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
Kailey’s POVWhy isn’t this soup spicy?” I said even as I tasted the soup the maids were preparing for dinner.“My Queen… it’s—”“Your what?!” I cut her short, my voice sharp. “Don’t call me that. Call me the Luna.”“But—”“Are you trying to question me?” I shot back at the maid.“Sorry, Luna,” she said quickly, lowering her head.“Better. Now make sure this soup is spicy and not this trash you are cooking,” I snapped, turning to walk out of the kitchen. But as I reached the doorway, I paused.Cecilia was standing there, her arms folded, watching me with amusement. And then, she laughed.I narrowed my eyes. “What’s so funny?”Cecilia smirked. “What makes you think you are the Luna?”I tilted my head, my lips curling into a smile. “Oh, don’t worry about that. In no time, I will personally kick you out.”She arched an eyebrow. “Oh? And how exactly do you plan to do that?”I stepped closer, my voice low and firm. “All I need to do is prove you were the one behind my son’s murder.”Cecili
Kailey’s POVToday, a lot of Alphas were going to be around. The full coronation of my son, Auren, was today, and I was so happy. I was fully ready and dressed up. Elyra helped me with my dress even as she was telling me that there shouldn’t be any fight between me and Cecilia today.“I didn’t promise anything,” I muttered, adjusting my necklace.Elyra gave me a side-eye. “Kailey…”I smirked. “Yeah, yeah. As long as Cecilia don’t step on my toes, I’m gonna be good.”Elyra folded her arms. “You’re always the one finding trouble.”I turned to her, raising an eyebrow. “Me? Finding trouble? Elyra, be for real.”She sighed. “You don’t even see it, do you?”“I see plenty.” I smirked, checking my reflection. “I see that I look damn good. I see that my son is about to be crowned. And I see that if Cecilia breathes wrong today, I just might—”Elyra groaned, cutting me off. “Kailey! This is Auren’s day. Can you, for once, not start a war?”I chuckled. “I’m not starting anything.”She gave me a
Kailey’s POV"Alpha Ezekiel, I'm so happy for you. Finally, you have a son who will continue your legacy."Alpha Darius raised his glass, and I met his cheers with my own. The clink of our glasses echoed through the great hall, filled with the voices of powerful Alphas gathered for Auren’s coronation."Yeah, that was perfect," I said with a nod.Darius chuckled, leaning in slightly. "I just hope your new heir will continue the good relationship we’ve all kept through the years. You know how these young ones can be. Always eager to prove themselves."I smirked, taking a sip of my drink. "Sure, why not? He will. I trust him. He will be perfect. Though he's still very young, I know he will do his best."More Alphas began to approach, one after the other, congratulating me as they lifted their glasses. The air was filled with laughter and hushed conversations, everyone exchanging pleasantries and well wishes."Ezekiel, my friend," Alpha Tobias called as he clapped me on the back. "Tonight
Kailey’s POVAs the ceremony went on, I was just so happy. Seeing my son, Auren, being ceremoniously decorated as the next Alpha of this land, my heart swelled with pride. Tears almost ran down my face. My ten-year-old son, given such an important role—it felt unreal. I was beyond happy, even as I thought of a name to call myself.“Alpha’s mother,” I murmured, tapping my chin thoughtfully. “No… Queen of the Alpha.”I giggled to myself, shaking my head. It was funny. I was giving myself so many options, and the more I thought about it, the more ridiculous they sounded.Then I burst out laughing. Like, really laughing. I couldn’t help it. It was just so amusing to me.“Kailey, what the hell is so funny?” Elyra’s voice pulled me back. She had walked up to me, her brows raised as she stared at me like I’d lost my mind.I tried to talk between laughs. “I was… I was just thinking…” I took a deep breath, wiping a tear from my eye. “What should I be called now? I mean, I can’t just be Luna an
Kailey’s POVYeah, sure. I know I was having a good time... I definitely was. More Alphas and their pack elders recognizing me... more than Cecilia. Yes, I was definitely the reigning Luna, I said to myself, even as I just smiled and continued sipping my wine so gently.Then, suddenly, someone tapped me from behind. I turned, expecting to see Elyra or Cedric again, but when my eyes landed on the person in front of me, I nearly dropped my glass.Kyle.What the fuck?!"Ey, Kailey... it's really been a long time," he said, his lips stretching into a grin.I blinked. Then blinked again. "Kyle? Are you serious right now?"His deep chuckle sent a wave of nostalgia through me. "What? No hug for an old friend?"Old friend? The man was my ex-boyfriend from college! The first guy I ever really cared about before life and duty pulled us apart. And now here he was, standing in front of me, looking... well, looking absolutely incredible.He had grown. Like, really grown. His shoulders were broader
