The Wolf King's Goddess (The Wolf King's mate series Book 1), page 1
Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Chapter Thirty
Chapter Thirty-One
Chapter Thirty-Two
Chapter Thirty-Three
Chapter Thirty-Four
Chapter Thirty-Five
Chapter Thirty-Six
Chapter Thirty-Seven
The Wolf King’s Goddess
Copyright © 2022. Eleana Jaynes. All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced in any form without permission from the publisher, except as permitted by U.K copyright law. For permissions contact: Eleana Jaynes Facebook page.
The Wolf King’s Goddess
By Eleana Jaynes
Chapter One
“Morning.” I smiled at Crystal as I joined her in the kitchen. Her long blonde hair hung lose as she tried to cover her bruised cheeks. She smiled softly as she saw me before dipping her head and continuing to prepare breakfast. I slid up beside her and grabbed a pack of flour and some eggs and began mixing a batter. I worked silently beside her knowing last night had been traumatic for her. I could see even with her wolf healing Crystal was bruised and favouring her right side. And her beautiful blue eyes had lost their spark.
We would finish breakfast for the pack before helping out with the Laundry and the cleaning of rooms. Our Pack was unlike normal shifter packs, we were banished from wolf territory and although we were not rogues, we were excluded from any local shifter communities. We had been shunned and over the centuries our pack had become lawless and little more than barbaric. The men ruled and the women served, we cooked and cleaned and for those with wolves, their bodies were claimed regularly by any male in the pack.
Last night it was Crystal that had been the target of the men’s attention. I had lain in bed shaking as I heard her screams and the growls of her wolf as one by one the men ravaged her. We never found mates in our pack and it was believed we were cursed but I had always hoped it was purely because we never associated with any wolves outside of the pack. I dreamt that one day I would run from this pack and I would find my true mate. It was a silly dream as even if I escaped the Pack I would still be rejected and probably even killed if I tried to enter wolf territory.
No woman was safe here not even me, the Alpha’s daughter. The only way I was able to escape the clutches of the men is because I have never shifted. I have had to fight my nature and my wolf every step of the way and I have been able to hold her at bay. All females in my pack try but I am the only one strong enough to do it. I can feel my wolf within me and I know it hurts her to keep her locked away but I know the pain that awaits us both if I were to let her surface.
I glanced over at Crystal and my guilt gnawed away at me. I felt selfish for keeping my wolf locked away and protecting myself when the others had no choice. I came close to allowing my first shift once but Crystal and a few others had talked me down. She made me promise to hold off the shift as long as I could. Most girls in my pack shifted at sixteen but I was about to turn eighteen in just a few months.
“Eraina.” Lina cried out as she ran into the kitchen. “The men are in the communal room.”. She was fifteen and I knew soon enough she too would shift and her life would become unbearable. She wrapped her arms around Crystal hugging her tightly before she came and did the same to me. I wished I could get her out of here and away from this pack but a rogue life would be worse than this one. I began to grab the trays of freshly baked pastries and carry them down the first-floor corridor of the pack house to the communal room.
My Father sat near the fire and he glared at me, with his usual hatred filled grimace, as I placed one of the trays on the table. He hated me for fighting against my wolf, I was the Alpha’s daughter and it made him look weak to have a wolfless child. My brother Nathanial was sat beside him and as per normal he didn’t even acknowledge my existence. He returned from his latest mission for my father late last night and was now scowling as he stared right through me. He always was the good little wolf, obeying my father’s every command, but as he sat there, I couldn’t help but feel he seemed angry at my father.
I headed towards them when if felt a set of eyes boring into me, Rand, my father’s Beta stepped towards me taking a pastry off the tray. I was small for a shifter at 5”4 and he was one of the biggest shifter males in the pack, but he didn’t intimidate me. He leant over me, snaking his arm around my waist as he pulled me closer. I almost lost my balance and one of the trays tipped clattering to the floor and I spun to snarl at him.
“Eraina!” My father bellowed and all the noise in the communal area ceased as he stormed towards me. Rand released me but stood close as my father towered over me. Being an Alpha female, I was stubborn and never let my weaknesses show, I had to be strong for the other females in the pack. My strength gave them hope, so as my father bared his fangs, I stood tall, holding eye contact. He stared down at me with no hint of love or affection, just pure hatred. “Get out of my sight.” He hissed eventually and I slammed the remaining trays onto the table and turned on my heels, storming from the room.
I stormed into the kitchen before stopping and leaning against the door frame to try and calm myself. My anger often got me into trouble but it was the nature of an Alpha. Nathanial was born first and as a male he will be the next Alpha but I had as much Alpha strength as he did which was unusual. The women in our pack were submissive and the wolves were far smaller than the men, it was expected that my wolf would too be small due to my size but I had felt her within me and I knew she was not going to be submissive when she did break through.
