Alpha Daryl

On her eighteenth birthday, slave to the Black Night pack Ashley makes a run for it, trying to escape a life of torment and abuse she runs into Daryl.Daryl happens to be the Alpha of Crescent pack and Ashley's mate, something she least expected and whilst their relationship does not get off to the best of starts, they discover that Ashley is the missing Royal. Whilst Ashley starts to learn about her life and what the Royal symbol means, Alpha Daryl's past starts to catch up with him creating a challenging time along the way.

1. Run

I definitely did not think this through as I ran into the woods, the Alpha’s son Hayden and his cronies hot on my tail, inches away from grabbing me and dragging me back to that hell hole. I had been living as a slave to the Black nights pack for as long as I could remember and I had enough scars and bruises to prove it but today was different, today I was eighteen and I was running away, I didn’t care if I had to be a rogue for the rest of my life but they were never abusing me again not after they just branded me.

There was a single moment and I took it, now I was running for my life.

“Come back here bitch” I heard Hayden’s words ring out behind me.

“We will get her. Hey stupid wolf, come here”

I do not dare to look back as I continue to run, but my legs were starting to tire, stumbling and tripping over fallen twigs and rocks as I moved

“Come on Ashley” I tell myself and just the very thought of being dragged back to Black Nights pack fuelled me on. Stupidly glancing back I could see Hayden had shifted, shit, he would most definitely get me now.

The beatings, the sleepless nights, the never knowing what was coming each and every day kept me going. I wasn't like the other slaves, the others got to have down time and were treated more kindly but me, well, for some reason they treated me worse than something they had trod in. I was the packs play thing and they all enjoyed it.

The scent hit me hard, a deep earthy smell and for the first time in a long time I felt my wolf stir

Mate she whimpers very quietly and my body does something weird, it changes direction on its own and propels itself through the forest and out on to a road, where a man is stood leaning against his motorbike, dark hair hanging to his shoulders with dark eyes to match, a biker jacket with a patch that I cannot read.

He looks at me, but does nothing, probably surprised that I am just standing in the middle of the road in an oversized tshirt that was full of holes and filthy, just as filthy as the rest of me.

Mate!!! my wolf sounds more confident this time but my legs don’t move and Hayden jumps out from the forest and pins my weak body to the ground.

“Get off of me” I try to fight but my body is exhausted and as much as I will it too move, I only manage to throw a few rubbish punches and my body gives up, like it is accepting its fate.

“You are coming back with us bitch” Hayden had shifted back to human form and was snarling in my ear, he grabs my dark hair and starts to pull, trying to drag me across the ground.

“I believe the girl told you to get off of her” a low gravelly voice echoed across the grounds and was not one I heard before, but it was coming from the direction of my mate

“Get lost, this has nothing to do with you” Hayden looks up towards the voice

“Oh, but it has everything to do with me if you harm my mate”

Hayden freezes and stands up straight, trying to make himself look bigger, I can see that he looks alarmed and its only now when I see my mate come closer, that he is easily six foot tall and his arms are well defined with muscles and covered in some sort of tribal tattoos, I briefly wonder what his body looks like under his clothing.

“She belongs to Black Nights pack” Hayden stood his ground

“It seems to me that she does not want to be in your pack” his gravel voice was making my my stomach do flips.

“I don’t” I whisper quietly, the man offers me a hand and I hesitate before letting him pull me up to my feet, the shock from touching his skin was electrifying. He looked me up and down and his eyes were taking in all my visible cuts and bruises that I received on a daily basis.

“Who did this to you?”

“Pretty much all of them in the Black night pack, they kept me as a slave” I had no reason to hide that truth from him and if anything I felt like I needed to tell him

His dark eyes looked annoyed “A slave” I nod and he growls “Wait for me by the bike” I move quickly towards his bike and when I look back they are all gone, after just a few minutes my mate walks out the forest, wiping something from his hands and on his jeans.

He says nothing as he walks towards me and climbs on the bike “Are you getting on?” he stares at me and I shake my head making him frown “Where are you planning on going then?” shrugging my shoulders, my black hair falls down over one side of my face and he reaches out, tucking it behind my ear causing another shock. “Do you have anywhere to go?”

Looking back at the forest where I came from, I shake my head “You don’t talk a lot do you” again I shake my head and he tells me to climb on and before I had a chance to think about it, he pull's me towards the bike “Hold on” he smiles at me as he pulls my hands around his waist, my chest resting against his back as he speeds down the road.

It was the first time I had been outside of the packs grounds and I absorbed all of it, all the shops we passed and the bright coloured buildings, people were mingling everywhere and I had no idea whether they were human or wolf or something else.

After a while the man I had my arms wrapped around stops and climbs off his bike, holding out a hand to me I hesitate again, could I really trust this man? but I allow him to help me off, thanking him for his help.

“Welcome to my pack” I don’t move, had I traded slavery in one pack for another? As I look around at all the houses, they were well looked after, children were playing across the grounds, people were tending to their gardens or just chatting.

