ZEKE Drusila talked about doing the right thing and paying for my sins. I've set a ticking time bomb, and I'm waiting for it to catch up with me. I check my watch. It's time. I know he's here. Aiden rushes into my study. He stops before my desk and bows with his hands crossed before him. He's dressed in a black wife beater and faded denim jeans. I can see his question before it comes. "Chase Erickson is walking free within Moon Grove's walls, and we are just going to let him?" I toss those files I've been trying to figure out for days inside the bottom left drawer and steeple my fingers on my desk. "Yes." "He's the enemy." "You, of all people, shouldn't question my decisions. I don't have to school Orson and school you as well." He lowers his head, calming himself down before me. It's a lost cause to fight me or disagree with me. He should respect his position as my beta. They all should remember that before anything else, they are beneath me. "My apologies, Alpha Zeke.
I don't know how many times I read the note. I'm making sense of it because it's hard to believe it's finally over. My hand supports me as I lower myself onto her bed. I run the other one over my mouth. She's gone. I read the note again. It's hard this last time because my shaky hands won't let me. Drusila finds me after a few minutes. She sees what I'm staring at and instantly gets alarmed. She checks the bathroom, the terrace, and even my bedroom, but Marelyn's in neither of them. She plops down on the bed, flanking me. "She was just right here." "Chase Erickson must have come for what is his. I made it easy for him again." "Again?" She frowns. I spare a vague smile, staring off at the wall with distant eyes. She's gone. I've pictured this moment since I found out we were pregnant. It's everything I thought it would be. Unbearable. "Drusila, do you think I can still get her back?" "Let her go, Zeke." I roll right on. "I should probably remind her how madly in love with
Nostalgia sets in as Chase extends an open palm. I take it and climb out from the boat at Carodia's harbour. We are dressed differently from the people around us. I'm in an ankle-length dark blue gown with a noodle strap hand, and he's in a tee and jeans, too. It's late at night when we arrive. "Are you up for a run in the woods?" "Don't we have a feast to get to?" I turn to him on the stave. He steps closer. "Marelyn, we call the shots here. I think we both could use these last free hours before we face our wolves. What do you say?" I think about it. I've not had a good run in months. The full moon hangs in the night sky gloriously. It's a sight to behold. When I look at it, my wolf feels it. I'm stuck in Red Valley for good. This is my last chance as a free person. "Would you fancy losing to your Luna, Chase?" "I'm faster." He declares with his eyes on me. The raven dismisses himself and leaves us to it. He bows before walking away with a brown envelope in one hand. Money
Her tawny brown hair is matted and hasn't been washed for weeks. She looks different from how I left her. When Chase said Ruby meant nothing to him, I didn't know this is what I would find. A slave. "Ruby." She averts her gaze and wipes the spot underneath her eyes with her finger. I see the way she tightens her hold on the basket in her hand. I ask. "What happened to you, Ruby?" "Chase Erickson happened." She smiles ruefully. I know I've heard those words before. Zeke had said them to me when I woke up at the hospital, and he carried me home. I pause for a moment because thoughts about him always make me feel things I shouldn't feel. I hate him. I remind myself that. "Can we talk?" She eyes my clean clothes and hair and snarls. "Why? Did you come here to gloat, Mare? I see that bastard is finally treating you right." "Ruby, don't say that. We have a lot to talk about. You're still my sister." "But are you still mine?" My lips quiver in hurt. "At least invite me in."
ZEKE I'm surviving on alcohol that does nothing to reduce the pain. Pack matters have been unattended for days. I live inside clubs now, combing through different calibres of women, but none can compare. It's unlike me to act this, but Marelyn's departure turned my world upside down, and I don't know how to reverse it. I'm stuck in limbo, looking for my saviour. Talking doesn't help, but Drusila has been trying to get me to do that for days. She's persistent, but the way I'm broken is far worse. Nothing can penetrate. Today, I'm home and in the living room flipping through channels. I settle on a channel showing a movie I starred in last fall. It's about a girl whose mother died of cancer, and she was forced to live with Foster parents and attend a new high school. I played the evil teacher, who ended up being the star character in the show. Maybe I've dealt my career a huge blow by standing the director for the new series up, but I'm in a phase where everything just feels numb.
