Kailey’s POVWe all returned to the hall where everyone was. I was not myself. My blood boiled, my hands clenched at my sides. My eyes found Cecilia even as she was smiling, greeting all the guests like she hadn’t just flipped my world upside down.I wanted to grab her by the throat and squeeze until she stopped breathing. I wanted to see the panic in her eyes the way she made me panic all these years. But I couldn’t. Not here. Not now. It would cause more problems than it would solve.A light touch on my back made me tense. I spun around, my body still on edge.Mage Elyra.I blinked. “Wow… you came.”She smiled, her eyes warm but knowing. “Yeah, sure I did. I wouldn’t miss this. After I was done with what I was doing in the woods, I said let me rush down here.”I nodded, my eyes flickering back to Cecilia. “That’s nice. I’m happy you’re here.”Elyra followed my gaze, her expression turning serious. “Where is Aurene?”“He’s in his room,” I said. “He’s still getting prepared to be show
Kailey’s POVAurene turned to him. “No. I’m done lying. You want me to respect you? Then tell me the truth. Tell me why you let it happen. Tell me why you never protected her. Tell me why you still stand beside her, knowing everything she’s done.”Ezekiel’s jaw clenched.Cecilia, for the first time, looked shaken. She wasn’t in control anymore. The room wasn’t following her plan.I watched it all, my heart racing. My boy. My brave, bold son.I had always wanted to shield him from this, but now, I saw it. He had his own fire. His own fight.And for the first time, Cecilia had nothing to say.Silence stretched. The whole hall held its breath.Then, Aurene took a step back. He sighed, shaking his head. “You can keep your fake words, Cecilia. I don’t need them.”And with that, he turned and walked out of the hall.Leaving everyone stunned.Leaving Cecilia open.And leaving me, his mother, feeling more pride than I had in my entire life.******After a few more hours, the feast finished, a
Kailey’s POVI wanted to go and check on Ezekiel, but I didn’t dare. I knew right now he was really angry, so ignoring him felt like the best thing to do. Auren was in his room, and I told myself I’d go meet him instead. I guessed he was just frustrated—I know how much all this must weigh on him. As I walked down the hallway, I caught sight of Cecilia coming out of one of the rooms. She looked like she’d eaten something sour, her face all twisted and angry. Seeing her like that made a smile creep onto my face. I was so happy about what happened earlier that I couldn’t help myself. Cecilia turned, her sharp look locking onto mine. She noticed the grin on my face and stopped in her tracks, her eyes sharpening. “What’s funny?” she snapped, her voice cold and sharp. I crossed my arms, leaning slightly against the wall as I tilted my head at her. “What isn’t funny?” I said with a laugh. “You, Cecilia. You are the joke of the night. A self-acclaimed Luna, made to look stupid by a fourte
Kailey’s POV“She’s not my Luna anymore!” he roared, his voice cracking with frustration. “I told you that already. I—”“Oh, really?” I interrupted, stepping closer to him. “Because it sure as hell sounded like you were defending her just now. ‘My Luna this, my Luna that.’ Which is it, Ezekiel? Is she your Luna or not?”He opened his mouth to respond but closed it again, his jaw tightening as he struggled to find the words. I shook my head, laughing bitterly.“That’s what I thought,” I said, my voice cold. “You can’t even make up your mind. And you want to come in here and yell at my son for speaking his truth? For standing up to that conniving bitch?”“Don’t call her that,” he growled, his voice low and dangerous.“Why not?” I challenged, crossing my arms. “That’s exactly what she is. And you know it. You just don’t want to admit it because it’s easier to keep pretending everything is fine. Well, guess what, Ezekiel? It’s not fine. It’s never been fine. And your precious Cecilia? She
Ezekiel’s POVAs it stood right now, I was really losing it. Like, I was way too tired of everything. The feast Cecilia told me to plan? A fucking mess. Like, what the fuck? How can a fourteen-year-old boy talk back to me and Cecilia like that? Like, what the fuck?It shocked me to the highest level.You fucking caused all this for yourself.I could hear my wolf’s voice in my head, sharp and cutting, like he was enjoying my misery.“How did I?” I muttered under my breath, dragging my hands through my hair as I paced the room.You let Kailey down years ago, and you think nemesis won’t catch up with you?“You must be joking,” I growled back at him, my anger boiling over. “I have paid for my mistakes. Why the fuck is all this still happening to me?”Paid? Oh, please. You’ve barely scratched the top of what you owe, Ezekiel. And if you’re not careful, Auren is going to become something you’ll regret.“Fuck!” I snapped, striking my hand into the wall. My chest heaved as I tried to calm my
Ezekiel’s POVJames’s eyes widened slightly, but he didn’t reply. “Alpha,” he said slowly. “I… I think you need to address this head-on. Call a meeting. Confront Remus and the others. Show them you’re still in control.”I scoffed. “Oh, that’ll go well,” I said lightly. “What am I supposed to say? That my house is in shambles but they should still believe me? That my son publicly insulted me, and my Luna and ex-Luna are locked in a power struggle, but I’ve got everything under control?” “You don’t have to say all that,” he answered, his tone calm. “But you do need to remind them of who you are. Of what you’ve done for this pack and the Alliance. They’ve forgotten, Ezekiel. And if you let this continue, they’ll change the story entirely.” I rubbed a hand over my face, tiredness sinking deep in my bones. He’s right, you know, my wolf said, his tone softer this time. You’ve been so focused on keeping the peace that you’ve forgotten how to lead. Maybe it’s time to tell them. And yourse
