The Alpha’s Heir
Chapter 1

Trials

*** Eva ***

It has been six weeks since I confirmed my husband was dead.

Six weeks of bliss with my fated mate and our little girl, living in the Packhouse of The Onyx River Pack, getting to know my new family and spending night after night wrapped in the strong embrace of the love of my life, Alpha Aiden Goldrick.

Then, this morning, Aiden gets called away because of a security breach at the border of his land and I concentrate on getting Summer ready for preschool so I can continue with my Luna training. However, my day is soon soured in an epic way.

My mother is the security breach. Although I told her I didn’t want to speak to her or see her, she insists on forcing her presence on me anyway.

“You can’t avoid me forever, Eva. I have nowhere else to go,” she tells me in a calm fashion which is completely at odds with the hurt, humiliation and fury I feel towards her. My mother, my only parent growing up, betrayed me in a way no mother should ever betray her daughter.

“I just don’t understand why this is my problem, Ms Duval. You made your bed- with my husband, might I add- so go lay on it.”

My mother scowls at my retort. “Look, Eva, that was a long time ago. He’s dead now and it’s all over with.”

I turn to Beta Preston as I stand to leave. “Ensure she is escorted off our land, please, Beta Preston.” When I turn back to my mother, my voice is full of malice. “If you return here, I will have them kill you. Do you understand? I hate you for what you did, and I always will.”

All our warriors bow in respect to me, but my mother refuses to back down. “Eva, please. Where will I go?”

My heart feels like she is pounding it with a hammer. Every single time something happens, she reverts to being a pained little girl and I am left to pick up the pieces, but not this time. This time there is no going back.

“You should have thought of that before. Did you ever think about what you were doing to me?” Of course she didn’t, that would require her to not act like a victim, and that is a role Rose covets.

I leave the room before the tears burn my eyes. My own mother betrayed me, and I’m left desperate to know why? Why did she think so little of me that she would treat me so callously?

I could never ever imagine a circumstance where I would hurt my own daughter, Summer, in that way, degrading her and humiliating her and leaving her questioning her own self-worth. No matter how old she gets, I will never ever put my own selfish wants before my daughter’s wellbeing. Aiden says it reflects my character; he says I am worth a million of Rose.

“It was hard for me, Eva; I was all alone raising you and Xavier promised to help us, but I should have known better than to trust the leader of a pack of dogs,” she screams after me.

“Get rid of her now!” I shout as I flee back to my apartment. Through my anger and disgust, I cry. I always thought my mother had been distant because of her husband, Claude. Now I know it was guilt and disdain for me. Out of everything that I have been through, this has cut the deepest.

I don’t think I can ever forgive her, and I am both proud of myself for sticking to my principles and disgusted in myself for not being able to move past this. I hate what sort of a person that made me. I don’t want to be hateful or full of resentment, but that is what has happened.

When I get back to the apartment, I climb onto our bed and cry until Aiden walks in. He doesn’t say anything, he just sits next to me and opens his arms to me. After a few minutes, he finally speaks.

“Eva, I’ve had to put her in the cells. When Preston tried to remove her as you asked, she started ranting about telling the world about werewolves and how she would destroy us all. I think we need to speak to Xavier.”

He’s referring to my father, the man I hadn’t known until a few weeks ago, the man who is desperate to be a part of my life and whose identity as a werewolf finally revealed my own hidden secrets: namely, that I am a werewolf too.

I have seen him on two occasions since the day I ran out on him. The first time, I asked a lot of difficult questions and became overwhelmed. The second visit went a little better and he spent time getting to know me and telling me about himself. I’m not at the stage where I want to publicly accept him or introduce him to Summer or anything, but I am open to getting to know him and seeing where that takes us.

“I will go and talk to her now, Aiden. I am so sorry. I don’t want her staying here near me, but I will have to give her money to go away. She says she has nowhere to go.” Aiden quickly pulls out cash, but I push his hand away. “No. This is my mess, I will pay her.”

