Page 65 of My Forbidden Alpha

“You’re giving me that job because you know I hate gardening.”

“Yes, exactly! Now off you go!” she says.

I sigh, taking a knife and exiting through the back door. I return after ten minutes with neatly cut coriander. “Hmm, I guess these will do,” Grandma Amelia says as she inspects them, just in case even one was uprooted, I was careful not to. I’ve learned if you try to hide a mistake Grandma Amy will find out. She likes things in a certain way.

She motions for me to sit at the wooden circular table that only has two chairs. Two mugs of fresh steaming tea and a freshly baked cake now sit on the table and the box of biscuits is open.

“I do love your tea,” I say. Grandma Amelia always boils her milk in the cooker, adding the tea bags and cardamom to the silver pot. A tea she learned how to make from a friend.

“Well now, drink up before it gets cold,” she says, watching me with a small smile on her lips.

Amelia’s Secrets

Amelia

Iwatch the girl opposite me dig into the cake and biscuits and smile fondly at her.

With secrets that only my mate Isaac knew, life as a she-wolf who was not like others wasn’t always the easiest, but despite being different, he never saw me otherwise. My half-sister and I came to this pack together. Marilla was the daughter of my father and his fated mate, while I was his daughter from a woman he had initially chosen.

Although he made sure to be there for her as a friend and he continued to be there for me, my mother died shortly after our father left her. But it is hard to resist the mate bond. I understood this, but my mother did not.

And well, because of the rumours surrounding my mother’s lineage always being questioned, when we were mated to two brothers, well… we kept the fact that we were sisters quiet. I was happy to, after all the plan was to tell my nephew Jackson and my son Jonah that Marilla and I were sisters when they were older. But life remained good and certain circumstances made everyone hesitate, delaying the truth for what I admit was far too long.

When Elias, Jackson’s father, was killed, Marilla also passed away a few short months later, leaving Jackson to step up as Alpha. That was when our relationship began to sour. Perhaps he became aware of my knack for certain things…

Even when I was the one who agreed that it was better for my son to go and participate in the duel, pretending to be his cousin because I knew Jackson had things to do. They looked similar enough...

I knew that night I might never see my son again, but I followed what my instincts told me, that Jonah needed to go. I tried to reassure myself that it would be ok, but it wasn’t. It turned out to be a trap, and what I had done was protect my nephew, the Alpha, by sacrificing my son. That night, I not only lost my son, but also my mate.

My heart tightens with guilt and sadness, and I put those thoughts back in the chest of memories that sits in the corner of my mind. The pain and regret that I wasn’t able to protect them will always remain.

“Oh, this cake is so good,” Scarlett says, making me chuckle lightly.

I knew from the moment that the young woman with the two young girls, covered in bruises and injuries that had not healed, entered pack territory that she – Scarlett, had been sent for something much more important. Something far bigger.

I had a dream long ago, one that told me that a special she-wolf would come to our pack on a full moon. One who needed to be kept hidden until she was ready for what destiny had in store for her, until the time was right for her to step into the moonlight and follow her path.

I wouldn’t call it a dream, but I dare not call it a vision either. But what I do know is the voice that spoke to me was ethereal, magical, and powerful. A voice that was from beyond this world – like a song in the breeze, yet so deep and melodious it made meshiver from the sheer power and serenity it held.

I admit it was hard to believe and crazy even, but although I may never say it, I have my own assumption of just who that voice may have belonged to.

That dream lingered on my mind for years, but it never occurred or came to be and soon I stopped thinking about it. Years passed and when I had almost forgotten it, Scarlett, Jessica and Indigo showed up.

When I heard the commotion that night not far from my home, I had to go see what was going on. And that’s when I laid my eyes on the little girl with the fire of determination in her eyes.

At that moment, the dream rushed back to me, flooding my mind like I had been hit with a tidal wave. So vivid and fresh, as if it was only yesterday that I had dreamt it.

I immediately knew Scarlett was the one the voice in my vision spoke of, and because of that I supported Jessica thoroughly. Making sure the entire pack knew I approved of her for my nephew and supported her entrance into his life.

It was common for surviving mates to die or go insane at the loss of their mates, especially alphas. But somehow Jackson had not gone feral, a miracle in itself. And most everyone put it down to Jessica.

He thrived with her by his side, and we all needed him alive and well. Although some didn’t like that he took another Luna, one he couldn’t even mark, they saw the change in him and that was something they couldn’t deny.

I sometimes wondered if it had anything to do with the young, fiery child. From the moment she had entered the pack when the warriors had cornered them, with Jessica carrying her six-year-old and pleading for refuge – fear and desperation in her deep blue eyes – Scarlett had been sharp, brave, and observant. Despite the marks all over her body, her eyesremained defiant and her will remained strong, not showing even an ounce of fear of the wolves that surrounded them.

And when Scarlett shifted, I was not surprised. I was expecting something – no, I knew something would be special about her and when it was, I felt so proud.

When I saw her silver-grey wolf that shone like the moon, leaving many in awe and fear, I had been thrilled. I was satisfied and relieved that I did not make the wrong assumption, unlike the pack who started treating her with fear or contempt, not understanding why her wolf was so big. They were more worried about the size of her wolf than her pure silver fur, which none of us have ever seen the likes of before.

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