The Alpha and His Six Pups Begged for My Return

Juliettes POV

Please... please... just help me escape. I cannot take this pack life anymore... My voice broke as I held the phone tightly like it was my final hope.

Juliette? What is happening? Where are you hiding? a worried voice came through the speaker.

I wiped my tears roughly with my sleeve, my voice shaking as I whispered, "I am done. I cannot stay in this territory anymore. I am leaving Alpha Helios... and the pups."

My hand fell weakly, and the phone dropped onto the bed.

I looked at the mirror. The face that stared back was someone I did not recognize.

Bruised. Bloody. Empty eyes. I looked like a rogue wolf who had crawled from a brutal territory war.

And in a way... I had.

Two hours ago...

I spun around in front of the mirror, forcing a smile. The deep blue dress hugged my curves, the color matching my dark hair. Luna Elaras favorite color.

Bang!

Pain exploded in my head. I stumbled backward, hitting the heavy wooden wardrobe with a loud noise.

My shaking fingers touched my forehead. Blood.

"What in the name of the Moon Goddess..."

"Good throw, Caius!" Caden howled happily.

I blinked, confused, as all six of them stood in a cruel line.

Cyra. Caius. Caden. Calla. Cassius. Circe.

My little pups.

Or so I had always told myself.

But the way they glared at me now... it felt like I was nothing. Lower than dirt beneath their royal paws.

"What did you throw at me?" I asked weakly, feeling dizzy.

"A heavy moonstone," Cassius smiled meanly. "Next time, maybe we will aim for your legs."

"You do not belong in our pack," Caius growled, stepping forward.

Cyra folded her arms. "Wearing our Luna's color will not make you her."

"You are a false wolf," Calla said quietly. But somehow, her gentle voice hurt worse than the others.

I bit my lip hard enough to taste blood. "But I raised you..."

"Be quiet!" Caden barked loudly.

They moved together. Like a perfectly trained hunting pack.

Before I could shift or react, they dumped jars of biting forest ants over me.

I screamed, hitting my arms as the bugs bit into my skin, crawling into my hair, moving down my dress.

They laughed out loud.

"You dark witch!" Circe barked. "You killed our mother!"

"You will pay for your crimes," Cassius said with a cold voice, his eyes glowing yellow.

I fell to my knees, crying loudly, the bites hurting but feeling like nothing compared to their cruel words.

They did not know. They never knew the truth.

Their mother had been my closest pack mate. I carried them in my own womb for her. I gave them everything. And now... they looked at me like I was a wild monster.

"I did not end her life," I cried softly.

"Do not speak her name!" Caius shouted, his face twisting with pure anger.

"You wanted her dead so you could mate with our Alpha father," Caden spit out.

Their deep hate cut worse than any silver blade.

As I cried on the bedroom floor trying to remove the bugs that covered my body, Calla walked near me with a sad expression.

"This is not fair, brothers and sisters, we cannot just leave her like this," Calla said.

"Lets help her," she added.

I let out a big breath of relief, feeling thankful that one of the pups had a kind heart.

I lifted a hand and reached toward her so she could help me stand up.

"Fooled you!" Calla laughed as she pushed something roughly into my hand.

Only when I felt a terrible burning sting did I realize she had shoved a nest of angry moon wasps into my palm.

I let out a terrifying scream as the pain exploded in my brain. My eyesight became blurry while I fought to throw the nest away.

"So weak, she actually thought we wanted to help her," the young wolves laughed cruelly.

"You deserve to feel pain and we will make sure that happens as long as you live in our territory," they said with pure poison.

My loud screams brought an Omega servant who ran inside. Her eyes grew wide as she helped me brush away the angry wasps.

"What kind of evil behavior is this?" she scolded the young wolves.

"Keep your mouth shut, Omega!" they growled at her.

Circe stared directly into my eyes, "Know your low rank, Juliette, and your place is not in this pack."