He wastes no time in grabbing my hand and the electricity takes my breath away “Come on” and he starts to lead me into the village but my legs were weak and struggling from all the running and I kept tripping over my feet. Sweeping me up off the ground he says nothing and continues to walk towards the largest house I had ever seen. I can’t help but place my hand against his chest and feel his steady heart beat underneath, people just didn’t let me get close to them and it was oddly comforting, yet I didn't know if I could trust him.

“What’s your name?” he asks calmly

“Ashley”

“Well Ashley, I am Daryl Lycan” and I smile at him sharing some information with me.

2. Crescent Pack

Once inside the large house, Daryl explain's that it was the packhouse and that they had done a lot of renovations recently “Your pack” I murmur

He smiles at me again “Welcome to the Crescents pack” he finally puts me on my feet and steadies me as I wobble.

“Alpha?” he nods, I don’t know if its because I had used all my energy or because my mate was an Alpha, but I burst out laughing and he raises an eyebrow at me.

“Do you not think of me as a suitable Alpha?” he was looking serious now

“It’s not that, its, well, all my life I have been a slave and now here you are a wolf in shining armour like my very own fairy tale” I was still laughing but spots were forming in front of my eyes as I was struggling to catch my breath.

I feel him step towards me, afraid, I take a step back, but the spots had become too big in my vision and I fall forward directly into his solid body. Daryl lifts me again and as my vision comes back, he is carrying me up a flight of stairs and comes to a stop in front of a door “This is your room”.

Pushing the door open, he lowers me to my feet, the carpet is cream and feels amazing beneath my bare feet and as I take a few steps towards the large bed I ask him if it was for me

“Yes” and the door behind me closes. I was half expecting him to still be stood there but he was gone and then I heard it, the familiar sound of a key clicking around in a lock. Racing to the door I try the handle a few times but it was no good, I was locked in. Why did I expect anything less? It was how my life had always been.

Rushing to the windows I try to open them but they move no further than a couple of inches, I wanted to cry, I wanted to scream and run to the door, pounding on it only for no one to come. How had I got myself in this position again?!

Climbing on the large bed, I let my body sink into the mattress, it was so comfortable but then anything would be better than a concrete floor like I had had to sleep on at Black night.

Eventually I got myself up and had a look through the cupboard, it was full of clothes, mainly sweats and work out gear, I grab a pair of black joggers and pull them on. They are ridiculously big on me and no matter how much I tightened the drawstring they still hang off my tiny frame. Opening a door to the side of the room, I was surprised to see my own bathroom and became a little too excited that I would be able to bath in fresh, clean water.

Looking between the bedroom door and the shower, I decide to jump in the shower. Carefully removing my clothes and the joggers I had pulled on, I step into the hot water and oh my goddess it was the best thing I had ever felt in my life.

For a few minutes I stood and just let the water run down my body, after what seemed like an age, I grabbed a bottle that said shampoo and washed it into my hair, my hair had never felt so clean. Who knows how long I was in that shower but I didn’t care, Daryl had said it was my room and I was going to make the most of being locked in. Taking a moment to look in the large mirror at my reflection, it was funny to see how clean I was, not a speck of dirt on me. My amber eyes looked brighter too.

Stepping back into the bedroom with a towel wrapped around me and admiring my clean skin. I had honestly never felt so good when Daryl makes me jump. He is sat on the edge of the bed with a grin on his face “So a shower makes you happy”

I didn’t know what to say, this man had locked me in this room, the same man that had helped me escape from the other idiots, the very same man that was supposed to be my mate and now he is just sat here making sarcastic comments. “I wasn’t allowed a shower”, it was the truth.

Daryl frowns “You were not allowed a shower”. I shake my head “You were only able to bathe?”. Again, I shake my head and Daryl rises to his feet “What were you allowed?” he over pronounces the final word

“A bucket and a cloth”

He looks furious “Get dressed”, he was becoming scary and I take a step back, he repeats himself, this time throwing some clothes at me. I start to move towards the bathroom when he growls, tears form in my eyes and I silently pull the clothes on.

Glancing towards him, he isn’t even looking at me and I am grateful, who wants to see this body that’s covered in scars and bruises. I’m surprised to find the clothes he gave me fit, its only a pair of joggers, a tshirt and a pair of trainers but everything fits perfectly and hides everything.

“Okay” I whisper and his head snaps up to face me

“Come on, its time we pay that pack a visit”. I couldn’t move, was he taking me back is that why he locked me up, I finally let out the tears that I had been fighting, he moves across the room and wraps his arms around me, I was tiny against his body. “I am not giving you back, they do not treat people this way”

I push away from him “You…. You locked me in”

He scratches the back of his head “I had too, you are my mate and until we complete the mate bond other men in my pack will seek you out” his hand reaches out and cups my face, thumbing away the tears. “Now come, my men are waiting”.

