Lily POVIt was that dream again.The sun shone brightly on the well-cut lawn in front of the Packhouse at Golden Moon Pack.I could see Vanessa and my father on the lawn, with bright smiles on their faces occasionally they would laugh, their laughter creating a hollow deep in my heart. They were playing baseball. Even though father was teaching her, he seemed patient.A far cry from the kind of man he used to be when he teaches me and that is if he agrees to teach me. He was always busy when it was my turn. My heart swelled with longing as I approached them, hoping to join in their laughter… hoping we could become one big, happy family.But as I drew near and they spotted me, the laughter on their lips ceased abruptly. My father and my sister – Vanessa turned to me, their eyes cold as they stared at me with disdain.“What are you doing here?” My dad asked, his voice devoid of any warmth.“I just want to join in the game. I love playing baseball or you can teach me, Dad. Please…” I be
Lily POVMy heart raced as the image of the big, black wolf flitted to the back of my mind and the other image of the man by the pool too. I had a feeling she was talking about one of them.“Which Alpha?” I asked searching her face “You said the Alpha wants to see me. Which Alpha are you talking about?”The events of the past few hours that felt like a million years had turned me into a suspicion tank. So, it wasn’t my fault if I had to check and double-check everything.Celeste sighed; her eyebrows raised in mild surprise. “The man you met at the lake, of course. Alpha Kai Ryker. He was also the person who was chasing after the rogues and killed a few of them to protect you,” she added.My blood ran cold as the memory of the imposing figure inside the lake flashed through my mind also the big wolf chasing after me. “The … the naked man at the lake?” I stammered, my cheeks flushing with fear “He’s also the one who killed the rogues?” I asked again.A small smile played on Celeste’s li
Kai POVI stood under the cold shower, the third I was taking since Celeste had texted me she was coming with my mate – by the way, her name was Lily.Now I was in the shower for the third time, another futile attempt to quell my raging hard-on and the lust flowing through my veins. My wolf Hud, paced restlessly, still driven wild by the lingering scent of our mate.“Enough, Hud!” I growled, “We will not act like animals in heat. I know you want her as much as I do but she deserves better than that, don’t you think? And we should work on making her trust us first before any other thing,”.As I stepped out of the shower, my phone rang. I sighed recognizing my mother’s ringtone. I answered, already knowing what this call would be about.“Kai, darling,” her voice came from the other end. “I’ve arranged the most delightful dinner for you tomorrow evening. Her name is Chloe and she’s the daughter of one of my distant cousins. She’s beautiful and the type of woman I know you’ll like. And sh
Lily POVI stood before Alpha Kai, feeling like a dwarf in his imposing presence. He was too tall and strong for me and he made me feel small and vulnerable. Despite Celeste’s reassurances that he wasn’t going to punish me, I couldn’t shake off the fear that punishment or immediate expulsion from the pack awaited me.But the way I see it, expulsion would be the best-case scenario – a clean break, a chance to run far away from this world of wolves and Alphas I barely understood.I watched as he rose from his desk and walked up to me. As he approached, I kept my head bowed, eyes fixed on the floor. Yet something strange stirred within me. It was an unfamiliar pull urging me to look up, to meet his gaze, to step closer and run my hands on his hard chest, to feel his heartbeat – to kiss his lips that were currently clamped in a straight line.The intensity of my absurd emotions startled and embarrassed me.What was I thinking? I was the intruder here and I had just lost Lucas who I believ
Kai POVAs soon as she left my study, I slumped in my chair, running a hand through my hair in frustration. My wolf – Hud was howling in disappointment, angry at letting our mate leave.“Patience,” I muttered to myself. “We can’t rush this. She’s not ready,”.But even as I tried to convince myself, I couldn’t ignore the ache in my chest and my pants. The mate bond was there – so powerful… so undeniable. Yet Lily seemed oblivious to it. Why couldn’t she feel it too? And more importantly, how long could I resist the pull before it drives me mad?Leaning back in my chair, I exhaled slowly trying to regain my composure. The conversation with Lily had left me as aroused as I’ve ever been. Even right now, with her scent still in my office, I was as hard as a rock and I knew it was Hud’s way of punishing me.He kept throwing her image to my subconscious, filling me with lust.“Damned animal!” I muttered under my breath “Can you stop playing these games. We can’t just do with her as we want,”
