The faint sounds of animals moving in the forest could be heard coming from the forest in the dead of night while insects hummed and the fireflies hung in the air. Peeking out the window had become a little unsettling. Everyone in the pack house was sound asleep, except for one member whose room light was still turned on in the Ardara Moon Pack house.
Adira had been lying in bed for hours but sleep had still yet to claim her tired eyes. How could she consider closing them when her entire life had taken a dramatic turn the moment her younger sister had left the pack house? Kiara had sacrificed herself believing that she would fix everything and save her family and pack’s lives, which had been entirely true. Yet her older sister hadn't told her precisely how her entire life was heading towards imminent destruction.
It had been challenging for Adira to keep the truth from Kiara whenever she called. It was painful for her to lie, but Kiara had done enough for them already. Adira did not have the heart to cause her sister to worry, since she had already sacrificed and ruined her own life in order to save them from those monsters in the Sirius Bright Pack. She knew that whatever happened to Kiara was not what she deserved. Being a surrogate for a man who only wanted her to produce an heir for him. Knowing that he would never love her. Her poor sister would never be able to find the mate that she had dreamed of.
Adira had been living in guilt since Kiara had left the pack house, on top of all the stress that her father and brother had been constantly inflicting on her. Patience, that bare thread of honor, was on the point of fraying, the time of which was unknown but not far off.
Adira caressed the white kitty on the bed next to her. The cat had been keeping her company to help alleviate her stress and loneliness. Adira and Kiara were more like best friends who had shared everything with each other. But, in the absence of her sibling, the cat had settled into life with her new Mommy. When the cat began to rub herself against her arms seeking attention, Adira smiled. Yet there was still a huge emptiness in her heart. Why did she feel as if half of her was missing?
Something was missing, but she couldn't put her finger on it. When she tried to fall asleep with her white little fur baby, she heard the noise of someone making their way up the stairs to her bedroom. She was on guard. She sat up in bed trying to figure out the scent of the person as they approached. It was none other than her brother!
"Adira!!" Noah slammed his fist on the door, his voice shrill. He was supposed to be out of town, so why had he returned so abruptly? Adira sprang out of her bed, encouraging the small white cat to run as far as she could. If her evil monster of a brother smelt the cat, he would undoubtedly slaughter its innocent life. Adira sprayed perfume in her room before sprinting to open the door. "Open this fucking door! I know you are not sleeping," he threatened while hammering loudly on the door twice. What was the problem? If he made too much noise in the middle of the night, their parents would wake up, then there would be trouble, so she quickly opened the door.
"Why are you yelling in the middle of the night?! If mom and dad hear you, they will wake up and come up here," she questioned furiously. But was pushed aside by Noah, who had stormed into her room. He began throwing her bed sheets and other items around as if he was looking for something. "What the heck are you doing?" She demanded, hoping to put a stop to his insanity.
"Fuck off!" Noah snarled as he pushed her hands away. Adira suddenly realized what he was after. Her brother's blue malevolent gaze had been looking for evidence.
"Don't touch any of my things or I will scream. They will be up here in a second and you will have to explain your madness," just as he was about to go inside her drawer, Adira threatened him, pushing him back as she stood in front of her belongings.
"Yes, scream and call them here, but if you don't have the courage, I'll do it. Tell them that you're still in contact with that little bitch that you call a sister!" Noah chuckled, irritably. He was certain that he had heard Adira say Kiara's name over the phone the other day. His sister, on the other hand, had been clever and replaced her sim card right afterwards. He hadn't been able to find Adira old or new phone, so he couldn't prove to Sawyer that his beloved daughter had been betraying the pack. She had continued to nurture a relationship with a woman who had been tossed out of the pack and had severed all links with them. How dare she?
"No matter how hard you look, Noah, you won’t discover any proof, since all of your allegations are false and worthless. Kiara and I haven't spoken in a long time," Adira crossed her arms over her chest, responding boldly as she peered into her brother's blue eyes.
"That was an excellent performance. However, save it for our parents. They are the fools, not me. I'll prove everything to dad, then you'll have to face the consequences, Adira. You already know what will happen to you after that, don't you?" Noah smiled darkly, poking at his sister’s deepest wound, one that she had been attempting to hide the entire time. It was the secret that Adira had been trying to keep from Kiara. His expression and smile choked her.
"Don't think that I'm unaware of your nefarious mind and strategies, Noah. Even Kiara knew who you truly are! You are a disgrace!" Noah was terrified by Adira's demeanor.
"What strategy? I'm doing it for the sake of the pack. Don't say such nonsense just because you're afraid of being exposed," he clenched his teeth in an attempt to conceal his dread and anxiousness.
"Are you doing this for the pack's benefit or for your own personal gain and greed?" Adira snapped, catching his shifting look that only confirmed that Kiara was correct. His heartbeat was so rapid that she could hear it from across the room.