Wait, what did he mean by complete the mate bond, did he mean sex? I was a virgin, a complete novice I was eighteen and I had never been kissed. Whilst these thoughts are running through my head, I hadn’t even noticed that I was being led back down the stairs and out the door.

There are easily twenty large men on motorbikes and Daryl climbs on to the one at the front, extending a hand to me. I don’t hesitate this time and as I climb on I hold on to him tightly, breathing in his heavenly scent as we sped off down the tracks, the others following close behind.

Again I enjoy the scenery, I had no idea what direction we were going in or where we were too until we started up the road towards Black nights pack, my grip must have tightened because Daryl tells me to relax. “I am not going to let them hurt you”

I didn’t believe it, he had already locked me in one room

As we rode in, the men on the gate waved us through and everyone pulled up in front of the packhouse, Maddox and his son Hayden were stood out the front, they didn’t recognise me at first, probably because I was so clean and in fresh clothes. Maddox greets them all, “Welcome to the Black night pack, who is your Alpha?”

Daryl climbs off his bike, revealing me “I am Alpha Daryl from the Crescents pack, I believe you know my mate” he spoke powerfully and possessively whilst Maddox and Hayden stare at me

“Never seen her before” Maddox shrugged

“Well, if that is the case, then I must have been mistaken when I beat the shit out of your son and his friends”

Maddox was an older Alpha whilst Hayden and Daryl looked similar ages. Maddox glares at his son who saunters back into the house “What do you want?” he snarls at Daryl

“Ashley has come to collect her things”, I had no idea that was why he was bringing me here but I had nothing, literally nothing except what I was wearing when I ran away.

Maddox snorts and rubs his greying beard, “You will need to replace her”

“We do not have slaves, we have moved on with the world and so should you” Daryl offers a hand to me so I could get down off the bike, once again the electricity from his touch sending a shock through me. I knew he felt it too as he winks at me

Daryl stepped towards Maddox “Show me her room”, Daryl was much bigger than Maddox, it was the first time seeing Maddox look smaller than other Alphas.

“That bitch doesn’t have a room” he was snarling still and I could see that Maddox was getting angry, he shifted, his clothes tearing into tiny pieces as his body took the shape of a wolf, a large brown wolf and I shuddered.

3. The black wolf

Maddox had attacked me several times in wolf form, the claw marks down my back was evidence of his cruelty but Daryl stands his ground “You really want a fight Alpha Maddox”

Maddox’s wolf growls and some of Daryl’s men step forward to protect their Alpha. Daryl raises a hand to them and they halt, some had already removed their jackets ready for a fight and then there was me, afraid to move and nowhere to run, I hated confrontation.

“I am not going to fight you Maddox. I just want to collect my mate’s belongings” but Maddox doesn’t move and stands in front of his door. I was completely mesmerised by what was going on. Daryl was not in the slightest afraid of the large brown wolf, which was making my insides do cartwheels.I had dreams of being mated to an Alpha but at the end of the day I knew it would never happen because i was just a slave, yet here we were, standing with my supposed mate who was having a stand-off with another Alpha.

Maddox takes a step towards Daryl and continues to growl, yet Daryl turns his back and moves to me, he kisses me on the forehead and takes off his jacket “I’m sorry you will have to witness this”. Handing me his jacket, I wasn’t fully aware what he was going to do and I watch him shift into a big black wolf in front of me, his eyes continued to stay dark as he turns and moves back towards Maddox.

Daryl’s wolf was huge, letting out a gasp as he circles the ground, one of Daryl’s men stands by me “He always wins” was all he said and he gives me a wink as the wolves lunge at each other, tearing fur from each other. Wolves fighting was never a pretty sight, there was always so much blood shed.

I must have let out a squeal because the man that was now standing by me put an arm around my shoulder “He has never lost a fight”. I nod but I still close my eyes, peaking out every so often when I hear a cheer.

Opening my eyes Maddox was on the ground, and his body was shifting back to his human form, something that only happened when a wolf died. Maddox was dead, he was really dead, the years of abuse was finally over and I drop to my knees sobbing, it was over, it was really over.

The man standing next to me tries to pull me up but I was sobbing uncontrollably. Daryl’s large black wolf pads towards me and he nuzzles his head against mine, reaching my arms around his neck, I hug him tightly, his black fur tickling my face. After a few moments he pulls out of my hug as I stay knelt on the ground, he shifts back and one of the men throw a pair of joggers at him. I barely got a chance to see him as the tears were still clouding my vision.

“Ashley, it is over”, He pulls me into his arms, pressing me against his bare chest and talks to someone else, “Round the pack up, if they are willing to accept me as their new Alpha I will absorb them into Crescent, if they do not want to join my pack, they have twenty-four hours to leave this land”

“Yes Alpha” and I hear footsteps moving away from us

“Ashley, show me where you slept” I nod and lead the way to the storage cupboard that had been allocated to me and open the door for him to see.

