In a world where female shifters are a rarity, the weight of responsibility rests heavily on the shoulders of the Alpha's daughter. With her 18th birthday approaching, the young shifter must prepare to merge with her wolf and step into her role as Luna. But life is far from easy for her, constantly surrounded by overprotective men who restrict her every move. As if that wasn't enough, the upcoming Assembly brings a wave of potential Alpha mates, something she had hoped to avoid. Growing up, she was attached to Marcus, her father's henchman, she finds herself drawn to him in ways she can't explain. As her emotions intensify, she must navigate the treacherous waters of shifter politics and a family secret that could change everything. With the help of the Moon Goddess, the Alpha's daughter must find a way to navigate her destiny and find true love amidst the chaos. Will she be able to find her own path, or will she be consumed by the weight of her responsibilities? Find out in this gripping tale of love, loyalty, and self-discovery.
When I opened my second-floor window, I tried to be as quiet as possible. any noise. Since the guard in the hall would notice that I wasn't there, I had to make as much space as I could between this area and the woods.
I wasn't that stupid, so I didn't believe that there weren't any extra guards outside. Knowing the rotations made it slightly easier for me to get away without getting caught. I had to work for my freedom if I wanted it.
When I last looked, no one had seen me move. I fell to the soft ground and kneeled there. The smells of nature calmed me down when I felt nervous.
My wolf and I both wanted to go for a run. My bones needed to be moved around, and my skin was itchy. It couldn't wait any longer. My father would not agree with me going somewhere alone or leaving my security detail. I sneaked around at night because of this. I didn't want people to see me as a princess who needed to be cared for.
My feet couldn't move because the ground and grass were so wet. As I basked in the moonlight, a soft breeze stroked my skin. The rhythm of life's sounds and the smells of nature were soothing to my spirit. I got closer to my wolf as we got ready to become one single being.
I didn't make much progress. I was right next to them.
When I was in the forest and about a mile from the main house, I heard footsteps following me. They went too fast. Since I couldn't get away, I got ready to be taken down.
God, I couldn't win anything.
"Dammit, Marcus, you scared the living crap out of me!"
Because he had me pinned to the ground, all of my clothes were dirty.""
"Where exactly are you going?" He barked.
I made a joke saying, "To ride on my unicorn."
Marcus made it harder for me. He was getting very upset about what was going on with us. His body did not lie. Proof of his desire was right up against me, and it was long, thick, and solid as a rock. Yes, I will not go there now or in the future.
Yes, I will not go there now or in the future.
"This isn't funny at all. Even though you are almost 18, you are still limited in some ways."
"Yes, you're right! If I could, I would go to faraway places and follow all of my interests. But I chose to go for a run instead, didn't I?"
"If something bad happened to you, your father would make us both pay for it."
He stopped me just as I was going to answer in his way.
"Don't put yourself in a position to be taken advantage of. If that happened, this pack would get out of order. The rouges would take you as easily as they'd take your mother.
He went there, trying to forget about how bad he felt.
"Your dad would be lost to his wolf for sure. Our species doesn't need another renegade that our Goddess has to beat. There is no quick way to fix that problem, which is getting out of hand."
Tears are about to come out and make my eyes hurt.
Don't be weak. Don't let Marcus be in charge of you. Snuff off that feeling with sarcasm.
"Point was made. Get the hell away from me and stop howling like a wolf right now."
Crickets. He didn't try to move at all. An angry desire for revenge.
Our battle of wits was slowed down by the way I breathed. I could feel the heat rising and the wrath starting to take hold. If I couldn't control my anger, I would move under Marcus right away, clothes and all. Muddy or not, I didn't want to trash them. I got a cold feeling in my spine when I thought about his naked body pushing against mine.
My anger was too strong for the fuzzy thoughts in my head. I couldn't tell if they were mine or my wolf's. Why did it feel so different to be this close to Marcus? I'd never been so aware of a guy getting too close to me before. Now that I think about it, the only person who put me in this situation was Marcus. Sigh.
"Leave it alone. I was caught, "I growled. "I'm going straight back to my jail."
Even though I tried to get away from him, he held me there as a sign of his power. Marcus and I didn't get along, and he was willing to fill in for my dad. Mostly because he never thought about what I wanted and always did what I told him to do. Also, my wolf kept bothering me because he knew how tense things were between us. I kept forgetting about this problem.
His angry words, "Fine, but I'll tell your father about this," were the last thing I could do to keep my wolf under control. My weak grasp on reality will soon burn and break, taking my human body with it.
I tried hard but failed to stop the shift because I couldn't get rid of my anger. Marcus seemed to be everywhere lately.
He had never paid so much attention to how I did things before. But until recently, my wolf had never tried to run away so hard.
"Yours won't get any bigger just because you're a jerk. I'm just saying, "I made fun.
When he stopped, I rolled until I got away. I stumbled away from him as fast as my legs could carry me. When I was almost home, he ran up to me and grabbed my arm. Given how close my wolf was to trying to get out, I really can't afford to talk to him any more.
"Please don't act like that. I'm just keeping an eye on you."
"I'm not a child anymore,"
"That's painfully clear," Marcus grumbled. His words were barely audible, so it was clear that he didn't want me to hear them. As my birthday got closer, I was able to hear a lot better.
At the very least, if you can, let me in on my own. I don't need to be dragged in front of my dad. I detest seeing you kiss his behind.
"Addie, you can't do that. Before I do anything I'll later regret, let's leave."
Both of us knew what that meant. He would throw me over his shoulder and then drop me inside like a caveman. My pride would last through tonight. As soon as we got to the front porch, I turned away, ran inside, and walked up the stairs. They had to know that I was at home and really angry.