They turned around and walked out, leaving me shaking, crawling, and crying on the floor.

"I am so sorry, Lady Juliette, do you need..."

"Just leave the room," I said with a broken voice.

I crawled toward the mirror, holding the edge tightly like it could support my weight while the Omega servant walked away.

This was not me. This could not be my true destiny. That is when I decided to make the phone call.

I did not pack my bags. I did not take any clothes. Just my phone and my wallet.

On the wall, Elara smiled back at me from a framed picture. Beautiful. Flawless. The perfect Luna.

They did not know she stole Alpha Helios from me.

They did not know she begged me to hide the truth from them about being their birth mother.

They did not know I sacrificed my entire life for them.

I touched the wooden frame softly. My heart breaking all over again.

"I am sorry, Elara... but I cannot do this anymore."

Heavy boots sounded in the outside hallway.

"Juliette?" Alpha Helios called out. "Where are you hiding? The Full Moon ceremony is starting. You need to play the piano for the Elder Alpha."

I stayed completely silent.

When he pushed the heavy door open, his eyes grew huge, "Goddess above, Juliette, what happened to you?"

Blood painted my face, and fresh tears ran down my cheeks.

"Ask your precious pups!" I answered angrily.

"What... what do you mean by that?" he asked in shock.

"I want to break our mating bond, Helios," I whispered.

Juliettes POV

"I want to break our mating bond, Alpha Helios," I whispered.

He blinked, confused. "What... what are you saying?"

"I am finished."

He stepped closer, frowning. "Is this about the pups? They are just acting wild, Juliette. You know how their wolf spirits are."

I let out a bitter laugh. "Acting wild? They almost sent me to the Moon Goddess."

"They are just young wolves..."

"They are feral beasts, Helios. And you let them become this way."

He opened his mouth to speak, but I held up my hand to stop him.

"No more, Helios. I gave you ten years of loyalty. I gave you everything. And all you did was take, take, take... You never even looked at me as your true Luna."

His face turned hard. "Do not be dramatic. You know I had to take you as my mate because of the pups. Elara commanded it."

"And I stayed in this pack. For them. For you. But not anymore."

I pushed past him, tears blurring my vision.

"I am leaving this territory, Helios. Forever."

A loud knock on the heavy wooden door made us both jump.

"Alpha, it is time. The Elder Alpha is making his entrance," an Omega servant called from the hallway.

Helios straightened his formal collar, fixing his mask of perfect Alpha control. "Come on, Juliette. Clean yourself up. You are still playing the moonlit melody for the Elder Alpha. We can discuss this nonsense after the Full Moon ceremony."

"No, Helios. I said I am finished."

His hand twitched like he wanted to grab me with his claws but stopped himself.

Instead, he gave me one last cold glare and walked out, closing the door softly behind him like nothing had happened.

That was Alpha Helios Darkhowl. Always pretending. Always hiding dark secrets in the shadows.

I sank onto the edge of the bed, exhausted, broken... defeated.

But then my eyes caught something strange.

A small piece of parchment sticking out from beneath my sleeping pillow.

I frowned, pulling it out with shaking fingers.

Magic portraits. No... my only magic portrait.

The picture of my birth parents. The one I kept hidden, tucked away safely from everything in this cruel pack house.

But now... shredded. Torn by sharp claws into a hundred tiny pieces.

Each cut sharp. Clean. Done on purpose.

My breath hitched as I covered my mouth with my hand, but a sad whimper forced its way out anyway.

Then I noticed the warning letter.

Written in messy pup handwriting.

"We told you to leave our territory. Next time, it will not just be a picture."

I crushed the pieces into my fist, shaking without control.

Why? Why do this?

That picture was all I had left of my former pack. My true bloodline. My past.

I pressed the torn paper to my chest and let the deep sorrow swallow me.

Memories flooded my mind. Cyra crawling into my den when she had dark dreams. Caius holding my hand tightly when he felt nervous around other wolves. Calla hiding behind my legs when she was scared of the thunder.