I freeze, but I don't show too much on my face. Silence falls like a stone between us, or like a large rock. It's heavy and tense. She stands there, waiting for a reaction out of me. "Drop the act. Say it." She taunts with a frown on her face. I'm certain she didn't expect the roles to be reversed in this manner. I cross my arms over my chest and spare a lopsided grin. "No." I whisper while leaning in. "I won't give you what you want." She fumes, glaring daggers at my back as I walk away. My hand meets the car door handle when I hear her voice right behind me. "Gene Everdeen!" I do not want to freeze this time. I want to take the news like it's nothing, but how do I do that when it's clearly something? Alexis pulls my shoulder, forcing me to face her. I let her because I have no words. "Yes, Zeke. Marelyn's mother. The last bloodline silver werewolf killed your mother. The woman carrying your child is the enemy." I grip the roof of the car with claws. It's the second car
KYRA I breathe in the air in Carodia. It's fresh and new, certainly been a while. A too long while since I've been here. My family didn't want me leaving Moon Wood, but I have always been a rebel. I joined Zeke's pack because I wanted to annoy my parents. But it was the best decision I have ever made. It's been years since I set my eyes on them, yet I don't know why I don't stop by at the house. Instead, I come here. To the tavern. Being the delinquent child I was, I always visited the tavern, even though I was underage. I caused trouble most of the time and picked pockets. Now I'm here to have a good drink. I'm almost nineteen, and that has to do. I laugh to myself and walk up to the man behind the wooden counter. He drops a jug before me after I place my order. I settle into the long stool and begin drinking in silence. There are wolves playing cards at a corner, some gambling, and a few others arm wrestling. They all look intriguing to me. I've forgotten what life in Carodia lo
MARE Kyra's here. That thought hasn't settled with me in the past few seconds. I'm still wide-eyed with shock. She's standing in the hallway of Chase's Manor, right outside my door. I'm stooped. I take a few steps back. She walks in, shutting the door behind her, and pressing a finger to her lips. Kyra mouths. "Where is he?" I understand she means Chase, and I look around me, wrapping my arms around my torso. "He's not here. Chase is with Loki in the throne room." She relaxes and does something that completely surprises me. Kyra hugs me. It's a warm hug with meaning. I hug her back and remember everything about New York. Even the pleasant memories have turned unpleasant to me. "How have you been?" She pulls away, holding my shoulders at an arm's stretch away. I mutter. "Okay." She studies me for a second and releases my shoulder. My energy doesn't match hers, and I know she can feel it. There's a shift somewhere that's as noticeable as a white light. Kyra shakes her head.
I'm standing at the window edge of a hallway in the fortress. Everyone that passes greets their Alpha with a bow. Today is the exertion of the verdict I passed over all those involved in my mother's death. I took her skull down from where it was hung and finally gave her a befitting burial. Chantria Van Acker, after being tried for my mother's death and King Nikolai's death, was sentenced to death. Her execution is today, and Zane doesn't try to stop it. I knew he went to see her one last time at the dungeons last night, but she's his mother. Will that ever be enough? Hours later, Aiden hands me a platter. I open it and find Chantrias head. The last thing I can do for my mother is to replace her skull with that of the person who put her there. I tell him where to leave the human head until it decomposes, and only a skull is left. My brother stops by to see me in my chambers that evening. He doesn't seem angry that I had given the order for her death. She had killed Father, too. It
ZEKE Again, fire and water will stand against each other. I don't know what the outcome of this fight will be. In my head, I know what I want, but I can't tell exactly what my brother is thinking. It was his idea to do this. I'm not so sure why I even agreed. Revenge doesn't matter anymore. Once I looked into my daughter's eyes, all the pain I felt melted away. I healed. Mare couldn't let go of me all through the night. She was stuck to me like glue because she feared this moment. She feared losing me. My life is finally coming together. I fear losing it, too. The arena roars wild. The entire wolf lands are watching King Nikolai's sons make history. I'm already a record breaker, and he's their king. This fight will have them all at the edge of their seats. The gong goes off and shirtless as we are, dressed in nothing but shorts we fight to the death. I cast an illusion of a cloud over his head, and constant rain falls on only him in the arena. Zane is furious that I'm drenching
KYRA I'm storming into his chambers in Moon Wood's fortress. I just learnt the news of a battle between legacies. There are only two legacies I know apart from evil Jai-Blynn. All of Carodia believes the king has gone mad for wanting to fight his brother, who took down an entire pack and turned them to dust. Zeke Van Acker has gained a name for himself in the city, but that is still far from my point. How could he do this to me? We talked the second our boat arrived at the harbour. Actually, we did less talking and more physical activities for the first few hours after meeting again. I was so sure Marelyn and I made the right choice after spending time with him again. My wolf couldn't stop pining for him, but it seems I'm the only one who felt that way. How could he do this us? Zane says after I barge in, "I know you are angry. Kyra, calm down—I can't believe they just let you walk through easily." "It's not news to anyone, including your other mates, that we are together, Zane.
