Deprived (Daughter of an Alpha Book 2)

by Kaitlyn Taylor

  Deprived

  Daughter of an Alpha Series

  Book 2

  Kaitlyn Taylor

  Deprived: Daughter of an Alpha Book 2

  Copyright © Kaitlyn Taylor 2019

  All rights reserved

  First published in 2019

  Taylor, Kaitlyn

  Deprived: Daughter of an Alpha Book 2

  1st Edition

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form on by an electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the publisher, except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages in a review.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  Chapter One

  Luna

  It was stupid of me to think that my father’s death would be the worst thing I would ever have to experience. His burial was even worse. It was great to hear how much he was loved but it only reminded me of what I no longer had. I remember his burial like it was yesterday except that it was actually a month ago. The other Alpha families returned to their own territories in order to bury their late Alpha, which made all of this so much harder. Not only did I lose my father, but I also felt like I was going through it alone. My mother could no longer function thanks to her grief, Levi has already been thrown into his new role as the Alpha that keeps him occupied from sun up to sun down, and Liam has turned to a period of destruction. His entire bedroom furniture as well as his curtains and his rugs have been replaced more times than I can count since we returned from Ivy’s childhood farm. A few trees throughout the Castle grounds have also been replaced. I’m not sure what it is about the trees, but they were a clear target for Liam.

  Levi has tried talking to him and even tried demanding that he behaved but nothing seemed to be working. His grief is so bad that he has no problem defying the Alpha. At least he’s doing something. The last time I saw my mother was the day of the burial but after that she locked herself up in her chambers refusing to see anyone except her maid. She showed no emotion at my father’s burial. She had cried every day before it but once it came time to actually bury him it’s like she turned every emotion off. We have a cemetery on the Castle grounds where our family has been buried since the beginning. My grandfather is the only one not buried there. He’s buried with the men he fought with in the last war on the main battle ground. We buried my father next to his mother, and as we surrounded the large and deep grave, I wondered if he even knew that he was right next to her. He loved her more than anything in the world. I never met her, but I have heard many stories about her and how she protected my father from his own. Nothing good has ever been said about my grandfather. Even though he was the Alpha before my father, I consistently acted like he didn’t exist.

  My mother was the first one there to see my father’s coffin brought to the gravesite and she was the last one to leave it. My brothers and I watched from a distance when it was over to make sure she was okay but it was then that we realized that she would never be okay again. Watching her lose the love of her life was almost more heartbreaking than my brothers and I losing our father. A guard finally escorted her back into the Castle when the sun started to go down. That was the first night that my brothers and I had dinner without her. We haven’t had a meal with her since. I’ve tried to occupy my time with things that could distract me because the last thing I wanted to think about was how my father was no longer with us. The staff made it hard to do though because every time I saw one of them they apologized for my loss. I know they were just trying to be polite and I remind myself not to be mad at them but sometimes it’s very hard to keep my emotions under control.

  Ivy requested to be a part of the kitchen staff instead of continuing to be my maid. Of course, I denied this request because she was the closest thing I had to a friend around this place. She still feels like it’s her fault that all of this happened, and she can’t look me in the eye knowing what she’s done. It doesn’t matter how many times I tell her that she is being ridiculous, she still walks into my room every day and attempts to avoid eye contact and conversation. I still have hope that she will return to her lovable, hopeful self one day, but I know she will need some time, just like we all will.

  Levi made Declan his second in command which meant he was around the castle a lot more. I avoided him the same way Ivy attempted to avoid me only I was more successful. I don’t have time to deal with the feelings I have for Declan. I had denied that there were any for so long but then after my father died I suddenly didn’t have the energy to do that anymore. I didn’t care that he knew that I thought there was something between us, but I also didn’t want him to pursue it. He respected that, but I’m not sure how long it will last. I need to make sure that my feelings for him are real and not just my mind playing games with me. I want to confirm that I’m not forcing myself into a partnership with him just because it was what my father wanted.

  Thankfully, Declan’s extremely busy standing at Levi’s side every day, so he has no time to come look for me. Apparently, there’s been some drama on the council because of Declan’s new position. He now out ranks his father and that hurts the Councilmen’s ego. From what I’ve gathered from Levi, Declan’s father is one of the biggest troublemakers on the Council. Supposedly, he’s not a very good father either, which makes me upset because Declan deserved better. My brother’s second in command reminded me so much of my father. He was raised and nurtured by his mother away from his father just like the late Alpha. Also like my father, Declan lost his mother to illness. It had been a few years now since she passed, and Declan seems to be doing better every day but now that I have felt his pain, I can relate to him on a whole new level.

  It started to make sense to me after I thought about it. He was giving me space because he knew that was what I wanted. He must have wanted the same thing when his mother died. He’s extremely independent, living on his own in the cottage he shared with his mother while his father stayed here in the Castle. His office was made into a bedroom when the working day was over, and he never once checked on Declan to make sure he was okay. Levi told me that our father had stepped in shortly after Declan’s mother passed and made sure he had whatever he needed. He did everything himself, but my father made sure he had the supplies to do it. Knowing all of this about Declan only makes me want him even more, but I don’t want to commit myself yet. I’m too broken to be the other half to anyone.