All those nights I stayed awake to guard them. All those tears I licked away. All those moon songs I sang to them.

But they never saw me as their true mother. Not even for a single heartbeat.

And now they wanted me banished. Like I was a worthless rogue.

I stood up shakily, wiping my face, and began packing my bags.

Only the most important things.

My leather pouch. My communication crystal. My mother's old woven scarf.

At the back of the heavy wooden wardrobe, I found a small velvet box I had forgotten about.

The moonstone bracelet.

My mother's silver moonstone bracelet.

I opened the box, only to find it crushed. Broken clean in two pieces.

More of my soul... destroyed.

I placed the broken silver carefully in my travel bag. No tears this time. My heart was already frozen like winter.

Downstairs, the pack celebration was very loud. Howls of laughter. Clinking ale glasses. Alpha Helios smiling with the visiting Alphas.

Like I never existed in his world.

I wrapped my long sleeves tightly over the insect bites still burning on my skin. There was nothing I could do about my swollen hand as I opened the bedroom door.

I heard their cruel whispers before I saw them.

"The dark witch changed her dress," Cyra laughed meanly.

"That does not fix her ugly face," Caden barked with laughter.

"Quiet," Circe smiled with an evil look. "She still has to play the grand piano. Let us not ruin the Elder Alpha's party... yet."

Their cruel words stabbed me like silver claws, but I kept walking forward.

Fake smiles. Fake Luna grace.

I sat at the piano, my hands shaking as I forced my fingers to play the moon melody I had practiced for weeks, even though my swollen skin hurt like fire.

All glowing wolf eyes focused on me. Whispers. Shocked gasps.

But I kept playing the music.

After the final note, I sneaked out into the moonlit pack garden.

I needed fresh air. I needed to breathe. I needed Mewmew, my sweet pet pup.

But the Elder Alpha's voice stopped me.

"Juliette."

I turned around, blinking back tears as I faced the only older wolf in this royal family who ever treated me with a little bit of kindness.

"Happy Naming Day, Elder Alpha," I whispered.

He frowned, looking at my bruised face. "On my most joyful day, you look the most broken. What happened to you?"

Before I could speak a word, they appeared from the shadows.

All six pups. And Alpha Helios.

My heart sank into my stomach.

The Elder Alpha turned to them. "Did you attack your stepmother?"

Alpha Helios sighed, already feeling annoyed. "Juliette, not tonight. I told you, we would talk after the moon rises higher."

The Elder Alpha held up his heavy hand, forcing him to be silent. "Pups?"

"It was just a harmless pack game," Caden lied very smoothly.

"Say you are sorry," the Elder Alpha commanded with his strong voice.

Cyra stepped forward, making her eyes wide and innocent. "We are sorry, Lady Juliette. We did not mean to cause harm."

"Yes, we apologize," Caius added. "We even brought you a peace offering."

I froze in place as Cyra handed me a perfectly wrapped red gift box.

"You will love it," she said with a sweet voice.

My inner wolf screamed at me not to take it.

But Alpha Helios glared at me with glowing eyes. "They said they are sorry, Juliette. Do not act like a stubborn rogue."

The Elder Alpha nodded his head. "Accept their apology, Juliette. Young wolves make mistakes."

With shaking hands, I pulled back the silk ribbon, my breathing very shallow.

The moment the heavy lid opened, my whole world spun around.

I let out a horrified scream.

Mewmew, my sweet little pet, was lying cold and dead inside the box. His pure white fur was stained deep red.

And underneath his body, another warning letter.

"You will be next if you do not leave our territory."

I stumbled backward, the terrible box falling from my hands.

Alpha Helios froze in shock. The Elder Alpha mumbled a prayer to the Moon Goddess.

The royal pups... they just smiled an evil smile and turned away.

I could not breathe. I could not see clearly. Just Mewmew's dead eyes haunting my soul forever.