Aiden pushes the money back at me. “This is our mess, we will deal with it together. Now take it, there is more if you need it.” I k!ss him for being sweet and I thank him for supporting me.

“Thank you for loving me, Aidy, I had best go and sort her ladyship out before Preston gets a headache from her whining.”

“I’m sorry to rush you, Shortie, but we have to be at the Chambers of Justice in just over an hour.”

I forgot about our prior engagement. “Don’t worry, I’ll be ready.”

Today is not about to get any easier.

*** Aiden ***

The past six weeks have been amazing, more than amazing. Eva and Summer living here with me has filled my life with joy. Of course, we have had stumbles in the road, like when I swore in front of Summer and she repeated it. Eva was ready to lynch me for that one. But I love the stumbles as much as the good times because they reinforce how much I would do to make my girl happy.

Eva has a lot to deal with and her mother arriving here unannounced like she is owed something really is salt in Eva’s wounds. How did that despicable witch create a beauty like my Eva?

When Eva goes to the cells, I decide to bite the bullet and call Xavier to ask his advice. He is probably the best person to ask, seeing as Rose has been emotionally and financially blackmailing him for a quarter of a century.

Alpha Xavier, Eva’s dad, is now my ally, but not so long ago we were heading for war over issues surrounding our mutual border. Some things were not worth fighting over, and if me fighting Xavier over a poxy piece of land would harm Eva, that was one of them.

Luckily for me, Xavier felt the same and so all border disputes are on hold for the time being. The priority is getting to know his daughter.

I dial Xavier’s number and he answers within one ring. “Aiden? Is Eva okay?”

I smile at his concern. Although I feel possessive at times because she is mine now, I know his love for Eva is different to mine and she deserves that love too. I explain what is happening and when he growls, I am satisfied he understands.

“That f*****g woman! Hasn’t she done enough damage? What is the plan? I can come and collect her, she and I are long overdue for a chat about the shit she put my daughter through.” I told Xavier everything that Eva had been through. I thought it best he understood her hurt and mistrust, and I hope it will help her in the long run.

I would rather Rose went with Xavier now, so she understands the implications of her threats and the ramifications for herself if she does any of the things she has threatened. Besides, Eva has made it clear she does not want to see her mother right now. Who knows, in time maybe she can forgive her, but right now her mere presence is causing my mate pain and so she must go.

“Yes, that will work. She is currently in my cells, and I have a prior engagement I must attend to, so if you come over later tonight, I will release her into your custody.”

With no time to lose, I try to mindlink Eva. She is struggling with certain aspects of being a werewolf since she found out she is one, and mindlinking is something she replaces tricky. She still hasn’t been able to shift but she was able to mark me when I marked her, thus opening up the mindlink between us. However, Eva struggles to make the connection over a prolonged period or from further afield. She is getting better but it’s taking a lot longer than either of us anticipated.

After trying and failing to connect to her, I give up and mindlink Preston instead, who tells me Eva is on her way back up to the apartment.

As I open the door for her, I notice her yawning. Come to think of it, she is tired a lot of late and she is looking a little pale. I hope I haven’t been pushing her too far with trying to shift, teaching her self-defence and combat, and Luna training.

Once this hearing is out of the way, I will insist she takes some time out to rest. The last thing I want is her getting sick or feeling overstretched.

“Let me just freshen up and then we will make our way down to the Chambers of Justice for the hearing. I hope this is the end of this today, Aiden.” I couldn’t agree more but I can’t give her any reassurance about that.

Holding her hand, we walk into the Chamber of Justice together and she shudders when she locks eyes with the man on trial.

“All rise. We are called today for the trial of former Gamma, Ellis Devine, who stands accused of the kidnap and deliberate endangerment of the Fated Mate of our Alpha, Aiden Goldrick. How does the defendant plead?”

All eyes return to the young man who stands defiantly in the enclosed dock with two guards and silver chains around his wrists.