  I stayed in my bedroom most days. I’ve journaled a lot, sitting down at my desk for hours, jotting down the whispers that I hear about the Council and how my brother has big shoes to fill. I’ve expressed several times how much I miss my father with the hopes that I will feel better with each time that I admit it. It’s done nothing for me so far. I’ve slept way too much in the last month. My body felt so heavy and sleeping seemed to be the only thing that relieved it. The only bad thing about it is when I wake up my body is just as heavy as it was before I went to lie down on my bed. Sleeping is just the temporary solution. The day was coming when I would need to find a more permanent solution that would actually make me feel better, but I wasn’t at that point yet.

  We would be leaving in five days for Werewolf Territory. Nova’s birthday is coming up. We’ve never missed one before and we weren’t going to start now. There wouldn’t be a party like the one I had. It’ll just be a family dinner between all the Alpha families at Werewolf Castle. Since I haven’t spoken to or seen my mother I can only assume that she’s not going.<
br />
  There hasn’t been any communication between any of us except for the Alphas. Kory portals them all through to different territories each week for meetings but that’s about the only communication between the families that has happened. The girls and I promised that we would take the time to grieve our fathers before we went after Malachi. We needed to be able to think straight and not let our emotions get the best of us when we come face to face with the monster who took our fathers from us. Making sure that we properly grieved was the only way we knew we would be able to get in the right mindset. It hasn’t been easy taking this time away from the hunt for Malachi, but we had one shot at defeating him and we needed to make sure we were all capable of doing our part.

  A knock came at my door as I sat in the middle of bed, reliving my father’s burial and the days after it. I wasn’t in the mood for visitors, but I couldn’t hide all day. I had missed breakfast, so I am sure Levi sent someone up to make sure I was okay. I yelled across the room for whoever was behind the door to come in and when it opened, I was surprised to see the large figure walking towards me.

  “Don’t you have meetings today?” I asked as Levi sat down on the edge of the bed. His massive body sunk into the mattress like it always did but it stood out this time. His Caribbean blue eyes gazed in my direction attempting to hide his serious nature.

  “I cancelled the morning meetings,” he answered, the corners of his mouth tipping up slightly, although, I could tell he was trying not to smile. Our father had always told us it was unprofessional and rude to cancel at the last minute. “I can’t stand to listen to Declan’s father for one more minute.”

  “I don’t understand why you don’t get rid of him,” I snorted. I was joking but I was also kind of serious. Levi hated all of the council members because they were arrogant and power hungry. All they did was argue throughout every meeting and criticize all of his ideas.

  “The only way to get rid of him is to kill him,” he said. “I’m not trying to go down that road, although, I wouldn’t feel guilty if I ever did.”

  “I’m sure Declan hates how much he’s seeing his father now,” I added although I immediately regretted it. The Council has been pushing for all three of us to commit to a partnership ever since my father’s burial, in order to secure the bloodline. Even though it’s more important for Levi to reproduce, they seem to be pushing Liam and I just as much. With Malachi coming after us, the Council wants to make sure that there are heirs to take our places should he succeed in killing us. Levi had made it clear that no one else but him would have conversations with Liam and I about possible binding ceremonies because he didn’t want us worrying about it while we grieved. Levi was doing what he always did: protecting us.

  “I told Declan that he didn’t have to be in any meetings that I had with his father, but he told me that it wouldn’t be problem,” Levi explained. “And so far, it hasn’t. His father is the only one making a big deal out of it.”

  “Have you spoken to Liam today?” I asked hesitantly knowing it would upset Levi. He wouldn’t be mad at me, but I know it bothers him that no one can get through to our brother. He’s tried so hard but there is only so much he can do.

  “He’s having another hard day,” Levi admitted as he sighed deeply, avoiding the look on my face.

  “What did he destroy this time?” I rolled my eyes knowing Levi wouldn’t like it. I couldn’t help it though. I was growing tired of Liam’s behavior no matter how much I understood his pain and anger.

  “He thought it would be a good idea to set grandfather’s portrait on fire,” he told me, the seriousness returning in his tone.

  “Well, it’s not like anyone liked the guy,” I shrugged my shoulders even though I knew Levi didn’t want to hear it.

  “He could have burned the whole castle down, Luna,” Levi’s voice raising slightly. “This isn’t funny. He needs to stop acting like he’s the only one who lost someone. We all did but you don’t see us destroying everything.”

  “Maybe not but we’re not exactly a great example of how we should be handling everything,” I reminded him. “You’ve kept yourself busy with work, mom hasn’t been seen in a month, and all I do is sleep throughout the day.”

  “Why can’t he just distract himself with something?” Levi whined forcing me to roll my eyes once more. “If I can get lost in work then why can’t he find something to get lost in?”

