icon 0
icon TOP UP
rightIcon
icon Reading History
rightIcon
icon Log out
rightIcon
icon Get the APP
rightIcon

The Broken Alpha

Chapter 5 FIVE | GARNET

Word Count: 2357    |    Released on: 19/04/2021

i

spilling across the wooden floor. She rolled over, slinging an arm acr

sighed as she pulled herself upright. The other wolves all longed for this day – but not Lily. A scow

Before, she'd had no qualms about celebrating her birthday. But that had been when her mother was there to celebrate it with her. This birthda

w, and a photo frame that had lain facedown for three years. She didn't have the heart to put it away, but seeing her mother's blue eyes – like the sun-warmed ocean – an

ut what else this particular

fell on a Saturday this year or not: she wouldn't have to go to the pack school, which was a relief, but it meant that she'd have to spend the day with her

. And, despite their differences, they were all t

at her bedroom door. Lily groane

mbled, just loud en

can I c

dark blonde hair behind her ears, trying to brush through the tangles with her fingers before he could get a good look at her.

ced a tray between his hands, upon which was a small cake topped with what Lily

ort he'd put into her birthday breakfast – the cake looked freshly baked,

ttle. "Not our most adventurous year yet, but – I thought traditional

r. For the last few years, there had been someone missing. Lily stared down at her duvet, the bed suddenly feeling emptier

nt to blow out the c

to her parted lips, and she blew as hard as she could.

ter. She hadn

remain so long as neither of them spoke their minds. Lily knew that her dad missed the way she had been before, bright and bold, often snarky and curious but ne

mile. Today was hard for them both, and she didn't want to make it a

remember a time when such things had truly excited her, and s

ent. She turned it around in her hands, and held it up to her ear and shook it. He

ing it a delicate sni

better just o

ever been great at gift-giving; it had always been her mother who had taken charge of birthdays and celebrations. To reveal

d stared wide-eyed at the small gift. In her palm sat a small, golden ring, which curved up into a point to fit a tiny, round red crysta

. She recognised this ring, and had

shuffling closer to her on the bed. "I thought it would mean

her tears. She smiled at her dad through

, for a moment, their truce seemed unnecessary. "She would

er mother proud, in all the ways that counted. Like the burning stone adorning her index finger, she would allow her

gardens bordering the pack house. It wasn't somewhere she went often – there were too many prying eyes, too many wolves trying to encourage

oing for a walk. He didn't ask why or where; he simply smiled, with those odd

anyone. She knew the stone was a garnet from when it had been her mother's. A

vegetable garden. She kept her gaze down, wary of the Omegas tending to the crops. Though she ranked above them, some of them t

dmit to anyone ho

azy mornings spent sleeping in. Lily couldn't shake the nightmares away long enough for her to enjoy the feel of her bedding wrapped around her.

yanking her down towards the uppermost corner of the training fields, and then abruptly

s exterior. Stone gargoyles sneered down at her, though someone with a sense of humour – likely Nearyn, the Mother Luna – had to

she ducked under a wide bough of sunflowers, following a curling pathway towards the centre o

cing it in their wicker baskets. Some – like Rose, Nearyn, and Lily's mot

pinks and whites and pale oranges, speckling the barren branches with colour. L

of a smile lit his lips, and the tilt of his head enhanced the already hard line of his jaw. Lil

ed, his throat bobbing with something that Lily thought might be excitement. She didn't dar

feel beyond it as it swelled, a crashing wa

He ran a hand through his hair, pushing the honey-brown tresses back. It slip

ng the fist that sat atop

ht, and framed with thick, dark lashes. He was summer incarnate, brimming with the vivacious life of natu

," he said, his voice suddenly roug

– the hand adorned with her mother's ring – atop her che

at her, the colour slowl

ve, terrified to stay. "It feels... nice," she murmu

d again, and bit down

– feel him through the tug, the... bond, and she could feel the shudde

voice broke, her heart with

her hand clutching at the empty

with nothing more than the disdain one might show an irksome gnat. He swallowed – the only trace