It was tiny, a few blankets littered the floor where I was allowed to sleep and I had a small lamp, in the corner was a couple of books that I had sneaked out of the packhouse library. He said nothing but he did grab the books and he closed the door again

“Come on, lets go to our home” he grabbed my hand and as we moved towards the staircase, Hayden stepped out the room behind us and grabs hold of me

“You are not going anywhere you whore” and he started pulling me towards his room against my protesting. Daryl slams his fist into the wall, centimetres from Hayden’s face

“Do NOT touch my mate if you want to live”

Hayden laughs “Well she belongs to this pack and now my father is dead, I’m the Alpha and I will do what I want with her”

Daryl starts to laugh, “Are you forgetting pup that I am the one who killed your father making me your Alpha, you only become Alpha if your father dies of old age”

Hayden visibly gulps and drops my hand “Take the bitch then, she is worthless after all, but just know she belongs to this pack and I will get her back”

“She will never come back here and if you try, I will kill you” we start moving down the staircase, leaving a flummoxed looking Hayden, but I could think of nothing more than the words Daryl had spoken, someone actually wanted me.

We head back outside into the glorious sunshine, the warmth of the sun felt amazing on my skin and I wanted to bask in it, I had never been allowed too as a slave. Daryl had dropped my hand at some point and was talking to his pack members, sitting down on the grass I picked up one of the books that I had been reading in my cupboard.

I loved to read, every single book was a story to escape into, and hide away from the real world and what was happening to me. I had read stories over the years of women escaping and finding true love but I never thought it was possible, these stories were the reason why I plotted my escape, they gave me the tiniest glimmer of hope and of a better life.

The man who had stood by me during the fight squats by me, “You like to read huh” he picked up the other book and turned it over, reading the back. “Has Daryl showed you our library yet?”

I shake my head at his words yet he has piqued my interest and I put my book down “Lots of books?”

The guy nods, his blonde curls bouncing as they fall around his face, “Thousands” and he smiles “I am Beta Jax”

“Beta Jax” I repeat the words, I always had trouble remembering names of new people

He smiles “I will probably be guarding you for a few days whilst Daryl sorts out this place” I glance up to Daryl, I wonder if that would mean he will be locking me in my room again.

“Can I stay?” but Beta Jax shakes his head,

“It is not safe for you here, especially not with Hayden lurking about”

“Hey” Daryl had finished talking with the others “I see Jax has introduced himself, I want you to go back to the packhouse with him”

“My room?” it was obvious it was coming

“No, but you must stay with Jax at all times” I nod, at least I wasn’t being locked away again. Jax gets up to sort his bike out and he takes my books with him, putting them in one of the bags on the side of his motorbike “Promise me you will stay with him until I return”

I nod but he looks at me suspiciously “I need to hear you say it Ashley”

“Promise” and he kisses me on the forehead before helping me get on Beta Jax’s bike.

4. Training

Some of the men stay with Daryl whilst others follow us back to the Crescent packs land. When we arrive, Beta Jax parks out front of the packhouse and climbs off the bike, he offers me a hand but I manage to manoeuvre myself. “Inside” is all he says and as I walk up the steps I turn to see him getting my books out his bag.

Inside the packhouse, Beta Jax shows me around, something that Daryl hadn’t even done yet, he showed me where the kitchen was and told me I could help myself to anything or if there was anything I wanted that they didn’t have, then to add it to the list that was stuck to the fridge.

I nod as he continues to lead me around the huge house, it was much bigger than Black Night’s and I knew I would have trouble remembering where every thing was “And finally, we have the library” he pulled open the large double doors, the room was magnificent, books reached from the floor to the ceiling, surrounding the entire room, large sofas sat in the middle of the room under a huge glass roof that allowed you to see the stars at night.

Behind me was a giggle, but I didn’t care if I looked stupid, this was my favourite place ever “Is there anything you want?” Beta Jax was waiting patiently at the door and I shake my head. Pulling a book off the shelf I made myself comfortable on the sofa and began reading. “Alpha Daryl will be arriving home in a couple of hours” I just nod, completely engrossed in the book I am reading.

The door closes and I hear the key in the lock, but this time I didn’t panic, I could stay here forever. At some point I must have fallen asleep and as I was stirring, I felt the weightlessness like how Daryl carried me last time.

“Shh, go back to sleep” Daryl murmured. I didn’t know when he had got back but I did realise he had no tshirt on, I press my hand against his warm muscles feeling the steady rhythm of his heart and let sleep take me.

Opening my eyes, my arms try to stretch but I realise I’m being held tightly, turning my head slightly, I could make out Daryl’s face who is sleeping peacefully, trying to get out of his arms, his grip pulls me tighter to his bare chest and he mumbles sleepily at me “Good morning”. I don’t respond, desperately concentrating on my bladder and the fact it was about to burst and continue to squirm in his arms.

He frowns at me but finally lets me go “What is it?” but I don’t have time to answer and leg it across to the bathroom. When I step back in the bedroom, Daryl is pulling on a hoodie and grins at me “Better?”