Lily POVThe sun dipped below the horizon casting a beautiful shadow on Royal Hunter Pack when I arrived at Celeste’s house.I sucked in my breath as I took in the big house that seemed to have green lands that stretched behind it forever. It filled me with the nostalgia of running through the fields back at home, soaking up the morning sunlight and the dream of running with my wolf but it was a stupid dream because I was never going to get my wolf. I was too old for it anyway.Although big, the house had a humble aura around it. I could feel it. The doors of the house opened and Celeste came out wearing a big smile as she came towards me.“I see you lived!” she chuckled, giving me a once over “The way you were scared of being alone with him, I was tempted to stay back just to make sure he doesn’t bite off your head,”.“Well,” I blushed red lowering my gaze. “He was kinder than I expected,” I admitted softly. “Alpha Kai, from all the stories that I’ve heard of him seemed like a danger
Kai POVThe night was quiet, a gentle breeze rustling through the trees as I approached my sister’s house.My heart pounded in my chest, a mixture of anticipation and nervousness coursing through my veins. I have never done anything like this before – sneaking into a house in the dead of the night to see a girl. But Lily wasn’t just any girl. She was my mate and the pull to be near her was overwhelming.Also, this was a good opportunity to check on my sister Celeste and my grandparents.As I reached the front door, I paused, my senses picking up movement inside. I took in a deep breath, my wolf on high alert, until I opened the door and ushered myself in. Celeste stood there, one hand on the toilet’s door knob and her eyes wide with surprise.“Kai?” then as if remembering my title she corrected herself quickly. “Alpha,” she whispered, quickly bowing her head. “I…I wasn’t expecting you. What brings you here?”“I came to check on you and Grandpa and Grandma. How are they?” I asked feeli
Kai POVA sad smile ghosted my lips as I made my way out of Lily’s room, carefully closing the door behind me.I couldn’t believe I had stayed with her for nearly an hour. Every part of her body was etched in my mind’s eyes … I couldn’t wait to make her mine finally. I was so wrapped in my thoughts that I didn’t notice Liam was waiting for me in the living room. It wasn’t until I made to pass that he cleared his throat making me jerk with surprise.“Liam?” I scoffed entering the living room. His eyebrows were raised a mixture of amusement and concern as he stared at me. “What are you doing here?” I asked.“I should be asking you, Alpha,” he retorted crossing his arms over his body. “I hope you didn’t take advantage of the poor little girl?” he asked his tone light but with an undercurrent of seriousness. “From the look in your eyes… you seem to be lusting.I snorted, shaking my head in disbelief at the implication of what he meant. “Of course not,” I growled softly, mindful of the peo
Kai POVI’d been awake for hours, just lying here, letting the darkness of my room mirror the darkness in my thoughts. The covers over my head created a cocoon, shutting out the world that I didn't want to face. I had no desire to be Alpha right now, no desire to deal with the responsibilities waiting for me outside these four walls. I was scared that if I took the covers away, thoughts of Lily would fit into my mind and drive me crazy. How I managed to survive four weeks without her warmth puzzled me. In the beginning, I had convinced myself that it was the best thing to do, but I missed Lily terribly. My wolf missed her so much. But the only way to ensure she’ll be safe is to stay far away from her. I didn’t want to keep hurting her. Just as I started drifting back into my thoughts, the covers yanked off me. “Get up!”I sat up, an expletive word on my lips, ready to lash out on whomever was the culprit, only to find my mother standing there. Her face was set in that familiar ex
Lily POVHe didn’t deny it. “You know I have visions? Intuitions that tell me if danger is ahead? I used to have that for a while, but it wasn't like this. There was no vision and..." I trailed off. “Gut instincts. I would sense danger or feel when something was off. But this…” I swallowed hard. “This is different. I saw it happen before it did.”My uncle remained quiet. I wanted to keep speaking when it hit me. my lips parted as I stared at him in horror. If my uncle knew about this, then he must have seen it before. Someone else must have experienced the same thing. “You’ve seen this before,” I whispered His eyes darkened but he didn’t say anything. "You’ve known someone like this before," I continued, my heart pounding faster.He didn’t answer.“My mom?” I started tentatively. “She was like this too?”The look in his eyes told me everything I needed to know, and suddenly the tea in front of me seemed like the most important thing in the world. I wrapped my trembling hands arou
Lily POVI couldn't move. Couldn't speak. I sat huddled in the corner, arms wrapped around my knees, staring at the destruction. The vision. Hazel's warning. It had been real. How had it been real?Celeste was the first to recover. She rushed to my side, crouching down. "Lily, are you hurt?"She started checking me for injuries. “Are you okay? What happened?”I shook my head numbly, barely able to process what had just happened.Grandpa Marcus stepped forward; his face grim as he examined the wreckage. "That wasn’t an accident," he murmured.I barely heard him.All I could think about—Was that I had seen it.Seconds before it happened.And Hazel had known.What the hell was happening to me?I sat there frozen as everyone crowded around me, their concerned faces swimming in my vision. Celeste's hand was on my shoulder, and I could feel the tremors of worry running through her fingers. Everyone was asking questions at once, their voices overlapping into concern that made my head spin.
