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
A while ago…Lily POVThe rain pelted against the window; the rhythm was perfect a contrast to the jumbled emotions swirling withing me. My mind was still whirling with confusion and exhaustion. The remnants of my fever still teased at the edges of my consciousness, clouding my thoughts, but it was not enough to dull the discomfort coursing through me.My body ached, not from the fever itself, but from something deeper – something primal. I could sense it pulsing within me, like an unspoken yearning that twisted my insides.My heart raced as Lucas pressed close, his breath warm against my lips, his familiar scent enveloping me. I knew what was coming - his lips seeking mine. My heart quickened but I didn’t feel the excitement I once felt with him. There was a pull of familiarity, yes, but also a sickening heaviness almost irritation.I wanted to move, to avoid the kiss that seemed inevitable, but my body betrayed me. The comfort from kissing him, the memory of our countless embraces h
Lucas POVI crashed to the ground from Lily’s bedroom. I fell so hard that it took me a minute to come back to myself.I lay on the damp grass, dazed and struggling to catch my breath. My back throbbed with pain but I wasn’t even thinking of how I was thrown out of the window; it was the person I had fought with that my mind was.The strength that was used on me couldn’t be that of a mere warrior – that had to be the infamous Alpha Kai – Alpha of the Royal Hunters pack. As my vision cleared, I scanned the area, searching for any sign of Alpha Kai but the yard was empty. Slowly, I hoisted myself into a sitting position, my body protesting with pain.Confusion loomed in my mind as I thought: Why had the Alpha been in Lily’s bedroom? My wolf stirred with unease inside me.“Did you feel Lily?” I asked Tera, my wolf. “Did you feel our mate bond?”“Yes!” Tera responded immediately. “I sensed her wolf, Lucas. Lily has one now, her wolf has finally emerged.”My heart leapt with joy at the inf
A few days later…Lily POVWhen I woke up, it felt like a lifetime had passed.Consciousness returned to me slowly, like waves lapping at the shore of my mind. The room was dim, the curtain drawn to keep out the harsh afternoon light. My body ached from lingering exhaustion that seemed to come from my bones.For a moment, I was disoriented trying to remember what had happened and why I was in bed again when Nala – my wolf’s voice filtered into my mind.“You’re back!” Nala sounded relieved “You went into another coma because of exhaustion,” she added. “You pushed yourself too hard. Your body needed rest and I was helping you heal.”I sighed, sinking back into the pillows, my mind was still foggy but it was slowly clearing. Snippets of everything that happened before the second coma slowly came to me. “My mate…” I began “Is it true? Is the Alpha really our mate?”My wolf was silent for a minute as if it was considering my question. “How do you feel about him? What do you feel about Alp
Kai POVI could sense her hesitation… I could feel it deep within our mate bond.She shook her head. “I don’t know,” she whispered, her voice trembling. “It’s just… too much.”My grip tightened slightly, afraid that she might slip away from me. But then, seeing the exhaustion in her eyes, I softened. Gently, I brought her hand to my lips, kissing her knuckle.“I’m sorry, it’s my fault. I’m pushing too hard. You’ve only just awakened and there’s so much you don’t know yet. I’m just excited… I’m sorry!” I said again.“Maybe!” she gave me a thin smile.“Don’t worry,” I said taking my hands away from her waist, Hud whined within me but I cut off his voice. He had to learn how to be patient. “We take it one day at a time. I’m not asking for everything all at once, Lily. But if you give me a chance, you’ll know we are meant to be together.”“Okay!’ she said softly, a tentative smile forming on her lips. “One day at a time.”“Good! Rest now!” I murmured. “We’ll talk more when you’re ready an
Kai POVI leaned against the windowsill in Lily’s room, my mind clouded by the events of the past few days. My mother’s influence was still potent over my every decision and felt like a shadow that refused to dissipate. I’d left my mother’s office in a state of frustrated anger, but now as the initial surge of irritation faded, the hard truth began to seep him.I couldn’t take Lily back with me, at least not yet. Not while my mother remained against the idea of me finding my fated mate. The thought of it gnawed at me, especially since I couldn’t understand why my mother was so vehemently against it. What was she hiding? And why did it matter so much to her? It didn’t make sense. In our society, true mates – fated mates were revered, and seen as a blessing from the Moon Goddess herself. His mother of all people should understand the significance.Giving my mother’s subtle plans with Briella made it painfully clear that introducing Lily right now would only be disastrous. Not just for
Kai POVSomething was wrong!I felt it even before she voiced it out. As Hud reached out to Lily's wolf, ready to initiate the marking process, I felt resistance. Where there should have been an open channel, a merging of our wolves.It was as if an invisible wall had been erected between us, blocking the connection I so desperately craved. I froze when I heard her plea, hating the way she moved away from me… confusion and frustration washed over me in equal measure.Hud growled in displeasure, feeling the rejection in a way that stung deeper than I’d anticipated.“Please! Let’s stop!” she said, pushing farther from me.I pulled back, confusion and hurt etched across my features. Searching her eyes for answers. “Lily,” I said, trying to hide the pain in my voice. “What’s wrong? Did I… did I do something to upset you? Do you not… want this?”She blinked, her expression filled with a mix of uncertainty, hesitation and guilt. “No, Kai, it’s not… I mean, I don’t…” she trailed off, she bit
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 –