.

My vision blurs with tears when I feel rage, sadness, shock.

“Why?” my chest heaving as he gets closer. He reaches for me and I take a step back and he sighs, dropping his hand. He looks at me sadly. But I won’t fall for it.

“I asked you a question, Malachi. Why?” I snarl out, wanting his blood.

“Dahlia, listen. I’m sorry ok! I was going to tell you. I couldn’t. I’m sorry, my love.” I scoff as I look away, my fists balled and my nails drawing blood.

“You knew for a long time. Yet, you ran like a pussy. You refused to look at me, you refused to speak to me. You were my best friend, Mal. But I know it meant nothing to you. I can’t do this.” I say as the tears leave my eyes, but I wipe them away angrily.

He sighs as he clenches his fists. Even now, he can’t offer me any form of comfort. It’s for the best.

“Dahlia, I’m sorry. I never meant to cause you any pain.” I slap him across his face and I glare at him. Celeste wants his head.

“You never wanted to cause me pain, pup! Well, you should have kept your thing in your pants. Was it worth it for a quickie? You are a disgrace. You knew, we didn’t.” I spit at him as I stand up straight as he looks at my chest where the white sports underwear is stained red.

“What did you do?” He practically screams at me.

“What I had to, to stop the pain of your BETRAYAL!” I say, my chest heaving as he looks away in shame. “Well, she can have you. I, Alpha Dahlia Blackwood …”

His lips crash onto mine, stopping me.

I struggle to get him off me. I shove him and bite his lip with a growl when he bites me back and I gasp.

“How dare you!” I growl at him as I take a step back again.

“Dahlia, please don’t do this. I want to be with you. Things are just complicated right now with me and Sapphire. Please, I will explain. Just give me time. I have always loved you. Don’t do this?” he is for real? This isn’t love.

“What’s there to explain? If you loved me, you would have told me from the beginning. If you loved me, you wouldn’t have slept with her this morning, knowing I would have felt it. You ruin us by being a coward. I can’t have you as my mate.” I say to him and he looks away again.

“If you reject me, I won’t accept it. Let me explain. Please!” He begs me and I feel uncomfortable with this.

“Dahlia, what is going on?” Sapphire runs to him and launches herself at him. My lips pull back up over my teeth, warning her. Celeste and I have never liked Sapphire. She is the pack bike.

“Sapphire, don’t.” Malachi tells her and takes her hand in his. Celeste whimpers at this, that he would comfort her, but not us. He never cared about us.

“No, Mal. She has to know she can’t do this to you, to us. You are mine, well, ours!” she places a hand on her belly and my eyes widen as I look at him and he slumps in defeat.

“You knew who he was to me?” I ask, my world falling apart.

“Yes, he told me. But Dahlia, he is older than you. You didn’t expect him to stay celibate, did you?” She chuckles and I growl loudly at her, pushing my alpha authority over her. And she whimpers before bowing her head in respect.

“Are you pregnant?” I ask, my voice breaking. A new pain builds in my chest.

“Yes, and it is Malachi’s. We found out this morning. He was going to mark me this morning, then he felt your pain. Dahlia, it is nothing against you. We love each other. I’m sorry this is hurting you, but whatever, he is mine.” She says with a shrug, and I take a step back as I look at him.

“I, Alpha Dahlia Blackwood, reject you Malachi Greyson as my mate.” I say when Celeste howls in my head as he clutches his chest. He gasps for breath, his teeth clenched. I look at him, not looking away.

“Mal, accept her rejection. She doesn’t deserve you. Think of our pup.” She says when he looks up at me.

“No, I don’t deserve her. I’m sorry, Dahlia, for what it’s worth. I have loved you since we were pups. I can’t do this. I’m so sorry Dah, please.” He whimpers as tears leave his eyes. The fact I haven’t spoken to him or seen him in five years makes this easier.

“Accept it, Malachi, or I will make you.” We all turn to see Gaia standing there. My cousin. The little devil of the family. She is only ten, but she is powerful.

“Stay out of it, Gaia.” I tell her when she steps forward, her blue eyes turning red.

“Accept her rejection. You are not worthy to be her mate!” she spits as she uses her magic.

“Gaia, enough!” I say to her.

“I, Malachi Grayson, Accept you rejection, Alpha Dahlia Blackwood.” I gasp as I turn to look at him when he roars as the bond breaks and Celeste growls before she takes over and shifts.

