Ezekiel's pov. The room was quiet as I sat beside Kailey at the head of the long conference table, a heavy silence hanging over us.The evening light was slipping through the tall windows, painting long shadows across the floor.Kailey’s hand rested over mine. I could feel her shaking, though she tried to hide it.We were both tired, still confused by the whole thing. I knew she must have gone through alot find the relic in the forest. Right now, We were waiting for news. News about our son, about James, about Lydia.My heart twisted every time I thought of Auren’s little face.Where was he? Was he safe?Suddenly, the heavy doors of the conference room burst open with a loud BANG.I jumped to my feet, ready to fight. But it was Cecilia.She stormed inside, her hair wild, her breathing heavy like she had been running. Her eyes widened when she saw us sitting there.“You!” she gasped, stumbling to a stop.Her face twisted for a second, like she wasn’t sure whether to be scared or angr
Kailey’s POV The sun was setting low in the sky, painting the whole courtyard in orange and red hues, I stood beside Ezekiel, holding Auren tightly in my arms. My heart was heavy, this was a day I had both waited for and dreaded.Ezekiel stepped forward. His face was hard, his shoulders straight. He was not my mate at this point, He was the Alpha, and today, he had to act like it.Cecilia stood before us, her hands chained, her beautiful hair messy and dirty now.Beside her, the captured rogues and Roy knelt on the ground, their heads lowered. The whole pack was gathered around, watching in silence.Ezekiel’s voice rang out strong and clear over the courtyard.“For treason against the pack, for working with our enemies, for trying to kill my son and destroy our home” he said, “I, Alpha Ezekiel, sentence Cecilia, Roy, and their allies to death.”There was no noise. No one cheered. This wasn’t a happy moment. It was a sad, painful necessity.Cecilia looked at him, her eyes burning wit
.Kailey’s POV The sun was setting low in the sky, painting the whole courtyard in orange and red hues, I stood beside Ezekiel, holding Auren tightly in my arms. My heart was heavy, this was a day I had both waited for and dreaded.Ezekiel stepped forward. His face was hard, his shoulders straight. He was not my mate at this point, He was the Alpha, and today, he had to act like it.Cecilia stood before us, her hands chained, her beautiful hair messy and dirty now.Beside her, the captured rogues and Roy knelt on the ground, their heads lowered. The whole pack was gathered around, watching in silence.Ezekiel’s voice rang out strong and clear over the courtyard.“For treason against the pack, for working with our enemies, for trying to kill my son and destroy our home” he said, “I, Alpha Ezekiel, sentence Cecilia, Roy, and their allies to death.”There was no noise. No one cheered. This wasn’t a happy moment. It was a sad, painful necessity.Cecilia looked at him, her eyes burning wi
Kailey‘s POV“Those damn bastards,” I muttered, taking my boots off and throwing them to the side. “Just wait till Kyle gets a hold of you.” Huffing, I slammed the door shut and crashed face-flat onto the couch. “Ugh,” I moaned, feeling my bones pop. “What I'd give to have a normal day at work.”Who was I kidding? Being an omega and deemed a disgrace in a pack filled with powerhouses could never happen. Not to talk of my spaghetti arms not helping in any way. Suddenly, a phone beeped, causing me to jerk. I looked around, a frown settling on my face. Was Kyle at home?Propping myself up, I sat on the couch, my eyes scanning for the device. Just as I was about to give up, it beeped again, and I sprang to my feet, tracking the source.Following the sound, I saw the device lying on the floor, with half of it buried under a pile of Kyle's clothes. I rolled my eyes, going to pick it up, my hands freezing as a piece of clothing caught my eye. “W–what?” I whispered, my face going pal
Kailey’s POVIt's been a week since my breakup with Kyle, and it's ironic to say the whole world knows about it. I rolled my eyes as two ladies giggled past me. I knew they were laughing at me, so I secretly held up a middle finger at them. I walked into the kitchen, averting my gaze from meeting anyone's eyes since I was a low-ranked wolf and wasn't allowed to. I dropped the crate of apples in my arms to the floor, heading out. Shouts of people moving here and there as they hurried to decorate the packing halls filled the air. Laughs and giggles from men, ladies, and children made the atmosphere more lively than it would have been on Christmas.I shook my arm, my muscles aching in protest to the heavy lifting I was doing. Tonight was the final preparations for the banquet we were hosting. The alpha's son was returning from his training, and as the biggest pack, second to the king's, tonight's banquet was a huge one. Packs from all around were to come.I just hope that maybe
Kailey’s POVFuck, fuck, fuck, fuck! I cussed as I dashed into the bathroom, panting as I did.How could this happen?Why was the moon goddess always fucking me up? I gripped my hair, scattering the neat bun I had worked tirelessly to perfect. I stared at my reflection in the mirror. My face was red, and my makeup was smeared due to sweat and constant rubbing. What was I going to do now? My wolf whimpered as I paced anxiously. She wanted her mate, but I wish it were that easy. “Shit!” I whispered, annoyed by how much my wolf whined. “He is off limits, damn it!”That man was Ezekiel Bread.Future Alpha of the Blackwood Pack. My pack. Despite that, my wolf refused to listen. Repeatedly, she howled for her mate in my head, clawing at my mind and fighting for control—one I wouldn't give.Suddenly, the door opened, and I snapped my head to the door. I frozen, taking a step back as my heart pounded. What is he doing here? My breath grew frantic, and his powerful scent hit me. M