  “You don’t get it, Levi,” I shouted this time, taking our conversation from a quiet discussion to a lecture. “Liam and I were forced to watch dad die. You were knocked out for all of it. It may not seem like it’s different for you, but it is. Watching dad struggle and then take his last breath was traumatizing for me and I bet it was just as bad for Liam. I’m not defending his behavior because even I know he’s gone too far but I think I understand it more than you ever will. You can try to see from our point of view all you want but the reality is, our experiences with dad dying are very different. You need to keep that in mind the next time you try to get through to Liam.”

  “I would’ve done anything to protect you from that,” Levi responded almost like he only heard one part of my lecture. I wasn’t going to repeat myself just because he tuned me out.

  “I know you would’ve, but that’s not what’s important right now,” I told him. “Right now, we need to figure out a way to bring Liam back from whatever darkness he’s lost in. Your way isn’t working.”

  “Then you talk to him,” Levi snapped. “I’ve tried everything, Luna. I’ve tried being patient with him, I’ve tried comforting him, and I’ve tried yelling at him. None of those approaches work with him.”

  “I’ll talk to him,” I sighed as I agreed to his suggestion. I don’t think he actually thought that I would take him up on it, but he didn’t stop me. We both sat in silence for a few minutes when I remembered that he was the one who entered my chambers for some reason. “Did you need something else from me?”

  “I wanted your opinion on something,” he spoke quickly and to the point. “You know I’ve been spending more time with Tiana since dad died.”

  “I’ve noticed,” I said. “And I’m not surprised. Blood rituals don’t lie.”

  After my father came clean about having my Uncle Alex perform compatibility blood rituals, Levi started spending more time with the woman who matched with him. I already knew that I was most compatible with Declan and not because he told me about the blood rituals. There was this feeling deep in my gut that I had avoided for so long telling me that Declan was the only one who would truly understand me. I denied it for months, but he saw right through it even before my father wanted his blood to be tested against mine. Actually, it wasn’t mine. It was my father’s and mother’s blood mixed together. Technically, Declan could be compatible with all three of us. It explained why he was such good friends with my brothers.

  Levi was compatible with a woman named, Tiana, a dirty blonde-haired girl with teal eyes who was a few inches shorter than me. It was about time someone was smaller than me. When they stood next to each other they actually looked like they were meant to be by each other’s side for the rest of their lives and I hated admitting that because I despise cheesy romances. Levi has spent a lot of time with her over the last month and I’m still not sure if it’s because he wanted to or if the pressure from the Council had finally made him give in. He seemed happy when she was around. He smiled when she spoke and adored her in secret when she wasn’t looking. He may not think anyone saw that, but I did. I think he’s actually falling for her because he wants to and not because the Council forced him or because it was what my father wanted. It may not have started that way, but it was sure ending like that.

  “It has nothing to do with the blood ritual,” he was quick to assure me. I understood this fear inside him. I was just as busy in my own mind convincing myself that I cared for Declan because I wanted to and not because of some spell that didn’t even use my actual blood.

  “What’s your point, Levi
?” I forced him to move along instead of staying stuck on the part of the situation that didn’t really matter in the end.

  “I think I want to announce our engagement to the Council and then to the other territories,” he finally said looking at me like he was expecting me to tell him he shouldn’t do it. I saw the small part of him that wanted me to give him my blessing and that was the part that mattered the most. I smiled as I thought about my response.

  “If it’s what you want to do then you have my full support,” I told him. “If it’s what the Council wants you to do then I hope you’ll reconsider until you’re sure you’ll be happy.”

  “She makes me happy, Luna,” he said sincerely. “It has nothing to do with the Council.”

  “Then congratulations on the engagement,” my smile grew larger as I spoke each word, jumping forward to wrap my arms around his neck. I held onto him tightly as he wrapped his arms around me and rested them on my back. “All I want is for you to do what’s right for you.”

  “That’s exactly what I’m doing, little sister,” he whispered in my ear before releasing me, standing up from the bed and walking away from me just as quickly as he walked towards me.

  I’m happy for Levi because he genuinely seems to have a connection with Tiana, but I still had my doubts about his true feelings. I know he says otherwise but I also know my brother and he wasn’t as convincing as he thinks he was. I won’t tell him what to do, but I also hope that he meant it when he said she made him happy. I wouldn’t accept anything less for my brother.

  Levi’s situation wasn’t my concern right now. He’s shown that he’s capable of handling his own issues without me. Liam, on the other hand, was going to be a project for me. I really didn’t know how I was going to get through to him, but I wouldn’t let Levi come back and say ‘I told you so’ so I needed to find some way to get Liam to behave. He wasn’t going to like being told what to do but he was going to have to get over it. He had done enough damage to the Castle and Levi and I. He may not know it, but his destructive behavior has put a lot of stress on the two of us and has made it a lot harder to grieve because we were so worried about him. We’ve done our best to cope but he was constantly reminding us of what we had lost because each time he had an outburst Levi and I told each other it was because our father had died.