“Not guilty.”

*** Amber ***

Beta Preston and I have been called as witnesses for the trial of former Gamma Ellis. The trial was completely unnecessary. Both Eva and Aiden agree with the Elders if he makes an apology and accepts a demotion, plus completing a rehabilitation programme to educate him on appropriate behaviour, they would put the whole situation behind them, but Ellis is a stubborn little turd.

He continues to refute all claims that he endangered Eva and caused her harm. He maintains that the evidence of their bond proves he was right to take her for Aiden and that without his actions, they probably wouldn’t be together. Aiden had to be physically restrained when he heard that.

Eva says she doesn’t want it on her conscience if Ellis lost his throat or if he harmed someone else because he thought his actions were right. She is torn either way.

So here we are, at the Chambers of Justice and I can’t help but feel like this is a practice run for my own trial.

“They will call you first, Preston, and once you have given your evidence you can stay in the room,” the court clerk informs us.

My mate nods his head before making eye contact with me and through our mind link, he tries to reassure and soothe me.

I have to go back to the packhouse after my evidence, we’ve had to leave Delta Billy running things and he’s already complaining.

His forehead touches mine and I tell him I understand. It should feel strange being this close and affectionate to Preston, but it feels completely natural. Since we finally succumbed to our mate bond and obvious love for each other, things between Preston and I have been amazing and that’s even with the other things that blight our happiness.

Such as my own impending trial, for one. I try to block all thoughts of it out of my mind; I cannot think about that right now. I just need to concentrate on giving evidence today.

The shocking evidence we uncovered about my mother and father was also deeply upsetting. In fact, if it hadn’t been for Preston, I don’t know how I would have coped the past couple of months.

I feel bad that our Mating Ceremony is on hold, but it doesn’t feel right to do it with a trial looming over us. I promise Preston we will do it as soon as I am a free she-wolf, and I pray to the Moon Goddess he won’t have to wait too much longer.

The clerk calls Preston’s name, and he stands and k!sses me hard. “I love you; I will see you at home,” he tells me before going into the Chambers.

While I wait for my turn, I think about my father and what happened when Aiden and I went to confront him a month ago.

~~ Flashback ~~

~ One Month Earlier ~

“If we want answers, we must confront him. He knows the truth and knows where she is, and we deserve to know too.” The same argument between Aiden and I has been going on for the last couple of weeks. He wants to confront our father, whereas I want more evidence.

Aiden thinks I’m delaying because replaceing the truth scares me, as does the possibility of our mother rejecting me all over again. Maybe he is right, but I also know former Alpha John Goldrick will have a cover story in place and so I want more evidence to confront him with.

Once Preston knows as much as we do, he takes us to speak to his father, who was our father’s Beta. His behaviour and reaction just makes us all the more suspicious. However, I know he is bound by a loyalty to his former Alpha and without Aiden using his authority as the current Alpha, we can’t force him to break his oath.

“Aiden, if we wait, we might replace something solid to present to him so he cannot just fob us off.” This is weird; it’s usually Aiden advising caution to me. When did our roles reverse?

“We have waited over twenty years, Amber… twenty f*****g years of thinking she fvcked off and never spared us a backwards glance, twenty years of wondering why the f**k we weren’t good enough. And he knew, he knew she had no choice and let us hurt like that, Amber… what sort of a sick bastard does a shitty thing like that to his own children?” I know from the amount of swearing he is doing that he is upset and angry and that is another reason why I have tried to delay the inevitable. It will come to blows. The subject is too emotive for them not to.

Maybe I can’t stop the fallout that is coming, though, and it’s becoming clear that the longer I make Aiden wait to confront our father, the angrier he is getting. He has as much right to answers as I do.

“Have you got a plan at least, Aidy?” He starts to pull off his jacket and gives me a serious stare.

“Of course I do. How about, ‘Hey dad, remember us? Your children? Why the f**k did you lie about the reason our mother left us when we were pups?’ I think that covers it, don’t you, Amber?”

