The Forgotten Mate and The Alpha Prince

Prologue The sounds of laughter and song echoed around the courtyard, as the ‘Matlock Pack’ began to gather. It was not the first time they would stand around the eight-foot, wooden pole that stood as a permanent feature, encased in concrete, securing the structure to the ground. Nor would it be the last time they were called to witness their Alpha’s judgment. The pack watched as once more Alisha ‘the ungrateful’ Wilson was dragged out from the dungeons, stripped naked from the waist up. She walked with purpose, not lowering her head in disgrace, never allowing anyone to see any weakness, which only enraged Alpha Jabez Pinewood further. The guards pulled Alisha’s hands above her head, the thick brown leather of the straps that would hold her in place tightened, gripping her wrists, as it was fed through the large metal hoops, to secure her to the pole, minimising her movements. Her body was stretched upwards so that only the very tips of her toes reached the cold concrete below. There are many times in a person's life when they pause to question the decision that brought them to a certain place. But no matter what had befallen Alisha, she could never bring herself to regret the choices she made three years ago, not once. They could whip the skin from her back, and still, she would stand firm in her belief that she had, as always, made the right choice. Alisha did not even wince as the guard grabbed her long brown hair, violently dragging her head back, before securing it in a metal clip above her head, giving Alpha Jabez full access to her soft skin, ensuring he did the most damage possible, over, and over. Alisha prepared herself, taking slow breaths, deliberately causing her body to relax. She had learned a valuable lesson over the past three years, that if you stiffened up, the lashes hurt more than if your body was as relaxed. A small whimper from the crowd made Alisha blink open her eyes, as she saw two hazel eyes, identical to her own, filled with tears staring at her. Alisha sighed, then offered a reassuring smile to her younger sister, shaking her head as a silent instruction to the 10-year-old to not show them she cared. If you gave Alpha Jabez any sign that something was upsetting to you, then you all but guaranteed that punishment would be administered repeatedly in a bid to teach you a lesson. “Bastard” Alisha muttered under her breath. The Alpha had made the sweet innocent Iesha stand as a witness, his ultimate punishment, for a crime that he perceived to have been committed. “Don’t cry Iesha, keep your eyes open and watch, do not flinch, but think of happy thoughts so that they cannot use my punishments against you again.” Alisha's mind linked with the sister she had been forced to protect since that fateful day 8 years ago. Alpha Jabez had not always been cruel, nor had he always been driven to such harsh measures. In fact, he had once shown both Alisha and Iesha kindness, taking them into his home, and offering the two pups with Alpha blood flowing in their veins, sanctuary. A perceived kindness, but it came at a then-unknown cost, one Alisha was unwilling to pay. Her parents had been tragically killed one fateful night. It was believed that rogues had attacked under the cover of darkness, on the road from Matlock to Edensor, after a night of celebration between the packs. That was eight years ago when Alisha was the same tender age as her sister. They had been left orphans; the pack weakened by the untimely accident. Matlock's pack was given permission by the royal family, to integrate with her pack, until Alisha was of age to run it herself. But that all changed the day Aliisha rejected the Alpha of the neighbouring Derby pack, the old, ruthless, and cruel Alpha Edward. Jabez had wished to form an alliance, terrified of Edward and his reputation, and had used Alicia as the bargaining chip. However, Alicia was not going to become the chosen mate of a brutal man, she believed wholeheartedly in the sanctity of a mate bond. She could not be compelled or ordered into the mating agreement, even at the tender age of just 15, something that had angered Jabez further, showing him as weak, unable to deal with his pack. However, Alicia was not a member of the Matlock Pack, she was the Alpha of the integrated Edensor pack, it was her birth rite, her destiny. She did not have to bow down to the whims of an Alpha looking to secure his own fortunes, and so she had refused to entertain the idea. That was her real crime, and from that day, and every day since for the past three years, she would find herself at the whipping pole, being disciplined for some made-up crime or other. Alisha and Iesha were alone, lost to the world, living in a cycle of abuse and hardship, and despite laws to the contrary that protected the Omegas, there was no law of the land that protected two Alpha orphans, and so the crimes went, undetected, and their suffering continued. The King and Queen, who had, it was said, valiantly opposed slavery and abuse, sat on their mighty thrones hundreds of miles north of Matlock, the perceived gift of Prophecy that the Queen possessed, had failed to highlight their plight. Alisha hated them, almost as much as she hated Alpha Jabez. Her father’s once closest ally turned captor. One day she would take her revenge, on everyone who had forgotten her and her sister. She would claim her pack back from Jabez and take those members who had remained loyal to her, even when it was perilous to do so. All she needed was her wolf, and not for the first time she said a silent prayer, that today would be the day she accessed her Alpha counterpart and set both her and Iesha free. She knew her wolf was there, inside her, because she healed quicker than a human, and could mind-link with her sister, but not the pack members. But the wolf was dormant, waiting for God knows what, before making her appearance and setting Alisia free. The swish of the air crackled, as the leather whip connected with her skin, ripping the flesh from the bone. It would heal, it always healed, but still, there would be red, angry risen scars left behind as a reminder of her punishment. One day they would disappear, of that she was certain. Maybe it would be this day, Alisha could only hope. But yet again, as she took the ten lashes, without so much as a whimper, and once again her wolf did not appear. The despondency that she was a late shifter hurt her more than any amount of lashes the cruel Alpha Jabez could order against her, or the enforced starvation, only feeding her and Iesha one meal every two days. Alisha wallowed down the lump that almost choked her, as she mourned the loss of her loving parents. The loss of the pack she was born to lead, which did not dare revolt against Jabez, not until she accessed her Alpha wolf. Once again, the whip connected with a brutal force against her, and once again, Alisha bravely refused to make a sound, as she held eye contact with her sister, willing her to remain strong, and not let the bastards see her cry.