Kailey’s POVHow fucking annoying it is to actually wake up to a text from Ezekiel.Meet me at the eating by 9 a.m. with Auren. Don’t be late! Who the hell does this fool think he’s talking to? I slid my phone onto the table and lay back down. I didn’t even know when I dozed off yesterday. I was so tired and scared that I just crashed, and now I wake up to this buzzing sound? So crazy. “Another crazy morning in this hell of a pack,” I mumbled, looking at the ceiling. I reached for my phone again to check the time. It was almost 8:30 a.m. I groaned, wondering whether I should even bother going to the diner. My wolf stirred, growling lowly, her way of nudging me to get moving. You should go. “Why? So he can piss me off even more?” I asked aloud. You know why. You care. I rolled my eyes. “Yeah, deep down, I still love Ezekiel so much. But what he did in the past? It’s always fresh in my mind. Every damn time I see him, I feel that pain. And it pisses me off so bad. Sometimes, I fe
Kailey’s POV"Nothing," I said easily, flashing another smile."Bullshit," Auren grumbled.Ezekiel leaned forward, resting his arms on the table. "Kailey, I know you. You were ready to tear this whole plan apart five seconds ago. Now you’re just… agreeing? That’s not how you work."I shrugged, tilting my head. "Maybe I had a change of heart."Auren laughed. "You don’t have a heart.""That’s rude." I smirked."That’s the truth," Ezekiel replied, his eyes still locked on me. He was studying me, trying to read me like a book with torn pages.I kept my face smooth. If they even got a hint of what I was thinking, it would ruin everything."Look," I sighed loudly, tapping my nails against the table. "We all want the same thing, don’t we? This curse broken. That’s why we’re even having this damn talk.""Yeah," Ezekiel said slowly, still wary."And this is the only way?" I asked, trying to sound hesitant."You know it is," Auren said."Then I’m in," I said with certainty.Silence. Thick. Heav
Cecilia's pov. The weather was calm and cold and as I walked through the bushes, the cool breeze of the evening hit me from different angles. I had sent a message to Damon, telling him to meet me up at our usual location, as we had a lot to discuss. The cool evening breeze blew through the trees, making the leaves move from side to side. The sunlight was already fading at this point and I pulled my cloak tighter around my shoulders. I walked deeper into the forest, my boots pressing softly onto the damp earth, crushing the leaves beneathThe scent of dried leaves , mixed with fresh rain filled my nose. I glanced at my side scanning the forest.This was because I could hear the distant sound of rustling animals, howling and making all kinds of sounds. I was hoping Damon would carry out the taste effectively, now that Ezekiel and Kailey were out of the pack house.This was the perfect time to attack the palace. However,before that, there was something else I had asked Damon to carry
Kailey’s POV.After dinner, I stepped into our tent, one which was well prepared for just Ezekiel and I. I sat at the small bed which we could lay on for the night.My mind was still occupied with the happenings In the pack house, however, not so much, and this was because James had set out this morning, already on his way to the pack house.With James at the pack house, I was confident that Auren would be safe and in good hands. The sounds of footsteps approaching the tent brought me out of my thoughts. I could already see the silhouette of the person aporaivhjg through the tent. It was a familiar shadow and I knew who it was already. Ezekiel stepped in, his towering figure making the tent look small. “kailey, I have been looking everywhere for you”I frowned slightly, folding my arms to my chest “But we just had dinner together not quite long ago.”He chuckled, taking a step closer to me “Ofcourse, we did,”I raise a grow, arms still folded to my chest. He sighed, understanding
JAMES’ POV. I totally understood Kailey's worries, Auren was a strong little boy, he had determination, a fire which burns in his eyes. I chuckled, glancing at the large trees around me, how can I forget about his stubbornness?. I have sworn to protect him till my last breath, Auren was the heir and future of our pack and it was my duty to make sure he was safe at all times. Just like kailey’s said earlier, though Cecilia was locked up, she was as slick as a shame, she would never back down without a fight.I knew she would have people on the pack, those who were loyal to her, they would be the ones pulling the string for her even now that she is behind bars. I heaved a sigh, when will all this end?. The pack has been divided for a long While now and it didn't look like there would be an amalgamation soon.I grabbed the reins of my horse and swung it with force, urging the horse to ride faster. The forest was quiet, too quiet, at first I didn't mind but then the quietness was jus