I shake my head and link Preston to tell him where we are going. I turn my back as my brother shifts into his impressive wolf form and wait for him to turn before shifting myself. Lizzie, my wolf, shakes out her fur and stretches before pressing off into a gentle run.

Our father, former Alpha John Goldrick, lives in the remote part of our lands with his chosen mate. For years, we have been anticipating they will be blessed with pups, but they have made no such announcement. It takes us about fifteen minutes to run there and once we arrive, we put on spare clothes kept in a hollowed-out tree trunk.

We walk in companionable silence for the last couple of minutes until our father’s cottage comes into view. The chickens and vegetable patch in his garden demonstrate his attempt to be self-sufficient, but the idyllic image is marred by the shouting that comes from the cottage.

Our father’s roar has always been loud and intimidating, but the thought of him shouting at his mate like that knocks me sick.

Aiden’s eyes glaze over as he mindlinks our father. The front door of the cottage swings open and our father storms out as I try to imagine what Aiden said.

“You might be the Alpha, boy, but I am still your father and you do not show up at another man’s house, uninvited and unexpected, and command him to stop shouting at his mate.”

Our father looks a lot like Aiden: tall, with dark hair and pale skin. Father’s hair is greying at the sides now and Aiden has green eyes like me and our mother, but apart from those differences, they look a lot like one another.

“Did you banish Mother?” Jeez, Aiden just jumps straight in there. In spite of my annoyance at my brother’s lack of tact, I face my father and wait for him to answer.

My father’s face goes from pale porcelain to beetroot red at lightning speed. “Why don’t you ask her?” he snarls back at us.

“We would, but she left us, remember? And we haven’t heard anything since we were pups, but we want to know if the rumours are true. Did she leave us or did you banish her?” The words are pouring out of me without restraint, like a dam bursting open. I know he is lying; I know he is trying to come up with another story.

“Amber, sweetheart, you, your brother, her mate, her pack, all of us weren’t enough to keep her here. Why are you dragging all this up now? You have your mate, you can have a pup and make your own family, there is no need to be dragging all that stuff up now. Let’s just move forward, okay?”

He turns to go back into the cottage when his mate comes to the door. Marissa is a little older than Aiden, maybe closer to 35 years old, and she has been my father’s lover for a long time, probably close to fifteen years. They mated officially just after Aiden became Alpha and have lived out here for around six years.

“John, don’t you dare run out on me again. We need to talk about this,” Marissa shouts to my father. She obviously hasn’t seen us yet, through her swollen, bloodshot eyes.

“GET BACK INSIDE NOW!” Father shouts and I cover my ears, just like I used to when I was a little girl. Aiden stands between me and our father.

“As your Alpha, I command you to stand down. Stop shouting and scaring your daughter and your mate.” Marissa stops at the gate when she hears Aiden’s voice, and I can see her trembling even from a distance. This is what our father does. He shouts and scares us until we relent or forget.

“No, Father. I can’t just move forward. I want to know why I wasn’t good enough for my mother to stay. I am going to replace her and ask her. I am giving you a chance to tell me first, but I will not stop until I know. And if I replace that she was banished, I will come and rip your throat out myself.”

I walk away and Aiden follows behind me when our father calls out to us.

“I did banish her. I banished her because she took a second mate and chose him over us.”

I run from him, refusing to acknowledge his revelation. Would she have visited if she hadn’t been banished? Did she think of us? Did she ever write or reach out? Where is she?

~ End of Flashback ~

“Lieutenant Amber Goldrick, it’s your turn to give evidence.” The court clerk announces.

My legs shake as I stand and I wish I had kept my mind clear while I was waiting. Now, I feel overwhelmed with hurt, longing and sadness when I need to concentrate on what I am about to say.

Chin up. We will get through this, Red. I love you. Preston is mindlinking me as I enter the Chambers, lending me his strength in my time of need, as he always has done. What would I ever do without him?

