Chapter 3

The wrong Alpha

The same pain I felt years ago began to seep in slowly. It pierced my chest like a knife.

I wonder why Risa hates me so much even when all I've done is love her like a sister. From turning my brother against me, to bullying me, to turning my parents against me — and now, stealing my man.

I was still sitting on the cold floor outside the chamber. My silk dress was clinging to my skin, wet with tears and night air. That's when I heard footsteps.

My mother and my brother, Lucas, saw me. They walked towards me.

"Raven? What are you doing out there?" My mother asked. I couldn't reply, I just kept sobbing.

"Are you crying?" she said as she got to where I was sitting. "Have you seen Risa? She told me she was stepping out but she didn't come in time to accompany me to the palace."

Of course. She didn't even care to know why I was crying.

"I'm talking to you, Raven," she tapped my shoulder hard.

"Let her be, Mom. You know Raven and her drama, she's seeking attention again. She'll stop when she gets tired," Lucas said.

I turned to my brother — he stood with both hands in his pockets, no sign of remorse on his face. No concern. It hurt me even more. I burst into tears.

"What's all this?" My mom got irritated. "If you're going to keep crying like this then go home, you won't bring shame to me in this pack." She hissed and walked away with my brother.

Just like that. They left me there, on the cold floor of the pack house, outside the Alpha's chamber where my boyfriend was with another woman.

"Are you going to sit and watch her take everything from you?"

The voice came from inside my head. My wolf, Ember.

"What do you expect me to do? Nobody believes me, nobody cares," I cried out to her.

"Action! Luna, crying won't help."

"You think it'll work?" I asked, sobbing.

"What has your 'calm way' of approaching things ever caused you? She took your parents' attention, your only brother's love and now she's about to take your man, your crown, your dream."

My heart skipped at the sound of Risa taking my man away from me.

"No, never!" I sniffled.

"Girl you need to act fast before Risa takes everything from you."

"Never!" My chest tightened. "I won't let her have Jaxon. I won't let her be the Luna of Obsidian Moon Pack," I said firmly.

"Then act."

Something in me snapped. The pain turned into fire.

I stood up, wiped my tears and headed back to the Alpha's chamber with my fists folded. All those years of being the good girl, the understanding sister, the quiet daughter — for what?

I pushed the door open without knocking and walked into the room.

And there it was. The sight that the balcony had only hinted at.

Risa was on top of Jaxon on the Alpha's bed, her dress halfway off her shoulders. His hands were on her waist.

Time stopped.

I lunged at her and pulled her off him, making her fall to the ground with a thud.

"The hell!" Jaxon roared in anger and shock.

The next thing that happened left me in more shock than anything Risa had ever done to me.

A heavy slap landed on my face. My head snapped to the side. My cheek burned.

Jaxon slapped me. Because of Risa.

"Are you nuts? Get out of my room now!" He thundered, standing up to shield Risa on the floor.

I held my cheek. I stared at the man I shared my dreams with. The man I thought would make me his Luna. The future Alpha of Obsidian Moon.

He had just hit me. For her.

I ran out of the room, my heart completely shattered. I couldn't hold the pain. I wanted to explode, to scream, to shift and tear everything apart. I ran as fast as my legs could carry me, going to where I did not know. Out of the pack house, out of the palace grounds, towards the border road that separates Obsidian Moon from Midnight Park.

My eyes were shaky, my vision became blurry. The tears wouldn't stop. I heard a faint sound, like a horn blaring loudly, getting closer and closer — and then everything went blank.

---

I slowly opened my eyes. The surroundings looked strange — cream-colored walls. The place smelled of disinfectant and fresh linen, that sharp, clean hospital smell. I looked through the window. All the people were in white, moving about. Some with folders, some with trolleys.

I tried to wrap my head around what was happening, but I felt a sharp pain in my head.

"Argh!" I raised my hands to hold my head but realized my left hand was hooked to an IV drip. I used my right hand to hold my head instead.

A woman dressed in white, just like the others, came in immediately. "You're finally awake," she smiled warmly as she rushed to my side.

"How are you feeling?" She gently placed her hand on my forehead.

"My head hurts. Where am I?" I asked, my voice hoarse.

"You're at the  Hospital," she smiled again. "You were in an accident."

"Ohh." I should have thought of that. The memories flooded back — the slap, me running out of the house, my blurry vision, the faint horn sound... I got hit by a car on the border road.

"I'm glad you're awake. The Alpha wouldn't leave your side. He left everything he was doing and stayed by your side. He spent the nights here."

"The Alpha? How long have I been here?"

"Four days. He kept on saying nothing must happen to you."

I was surprised but happy at the same time because Jaxon cared about me. He spent four nights at the hospital just to make sure I was okay. My cheeks began to turn pink despite the pain.

So he did feel guilty.

"Are you the 'to-be Luna' he's been hiding from us?" the nurse asked gleefully.

"What? Hiding?" I became confused.

"Yes, the Alpha has been..."

The door creaked open and the nurse shut up.

"He's here," the nurse smiled respectfully and bowed her head.

My heart leapt with joy. I turned towards the door to see the love of my life, ready to forgive him for everything.

But I was met with a surprise that made my blood run cold.

My brows furrowed in confusion. A tall figure with a chiseled body stood at the door. His brunette hair was cut short, his golden eyes shining and cold. He stood in a fitted black tailored suit, crisp white shirt underneath, the top two buttons undone, and a silver wolf-head pin glinting on his lapel. He looked like he owned the entire hospital.

The monitors beeped loudly behind me. His presence made the sterile room feel smaller, warmer, and far too loud with my heartbeat.

He didn't move. He just watched me like I was a problem he had been waiting years to solve.

The fluorescent lights made his suit look darker, sharper. Every nurse in the hall had gone quiet.

My heart thudded painfully against my ribs. The last time I saw him was at the last Inter-Pack Summit, when I chose Jaxon and rejected his offer.

Now he was here, in my hospital room, looking at me like I still mattered.

"Wait. Isn't this..." I said, pointing my index finger at him, my voice shaking, "Zayn?"

Alpha Zayn of Midnight Pack.