Deprived (Daughter of an Alpha Book 2)

by Kaitlyn Taylor

  “I think you’re putting too much pressure on yourself,” he continued when I did not respond. I kind of forgot that he was still sitting next to me while I thought about what he had said.

  “It’s what’s expected of us,” I mumbled but I knew he heard me.

  “Maybe so,” he agreed. “But not tonight or tomorrow. We’ll figure it out later. For now, why don’t we just get to know each other? Quit pushing me away when I’m just trying to be nice to you.”

  “You’re right,” we both laughed. “I’ll admit it. I’ve been kind of nasty towards you.”

  “Don’t forget, you still owe me,” he reminded me.

  “You’re just trying to get me to take my dress off,” I pushed him slightly as he came closer to me.

  “What kind of giant do you think I am?” he seemed bother for a minute but then he smiled and let it go. “No, I have something else in mind.”

  “And what’s that?” I acted intrigued just to please him. Actually, I was very interested in what he had in mind, but I did not want him to know that. Something as simple as that could easily go to his head.

  “Go for a walk with me,” he suggested.

  “That’s it?” I asked, expecting something much more annoying to come along.

  “Just an hour of your time is all I’m asking for,” he said more specifically this time.

  “Honestly, I’m a little surprised that that’s all you want from me,” I admitted. “I was expecting something else.”

  “Like I said, I’m not that kind of Giant,” he repeated. “Just get to know me a little more. I know you know me but actually try and maybe we won’t fight as much anymore. Don’t fight what we could potentially have because of your stubbornness and before you get made at me for saying that just think about it. It’s what you do best, remember?”

  “I’m going to pretend you didn’t just call me stubborn,” I said after taking a deep breath.

  “That’s all I ask,” he pulled away still wearing the same smile that he wore when he sat down. Even I could not deny that he was the most good looking giant I had ever seen. I am not sure if it was the strawberry blonde hair or the moss green eyes that attracted me to him so much but whatever it was, it was hard to stay mad at him for long when I looked at his face. Looking at his abs made it even harder. He was almost bigger than Juno, which was saying something back in Giant Territory.

  “How long have you guys been in here waiting for dinner?” Luna asked as she and Declan walked into the dining hall. Of the other girls she was the most like me, stand offish towards the one they were meant to be bound to, but I had a feeling that behind closed doors it was a different story. I was actually really surprised to see them together. Usually, Declan was always at Levi’s side and if he was not with the Alpha he was with Liam. Luna seemed happy to have him next to her though, so I am going to assume that they had a great conversation behind closed doors while they waited for dinner. It was going to be a late dinner tonight but that was only became Kota and Nathan were unconscious until about an hour before it got dark. Nico was not able to tell the maids and butlers about dinner until then because who wants to have a celebratory dinner when the ones we are celebrating are passed out in the hospital wing. No one seemed to mind at the time, but we were all getting hungry now.

  “We’re going to go for a walk after dinner, Juda,” Luna said as she sat down across from me. Declan sat down next to her and flashed his light blue eyes my way before nodding his head at Hudson. “You guys should join us.”

  “It’s dark, Luna,” I reminded her. “Why would you want to go for a walk at night?”

  “Don’t you remember when we were younger?” she seemed upset that I did not know what she was talking about. “We would sneak out in the middle of the night and climb up the mountain? We’d start a fire and just sit around it and laugh and talk for hours.”

  “No one could ever understand why we were so tired the next day,” I laughed as I remembered the several memories flashing through my mind. “We haven’t done that in a long time.”

  “Exactly, which is why we should do it tonight,” she said excitedly.

  “Is it really the best time to be doing that though?” I asked. “With everything going on with Malachi, isn’t best if we stay here?”

  “That’s why we’re taking them,” she said as she pointed to Declan and Hudson. They both sighed as they realized they had been volunteered to join us on the walk. “Kota, Nova, and Deja are coming too, and Nathan, Roman, and Gavin so you won’t be the only guys.”

  She said it like it was supposed to make them feel better, but I got the sense that it did everything but that. It actually sounded like it would be fun, and it had been a long time since we had gone up to the mountain, which was once my favorite spot in Werewolf Territory. I glanced over at Hudson waiting to see what he was going to do. It did not take him long to agree to the adventure when he saw my pleading eyes. I am not sure why I was silently begging him. I did not need him to go just so I could. I could go on my own if I wanted. There was a part of me that wanted him to come with me though and I had no explanation as to why that is.

  “Come on, Declan,” Luna begged. “Everyone else is going. Don’t be such a downer.”

  “Do I really have a choice?” he asked. He did not seem annoyed with Luna at all. He actually smiled, which I had not seen him do since he arrived here at the Castle.

  “Not really,” she grinned devilishly.

  “Well, then I guess I’m going, too,” he said as he moved his arm. He may have thought he was being discreet, but I saw him grade Luna’s hand underneath the table. It was not a big deal, but they seemed to be wanting to keep it a secret for some reason, so I will not call him out on it even though I wanted to.