*** Salma ***

I throw the stupid pink-and-white testing wand across the bathroom; my period is late, and I hoped it was because I was pregnant, but after 4 negative pregnancy tests, I think I can rule that out.

“Chula, what’s up?” my husband Alejandro calls through the door and I g***n in response. I hate letting him down. The overwhelming disappointment corrodes away not just at my hope but at my confidence too. What is wrong with me? Why am I not pregnant yet? “Salma? Please talk to me.”

I unlock the bathroom door, but I don’t open it. I go back to the other side of the bathroom to retrieve the offending testing wand and when I turn back around, my Ale is there with open arms. I just want to melt into his warm embrace, but I shake my head and show him the test so he knows why I am upset.

“Come here, it’s okay, it’s going to be okay, bebe. We just get to have a lot more practice, which can’t be a bad thing.” He winks at me, but I know he is as disappointed as I am.

“I thought this was it, I thought I was.” I frown, deep in thought. My body is playing tricks on me, and I am unable to concentrate on anything else. All I want to think about is Ale and I being pregnant and having our own family.

My papa would have called it procrastination, but seeing as he is very much dead and still in my bad books, I don’t think that it matters what he would call it. Ale says I am being unreasonable. I shouldn’t keep my father in my bad books because he isn’t here to defend himself. I therefore told him to shut up or he would get a place right next to my father.

We have moved permanently into Ale’s apartment. Traditionally, as head of our Mafia firm, we would take Mami’s house and she would stay with us or take a short holiday before moving to a smaller place. However, I am so angry with her and papa that I don’t want to be anywhere near their house. It just reminds me that all I thought I had was a lie: there was no adoring, idyllic family. Just lies.

“I have to get dressed. I am due at Paloma Azul in half an hour.” Paloma Azul is my nightclub, and the flagship club of our firm.

It is my pride and joy, and when papa started training Ale to take over instead of me, I threw myself into making it the best club around. My hard work paid off. Ale told me after my papa died that he was exceptionally proud of what I had achieved, but the rush of love I felt for my father now feels tainted by the secrets I have discovered since his death.

“I’ll come with you; I have a couple of hours before I have to meet with my father.”

I try to leave his embrace so I can get dressed, but he pulls me back to him.

“I thought you said we had half an hour?” he questions me as he k!sses my neck, causing shivers of want and desire to stream throughout my body.

“Ale! No. I said I have to be there in half an hour!” I tell him in mock outrage, though I would always let him persuade me to be a little late. After all, what is the point of being the boss if you can’t be late from time to time?

“So that’s ten minutes to drive there, five minutes to get dressed and then fifteen minutes left to practise.” I laugh as he picks me up and carries me back to our bed.

“You really think you can last fifteen minutes?” I tease him as he discards my silk nightdress and panties.

“When my wife is as beautiful and talented as you, no!” He trails his hand down from my shoulder and across my left br*east and erect n!pple, continually moving further to my belly button. He lingers over my tummy before slipping his hand lower again until his fingertips connect with my we*t slit, which is already warm and damp with longing.

“I love you, Sal. I will love you until the end of time.” He sinks two fingers into me, filling and stretching me, moving slowly and deliberately, touching places only he can reach. “You feel so good bebe, I bet you taste good too.”

We will never be out of here in fifteen minutes. And right now, with Ale at my command, at my service, I don’t really care what is going on outside of these four walls. All that matters is me, him and him f*****g me with his fingers and his tongue.

Ale moves down my body and nestles between my open thighs, and in between fingering me, he darts his tongue over my folds and connects with my clit, extracting a sigh of contentment from me. When he adds his lips too, gently tugging and sucking on my most sens!tive part, I m**n in satisfaction. My Ale knows exactly what I want and what I like. He knows how to touch me to bring me to org*asm over and over and over again.

My body and mind edge closer to fulfilment, climbing higher and higher to oblivion. I crave the feeling of Ale inside me, his thick, hard c0ck splitting me wide open.