Kailey’s POVEzekiel’s eyes snapped to the door, his body stiffening as a growl rumbled deep in his chest. I turned to look, my stomach sinking when I saw who had entered.Alpha Mark stood in the doorway, his expression thunderous, his black eyes blazing with uncontained fury. His presence filled the room, oppressive and commanding, and even though I wasn’t directly in his line of sight yet, I felt the weight of his anger settle heavily on my chest.“What is the meaning of this?!” he roared, his voice cutting through the air like a blade.My heart jumped, and my wolf whimpered inside me, retreating into the back of my mind. Instinctively, I yanked the blanket up to cover myself, as if it could somehow shield me from the storm that had just blown into the room.Ezekiel didn’t budge, standing protectively in front of me like a stone wall, his eyes locked on his father.“Father,” Ezekiel said, his tone calm but laced with an edge. “You’re intruding.”“Intruding?” Mark snapped, his voice drippi
Ezekiel’s POVMy father’s words echoed in the room, the weight of them pressing down on my chest like an iron hand. For a moment, I thought I’d misheard him.“You heard me,” he said, his voice cold and unrelenting. His eyes bore into mine, daring me to challenge him. “Sever the bond. Now.”I looked over my shoulder at Kailey. Her face was pale, her eyes wide with fear, and her breathing shallow. The bond between us quivered, a fragile thread strained to its limit under the pressure of my father’s command. Her vulnerability struck me like a blow to the gut, but it only strengthened my resolve.“Father,” I said, my voice trembling as I fought to keep my anger in check, “you don’t understand what you’re asking.”“Oh, I understand perfectly,” he snapped, his words cutting through the air like a whip. “You’re the future Alpha of this pack, Ezekiel, and I won’t have you tied to an omega who will only bring us shame.”His words ignited a fire in my chest. My fists clenched at my sides, nails digg
.Kailey’s POV The sun was setting low in the sky, painting the whole courtyard in orange and red hues, I stood beside Ezekiel, holding Auren tightly in my arms. My heart was heavy, this was a day I had both waited for and dreaded.Ezekiel stepped forward. His face was hard, his shoulders straight. He was not my mate at this point, He was the Alpha, and today, he had to act like it.Cecilia stood before us, her hands chained, her beautiful hair messy and dirty now.Beside her, the captured rogues and Roy knelt on the ground, their heads lowered. The whole pack was gathered around, watching in silence.Ezekiel’s voice rang out strong and clear over the courtyard.“For treason against the pack, for working with our enemies, for trying to kill my son and destroy our home” he said, “I, Alpha Ezekiel, sentence Cecilia, Roy, and their allies to death.”There was no noise. No one cheered. This wasn’t a happy moment. It was a sad, painful necessity.Cecilia looked at him, her eyes burning wi
Kailey’s POV The sun was setting low in the sky, painting the whole courtyard in orange and red hues, I stood beside Ezekiel, holding Auren tightly in my arms. My heart was heavy, this was a day I had both waited for and dreaded.Ezekiel stepped forward. His face was hard, his shoulders straight. He was not my mate at this point, He was the Alpha, and today, he had to act like it.Cecilia stood before us, her hands chained, her beautiful hair messy and dirty now.Beside her, the captured rogues and Roy knelt on the ground, their heads lowered. The whole pack was gathered around, watching in silence.Ezekiel’s voice rang out strong and clear over the courtyard.“For treason against the pack, for working with our enemies, for trying to kill my son and destroy our home” he said, “I, Alpha Ezekiel, sentence Cecilia, Roy, and their allies to death.”There was no noise. No one cheered. This wasn’t a happy moment. It was a sad, painful necessity.Cecilia looked at him, her eyes burning wit
Ezekiel's pov. The room was quiet as I sat beside Kailey at the head of the long conference table, a heavy silence hanging over us.The evening light was slipping through the tall windows, painting long shadows across the floor.Kailey’s hand rested over mine. I could feel her shaking, though she tried to hide it.We were both tired, still confused by the whole thing. I knew she must have gone through alot find the relic in the forest. Right now, We were waiting for news. News about our son, about James, about Lydia.My heart twisted every time I thought of Auren’s little face.Where was he? Was he safe?Suddenly, the heavy doors of the conference room burst open with a loud BANG.I jumped to my feet, ready to fight. But it was Cecilia.She stormed inside, her hair wild, her breathing heavy like she had been running. Her eyes widened when she saw us sitting there.“You!” she gasped, stumbling to a stop.Her face twisted for a second, like she wasn’t sure whether to be scared or angr
