by Bella Colt
Birthright
Book 2: Know Thyself
Bella Colt
Copyright © 2020 Bella Colt
All rights reserved
The characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.
No part of this book may be reproduced, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without express written permission of the publisher.
ISBN 9798649336635
For my readers, this book is for YOU. The person reading these very words, THANK YOU so much for all your support by believing in me, the story, and the characters. Without you, none of this is even possible. I also have to throw a shout out to Co-Vid 19 for turning me into an at-home schoolteacher to three kids… without this pandemic, this would have been completed months sooner.
-Bella
Contents
Title Page
Copyright
Dedication
Part 1
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Part 2
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Epilogue
Acknowledgement
About The Author
Praise For Author
Books By This Author
Part 1
Chapter 1
Amara
The last few months have flown by; I can’t believe how fast the time goes when you’re genuinely enjoying life. Will I really be turning 18 in just over a week? Discovering that I am part were-wolf and learning more about the were-world has undoubtedly contributed to the swift passing of time. I decided not to contact my mother’s parents yet, I just want to focus and prepare for my first were-shift that should be coming up soon. Also, Declan and I have been busy having several meetings with Amelinda and Luther to discuss her retaining the title as Queen, while I act as an advisor. I want to honor my father’s wish for me to become Queen but have no desire to be in charge and responsible for so many people. I’m still learning how to take care of myself, and I believe that our people are happy with Amelinda as Queen.
In the months since Declan rescued me from my grandfather, Amelinda has made a lot of changes in the pack. She’s decided to move them back to a remote part of Germany, and the pack seems happier reacclimating to their native country. In fact, the monthly reports I’ve been receiving indicate that members have nothing but compliments about her and the changes she has made. So, I think my father would be happy, and when the time comes, I’ll be there to help her pick a successor.
Not to mention, the wedding plans are keeping me busy. Which isn’t as bad as I expected because I’m usually spending time with Audrey or Brianna. At least I’m comfortable around them; I haven’t had the chance to really get to know anyone else yet. If I’m not planning for the wedding, I’m holed up somewhere with Declan. Like right now, we’re lying on our bed, snuggling. His arms loosely wrapped around me, with my head on his chest relaxing from our previous activities. Not that I’m complaining, I just expected to know more of his pack than only the people living in this house by now.
“When will I meet the rest of your pack?” I ask him.
"Our pack.” He reminds me. “at our wedding".
Normally we would’ve had a big party after we mated. However, since you weren’t raised with our traditions, I wanted it to be done in your way with a marriage ceremony.” He explains with a smile while looking down at me with his eyes half-open.
KNOCK. KNOCK.
“Who is it?” Declan growls as he quickly covers me with the sheet.
“It’s John, we need you! There’s been an incident in town.” Our Beta, John, replies in a hurry.
Declan shifts his body out from under mine quickly and gets up to throw a t-shirt and jeans on.
“I’ll meet you downstairs!” He yells back to John through the door, placing a quick kiss to my lips before turning around and making his way out the door in a hurry.
Lying there, now alone, I wonder what’s going on in town. I hope everyone in the pack is alright, I think, as I move to sit up and get out of bed. Suddenly, the contents of my stomach shift. I immediately lie back down to fight off the nausea, but that only makes it worse. As soon as I’m flat on my back, I start gagging, so I roll over to my side. I am not able to move any further before I start retching my breakfast over the bed, emptying my stomach. I’m throwing up so much that I’m fighting to breathe; as soon as I’m sure there’s nothing left, I navigate my way out of bed and around the disgusting puddle to the bathroom.
Standing in front of the mirror, I splash some cold water on to my sweat-soaked face. Looking at the reflection before me, I assess my swollen, bloodshot eyes on my red face as I grab my toothbrush and toothpaste. While brushing my teeth, I walk to the shower and turn it on, so it will be warm for me as I go and close the bathroom door. I wonder if this could just be a sign of my first shift approaching? I make a mental note to ask Declan when he returns as I finish and step into the shower. I let the hot water massage my muscles as I relax, and steam fills the bathroom.
I finish washing my hair and body then start looking around for my razor only to realize I forgot to grab one from the drawer below the sink. Before I can reach for the shower curtain, it’s flung open from the other side. I scream as I cover as much of myself as possible with my hands. Pain radiates from the side of my head as I lose my balance and fall to the tub floor awkwardly, bracing myself as I move my hands from censoring me. When I look up, I’m able to make out a blurred billy-club in a masked figure’s hand. Naked and shaking from fear, I’m unable to fight it as my breathing shallows, and darkness slowly takes over.
