Gregory POV (Lily’s father)A storm was already brewing as we drove into the borders of Royal Hunters Pack.Even as an alpha, Alpha Kai was not one of my favourite Alphas to visit. He was always by himself even during meetings and when he speaks, he speaks so softly that we usually have to strain our ears to hear him. Everyone was afraid of him… including me but this was necessary. I need to find out if Lily is alive or still dead.The sky darkened, casting darkness on an afternoon. I didn’t want to take it as an omen but I had a feeling that things would not go the way I wanted. Our car pulled up to the old hunting lodge, it was a neutral ground. Seeing they wanted to meet at a neutral ground, it means they don’t intend for it to be a lasting meeting. At least, I know he’s hot seeking for alliance.As me and Vanessa opened the doors of our car to alight, as if on cue, a bolt of lightning split the sky, illuminating the scene before us. The cottage stood like a sentinel, filled with d
Gregory POV (Lily’s father)The scar that stretched across his face seemed to deepen more as he turned and our gaze met, making him look more threatening.Kai’s gaze flickered from me to my daughter, his gaze lingering more on Vanessa before coming back to my face. There was something unreadable in his expression, a cool detachment that sent a chill down my spine. He said nothing at first, simply observing us as if he were weighing us in his mind.The bastard!Finally, he spoke, his voice low and even. “You’ve come a long way from Golden Moon Pack. That’s impressive!” he said taking my hand that I had stretched towards him since a minute ago.I couldn’t also help but notice that he was the tallest among all the werewolves present including me. He towered over everyone else, his presence dominating the space even when he stood perfectly still.I could also swear that he would be toughest to fight against among all the alphas I knew. I mean; I’ve encountered a lot of really good Alphas
Lily POVMy entire body felt like it was engulfed in flames.The heat pulsed through my veins causing every nerve in my body to scream out in protest. My skin was sensitive and sore. I tossed and turned in my bed, the sheets tangling around my legs, every inch of my body covered with sweat.Earlier, when Celeste’s grandfather had come in to check on me – I barely remembered coming to my bed too. Although I had seen his face hovering over me etched with concern as he placed his cool hand on my forehead. I couldn’t recall all that he said but I remembered him saying words like ‘shift’ and late bloomer’ in his conversation as I drifted in and out of consciousness.In my fever-muddled mind, I couldn’t help but wonder if I was going to shift. Was it even possible after all this time?For years, I had thought the Moon Goddess had forsaken me – that she hated me so much and didn’t care whether I had my wolf or remained human. I remembered watching all my friend getting their wolves, bonding
Lucas POVThe moon hung low in the sky when I moved swiftly through the shadows, my senses were on high alert as I crossed the border into Alpha Kai’s territory – The Royal Hunters Pack.I lay in the shadows for a bit, my heart pounding from fear and determination. This wasn’t the first time I was sneaking into another Pack’s land but Royal Hunter was no ordinary pack – it would have been impossible given the fact that their borders were always heavily guarded with warriors patrolling day and night.But tonight was different. The air was heavy with tension but the usual patrols were absent and I knew why.All the guards on duty have been summoned to guard the cottage where the meeting of both Alpha Gregory – Lily’s father and Alpha Kai, was taking place. At least, that was what one of the warriors who had escorted both Lily’s father and her sister Vanessa had told me earlier on.With the guards not at their posts, it created an opportunity for me. As I moved saliently through the Pack
Kai POVThe cottage was thick with tension that seemed to weigh down everyone present in the room including me who sat at the head of the long oak table. I leaned back in my chair, my eyes studying, Alpha Gregory who was twitching at every point with unease though his eyes still shone with defiance as he levelled his gaze at me.The question he asked me hung in the air between us, still unanswered. Alpha Gregory-Lily’s father had repeated the question about an intruder being in our territory whose name was Lily and I didn’t know how to respond without losing my cool.Liam must have sensed how much I was trying to control myself because he was the one who finally answered breaking the tense silence.“We deal with intruders properly here at Royal Hunters Alpha Gregory,” Liam said, his voice smooth” You don’t have to worry about such matters. We have full control over our borders.”I barely paid attention to what Liam was saying, my focus was on Alpha Gregory who seemed to relax at Liam’
Kai POVAlpha Gregory must have sensed that his story had a lot of loopholes so he was trying his best to make up for it.“You may not believe this Alpha Kai, but once, Lily tried to poison me,” he started, his tone growing sombre. “I mean you’d never expect that something like that would come from your house but it happened. She put an adequate amount of grounded silver in my food and it was my favourite food, so I was never going to notice, thankfully, it fell from the table somehow and you know what Silver does to wood right?”He leaned in and said with a conspiratory tone “It burned a hole so deep in the wood that I had to change the entire floorboard of the dining room. There was another time when it was arsenic and I survived by a hair’s breadth but back then, I was able to endure it because I was her daughter and every parent loved their children right?” he sighed.“But then she became even worse. She got in between her sister here,” he stopped and pointed at his other daughter
Lily POVIt felt like days had passed since the fever started.Slowly, the fever began to subside. The fire that had coursed through my body began to cool too; my temperature returned to normal. Although I was still in a state of unconsciousness – still trapped in the dream world, I could tell I was feeling better and my wolf’s voice was becoming clearer.“You’re awake!” she said warmly. “I’m glad. How do you feel?” she asked.“I’m feeling better,” I murmured “Thank you.”“That’s a relief,” she sighed. “Do you still remember that I’m your wolf? I think it’s time I introduced myself to you properly. My name is Nala and I’m your wolf. I couldn’t appear to you earlier because someone has been feeding you a dangerous substance – The root of Wolfsbane. It’s a dangerous drug and it prevented you from feeling me and also me from awakening and it kept me locked away all these years.”A chill ran down my spine at the revelation and the first name that came to my mind was ‘My father’. “It was m
