Briella POVI turned to see Kevin – Kai’s cousin, leaning casually against the bar. I almost forgot; this was his turf. He regularly frequented here to get out of Kai’s radar and to do whatever he wanted.“Rough day?” he asked taking the shot the bartender placed in front of me and downing it instead.“Hey! That was mine!” I snarled but he was already done with the drink.“I heard you caused quite a scene at the Pack Office Building, but no one would give me the full details.”I sighed heavily as fresh tears rolled down my cheeks. “Kai’s mother – Luna Helen kicked me out of the pack house. Kai deactivated my pass to the office building without being told what I did wrong. They won’t let me see any of them. It's like I’m being erased from the pack entirely.”Kevin whistled low. “Ouch. That’s harsh, even for Aunt Helen.”“Tell me about it,” I muttered reaching for the empty shot glass and drinking the drops in it. “I just want to drink away my sorrow. Can’t you see?”He studied me for a
Kevin POVI woke up with a mild headache and a dead arm.When I turned, Briella was curled next to me, snoring gently. I smiled, pushing back her hair as I stared at her face. I had to give it to myself, I had a knack for sleeping with only the best women. I couldn’t believe I’d added my uncle’s collection to the pile.Stretching, while trying not to wake her, I slowly roused, placing her head gently on the sofa and rose to my feet. Padding barefoot, I crossed the room to the tiny kitchen and poured myself a glass of water. Just as I tried to pour myself a second glass, Briella stirred.She groaned in pain, holding her head as she slowly adjusted into a sitting position.“Oh, my head!” she groaned again.I poured her a glass of water, grabbing some aspirin from the kitchen drawer as I came towards her.“Drink this,” I said quietly “It’ll help.”She raised her head to see me and then I saw everything in her eyes. From surprise to rage and then to panic as her eyes scanned the room, pro
Lucas POV“…And may I get a report on how our warriors are suppressing the rogue alert we received a few days ago in our lower villages?” I asked staring at the Pack’s Gamma. Gamma Leo.“I was going to hand that in tomorrow, Alpha but since we’re all here, I might as well say it. Well, our warriors were able to quell it. Although they haven’t been able to drive out all the rogues terrorizing the area, they’re working hard to do it.”I nodded, satisfied.“That’s okay. Give me more updates on it and let me know when the other items arrive. Thank you all, let’s close the meeting.”I rose to my feet, while the others rose, giving me a curt bow before they filed out of the room.I dropped back on my chair, letting out an exhausted sigh, these days I’ve been working extra hard. One of the ways I knew I could bring Lily back to Golden Moon was to take charge of the affairs of the pack. So that, neither her father Alpha Gregory Stone nor her sister Vanessa would be in the way.Since I couldn’t
Lily POVThe words hit me like a punch to the gut. I froze, my hand hovering over a jar I’d been about to place on the shelf. “What?” I asked, unable to hide the surprise in my voice.He was watching me closely now with a blank look on his face. “You heard me. Vanessa and Lucas are holding their mating ceremony soon. Guess he’s moved on from his little obsession with you.”My stomach twisted. The idea of Lucas being with Vanessa felt… strange. I wasn’t jealous – far from it. But Vanessa was the exact opposite of who Lucas was. She was wild, the kind of wild I didn’t know if he could handle. They were so mismatched – different personalities and all.Kai tilted his head, studying me. “You don’t seem too upset about it,” he remarked.I shot him a strange look. “Why would I be? Lucas and I are ancient history.”His smirk faded, replaced by a more serious expression. “Then why do you look like you’ve seen a ghost?”My gaze dropped to the floor. “Of course, I’m worried about Vanessa my sist
Lily POVI tried not to react.Normally, a wolf’s scent wouldn’t linger on another unless they’d been intimate – sexually. The idea was wild but it made a strange kind of sense. Briella had been unusually quiet since her sudden departure from the pack – there’s been nothing on her socials and Kevin seemed different.Were they now dating?My eyes narrowed slightly as I stared at him. He must have noticed my probing gaze because instantly, his expression hardened into something more cautious. “What?” he asked warily.“Nothing,” I shook my head, trying to mask my surprise. “Just… thinking.”He crossed his arms. “Thinking about what? Come on, tell me already. You didn’t just come here to read, did you?”I hesitated, my mind still trying to to understand what could be going on between Kevin and Briella but it wasn’t in my place to pry – at least not now. Instead, I decided to change the topic.“I don’t see any books in your hand. This is not your regular hangout, Kevin. What are you doing
