Chapter 1 PROLOGUE

Arielle’s POV My world was shattered that day, and the joy I imagined I would feel when I met him was nothing but a dream. His voice was not raised at me, yet I could feel the intent to wound me in his words. And, oh, did they hurt. Leon was nothing if not effective, and it showed now more than ever. “I never loved you, Arielle,” he said, not for the first time. He was trying to convince me to let go, but I could not. My tears streamed down my cheeks like twin rivers. I could not breathe, and my knees felt weak. I reached for him, clinging to his arm and begging him, with everything I had, not to say those words again. It was far too much for me to bear. It was a nightmare. He shook his arm from mine, and I could not steady myself. Falling to the ground, I braced myself on my two hands, shocked that he would do this to me. He pushed me away. I never expected he could ever do that to me. “Leon, please,” I sat on the ground, not caring at all that the cream sundress I had worn was getting stained. Nothing mattered anymore. I could see my entire future going up in flames, right before my eyes. As I stared into the hazel eyes of the man I loved so much – and who I thought had loved me in return – I was taken aback by the stark indifference that I saw in them. Was this really who Leon had been all this time? My chest ached for him; I ached for my mate. Yet when I cried out for him, he did not respond, only gazing at me with those cold eyes, like I meant nothing to him. “This is goodbye, Arielle,” he said with his still-stony expression. With those last words, he walked away, leaving me a sobbing mess on the ground. I could not even summon the energy to scream at him. Instead, I held my trembling hands to my chest, letting my vision blur as more tears spilled from my eyes. I gasped and choked on the breaths that I tried to let out. I do not remember how I finally found the strength to stand up that day, but I know over an hour had passed until I could move. The spring rain had arrived, and it drizzled on me as I walked back to the pack compound – back to my home. I know that I must have garnered some stares – the young girl walking while it rained, not caring whether she got wet or caught a cold. Once I got home, I had locked myself in my room and cried some more. I did not care to eat during the days that passed; I didn’t  even care to get up from bed except to brush my teeth and have a shower. Even while I showered, I would end up crying, while letting the water rain down upon me, washing away my tears the moment they spilled onto my cheeks. Throughout that period, my mum knocked on my door all day and night. She would leave behind plates of food at my door, and would sometimes place post-it notes full of encouragement and love on the plates. I would keep the notes and read them whenever I felt like crying again, and it would make me smile instead. I loved my mother, even though we had our differences. She was the only one in my corner. Even though she did not know what was bothering me, she knew it was bad. In the end, no one would know what had happened. To me, there was no point in telling anyone. Who could I tell, that I had been rejected by my mate? My mother was the only one close to me, the only reason that I stayed in this pack. After my dad died, the two of us became a bit distant from our fellow pack members. I did not have any friends, though right then I wished that I did. Perhaps it was because I wanted someone to understand me, I reasoned during one of my lucid moments. Perhaps that was why I ended up falling for him in the first place. Perhaps that was why I thought he would be better than that. I had put y all into loving him, placed all my hopes into leaving this place with him at my side. Yet he had disappointed me. He had deceived me, and hurt me. I don’t remember when that thought finally took root. I don’t know the exact moment I stopped grieving my love for him, or his rejection of me. It just happened – one day, I woke up and felt nothing for him. That day, I got up from the bed, disgusted at myself for how dirty my room had become, and began cleaning in a frenzy. My mother was overjoyed to see me open the door to my room as I cleaned. After that, I hopped under the shower, and for the first time in over a week, I was dry-eyed when I exited, putting on my fluffy blue bathrobe. I looked into the mirror, stunned at how gaunt I looked; my hair looked limp and my eyes were dull. The wave of frustration that flooded my body drove me to grab my hairbrush and blow-dryer, taking the time to brush my hair for the first time in days. I wore a blue dress, and put on some makeup. When I was finished, I surveyed my reflection, feeling a strength I did not know I would ever be able to muster up within me. I looked good and I may not feel as great on the inside, but I would. In time, I would heal from this. You’re not dead yet, Arielle, I told myself firmly. You can do this. You can forget him. Someday, I will find my true mate.