I focused on my breathing taking long deep breaths with my eyes closed as I let my anger subside. It was a constant battle within me to calm myself and my wolf.
“I will see you tonight.” My eyes shot opened and I found myself face to face with Rand. The way his eyes roamed over my body, and the way he leered at me had me feeling uneasy. I would never let him see my discomfort.
“I can’t wait.” I replied sarcastically. I pushed off the wall and shoved past him aggressively, as I returned to the kitchen to grab a plate for myself. I kept myself calm even though I knew Rand’s words meant my father was going to try and force me to shift tonight. I knew he was desperate to get my wolf to appear before my eighteenth birthday but I was even more determined not to let her out. I filled my plate before returning my attention to Rand who was still stood watching me.
“You don’t want to keep my father waiting!” I scowled keeping my eyes locked with his in a display of power. He could try to dominate me all he liked but I will never submit to him.
“Tonight then.” He smirked as he sauntered from the kitchen taking a bite from his pastry. I rolled my eyes as I heard shuffling behind me.
“You shouldn’t bait him Raine.” Crystal walked from the walk-in pantry, where I was certain she had hidden until Rand had left.
“I know.” I sighed with a smirk as I stuffed a pastry into my mouth. She rolled her eyes before she too grabbed a plate and filled it taking a seat beside me.
“Are you in control?” I nodded and she seemed to relax a little. I had good days and bad days where my wolf was closer to breaking free but today, she was calm and content.
“Maybe I should let her out and she can destroy Rand.” I joked with a wink as Crystal tried to hide her smirk. She knew I would hold my wolf in no matter how bad the beating I received. “You should go rest; I can handle the chores.” I winked at her before I washed my plate and headed out to the laundry room.
After hours of cleaning and laundry I hurried back to my room to prepare myself for the night ahead. It had begun to get dark when I stopped training and headed to my old broken wardrobe. The whole pack house was run down and dilapidated with big concrete walls with plaster falling from the walls, and wooden floorboards that creaked and often broke. We were a poor pack and unlike the packs in wolf territory our Alpha was not rich. We had to fix anything that broke by hand and so often there were closed off bathrooms and showers. The heating always conked out so we had back up log burners that would stop us from freezing.
I grabbed a pair of combat trousers from the wardrobe and a t-shirt and hoodie. I tended to favour baggy clothes around the pack house as it hid my curvaceous figure that I knew would only draw more attention from the men, my striking hair and eyes already did that. My hair was unusual starting almost black at the roots and fading into the lightest grey almost white. I had tried to dye it numerous times but the die would never take so I was stuck with it. My eyes looked like they were made of diamond with golden amber flecks around the pupil. I had never seen a wolf with eyes or hair like mine and unfortunately it drew far too much attention to me.
I quickly braided my hair into a French plait and slipped on my black combat boots before checking myself over. I didn’t bother with make-up, again it was to protect myself. I heard footsteps approaching my door and I sighed stealing away from the mirror and waiting by the door.
“Raine!” Nathanial hammered on my door. “It’s time.”
Chapter Two
I swung the door open and kept my chin up as I stood in the door way staring up at Nathanial. He was expressionless but I noticed him tighten his jaw as he stepped back for me to leave my room.
“Let’s get this over with.” I snapped as I stormed ahead of him. No matter how bad the beatings got I had learnt to become numb to it and I was not going to cave in. Nathanial led me through the pack house and out towards the woods. They always took me to the woods away from the Packhouse so I wouldn’t know where to run and escape if my wolf should awaken.
We entered the clearing where Alpha Ross, Beta Rand, Gamma Eric and Delta Shane all stood waiting. They had brought out the most powerful wolves tonight, my father was getting desperate. Normally it would only be my father and Rand that would try to draw out my wolf but I knew as my birthday approached my father would stop at nothing to draw out my wolf.
I stood before my father as he signalled for Nathanial to leave before he turned his attention to me. Most girls would be trembling before these men but my inner Alpha refused to fear them, not when this was nothing compared to what the other females endured. I tilted my head as a slight grin spread across my lips.
“Shall we begin?” I baited waiting for my father’s command. As my Alpha I should have no choice but to follow his commands but somehow, I had, so far, managed to fight his control of me. Maybe it was because I didn’t see him as my Alpha but I expected it had something to do with the strong Alpha strength I had within me. Women were never Alpha’s even in the wolf territory but I held far more Alpha power than Nathanial did. I wondered if really females should be the true Alphas’ or if I was some freak of nature?
“Shift!” My father ordered and I felt his command through every inch of my being, and I felt my wolf stirring.
“No!” I said through gritted teeth as I fought both my wolf and my father’s Alpha power. He watched as I strained to defy him before he signalled and Eric stood forward. He swung so fast I didn’t see it coming and his fist hit my face hard enough to send me sprawling back across the ground. Dammit! I wiped blood from my lip as I sneered up at my father.
