The Alpha's Assassin Mate: BOOK 1

5. ROSEMARY

They say my name is nothing like my spirit. I was supposed to be a perfect woman, a rose. But over the years, the cold hands of fate has taught me that I can be nothing more than second, a leftover. So I gave in to the darkness I felt in my mind. I welcomed it with all of my heart. And I had no regrets.

You might think what I have become is a product of my own selfish desires. The truth is, it isn't. I wasn't always like this. There was a time when all I cared about was the life I wanted to live, the kind of houses I wanted to build and the kind of children I wanted to raise. There was a time when all I dreamed of was the man with whom I'd raise my children, those strong werewolves that will take the world by it's horns. That was the time when I was still a naive little girl, when the great tragedy was still far.

I was born into the Rhond Pack, the same pack in which Crix's family were alphas. In the werewolf world, their family was the most important and in terms of power, they were second only to the head of the table. I was born a few years after Crix. His father was the head of the table then, a position he held for many moons. When I was born, his father pronounced that I was to become the Crix's mate, the future Luna of the pack. It was the tradition of the pack for the alpha to name the mate for his or her child. So within the Rhonda pack, the magic of finding your own mate did not exist. There was no fire burning within you, filling you with desires. There was no innate need to love and protect that person for the rest of your life, unless, ofcourse, you were truly in love with your mate. But that wasn't my case.

My father died shortly after I was born. He was killed in a vampire attack. My mother brought me up on her own. Growing up, all I wanted to do was make the entire pack proud of me. As the future Luna of the pack, they respected me so much. I did not want them to think Ill of me. So I worked hard, twice as hard as any other werewolf in the pack, even harder than Crix himself. I wanted to be a worthy mate and a worthy mother. That was my dream. That was all I knew.

I looked forward to my eighteenth birthday with so much enthusiasm. It was on that day that a born werewolf normally turns for the first time. It was a ceremony to be celebrated. As it was the Rhonda pack, people came from far away to witness any transformation. As usual, the alpha made it grand. That was also the day when I would be wed to Crix. We would start our journey together. Our bloods was already exchanged when I was born to bind the alpha's declaration. It was a blood oath, unbreakable till the end of time. Not even death can break it.

But Crix did not look forward to that day like I did. Infact, he was disgusted by me. He hated me so much. He did not want me to be his mate. He had his eyes on another, Amelia, one I was three days older than. I knew of their relationship but that did not bother me. As long as he kept me happy, I was okay with sharing. Besides, I would be the Luna, the second most important werewolf in the pack. What could possibly be better than that?

On the day of my eighteenth birthday, I was dressed in white clothing with some blood sprinkled on it. Mother tried to get me ready. She had a fragile heart. It became so after my father died. She was his destined mate. They were already in love even before the pronouncement. So when he died, a part of her died with him. I wore my white clothing with much pride. I took on all of the tasks I had that day and I excelled at everyone of them. My martial arts was outstanding. There was no doubt that I would make I great Luna. The guests had arrived. Everyone was waiting for the magical moment.

But when it was nightfall and I hadn't transformed, the entire pack became worried. Mother held me close. She told me not to worry, that she did not transform until nightfall. So I held on to her words. I clung to it. I refused to feel the helplessness and shame that was creeping on my skin. If I did not transform, it would mean that I was an outcast. An outcast cannot become a Luna. I prayed to the moon that I turned. I prayed with all I had but when the clock sounded for midnight, I felt all of my dreams fade into the wind. It was over. I was an outcast.

Crix's father decided to give me another moon to see if I would turn. We all knew that anyone who did not transform on their eighteenth birthday was an outcast, but he wanted to make sure. Another moon came and I was just a girl holding crushed dreams in her arms. I was sent out of the pack without a second thought. I left my mother behind. Since I was no longer eligible for the title of Luna, Amelia took on the mantle. But I was already mated to c*****e and that made everything worse. I just wished they could take away all of my ties to him. I wished they could wipe off his blood that flowed through my veins. But it didn't work that way. I may have lost the title of future Luna but that mating was my burden to Carry forever.

I had to endure years of bullying from other werewolves. Outcasts were seen as failures. They deserved no love, no respect. They were seen as a stain. So when Crix's father died and he became the alpha, he made the laws regarding outcasts from his pack to become more strict. Instead of banishment on discovery, the outcast was beaten and shamed before being tossed out of the pack. It was inhumane. So I decided to step up and do something about it. I still had some sort of power as Crix's mate so I used that power to protect the outcasts I could find. I tried to keep them safe, but doing that required a lot of energy. I had to change myself to fit the profile I was adapting to; a fierce, strong outcast who wanted to make sure no other outcast was mistreated ever again. I became hard, and angry, and when I learnt of my mother's death, all the good left in me sank. She was my anchor, and I had lost her. Now I was a protector, nothing more.

That was when I met Drumond. We found comfort in each other. We had both lost our dreams and our mothers. I fell in love with him the very first time I saw him. I did all he wanted without hesitation. I helped him find his sister and deliver her child. I helped him bury her when she died. I also found out his sister had 'gifts'. She could see things no one else could. I envied her. That power could help me protect my outcasts. But I didn't have it, not until her death anyway. When she died, I felt a touch on my shoulder. I never told anyone about it. I assumed it was my imagination.

As for my relationship with Drumond, I had hoped at first. I thought he would see me the way I saw him. I thought he would love me the way I loved him. But I wasn't his mate. No amount of s*x we had could change that. Yet again, I was being seconded for a stranger I had never even met. But this time, I made up my mind to fight for what I wanted, and I did not care about the consequences.

***

The sudden banging I heard at my door made me anxious. It was late at night. I wasn't expecting anyone at that time. I walked gently towards the door and opened it. It was Drumond and a boy that looked so much like his sister.

"I need your help." He said as he came in. The boy followed closely.

"What's going on?" I asked and locked the door.

"I have a situation with Radcliff. And vampires."

"Vampires? What do you mean? Who is this boy?"

"I thought you'd recognize him."

"Jonathan?" I asked in shock. He was so grown up now.

"Surprise."

"When did you find him?"

"Tonight. Vampires are after him and now, so are werewolves. The details isn't important. I need to get him somewhere safe and I need you to get me a helicopter. You know where to find one."

"What is going on Dru? I want to help."

"You're helping. Just get the helicopter to an address I'll send soon. I can't stay here for long. I do not want to compromise your apartment."

"I'll get you the helicopter."

I hadn't even said another word before Drumond rushed out of the house. He dragged Jonathan with him. He had a way of making me go soft. When I was around Drumond, controlling my own emotions was a problem. But he didn't feel the same way. I grabbed a coat and headed for Drumond's secret plane stash. He did spend his money on vehicles. When I received a text message from him stating an address, It was obvious he was in some sort of trouble. Whatever it was, I was sure I would get to the bottom of it.