Juliettes POV

The Elder Alphas silver-tipped staff hit the stone tiles with a loud, bone-shaking crack as he stepped forward.

"Who has committed this crime?" His voice was not weak like his age might suggest. It was as hard as steel and filled with divine rage.

There was only silence.

The six royal pups stood there with their heads down and shoulders stiff. They were pretending to be the innocent little angels they were not.

But I saw the truth.

Cyras lips moved into a cruel smile before she lowered her head again.

Alpha Helioss face had turned pale. "I... I did not know about this. I swear by the moon."

The Elder Alpha turned his angry glare toward him. "Do not make oaths, Helios. Your ignorance is your greatest shame."

I held Mewmews tiny body in my arms. His white fur was stained deep red. My tears dripped onto his cold, lifeless face.

"He was only a small puppy," I whispered with a broken heart. "He did not deserve this cruelty."

The Elder Alpha turned back to the pups and slammed his staff on the ground again.

"Do you think this is a game? Do you think it is funny to hurt an innocent soul?"

The pups flinched.

"You will each receive twenty strikes of the whip tonight," he roared. "And for the next full moon cycle, there will be no hunting games, no training weapons, and no magic stones. You will wake at the first light of dawn and scrub every inch of this pack fortress until your hands bleed."

Cyra gasped. "But Grandfather!"

"Silence!"

"It was only a prank!"

"A prank?" the Elder Alpha roared. "You call this a prank on a living creature? Shame on your bloodline!"

Helios tried to speak, but the Elder Alpha cut him off with a sharp look. "This is my fortress. And Juliette is still the mate of an Alpha. If she wants you all banished from this territory, I will throw you out myself."

Helios stepped back, looking as shocked as I felt.

For a very short moment, I almost felt protected.

But it was too late. It was far too late for any of them to save me now.

I walked past them and ignored their whispers. I ignored the hateful looks from the pups.

In the moonlit garden, I dug a small grave with my bare hands. Dirt covered my nails and my tears mixed with the earth as I buried the only creature who had ever loved me without any conditions.

"I am so sorry, Mewmew," I sobbed. My cries were hidden by the sounds of the night forest.

He had been my only comfort. He was my anchor in this hellish pack house. And now he was gone, just like that.

Something deep inside my soul finally snapped.

Later that night, I was walking through the east wing of the fortress when I heard them.

There were whispers and mean giggles.

I heard the soft, cruel footsteps of six demons living in pups's bodies.

I turned around.

There they were. Each pup held a ritual candle. Their faces glowed in the flickering light, and their smiles were twisted and cold.

"You told on us," Circe said with a sweet voice that felt like poison.

Cyra stepped forward and her eyes glowed with hate. "The Elder Alpha punished us because of you."

"I did not tell him anything," I muttered as I tried to walk past them.

But Caius blocked my path. "You cried like a weak human baby. We all saw you."

"Where is your little pet now?" Caden asked with a mean laugh.

Tears burned my eyes, but I forced them back. "Get out of my way."

"Or what?" Cassius smiled. "Will you run and tell more secrets?"

"You have no power here now," Calla added with an evil grin.

They circled me like a hunting pack. Slowly, they tilted their candles until the hot, burning wax poured onto my skin.

Before I could shout for help, a new voice sounded in the hallway. It was smooth and sweet like poisoned honey.

"Pups, that is not the way we treat family members."

I froze in place.

She walked into the hall like she owned the entire kingdom.

It was Belladonna.

She was the woman the pups loved. She was the woman Helios truly wanted. She was the woman who made sure I never forgot I was nothing in this house.

Her green silk robe shined under the lights. Her red hair fell over her shoulders like a waterfall of fire.

"Mommy Bella!" the pups cheered as they rushed into her arms.

"My sweet pups," she said softly while kissing their foreheads. "Did you miss me?"

"Always!" Cyra shouted with joy.