Chapter 2
I can’t believe she’s back, and he’s the fucking Alpha of the pack now! I was hoping that he wouldn’t find her in time, and Declan would go mad and just do me a favor and kill himself! I allow myself a moment to chuckle at that thought before my anger returns.
But no, the half-breed returns, and all is well. Disgusting, all of them! The whole pack! Accepting her as one of us without question. It was stupid of Declan to leave that letter in the study. It’s like a second room for me. I always snoop in the study when the Alpha is away. I’ve been doing it since I was a kid, it’s where all the good secrets are found.
I’ve been waiting for the last two weeks for an opportunity to put my plan into action before I decided that I need to make a distraction of my own. Paying six pups to start fighting in the middle of town seemed reasonable. Minimal p
ersuasion was needed, money is enough incentive. The other pups that are sure to join in will do so to claim dominance. It only cost me twelve hundred bucks too, stupid pups. It’s so not going to be worth it for them when they’re caught.
Watching from a cracked open door, a few rooms down from Declan’s, I wait until I see his Beta, John, run to his door and knock hard twice. Any wolf worth his salt would’ve been able to smell me, especially since I am in such close proximity, but John is showing no signs of knowing that I’m around. This is proof that the scent masking cologne I bought at the underground market actually works.
“Who is it?” I can hear Declan growl through the door, he really hates to be disturbed when he’s with her. I smile to myself; I really love being able to annoy him.
“It’s John, we need you! There’s been an incident in town.”
“I’ll meet you downstairs!” I hear Declan yell back to John through the door.
I continue to watch as he walks away. A minute later, Declan walks out of the room, closing the door quickly behind him. I hope he didn’t lock it in his hastiness, it will take more time and be more noticeable if I have to jimmy the lock.
I wait, listening to the last few murmurs downstairs before hearing the front door open and close. Silence is all I hear as I wait another moment before stepping out into the hall and inhale deeply looking for any other scents. Not one. Just me and Amara, I walk to the door and place my head against it to listen. I can hear her gag and start vomiting, the sound of wet chunks hitting the floor, and a foul smell surrounds the room and hall, making me take a few steps back. Holding back a gag, I start breathing through my mouth and wait for her to finish.
After a few minutes of listening to her yak her guts out, I hear her move from the bed and away from the door, probably to the adjoined bathroom. I continue to listen as I hear the sink turn on and then a door closing, followed by the sound of the shower.
Perfect! I twist the handle expecting it to be locked, but to my surprise, it turns freely and opens. Yes! Can my luck get any better? I step into the room, closing and locking the door behind me just in case anyone comes back to the house. Grabbing the ski mask out of my back pocket, I quickly put it on as I stalk quietly around the puke to the bathroom door.
Hearing only the shower running, I wait two minutes before trying the doorknob. This must be fate, I think, as this knob turns freely with no problems. Smiling, I quietly creep into the bathroom closing the door, but I leave it cracked open about an inch. I can make out the silhouette of her body through the curtain and notice her reaching for the curtain, so I decide to help her by opening it. Her loud scream pierces my eardrums when I yank the curtain to the side. As she scrambles to cover up her private bits with her hands, I grab the billy-club from my belt loop and smack her upside the head with the right amount of force.
I don’t want to kill her, that would ruin all the fun. I watch her as she begins to waver and attempt to brace herself, giving me a good show as she falls. I am pleased with my work as I watch her look up at me with blank eyes before she passes out.
Chapter 3
Declan
Jogging down the stairs, I see my Beta John waiting for me at the bottom. “What’s going on, John? This better be damn good to interrupt me.” I ask, the irritation evident in my voice.
“It is!” He says with a half-smile plastered to his face.
“Well...?”
“There’s a group of pups fighting in the middle of town. It started out as a group of six, but you know how the pups' mentality works when a fight happens. All the male pups are fighting now and causing a lot of damage to the streets and stores! It’s complete chaos out there right now!” He explains to me, still smiling.
“Let’s go then, and why in the hell are you so happy about this?” I ask, growling at him as we walk out the front door.
Stupid pups... just wait until I come up with their punishment, there will never be another fight like this again. I’ll be damn sure of it.
“I’m not happy about this; however, I’m just so happy that nothing can bring me down right now.” His smile widens into a full-blown ear to ear grin, reminding me of the Cheshire cat, all teeth.
“Are you going to tell me why?” I prod John curiously.
“Allison is pregnant!” He bursts out as we continue jogging towards the main street in the town where said fight is going on.