Kailey’s POV. As I stood there, looking at Ezekiel, standing in front of me, I couldn't believe my eyes.“Is this really you?”I asked, tears gathering in my eyes already.“It's me,” he answered, walking towards me. “You saved me. Suddenly I heard a voice, it was the voice I recognized, the couch of the forest spirit. “you have saved him. He would have lived as the Withered Stag for the rest of his life.” I glanced around and could see the warriors all on their horses around.I frowned, looking toward the mist “What about the relic.?” “There is no relic, the solution was your blood, the only way to save him was the blood of his mate.” the spirit muttered. After a while, there was a snap from the spirit and then it looked like we were all teleported from that area of the forest as the next thing I saw was Ezekiel and I, together with the rest of the warriors standing at a familiar road that leads out of the forest.The road that was once confusing now looks really familiar, of cour
James pov. The next morning, we decided to head north just as the message Lydia had dropped indicated. We moved fast through the trees. My boots hit the ground hard as I ran, sword in hand. Jon was right beside me, and the rest of our warriors followed close behind.We had tracked them here finally. Lydia and Auren were close. I could feel it, I don't think they were far off anymore. We had increased our pace the very moment we stepped out of the cave, ready and motivated to find Lydia. She had dropped the message and it was to show us that we are on the right track. Suddenly, we burst into a clearing, and there they were.Cecilia stood proudly in the middle, her long red cloak flapping in the wind. Beside her was Damon, the rogue leader, tall and strong, his arms crossed like he didn’t have a care in the world.Roy was there too, along with a handful of rough-looking rogues. They had Lydia and Auren held at the back, tied up and guarded by two rogues with knives.My heart slam
Lydia's pov. After passing the night in the cave, I knew it would be safe if I move on, the cave was too open, But before that, I had come up with a plan by carving some clues on the wall. Right now I was already on the move with Auren. The Morning light slipped through the tall trees as I hurried through the forest, I held Auren's hands. Every step I took felt heavier, every breath harder. We had been moving since before dawn, and my legs were tired, but I couldn’t stop. Not yet.“We're almost there, baby,” I whispered to him, even though I didn’t know where there was. I only knew we had to keep going north. Away from the pack house. Away from Cecilia.The forest was cold and damp. My boots squished in the soft ground, and twigs snapped under my feet. I tried to move quietly, but it was hard, I glanced over my shoulder. No one. Only the endless trees.I hugged Auren closer and kept moving.Then, up ahead, I heard something, it was a rustle in the bushes. I froze.My heart hamme
James pov. We have been in the forest for a long time but still there was no sign of Lydia and Auren.However the sun was starting to sink behind the hills when we finally saw it, a large, dark hole in the side of a rocky hill. I slowed my horse and raised my hand, signaling for everyone behind me to stop.“That’s it,” I said, staring at the cave. I didn’t know how I knew. I just... did. My heart was pounding in my chest. My instincts were screaming at me, Lydia was here.Jon rode up beside me. His face was serious, his dark eyes scanning the entrance. “You sure?” he asked quietly.I nodded. “I can feel it. She’s been here. I know it.”Jon didn’t argue, he trusted me, the same way I trusted him.The rest of the warriors waited behind us. Some of them looked nervous. Others just looked tired. We had been searching all day, riding hard through the forest and hills. However now, standing here, I felt a new rush of energy.“She’s close,” I said, tightening my grip on the reins.Jon l
James pov As we rode, I kept thinking about Lydia. I remembered the way she had smiled, the way she had looked at Auren like he was her whole world.I wasn’t going to let anything happen to them. Not on my watch.We had both promised Kailey and Ezekiel that we would protect and keep Auren safe. Though Auren wasn't safe, there was still a chance he was with Lydia and all I needed to do right now was find them and bring them back home to the pack house safe and sound.The tracks led us over hills and through narrow valleys. More than once, we had to stop and search when the trail grew faint.Each time, Jon was right there beside me, helping me pick up the scent again.“They’re moving fast,” Jon said after a while, wiping sweat from his forehead. “But not too fast. They’re slowing down.”I nodded. “They’re tired. Hungry, probably.”“And scared,” Jon added quietly.I didn’t like hearing that. Fear could make people careless. Lydia was smart, but if she was tired enough, scared enough, s
James pov. The whole place have already been cleaned up l, the warriors, guards and maids have done a very good job, the pack wolves too have put heads to getter in helping to make sure the pack house was back to the way it was before Although there was no way it could go back to the way it was in just a day of cleaning, it had improved.The blood on the walls of the pack house has been cleaned, the casualties l, dead bodies had been taken away, the whole place now looked like there was neve a battle at the pack house. However, the only thing that gave away the fact that there had been a battle, was the broken walls of some of the buildings around including the pack house. That was something that had already been looked into and should be in order in three to five days. Right now, I stepped out of the pack house, the cool air hitting my face. The sun was already high, but it didn’t do much to warm the uneasiness sitting heavy in my chest. Oh yes,I had a lot in my chest m, a whol