
The King's Beta
Lavinia Luca · Ongoing · 31.5k Words
Introduction
Can be also read as a standalone
~
Jessica Aelyn Fey is an air-headed and very clumsy wolf...Some say that she even might come off as a little shy...but very few know about her stubborn nature and loud mouth when provoked...
Born and raised into a family of lone wolves, she enjoys her simple and carefree life, so very different from the complicated and harsh one the pack wolves have... But all that changes the moment she discovers that not only is she mated to one, but he also happens to be the Alpha King's Beta...The Royal Commander...
What will happen when she also discovers that pack wolves are not as cruel and merciless as her family painted them to be...but rather...kind and protective, especially with their smaller and weaker mates?
Will she change her mind and give the Royal Beta a chance? Or will she run away?
~
Chapter 1
The sounds of our cutlery occasionally clinking against our plates kept cutting through the deafening silence, echoing so painfully loud into our small and crammy dining room.
I took another piece of the cooked meat and shoved it in my mouth, slowly chewing whilst my gaze rose from my plate and strolled around for the millionth time that night, stealthily peeking at each member of my family.
The twins, auntie Mary and uncle John, my cousins Archie and Leia, and lastly, my parents.
They hadn't uttered a single word all evening. Zero. Nada. Not even my baby sisters, CeeCee and Bryn who were usually so annoyingly vocal.
They could smell them on me again. Of that I was a hundred percent sure. The future king's warriors, Zara and Brie. They've been following me around at school all day, now that they were slowly starting to warm up to us, the future luna's best friends.
They hadn't even met my wolf yet. But for some reason, that didn't seem to bother them at all, the future king's little clique.
They had arrived -or more like returned- to our quiet small town just a few weeks ago when the future king decided that he should meet his betrothed, which happened to be one of my best friends from school, a human girl named Carrie.
He didn't really treat her too nice at first, because she was human and all that, but after he'd found out that she was actually his true soulmate all that changed. He started pursuing her, especially after noticing that his own beta had taken it upon himself to try and woo her instead, almost succeeding on stealing her from right under his nose.
He wasn't such a bad guy actually, our future king. Sure, maybe he liked too much putting up that whole heartless asshole façade but in reality, he wasn't all bad.
I've noticed the way he's been treating his second and third in command and his warriors, even when away from any prying eyes.
He wasn't treating them like they were his subjects but rather his...friends. Which was very odd to me at least, a wolf coming from a family of lone wolves.
I've spent all my childhood listening to my family's dark tales and warnings about the pack wolves' severe rules and cruelty. Especially the royal pack. They were the worst of them all, according to my family's belief.
They were vicious and unforgiving, and they hated our kind with a passion. They considered us useless and weak. A glitch in the Moon Goddess' creation, only deserving of death or mockery.
And yet...Here I was. Here we were. All safe and sound, and having our dinner like every other night.
The future king knew of our clan. Our existence. They all did. Obviously.
He knew what I was. Who my family was and even where we lived. He knew everything about me. About us. And that only made everything all the more confusing.
Well, at least for me since my family was still so hell-bent on believing that it was only a matter of time until he'd come barging through our front door with his clique of savages in tow and destroy our lives, one by one.
I was scared at first too. Hell, I was fucking scared shitless, the day they'd set foot in our school, acting all cold and bitchy as they went straight for my friend's throat. They pounced on her like a pack of hungry hyenas. They were evil and merciless, but she was smarter. And brave. She didn't let any of them mock her or bully her into submission. She fought with everything she had and met them at every cruel word or sneer, showing them that she didn't fear them. Even after finding out what they truly were.
Maybe that's why the Moon Goddess chose her to be our future luna queen, regardless of the fact that she was human.
I lightly smiled to myself at that thought, feeling so honoured to have her as a friend.
She did deserve to be queen. She was kind and protective, exactly like a true mother. She was made for this. Even my wolf seemed to agree, seeing as she was the only one who'd unknowingly made her want to resurface. She was the only one my wolf reacted to nowadays.
She'd buried herself so deep within me, that day when the royal pack arrived to our school, leaving me completely powerless and almost...human. Yeah, that's how much they managed to frighten her.
They scared us so bad that she went into defense mode and hid herself at the very back of my mind and soul, erasing any trace of my wolf scent or traits. She left me practically human, knowing that they wouldn't hurt me or even bother throwing a second glance in my direction for being just that. Human.
Goddess, I miss her so much.
I couldn't stop that small sigh that went past my lips after another swallowed piece of food, unconsciously placing my hand against the middle of my chest as that all-too-familiar hollow sensation returned within me, suddenly making me lose all appetite.
