Kai POV“Had a great time?”That was the first thing Liam said to me once we mind-linked after I came back home.I was holding a glass of whiskey in my hand and in my annoyance, I might have held it a bit too tightly. I stared at the shattered glass in my hand, the sharp edges biting into my skin, but the pain barely registered. The sting of betrayal, the irritation at Liam’s flippant question – I clenched my fist tighter around the shards, letting them cut deeper as if the physical pain could somehow drown out the storm inside me.“Fuck off, Liam,” I snapped “If you have nothing useful to say to me tonight, please end the mind-link, I don’t want to talk to you,”.There was a pause on the other end of the mind-link, I could feel Liam’s hesitation before he finally spoke, breaking the silence.“I didn’t mean to piss you off, Kai,” Liam said carefully, his tone placating. “I’m so sorry about your mother finding out about your schedule too. She broke into my office and saw it herself. I’
Lily POVA week later….I stood in front of the mirror in my room, smoothing out the wrinkles in my simple outfit. I had carefully chosen a plain, comfortable outfit – a soft, beige sweater and a pair of jeans. Today was the day I got to enrol at the College in Royal Hunter Pack. Though the occasion was significant, I had no desire to draw attention to myself.I just wanted to blend in, to be just another face in the crows.When I arrived at the school, I took a deep breath before making my way to the main building. I had barely walked a hundred steps when my gaze met that of a group of guys hanging out by the entrance. Quickly, I averted my eyes and continued walking but they kept whistling at me. As I passed, I could feel their eyes linger on me in a way that made my skin crawl.I kept my head down, ignoring them but I could feel their gaze following me, I didn’t need anyone to tell me that they all knew I was new on campus.“Great,” I muttered under my breath, quickening my pace. “
Lily POVThe guy rose to his feet when he saw me approaching a broad smile on his face.I and the girl’s gaze met and a smirk appeared on her lips, startling me. Did she know me?As I sat across from the guy and the girl, I felt growing discomfort, because they were both staring at me as if I was a work of art.“I’m sorry,” I started, my gaze on the boy. “Earlier, I forgot to introduce myself and also ask for your name. Anyway, my name is Lily. What’s yours?”“Are you serious?” the guy chuckled “I can’t believe we spent the entire morning with each other without introducing ourselves. Anyways, my name is Kevin and before you hear it from someone else I am Alpha Kai’s cousin,”.“Wow!” I nodded realizing that he wasn’t an ordinary student like me and it could be one of the reasons those warriors had let me go earlier when he arrived.“I’m honoured, Kevin and thank you once more,”.He nodded and turned to the other girl at the table. “Lily, I’d like you to meet Briella. You and her have
Lily POV The afternoon went by quickly, but I couldn’t shake the strange feeling that had settled in my stomach since the incident in the café.After my last class, I decided to freshen up in the ladies' restroom before heading out. As I washed my hands, I noticed the same girl from class who had warned me earlier about Kevin standing by the mirrors.I decided to approach her. “Hey,” I greeted, trying to sound casual. “My name is Lily and I’ve been thinking about what you said earlier about Kevin – Alpha Kai’s cousin. What did you mean when you said he was dangerous?”The girl didn’t respond immediately. She glanced around – some girls were also in the restroom with us, chatting and fixing their makeup. Her expression was cautious and she was giving off a paranoid aura. She paused beside me, leaning in just close enough to murmur:“You want him to knock you up?”I froze, my eyes widening as the girl walked out of the restroom without another word. By this time, the other girls had go
Lily POV Celeste walked up to the car, and my eyes lit with hope as I reached for the door of the car.“You can come sit here,” I offered.“Don’t worry,” she scoffed with an amused smile “I just wanted to stop by for a second to greet my caring brother,” her lips twisted with sarcasm as she turned around and went to the driver’s side of the car.“Since you don’t think it’s necessary to check up on you… let me do that for you. How are you, Alpha Kai?” she asked.“I’m not taking you,” Kai responded coldly. “You have your car,”.“For a moment, I thought you had changed,” Celeste clucked her tongue… “I guess, Lily is an extra special girl,”.My cheeks turned red in embarrassment as I played with my fingers. I didn’t think of myself as that but it felt so nice to be referred to as that. After Celeste left, Kai tried to start the car again while I sat tersely, my mind racing.I could still feel Briella’s cold eyes on me, and now sitting beside Kai, the tension only grew thicker.“Hi,” Brie
Lily POVI sat back in my chair, trying not to think of what Briella had said in the corridor. She was right anyway; I didn’t deserve to be here.The room was quiet, with only the soft hum of the air conditioning breaking the silence. Suddenly, the door opened and Kai came in leaving the door slightly ajar as he entered. I could hear the faint sounds from the rest of the building but they felt distant, as if I was in my little world with Kai.I glanced over at him, finally allowing myself to truly appreciate his appearance. His features were strong and chiselled, with a jawline that could have been sculpted from stone. His dark hair was neatly styled combined with the tan color suit he had on which looked like it was sewn with his body in mind. His amber eyes stared quietly at me. He was handsome… too much.I’d been too nervous in the car, sitting so close to him, to take in the details. Now, with a bit of distance, I could see why so many people were drawn to him. He wasn’t just attr