Chapter 2 DOCTOR GREY’S ARRIVAL

Arielle’s POV I enjoyed the warmth as the sun streamed in through the car window. It was barely 10am, yet the sun was high up in the sky already. I loved it – this part of the country really suited me. I enjoyed the sun, and summer all year-round. The driver made a turn onto a smaller road, and I could see the gate of the pack compound right in front of us. My lips turned up in a smile, despite my anxiety. This was a new place after all. We passed through the gates after a few moments. One of the guards had asked for my name and I gave it, “Arielle Grey,” and only seconds passed before we were finally let through. Another minute or so passed before the car stopped in front of a large house. As I exited the car with my handbag in hand, I could feel my nose twitch erratically. The new variety of scents I was being introduced to was not unexpected; I would get used to it in time. Hopefully. I looked around me as the driver removed my luggage from the car, seeing the large expanse of land, with houses on one side that I could also see a clear path to the forest surrounding the compound. So, this is the Redding Pack. It was even larger than I expected, and larger than I was used to; my previous pack only had a few houses apart from the main pack house; the forest was also not this large. Then again, the Redding Pack was one of the most notable packs in the country – of course, their pack compound would be as majestic. My new home, I reminded myself, a wistful smile on my lips. My attention was brought back to the present when I heard a throat clear around me. My heart leapt in my throat as I whipped my head to face the direction. My eyes met the man whose arrival I did not notice. “Sorry, didn’t mean to scare you,” the man chuckled, and brought out his hand for me to shake. “You must be Dr Grey.”“I must be,” I took his hand, shaking it slowly before letting it go. “And no need to apologise. Really, I was just a bit distracted. Normal stuff for me.” He nodded, giving me a grin, which I returned. “My name’s Darren Hendricks, the Beta of the Pack.”“Pleased to meet you. You’re the welcoming party, I guess?”“The one and only,” he nodded at the driver, who gave him a respectful neck bow before he got into the car and drove off. We watched the car disappear into the distance. After that, Darren turned to me, “Shall I take you to your quarters, then, doctor?”“Please, call me Arielle,” I replied. He picked up my two duffle bags as I rolled my large box behind me. We began to walk. “Doctor is too formal, I think. Besides, would you prefer I called you Beta all the time?” He laughed at that, and I felt a warmth bloom in my chest. I was making a good impression, thank the goddess. “I see the point, Arielle.” He turned briefly as someone called his name, and I could see him nod to someone at a distance. “Keep that up, and you’ll become the fan favourite. The last doctor we had was not too friendly with the pack members.”“Doctor Charles? I heard he passed two weeks ago,” my brows furrowed as I tried to recall some detail. “I only met him once, when I was still in medical school. He was a guest speaker at a convention. One of the only werewolves there too. He was not too friendly then, either.” A smile slipped unbidden onto my lips as a memory came to mind. “He argued with several of his colleagues during the event. The organisers considered removing him from the hall because of that.” Darren smirked at me, and we both burst out laughing. “That’s Charles for you. Very strict, and not a filter in his mouth.” We finally arrived at a house with double doors. Climbing up the straight to the front door, he opened it, and we went in. “This is the clinic you’ll be in charge of. Your suite is up the stairs and to the back. Hold on,” he pulled out a key from his pocket, handing it to me. “These are your keys. I have a spare if you lose these ones, but try to make sure not to lose them.” I nodded, holding the key while he led me up the stairs, pointing out a few things in the lobby of the clinic as we climbed. All too soon, we reached the doors of my room, and he dropped the duffle bags in front of them. “Thanks for your help, Darren. I really appreciate it.” I told him. “Don’t worry about it. Just get settled in,” He waved it off. “Oh, you’re invited to dinner, by the way, at my home. No better way to be welcomed into the pack than a dinner hosted by my mate and yours truly.” I nodded gratefully – I really needed to make friends – and he smiled in return. He left after giving me the directions to his home. I hoped I would not get lost when I actually left though – I was just not good with directions sometimes. Finally opening the door to my room, I entered it. A gasp left my lips as I saw how big it was. I was in a sort of study, and a smaller door to my left led to my bedroom. This was huge! My lips parted in wonder as I glanced around me. No wonder Darren had called it a suite.

