The Alpha’s Forbidden Love

LUCY

I watched as Nathan’s lifeless body lay on the floor of the battlefield. My heart felt as though it had fallen into a cactus and it has been punctured a million times over by tiny pins. I couldn’t hold the heartbreak any longer and I fell to the floor in a disheveled heap as my grief poured out in a flood of uncontrollable tears.

“Nathan…… why did it have to be you?” I cried.

Nathan wasn’t just a friend to me, he was a pillar of strength, and the void he had left echoed through my soul. Though we had our issues in the past I still loved him a whole lot.

I saw Cade weeping at his fallen son, a rare vulnerability that I never knew was part of him. I watched as he was led away to the dungeon, his pain lay bare. At that moment, I saw his love for his son, even in the heart of darkness. I didn’t know if I should pity him considering that his actions led to the death of his son, my dear friend.

With no one else to give Nathan a proper farewell, I decided to seek the help of an unlikely ally among Cade’s warriors.

“You’re a traitor to the rogue pack. Why should I help you?” the warriors said.

“I know I don’t deserve to be a part of your pack but remember that Nathan was one of you and he deserves a befitting burial,” I pleaded with him.

“He betrayed his father and chose another path, he deserved what he got,” he said again.

“That doesn’t change the fact that he is one of you. Just help me carry him back. That’s all I ask,” I pleaded. I persevered until he agreed to help transport Nathan’s body back to the rogue pack.

Reluctantly, the warrior agreed. “Fine, but don’t think this changes anything.”

I sighed. “Thank you, really.”

In the quiet solitude of the rogue pack, I laid Nathan’s body to rest. I knelt at the foot of the grave, weeping for the loss of my cherished friend. Memories of our laughter and shared secrets flooded my mind, each memory, a constant reminder of a dear friend I had lost. Tears streamed down my cheeks as I whispered my final farewells.

“Goodbye, my dear friend. I’ll miss you,” I cried.

After spending some time at Nathan’s grave, I sought guidance from the elder members of the rogue pack whom I had been extremely close to. I found myself struggling with the uncertainty of my truth. They condemned my actions and spoke of the consequences of my association with Chris and the hallowed manes pack, warning me to stay away to avoid the dangers ahead.

I resulted to returning to the hallowed manes to find out how things were going with Cade but I recalled the agreement I had with the elders.

“You made a promise. You cannot set foot in the hallowed manes pack again once it’s over,” the elder’s words kept ringing in my head.Text property © Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org.

I had to keep my word, besides I knew nothing I did would change the minds of the council elders. I also couldn’t return to the rogue pack, I was no longer accepted in the pack and neither was I interested in going back there. The only place I sought solace was in the arms of my mother.

I gathered my belongings which we had abandoned when we eloped from Cade and said my farewells to those I left behind. Each goodbye was filled with sadness and a bittersweet reminder of the bonds I once shared with them.

Being with my mother was better than going through the saga that unfolded in the hallowed manes pack. I made my way to the neighboring pack where my mother had been in hiding. I didn’t realize how much I had missed my mother until now.

“I don’t want to be part of their troubles anymore, Mother,” I wept in my mother’s arms.

Wrapping her arms around me, she consoled me. “You made the right choice, my love,” my mother said.

“Nathan is dead, mother. He died in my arms, I saw the darkness in his eyes as death beckoned him. I can’t help but blame myself for his death,” I cried.

“Poor child, his death was never your fault…..”

“It was, mother. If I wasn’t keen on getting my revenge from the hallowed manes, he wouldn’t be dead,” I interrupted, my voice shaking as I continued to sob. “I can’t stop blaming myself for everything.”

“You never sought revenge, Cade did. All you wanted was to find the truth about your father and to clear his name,” my mother said, her words calm and consoling.

“I never cleared his name, I failed. Rogues we shall always be, mother. Maybe, just maybe, we’ll find peace here,” I said.

The ties that bound me to the hallowed were now severed. I, now a wanderer, embraced this new path ahead of me. Every day, I thought of Chris, I knew he would be worried about my absence, but it was never my fault. My stay in the pack would only weaken his chances of remaining the alpha of the pack. We had lost enough, I couldn’t stand and watch him lose the only thing he owned because of me.

“Chris, I hope you find happiness, free from the storms that already found me,” I thought.

Reuniting with my mother brought a sense of hope, comfort, and solace amidst the pain I felt. We shared memories together, memories of connection, finding strength in her embrace.

I ventured to the woods nearby as I did in the rogue pack, finding solace and pace amidst the chaos that surrounded me. The gentle rustling of leaves and the soothing murmur of the river provided a welcome respite from the emotions that churned within me.

I recalled Maverick’s betrayal and death. A swell of conflicting emotions rose within me. I questioned my ability to ever trust anyone in the midst of my conflict, my heart still heavy with the weight of the betrayal and loss. I had made myself too vulnerable to them and allowed myself to be deceived by them.

What if all I knew were a lie? What if my father truly killed Chris’ father? I thought.

“No. That couldn’t be true. Lothar confirmed my father’s innocence,” I whispered.

“What troubles your mind, my child?” I heard a voice from behind me.

It was the voice of an old lady, one who was recognized as the oldest and wisest in the pack where I and my mother dwelt.

“The past holds secrets that are yet to unravel, you must return to your mate. He needs you by his side,” the old lady said.

“Return? I’m not wanted there, besides my presence will only put him in harms way,” I said, my heart racing at my words.

How could I go back to a place where I wasn’t wanted? A place I knew I would never be welcomed. How then could I return?

“She is right, our mate needs us now, more than ever,” my wolf said through the mind link. “You need to return to him, his life is in danger.”

Danger? He had Cade, our most wanted enemy at the tip of his fingers, how then could he be in danger?

I pondered for a while, my wolf continuously urging me to return to the hallowed manes pack. The old lady had left, leaving me with that warning.