Xavier’s POV The dimly lit room smelled of old parchment and burnt wood, the air thick with secrecy. I leaned against the worn wooden table, arms crossed, eyes locked onto the man before me—the southern Man who had promised to help me get Kayla back. He was a wiry man with sharp eyes and a permanent smirk, like he found amusement in the chaos he caused. He said his name was Desmond, but I was sure it was a fake name and though I didn’t trust him, I needed him. And he knew it. He flicked a knife between his fingers absentmindedly before leaning forward. "Now is the time to act, Xavier. If you want Kayla back, you need to move." A thrill shot down my spine at the thought of her—my Kayla. My wife. The woman who was meant to be by my side, not Adrian’s. The woman who had abandoned me, left me behind like I was nothing. She was never supposed to belong to anyone else. I clenched my jaw. "You’re sure she’s vulnerable enough?" Desmond smirked. "I have my sources. The South
Authors note : Hi, if you are still reading, please comment so I know and will keep going.Adrian’s POV Kayla had been through too much lately. I could see it in the way she carried herself—her shoulders tense, her lips pressed together in thought, her eyes shadowed by exhaustion. Every time she closed her eyes, I knew she wasn’t finding peace.She was dealing with the the thoughts of Ingrid and Hector’s possible betrayal plus whatever the hell that glowing mark on her wrist meant, and on top of it all, my mother had lashed out at her like she was the root of every problem in our pack.It was too much.I wasn’t going to let her drown in it. Not today.She needed a break, and I was going to give it to her.---I found her in the courtyard, sitting on the stone bench, staring at the garden. She was absently rubbing her wrist, the mark still faintly glowing in the afternoon light.“Hey,” I said, stepping beside her.She looked up, her expression softening when she saw me. “Hey.”We'll t
Xavier’s POV The candlelight flickered against the damp stone walls of the abandoned outpost. The place reeked of old wood and mildew, a far cry from the luxury I was used to, but it was secluded—safe from Mia and mother's prying eyes. The man called Desmond sat across from me, his usual smirk in place. Again I noticed that he was always amused by something, like he knew more than he let on. As usual It pissed me off and put me in a bad mood, but again, I had to remind myself that I needed him. He leaned forward, drumming his fingers against the table."Have you done what I asked you to do?" He asked and I nodded.He grinned coldly, "Then it's finally time to get your woman Xavier. If you truly want Kayla back as much as you say you do, you need to make a serious and very intense move. I have set things in motion, but She won’t be this vulnerable forever." A sharp heat curled in my chest at the mention of her name. Kayla. Mine. Always mine. I forced a calm breath. "Yes, yo
Adrian’s POVXavier arrived exactly when he said he would. His caravan of vehicles rolled up to the packhouse gates like he was some kind of noble returning home, which was laughable considering he had no home here. The moment I saw him step out, dressed in a crisp black shirt and slacks as if he were attending a business meeting instead of setting foot in enemy territory, my mood soured even further.I didn’t trust him. Not even for a second. And I was starting to wonder why I ever gave him the alliance in the first place.Then I remembered that I had done it in exchange of Kayla.I descended the steps of the palace, my posture rigid as I met him in the courtyard. The guards were on high alert, positioned around the perimeter, watching his every move. Logan stood at my side, his arms crossed and his expression unreadable, but I could feel his impatience radiating off him.Xavier took his time surveying his surroundings before his gaze shifted—up, toward the highest tower of the pal
Kayla’s POVThat evening, I sat on the edge of the bed, still turning Hector's mother's words over in my mind. "Hide this. If the wrong people see it, you’ll be in danger." What did she mean? Who was she afraid of? I traced my fingers over the faint glow of my mark, my mind buzzing with unease. Beside me, Adrian was quiet, lost in his own thoughts. After a long moment, he finally spoke. “You’re thinking about Lady Elizabeth's warning.” I nodded. “It felt serious, Adrian. She genuinely looked scared.” He sighed, running a hand through his dark hair. “I don’t think Hector's mother is a threat, if that’s what you’re worried about. She’s always been a good woman. If anything, I sincerely believe she’s just concerned for you.” I bit my lip. “But why? And why did she say she could only tell me in private?” Adrian’s jaw tensed slightly, but he didn’t argue. “I really don’t like that part. I don’t like the idea of you going anywhere alone, but I don't think she'll hurt you.” I rolled
Adrian’s POV Logan entered my office with a grim expression, shutting the door behind him. "We have a problem," he said, his tone clipped. I leaned back in my chair, already feeling the tension coil in my muscles. "Wait, I know, Let me guess. it's Xavier." Logan nodded. "He's been snooping around, talking to certain pack members. And not just any members—Hector’s old allies. The ones on the council who didn’t want you as Alpha." My jaw clenched. Of course, Xavier wouldn’t waste time to piss me off. The bastard was here under the pretense of collecting resources, but I knew better. He was testing boundaries, looking for weaknesses. And now, he was making nice with the same men who had fought against my leadership. I stood, grabbing my jacket. "Where the fuck is he now?" Logan sighed. "In the west courtyard. He’s been real friendly with Councilor Marcus and the others. Too friendly." Rage burned in my chest, but I kept my voice even. "Let’s go." --- The moment I stepped into