Chapter 3 ALPHA’S BURDEN

Richard’s POV The work never ends. I sat in my study having a quick rest, having drawn the curtains. It seemed that I never had enough time in the day to complete my work, and it had led me to staying up all night dealing with paperwork, again. I sighed, rubbing my eyes, which were sensitive at this moment. Being Alpha was definitely not for the faint of heart. Unfortunately, it seemed that rest was evading me. Thankfully, I still had a bit more time to fit in a power nap, before I met with the council that afternoon. My nose twitched as I recognised my Beta’s distinct scent. A second later, I heard his knock on the door, and I shut my eyes, pretending to be asleep. Hopefully, Darren would see that and walk away quietly. I heard the creak of the door, and the stomping of boots into my study. Darren’s scent intensified, but I kept mum, trying to even out my breathing so that he would not notice my deceit. Soon, I began to hear him grumbling, then his footsteps moved closer to me, slumped over my desk. I felt a tap, once, twice, thrice. Then he stopped, and all I heard was silence. A few minutes must have passed, before I heard a swooshing of curtains opening, and the sunlight streamed in, I flinched – my eyes betraying me. The jig was up. “Rise and shine, Alpha!” my best friend and Beta sounded too gleeful to my ears, and I let out a groan, bringing my hand to shield my eyes as I opened them to see the now-brightened study. “Darren,” I growled out his name, but he seemed to pay my threatening tone no mind, only moving to the second set of curtains and pulling them open as well. Now sunlight filled the room even more, and my eyes began to water. “Had a good rest, I see,” he said, and as my eyes adjusted to the brightness of the room, I could hear the smile in his voice. I shook my head, resting it against my arms. “I should have known you would not let me rest this morning.”“No rest for the wicked, Richard. And you, have been very cruel to yourself again,” he approached me, stopping at my desk, by my side. I looked up at him, and saw the concern in his eyes. “Tell me you did not stay up all night working again.” I groaned despite myself, standing up. “You know how it is,” I reasoned, “Work never ends. I had a lot to get through and thought, why not?” I grumbled the last part, hoping it would draw a laugh out of my dear friend, but he kept silent, and I felt his gaze on me, as if checking that I was alright. The thought made me growl again, and I pushed past him to the curtains, drawing them closed again. “Don’t begin with the mother-hen shit today. It’s way too fucking early for that.” Darren huffed at my last statement, and I turned to face him, brushing a hand through my hair. It came back greasy, and the corner of my lips turned down into a frown. I’ll need to have a bath, now. I must look disgusting. “I may be a mother hen, Richard, but can you blame me for not wanting you to work yourself into a pulp?” Darren retorted, crossing his arms. “I have told you time and time again. You need to rest. You are the leader of this Pack and your strength is our strength-”“And my weakness is the pack’s weakness,” I finished for him. He had said that so many times to me, hoping it would get through to my workaholic brain. The truth was, I could not help it. When we were much younger, I believed the same as Darren did; I believed that the Alpha was the heart and soul of the Pack, and without him, the pack would not exist. That all changed when my father died, and I was made Alpha after him. Having to lead the pack at the young age of 17, was what I had never expected – I don’t think anyone expected it. However, my father’s untimely death had taught me a valuable lesson – the Alpha was not omnipotent, nor was his purpose only to be the strongest werewolf in the Pack. The Alpha was meant to lead, to build the Pack and make it stronger, to the best of his abilities. This way, even when he was gone, his legacy would be a part of the Pack’s history. That lesson was part and parcel of every action I took. I carried a burden no one else could understand. As Alpha, I knew my weaknesses, as well as the Pack’s weaknesses. It was my duty to strengthen the Pack, so that when I die, my legacy will be woven into the fabric of the Redding Pack’s history. That was my legacy. I was silent for a few moments, and Darren observed me in that state before he spoke again, voice a bit more softened. “You need to get some rest. I’ll leave in a few moments, but I had something to report,” I looked at him inquiringly, and he continued. “We had a newcomer arrive this morning. The new doctor for the Pack. Name’s Dr Grey.”“Arielle Grey,” I replied, recalling the document I perused three days ago. “I hope you were able to give her a warm welcome.”“Eh, I did my best. She seems nice though. Really friendly,” he remarked. I raised a brow at him, and he hurried to clarify. “Nothing flirty, alright? She knows I have a mate.” I shook my head at him, smiling for the first time that day. “You’re impossible, you know that?”“Well, if I’m impossible, then what are you, Mr Work-till-I-drop?” he teased, and I rolled my eyes at him, turning away and moving towards the door that led to my bedroom. He took the hint and began to leave immediately, but not before stopping at the door to say something else. “By the way, since you were not able to be part of the welcoming party, you might as well come for dinner. Dr Grey will be joining us, so it’s your chance to make a good first impression.” I made a face at that, the gears in my mind turning. “I may have to skip that.”“Don’t you dare! I’ll give you hell for it, I promise you!” With that, he finally left the room and shut the door behind him. I sighed, weary and dirty, and entered my room, discarding my clothes as I went straight to the bathroom for a nice, hot shower. If only I had remembered to lock the doors, I would not have had Elise waiting for me at the foot of my bed. I groaned inwardly at the sight of her, shutting the bathroom door behind me. Our eyes met.