“Much better”, I don’t really know what else to say to the large man standing before me and I think he felt the same

“I have to head back over to the new land we acquired yesterday, you are welcome to come with me or you can stay here with Jax”

I didn’t know what to do, if I stayed here I could probably spend the day in the library but I would be locked in again, if I went with Daryl, I would be back at Black Nights territory. “Will you be long?”

Daryl had already worked out what I was thinking and tells me he will be gone a couple of days and suggests I do some training with Jax, as much as I didn’t really know the man in front of me, I felt better for being near him. I nod in agreement, but I had never trained a day in my life.

Down in the kitchen Jax is busy cooking and Daryl tells him to take me to training today but after I have had a decent breakfast, he glances at the plate in front of me which held a tiny amount of chopped fruit “You need to eat Ashley” I nod but it was hard especially after not being allowed to eat much, anything more filled me up.

They both continue to chat over the breakfast table about the new grounds, every so often Daryl would glance at my plate but never said anything, when it was time to go I was still busy trying to eat, Daryl kisses me on the forehead which sends a shiver down my spine and not a bad one and a warmth rushes to my cheeks.

“Not hungry?” Jax waited until Daryl left to ask and I shake my head

“It’s hard”, I push the plate away and he doesn’t say anything as he removes my plate from the table.

“You want to train?” I shake my head and he frowns “How about I show you where we train?” I shrug my shoulders “Okay then” Jax eats the rest of my fruit and we head towards the place where training takes place. Jax explains to me that twice a week everyone trained together and that would happen outside and twice a week people trained in smaller groups to improve their fighting skills but it was always open if anyone wanted to do more.

I was shocked, they trained a lot here, much more than Black Nights pack who only got together once a month. He must of read my mind “Daryl is hot on training, he likes everyone to be at their peak”

Well that tells a lot, I definitely did not fit in here. Jax leads me into the training building, boxing bags lined the walls as well as a lot of other equipment. Jax dares me to hit one of the bags and as my fist comes into contact with it, I scream out in pain

“Shit Ashley, what did you do?” He looks at my hand, where my thumb is stuck out at a funny angle and already swelling “You are supposed to have your thumb on the outside, not inside your fingers” He demonstrates how I should have made a fist but it doesn’t make the pain go away and I screw my face up at him..

His eyes glaze over for a moment, and he sighs “Daryl is coming back” my heart jumped at the idea of him coming back so soon although I still didn’t have much to talk to him about “Let’s get you to the pack doctor”

5. Branding

Jax leads me across the grounds to a smallish cabin and introduces me to Doctor Emmet who takes a look at my hand “No wolf?” he asks me and I shake my head. Jax explains to the Doctor that my wolf has been gone for a while and will hopefully be back now I have better living arrangements.

“I don’t understand” I look at both of them completely lost with what was going on. My wolf had showed herself when we found Daryl but I hadn’t heard from her since.

“Your wolf will help you too heal quicker, without it your healing will take nearly as long as a humans, its why your wounds never healed properly when they kept you as a slave”

The doctor looked horrified at Jax’s announcement of me being a slave and he changes the subject and warns me that resetting my thumb was going to hurt. I nod, if it was going to hurt then it would hurt, it wasn’t the first time in my life I had been hurt.

Daryl storms in yelling “Where is she, where is my mate?” and whilst my heart does a weird little skip, Jax calls out to let him know where we are too, he comes in and catches sight of my tear-stained red face “What the fuck happened?” he was furious

“Alpha she didn’t make a proper fist” Jax proceeds to show Daryl the fist I made and Daryl rolls his eyes

"Why were you fighting?"

"We weren't, i just dared her to punch the bag, I wanted to see what we were dealing with"

“Of course, you would have never trained” he sits next to me on the bed and cups my face, once again rubbing the tears away from my eyes, his scent swirling like a haze around my head. As I stare into his eyes, the doctor resets my thumb, I didn’t make a sound but the bone cracking sounds filled the room and I vomit all over the bed, Daryl pulls my hair out of my face and rubs my back whilst a nurse comes in and starts removing the bed sheets. The doctor puts my hand in a brace and then a sling and tells me to keep it still for a few days.

“Come on, lets get you changed” Daryl guides me out the hospital and towards the packhouse and up to his bedroom

He pulls out another tshirt from the drawer and a pair of joggers, moving towards me, I instinctively step back, if someone was moving this close to me it normally meant they were getting to hit me “I am not going to hurt you”. He drops to his knees and begins to untie the joggers, I don’t move, his body warmth was radiating against me and as he lowers the joggers I could feel his breath on my legs, something inside me was stirring and as I step out of the joggers, his hand grazes my leg. He doesn’t say anything as he grabs the clean pair and I hold onto his shoulder with my good hand as I step into them.

Daryl stands as he pulls them up and using the tie he jerks my body towards him and stares into my eyes as he ties them up. The stare was intense, it was like he was reaching deep into my soul, no one had ever made me feel like this.