Lily POVWhen we settled inside again, my uncle pulled me int for another hug as if he still couldn’t believe I was here in person. When he finally pulled back from the hug, tears were streaming down his face. His hands trembled as they clasped mine, and the raw emotion in his eyes made my throat tight. I could feel and see the sincerity in his eyes. This was all so alien to me. The fact that someone could cry just from finding it was so difficult to believe. "I'm so sorry," he whispered, his voice breaking. "I'm so—so sorry, Lily."I bit the insides of my mouth to stop myself from crying. “So sorry it took me this long to find you. Harriet would never have forgiven me. I've failed you. I've failed my sister. I—" He let out a sharp breath, his fingers tightening around mine. "She entrusted me with everything, and I—" He let out a bitter chuckle, shaking his head. "I’ve betrayed her memory.”“M-Mom is dead?” I felt the hope I had held onto until this moment – hope that my mom could s
Lily POVMy heart pounded furiously as I made my way to the front door. Hazel, my wolf, was unusually alert, giving off the same strange, familiar sensation I'd felt that day in the school cafeteria when I stopped to buy a drink. It was like she was trying to tell me something, but the message was just out of reach.To make matters worse, there was something unsettling about everything – it was as if I’ve relieved this moment before. A familiar sensation coursed through my chest – it was too familiar to ignore. As I neared the door, Hazel stirred again in the back of my mind, not in distress but something else. Recognition? Longing? She had reacted the same way with that man at the school cafeteria. The man who called me Harriet. I swallowed hard, pushing down my nerves.As I stepped outside, the first thing I noticed was that the man wasn’t facing me. He stood with his back turned he looked relaxed as if he had all the time in the world. Even from behind, something about his postu
Lily POVSomehow, I made it through week four. But despite my best efforts to avoid any form of socializing, Celeste had finally managed to pull me away from my house and bring me to hers. I hadn’t wanted to come, but she’d used her trump card – her grandparents. “They miss you,” she’d said, and I couldn’t refuse them. The moment I stepped into Celeste’s house, Grandma Elena – Celeste grandmother enveloped me in a warm hug that smelled of vanilla and freshly- baked cookies. “Look how thin you’ ve gotten,” she tutted, leading me to her favorite couch in the living room. Grandpa Marcus was in his favorite armchair reading a book. His eyes lit up when he saw me. Immediately, he closed the book and rose up to come meet me. “Leave the girl, alone, Elena,” he chuckled, but his eyes were concerned as they studied my face. “Though a few of your sugar cookies wouldn’t hurt.”I bit my lips hard until I could taste blood. I felt so guilty and relieved at the same time. Guilty that I’ve been
Lily POVThe afternoon sun cast long shadows across the sidewalks as I trudged home from college. It’s been several days since I and Kai decided to take a break from our relationship and it’s been nothing but pure hell for me. In the beginning, I was keeping track of the time, hoping he would get tired and try to reach out, but days turned into a week and a week, three weeks. A part of me still didn’t know if he had ever truly loved me or if I had just been some fleeting attachment. After all, he had been so quick to let me go.So, these days, I just live my life on a clean slate and take whatever life throws at me. Walking was my new therapy nowadays. Instead of covering the five minute car drive every day, I decided walking was soothing. My feet ached, but I loved and welcomed the pain – it was better than the numbness that has lodged in my chest since I got discharged from the hospital. I hadn’t gone back to the packhouse – not even once. Not even to take my things. Just the th
Lily POVAfter the pack doctors and nurses filed out, the room fell into a heavy silence. Kai remained at the doorway like a statue carved from tension and unspoken words. He hadn’t said anything to me since entering. He just stood thee with his eyes fixed somewhere above my head. Celeste was the one who finally broke the suffocating silence. Celeste exhaled loudly, crossing her arms as she turned to him. “Are you just going to stand there, or aren’t you leaving too?” Her voice had a protective edge to it that I had never heard before, as if she expected Kai to turn into the monster I had barely escaped from.Kai’s gaze flickered to her, but he didn’t rise to the bait. “I want to see Lily,” he said quietly.Celeste let out a humorless laugh. “You can see her just fine from there.” She gestured at me with an exaggerated wave. “Mission accomplished. Now, go.”“Alone. I want to see her alone, Celeste. Is it that hard for you to understand?”“Maybe,” Celeste bristled. “I don’t care if y
Lily POVI came alive slowly to a soft, rhythmic beeping pulling me from the depths of unconsciousness.My eyelids felt like lead, my body heavy and sore as I slowly blinked against the harsh white light filtering into the unfamiliar room. It took a moment for my vision to adjust, but as the blurriness faded, I took in my surroundings.Machines. Wires. An IV drip connected to my arm. The slow, steady hum of medical equipment filled the room. The scent of antiseptic clung to everything.A hospital. I was in a hospital. What was I doing here?I turned my head slightly, my neck stiff from being in the same position for too long. That was when I saw Celeste curled up on the couch in the corner of the room, her dark hair was a tangled mess, her chest rising and falling steadily as she slept.The sight of her brought and immediate sense of comfort to me. I needed to sit up. My back was burning with pain probably from lying in one position for too long. The first attempt was embarrassing –