  “Where are you guys going?” Nico asked as he walked in. Nero was with him and a few seconds later Kory and Kody followed.

  “Nowhere,” Luna said quickly. The looks on Hudson and Declan’s faces changed when they realized we were not going to tell the Alphas about our late-night walk up the mountain. It was not in their nature to deceive the Alphas, but they did it anyways. That did not mean they were comfortable while doing it though.

  “What are you up to?” Nico asked looking directly at Luna for the answer.

  “Why do you always think I’m up to something?” she questioned. “Can’t I just have a conversation like any normal vampire?”

  “If it were anyone else but you, then yes, but since it is you, so no,” he replied.

  “I’m extremely offended by that,” she spoke soft as she looked up at Nico’s towering height.

  “That’s not my problem,” he bent down so that they were eye to eye and spoke in a mocking tone. Her jaw dropped as he pulled away from her and took his seat at the head of the table, Nero on his right side. Roman would sit on his left and Nova would sit next to him. Levi and Liam would sit in between Nero and Luna and the sorcerers would sit on the other side of Declan. Juno and Jona would sit in between Nova and I and the fairies would sit on the other side of Hudson. Unless someone decided to throw a kink in the seating arrangement it would never change.

  There were five empty seats at the end of the table. Another opportunity for our mothers to join us but we need it was false hope. They had checked out completely and I was starting to believe that we were orphaned the day our fathers were murdered. I thought our mothers would bounce back, especially since they seemed to uphold all traditions when it came to the burials of the late Alphas but once the burials were over, they locked themselves away. I had not seen my mother since then. I missed her but there was also an anger within me whenever I thought of her. It was a good thing I had Juno and Jona by my side. I was even grateful that Hudson was there when I needed him.

  “How are you feeling, Kota?” I asked as she sat down at the table, Nathan following her. It was easy to see that they had not been resting during their short time out of the hospital wing. Kota’s hair was no longer neatly put together, and she wa
s in a different dress than the one she wore this morning. No one was judging her but if she was trying not to hide what they were doing up in her chambers than she was succeeding.

  “Great,” she answered. “I’m hungry though. I never ate this morning and it’s starting to catch up with me.”

  “I’m sure you worked up quite the appetite,” Luna smirked jokingly. We all knew what she meant but no one other than Luna was going to say something about it at the dinner table.

  “Luna,” Levi quietly scolded.

  “Don’t worry, it’s just Luna being Luna,” Kota brushed it off. She did not seem concerned at all by anyone’s comments, which was very unlike her. She was nervous all the time because she cared about what people thought of her. We all could use a little bit of that but, unfortunately, we all got more of the ‘I don’t care’ attitude. She knew better than to be offended by whatever Luna said but I always knew it bothered her just a little bit whenever Luna said something that did not sit well with her. Something had changed though. It was almost like she did not have a care in the world now. It was like she had this new-found confidence shining off of her. I actually really liked it.

  “Don’t mind me, Kota,” Luna told her. “I was only joking around.”

  Before Kota could say anything in return the butlers began bringing out the many plates of food. I suddenly realized my own hunger when they dropped the plate of chicken in front of me. I waited until all the food was brought out before I started scooping little bits of all of it onto my plate. I did not want to be rude and grab something that someone else was already reaching for. Luckily, there were several plates that contained the same thing, so I did not have to be too concerned with making sure everyone got some. We all had large appetites, so this food was not going to last long. Luckily, this was just the first of three courses. Usually, there is a salad course as well, but I guess Nico had them skip that this time. I was perfectly fine with that because salad never filled me up anyways and clearly, I was not the only one who thought so.

  Sometimes I forgot how much I loved food until it was put in front of me. I surprised myself when I ate as if I had not had anything to eat in a few days. The food was always good at dinner, but this food was ten times better because it was for a celebration. I looked over at Kota and Nathan who seemed to be having a conversation that the rest of us could not hear again, and silently thanked them for being the reason we all got to enjoy this deliciousness tonight.

  Chapter Six

  Luna

  It had been many years since the girls and I went up to the mountain. I could not explain why it brought me so much joy but just the thought of returning to the top of peak brought on a warm sensation in my chest. The mountain was right behind Werewolf Castle and it extended all the way to Giant Territory. Before the dirt paths were finished this was how the giants would travel to Werewolf Territory. The peak that sat directly behind the Castle was my favorite because the top of it was almost like a cave. I can remember going up there many times on my own and starting a small fire to keep myself warm and think about whatever was bothering me. Usually, I had just found myself in a fight with the other girls and I needed some space. This was my safe place away from Vampire Territory. The girls and I would hide from our parents up here. They knew exactly where we were thanks to the smoke coming from the fire, but they never chased after us. They waited until we were ready to come back down. It was not in our mothers’ nature to just let us stay up on the mountain peak all day and it was no secret to me that our fathers had something to do with the short time of isolation that we craved.