Standing in my wolf form, I look at Malachi and Sapphire. They bow their heads to me. I am the Moon Goddesses wolfs child. I howl loud and long before we turn and bolt towards the forest.

I sit back in my mind, my knees to my chest as I sob.

“It’s ok Dah, I’ve got you. Rest. Let me take the pain.” Celeste is a white wolf with a blue hue through her fur she has a crescent moon on her forehead. She is beautiful and powerful. She holds the power and right now she needs to release it.

We run, leaping over fallen logs and dead branches until we reach the lake. She trots forward, scanning the area before she takes a drink.

“I’m sorry Cel. I’m so sorry.” I sob out and she whimpers before she lays down her head resting on her paws.

“No, don’t do this to yourself. You did the right thing. He isn’t who we thought he was. What do you want to do now?” she asks and I wipe my eyes and lay down in her mind.

“I can’t be here anymore. We need to leave.” I say to her and she huffs, agreeing.

“We need to decide what you want to do with the title. I know you have never wanted it …”

“I’m taking the title. I will live up to my fate. Celeste, we will be the Alpha of Alpha’s.” The title I never wanted. Well, I need it more than ever right now. It is my ticket out of here for a while.

It is my fate, for I am Dahlia, the first female to be crowned as Alpha of Alpha’s.

.

We shift back and make my way back to the packhouse. I need to speak to my parents and tell them what I want to do.

I can’t let the pack see how much this has hurt me, so I suck it up. Hold my head high, chest out, and strut. This is my pack, my home, and I won’t be made to feel like I don’t belong here.

Walking past the wolves who lower their eyes, I ignore them as I continue to walk to the packhouse when I hear a crash and my father’s furious voice. I groan as I take the steps two at a time and jog towards his office. Beta Marcus and his mate Beta Kendra are standing outside his office when I hear another crash.

I burst through the door and see my father his hands planted on his desk, his fangs elongated and his green eyes shining. I look around for the danger and see Malachi and Sapphire sitting in front of his desk. I look to the left and see my mom, sitting there looking unimpressed with what is happening in here.

“Ok, what is going on?” I shout as all eyes turn to me. I ignore the glares as I move towards my father’s bar and grab a bottle, twisting the lid and dropping it to the floor. I glare at my father as I bring the bottle to my lips and down it.

“Dahlia, are you ok?” Dad asks before he whimpers and I roll my eyes.

“Just dandy. Why wouldn’t I be?” I ask as I look at Malachi and he looks down in shame.

When I look at my father and he looks away, too. Hold on. “You knew, didn’t you?” I ask, not believing this.

“Dahlia, it isn’t what you think.”

I scoff, turn and throw the bottle at the wall behind my mother, and my father tackles me to the ground.

“Have you lost your mind? Apologise to her right now!” he screams in my face when I growl at him.

“No! Everyone in this pack knew who he was to me and not one of you told me! So don’t I deserve an apology, hmm? What else have you been keeping from me?” I say as I roll us and pin him to the floor. Orion, his wolf in his eyes as he whimpers.

I shove his chest as I stand up and turn to face my mother. I spit on the floor.

“I’m done. Right now, I can’t look at any of you. Some family you lot are. You pushed me to be what I didn’t want to be. You knew he was my mate and didn’t tell me! All of you can get off. I’m done.” I storm out of the office, ignoring the calls of my parents and that of Malachi as I storm up the stairs and into the bedroom before I enter my closet. Grabbing my suitcases down, I throw them on the bed and begin packing my clothes and toiletries.

Taking my passport, documents, and cash. I pack them too. Grabbing my laptop, chargers, and everything else I will need. When I come back, they will learn.

I zip up my suitcases, give one last look at the room I have had since I was a child. I turn and walk out the door, rolling my luggage behind me. Grabbing the straps, I carry both down the stairs to the front door.

“Dahlia, wait!” I stop at the front door and turn to face my mother.

“I’m sorry, sweetie. I’m so sorry, we should have told you …”

“Save it. You knew he was sleeping her, that I would eventually feel it and guess what I did. But unlike you, I’m not weak. Goodbye Destinee.” I turn and walk down the steps and towards my car.

“Dahlia, where will you go? You have nowhere to go! You are meant to be Alpha. Act like it, instead of a drunken brat!” I whirl on my mother and walk towards her.