“Shift!” My father’s voice boomed through the woods, Alpha’s had power in their commands and his voice would be heard for some distance. I slowly pushed myself up to my hands and knees and back up to my feet before lifting my head to him again.
“No!” Eric swung again and this time I was ready and caught his fist in my hand and as I squeezed unleashing my own Alpha power, I heard a crack and he cursed as I felt bone break. He yanked his hand back and Rand and Shane ran forward with Shane tackling me as Rand dropped down on top of me and his fist collided with my face.
“Shift!” My father repeated and I felt my wolf surging to the surface.
“No!” I screamed as I fought with everything, I had to stop her breaking through. More strikes rained down on me and I tried to defend myself but I had to focus to much on stopping my wolf and fighting my father’s command. I heard my ribs crack as Rand repeatedly punched me.
“Shift!” My father was losing control and his command was become desperate and filled with fury but as my body weakened, I began to feel my wolf withdraw. She had conceded and so for tonight my fight was over. I relaxed my body as the internal war was over and as I began to succumb to the physical injuries I simply laughed and let the darkness claim me.
~
I woke to someone hammering on my door and before I could move it swung open and Nathanial was storming across the room. I groaned as I tried to move but my body didn’t want to. He grabbed me and before I knew what was happening, he threw me across the room and I slammed into the wall hard enough that all the air rushed from my lungs.
“What is wrong with you?” He screamed at me as he grabbed my shoulders pinning me back against the wall. “You are making us all look weak. Do you want Rand or one of the others to challenge us?” This pack was power hungry and he had legitimate concerns but my father, as much as I hated him was a strong Alpha and would not be taken down so easily.
“I’m glad to see your only concern is for your position.” I coughed as I tried to get my breath back.
“You think that’s all I care about? Father will eventually just throw you out. He will get rid of the thing that makes him look weak. You wouldn’t survive as a rogue Eraina.” He was wrong about both of those things. I could survive as a rogue but my life would be far worse than it is now. I would be constantly chased by hunters as being rogue was punishable by death if they caught you, but I could survive it, I was strong. Secondly father would never throw me out as he knew that although I had no wolf, I was strong and he would be able to feel my Alpha power. Alphas were made stronger by their pack so it would be foolish to get rid of such a powerful pack member.
“I won’t become like them.” I said and his rage boiled over and he struck my already swollen face.
“The longer that you fight this the more the others suffer. You could ease some of their burden but you are selfish.” He spat angrily. He was right I knew I could ease their suffering but I had made a promise that I would fight as long as I could. Crystal had told me that I was giving the others hope that things could change. I could not break my promise to her no matter how selfish it made me feel.
“You can try to blame me for their suffering but we both know I am not the problem here.” I glared up into his eyes. “I know what you did to Crystal.” His face dropped for the slightest moment before the rage took over again. I had lost it last night hearing Crystal and her wolf and I had gone to help her when I saw him enter her room. I was ready to kill him for hurting her but father had stopped me and locked me in my room until morning.
“You don’t know everything Eraina.” He spat before he released me and began pacing the room.
“I know that you are as bad as the rest of them yet you stand here and accuse me of making them suffer. Mother would be so disappointed in you.” I glared at him as he grabbed my dresser and threw it across the room before spinning on his heels and slamming the door on his way out. I knew bringing mother into it was cruel but I knew she would see what he was doing and despair. I was glad at times like this, that she wasn’t here to see him now, he was just like my father and Rand.
I winced as I tried to move from the floor. I lifted my hoodie and could see my side was black and blue around my ribs, they were definitely broken. I sighed as I dragged myself towards my bed and pulled myself onto it. Pain ripped through my body with every movement but I had to push through it. As I hadn’t let my wolf out, I would take longer to heal, but luckily not as long as a human. I still had advanced strength, speed, sight and hearing but once my wolf emerged, they would become even more heightened.
I stared over at my mirror and saw the extent of the swelling to my face and a few slight cuts on my face but they weren’t deep enough to leave a scar and would be totally gone in a day or two. My ribs would take a little longer to heal but I would feel significantly better by the morning. I lay down and closed my eyes letting the pain cause me to fall into the darkness.
Chapter Three
I had slept most of the day after my beating and all through the night, so Crystal had taken over my chores along with the frequent visits to check my wounds and bring me food. She had bandaged my ribs which had eased a lot of the pain and although my face had mostly healed, I would still need a several more days before my ribs were fully healed.
I slipped from the bed and grabbed a hoodie slipping it over some jeans and a t-shirt. I had to get back to help Crystal although she would never complain about taking over my chores. I went to the shower room first as I knew the males would be heading to the communal room so I slipped in unnoticed, and as always, I hurriedly washed and dried in the shower cubicle slipping my clothes back on before I left. I dried my hair with the towel before braiding it and heading back towards the kitchen. I tossed the towel in a laundry trolley on my way.
