You were mine.

Hiding from fate.

*18 YEARS AGO*

*Isadora's POV*

"Pup is growing so fast", my wolf Aspen said, there was a hint of contentment in her voice as she spoke. 

"Yes, our beautiful baby girl...," I said wistfully 

"Girl? Isadora, we've been over this already, you know there isn't a big chance that we'll give birth to an Alpha Female... I know this, Ryder knows this, even Joshua knows this... I know you want a baby girl, but look at the realistic facts, my dear Isadora." I sighed, knowing that she spoke the truth, but I can't help wishing to the Moon Goddess, that I give birth to a little girl. 

I felt a tug on my mindlink, snapping me out of my dreamworld. By the looks of Aspen purring, I reckon it's our mate! "It's Ryder", she said merrily.

Ryder fills my head with excitement," Aspen, doctors,NOW!!!!!" I laugh knowing that behind Ryder, sits Joshua, who is even more ecstatic! Aspen scowls at me, but she knows too well that after 3 years our mate has been waiting to start a family. 

I begin my walk to the infirmary...

*Joshua's POV*  

As I sit nervously in my chair, only glancing up, when the pack's doctors are addressing me. I know Ryder is just as nervous as I am, but we both are very excited for our conformation of our baby boy.

Alpha Lance... that sounds like the perfect name for a fearless protector of the kingdom.

"Joshua,relax please, what if it's a girl...", Ryder states. A girl? No way, there is almost no chance that she will bear an Alpha Female. Safe to say that we'll be okay for now. We don't want another war.

In the middle of my stressed out conversations with Ryder, the most amazing scent hit me. I swear it gets me every time! It smelled like the atmosphere after it rained. Wild flowers growing carelessly in spring time. One word, one word to describe someone who means the world to you....

"Mate", I whisper under my breath.

She walks to the examination bed, eyes me with hopeful glances, while the doctor does her sonar scans and heads out of the room, to complete the examination. 

After a couple of minutes of silence, Isadora's breath hitches when the doctor comes in.

"Congratulations Alpha, Luna it's a girl.", she says.

*Isadora's POV*

"Congratulations Alpha, Luna it's a girl!", she says.

There was dead silence between us...

I was shocked, but happiness overflowed on me, I was so grateful for Moon Goddess for blessing us! Aspen howled in pure joy, I could hear Ryder howling as well.

All who didn't seem to be overjoyed is Joshua. Why is my mate not happy for our first born, who in a matter of fact, was an Alpha Female!

He sat in the chair, still, silent, but then those grey eyes looked at me. Directly. Our gazes locked for a minute or two. Then he started explaining his not so sudden joy...

*Joshua's POV*

I could hear Aspen howling and for a moment Ryder joined in. Isadora, my beautiful mate was ecstatic about our baby girl! All who was in shock, was me. I was so sure it was a boy. 

After a while the excitement lowered, and I looked up. Our eyes met, and then I gulped for air, as if I was holding my breath. And then I cleared my throat; " Love, I am so happy to have our little girl with you, but let me explain... She is the Alpha Female now, which means people from all packs and kingdoms will come here and try to fight for her hand. They are going to want to choose her as a mate, almost like a possession... And I don't want that for Arthemis... I want her to find her true mate." 

I gulped waiting for my mate's response, after a while she said," Arthemis... I love that name. But I agree that there is going to be total chaos when we announce her arrival."

All went silent and was in deep concentration. Then the pack doctor spoke up," Alpha, I have a proposition to make. Arthemis will be born on Wolf moon, January 21. You are now one month pregnant, which means it is November. That gives you two months before she is born. When Arthemis is born, keep her arrival low profile, you can either adopt another child, or have one of your own... Swap birth rights and then she will be safe."  

In my mindlink Aspen protested, Isadora looked as pale as snow, but I knew that if we wanted to protect our baby girl, we had to do what was expected.

That's when Lance came into the picture.

*Isadora's POV*

January 21st had brought the most beautiful baby anyone laid eyes on... 

Ash blond locks, lips as pink as blossoms in the spring and skin as white as snow. Her eyes were emerald green, no one knows where that came from, because I had aqua blue eyes and Joshua had grey eyes.

Her presence, made everyone brighter, it was as if the Moon Goddess took her time on this child. 

Three months after Arthemis was born, we had Lance. She was only three months older than him, but we had to swap the birth rights and make him the Alpha, and next in line to the throne.

Lance was born on April 23rd and he was a very attractive baby as well..

He wasn't as breathtaking as Arthemis, but people admired him. 

He had dark brown curls, soft full lips and grey eyes... just like his father.

He was not as pleasant as Arthemis, but he was cheerful. 

*Narrator*

 As the years grew by and the Royal Children were along the ages of five, Arthemis had made friends with the Delta's son, Oscar, and the servant's twins, Lily and Amelia. Arthemis spent her days playing in the meadow with her friends, reading books, and of course exploring the castle as well as the packhouse. 

She had pledged to herself that she was going to become a warrior wolf, that was her dream.     

Lance was not as friendly as Arthemis, he kept to himself, and accompanied his father to everything, the prince he is. 

As they grew older nothing has changed, until the fateful Arthemis had turned 18.