Belladonna finally looked at me. Her smile was fake and cold. "Oh. Juliette. Are you still living here?"

I squeezed my fists tight. "What do you want, Belladonna?"

Belladonna had not been at the party. She was not allowed to be there. Helioss grandfather hated her. But that did not stop Helios from bringing her around when no one was looking.

I had caught him once before. He was talking to her through a magic mirror while he was in the bath.

He had told me coldly, "Mind your own business, Juliette. I only married you because my dead mate asked me to. You are just a placeholder. I can go out all night with anyone I choose."

That was six months ago. I stayed for the sake of the pups, but even that hope was over now.

"I heard about poor little Mewmew," Belladonna said with a mocking tone. "It is a tragedy. But maybe now you can focus on healing your heart. Alone."

I ground my teeth together. "Get out of my way."

She stepped closer and lowered her voice to a whisper. "You poor thing. You always act like a victim. You have no family, no friends, and no place in this world."

Before I knew what was happening, she grabbed my hair tightly. I tried to scream, but she clamped her hands over my mouth and nose.

I fought against her grip. My screams were quiet and muffled while the pups giggled. They started pouring more hot wax onto my body.

"Is anyone here?" Helioss voice echoed from down the hallway.

The pups pulled away quickly. Belladonna pushed me aside. I gasped for air while my eyes turned red and bloodshot. My body was covered in hot wax and pain.

Belladonna had almost killed me.

Then, Belladonna smiled at him. "Helios!" She wrapped her arms around his neck. "I was just trying to comfort Juliette. She has been feeling so overwhelmed lately."

Helios looked at me and frowned. "Juliette, what is going on this time?"

"She shouted at us!" Caius said quickly.

"She said she hated us all," Cassius added.

"She scared little Circe," Cyra whispered while pretending to be sad.

I was still gasping for air, and I finally lost my temper. "What? That is a total lie!"

"She is just upset about the dog," Belladonna said with a fake sigh. "Let us be patient with her."

Helioss eyes turned hard. "Juliette, this behavior is getting out of control."

I turned away from them. My heart was breaking all over again.

They would never see the truth. They would never listen to me.

I went back to my room where my travel bag was waiting. Just like me, it was ready to go.

I checked my enchanted communicator. My travel plans were confirmed. The legal papers I had asked for would arrive by morning.

All I had to do was survive until the sun came up.

The next morning, my communicator buzzed loudly. It was a message.

"Aunty Juliette, please help us! We have been kidnapped by rogues!"

Another message came right after it.

"They took us to the dark forest behind the pack lands. Please do not tell Grandfather or Daddy. The rogues will kill us if you do."

My heart stopped beating.

Even though these six pups do not love me and always bully me, they are still pups. They are six young lives. I cannot just ignore them and let them die.

I grabbed my keys and ran out of the fortress.

The pack woods were very thick and dark. The magic location they sent me led me straight to the edge of the high cliffs.

"Pups?" I called out while breathing hard. "Cyra? Caius? Are you there?"

I heard a rustling sound followed by the sound of cruel laughter.

"You actually fell for the trap," Cyra said with a grin.

Six figures stepped out from behind the ancient trees. They were dressed in black and held heavy hunting bows.

The six pups quickly surrounded me on three sides. Behind me were the sharp rocks and the bottomless cliffs.

"You actually came to save us," Circe giggled.

"You should have left the territory when we warned you," Caius said with a sneer.

"You are ruining our lives!" Cyra screamed.

"You took our father away!" Circe yelled.

"It is time to take our family back," Caius hissed.

"And we will avenge our mothers death!" Calla roared.

As soon as Calla finished speaking, the six pups stared at me with glowing eyes. They raised their bows at the same time. They aimed their silver arrows at my head, my heart, my eyes, and my legs.

"No... please..." My heart beat like a drum in my chest.

In the next second, six sharp arrows flew toward me from six different directions.