Authors note: Thank you to everyone that left a comment, I read each and every one of them, and it was so uplifting. I'll do my best for you too. ,💕Adrian’s POV My training session the next day was brutal, but I barely felt it. My mind was elsewhere. Xavier. That fucking asshole. Logan had reported earlier that the bastard had been snooping around, and then I actually CAUGHT him talking to a certain pack member. That alone was enough to put me on edge. Xavier wasn’t here for resources—he was here to stir up trouble, I knew that, but I didn't know what to do about it yet. As I wiped sweat from my brow, Logan approached. "You’re distracted Sir," he noted. "I’m fine," I muttered, tossing my towel over my shoulder. Logan didn’t look convinced. "I didn't want to bother you, but You should know—Xavier was seen talking to some more of Hector’s former allies." Not again! Did that asshole ever learn? Did I have to break his neck for him to stop? My entire body went rigid with a
Kayla’s POV I couldn't stop thinking about last night. The way Adrian had held me. The way his hands had traced my skin, setting every nerve in my body on fire. And the way he had stopped. He had looked at me like I was something precious, something he was too scared to take before I was ready. I had never known a man like him before. Adrian was dangerous, feared, and yet with me, he was patient. Protective. I was falling for him. Hard. The realization terrified me. I had spent so long guarding my heart, convincing myself that love—real love—was a luxury I would never have again. And yet, here I was, aching for him in a way that had nothing to do with the mate bond. I needed a distraction, something to clear my mind. Which was why I was now standing outside Lady Elizabeth’s home again, my heart hammering as I raised my hand to knock. She had asked to see me privately, and though I had agreed, I wasn’t sure I was ready for whatever she had to say. But something t
Adrian's POV "YOU FUCKING BASTARD!” I roared, lunging at him again. But before I could land the hit, two sets of hands grabbed me. “Alpha stop! Alpha Adrian please stop! —fuck, Adrian, stop it!” Logan’s voice was right in my ear, struggling to pull me back.He had forgotten all courtesy and had began to call me by my real name which he and Connor only did when they were either desperate, pissed, frustrated, worried or scared.He sounded like he was all of the above in this moment but I couldn't give a damn about that right now. “Let go of me!” I growled, thrashing against him. “Calm the hell down Adrian!” Connor snapped, shoving me away from Hector. I threw them both off like they were nothing, shoving Logan into the wall and elbowing Connor in the ribs. They tried again, but I was a storm now. Wild. Unraveled. And then I heard her voice. “ADRIAN!” I froze at the familiar feminine voice."What the hell are you doing?!" she screamed with horror in her voice. Everything insid
Adrian’s POV My knuckles were bloodied by the time I realized how many times I’d punched him. My chest heaved and my heart was thundering like it was trying to beat its way out of my ribcage, and still Hector just stood there leaning against the wall with his bloody face.He was swaying slightly from the pain but the asshole was still not fighting back and it made me fucking furious! He wasn’t even trying to defend himself like he'd normally do when our father made us wrestle to prove who was better.Hector was often the winner when we were younger and that made me feel like he was just intentionally allowing me to beat him right now. That made it worse. "You love her?" I growled, my voice raw, trembling. "You love my Kayla?" Hector didn’t speak, didn’t meet my eyes—his jaw was bruised, blood trickling from his nose—but he didn’t take it back either. He’d said it. Out loud. Boldly. That he loved her. My fists clenched again. This fucking shameless asshole! It wasn’t just that
Hector's POV I had to keep reminding myself that I truly hadn’t chosen this life. This life of constant competition for love from my father, and now from Kayla too. But I had been thrust into it anyway. Every day, it felt like I had to prove myself that I could be better, stronger, smarter than Adrian for the pack and for Kayla.And what did I get for it? Nothing except being called a Traitor and being imprisoned. Adrian would always get everything without lifting a finger. I see that now Maybe I should just accept it and accept my role as the villain, at least maybe I could get something from it, right?Because the rivalry my father had created between us, made it impossible for Adrian to see me as anything other than his enemy. Even when I tried to help him, tried to offer him something real, he only saw me as a threat.A bang on the door jerked me out of my thoughts.I looked up, my heart sinking as the door opened, and Adrian stormed into the cell, his expression livid."Hec
