~Kiki~
Gusts of cool wind blew through the tall window of the prison cell as I sat bundled up on my bed, wrapped in several layers of a long, thick blanket. Pale moonlight streamed through while the crashing sea waves were lulling me to sleep.
There was a strange comfort in being close to the ocean. The thought of having more frequent nightmares terrified me when Alpha Kayden mentioned Pier 37. I wasn't prepared to watch myself battling consciousness on that stormy night, looking for mamma. But I didn't get that dream even once after being moved here.
My dreams were instead filled with sinful things I wanted to do to the Alpha. I was too shy to touch him much when he came to my bedroom on my birthday. He was very gentle and patient with me until much later in the night. But it was the rough, relentless touches that had kept me awake every night. How I regretted not running my hand over the bulge in his gray sweatpants when he pushed me against the prison wall to
~Alpha Kayden~Zeke sounded like Kiki was up to no good. But all Axel and I could think about was if she was okay. She had barely recovered from her wounds from the silver chains. I hated to drag her back to the dungeons, or even worse, to have to pass the death sentence. I couldn't keep overlooking her actions just because of an illogical gut feeling or because Axel wanted to think with his dick.He was super agitated right now, clawing at me to come out so we could reach Pier 37 faster. It was located three miles west of the packhouse, but I couldn't waste time going to the parking lot. The coconut groves and sandy beaches were a blur as we sprinted straight towards the prison while I quickly linked my Gamma, Nash, to come over. He was living it up at a seaside club because it was Friday night.I skidded to a stop when I saw Kiki from a distance, looking from over the wooden dock into the waters. My heart gave me a break when it realized she was fine; at least
~Alpha Kayden~Fuck!What was Victoria doing here? This was one of the worst nightmares coming true.Sienna's sister was as strong as Sienna. And I don't think Kiki would stand a chance until the next full moon.Since Victoria got permission from the Alpha King, I wouldn't have any say in it. An Alpha King's command could supersede every Alpha's command. And when it was about avenging their blood, Alpha King Kian was all for it.When his twin brother was still alive and leading the Storm Moon Pack, Alpha Kian was a peace loving, unambitious alpha who disappeared from the pack for days with his mate. He returned from one such trip to find out a neighboring pack, the Silver claw pack, tricked and brutally murdered his brother. Alpha Kian waged a war and wiped out the entire Silver claw pack out of rage.The Alpha King at that time didn't condone Alpha Kian's actions. In fact, he punished Alpha Kian for ruthlessly killing an entire pack by stri
~Kiki~ Beads of sweat matted Cel's fur while my heart was thudding against my rib cage as we locked our eyes with Victoria's mighty looking wolf. Her eyes were burning amber, radiating pure hatred and blinded with rage. She was harnessing this misdirected hatred to fuel her moves. Part of me was awed by how beautiful her wolf looked, while the other half of me was terrified of her strength and the will to defeat me. But it was just me who was scared out of my wits. Because, unlike me, Cel was pissed. She couldn't believe we had to defend ourselves to stay alive just because of some terrible circumstantial evidence against us. How cruel could fate get? I was tired of fighting it, but Cel was determined to show Victoria and all the spectators, as well as the bloody fate, that she wouldn't accept defeat so easily. Shifting first during a fight was a sign of weakness, and Cel was feeling anything but weak. That was the only reason keeping her from taking over. She was clawing at me to
~Alpha Kayden~"You didn't let the white wolf get Kiki's jugular. She's going to be fine, Alpha. You should get some rest." The pack doctor uttered these words as cautiously as he could for the dozenth time over the last few days. Three days...It had been almost three long days and Kiki had been in the critical care all this while, with no sign of waking up anytime soon. All the cuts and bruises on her body seemed to have healed, except for two gashes that ran deeper. The torn ligament in her leg didn't need wrapping anymore. I ran my fingers over a stitched-up wound and realized her skin was still burning up. Ignoring the doctor and my beta's eyes that were boring into me, I leaned over Kiki's bed to caress her hair. Soft brown curls framed her sun-kissed face, which looked paler than ever.Long shadows of the setting sun seeped through the glass window, casting a warm, hazy glow all over the hospital suite. This is where I had spent most of my last few days and nights, but today's
~Alpha Kayden~ Zeta Archer and his mate appeared to harbor extra hatred towards Kiki, probably because she grew up in their house and they felt responsible. Besides, the Zeta had also lost his best friend when Zeta Drew died on the Wolf Moon night. Both the zetas were my dad's prized warriors, and he used to value their opinion highly. Heck! There was no way that I was going to punish Kiki for all these mysterious deaths and disappearances until and unless she was found guilty. But what would I do with her if all these people were right about her? If she was really guilty, it would only be a matter of time before I found proof against her. A new scent overwhelmed my senses once I turned around the corner and approached grandma's room. As I raised my arm to knock on the door, a svelte brunette opened it from the other side, shooting me a quick, shy smile. Raising an eyebrow in confusion, I looked over her shoulder to find my grandma ready with some lame agenda of hers. "There, Kade