He carefully takes the sling off and lifts the tshirt over my head, I had no bra on and my breasts bob out, one by one, his eyes don’t move down at all and he continues to stare into my eyes as he pulls another tshirt over my head, after he has threaded my arm through, he walks to his wardrobe and comes back with a zip up hoodie “You might want this, it is colder today” and he helps me put it on before refitting the sling.

He must be able to smell my arousal, I could definitely smell it, but even if he did, he made no attempt to do anything about it.

Daryl sits with me for a while with his arm draped across my shoulders whilst I am watching television, something I was never allowed to do as a slave, he was finding it amusing how I kept asking questions about the people and flicking from channel to channel. Honestly, I was just amazed how it was all working and the people seemed so happy.

After a while he stands up and tells me that it is time for training, looking at him and then my broken thumb he laughs “Not you, but you are required to watch”

I wasn’t sure what he expected me to learn about training from watching but I agreed anyway with a nod of my head and Daryl pulls me to my feet. Leading me to the kitchen once again he tells me that I need to be eating and puts some pastries on a plate in front of me.

I couldn’t lie, they were amazing but after four bites I was stuffed. Daryl looks at me frowning as I push the plate away and calls Jax in “Did she eat this morning?”

I was literally sat right in front of him, why didn’t he ask me himself, I would have told him the truth, I had no reason to lie. “Yes, but not much” I speak and Daryl frowns

“Why are you not eating properly?” he glares at me

“It hurts my stomach”

Daryl rushes around the table and lifts my hoodie and tshirt showing my concave stomach, the same stomach that had a scar branding that had not fully healed. He obviously didn’t notice it before when he pulled the tshirt over my head earlier.

6. Rejected Goods

He traces his fingers over it which causes me to shudder, a mixture of pain and the tantalising feeling of his skin touching mine, his voice is low as he whispers “Who did this?”

I had seen what he was capable of with Maddox, with my hesitation he grabs my good wrist “Ashley, I will not ask you again, who did this?”

My lips barely move, but Daryl still registers the word “That fucking lowlife” I was shaking now, his grip was tight around my wrist, this was it, he was going to reject me because I was damaged goods.

“When?” but his eyes are back on the branding and before I have a chance to answer he speaks “The day I found you, that was why you were running, you were trying to escape them from any more abuse”

I cry and not like before, it is the only thing I could think of doing and Daryl looked genuinely shocked as the tears fell thick and fast as I bawl my eyes out. I had kept everything bottled up for so long and this is what had pushed me over the edge.

Beta Jax leaves the kitchen hastily, most likely not wanting to deal with a sobbing female, Daryl drops my top and holds me, pressing me against his warm body, the heat was oddly comforting and as I calmed down he finally spoke “Ashley, you need to show me everything?”

Gulping, I slowly nod, it wasn’t the way I wanted to reveal myself to my mate and it just goes to show that he didn’t look at me at all when he was helping me get dressed, which I kind of respected him for. Daryl closes all the blinds and makes sure the door is locked “May I?”

It seemed odd that he was asking after he had just pulled up my top without my permission. I nod and he unzips the hoodie and carefully removes it over my broken thumb, he then unties the joggers and lowers them, my legs were littered in scars, many had faded whilst others left faint pink marks. He said nothing as he thoroughly inspected my legs. Moving on to the tshirt he carefully pulled it off, taking in the branding that was on my stomach, his eyes did that weird flash but he continued to say nothing.

He caught sight of my right breast which had a rugged scar running right through my nipple and he frowned, I knew he wanted to ask but he still said nothing and walked behind me. His fingers trailed over the multiple scars on my back as well as the dent where a chunk of flesh was taken. I hated it when someone touched the marks yet it was different with Daryl, I wanted his fingers all over me.

“What is this?” Daryl’s words make me jump as it is the first time he had spoken since looking at my body and he lowers my knickers slightly, his fingers start to trace something on my lower back, making me jump as I get an electric shock.

I know he felt it too as I spin to look at him “What is it?” I ask alarmed

“You have some kind of blue mark” he raises an eyebrow at me and I try to see what he is looking at but can’t see anything “Stay here” he leaves me in the room and heads out and I pull the tshirt back on, it was freezing in here. Daryl comes back in with two mirrors, he holds one behind me and one out to the side, there on my lower back was a deep blue crescent that I had never seen or noticed before.

“What is it?” I ask, I was worried, I had never noticed it before and no one had ever said they had seen it.

“I am not sure, what does your wolf look like?” I shake my head shrugging my shoulders, I had never shifted, I was taken as a slave before I was old enough to shift and then I had always been too weak to call my wolf forward “You have never shifted?” when I shake my head again he begs me to start talking more. “You have to talk to me Ashley”

This time I nodded but I didn’t know where to start and when I did, it all came out in a massive rush “I was taken too young, never shifted, they beat me and then there was you and you helped and now I am here” I throw my hands over my mouth, I felt like I had said to much and I was going to get beaten.