"That child and I can't exist at the same time on this earth, Mare." "Why, Jai?" I frown, calculating the distance with my eyes. I make a jump for it and shield Kinna from his attack with my body. Summoning my powers, I struggle to get a hold of his mind, but the calibre of power coming out of him is not to be underestimated. Now I realise he wasn't kidding back then in that warehouse. "Your little bloodline powers won't work on me. But Mare, you are no longer my concern. Give me your champion, and you can walk away from this alive." I'm shocked that he's willing to bargain. There's something he knows that none of us do. Something that makes this moment more important to him than ever. I scream hard. "Never!" The force of my voice hits him, but he only staggers back by a step, and I had really mustered up strength with that move. How powerful is he really? "Angering me will only make the terms worse, Marelyn!" "You can kill me, but not my child, Jai. I will never let you touc
ZEKE A Day Earlier... I'm standing in front of the mirror, feeling for my now thick beards. It's a new look I've been sporting. Just yesterday, the action series I starred in aired, and the viewing ratings were through the roof. It's a hit. I've always had blockbusters where I starred as the villain, but never have I been portrayed from a protagonist's point of view in one of them. It's unreal. What's also unreal is what tomorrow is. I know Marelyn is due tomorrow. My chest tightens like every other time I've stared at the date or thought about it. I've been distant. I never showed up for our daughter, but it all got to a point where I considered myself unworthy of being in their lives. She may be happy in Carodia with her date from before. Maybe it fleshed into something more. I can't tell, but it's been bugging me at the back of my mind for months. Scarlett helped me understand what those random slip-ups meant over time. Everything is clear to me now. I stare at my reflection
I don't realise that the doorknob has come off. I stare at the piece in my hand. It broke off, but my mind is fixed on their conversation. She's dating now. It's been just two weeks, and she promised that wasn't goodbye. My jaw clenches impossibly in anger. Finding a new path. Bullshit! I block out their voices and lock myself in my study. I throw my head back over the headrest of the desk chair, blowing out my cheeks. So far, the day has been terrible. I'm nervous. I want to storm into Carodia the next second and restructure the idiot fling's face. She's mine. She's fucking mine! The broken doorknob sits on my desk because I don't know what to do with it yet. Suddenly, my mind is made up. I stand on my feet and head to my bedroom. I open my suitcase on my bed, swiping clothes off the rack in the walk-in closet and dropping them inside it. It's easy not to overthink it. But soon, there's a knock on the open door, calling my attention. Scarlett is holding the broken doorknob, eyein
I've been showing up for appointments with the pack doctor at Blue Silver for the past two weeks since I arrived. He's not who I used to know, and his name is Xavier Scythe. When Ava refused to take me in because of our last encounter, Xavier showed Kyra and I a roof over our head. He is also the next catch as Kyra put it. She wants me to take on his advances and use him to forget all about Zeke. I try. I actually put in effort. He knocks at my door and I open it with a bright smile on my face. "Xavier, how are you?" His hands are locked behind him as he says, "I'm good. How are you?" Xavier runs a nervous hand over his sleeked back long black hair. It's tied up because of how impressively long his hair is. Xavier is a real catch. He's tall and looks hard all over, like a man should, but I don't get that spark from looking at him or anyone else that's not Zeke. Maybe Kyra is right. My world does revolve around only him. "The Blue Silver carnival is coming up. Would you like a p
MARE I see how worried he is. I'm not saying he shouldn't be, but it's another cold truth. She's his forever. I'm the intruder, and I have no place here. We are at the hospital. Scarlett lost her wolf. She's like a human, so I guess that's why we are all concerned because she can't heal. Kyra says, "How can she do this? Overdosing because she wants attention. Jeez." "We don't know that." Drusila chips in from across the waiting room. We are the only ones here at the moment, but it's a hospital people can arrive at any time. Unfortunately, Kyra seems pissed about spending her night here. Zeke is with the doctor. "I'm going to grab a snack." I stand on my feet without glancing at any of them. They still remember how I just cried my eyes out because Zeke made his choice. Now I'm sitting here watching him care for someone else like I wish was only just for me. It's still pure torture. Kyra joins me at the vending machine. I get a chocolate bar while she gets a bag of cheetos. At
************************** My eyes crack open. Daylight shines into my room, but I'm still stuck in last night's pack gathering. Zeke wanted a son who would challenge Zane's throne. A female Alpha will never be accepted to lead Carodia. I'm sad for other reasons than Scarlett. My happy ending keeps drifting far and far away. I wonder if he's angry with me. If this will change everything. Maybe he will finally realise that he won't gain anything from me because I can't even give him a proper heir. I will love our daughter with everything in me because she's a product of our great love. I take a shower, anxious about joining the rest downstairs. Will they see me as a failure? I couldn't protect the first heir, and now I've given them a child they can't accept. A while later, I cross Kyra and Aiden in the hallway, just above the stairs. She spares a broad smile, looking over her shoulder at me. "Hey, Mare! I can't wait to meet our princess."