Page 1 of Caged Between the Beta & Alpha
Prologue
Liam
TWO YEARS AGO…
Another Blood Moon, another mating ball, another goddamn reminder that I had a mate, yet she wasn’t mine. How the hell do 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 had to share his mate? What alpha would accept that? I couldn’t.
That night was still raw in my mind. I wouldn’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 occurred twice a year, and it was only on that night that one could find their mate if they were of age. I still remember 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 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 that 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 the decision.
I felt relieved when I stepped out into the bitter cold. It was raining, and the moon was hidden behind a layer of thick clouds. Sounds of snickering and swearing made me glance up to see a group of young werewolves gathered in the corner, popping some pills. They tensed when they saw me. I knew they knew who I was.
“H-hey, Alpha…” one of them muttered, shoving something into his back pocket. I walked over, grabbing two of the bottles of 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 I didn’t care what they were up to. I just needed a fucking break from my 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 it down in one go, enjoying the exhilarating rush that travelled through me 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 any aim towards the woods, the voices only getting louder in my mind.
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 threemessages… 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 heart beat 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.