Kailey’s pov. It still baffles me how Cecilia would come up with such a lie, one which the elders would find it difficult to ignore. I must give it to her, she was smart, however, her only problem was that she was messing with the wrong person. Me. I glanced at the burning fire which was right there in the middle of the gathering. The moon was up. However, it wasn't bright enough yet, so the fire was used as an alternative to brighten the night. “You should rest, Kylie,” a familiar voice rang out as footsteps approached from behind me. I sighed, glancing above my shoulders. “I'm not sleepy yet” James raised a brow as he walked past me, sitting at a corner, just around the burning fire. “don't tell me you are still thinking about the rumor Cecilia came up with”I remained quiet, Of Course I was thinking about it, though Ezekiel had paid deaf ears to it, some of the elders if not all had doubts in their mind, I was glad Ezekiel made a swift decision on loving her up. “You don't h
Ezekiel's pov. The meeting with the different alpha's didn't go as I had expected. However I knew there would be uproar and misunderstanding. I hadn't expected them to bring the issue of my house to the table. It might have felt like nothing at the time, but it had hit deep, however I would not allow it get to me so much. This was all Cecilia's fault, if she had been a good Luna, all this wouldn't have happened. I still remembered the look on Marcus' face when he mocked my house, asking why they should listen to me when I haven't put my household in order yet. My teeth grinder together as I paced in my chambers, hands running through my hair. There was a sudden knock on the door which made me frown slightly, wondering who that was. The door is open” The door pushed open and a maid stepped In with her hand to her back. “Breakfast is served, Alpha” I sighed, “I will be there shortly, you may leave”. The maid nodded and then after a slight bow l, she walked out of the r
CHAPTER one hundred and twenty four LUNA’s RETURN_ HER RETURN WILL LIFT THE CURSE Ezekiel’s POV The room was filled with voices clashing against each other, one Alpha trying to speak over the other. The council chamber was heavy with tension, frustration rolling off every man in waves. Some were standing, others still seated but barely holding back their irritation. Fists pounded on the table, deep growls echoed in the large space, and more than once, I caught the sharp glint of fangs as tempers flared. "This is unacceptable!" Alpha Gerard snapped, his fists pressing into the table. "The Full Moon Festival is in three days, and nothing has been arranged! Do you think our packs will stand for this level of disorganization? We are Alphas! We should be leading by example." "Agreed," Alpha Marcus interjected, arms crossed over his broad chest. "The festival is not just a celebration; it is tradition, a time of unity among packs. If we fail to organize it properly, it will be seen
Cecilia’s POV "So," he drawled, his voice low and taunting. "You want Ezekiel’s heir gone."I took a step forward, locking eyes with him. "Not just gone, Damon. Dead. Gone forever. No traces, no chances of rescue. I want Auren wiped from existence."He chuckled, shaking his head. "You don’t ask for much, do you?"I pulled a rolled parchment from inside my cloak and held it out. "This is the blueprint of the packhouse. Every room, every passage, every weak spot. Study it. You’ll need it."Damon raised a brow but took the parchment, unrolling it slowly. His eyes scanned over it, flicking from one section to another."This is detailed," he admitted. "Where’d you get it?"I smirked. "I was Luna, Damon. This was my home. I know every inch of that place. I know where the guards stand, where they slack off, and where they think they’re safe. They aren’t."He traced a finger over the main entrance. "The packhouse is heavily guarded. Getting in won’t be easy."I stepped closer, pointing at a
Cecilia’s POV As the chains fell from my wrists, I let out a slow, shaky breath. My fingers trembled as I rubbed the raw skin where the cold metal had bitten into my flesh for over a week. A whole week locked in that filthy cell. Me. The Luna.I clenched my jaw, my nails digging into my palms. "I will make Ezekiel pay for this."The Pack Elders had finally decided my fate in his absence. And of course, with the right words, the right persuasion, and the right influence, I bought my way out. They thought they were making the decision. Fools. I had them wrapped around my finger before they even realized it.I looked down at myself, disgust curling in my stomach. My arms had shrunk, my once flawless skin now bruised and dirty. My dress hung loosely, no longer fitting the way it used to. They had made me look weak. Powerless.That would change. Immediately.I turned to the guard who had hesitated before unlocking my chains. "Where is Evelyn?"He bowed his head slightly. "She’s waiting fo
Kailey’s POV I paced back and forth, my heart pounding in my chest as I watched Ezekiel’s guards approaching. The sun was setting behind them, casting long shadows over the dirt road. My stomach twisted with unease. Why were more guards coming? I had already left ahead of Ezekiel because he had things to take care of. Now he was sending more men after me?Something wasn’t right.James rode at the front, his expression unreadable. The moment he got down from his horse, I rushed towards him, grabbing his arm.“James, what’s going on? Why are more of you here?” I demanded, my voice sharp with worry. “Is everything okay back home?”James sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. “Kailey, we need to talk.”I folded my arms, trying to steady my breathing. “Then talk.”James glanced at the other guards, then back at me. “Not here.”I frowned but nodded. “Fine. Over there.” I pointed to a quieter spot near the edge of the packhouse. As soon as we were alone, I turned to him, my patience wearing