~Alpha Kayden~I was drawn to that glow like a moth was drawn to fire. Axel and I both knew there was something off about her. She looked like Kiki but did not smell like Kiki. Her typical smell was of warm vanilla and coconut, not saltwater and driftwood. I couldn't find any signs of her wolf either. That didn't stop me from walking in her direction."Alpha..." There was something very alluring and seductive about that voice and the way she looked at me while stepping forward."Kiki, why can't I feel your wolf?" I hadn't felt her wolf's presence since she fell unconscious in the arena."Cel is still recovering. She is too weak."Cel. Axel taunted me for not even knowing her wolf's name all these days."Cel?""Celeste." She took another step toward me, without stumbling or fumbling. Kiki was always too conscious around me, but not tonight. Her voice had a sultry undernote, which I never noticed before.Something told me it was the blood that woke her up. Her skin had the familiar gold
~Kiki~ The sky seemed to explode with booms of thunder, releasing its fury while dawn was breaking over the horizon. Gusty winds pushed raging dark storm clouds closer to the moon, making me feel sapped out of energy. The smell of wet soil saturated my senses as fat raindrops hit the parched sand beneath my feet. Something inside me was urging me to go back to bed, but there was this heavy squeezing feeling in my heart, making it difficult to breathe. My feet took me to the rippling waves as my knees buckled. Tears won't stop rolling down my cheeks while my vision blurred. I tried to force myself to gulp in as much cool air as I could, but ended up breaking into sobs instead. Ivory, the omega who did laundry for the training warriors, was racing to the locker room with freshly laundered clothes. When about a block away from where she was headed to, she thought she heard stifled cries that were drowned by the pelting rain and crashing waves. Setting the laundry basket down in a dry
~Kiki~ The knot in my throat seemed to have grown bigger when I realized everyone was now staring at me. Alpha Kayden was waiting for an answer. Fiddling with the edge of the kitchen tablecloth, I glanced around wildly to think of something to say. "Um... You--- it's your arm around my w-waist." I was stammering like an idiot. "I mean, you know we are t-too close, and, and your taut, hard muscles..." My eyes raked over his naked torso involuntarily. The frowning and suspicious look on the Alpha's face transformed into a small, smug smirk. There was a mischievous glint in those deep blue eyes, and I could see him suppress a chuckle. I could also feel my ears burn with embarrassment, but it was too late to take my words back. His gaze flickered downwards to my lips momentarily while his eyes turned a shade darker. My stomach did a sudden flip before I felt an ache between my legs. My entire body was actually aching for him, and I wished he pulled me closer again. My hand had a mind
~Kiki~ "Siren abode?" "Our home in the ocean. You've seriously been living under a rock, haven't you? No wonder we never saw you before." Her laughter echoed across the water, bouncing off the curious stares of the two sisters. "Do you remember the first time we met?" I shook my head as if a thick fog was obscuring my past. "Well, the siren abode is closer to where we first crossed paths," Haley continued, her voice turning gentle. Every full moon, sirens from all corners of the world gather there. It takes us just a couple of hours to swim from Storm Moon Pack, but for those farther out, the journey starts the night before. You see, not everyone can leave the ocean. We're the lucky few." "Um, so your mate is..." I trailed off, unsure if I was overstepping. A blush bloomed across Haley's cheeks, and her fingers unconsciously traced the pendant around her neck. "He's the Alpha King's nephew. I never knew sirens could feel such emotions until I met him. He's—" Eleanor cut in, he
~Kiki~The feeling of despair and hopelessness was soul crushing.Alpha Kayden had broken my heart countless times, every single time I saw him with Sienna, when he threw me into the dreary dungeons, and when he ignored the mate bond to choose Willow over me. But I had no control over those situations and could only hope for better days. Today was harder. It was me leaving him behind and choosing the ocean over him.The look on his face as I swam away from him would haunt me forever. I fancied believing so bad he actually wanted me the way he wanted his chosen mate.The only reason he slept with me was the mate bond. The bond was too powerful and it forced him to protect me from his pack and Victoria. He wouldn't have spared me another look if I wasn't his fated mate. He wouldn't have jumped into the ocean without thinking for a second if not for this pointless bond. None of these arguments eased the pain I felt when his face flashed through my mind. I had to do it. To let go of wh
~Alpha Kayden~"Kade!!! Fuck!!"I heard my Gamma's words before the howling wind took over, blowing my hair into my face as I made a nosedive to meet the raging waters below. Brilliant streaks of lightning blinded my vision while I strained to see if we were going to hit any sharp rocks that lined the rugged coastline.My heart was pounding in my throat, not out of fear of dying but with fear of losing Kiki. I was still midair with a plummeting feeling in my stomach when I heard a loud splash followed by a gasp as her body crashed against the water's surface.Frigid salty waves splashed and stung my eyes moments before my body collided with them. The currents were super strong, they pulled me down violently, tugging my body deeper and deeper. Peals of thunder now sounded distant as I tried to swim underwater, making my way to calmer deeper waters, away from the coast.I knew Kiki went this way because I would have easily caught her if she had managed to make it to the shoreline. It wa