"Stop talking bullshit or I will beat you to death!" He warned, getting closer to her. Both siblings had Alpha blood, which had led to them challenging each other, but Adira refused to step back and kept staring Noah in the eyes.
"Why? Is the truth a difficult pill to swallow? You don't deserve to be our brother. Due to your selfishness, you suggested to Dad that Kiara marry an Alpha against her wishes. She just turned eighteen, she can only now find her mate, but you were afraid! You purposefully got her engaged on that day, she was going to refuse. But thanks to Alpha Xavier, Kiara has left our pack, making your life easier. Now I'm the only one left in the way of your sick dreams. You want to humiliate me in front of Father and prove me a traitor by forcing a false and deplorable allegation on me. So what if I talk to her?! We are sisters, no one can separate us!" Adira's cheeks were flushed with rage as she finished her diatribe in one breath. Kiara's life has been ruined by Noah. He had never intended for her to have the opportunity to find her mate. Sawyer had agreed with his son, and in exchange for a treaty, he had engaged his youngest daughter to the Alpha of a wealthy pack.
"So you confess that you're still talking with that traitor?" Noah grinned, dismissing everything important that Adira had just said. She noticed that his phone was in his hand, it was possible that he had recorded their entire conversation. He had finally collected the proof he had been looking for. She acknowledged it to herself, yet Adira remained unconcerned. The word ‘traitor’ was highly insulting to Kiara's elder sister, who recalled how much her sister had been missing and sobbing over them.
“Why? Do you want to inform Dad about it? For what purpose? So would he try to marry me off to some random Alpha as soon as possible? You would advise dad to marry me to a wealthy and powerful Alpha who lives hundreds of miles away, wouldn’t you? Only then will your life become easy. Will I marry and leave here, like Kiara? Noah, you've done a fantastic job with your planning. Kiara has already been banished, she will never return because she married our adversary, therefore it is now my turn to be your scapegoat!" Adira chuckled viciously, relishing Noah's seething fury. “Nothing would stand in the way of your attaining the position of Alpha. You're pulling the same ruse on me that you did on Kiara," she continued.
"That’s a great story, my little sister. But can you tell me what exactly I stand to gain from all of this? Is it wrong to be concerned about my sisters' futures? By marrying them off to affluent and powerful Alphas, I have secured them stable lives," Noah's blue concerned eyes concealed his true feelings. He had no idea that his sisters were so perceptive to his motives. He always thought that women were foolish, even if his bitch of a sister was firing an arrow into the dark. There was no chance he'd say anything out of the ordinary when everything was being recorded. If he could not find the phone, then he would let Sawyer listen to the recording.
"You're saving your own ass, Noah. You want to kick me out of the pack because you are terrified that dad will not give you his Alpha position over my future husband!" At that moment Noah's face became pale, Adira chuckled softly. She had revealed Noah's dirty deeds as soon as Kiara left the Ardara Moon Pack. After her sister’s departure, Sawyer and Martha had quarreled heatedly. The information on their son had been enough to add fuel to the fire when their older daughter revealed Noah's gambling debt, his role in Omega's suicide, and the fact that he had slapped Kiara.
That had been the moment that Martha had refused to acknowledge Noah as her son. How could he have hit Kiara?! Kiara had attempted to keep the truth hidden, but Adira had forced her to talk, vowing not to tell anybody. However, as everyone had pointed out Kiara's poor character, calling her a whore when she departed with Xavier, Adira had felt compelled to say something. As a result of Adira’s actions, Sawyer had turned his back on his son after he had slapped him across the face in front of the entire pack. It had demonstrated that Sawyer would not offer Noah the role of Alpha. That in this scenario, Adira's spouse would be the best choice to replace him as Alpha.
"Keep your voice down!" Noah snarled, wishing to murder his sister. How the heck had she figured out his plan?! He had nearly lost his father's trust and his Alpha status as a result of his two bitchy sisters. That was why he wanted Adira to marry someone far away from the pack, so that her spouse could not claim what was meant to be his.
"Why? Don't you want Father to come up and hear my nonsense? Allow him to see the true face of his terrible son. Kiara knew all of your plans, but she still saved your life."
"Adira, I told you to shut your fucking mouth. I have no problem beating you half to death or breaking your legs. I'm your older brother, so keep your mouth shut!!" Noah barked, seeing as their Mother and Father had not heard him. He had no intention of informing them of his plans.
"Beat me! Who is terrified of invalid like you? I'll display my bruised skin to Mom and Dad tomorrow, and you'll lose your opportunity to become the Alpha completely. If I were you, I'd spit on the Alpha position that was at the mercy of our adversary. Alpha Xavier has just left us alive, but his eagle-eyed gaze remains fixed on our pack. Even if you become the Alpha, you will remain nothing more than a puppet. The position you will obtain is solely the result of Kiara's generosity and pity. Remember, you owe her!"
