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
Lily POVThe morning sun filtered through the car windows, casting a warm glow on my face as Celeste drove me to school. I sat quietly in the passenger seat, gazing out at the passing scenery, lost in thoughts.The past few days had felt like a lifetime-long movie, to say the least. Ever since Nala – my wolf awakened, everything seemed to have shifted, both around me and within me.“You know!” Celeste said glancing sideways at me. “You look different.”I tensed leaning over to stare at the side mirrors. I didn’t notice anything strange with me. “Different how?” I turned back to her.Celeste smiled, her eyes flickering between me and the road. “Good different, Lily. You look… more mature – grownup, I dare say. Like you’ve grown into yourself overnight and more beautiful. Your wolf suits you so well. Do you know her name yet?”I blushed, feeling the heat rise to my cheeks. I wasn’t used to such direct compliments, especially not about my appearance. “Her name is Nala,” I mumbled “And th
Kai POVIt’s been days since I and Lily last spoke and the distance between us was slowly driving me to the brink of madness.Each passing hour away from her felt like an eternity, Hud had refused to speak to me because I had refused to take him to see Lily.I sat at my desk, staring blankly at the paperwork piled in front of me, my mind completely elsewhere. No matter how hard I tried to focus, my thoughts kept drifting back to Lily. How could she stand not seeing or hearing from me for so long? The thought alone twisted like a knife in my gut.It was as if she didn’t care that we were mates. The thoughts infuriated me. I, on the other hand, found it nearly impossible to focus on anything but her. I couldn’t go a single hour without thinking of her, and yet she seemed completely unfazed.A soft knock on the door startled me from my brooding. But before I could respond, the door swung open and Briella – my so-called assistant walked in. Though being my assistant, she was not able to d
Lily POVMy heart raced as I approached the Pack’s Central Building where Kai’s office was. An unexplainable unease suddenly settled over me the moment I stepped inside. Nala, who was usually calm and collected, paced restlessly within me, her hackles rising as if sensing an impending threat.I dismissed the unease as anxiety of meeting Kai for the first time in days and I didn’t know if he was still angry with me or if he would demand I give him a response too… I had a lot of thoughts in my mind.Still, as a new member of the pack, I had no choice but to report to him. I continued to the elevator and it felt like the air was thick as if charged with something I couldn’t quite place. My wolf stirred within me again, this time more anxious and alert.I had learnt to trust these feelings – the ones that guided me when I didn’t have a wolf and now, it seemed to have intensified since Nala came. But right now, it only heightened my nerves. Something was off, terribly off.I took a deep br
Briella POVI pulled my car out of the parking lot of the Pack's Central building easing the sleek black car into the street. I gripped the steering wheel, my mind replaying the scene that had just happened a few minutes ago in Kai’s office.My perfectly manicured fingers drummed against the leather steering wheel, with a mix of satisfaction and frustration coursing through my veins.I’d finally done it – I finally kissed Kai, the most eligible Alpha in the region, something I’d been trying to make happen for months. Ever since his mother had practically handpicked me as his fiancée and Luna-to-be, I’d been doing everything I could to make him see me as more an just a pack obligation.The memory of his lips against mine made me sigh with longing. It was unexpected, I didn’t think he would give in but even as my lips pressed against his, even as my hands had grazed his neck, I could feel that he was … distracted.Distant. Like he was miles away and was not really interested in the kiss
Kai POV“Lily please,” I tried to reach for her but she backed away from my touch. “Let me fix this.”My mind played the conversation I had with Lily over and over again, each time, the memory seemed more vivid than it had been. The pain in her eyes clearer each time it flits into my mind.I paced my office, clenching and unclenching my hands by my side as I tried to calm my restless wolf. Our restless agitation made it impossible to focus on anything but Lily. It’s been days since I last saw her and the distance was gnawing at me in ways I couldn’t quite explain.The memory of our kiss replayed in my mind – her initial shock, the way she had melted against him for just a moment before pulling away. Every time I caught a glimpse of her in my mind – her hesitant smile, the way her eyes held a guarded softness – I felt my chest tighten.She was my mate, chosen by the Moon Goddess herself, but here I was, feeling like I was failing her. Hud – my wolf wasn’t helping either. It was growlin
Kai POVA few days later the sun was barely over the horizon when I arrived at the Pack’s training ground.The easiest way to win the heart of someone you love is to spend more time with them and to make them trust you. At least, that was what my grandmother had said yesterday when I had casually asked her the question.I couldn’t demand that Lily leave her school work or training just because I wanted to spend time with her but, according to my grandmother, sometimes spending time with people you love could also mean showing up to things they love too.So, that was why I was here today. I would stay in the background and hope my presence would cheer her up.The air was still crisp and the grass wet from the early morning dew and more importantly, Lily. Hud perked up immediately as he caught her scent amongst the trainees.I spotted her near the edge of the training area, doing warm-up exercises with a small group. She hadn’t noticed me yet and I took the moment to simply watch her. E
Kai POVIt was one of those days when I preferred to come to stare at my mate training than to attend to the growing pile of paperwork on my desk.She was running laps around the training ground and I couldn’t help but wonder what it would feel like if she was utilizing that strength for something else. I sighed wistfully, trying to hide my bulge.It was becoming harder to pretend I didn’t want her. I was driven by my loss each morning to come here and it was becoming incredibly difficult to suppress the burst of emotions I always felt whenever she was next to me.I know I promised slow but… I wanted her to trust me quickly enough and fast… I wanted to consummate our bond so fast and become one with her. I’ve caught Jake’s gaze lingering on her more than once – more than he should and these days, I get panic attacks from thinking about someone else trying to woo my woman.As she finished her final lap, I walked up to her handing her a bottle of water and towel.“Well done!” I commente
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