“Seriously? Congratulations, that’s awesome! How far along is she?” I ask.
“She’s around a month and a half!” He exclaims.
“Wow, only three and half months left... are you going to be ready?” I ask, his smile is contagious, and I find myself smiling back at him.
“I think so, but I’m nervous!” He answers and then drops his head as he becomes lost in his own thoughts.
My thoughts instantly stray to what it would be like to have a pup with Amara. She will be a great mother, and I’m hard just thinking about how beautiful she will be when our pup is growing inside her.
I wonder how her cycles work because of her elemental half; in werewolves, our women have cycles every three months where we mate like crazy for a week or so. We call it “The Heat,” the time to try and reproduce offspring. I’m jarred from my daydream by snarls, growls, and yelps as we finally come upon the fight in town.
Everywhere I look, there are pups engaged in fighting, oblivious to their surroundings, and knocking down anything and everything in their path. There are more wolves off to the side that is unshifted and trying to get the pups to stop. I see one pale brown wolf being double-teamed on the far end of the street and is about to be taken out from behind by a third that he doesn’t see coming.
“STOP!” I roar as loud as possible in my Alpha tone, and within moments everyone in the surrounding area is forced to freeze in place. “Bystanders leave now, every pup fighting will form a horizontal line in front of John!” I command. I watch as the crowd of spectators disburse, and the pups slowly start forming the line. Some are at least smart enough to look remorseful while doing so.
Looking around slowly, I take in all the damage that has been done. There are street lamps that are bent over from where a pup was thrown into them; shop windows have been busted out, and pieces of glass litter the main street. Taking a deep breath to calm myself, I turn back to the pups and instantly feel nauseous.
“It makes me sick to see my own pack do this to our home! I’m beyond disappointed in each and every one of you!” I say, breathing deeply as I watch most of them put their heads down in shame. Taking a quick count, there are six with their heads still raised. “You pups come and form a line in front of me now!” I say, pointing to each of the six individually. “The rest of you can go with John for your punishment!” I growl out the command at them.
John and much of the group walk away as the six obey, forming another horizontal line in front of me. “NOW, PHASE!” I command and watch as the six teenagers' phase from wolves to boys standing there in all their awkward glory.
Good, I want them to be uncomfortable as I saunter down the line inhaling each of their scents picking up the most fearful. “You. Step forward,” I order the one I have stopped in front of.
The scrawny boy with pale blond hair takes an unsteady step forward; stepping up to him, he’s forced to look up at me as I look him in the eyes. “What’s your name?” I ask him as I lean down closer to his face.
Pain radiates from the side of my head, and I know an intense headache is coming on as I take a deep breath and smell nothing except for his fear. I can literally feel it as if it’s my own; he is scared shitless right now.
“E-Eli Boughton, sir.” He replies shakily, his eyes looking anywhere but at mine.
“What started this fight, and don’t bother lying, I’ll know!” I warn him.
Turning his head, he is looking to his mates for help, and I start to think maybe I picked the wrong pup when he turns back and actually meets my eyes.
“W-w-well, we each got paid
two hundred bucks this afternoon to start fighting in the middle of town.” His words are rushed and hard to understand at first.
“Why and by whom?” I demand, grabbing him by the shoulder and shaking him a bit.
“I don’t know, I swear, Tommy talked to him.” He blurts out quickly as tears start falling freely from his eyes.
“And which one is Tommy?” I ask.
He points to the tallest of the remaining boys, standing at about 5’5 with messy dark hair wearing a cocky grin on his face. He is definitely the leader of this little group, and obviously in need of a lesson on how to respect his Alpha. Dropping Eli’s shoulder, I stalk over to Tommy, grabbing him by the back of his neck and squeeze while applying mild pressure making his knees buckle from the pain.
“Now, Tommy, do I have to show you why the Alpha title has stayed in my family for so long?” I growl with a slight smile on my face.
It feels good to be at home and in my element dealing with the pack again. Even if right this second, it’s with punk pups that don’t know up from down.
“N-no, sir!” He submits quickly enough, releasing his neck. I take one step back to watch his movements for any signs of an attack.
“Now, why were you paid to start a fight, and who paid you to do it?” I demand, watching his expression change from one of confidence to fear and confusion.
“I don’t know who he was, it was dark, and he kept his face hidden when he approached me in the woods. I can tell you he was white and had blue eyes, but that’s all I saw. He just offered me the cash and told me I could have whoever I wanted in on it; he said we wouldn’t get caught because there would be no way to know who started it.” He explains his eyes never leaving mine the whole time as they well up with unshed tears.
