Alpha's Atonement

Chapter 4 Returning Home

Chapter 4: Returning home

Natalie’s POV

My head was spinning as I stepped into the house. My mom, Heather, was tugging a hoodie over my ten-year-old brother, Roan. He had never been to the North. To him, the Wolverine Kingdom was just a bedtime story we told.

My father, Samuel, walked in, wearing his scrubs for his night shift at the hospital. He stopped when he saw me. "Honey, why do you look so pale?"

The worried look on their faces broke me. Fighting back tears, I tell them everything that transpired. “Mom... the Alpha’s guards are outside. They’re taking us back to the Wolverine Kingdom. We have to pack. Now.”

The air left the room. My parents exchanged a look of utter dismay—the look of people whose decade-long nightmare had finally come true.

“We can’t run anymore,” I whispered ,“But... Alpha Nicholas assured me that no one will lay a finger on us. He gave me his word.”

“What’s a Wolverine?” Roan asked, his voice small and confused, but my parents didn't have time to comfort him. They just started moving, grabbing bags and shoving our lives into suitcases.

I rushed to my room. My hands shook as I typed a frantic email to the college admissions office, canceling my enrollment. Then, I called the Patty Shack.

“Amber? I can’t come in. I’m moving away with my family. It’s an emergency.”

“What? Natalie, wait, where are you—”

“ I will call you everyday Amber, I promise”.

I hung up. Exactly two hours later, the front door opened. Nicholas’s men didn't knock; they just walked in and began hauling our bags away with military precision.

We were ushered into the fleet of SUVs. I ended up in a car with the man from the hotel.

“Hi, I’m Marcus,” he said, his voice surprisingly kind for a man who looked like he could snap a tree in half. “I’m the Beta.”

I just nodded, watching my apartment building disappear through the tinted glass. My life as a human was over.

When we reached the tarmac, a private jet waited, glowing under the airfield lights. It was astonishingly lavish—a flying palace of leather and chrome. As I climbed the stairs, the cold wind whipped my hair across my face. I looked back at the city lights one last time.

Nicholas was already inside, standing in the center of the lavish cabin like he owned the very air we breathed.

“Hi. I’m Alpha Nicholas.” He extended his hand to my father. He seemed kind, yet there was a deadly stillness to him that warned you not to mistake his politeness for weakness. My father, completely flustered and pale, shook his hand with trembling fingers. “Alpha... it’s an honor to meet you,” my father stammered. “Are you... are you taking us back to the North?” Nicholas offered a small, reassuring smile. “Yes. You are family. And in the Wolverine Kingdom, we don't leave family behind. Please, have a seat.” My parents and Roan huddled together on the far side of the jet, looking like refugees who had stumbled into a palace. I slumped onto a small leather couch near the buffet, my mind a mess of contradictions. I couldn't stop looking at him, trying to solve the puzzle of what he was actually thinking. Was this a rescue, or a high-end kidnapping?

“Are you sure the King and Queen won't punish us?” I asked, my voice barely above the hum of the jet's engines. Nicholas leaned forward, resting his hands on the back of my seat and bringing his face so close I could feel his breath.The scent of winter pine and musk wrapped around me again, making my heartbeat accelerate until it was a frantic rhythm in my ears.

“You have no choice but to trust me, Natalie,” he said, his voice a low, dark vibration.

The hum of the jet and the overwhelming stress of the day finally took their toll. I fell into a slumber even before the plane reached cruising altitude.

When I opened my eyes, the cabin was dim, illuminated only by the soft glow of the floor lights. I felt a weight on my shoulder. I turned my head slightly to find a thick blanket draped over me—it smelled faintly of winter pine and expensive cologne. I sat up, rubbing my eyes, and looked out the oval window. My breath hitched.

Gone were the neon lights and gray concrete of the city. Below us lay a world of jagged, white peaks and endless forests of silver-dusted pines. The moon was massive here, hanging low over the mountains like a watchful eye. In the valley below, a sprawling estate carved from stone and timber glowed with amber light.