Chapter 4 THE PROBLEM WITH ELISE

Richard’s POV: “What do you want?” was the first thing I could think to ask. Being sleep-deprived was not a good feeling, and the hot shower I had helped to loosen my stiff muscles, thus worsening my drowsiness. I could see Elise flinch as I practically snapped the question at her, whilst moving to my closet to pick out and wear something suitable for bed. I removed the towel from my waist unceremoniously, and I could feel her eyes rake over my naked bottom half like she had never seen it before. I felt a tinge of frustration and anger right then; she had not answered my question. “Elise,” I ground out, “if you have nothing worthwhile to say, then please get out. I don’t have time for you or your antics today.” I finished putting on the cotton pyjama pants, turning to her with a piercing look. My eyes met hers, a clash of blue against blue. Finally, she spoke, smiling sultrily at me, “I heard you had a lot of work to do last night. I wanted to come and check on you,” she took a step towards me, “Maybe, see if there was something I could do to ease your stress.” I snorted at her, unsurprised. Of course, she would offer me sex now. It was unfortunate for her, then, that I did not want it. I brushed past her, moving to sit on my bed while motioning to the door leading out of the room. “No thank you. I do not require your help. Now get out.” A pout appeared on her pink lips and I groaned out loud. “Really, Elise. This is unbecoming of you. The only reason I am not throwing you out is because of our history.”“Our history in bed, you mean?” She smirked, and I matched her smirk with a more biting tone as I responded. “I meant our history as friends,” I emphasised the ‘friends’ part of my reply, which turned her smile into a scowl. She crossed her arms, looking very much like a child throwing a tantrum. I rolled my eyes at her, wondering why I ever made a mistake in starting a sexual relationship with her in the first place. It must have been teenage hormones, I reasoned, bringing my hair up to brush back wet strands of my brown hair back before saying, “Elise, you are trying my patience. Do not think that this is a time to do so. I can and will punish you, as your Alpha.” Those seemed to be the wrong words to say, as she moved to me again, crouching so that she was face to face with me, “A fun punishment, I hope?” Her tongue darted out to lick her lips. That was it. I had enough of this. I grabbed her hand which she had intended to touch me with, standing up and towering over her. I used the grip I had on her hand to pull her to me, looking at her with the most disgusted, infuriated stare I could have ever mustered. “A horrible punishment,” I growled back to her. I could see her eyes widen in fear, and a second later I pushed her away from me and pointed to the door, glaring at her. She took the hint this time, shuffling to the door and exiting through it, but not before giving me a baleful stare. As soon as she shut the door, I moved to lock it, silently cursing my luck. Elise had been trouble in my life for too long. We had started a sexual (no love involved, friends-with-benefits) relationship when we were teenagers and foolish. Even as we became adults, we continued having sex, sure that we would stop as soon as we found our mates. At least, I was. Little did I know that it became more than just sex to Elise, and now, I had become the one she wants the most. Since she had confessed to driving other ladies in the pack away from me with the hope that she is chosen as my mate, I cut off all sexual relations with her. That was two months ago. Unfortunately, it seemed that she could not take a hint. I needed to get rid of her. I sighed deeply, laying back on my bed and my mind whirling. After what felt like ten minutes, I remembered the Everneal Pack. We needed to send a team there to negotiate. Perhaps, Elise would get to show off some of her skills with regards to this. The mission would suit her perfectly. I made my decision to send her off that evening. It would be a one-month-long mission and it would also give her the opportunity to potentially find herself a true mate. Both of us would benefit. I shut my eyes, letting the drowsy feeling take me deeper into sleep.