I felt like everyone was guarding me too much. Being restricted and kept secret from society was stifling. Dad wanted me to be protected from everyone. Since Mom was taken by a rogue, our pack was completely devoid of females. With a choke collar and a tight leash, Marcus and Dad kept me under control.
It only took a month for me to reach the age of 18, after which I had to find my Alpha mate. I would have greater power and freedom if I were my Alpha's Luna.
I didn't look forward to anything other than having independence, not even finding a mate. I was sufficiently influenced by men throughout my life to have a deep aversion to men.
I banged the bathroom door firmly to add impact. I started taking off my dirty clothing since I wanted a cool shower. The warmth would lessen the shift I was about to experience. One of the catalysts that may cause the shift faster than any other was my body's response to rage. I changed the setting from cool to ice cold because it didn't reduce the heat.
Uncomfortable rage recently surged to the surface before I snapped. My wolf was agitated, not because I wanted to. She refused to talk to me because she knew something I didn't. It wasn't at all to my liking. We weren't one right now or even close by. Uncontrollable emotions and negative side effects were brought on by that separation. That's most likely why the want to change was so strong. We required that sliver of cohesion.
I desperately wanted the chance to escape, but it wasn't permitted unless it was under supervision. It took till the full moon for the pack run. Oh my, I didn't think my wolf would agree to wait so long. Sadly, I would either wait till I was permitted to go running or cave and ask for one sooner. I'd like to go with option one since if I left before the pack ran, Marcus would probably take me with the enforcers. Marcus-Again, ugh.
I got out of the shower, draped myself in a towel, and walked to my room to try to relax. Marcus wasn't going to be keeping watch outside the door, I knew. The towel wouldn't matter since he would be occupied with my dad. He would have reprimanded me if he had been present. The moment I was situated in my room and away from prying eyes, they wouldn't dare post anybody at the door.
We stayed in an ancient farmhouse from a bygone period. Although I desired one, there was no way to get one without extensive modification. The plumbing requires different locations for the pipes. I wouldn't be here for very long, so it didn't matter.
When I was wearing my version of pajamas-a tank top and boy shorts-the knock on the door appeared as if on cue. Even though I knew it was my father, I didn't want to see him. I was still too quick to anger.
I kicked open the door in my robe and looked outside. "Yes, Dad. What do you want?" I was polite and asked.
"Let me in, young lady." When he said, "We're going to have a long overdue talk," he wasn't using his Alpha voice. It wasn't a command, just a request, so I didn't have to do what they asked."
"I'm exhausted. This could be done in the morning, right? Marcus has already taught me enough lessons. Put off the second round until the next day. Please?"
He said something that showed he agreed. He wouldn't push it tonight, but I'd pay dearly for it tomorrow. When I shut the door, some of my anger went away.
Whenever I went to see him in the morning, he would always ask me where I was going. I couldn't tell the truth without getting my behind handed to me. But no matter what it was, he would always ask why.
I really wanted to run on my own. The need to let go of all the tension and energy that had been building up was overwhelming. I felt like the walls were closing in on me, which made me feel like I couldn't breathe.
I quickly made myself comfortable in bed and shut out the light. The process of falling asleep took longer than planned. My adrenaline was still being fed by suffocating hatred, which wasn't dissipating quickly enough. There was more than one emotion stirring up the animal inside. Her thirst for domination was concealed, perhaps due to my Luna blood coming into play. Additionally, there was the unsettling sensation. . . desire?
I had only ever read about desire; I had never felt it. The closer I got to finishing my metamorphosis, the more it appeared to change. That was the feeling that caused the greatest worry out of all of these. My wolf and I were both accustomed to being angry and in charge.
If only Mom had been present to help me through this major event in my life, but she wasn't. Even if she was still alive, I had no idea. She would have managed to get back after all these years, no matter what.
Later, my thoughts were cloudy and I slept off. I could only find a little amount of tranquility there. The battle for my independence would have to be recommenced the next day because it was a new day.
Chapter 1 TLD - I
06/03/2023
Chapter 2 TLD - II
06/03/2023
Chapter 3 TLD - III
06/03/2023
Chapter 4 TLD - IV
06/03/2023
Chapter 5 TLD - V
06/03/2023
Chapter 6 TLD - VI
06/03/2023
Chapter 7 TLD - VII
06/03/2023
Chapter 8 TLD - VIII
06/03/2023
Chapter 9 TLD - IX
06/03/2023
Chapter 10 TLD - X
06/03/2023
Chapter 11 TLD - XI
08/03/2023
Chapter 12 TLD XII
08/03/2023
Chapter 13 TLD XIII
08/03/2023
Chapter 14 TLD XIV
08/03/2023
Chapter 15 TLD XV. 1
08/03/2023
Chapter 16 TLD XV. 2
08/03/2023
Chapter 17 TLD XVI
08/03/2023
Chapter 18 TLD XVII
09/03/2023
Chapter 19 TLD XVIII
09/03/2023
Chapter 20 TLD XX
03/04/2023
Chapter 21 TLD XXI
03/04/2023
Chapter 22 TLD XXII
04/04/2023
Chapter 23 TLD XXIII
03/04/2023
Chapter 24 TLD XXIV
03/04/2023
Chapter 25 TLD XXV
03/04/2023
Chapter 26 TLD XXVI
03/04/2023
Chapter 27 TLD XXVII
03/04/2023
Chapter 28 TLD XXVIII
03/04/2023
Chapter 29 TLD XXIX
03/04/2023
Chapter 30 TLD XXX
03/04/2023
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