Lily POVI kept my gaze fixed on the floor… the atmosphere in the office had heated up. It filled me with anxiety and curiosity at the same time.Why wasn’t he letting go of my hand?I dared not look up into his eyes again – I heard that when his eyes were fixed on someone, that the person would later become his prey and toy and I didn’t want to be that to him. At least, not his prey. My mind flitted back to another rumour I heard in the past.They said he had killed all the messengers sent by a rival pack during a way, annexing their territory within a fortnight. It was the kind of tale that made even the bravest wolves shudder and it didn’t help that his eyes – cold, calculating and sharp still unsettled me.A knock on the door suddenly interrupted my thoughts and I snapped out my reverie immediately. Kai groaned as he reluctantly let go of my hand, looking at me with a longing I couldn’t deserve. I blinked, realizing that I had been holding my breath. Kai’s grip on my hands had bee
Kai POV Lily was like a magnet, requesting all of my attention every time she was in my presence. Whenever she stood before me, a vision of grace and beauty. The way she occupied my thoughts, made me at a loss for words.I’d always been in control – of my emotions, my desires, my every action. But around Lily, the control slipped… thankfully she didn’t notice. Her eyes instead will sparkle with innocence and warmth, unaware of the turmoil she stirred within me.When I had held her hands a moment ago, I had to summon every ounce of restraint from years of training to be an Alpha not to pull her closer to me, to let my wolf take over and show her just how much she affected me.I had begged the universe for strength not to lift those hands to my lips, to squeeze them, lick them… her scent alone was intoxicating. It was a mixture of something sweet and comforting, yet so uniquely hers that it drove my wolf wild. I wanted to lean in… to take her lips that she wouldn’t stop biting… to run
Kai POVI paced my study room, a caged animal trapped in my own anxiety. Five days. Lily had been missing for five days, and every moment without her felt like an eternity. The weight of guilt pressed down on me, making it hard to breathe.The door opened and Celeste entered, her expression telling me everything before she spoke a word."The birds couldn't locate her again," she said, shaking her head. "They've searched every clearing, every road within fifty miles."I slammed my fist against the wall, leaving a dent in the plaster. "They must have missed something.""Kai..." Celeste began, but was interrupted as Liam walked in.My beta's face was grim, exhaustion evident in the dark circles under his eyes. "We've combed all the packs within our region. There's no sign of Lily.""That's impossible," I growled, "She couldn't have just vanished."Five days ago, Lily and I were supposed to meet at the border of our pack territory. We'd planned to find Meredith, the old pack healer who ha
Lily POV"I want to feel something," I corrected him. "I want to know if there's any... chemistry between us before we commit to something so permanent.""You never had a problem wanting me before," he murmured."That was before," I replied softly. "Before everything fell apart."Lucas seemed to consider this, his eyes never leaving mine. "And if I can't arouse you?""Then you give me more time," I said simply. "Time to develop those feelings naturally."He was silent for a long moment, and I feared I'd overplayed my hand. But then he smiled, and there was something almost boyish in his expression—as if I'd presented him with a challenge he couldn't resist."I accept," he said finally. "But no games, Lily. You have to be honest about what you feel.""No games," I agreed, ignoring the bitter irony of the promise. This entire situation was a game, one with my freedom—possibly my life—as the prize.Lucas stood and extended his hand to me. "Shall we begin now?"My heart hammered against m
Lily POVFor a second, I couldn’t breathe. The room felt like it spun beneath me.He said it so casually, like it was the simplest thing in the world. Like he wasn’t talking about changing my life forever, about chaining me to him in a way I couldn’t undo.A mating mark was permanent, sacred—it would bind me to Lucas forever. Not even Kai and I have gotten around to marking each other and now Lucas wanted to mark me... No other wolf would touch me once I carried his mark. I would be his ultimate claim.I struggled to keep the horror from showing on my face. "You… you want to mark me?" I echoed, hoping the tremor in my voice would be interpreted as excitement rather than revulsion."Yes," he said, his fingers trailing down my neck to the spot where shoulder meets collarbone—the traditional place for a mating bite. "You'd be mine, Lily. Completely and totally mine."“I wanted to do it back then but you haven’t gotten your wolf then and the whole thing that followed afterwards. But now