"I'm feeling full. May I be excused?" I didn't wait for ma or pa to answer as I already knew that they wouldn't bother, my chair scraping against the hard-wooden floor as I quickly got up from my seat, not failing to also notice the way their emotionless gazes shifted between my face and that hand plastered against my chest as they watched me move.
"Thank you for this meal, ma. It was delicious," I hurriedly said in my haste to get away from that table, almost missing my ma's toneless reply,
"I didn't cook it. Your cousin Leia did,"
I abruptly stopped mid-stride as if being zapped by a jolt of electricity, blinking a few times from the utter shock. I wasn't even sure if she'd actually talked to me or if it'd all been just in my imagination.
Slowly and hesitantly, I turned back around to face the table, noticing my ma's conflicted expression as she stared at her plate, confusing me even more before I averted my attention to my cousin Leia, meeting her uneasy and timid smile.
"Thank you," I awkwardly said with a mild stutter then turned around and headed straight for my room, still a little shook after whatever that was.
**
Softly humming a calming tune to myself, I absently stared at the ceiling whilst lost within my own mind, waiting to fall asleep.
Various random thoughts about school, my friends and those six royal pack wolves currently residing in our little town kept drifting around in my head, my eyes on the verge of closing as my hand kept soothingly rubbing over that area in the middle of my chest.
I was still feeling it. The hollowness. That empty spot where my wolf was supposed to be, eating at me like a black hole. There were days when I could sometimes sense faint traces of her presence, whenever I was close to my friend Carrie, the future luna. But that usually happened only when there was just the two of us. Which was almost never. Especially now that there was always at least one of Nathan's-the future king's gang members following us around like faithful little puppies.
I could understand why. They were naturally drawn to her. Their future queen. But that didn't stop me from feeling so tired already. So fed up with their presence. I just wanted them gone. Out of our town, out of our lives for good. I wanted my wolf back. I wanted her presence inside of me again. I wanted to shift. I wanted to be able to feel like I did before.
Sadly, I knew that if they did decide to leave they would take her too with them, seeing as she was the future king's destined one.
I knew how important mates were. At least for our kind. I could see it in any mated pair. I knew the tales. The power of this magical blessing bestowed upon us by the Moon Goddess.
I myself sometimes wondered what it would be like; that moment when I'd find my mate. What it would feel like.
Would I instantly fall in love with him or her? Would I feel that maddening attraction? Or would it start slower, making us fall for each other little by little like a human couple?
Either way, I had no way of finding out. At least not right now, as long as my wolf was still absent and I had no way of feeling or smelling our mate without her help.
I was powerless. Helpless, like a frail little human being.
The sound of my bedroom door opening had me snapping one eye open, the light peeking from the hallway outlining Leia's lithe form as she stepped inside, followed by Archie.
She paused upon noticing that hand still pressing against my chest whilst her brother went to rummage through his travelling backpack, fishing out some sleeping clothes before going to my en-suite bathroom to prepare for the night.
They had come to visit us, them and their parents, my auntie Mary and uncle John. And since there was such little space to share in our crammy house my parents decided that it would be only natural for me to share my bedroom with my cousins just like we used to back when we were little since it was the bigger one between the twins' and mine, leaving my uncle and auntie free to occupy the only available guest bedroom in our house.
"How is it? Can you feel her?" She quietly asked, her sweet voice lined with a twinge of hope.
At least she was kind enough to care. That's what I liked about her. Even though my entire family was currently treating me like an outcast, she refused to do the same.
Mustering up a small and lifeless smile, I lightly shook my head in response.
"I'm so sorry, Jess," She came closer to the bed and sat next to me, gently placing a comforting hand on my arm.
I only looked up at her, the sound of the bathroom door being flung open swiftly putting an end to that moment as she averted her attention to her brother, giving him a casual look before she got up and went to retrieve her pyjamas, taking her turn to use the bathroom.
Archie's foldable bed let out a loud creak as his massive weight dipped in it, hearing him shuffle and then sigh before mumbling a quiet "goodnight".
"Goodnight," My weak response was barely audible, keeping my gaze trained to the ceiling as my mind was still revolving around thoughts about my wolf.
I just wished she would stop feeling so scared and come back to me. I needed a fighting chance. We needed to let them meet us. Maybe if she did allow herself to feel them and let them feel her too in return then she would stop hiding.
It would be so much easier, for all of us.
I heard them bathroom door being pulled open once again, followed by Leia's soft steps over the carpeted floor.