Kailey’s POVHey baby... how was that?" Ezekiel suddenly said from behind me. I turned around quickly, my heart skipping. "Oh. No one actually serious. Just my ex from college.""Oooooh," Ezekiel dragged, raising a brow. "Wow. That’s nice." I narrowed my eyes. "Nice?" He shrugged. "Hope he knows you’re taken." I rolled my eyes. "Obviously. He—Ezekiel!" Before I could respond, Ezekiel pulled me closer, his grip strong, his eyes dark with something playful yet protective. He leaned in, his lips just inches from mine. "Alpha Ezekiel, calm down," I scolded, putting a hand to his chest. "We are in public." He smirked. "So?" "So," I whispered sharply, "people are watching." "Let them watch," he said easily, one hand moving down to my waist. Before I could complain, he tickled me, making me laugh. "Stop!" He chuckled. "Not a chance. All I wanna do right now is kiss my Luna." I sighed loudly but didn’t push him away. His lips met mine, warm and hard, and before I knew it, there wa
Kailey’s POVEzekiel groaned loudly, rubbing his hands down his face. "Fuck!!! Why now?!" I giggled, still curled up on the bed, watching him with amused eyes. "Baby, just go and see them. Don't worry, you have all of me to yourself throughout the night." He shot me a look, his golden eyes dark with something playful yet frustrated. "You promise?" I smirked. "Mmhmm." Ezekiel ran a hand through his hair, still looking at me like he was debating whether to actually go or just throw the meeting away. "Kailey, you're really making it hard for me to leave right now." I stretched my arms above my head, making sure the sheets slipped down just enough to tease him. "Am I?" He growled lowly, his hands clenching. "You little minx." I bit my lip, laughing. "Go, Alpha. Before they come knocking again." He sighed loudly. "Okay." But don’t think I’m happy about this." I rolled onto my stomach, resting my chin on my hands. "I’d be worried if you were." Ezekiel started dressing, pulling his
JAMES’ POV. The energy in my bones were beginning to give out, I could feel the weakness engulfing me, taking over every ounce of my body. The poison was beginning to have a large effect on me, my bones felt weak, my vision blurry.And as I grabbed the sword of the rogue on top of me with shaky hands, my arms shaking as blood rolled down my wrist due to the blade of the rogue's sword digging deep into my palm. Saliva dripped from the rogue’s mouth onto my face as the rogue pressed on, forcing the sword down to the point that I could already feel the cold metal of the blade pressed against my throat.“This is where you die beta” No matter how hard you try to channel all my strength it just wasn't enough, the poison had weakened me so much and I knew if I don't find a way to push this rogue off me then I would be a dead man in no time. My sword had fallen off my hand a while ago and now that I had my palm wrapped around the blade of the rogue’s sword, more poison slipped into my b
CECILIA'S POV .The commotion happening outside brought a certain kind of satisfaction to me. The sound of metal clangings, where like music to my eyes, I felt satisfied, finally it was happening, the battle had begun.I smiled as the reflection in my full length mirror smiled back at me. Now Ezekiel would be shocked when he heard about this. I just couldn't wait to see the look on his face, the shocked look on his face, the smile on my face widened as I adjusted my cloak. I was distracted by a knock on the door, I smiled as my gaze shifted from the full length mirror to the door. Of Course I was expecting someone. “The door is open,” I muttered.The door slowly pushed open and Roy stepped in. I could see him observing his surroundings before stepping in, like someone who had just stolen from the market and was looking to see if anyone had seen him. I knew this cautiousness had to do with James. Roy had told me how James had confronted him in the bar, pinning him to the wall and
JAMES’ POV. My eyes felt heavy, drowsy and the images in front of me doubled, tripped and the next thing I realized was that I was falling. I dropped to the ground with a thud, supporting myself with my arm strongly planted to the ground. “Shit” I cursed, shaking my head from side to side, trying so hard to stay awake. I could feel my consciousness slipping away gradually but I wasn't going to give it a chance m, I must stay awake. I can't pass out now, not now, not when the battle is still on. I shook my head again and struggled to get to my feet, however my effort was in vain as I collapsed again.My wounds burned on my skin, they were not healing, in fact it felt like they were getting worse.I grabbed my sword tightly, gagerung all the strength I could muster, I stabbed the sword into the ground using it as a third leg while supporting myself back to my feet.“There should be an Antidote” I muttered. “There should've an Antidote somewhere, and I need to find it.” I took a st
JAMES’ POV. He grinned, his sharp eyes scanning me, assessing my movements just as I was doing to him.Then he stroked, His sword came fast, a blur of steel slicing toward my ribs. I barely parried in time, the force of the blow sending vibrations up my arm. I twisted, countering with a quick strike aimed at his side, but he dodged effortlessly, stepping back just out of reach.He was fast. Too fast, I exhaled sharply, adjusting my grip. This wasn’t going to be an easy fight.We circled each other, the ground beneath us torn from previous clashes. My breathing was steady, my heart pounding in my ears. He feinted to the left, then struck from the right. I blocked, barely, his blade scraping against mine as sparks flew.Then he kicked me square in the chest, the strike was hard, I stumbled back, gasping as pain exploded in my ribs. He didn’t waste a second. He was on me again, his sword a whirlwind of motion. I barely managed to dodge, his blade slicing through the fabric of my s