“I want you, Ale, I want you to screw me hard and slow. Please, Ale!” He shifts his weight and covers my body with his, and I can feel his hard c0ck pressed against my stomach, pinning me to the bed.

I wrap my legs around him, pulling him to me. “Now, I need you now, Ale! I just want you.” I come as he finally pushes into me roughly, giving me exactly what I crave.

The tears that fall afterwards take me by surprise. Once they start, I can’t seem to stop them. I am not pregnant, my papa was screwing around, he has a son who could challenge me for our firm, and he would have every right to. He had a secret mistress that my mother knew all about and I thought they had the perfect marriage. My life is a f*****g mess.

Except for my marriage.

If nothing else, my union with Ale is the one true thing that has given my life meaning. It’s the only thing I can depend on, he is the only one I can trust and sincerely know will have my back.

“Hey, come on mi amor, I’m not that bad at getting you off, am I?” Ale jokes soothingly as he holds me tight and keeps me safe.

“I’m sorry, Ale, everything just built up. I feel better now.” I try to sit up, but he pulls me back to him. He strokes along my back as I lean against his sculpted body, and the stirrings of desire are already starting again.

“Don’t run off, I want to talk about this. We know the first name of your papa’s mistress. I think if we contact her and search for the name of her son, we could make contact within a few days.” Listening to his wise words, I know he has my best interests at heart. “Then you can see for yourself if this man wants to challenge for his share of the firm and you can also decide if you want to have a relationship with him too.”

I know he is right, but I fear reaching out to someone who could both enhance my life and destroy it.

“Ale, I need to replace who poisoned my papa. I need to know why… I need to know if he knew what was coming. Looking back, it seems like he knew.” He nods at me.

“Sal: about us trying for a baby. I want this as much as you, but I hate seeing you so upset about it. Do you still want this?”

It shocks me that he is even asking.

I look deep into his dark brown eyes and tell him the truth: “Alejandro, I have never wanted anything as much as I want this.”

He smiles at me, that cheeky smile that makes me forget everything else.

“Right, get dressed then, you lazy mare, we have a club to run, and we can’t be lying in bed all day frolicking.” He teases through his smirk. I smack him with a pillow as I jump up to get dressed and he playfully spanks me on my a*ss when I walk away.

When we arrive at Paloma Azul, there is a package waiting for me in my office. Ale goes to lift it so he can pass it to me, but I stop him in his tracks.

“Stop! We don’t know who it is from, it could be a bomb for all we know.”

His eyes widen with that realisation and he puts his hands up in the air.

“Chula, I wasn’t even thinking but you’re right, I’ll have the Fernando twins to check it first.” I give him my thanks while I check the CCTV recordings to see what they caught, but there isn’t a lot to go on.

After a couple of hours, once Ale’s associates check the box and give it the all-clear, I am finally able to open it.

It is full of photographs, ones of me as a child, my mother and father happy together, us all as a family. Then there are a few recent ones of Ale and me. The final one has red ink all over it, making it look like I have b***d pouring from my eyes and neck. There is a single red circle in between Ale’s eyes.

“What the f**k? Salma, these are outside our apartment, how the f**k did they get that close without us seeing them?” Ale starts to lose his composure, which is very rare for him.

I am not thinking about how close they got. My thoughts race with who they are and what the hell they want?

“Sal, we are going to have to move out for a while. We can go and stay with my parents. I think we need to locate this Dominga, and get a definite ID on your brother. This feels like a warning from him, a threat directly from him.”

“If it is him, Ale, then this makes my life a whole lot easier. He is either on our side or he is our enemy…” I lift up the box. “…and if he is responsible for this, then he is most definitely our enemy. If he is responsible for this threat, brother or not, I will f*****g kill him.”

I go to my desk and take a box of ammunition from my drawer. I take one bullet and scratch onto it:

‘Bastard Son Of J. Morales.’