The side of my bed dipped as she climbed in it and laid herself down next to me, noticing her face in my peripheral vision as she placed her head on her arm and looked at me.
"I wish we could help you somehow," She quietly whispered, making me close my eyes.
Yeah, I kinda wish that too.
"I've tried reaching out for a few times now but she wouldn't let me. It's like she created this impenetrable wall around her,"
She definitely did. Even I can't feel her anymore.
"We can't even smell her anymore. Not even the faintest trace,"
"I know. I-"
"Would you two shut up already? I'm trying to sleep here," Archie's grumbling tone suddenly interrupted us, making me roll my eyes in annoyance.
"More like trying to make yourself a cocoon out of those poor sheets. I can hear you-" I paused to raise myself into a sitting position and throw a pillow at him,
"tossing and turning like a damn squirming worm in that stupid creaky bed from all the way here," I finished, watching him throw me a murderous look back, mere moments before the pillow war started.
Last Chapters
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On Christmas Eve, I aborted the CEO's child
On Christmas Eve night, my husband brought his mistress home and demanded that I, his pregnant wife, leave with nothing.
On this day, I lost my husband and also lost the child in my womb...
I Loved You in Silence, You Betrayed Me in French
At my birthday party, my husband whispered to his mistress in French that he missed her. His voice was low, but I heard it all—the black lingerie, the bit about how pregnancy makes you more sensitive. His French clients around us were laughing. He turned and put his arm around me, claiming he was just helping his clients come up with sweet nothings.
He doesn't know I understand every single word. Just like he doesn't know that inside my body, I'm carrying his other surprise. And his mistress—she's pregnant too. Two wombs, one secret.
Confrontation would be too cheap. Tears are worthless. I quietly started cataloging the hidden networks my father left behind, activating the Swiss accounts.
In seven days, Zoey Smith will cease to exist. And what will my husband's reaction be?
When I Disappeared, He Regretted It
The moment the screen lit up, my entire world came crashing down.
The woman on the bed was Calista - that girl who grew up with us since we were kids. And that hand caressing her skin was wearing the wedding ring I had personally put on Matteo's finger.
"I've missed you so much..."
"You drive me crazy, baby..."
Those sweet words I knew so well completely destroyed me.
Everyone said we were the perfect couple, but who knew this marriage was built on nothing but lies?
Since he's so good at acting, I guess it's time I gave him a show of my own. I'm going to make sure everyone sees what this "perfect husband" really is...
He Never Loved Me, Until I Left
I put away the divorce agreement with a wry smile.
When he and my son completely disappeared, he finally panicked.
Three months later .
He knelt down on the streets of Chicago in despair, begging me to remarry him.
My six-year-old son looked coldly at his biological father and said, "Get lost, you bad uncle! You don't deserve to be my dad!"
The Family Sacrifice
I simply said one word: "Okay."
My parents and Gilbert were stunned. They rushed to have me sign the voluntary donation form, afraid I’d change my mind.
Some days later, they sent me to the operating room.
Dad said, "Yvonne will finally be saved. We're so proud of you."
Mom said, "After the surgery, we'll make it up to you."
Gilbert looked tenderly at Yvonne and said, "When you're better, where should we travel?"
What they didn't know was that the day I agreed, I'd just received my diagnosis, stage four cancer. Three months to live.
As I lay on the cold operating table, as the anesthesia began to take effect, I only wanted to know one thing:
If I die on this operating table, will they regret it?
He Thought I'd Never Leave
When he said he was being bullied, I believed him. When he kissed me on that rooftop, I thought he felt the same. When he asked me to transfer schools with him, I said yes without hesitation.
Then I heard him bragging to his friends: "She'd save her first time for me. Hell, she'd still be thinking of me on her wedding night."
The bullying was staged. The kiss meant nothing. He just wanted me gone—so his new girl could feel more comfortable.
He thought I'd beg. He thought I'd cry. He thought I'd never actually leave.
I left the country.
And ran straight into his stepbrother.
I Died While They Threw Her a Party
Their real daughter came home. She'd only been back two years. That's all it took to erase twenty-four.
When kidnappers grabbed us, I used my body as a shield. They beat me until something inside me ruptured. I was dying from internal bleeding, but no one could tell.
My parents wouldn't even look at me. "This is your fault! None of this would've happened if it weren't for you!"
"Get downstairs and apologize to your sister. If you can't, pack your things and get out."
They threw her a party at a downtown hotel while I died alone in my room.
I thought they'd be relieved. Maybe even glad. I thought they'd just move on like I never existed.
But when they finally learned the truth, they fell apart.