He could see the fear on my face and as he lifted a hand I closed my eyes bracing myself for the beating, instead his warm hands encased mine and he pulled them away from my mouth. Peeking out I could see him staring at me “You don’t have to hide your words from me”

Surely it was a trick, I didn’t know whether or not I could believe him, so far he hadn’t beaten me but he had still locked me up although in much better conditions, I go to speak and he waits expectantly but nothing comes out of my open mouth and I close it again.

“Now let’s talk about this blue crescent” and I feel his thumb tracing it

“Okay” I whisper and he smiles

“You have never seen it before?” I shake my head

“Nobody has said”

His dark eyes rested firmly on my face “Are you a virgin?” I knew what he was getting at, the scar on my nipple showed that others had seen me naked. My head moves up and down, would he reject me if I wasn’t “Good. They didn’t do anything like that to you?” and I shake my head, my eyes wide at the thought, it was one thing Maddox made certain not to happen and I was at least grateful for that.

“Good, I want you to be mine and mine only” I gulp, the thought of losing my virginity had always scared me, I didn’t even know what to expect.

Daryl lets me get dressed again and helped with tying the joggers, he asked me to come with him to his office and I nodded, walking quietly behind him, the plush grey carpet comforting my bare feet, I smile, I had never felt such a nice carpet beneath my feet.

As he sits down in the office chair, he holds a hand out towards me, I don’t accept at first because it is not clear what he wants, did he want me to get something, put the phone in his hand, maybe a pen or pencil.

I look around the room and spot a notebook and pen on the cabinet and grab them, carefully placing them in his hand, when he looks up from the paperwork, he raises that eyebrow at me and looks between me and the notebook “Did you want me to write something?”, now I was confused,

“I didn’t know what you wanted” my voice was shaking, I had screwed up, he wanted something else, shit, what was he going to do to me.

Daryl puts the notebook and pen on the table “Give me your hand” I step a tiny bit closer and put my hand carefully on his and he grabs it and pulls me onto his lap. “I wanted you with me” but my body is stiff on his lap, I can’t relax, it might be some kind of trick.

He sits with his hand around my waist whilst reading through some paperwork, every so often he tells me to relax but I can’t, I have to be ready at all times.

He moves me slightly so that I am sat sideways on him and tells me that he is going to search for the mark that is on my lower back and he runs his fingers over it, I hadn’t even noticed that his hand had found its way under my top and in the top of my knickers.

I watched as he searched on his computer, he was looking at marks that represented other packs, not all packs had them, only some did and Daryl explained the mark I would be left with when he marked me would be a red crescent.

Shit, I had completely forgotten about that, I had been so worried about my virginity, I had forgotten the marking process. I say nothing and continue to watch as he scrolls through the images and then I see it a very small dark purple crescent on a baby’s lower back.

Daryl doesn’t see it until I point it out and when he clicks on it, we are both stunned by the headline ‘Royal baby kidnapped’ there are other links that go on to say how the baby was the last of her kind and crucial to the existence of the royals, the next link says that the baby is expected to be dead.

Daryl falls silent but his fingers continue to trace the crescent on my lower back, the feeling becomes oddly comforting and I finally lay myself against his chest, neither of us speaking. I close my eyes, it cannot be true, it just cannot be true.

7. Royalty

“Ashley, how long have you been a slave?”

“As long as I can remember” I knew he was going to say it

“Ashley, I think you are this baby”

I am not sure what comes over me, but I laugh, laugh at the idea, laugh at the situation but my laugh turns into a cry. I had been treated like crap my whole life and it explained why Maddox banned everyone from having sex with me, he didn’t want to risk me getting pregnant and carrying on my blood line.

“Are you okay?”

I climb off his lap and start pacing the room, “Oh yeah, of course I am okay, I have been living as a slave for who knows how long, apparently kidnapped at birth because of my blood line and now I am discovering that I am some sort of royalty and at some point you are going to take my virginity”

All the words came out in a rush, my breathing had quickened and it felt as if my heart was going to explode out of my chest. He stands up and moves towards me “I will only take your virginity when you are ready and the rest we will deal with together” he tilts my chin up so I have to look him in the eye and when I nod and close my eyes exasperated, he kisses me on the forehead, something I was growing accustomed too.

He smiles and tells me he is going to do some more research and that he finds it difficult to believe that a baby with a royal mark would go unfound. Everything he is saying is buzzing around in my head and it’s getting too much. I wanted to run or scream or something “Air” I say to him, clutching at my throat and Daryl takes me outside, his face full of concern.

The fresh air felt amazing as I sucked in massive amounts trying to fill my lungs, I felt like it was clearing my head. I’m not sure what happened but my legs start moving on their own and before I know it, I am running at top speed towards the forest. I have no plan other than to escape, not from Daryl but from the life I was about to be thrown head first into.

Footsteps are not far behind me and I try to speed up as someone leaps on me, pinning my chest to the forest floor. I knew it was Daryl by his scent, he rolls me over but still holds me firm, when I finally open my eyes he looks pissed, he didn’t even look that angry when he killed Maddox.