The Wolverine Kingdom.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" I jumped, turning to see Nicholas sitting across from me. He hadn't slept. He looked perfectly composed, a glass of dark liquid in his hand, watching me with an intensity that made my skin tingle.

Marcus walked up beside me, leaning against the seat with a playful glint in his eyes. “So, Natalie... do you remember how to curtsy? Or should I show you?”

He chuckled, but I could tell he was trying to ease my nerves. I forced a smile. “I’ll follow your lead, Marcus. You seem like you’ve had plenty of practice.”

“We are landing,” Nicholas said, his towering figure standing while wearing his coat.

When the doors opened, the cold hit me like a physical blow. It wasn't just the temperature; it was the spirit of the North. The air was crisp and thin, carrying the faint, haunting melody of mountain women singing folk songs in the distance, a melody from my childhood that I thought I’d forgotten. For the first time in years, I felt a sharp, painful ache of nostalgia.

Nicholas stepped onto the tarmac, his eyes scanning the horizon before turning to his Beta.

“Marcus, take the family to one of the pack houses. Make sure they are comfortable and guarded,” Nicholas ordered, then his gaze shifted to me, his sapphire eyes unreadable. “I will speak to the King and Queen first.”

Nicholas POV

I marched onto the palace grounds, Alfred and the guard trailing behind me. My body should have been heavy with exhaustion, but the last few hours with Natalie had left me wired. Watching her sleep during the flight was soothing and overwhelming at the same time. Novartis hadn't let me rest for a second. My wolf was pacing in my mind, his excitement a low, constant vibration in my chest.

I pushed open the heavy iron-reinforced doors of the palace and headed straight for the royal library. It was a massive, circular room smelling of old parchment and woodsmoke. My mother, Althea, looked up from her chair, a warm smile spreading across her face. She stood and pulled me into an embrace.

My father, Antoni, didn’t look up immediately. His nose was buried deep in an ancient ledger. "So, I heard you brought back the rogue Castellanos family and signed the deal with the President," he said, his voice deep and resonant. "Two birds with one visit. Perhaps you should step out into the human world more often, Nicholas."

"I’m effective when I want to be," I replied, my voice steady.

I took a breath, bracing myself , "I found my mate," I said, the words echoing against the high stone ceiling. "She is the Castellanos’ daughter."

My father finally looked up, his sharp eyes cutting through me.

"They ran away because they found out she would never phase," I continued, my jaw tight. "She is nineteen. She has no wolf."

I waited for the explosion. My father closed the book slowly, his expression unreadable. "It is our ancient law that we never hurt a mate," he said sternly, his voice surprisingly calm. "To do so is a cruelty the Moon Goddess would not forgive. However, her parents still broke the law of the North by fleeing."

He stood up, walking toward the fireplace. "Perhaps we can lighten the punishment for her parents given the circumstances. But the pack will expect justice for the desertion. Tell me, son... what have you decided to do with them?"

"The pack needs to see that desertion has consequences," I said, my voice firm. "But they also need to see that their future Queen’s family is protected. I suggest we place them in the low-tier service for six months. They will work in the communal kitchens and the infirmary. It’s a public penance, but they will be safe, fed, and under my direct supervision."

My father tilted his head, considering it. A low-tier rank was a blow to their pride, but a mercy compared to the dungeons or exile.

"And the girl?" my mother asked softly , "The one without a wolf. The council will cause an uproar. It will raise instability amongst our people.”

"She’s stronger than she looks," I said, a ghost of a smile tugging at my lips as I thought of her trying to outrun my motorcade. "She doesn't need a wolf to have the spirit of a Wolverine. I’ll take full responsibility for her integration."

Antoni nodded slowly. "Very well. If she is your mate, she belongs at the palace. But Nicholas... keep her close. There are those in the council who believe a wolf-less Queen is a bad omen. Prove them wrong."

"I intend to," I said, bowing my head slightly before turning to leave.

I didn't wait for a formal dismissal. My skin was itching to get back to her. I needed to tell Natalie the deal was done—and I needed to see how she’d react to the news that while her parents were safe, her life as a regular girl was officially over.