1. Coming home for the Turning
Loretta's POV
I’ve loved him since the day he rescued me from getting harassed by rogues at the borders.
He was my first love. My hero.
And now, after six long years away, I’m finally coming home to him.
Finally, I get to have another chance, even if I’ve kept my love a secret all this time.
“Why didn’t he send someone? I’m so mad at Dad right now!” Scarlet, my best friend, knocked aggressively on the door for the second time.
“Maybe he was busy. He’s the Alpha of this pack, after all,” I tried to reason with her, but it only pissed her off more.
“So what? I’m his one and only daughter. Shouldn’t he be excited to see me again after all these years?” she pouted just as we heard footsteps approaching inside the house.
“I’m sorry, Scarlet, I was pretty caught up with preparations for the Turning,” that voice said.
That voice.
I swallowed hard as the timbre of it, deep, rich, unbothered
, grew louder with each padded step he took. My heart thudded in sync with it.
“Tsk,” Scarlet scoffed beside me, but the sound felt distant… so distant compared to the chaos running through my head.
Alpha Demitri’s voice.
I haven’t heard it in years.
But I’ve fantasized about how it would sound doing things to me—
how it would shake when he brought me to my climax.
The door clicked open.
My breath caught.
My wolf inhaled sharply too, stirring with anticipation and excitement.
“Finally,” she purred in my head as I stared at the widening crack of the doorway.
Wet feet.
Veiny, strong-looking toes.
My eyes trailed upward. Water slid down his skin, threading through the dark hair on his legs.
Then the white towel wrapped around his waist came into view.
“Took you so long, Dad. I’m going to say it,I’m disappointed in you!” Scarlet stormed inside, leaving just me and the man of my dreams at the door.
He cleared his throat, snapping me out of my trance.
My hand flew to my hair instantly, twirling a strand to cut off my thoughts.
One, two...release.
Even then, I couldn’t bring myself to look straight at him.
I told myself it was because he was the Alpha and you’re not supposed to look the Alpha in the eyes, but I knew better.
I knew, my wolf knew, that we were terrified of what we’d say or do after being starved for so long.
Those lips…
They had fueled every imagination and wet dream I’d had.
It took the weight of my friendship with Scarlet not to lean forward and put mine on his immediately.
“I’m sorry about Scarlet. She just wished you’d come around because she missed you so much,” I murmured, twirling my hair again. One… two… release.
“Speak for yourself,” Lora, my wolf, whispered.
“It’s okay. I understand my daughter more than anyone. And I missed her too. My feisty little princess.”
He turned and walked inside, voice full of pride.
“Scarlett, dear,” he called.
I dragged our boxes inside.
If you’re wondering why I’m doing this, the answer is simple: I’m Scarlet’s personal maid.
As an omega, it’s the fate I’ve been forced to live with all my life, serving Betas, Alphas, and everyone above me.
Not falling in love with the Alpha of the pack.
Yet here I was, heart pounding like a trapped animal as I rolled our luggage into the Alpha’s private home.
The Alpha lived out here with his family without excess maids or guards like in the palace.
Still, Scarlet couldn’t prepare breakfast to save her life.
A fate I would have hated… if it didn’t come with getting to see Alpha Demitri half-naked.
“Dad, eww. Go get dressed. I don’t want to see your old body.”
But I did.
I wanted to see all of it.
I raised my head, catching a view of his sculpted back, muscles and old battle scars shifting under his skin.
The sight alone turned me on.
“You’re leaking,” my wolf muttered.
I nearly tripped dragging the boxes down the hallway. But just as I rounded a corner, I dared one more look back — right when Scarlet walked out on her dad.
And our eyes met.
I gulped and quickened my steps. He must have perceived my scent.
Would he think I was a w***e?
Would he send me away for not being able to control myself?
I prayed silently to the moon goddess as I reached the room door… and bumped into it when it didn’t budge.
It was locked.
“Scarlet…” I called softly. She hated when her name was yelled.
“What do you want now?” she lifted her eyes from her phone with a raised brow.
“The doors are locked. I was wondering if I could get the key to put our things away.”
“Of course it’s locked, Loretta!” she rolled her eyes.
“I just said that,” I muttered under my breath, tugging the hem of my shirt.
“I heard that. Anyway, go ask my dad or something. I lost the one I took to school.”
Great.
A few minutes later, I was standing in front of the master’s bedroom.
His room was just down the hallway, but it took me forever to get here because I dreaded being alone with him…
My knuckles tapped the door twice.
“Come in,” he said over a low groan.
I turned the knob and stepped inside, keeping my eyes glued to the floor while my senses drowned in his scent.
“Of course it smells like him. It’s the Alpha’s room,” Lora said with an eye roll.
“What do you need?” he asked.
I picked at my fingertip nervously. “Hmm… I”
The door locked behind me.
And suddenly my entire consciousness narrowed down to one truth:
I’m alone with the man of my dreams.
“You’re always doing that,” he said, stepping closer until his aura wrapped around me like heat. “Am I so scary to talk to?”
“No.”
I shook my head quickly.
I wasn’t scared of him.
Just scared of what I’d let him do to me.
“Look in my eyes, Loretta."