~Alpha Kayden~Thirty Minutes EarlierMy meeting with Alpha Brandon went much better than I had imagined. Given that I already irked the Alpha King Kian, only a fool would go ahead and piss his loyal ally off as well. And I was that fool when I told Alpha Brandon that I could not go ahead with what my grandma had proposed.Grandma had pinned high hopes on this alliance and spoke on my behalf without consulting me. Once Willow left Thunder Bay weeks ago, I assumed it was over. But grandma and my Gamma Nash reached out to Alpha Brandon again and gave their yes before I even got to Dark River Pack.I expected Alpha Brandon to be furious for rejecting his daughter a second time. But instead of spewing angry threats and challenges, all he did was ask why I was turning her down. And when I told him I found my mate, he seemed to be completely convinced his daughter wouldn't be happy with me as my chosen mate while my true mate was around me.He just had one request for me: "Willow is very se
~Kiki~"Get some rest. We will do this again later tonight." Cel purred in contentment at her mate's words as he leaned in to kiss my forehead. I couldn't help pouting as he moved away, instantly missing the feel of his arms."I'll miss you.""I know, Kiki! Don't want to leave at all but I have to meet someone before the ball." I loved the way my name sounded rolling off his lips. He kissed me again and pulled the covers over my naked body.I watched his chiseled back as he picked his clothes from the floor. I wanted to memorize everything about him and about our time together. His delectable scent as he hugged me tightly, those gray eyes and the way they darkened so many times today, and that heavenly feeling when he was inside me.I closed my eyes, relishing every moment of the last few hours, about how Alpha Kayden let himself go. The sound of heavy footsteps slowly faded away as I drifted off into a blissful delirium.Not sure if it was the rumbling sky or the hushed whispers of P
~Alpha Kayden~Every day had been pure torture since the day I found out Kiki was my mate. I heard so many things about how powerful the mate bond was, had seen my dad wallow in grief for a good chunk of his life after losing mom, and had also seen how blissfully happy some of the couples at Thunder Bay were. Even the manwhore Alpha Blake was suddenly a different person. But nothing prepared me for when I found my mate. No amount of words came close to what it actually felt like once I knew Kiki was mine.My heart ached for her every single moment, and Axel was yearning to see her belly to be swollen with our pups. It breaks my heart that it would never happen. We would never know the beautiful babies Kiki could have given us. I wouldn't even know how she might have looked with my mark on her neck. This was agony. Pure fucking agony. My chest tightened every single time I thought about rejecting her.I have been desperately trying to keep myself together but failing. No matter how
~Kiki~ I cracked the window open to let the cool breeze in. It was right before dawn, and the sky was laden with dark rain clouds. Taking a deep breath, I closed my burning eyes. They were dried up of all tears after hours of crying and failing to catch some sleep. Despite the stuffy nose, I could still smell the pinecones and dandelions that were over a mile away. But it wasn't the smell of grass and wood I opened this window for. Cel was restless. The pain of being left high and dry by our mate was too much to handle. She couldn't feel his scent anymore. It was weak for the most part of the night, and now it was gone completely. Dark River Pack was huge and extended for several miles. Alpha Kayden was probably somewhere in the woods, running. Was he also not able to get any sleep? My wolf was pathetic. I tried so hard to convince her to stop thinking about him, but she kept me up all night, lying in the dark and getting her hopes up every time there was a faint noise in the hallw
~Kiki~"Oh no! Alpha Kayden will be furious. I'm not going to be the one telling him this news." Poppy started walking back and forth near the doorway, still holding the bags of chips she brought from Thunder Bay.It wasn't really my fault, was it? Did I ask him to break into my bedroom and sleep with me? He should be pissed at himself, and I should be mad at him too because that little bit of pain I felt moments ago was pretty bad when the heat hadn't even started. I could only imagine how much worse it was going to get when the actual heat kicked in.'Our mate is going to continue ignoring us. We don't have to wait for him. There are many others who would be happy to put us out of our misery.' Cel had turned rogue.She was the biggest fan of Alpha Kayden until he made out with Willow. She was so hurt she stopped saying good things about him since then. That didn't stop her from yearning for him all these days. But now she was just a lustful beast? It was scary that she wanted a mate
~Kiki~My mind was swimming in thoughts as we reached Alpha Blake's pack. How could the frail old woman be Moon Goddess's evil sister?Sibyl! Some things did make sense now.She disliked werewolves and never let Benji or Megan anywhere near her cottage when they had accompanied me in the past. She had also looked strangely disturbed when I showed her the mark on my back.She tricked Alpha Dimitri into believing that she was a seer. She was no seer. She was an imposter. Now I was pretty sure she was responsible for those rogue attacks she pretended to be foreseeing to make herself valuable to Alpha Dimitri and his pack. I bet she had a lot to do with Skinwalkers showing up in Thunder Bay pack lands too.Alpha Kayden was right about Skinwalkers. They weren't capable of attacking someone who had lost their mate. And yet, I found Alpha Dimitri fighting for his life when half a dozen of them were pitched against him. Sibyl brought them in and took care of their dead bodies before the warr