Lily POVAfter I heard the definitive click of the door’s lock, I immediately got to work. I tore at the tape covering my mouth, wincing as it pulled at my skin. Finally, I managed to peel it off, gasping for air.My mind raced as I tried to make sense of everything. Lucas hadn't taken me to Golden Moon as he'd said. We were somewhere isolated, somewhere no one would think to look. The packs were territorial—they rarely ventured far from their lands. If we were truly in neutral territory, as Lucas suggested, my chances of being found decreased dramatically.I got up from the bed and rushed to the window, pulling back the thin curtain. Nothing but darkness greeted me, along with the occasional headlights of a passing car. The house appeared to be on some highway, surrounded by nothing but trees. No landmarks I recognized, no signs indicating where we might be.Letting the curtain fall back into place, I sank down onto the edge of the bed. I needed to be smart about this. Lucas had mad
Lily POVA few hours later, he returned. I had showered and rested at least. As soon as I heard the key rattle in its lock, I sprang into a sitting position, I couldn’t give him the notion that I was enjoying my stay. When he finally entered the bedroom, he paused at the doorway as his eyes roamed the room before finally landing on my face. “You’re dressed?” he asked stepping inside but still leaving the door open. “As you can see,” I muttered, rising to my feet and smoothening the yellow dress I had seen in the wardrobe. “What now?”“C’mon, Lily,” he tried to reach for me but I took a step backwards. “You don’t have to be mean to me. I’ve tried to give you everything you want and need. The least you could do is appreciate me. Is it too much to ask for?”“You’ve done nothing that needs my appreciation, Lucas,” I said squarely. “What next? Please tell me.”He wanted to say something but decided against it. “Dinner. I guess you’re hungry. You didn’t touch the meal I placed in the bas
Lily POVI don’t know how long it took. I’d lost track of time completely. I didn’t know how long I had stayed and there was practically nothing I could do. At least he was kind enough not to seal my mouth before leaving, but there was no light. I had to rely on my senses. I was thirsty and hungry but I couldn’t trust the food he had placed in the room. I didn’t want to die yet. Just when I thought he would not show up, the door cracked open and he peered in. “Hello…hello…” he sounded happy."You're insane! A complete psychopath! When I get out of here—and I will get out—you're going to regret ever laying a finger on me!" I hurled every insult I could think of at him, my voice growing hoarse from the effort. "My pack will hunt you down like the rabid dog you are!"Lucas just stood there – he didn’t even flinch - watching me, that infuriating grin never leaving his face. His arms were crossed over his chest, his eyes with amusement as if my outrage was nothing more than a child's t
Lily POV"There would have been!" he snapped, his composure cracking for a moment. "We were perfect together. The strongest she-wolf in Golden Moon and its Alpha. It was meant to be."I stared at him, truly seeing the madness that lurked behind those blue eyes. "Lucas, listen to yourself. This isn't you. The Lucas I knew would never do something like this.”His expression softened slightly, and for a moment, I thought I might be getting through to him. Then he smiled, and that glimmer of hope vanished."The Lucas you knew was weak," he said. "He thought he could win you back through, respect and patience." He shook his head. "But you've shown me that doesn't work with you. You need a stronger hand.""This is insane," I said, trying a different approach. "People know where I am. Kai is expecting me at the eastern border. When I don't show up—"Lucas laughed again, the sound making my skin crawl. "Oh, I don't think he'll be looking for you anytime soon."The way he said it sent a fresh
Lily POVPain. That was the first sensation that greeted me as consciousness slowly crept back. A dull, throbbing ache that seemed to wrap around my entire body like a vice. My limbs were stiff, heavy, like they weren’t mine. I tried to move, but a sharp ache lanced through my wrists and ankles.I groaned softly, my head pounding. Darkness surrounded me, thick and suffocating, making it impossible to tell where I was.Where was I? What happened? My eyelids fluttered, struggling against their own weight as I fought to open them. Darkness enveloped me, so complete that for a terrifying moment, I wondered if I'd gone blind. The air was musty and stale, with an underlying scent of damp earth and decay.Had I met Kai yet? Was I at the eastern outskirts of the pack territory? My mind felt foggy, thoughts slipping through my grasp like water through fingers.I tried to sit up, but my body wouldn't cooperate. That's when I realized—my hands wouldn't move independently. They were bound togeth
Lily POVI paused for a minute, trying to school my expression. I didn’t want to worsen the situation than it was already. I hesitated before I showed her the message. "He can't make it here. Wants me to take a cab instead."Celeste threw her hands up. “Unbelievable! He just expects you to—” She groaned. “You are too nice to him.”I laughed. “Or maybe I just understand him.”Celeste rolled her eyes so hard I thought they might get stuck in the back of her head. "Typical Kai. Always expecting everyone to accommodate his plans.""He's going through a lot right now," I said, defending him automatically."And you're not?" She gave me one last exasperated look but she didn’t argue further. Instead, she stood up from the bed and helped me zip up my backpack. "Just... be careful, okay? Not just with whatever you might discover, but with your heart."I pulled her into a hug, touched by her concern despite her prickly exterior. "I will. I promise."Together, we headed downstairs. The afternoo