Caged Between the beta and alpha
Chapter 1
LIAM
Another blood moon , another mating ball , another goddamn reminder that I had a mate , yet she wasn’t mine . How the hell d o you come to terms with that ? . Dad was adamant that I come to this mating ball as we were off from the Alpha training regime for a week . No one really knew that I had found my mate already and I intended to keep it that way . What kind of Alpha has to share his mate ? What Alpha would accept that ? I couldn’t .
That night was still raw in my mind , I won’t ever forget that both Damon and I wished each other luck before stepping into the hall , hoping that we would find our mate . The Blood Moon occured twice a year and i I was only on this night where one could find their mate if they were at age . I stillremember walking in , seeking out the woman I had loved for years . Praying that she was my mate and she was . My heart raced when I had laid eyes on her , in that sexy black dress , only for my best friend to also claim her as his .
‘ Mate . ‘ We had both said in unison , I couldn’t handle it so I had turned and left . I sucked in a sharp breath , glaring at the glittering lights , unable to ignore the smell of expensive fragrances , wine and food hung in the air , laced with a hint of sex and sweat . It all made me sick . I didn’t want to be here
; I wasn’t meant to be here . It just brought back the painful memories of that night . I downed my twentieth – odd glass of vodka . It wasn’t enough , I needed something stronger . Fuck this . I had shown my face , I wasn’t going to stick around any longer .
I pushed through the crowds , not caring for anyone here . Right now I felt like I was in a place I didn’t belong . I grabbed a glass of wine from a passing waiter , feeling detached .
The flashbacks of that night and the familiar pain in my chest returned with renewed vengeance . I hated the entire fucked up situation . Overnight , I lost the woman I loved and my best friend . Wallowing in self – pity wasn’t going to change shit though . It was what it was , I made this decision . I felt relieved when I stepped out into the bitter cold .
I walked over , grabbing two of the bottles o f alcohol from their stash . ” Give me a couple . ” I said . They looked surprised at that . ” Umm you sure ? You will get super … ” He trailed off the moment my eyes flashed a dark magnetic blue and he quickly took the packet out of his pocket .
I could sense their fear and nervousness , but right now I didn’t care what they were up to , I just needed a fucking break from m y own head . ” One or Two ? ” The teen asked . ” Make it three . ” ” They exchanged looks , and I held my glass out . He dropped three in , I turned and walked off , watching the pills fizz in my glass .
Taking a deep breath , I knocked i t down in one go , enjoying the exhilarating rush that travelled through m e as I tossed my glass to the ground . The sound of it shattering was pleasant in my ears . I bit the cap off one of the cheap bottles of beer and downed it , not caring that half of it splashed all over me . Memories of long ago seeped into my mind like a poison spreading through every vein in my body , unable to shut them out .
‘ Mates … You’re my mate … Liam … Please man don’t do this …. Don’t hurt her … Give her a chance … Liam the moon goddess paired you three for a reason … Don’t tell me what I should or shouldn’t do ! … Liam please … ‘ My eyes blazed and I threw the bottles to the ground . Shards of glass hit my face but it didn’t bother me . My chest was heaving with anger .
Unable to ignore the voices in my head I frowned , walking without aim towards the woods , the voices only getting louder in my mind . any No , it wasn’t my fault , I gave her a chance … That night , after talking to Kia , I thought I’d give it one shot … One fucking shot to talk to her … Because in the end , I’d fucking loved her since I first started noticing the opposite sex .
But I couldn’t get through the mind link , I thought she might have fallen asleep , so I left her three messages … I confessed my love for her . She was all I fucking wanted . Was it that fucking much to ask for ? Those three messages had been read , but she didn’t bother replying , so what was the point ? Clearly , I wasn’t fucking enough . My vision swayed as the drugs took effect , it felt good .
The pain in my chest had eased and I felt like I was floating . Wouldn’t it be ideal to stay like this forever ? Was that the sound of water ? I kept walking , the floor becoming uneven , the rain began pouring down faster and my tux was fully drenched . I took my jacket off , staring up at the sky as rain poured down on me . Where was my reprieve ? That was when I saw her , sitting against a tree staring up at the moon that was masked .
My heartbeat like a thousand drums , my head ringing and the distant vague thought of whether this was real or not crept into my mind . Tears streamed down her cheeks as she gulped down some beer . Her black and pink bob looked longer , and she looked even smaller than I remembered , her hand shaking as she tossed the empty bottle aside and grabbed another .
Raven . Was this real ? Was she really here ? That didn’t make sense … This pack was at least a thirty – minute run from The Dark River Pack wasn’t it ? It’s a dream … A perfect hallucination . I stepped closer ; her delicious scent hit m y nose , only adding to the high that I felt . She suddenly froze , staring up at me , looking shocked before she clambered to her feet . ” Raven ? ” I whispered .
Was it really her or had I imagined her up ? She looked even more beautiful than I remembered … There was something in those unique coloured eyes of hers . Something that called me to her . I closed the gap between us . Was that her heart thudding wildly ? She opened her mouth to speak , and I felt the fear knot in the pit of my stomach .