  Before we left to walk the mountain, we went back up to our chambers to change into more comfortable clothes. My definition of comfortable was a long sleeve shirt and black pants but if my mother was around, comfortable was a sun dress. Luckily, she was too busy hiding in her room back in Vampire Territory and would not see me where the same clothes she would see on my brothers. Declan met me outside of my chambers. I knew he was uncomfortable with going up to the mountain peak without telling Levi, but I promised him that if my brother got mad I would take full responsibility and admit to taking him hostage. It was a story Levi would not believe considering the size difference between Declan and I, but Declan went along with it anyways.

  I felt our connection growing closer since our time here in Werewolf Territory. I do not know if it was the Binding Ceremony or the events that took place afterwards but, whatever it was, I was beginning to feel a pull in his direction. I do not know if I would call it falling in love, but I did not mind his presence as much the longer I was around him. I was not fighting my father’s wishes as much as I had before he died. Kota and Nathan seemed happy, so why could Declan and I not have the same thing? I am not saying let’s rush to the ballroom for another Binding Ceremony. We all know how the last one ended. I am just saying, I think I understand why my father felt like he was such a good match for me. We balanced each other out. He is sweet and calm, and I am blunt and chaotic. I know the blood ritual confirmed it, but Declan was my father’s first choice to begin with. He did not test anyone else. I guess, I am saying I am finding it hard to imagine my life without him in it.

  We walked down the hallway to the staircase where we waited for the others. We would have to sneak out of the Castle, which would not be easy since our group was twice as big as it used to be. Normally, we could just portal there but since the guys had never been to the top of the mountain peak, we all would have to walk. I could use the fresh air, so I did not mind the walk, but it was dark, and that did worry me just a little bit. Since there were so many of us going I was not afraid for our safety, but I would be lying if I said I was beginning to regret doing this in the dark. It was my idea and it was too late to back out now without the girls giving me grief for it. We would be fine, I knew that in my gut. I might be staying close to Declan though until we got up to the mountain peak.

  It did not take long for the others to join us. We went down two by two with about two minutes in between each duo so that it did not look suspicious. We were to meet in the garden, making sure we stayed out of sight. Roman and Nova were the first to go down, walking gracefully in sync with one another. It was annoying actually. Even if Declan and I were completely in love there would still be awkwardness. There would never be grace like there was between the werewolves. We went down next, passing a maid in the Councilmen Hallway. The minute we rounded the corner I linked my arm with Declan’s so that the maid thought that this was all a part of the courtship between us. It was stupid, I know, but sometimes you had to act the part in order to get away with something. I was a pro at this, but Declan was new to the deceiving world. It is actually a surprise that I had not corrupted him much earlier in our lives. He hung around Levi more than me and it was common knowledge that Levi is the Golden Child.

  When we got to the garden I was not able to see Nova or Roman, which was the idea to begin with, but it would have been nice to know where they were exactly, so we did not go to the same place. Declan pulled me softly towards the left corner of the garden and we hid behind a large tree with a wide trunk. Standing behind it, it was impossible for anyone to see us. If they came from the side, they would probably catch a glimpse of us but there was no path coming from either side, so I doubt anyone would be seeing us in our hiding spot.

  We waited on the others to join us. I kept peaking my head around the oversized trunk to see if there was any movement coming from the Castle but since it was dark, I was unable to see a thing. I was leaning up against the trunk after I turned around to face Declan. He seemed to be watching the perimeter of the garden while we waited for the others. I do not know what possessed me to do it but before he turned back to face me I reached out for one of his muscular arms and pulled him towards me. He did not fight me, holding himself up off the tree so that he did not squish me. My breathing quickened as I realized what I had just done but instead of pulling away from me, he ducked his head down so that his face was level with mine. H
is light blue eyes stared into mine even though it was hard to tell if that was actually what he was doing. I can feel it in my chest though and so I went off of that. We stared like this for at least minute before he pushed himself forward placing his lips against mine. I reminded myself that it was because of me that this had happened but instead of being angry with myself I let my body go numb, wrapping my arms around his neck so that he could not pull away from me as easily.

  My entire body tingled as he placed his hands around my waist, moving them gently across my body. This was not the first time I had kissed Declan, but it was the first time that I initiated it. Usually, it was him sneaking in a kiss here and there and because I fought it, I never experienced the incredible explosion that was going on both mentally and physically. If this was what it felt like just to kiss him and have him touch me, I could not wait to see what it was like to lie with him bed, our skin touching one another’s. The thought of that made me want to forget about our trip to the mountain. If I was for certain that no one would find us, I would take him right where we were.

  “What are you guys doing?” a whisper came from behind the tree. “You better have clothes on.”

  Declan chuckled as his face lifted from mine. He bent back down once more, pecking my lips before pushing himself off the tree trunk, letting me walk around to face whoever had interrupted us.

  “You couldn’t let me have five minutes?” I asked when I saw the blonde-haired fairy standing with Gavin.

  “It was your idea to go for a walk in the dark,” she reminded me. “We only have a short window to sneak off the Castle grounds. So, no, I could not give you five minutes.”