t you as

Claim Your Bonus at the APP

Open
1 Chapter 1 ONE | ENTWINED2 Chapter 2 TWO | THE BLOOD MOON PACK3 Chapter 3 THREE | MOONSPELL4 Chapter 4 FOUR | SPRING5 Chapter 5 FIVE | GARNET6 Chapter 6 SIX | THORNS AND ROSES7 Chapter 7 SEVEN | SHATTERED8 Chapter 8 EIGHT | HAZE9 Chapter 9 NINE | ASCENDING10 Chapter 10 TEN | HONOUR11 Chapter 11 ELEVEN | WOLF TO WOLF12 Chapter 12 TWELVE | WOODLAND13 Chapter 13 THIRTEEN | DEATH'S IVY14 Chapter 14 FOURTEEN | STONEHEART15 Chapter 15 FIFTEEN | BATTLE OF BARREN BRIDGE16 Chapter 16 SIXTEEN | OAKHAME17 Chapter 17 SEVENTEEN | ELDDA18 Chapter 18 EIGHTEEN | A CURSE AND A KING19 Chapter 19 NINETEEN | DAWN20 Chapter 20 TWENTY | SCARRED21 Chapter 21 TWENTY-ONE | EMBERS22 Chapter 22 TWENTY-TWO | ENTRA23 Chapter 23 TWENTY-THREE | DREAMSCAPE24 Chapter 24 TWENTY-FOUR | MASTER OF HERBS25 Chapter 25 TWENTY-FIVE | NIGHTFALL26 Chapter 26 TWENTY-SIX | PHOENIX27 Chapter 27 TWENTY-SEVEN | FAELEN28 Chapter 28 TWENTY-EIGHT | HOME29 Chapter 29 TWENTY-NINE | HONEY30 Chapter 30 THIRTY | NIGHT-BLOOMING WHITEDRIFT31 Chapter 31 THIRTY-ONE | CURSED32 Chapter 32 THIRTY-TWO | YOURS33 Chapter 33 THIRTY-THREE | LOST34 Chapter 34 THIRTY-FOUR | SUNSET35 Chapter 35 THIRTY-FIVE | STARS36 Chapter 36 THIRTY-SIX | TO DREAM37 Chapter 37 THIRTY-SEVEN | THE SEA PINE PACK38 Chapter 38 THIRTY-EIGHT | WOODSMOKE39 Chapter 39 THIRTY-NINE | SHIFTING TIDES40 Chapter 40 FORTY | EARTH AND BLOOD41 Chapter 41 FORTY-ONE | SALVATION42 Chapter 42 FORTY-TWO | CHAINED43 Chapter 43 FORTY-THREE | FULL MOON44 Chapter 44 FORTY-FOUR | WILD RAVINE45 Chapter 45 FORTY-FIVE | RABBIT46 Chapter 46 FORTY-SIX | SUMMER47 Chapter 47 FORTY-SEVEN | FIRESIDE48 Chapter 48 FORTY-EIGHT | HIDDEN49 Chapter 49 FORTY-NINE | ICARUS50 Chapter 50 FIFTY | LUNA51 Chapter 51 FIFTY-ONE | ASH52 Chapter 52 FIFTY-TWO | DAUGHTER OF SUNLIGHT53 Chapter 53 FIFTY-THREE | RIVERBANK54 Chapter 54 FIFTY-FOUR | SPELLBOUND55 Chapter 55 FIFTY-FIVE | OATH56 Chapter 56 FIFTY-SIX | THE RED RIPPER PACK57 Chapter 57 FIFTY-SEVEN | BEWITCHED58 Chapter 58 FIFTY-EIGHT | WARRIOR WOLVES59 Chapter 59 FIFTY-NINE | SCOUT60 Chapter 60 SIXTY | BROKEN AND BETRAYED61 Chapter 61 SIXTY-ONE | DAMSEL62 Chapter 62 SIXTY-TWO | VOICES63 Chapter 63 SIXTY-THREE | AN UNEASY ALLIANCE64 Chapter 64 SIXTY-FOUR | ARMOUR65 Chapter 65 SIXTY-FIVE | VEILED INTENT66 Chapter 66 SIXTY-SIX | THE WITCH'S CURSE67 Chapter 67 SIXTY-SEVEN | HEART LINES68 Chapter 68 SIXTY-EIGHT | DEAD FLOWERS69 Chapter 69 SIXTY-NINE | CALLED BY THE SWORD70 Chapter 70 SEVENTY | MOONLIGHT AND FIRE71 Chapter 71 SEVENTY-ONE | A PROMISE KEPT72 Chapter 72 SEVENTY-TWO | TORN73 Chapter 73 SEVENTY-THREE | HIS HOLLOW VICTORY74 Chapter 74 SEVENTY-FOUR | HAWK75 Chapter 75 SEVENTY-FIVE | BEST LAID PLANS76 Chapter 76 SEVENTY-SIX | HARVEST MOON77 Chapter 77 SEVENTY-SEVEN | MABBEN78 Chapter 78 SEVENTY-EIGHT | REUNITED79 Chapter 79 SEVENTY-NINE | COMPASS80 Chapter 80 EIGHTY | BONFIRE81 Chapter 81 EIGHTY-ONE | DARK MAGICK82 Chapter 82 EIGHTY-TWO | TWILIGHT83 Chapter 83 EIGHTY-THREE | CROOKED84 Chapter 84 EIGHTY-FOUR | UNDERWATER85 Chapter 85 EIGHTY-FIVE | HALF MAN, HALF WOLF86 Chapter 86 EIGHTY-SIX | A WRITHING SEA87 Chapter 87 EIGHTY-SEVEN | OAK AND IVY88 Chapter 88 EIGHTY-EIGHT | THE LENGATHUL89 Chapter 89 EIGHTY-NINE | A FATE DIVIDED90 Chapter 90 NINETY | CLAIMED91 Chapter 91 NINETY-ONE | DAFFODIL92 Chapter 92 NINETY-TWO | NOCTURNAL93 Chapter 93 NINETY-THREE | PARCHMENT94 Chapter 94 NINETY-FOUR | MIDNIGHT AT NOON95 Chapter 95 NINETY-FIVE | RUN96 Chapter 96 NINETY-SIX | MOTIVATION97 Chapter 97 NINETY-SEVEN | ENSNARED