"You fucking bitch! Did I not warn you, ha?!!!" Noah grabbed Adira’s hair violently, yelling at her as he pulled her closer to his red eyes. If there were no Sawyer and Martha, he would have buried her alive in the forest behind the pack house. "If you know so many things, then I will tell you one more thing. That little bitch you call a sister dared to shout those same words to me. She dared to call me an evil monster. She had known more than was necessary, then turned against me to save you from me. In truth, I had planned to marry you off to that Alpha but that big-hearted lower-class slut Kiara sacrificed herself to save you. So I had her engaged to him instead.” Adira's eyes widened in horror when she realized what Kiara had been hiding from her. Why had Kiara done that? Why had she felt compelled to save her from Noah? How much does Adira owe Kiara? No way! It had to be a lie! When Adira realized she had been the reason for Kiara's forced engagement, she burst into tears.
“Leave me alone! Let me go you monster!” Adira screamed, attempting to break free from Noah’s grasp, but he forcefully covered her mouth.
"Yes you are right, Adira. We are alive today thanks to Kiara's kind heart and sacrifice. But don't be fooled into thinking that her life has improved. Don't be deceived that she's living the life of a queen in the Sirius Bright Pack or that she has become Alpha Xavier's Luna," Noah let go of her hair, pushing her away angrily.
"What do you mean?" Adira asked, stepping closer to him. Yes, Adira already knew that Kiara was not his real Luna, only a surrogate, but her sister had told her that Xavier treated her well. So what did Noah mean?
"That tiny whore is nothing more than Alpha Xavier's mistress! He already has another woman in his life. Kiara will be nothing more than a sex toy for him to play with. There's no way Xavier would ever love Kiara. She is nothing but bad luck!" Noah laughed, taking in Adira's pale features.
“I don't believe you!” Adira growled at him.
“Then don't believe it. The stories of his past have all faded into the memories of the past as a part of Alpha Xavier’s plan. No one dares to reveal who that woman was or what her relationship was with him. But he is definitely hiding a woman and your sister is just his fuck toy!” he sneered. "I'm waiting for the day that Alpha realizes that her rotten luck has damaged their lives and pack, then he'll throw his little whore out of his life like garbage,"
Noah laughed and exited the room. Adira hurried to shut the door behind him. She was going insane with fear. When she had called Kiara's phone a few days ago, another woman had answered. She had referred to herself as the Alpha's woman. She had proclaimed emphatically that the Alpha only loved her.
Had all of that been true? Had the man at the other end of the phone actually been Alpha Xavier? Had he deceived Kiara? Had Kiara only been a substitute because he already had another woman in his life? Was that woman a mistress? Who might that other woman be? What had Kiara done to deserve this betrayal from Xavier?
Adira dashed over to the drawer and pulled out her phone that she had cleverly hidden behind it. It was time to save Kiara.
***
Kiara raced out of the bathroom in her towel when she heard her phone ring. She'd already slept a lot, so more sleep was out of the question. Xavier had not returned to the room, but she still wanted to change her clothes before going to bed. She was already in a panic since the only person that called her was Adira.
“Adira!” Kiara squealed with joy and concern. Why did Adira contact her so late at night? She had stopped calling Kiara and had simply been sending messages. "Is everything okay?" she asked, hearing the uneven breathing of her sister on the other end of the line. Was it about Martha? Did something happen to their Mother? "You said I shouldn't call you..."
“Kiara, let’s meet!” The older sister cut Kiara off.
“What?” Kiara bit her lower lip in fear. Adira wanted to meet with her? Xavier had Sawyer sign an agreement that said that no one from the Ardara Moon Pack would be able to see Kiara. Certainly, Adira was not so oblivious to have forgotten something that crucial.
"Yes, I have something important that I have to tell you. I will also tell you what you wanted to know earlier. Kiara, we have to meet," Adira urged. After Noah's comments minutes ago, Adira's hand shook in worry for Kiara. She wished that she could tell her over the phone, but she couldn't risk it.
“But how?” Kiara inquired because she, too, wanted to see her sister. She had been dying to spend time with her family, no matter how many friends and joys she had managed to accumulate here.
"I'm not sure, but you're going to have to do something to get out of the Sirius Bright Pack. You will have to let me know when you are successful. But you must seize an opportunity as soon as possible," Adira proposed. Kiara tried to stifle her anxiety as she swallowed hard. What both sisters were thinking was utterly insane. There was no way Xavier would allow Kiara to visit her family. But how could she pass up this opportunity?
“I have to run away?” Kiara murmured and was surprised when the bedroom door burst open. Kiara's phone dropped to the floor when she spotted Xavier in the doorway, staring at her with green eyes.
No, did he hear her?