Hector's POV After Kayla ran after Adrian, I willingly let the guards to put me in chains and shove me in front of themThe chains clinked with every step as I was roughly escorted down the cold stone hallways toward the prison.The guards barely spared me a glance, their eyes hard and judgmental. They treated me like I was already guilty, as if my fate had already been sealed. It stung more than I cared to admit, but I kept my face neutral.I had never felt so disgusted with myself, or with Adrian. Betrayed wasn’t even the word for it. He had accused me—his own brother—of trying to kill him. We were rivals for the position of alpha yes, but we weren't enemies! I didn't hate him. I was a little envious of his life yes, but I would never actually raise my hand against him.Never!So this was my reward for protecting Kayla? For trying to turn over a new leaf? For doing what I thought was right?Adrian was the one who had always preached for us to stop fighting, to stop hating each oth
Kayla's POV I could feel my heart breaking. I couldn’t believe he was accusing me of something so terrible. After everything we’d been through, after everything we’d shared, why was he pushing me away like this? I turned back to Hector, my heart pounding in my chest. "I’m sorry, Hector. I’ll fix this. I swear." Hector gave me a soft, apologetic look. "It’s not your fault, Kayla. We both never wanted this to happen." "I know. But I have to make Adrian understand," I said, my voice shaky. "Can you just go with the guards for now? I’ll talk to him. Please, Hector." Hector hesitated for a moment before nodding. "I’ll go. But make sure you talk to him, Kayla. I'm innocent of all his accusations but he's refusing to see things clearly." I nodded, trying to hold back tears. As Hector followed the guards down the hall, I hurried after Adrian. He couldn’t just do this. He couldn’t throw everything away because of his own insecurities. He had to know I would never leave him. I wasn’
Kayla's POV I stood in the hallway, watching Adrian storm out of the room with his usual intense expression. He was furious—his fists clenched, his jaw set tight, and a fire burning in his eyes that I hadn’t seen in a long time. The moment he’d said the word traitor, my heart dropped into my stomach. I couldn't believe it. Hector, a traitor? No, that wasn’t right. Hector had been nothing but kind to me, helpful to the the wolf less women and then he’d apologized for kissing me and promised me that he’d stop the ridiculous rivalry between him and Adrian. I had just started to thank the goddess for some peace between them, and now Adrian wanted to arrest him? I couldn’t let this happen. I hurried after Adrian, calling his name as I caught up with him in the hallway. "Adrian! Wait please!" I grabbed his arm, trying to slow him down, but he just pulled away from me. "Kayla, stay out of this." His voice was cold, like it always got when he was angry. "I need to deal with this. It’
Adrian's POV I paused and tried to recall the memory of that day. The fight with Xavier was still fresh in my mind, but there was something... something else that happened. “I met someone who said they had information on how to find you,” I said slowly, “we had a fight, but then... something attacked me from behind. I can’t remember much after that.” Kayla looked at me, concern evident in her eyes. “Something attacked you from behind?” “Yeah,” I said, rubbing my temples as I recalled the foggy details. “The memory’s a little unclear. But there was definitely someone else involved. I’m just... not sure who.”I made sure I didn't mention to her that it was probably her ex husband who had intentionally set me up and invited his friends to help him get rid of me.But that didn't make sense. Why would Xavier simply poison me and not just kill me off immediately.How did he even get the audacity to attack me when he knew that I could have defeated him especially when I wake up.Plus
Adrian's POV I couldn’t stop grinning as I stood in front of the mirror, touching the marks on my neck from where Kayla had kissed me earlier. I turned to her.Every time I looked at her, it felt like my heart was about to burst. She was here, she was really here, and no amount of blood or bruises could ever change how happy I was to have her back. I didn’t even care how close I came to dying for it to happen. I was alive. She was alive. We were together. That was all that mattered. “You’re staring,” Kayla teased, her voice soft and full of that playful edge I loved. She stepped up to me, her hands brushing against my shoulders, making me shiver at the warmth of her touch. “I can’t help it. You’re back. You—” I took a deep breath, fighting back the overwhelming wave of emotion that threatened to drown me. “I thought I lost you forever.” Kayla’s hands moved to my chest, and she smiled that smile I’d missed so much. “You’re not getting rid of me that easily.” Her words were lik
Kayla's POV I frowned. “What do you mean, he doesn’t trust Hector?” Desmond smirked, his expression a mix of satisfaction and frustration. “Adrian’s always been protective of Kayla. And Hector has tried to be close to him by protecting Kayla, but there’s a crack there. We made sure that Adrian would start to suspect Hector has his own motives for taking Kayla. After the fake attack we planned, we made sure that Xavier would not buy Hector's loyalty anymore. So If we can push him to distrust Hector even more, it’ll create a bigger rift in their bond and Kayla would be in the middle of it.Adrian will have to deal with anyone he perceives as a traitor, and we can use that. We can Push him to attack Hector. The chaos will be perfect.” I thought about it, but something didn’t sit right. “Hector... He’s been nothing but protective of the southern pack. It seems like he’s too loyal to attack his own people. And Adrian? He’s no fool. He’s not just going to throw away a possible ally lik