Chapter 5 ON THE WAY TO DINNER

Arielle’s POV: I had finally finished unpacking. Sighing with a feeling of triumph filling me, I looked around my new room. There was a sense of belonging that I had begun to have now, and me fully unpacking was a sign of settling down, finally. Ever since I left my precious pack for medical school, I had become a nomad of sorts. I never unpacked my things fully, always ready to move at the last second. I did not do this consciously, but it now dawned on me that I was avoiding settling down before. Now, I was ready – ready to settle into my life in this new pack, and for all the possibilities that lay before me. A hope bloomed inside my chest, making me feel warm on the inside and grin like an idiot on the outside. I was hoping to find my mate here, in the Redding Pack. A part of me wanted to be realistic, and shun any and all ideas of true love. But hope springs eternal, and to me, the concept of finding my one true mate was important. I dared not think of my past, when my future was ahead of me. I heard my phone chime with a message, and I picked it up from where it sat on the desk. My eyes widened as I took notice of the time. 5.46pm! Had I really spent the entire afternoon unpacking? When had Darren said I should come for dinner? 6.30, I remembered he had mentioned it while bidding me farewell. “Shit,” the curse word left my mouth without me noticing, and I all but ran to the bathroom which now bore my toiletries and other important essentials. I needed to freshen up and not be late for dinner! It took a few tries, but I got the shower working just fine and at the right temperature. Praising the goddess for hot water, I began to furiously scrub at every inch of my body until my skin was pink. I rinsed off quickly, all but running to the dresser where I kept my underwear. About ten minutes later, I was dressed in dark blue jeans and a pale blue cotton top. I let my hair down from the ponytail that it was in through the entire day, using my fingers to brush through the waves before I let it settle. My hair was now a bit longer than it had been for the past five years, I realised. I had not cut it in a while. Now, the coppery-red hair I was blessed with went just a little bit past my waist. After applying lip gloss and a coat of mascara on my lashes, I was off, purse in hand. By the time I left the clinic, the sun had already begun to set, red and orange hues colouring the sky in a beautiful palette. I spared it a glance before I turned to walk in the direction that I remembered Darren had told me. Not long afterwards, I sighed, troubled and confused. I scratched my head a bit, trying to recall whether the Beta had said left or right at the turn. I came up empty, and decided that I would have to ask someone for help. This would be embarrassing. I spotted a dark-haired lady my age and walked up to her to tap on her shoulder. She turned to me with a snappish tone of voice, “What?!” I gaped at her, stunned. My grey eyes met her blue ones in a stare, before she looked away a second. Then she looked back at me, giving me a once-over. I cringed inwardly; maybe asking this girl was too much hassle. “Well, what do you want? Speak up, I don’t have time to waste here,” she said, eyeing me with a glare. “Ah, sorry. I was just hoping you could direct me to the Hendricks’ home?” I asked her, trying to ignore the weight of her stare. I was tense nevertheless, and I did not like it. This girl was really annoying. “What do you want at the Hendricks’ home?” she sneered at me, clearly not thinking much of me. Two can play at that game, I retorted in my mind, squaring my shoulders and holding her glare. “Well, that’s nothing to do with you, ma’am,” I emphasized the last part, before turning away from her. “If you don’t want to tell me, then I will go and ask someone else.” I waited a beat, then two, then three. Fine then, I sighed, moving to walk away when her voice stopped me. “It’s a left at the intersection right there, then the third house on the right.” I turned back to her as she answered my question, giving her a bright smile. She scowled in response, clearly miffed. She must have been having a really bad day. Well, regardless, “Thank you. I appreciate it,” I said breezily, walking away from her and towards the direction of Darren’s home. It took me only about five minutes more to get to my destination, and I climbed up the stairs to the porch, knocking on the front door and praying that the girl had not misdirected me. There was no answer. I made to knock again when I heard a female voice shout, “I’m coming! Hold on,” then there was the sound of footsteps. Seconds later, the door opened to the sight of a lovely-looking woman. Her hair was blonde and she wore a tank top and flared jeans. Upon seeing me, she smiled, opening the door a little more for me to enter. “You must be Dr Grey. Welcome,” her smile was so warm that I smiled back, stepping into the house. “My name is Lilian,” she finished. The aroma of soup and spices had filled my senses and I sniffed in appreciation, shutting my eyes for a brief moment before I turned to Lilian, who had now shut the door, and gave me a glance. “Sorry, I’m just really hungry,” I grinned in apology. She snickered at my words, and I felt glad for it. “You have a lovely home. It’s beautiful,” I remarked. “Glad you like it. It’s all because of me,” I heard a voice reply, and I turned to see him.