Kai POVThe news was so shocking that I rose to my feet abruptly. The room fell silent as everyone turned to stare at me in surprise and confusion.“Alpha?” Liam rose and came to stand next to me “Is everything alright?”I barely heard him. My mind was focused on the news I had just been told now. If Lily was going to shift, it would mean a ton of things for me. I needed to be there… she would need me once she finally took her wolf form. I must be there.“My apologies,” I said quietly “An urgent matter just came up that requires my attention now. I need to leave but, in my place, my Beta – Liam would continue the meeting.”Liam was surprised but quickly masked his surprise by nodding in agreement while Gregory was staring at me suspiciously. Without waiting for their response or refusal, I strode to the door, fighting the urge not to run because of the stares on my back.I slammed the door behind me, gritting my teeth against the pouring rain but that wasn’t going to stop me now, not
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 –
Lucas POVI drummed my fingers against my desk, checking my phone for the hundredth time. K was supposed to contact me any minute now, and the anticipation was killing me. Every piece of information about Lily was precious, keeping me connected to her even though we were apart.Vanessa was pacing back and forth in front of me, her arms folded tightly over her chest. She was ranting about something—I wasn’t really listening. My mind was elsewhere, focused on one thing: Lily."Lucas, are you even listening to me?" Vanessa's voice cut through my thoughts. She was perched on the edge of my desk, her perfectly manicured nails tapping against the wood in an irritating rhythm.I barely suppressed a growl. "Not really."“You’ve been avoiding me for weeks. You barely talk to me, let alone spend time with me. I deserve better than this.”I sighed, pinching the bridge of my nose. “Vanessa, not now.”“Not now?” she bristled.. “That’s all you ever say. I’ve been patient, Lucas, but I’m done waitin
Lily POVI sat at the kitchen counter, staring at the lasagna I'd spent hours making. Kai's favorite comfort food, just the way he liked it - extra cheese, a hint of basil. The clock on the wall showed 7:45 PM. He should have been down an hour ago.The past two weeks in the pack house had been... challenging. Luna Helen begged me to move back into the pack house, insisting that Kai needed me—at least until he recovered. I had hesitated, not sure if that was truly what was best for either of us, but in the end, I had agreed. But the Kai I was living with wasn't the one I knew.At first, it had seemed like things were getting back to normal. Kai went back to work, attending meetings, overseeing patrols, and fulfilling his duties as Alpha. But even though his routine was the same, he wasn’t. There was a distance between us, something invisible but suffocating, like a wall I couldn’t break through.It started with small things. I would be speaking to him, and suddenly, his expression wou
Lily POVThe moment Kai pressed the button, everything moved in a blur. Within seconds, the room was flooded with pack doctors and nurses, all rushing toward the bed where the she-wolf lay conscious now. Her eyes were open but she didn’t seem to be staring at anywhere or anyone in particular. I stepped back, pressing myself against the wall, watching with my heart in my throat as they worked on her. My heart was pounding in my chest, but not as loudly as Kai’s anxious breaths beside me.The doctor barked out orders while the nurses scrambled to respond. At first, everything seemed under control—until the she-wolf’s body began to jerk violently. My breath caught in my throat as I watched her limbs convulse, her back arching unnaturally off the bed. The machines started beeping erratically, their beeping sounds filling the air like an alarm warning of a disaster about to come.Kai was at her side in an instant. “What’s happening to her?” he demanded, his voice was thick with desperati
Lily POVA few days later, I paced my dorm room. My mind was spinning with conflicting emotions. Every interaction with Kai over the last few days, plus what I have learnt some days ago through Celeste’s help, has left me feeling more alienated and uncertain.The mysterious she-wolf had a hold on Kai for show and the revelation that she was being kept unconscious only made my curiosity grow. In reality, the chances of getting caught if I go to the hospital to give her the substance from the vial Celeste had given me was high, but the time for waiting was over—I needed answers.After three hours of planning, I finally came up with a strategy. Picking up my phone, I my fingers trembled slightly as I dialed Kai’s number.“Lily?” his voice was tense as he took the call, as if he was bracing himself for another confrontation.“Hi, Kai,” I began, keeping my tone casual. “I know this sounds awkward and all, and you know me. I’m not the kind of person who will call you out of the blues and…”
Lily POV“What did you say?”Beads of sweat formed on my forehead. Celeste’s voice seemed to be echoing from far off. I wasn’t sure if I still had a smile on my face or something hideous.“They…” she stuttered.“Just lay it to me as it is, Celeste,” I murmured, giving her another expression that I truly hoped was a smile.“They say she’s Kai’s firs mate.”The confirmation hit me like a punch to the gut. I had suspected a mistress, an old girlfriend, a female friend, but nothing had prepared me for this.“First mate? But that’s impossible. Kai never…” I trailed off, swallowing the tears at the back of my throat. “That would explain things now,” I chuckled, swiping at a tear that rolled down my cheeks. “Why didn’t he just tell me? I swear, I would have understood. Why did he make me go through all this trauma of finding out?”“Hey, now!” Celeste placed a comforting hand on my shoulder. “Don’t jump to conclusions just yet. There’s still so much we don’t know. I am his sister, but I had n