it work. My dad got a good job as a contractor and my mom eventually got a job as an accountant for a small company.

He'd come home and tell us about the newest house or business he was working on. Mom would be cooking in the kitchen and I'd listen to him go on and on. When he finished a project he'd drag us out of there and we'd marvel at his work. Every day went by filled with dad's stories and mom's food.

We couldn't go for runs or be a part of the forest because we lived in the city. I think that killed mom and dad the most. Their wolf's suffered and they were easily irritated but we were able to make it work.

"Just wait until you see this one!" he told us one day after work. We were going out to check out dad's latest project. He'd been working on an internet cafe packed with the latest PCs and equipped with a small coffee section where baristas would make drinks. He was excited to show us the section where customers would order fresh hot sandwiches when they would get hungry. He was excited to be working with something tech-related.

On the way to finally see this new place in person, we were hit by a semi-truck and I woke up to a room with machines beeping and an oxygen tube down my throat.

"She's coming to, hey, honey?" I reach for the tubes and yank them from my nose and mouth. Every breath I inhaled was painful and tore at my throat, tears welled in my eyes.

Looking around I saw the nurse running towards me from across the room. She noticed me pull out the tubes. She grabbed my hands and I croaked, "Where's my mom?"

A look I could only identify as pity flashed in her eyes before she grabbed both of my arms. She looks me in the eyes and explains to me that there had been an accident.

"Okay..." I said and waited for the rest.

"Honey, your parents, and your sister... they all died on impact. You're the only one that survived."

I couldn't hear anything. I-what? They... they died? My mom? My dad? Ava? I was too cold to cry. I couldn't believe it. This couldn't be true. How... how could they just be gone?

I reached out, I screamed, I thrashed. Two more nurses were called in and held me down. The first nurse injected something into my arm and I slowly lost control of my body. I went limp and they laid me down slowly in bed.

"It'll be alright, it's going to be okay," she said soothingly. "It's going to be okay," she said again as she looked into my eyes.

"The accident happened on Half Moon pack territory. Alpha Joshua and Luna Rose have taken care of everything. You've been out for a couple of weeks and we weren't sure you were going to ever come to."

My world is crashing around me and I feel like my breath has been stolen from me. I don't have any control of my body as I lay there in bed. Dead? Gone?

The nurses leave me and a few hours later when whatever they gave me wore off, she comes back again.

"What am I going to do now?" I whisper when I see her.

"Oh honey, Alpha Joshua has informed us that you are to be cared for as a pack member. Don't you worry yourself! He has taken care of your medical bills and I'll let him know you're finally awake!"

Her eyes gloss over as she mind links someone. I haven't seen a mind link since I was a kid and it's almost weird to witness. Her pupils were covered by a white fog. I look around the room and notice flowers on my bedside.

When the nurse ends the mind link, "Who bought me flowers, Nurse?" I ask.

"Oh! Alpha and Luna have twins. They just turned 14 and her daughter Mavy has been visiting you. I think the two of you will get along."

As if we conjured her, the door opens and a black-haired girl peers in. "Hey! You're awake. Thank goodness, I was worried you'd sleep for the rest of the year. She bounces in with a big smile on her face like we've known each other for years. She's got black hair and gray eyes and dimples poke both sides of her cheeks.

I don't have the strength to smile or reply. I look away from her and stare at the wall. I don't know what I'll do now, where I'll go... I'm just a kid. The lump in my throat is too hard to swallow.

The girl doesn't say anything more until she leaves but she comes back. Day after day until I've grown used to her visits.

Today she's brought more flowers, and she's talking about her day again.

".... Thanks for the flowers," I say.

She looks around the room, not knowing who was talking. She turns back to me, "Was that you?!"

I nod.

"Oh my gosh! So you can talk! I'm glad you like them! I wanted to bring something to brighten your room up. Shane helped pick them out. He's my brother." She smiles.

"So mom and dad say you'll be staying at the packhouse with us! I'm so excited to show you around. You'll most likely be going to school with us too."

Mavy and I sit and she talks for the rest of the afternoon where she fills me in on herself. This time, I listened.

She tells me she's in the 8th grade and will be going to Trenton High next year. The Half Moon pack has been peaceful and has alliances with most of the surrounding packs.

She tells me about the packhouse and how big it is but warns about her dad's OCD. "Fair warning everything has to be perfect 100% of the time. My room is my own but the packhouse doesn't have a speck of dust.

The other pack members are okay.. when we initiate you into the pack you'll be able to talk to everyone. Was it hard being a rogue?" She asks.

I think of my parents and feel sad again. I think I might cry but nothing comes out, "No..."

She stares at me and decides it's better to move on. "Did you like anyone where you came from?"

"No.. we stayed to ourselves. I didn't have time.. to think about boys." I told her.

"Well, I've been friends with Trent, he's my next-door neighbor since we were in diapers. He's my dad's betas son and puberty has treated him well." She blushes, "He's just a friend but he's pretty, like prettier than me."

"We grew up making mud pies together he's obviously just a friend.." she says super fast. I smile at her and nod.

Note to self, Trent is off-limits. She smiles and grabs my hand, "I know that you're not in a good place right now but just know that I've got your back." Her words make tears come to my eyes and I smile and nod. I feel a little better knowing I'm not completely alone in the world.