“I am Alpha and I will take my title and not because you or dad wanted me to. I will take it because it is mine. It is the only thing that is. Now, go back to your mate, mother, and do what you’re good at. Brushing things under the rug while you’re on your knees.”

The slap she gives me is hard and loud. Stars burst into my vision as I spit blood.

I turn and look at her. But I chuckle and shake my head.

“Dahlia, I’m sorry.”

“Goodbye Destinee, next time I see you pray, I don’t end you.” I climb into my car and drive away.

My mother is a born alpha. She was trained from a young age, being the first female alpha. She always wanted the title. But me, I never wanted it. It was forced on me by Selene when she declared me Alpha of Alpha’s. My life was never my own. But now the title I never wanted is all I have.

I drive through the city towards the border and pull over. I punch the steering wheel and release a scream before it turns to a howl. Wolves in the area all respond to my pain and heartbreak.

I wipe my eyes and floor it as I cross the border and drive away.

“We will be ok. We need to do this, Dahlia. We will return and we will be stronger. Trust me on this,” Celeste tells me, and I nod at her words.

We drive down long roads, not passing anyone. The sky is clear and the stars look so beautiful in the night sky.

We drive for a while longer when my belly grumbles at me. I haven’t eaten since last night. So we need food and a bed for the night and figure out what to do and where to go.

We pull up at a hotel and park the car. I grab my suitcase out and lock the car and head inside.

This place is cosy, the smell of food wafts in the air and my mouth waters and my belly grumbles loudly.

“Welcome to the sunset house. Are you checking in?” I turn to the woman at the desk and I smile at her. She is human.

“Hey, yes, but I don’t have a reservation. Do you have any rooms available for a couple of nights, please?” I ask her and she smiles before checking her computer. I lean my forearm on top of the desk and wait patiently.

“You’re in luck. We had a cancellation an hour ago, so, yes, we have the room for you. Will you be paying in cash or card?” she asks, giving me a smile.

I open my luggage and grab out my purse and hand her the money as well as my ID.

“Fabulous. You are all set, Miss Blackwood. Carl will help you with your bag, and here is your key. The room is on the third floor.” I thank her and take the card key as the man I assume is Carl takes my suitcase from me and I follow him up the stairs to the third floor.

“So, Carl is it? What’s going on here? There seems to be a lot of people.” I ask, being rather interested. As different scents fill my senses.

Wolves!

“Oh, yeah, there is some kind of conference called ALPHA or something. So we have a few guys here and they are all huge. Must be a football thing.” He says and I stop in my tracks. An Alpha conference?

“Sounds exciting. Where will it take place?” I ask. Because I wasn’t told about anything, so yet another thing my parents kept from me.

“I believe it is at the football stadium in the next town over. Why the interest?” he asks as he stops outside my room.

“Oh, no reason. Just making polite conversation is all.” I say with a smile as he rakes his gaze up and down my body.

“He better stop looking at us like that, or I will pluck his eyes from his head.” Celeste snarls, and I smile at that.

“Well, here is your room. Dinner is being served. If you’re quick, you may just make it in time.” I thank him and head inside.

I rip open my suitcase and run to the bathroom. Turning on the shower, I use the toilet and then get a quick shower. When I’m done I get changed into jeans and a vest top, pulling my hair into a long sleek ponytail, putting my converse on I grab my purse and the keycard and head out. My phone vibrates on the nightstand, but I ignore it.

Walking down the stairs towards the dining room. I stop in my tracks and take it all in. There are nine different Alpha’s here with their Beta’s. The room turns silent as I smile, making my way to an empty table. I sit down and look each of them in the eye and each of them looks away except for one.

I offer him a small smile as I pick up the menu. I’m starving.

A young woman approaches me and asks me what I want, and I order several dishes and her eyes widen at how much I’ve ordered. I smile shyly as she blinks rapidly.

“Someone is hungry.” I look up into the eyes of the Alpha who was looking at me.

“Yes, I like my food. I’m a growing girl.” I say, and he chuckles. His silver-blue eyes flash as he subtly sniffs the air.

“I can see that.” He chuckles as I thank the girl as she places my drink in front of me.

“I have had a pretty bad day, so if you would, please.” I say and he nods his head, offering me his hand. I shake his hand as he leans forward. His warm breath makes me shiver.

“Nice to see you again, Alpha Dahlia Blackwood.” I gasp as he moves back and smiles at me before he turns and walks back to his table.

I sit there in confusion. How does he know who I am? Where have I met him before?