James’ POV As I ran forward, my eyes locked at the three rogues. The growls of the rogue wolves filled the air, their yellow eyes locked onto me with murderous intent.I pulled my sword from my sheath and tightened my grip on the hilt of the sword, feeling the weight of it steady me as they crouched low, preparing to pounce. My body was tense, my muscles coiled like a spring, waiting for the right moment.Then as they charged towards me, I could feel the ground trembling beneath their heavy paws, a storm of snarls and snapping fangs coming at me from three different angles.I had seconds to react, and I did. With a quick step to the side, I twisted my sword in an arc, meeting the closest wolf mid-leap.The blade sliced across its chest, a deep wound opening up, but it wasn’t enough to take it down.Pain exploded across my side as another rogue slammed into me, knocking me off balance.My back hit the ground hard, the wind rushing from my lungs.Claws raked across my arm as I rolled
JAMES POV. It was night time , The pack house was quiet, the kind of silence that came with a hint of unease. I sat in the lounge area, the dim lighting casting soft shadows across the wooden walls. Auren sat on the rug in front of me, cross-legged, while Lydia lounged on the couch, her head resting against the armrest.We sit out here this way, most of the time. The fire crackled in the hearth, it was the only sound breaking the quietness of the night.I watched Auren fidget with his fingers, his brows furrowed in thought. He had a lot on his mind,I could tell, We all did.Lydia sighed and stretched. “It's been a long day.”“Yeah,” I agreed. “But at least things are calm for now.”Auren looked up at me, his green eyes bright with curiosity. “James, do you think the pack is okay? I heard some of the warriors talking earlier. They sounded... worried.”I exhaled through my nose, leaning forward so my elbows rested on my knees. “There's been some tension, but nothing we can't handl
Cecilia's pov. How could he stand up to me? How could he challenge me? In front of the elders.The nerve of him. The absolute audacity.I stormed out of the pack house, my heart pounding with rage, my fists clenched so tightly my nails dug into my palms. James.That worthless James had dared to challenge me. Right before the elders.In front of everyone.I gritted my teeth as I pulled my cloak tighter around my shoulders, the night air cool against my skin.The full moon was high in the sky, casting long shadows over the forest path ahead of me.My boots crunched against the dried leaves, but I barely heard them over the furious pounding in my head.I was furious and mad, and right now, I could tear apart anyone who stood in my way.James had stood up to me, his voice steady, unshaken, he dared to step in when I was already close to my goal. I was just a step away, if the healer had proceeded with the blood test, they would have found out the Auren was not Ezekiel's so.This was beca
Kailey’s POV.How can this be?, yet again the forest had played tricks on me, I sighed, resting my back on a tree as exhaustion washed over me. Just when I thought I had found the relic, when I thought all of this was over, the forest had struck and the relic had disappeared. Now I was left with nothing. How would I cope?How was I supposed to go about this? What was I supposed to do now? Even with the coldness the mist brought, beads of seas gathered on my forehead. I wiped them off with the back of my palm, the mist in the air was everywhere , my throat was dry and it felt like I was going to pass out if I didn't get water to drink.Right now, it felt like I was losing my mind, thinking.Straight was more like a difficult task for me now. However, I knew I needed to move on, there was no reason to stick around,I still had to find the relic, I still had to save Ezekiel and return him to Auren. Ihaen idea how much time Ezekiel has left, same with Auren,I had no idea what was going
Kailey’s POV. It still baffles me how the altar disappeared into thin air, it was hard to fathom. Multiple questions flooded my ear, I was getting confused and it also felt like I was losing my mind. It was obvious that the voices I heard earlier, the voices of Auren, were just an illusion created by the forest to fool me, to deceive me and delay me from acquiring the relic on time.However, was the altar also an illusion created by the forest? Or was it something else.?While inside, I had felt a difference, a change in atmosphere and for a second I thought I had the relic already, I thought the relic was already in my hands. And then the next second the whole altar disappeared into thin air. I sighed as the thick mist curled around me, swallowing every inch of the forest in an eerie white haze. My boots sank into the damp earth as I trudged forward, my body aching from hours of searching. I was already tiring out, I could feel it in my bones, it felt like there was something