He growls “What are you trying to pull?” and when I don’t immediately answer, his grip on my hands tighten, it was like he had forgotten I had a broken thumb and he only releases when I whimper in pain.

His face is inches from mine “I told you, I will only mark you when you are ready but if you pull this shit again, I won’t wait” he stands up and without waiting for me to get up, he pulls me off the ground and hangs me over his shoulder like I was some kind of play thing or something he had just hunted.

The threat made me feel like he was using me for something rather than saving me from my life because I had never heard of a male threatening to mark their mate because of something they had done, but he was forgetting running away was my natural response after being held captive for so long.

He carries me that way all the way back to the pack house and up the stairs, throwing me down on his bed “Well?” he growls as I still hadn’t spoken but I was too busy trying to control my shaking and couldn’t look him in the eye as I adjusted myself. “I’m waiting Ashley”

“It’s too much” it was all I could say and I threw myself face down into the pillows. I hear Daryl sigh and then the door close with the familiar turning of the lock. I waited until the footsteps faded away and then climbed off the bed, there had to be something in this room that would get rid of this blue mark.

I searched everywhere, I tried scrubbing it, I chucked the bleach I found in the bathroom on it. Then I saw it his razor blade. Breaking the end off so I could just get to the blade, I sat on the side with my back to the large mirror. If I had to cut some of my flesh off, then I would, it wouldn’t be the first time I had lost a bit of flesh.

It wasn’t an easy angle and even harder with a broken thumb, but I sliced anyway, blood dripping down my back into my pants. I didn’t hear the door opening or see him walk into the bathroom. Daryl grabs my arm that’s holding the blade “What the fuck are you doing?” he wasn’t angry, he sounded more concerned maybe annoyed if anything.

“I don’t want it” and I try to pull my arm from his grip

“You were born with it, you cannot change that Ashley” and he pulls me from the sink and drags my protesting body to the bedroom. When he lets go he tells me to turn around and I stand my ground. “I will not ask you again, turn around”

I stay still, I had done the damage myself, I will deal with it, even if I could feel my pants being soaked with blood from the open wound. Daryl grabs me by the shoulders, a low guttural rumble echoes around the bedroom. “Don’t disobey me mate” and he spins me around, growling I am guessing at the sight of what I had done. “You are not healing, you are going to need stitches”.

He goes back into the bathroom and when he comes back, he presses something up against my back making me squirm at the pain from the pressure he is putting on me. I try to move away but he holds me firm “Ashley, I am trying to help you”

“I don’t want your help” I spit, I had never had help in the past and i certainly didn't need it now.

He drops the towel and sighs then walks out the room “Fine, but that is going to get infected” He slams the door behind him.

I grab the towel he threw on the floor and tried to press it against my back, the stinging was excruciating but nothing I couldn’t handle, after all I had been through a lot worse.

A few minutes later Daryl comes in with the doctor from the pack’s hospital, the same doctor who had looked at my thumb. “Come here” Daryl points to the spot in front of him and again I refuse to do as he asks, he growls at me and clears the gap between us, gabbing my wrist and pulling me towards the doctor. “You are giving me very little choice Ashley, I will mark you” he mutters into my ear

He had given me chance after chance and I was still acting like a child, maybe I should just accept his mark.

“You cannot say to anyone what you are about to see” he is speaking to the doctor who nods in agreement and without missing a beat, Daryl turns me around and I hear a gasp

“Is that?”

“Yes, but you cannot tell anyone”

“She is…”

“Once again, yes, if it gets out, they will come for her”

I wriggle out of his grip and face them both “Who will come for me?, you killed Alpha Maddox”. I don’t know why but I thought I would state the obvious.

“Let the doctor see to your wound and then I will tell you everything” Daryl looks at the doctor, “If any information gets out about her, your life is on the line, do you understand?”

The doctor submits to Daryl immediately and swears an oath, he then tells me to lie on the bed so he could get a proper look at my back. I was already fed up with the men in this pack ordering me around, but I wanted answers from Daryl and did as he asked.

Stretching out on the bed, the doctor lifted my blood soaked top slightly and I watched as Daryl adjusts his position slightly, clearly making sure that the doctor is not doing anything more than he should be doing.

He tells Daryl what he already expected, that I would need stitches but he didn’t have any anaesthetic on him. Daryl started to tell him to go and grab some but I jumped in “It’s fine, I am use to pain”

Silence fell in the room and the chances are they were probably having a silent conversation between themselves, I had seen it many times in the Black nights pack and unless he marks me as a mate, he won’t be able to have these conversations with me.

Daryl crouches down next to me on the bed, his face concerned “Are you sure?, the doctor can go and grab some, it will only take a couple of minutes”

I shrug “It’s fine”

Daryl gives the doctor the go ahead and then offers me a hand, when I reject it and turn my head to the other side. I hear his voice in my head “Mate, I am trying to help” and I turn back to look at him stunned, how had he just mind linked me? Only those who were in the same pack or officially mated could do that.