Bury Me in His Regret
The kidnapper pressed the gun to my temple and asked, "Choose your wife or your sister-in-law?"
Zachary didn't hesitate. "Let Valerie go," he said.
He actually chose to save his sister-in-law! In that moment, even the baby in my belly seemed to stop kicking.
Later, they locked me in the basement. Drugs to delay labor were pumped into my veins over and over. Zachary wanted to save the "firstborn son" status for his sister-in-law's child.
When warm blood finally soaked through my skirt, I dialed the number I knew by heart with shaking hands.
"Zachary," I whispered into the phone, "our child... can't wait any longer."
The Kidney That Killed Me
A few months ago, my sister was hospitalized with kidney failure. The doctor said she needed a transplant. My family's first thought was me—the backup daughter they'd kept around all these years.
When my husband Allen took my hand with tears in his eyes and said, "Only you can save her," I agreed without hesitation.
When the doctor explained the surgical risks and potential complications, I smiled and nodded my understanding.
My parents said I'd finally learned what sisterly love meant.
Even Allen, who'd always been cold to me, held my hand gently and said, "The surgery's safe. You're so healthy, nothing will go wrong. When you recover, I'll take you to Hawaii."
But they don't know that no matter how the surgery goes, I won't be around to celebrate.
Because I just got my own test results—I have terminal brain cancer. I'm going to die anyway.
After the Affair: Falling into a Billionaire's Arms
From first crush to wedding vows, George Capulet and I had been inseparable. But in our seventh year of marriage, he began an affair with his secretary.
On my birthday, he took her on vacation. On our anniversary, he brought her to our home and made love to her in our bed...
Heartbroken, I tricked him into signing divorce papers.
George remained unconcerned, convinced I would never leave him.
His deceptions continued until the day the divorce was finalized. I threw the papers in his face: "George Capulet, from this moment on, get out of my life!"
Only then did panic flood his eyes as he begged me to stay.
When his calls bombarded my phone later that night, it wasn't me who answered, but my new boyfriend Julian.
"Don't you know," Julian chuckled into the receiver, "that a proper ex-boyfriend should be as quiet as the dead?"
George seethed through gritted teeth: "Put her on the phone!"
"I'm afraid that's impossible."
Julian dropped a gentle kiss on my sleeping form nestled against him. "She's exhausted. She just fell asleep."
Alpha Nicholas's Little Mate
What? No—wait… oh Moon Goddess, no.
Please tell me you're joking, Lex.
But she's not. I can feel her excitement bubbling under my skin, while all I feel is dread.
We turn the corner, and the scent hits me like a punch to the chest—cinnamon and something impossibly warm. My eyes scan the room until they land on him. Tall. Commanding. Beautiful.
And then, just as quickly… he sees me.
His expression twists.
"Fuck no."
He turns—and runs.
My mate sees me and runs.
Bonnie has spent her entire life being broken down and abused by the people closest to her including her very own twin sister. Alongside her best friend Lilly who also lives a life of hell, they plan to run away while attending the biggest ball of the year while it's being hosted by another pack, only things don't quite go to plan leaving both girls feeling lost and unsure about their futures.
Alpha Nicholas is 28, mateless, and has no plans to change that. It's his turn to host the annual Blue Moon Ball this year and the last thing he expects is to find his mate. What he expects even less is for his mate to be 10 years younger than him and how his body reacts to her. While he tries to refuse to acknowledge that he has met his mate his world is turned upside down after guards catch two she-wolves running through his lands.
Once they are brought to him he finds himself once again facing his mate and discovers that she's hiding secrets that will make him want to kill more than one person.
Can he overcome his feelings towards having a mate and one that is so much younger than him? Will his mate want him after already feeling the sting of his unofficial rejection? Can they both work on letting go of the past and moving forward together or will fate have different plans and keep them apart?
Shattered Girl
“I’m sorry, sweetheart. Was that too much?” I could see the worry in his eyes as I took a deep breath.
“I just didn’t want you to see all my scars,” I whispered, feeling ashamed of my marked body.
Emmy Nichols is used to surviving. She survived her abusive father for years until he beat her so severely, she ended up in the hospital, and her father was finally arrested. Now, Emmy is thrown into a life she never expected. Now she has a mother
who doesn't want her, a politically motivated stepfather with ties to the Irish mob, four older stepbrothers, and their best friend who swear to love and protect her. Then, one night, everything shatters, and Emmy feels her only option is to run.
When her stepbrothers and their best friend finally find her, will they pick up the pieces and convince Emmy that they will keep her safe and their love will hold them together?