Lily POVDeciding not to think too much, I started sorting through the files.A moment later, I look up to find the old woman staring at me not when pity but in admiration. Her eyes crinkled with warmth.“You’re a hard worker,” she remarked “Just like your mother.”The mention of my mother made me pause again. I looked up at the woman, feeling my curiosity piquing. “You said before you knew her,” I said quietly. “On my first day in your office, you told me. What did you mean?”The old lady smiled but didn’t answer immediately. Instead, she adjusted her glasses and began arranging some papers on her desk. “Your mother was a remarkable woman,” she said finally. “Strong, kind and full of determination. You remind me of her.”My chest tightened. It wasn’t much, but any scrap of information about my mother felt like a lifeline. “How did you know her?” I pressed.The woman sighed, leaning back in her chair. “We crossed paths many years ago, in a different time and place. I'm afraid I can’t
Lucas POVToday was my mating/marking ceremony with Vanessa Stone – Lily’s sister.This was the only way I knew I could lure out whatever secrets Vanessa and her father were hiding. This way, I’d be able to help Lily and when she discovers the lengths, I’ve gone to get her, she would appreciate me more.The pack gathered in the packhouse compound with a few visitors as guests. I had insisted I didn’t want anything flamboyant. Since the union will not be lasting, I wanted to make sure none of the guest would leave with an impression that what we had would be together forever.The air was thick with the scent of freshly turned earth. I stood tall at the makeshift altar with the Moon Priest who would join us. My dark eyes scanned the crowd until they landed on Vanessa who was walking towards me. Her eyes were still puffy from crying as I had cancelled most of her last-minute add-ons. Still, she managed a smile.She wore a simple white dress, her hair cascading down her back. She was beau
Lily POVFor me, the last two weeks have been hell.The frustration from my mounting school work, Kai’s distance - basically fourteen days of scattered text messages and brief phone calls that felt more like an obligatory check-in than conversations with him and his excuse was ‘I’m busy, Lily. I have a lot of work piling up. I’m sorry.’At first, it was not a big deal for me since I was busy too with schoolwork and all but I was beginning to miss him so much.So tonight, I decided, I’d had enough of waiting for him to come to me. If he couldn’t make time for a date, I would bring the date to him. After classes, I packed an overnight bag and drove to the pack house, hoping to surprise him.The house was quiet when I arrived. Usually, Kai didn’t like servants in his living quarters of the pack house. They only came in to clean the house, make his food etc., so I wasn’t surprised. I settled myself in and then headed straight to the kitchen, an idea already forming in my mind.Kai’s favou
Kai POVThe dream shifted again, pulling me forward through time to a memory I had buried deep within my subconscious. This time, I was in my bedroom in the pack house. Moonlight was streaming through the windows, casting shadows across rumpled sheetsSerena lay beside me, her dark hair spread across the pillow like a fan. We had just finished making love, and I felt the familiar haze of
Kai POVHealer Odin cleared his throat, a subtle reminder that I was holding this stranger—my mate—for longer than was appropriate. Heat crept up my neck as I realized how it must look, and I gently helped her settle back onto the bed, though my wolf protested the loss of contact."I should ask you some questions," I said, trying to regain my composure as Alpha. "For our records."
Kai POV"Alpha, this is not wise," Liam warned as I carried Serena to our camp, her small form still unconscious in my arms. "She could be leading the rogues to us.""She's not a rogue," I insisted, my steps steady despite my warriors' apprehensive glances. "She's been attacked by them.""Or she's a trap," Marcus, my grandfather added. "We don't know who she is."
Kai POVDarkness covered me like a heavy blanket, thick and suffocating. I tried to open my eyes, to move, to breathe, but my body wouldn't respond. Was I dead? Did I fail to protect Lily? Did that bastard take her again? I tried to listen again for Lily’s voice, wishing I could just open my eyes. But all I could hear was something—distant beeping, muffled voices, and beneath it all, a familiar heartbeat. Lily. My wolf stirred at the sound, but we remained trapped in this void between consciousness and oblivion.Then, like a projector flickering to life, images began to form in the darkness. A forest, bathed in afternoon sunlight. The scent of pine and earth filled my nose, so vivid I could have sworn I was really there. My men flanked me in formation as we tracked rogue scents through the forest.Three years ago. Before I had met Lily. Before my memories shattered.The dream swept me into the scene completely, and suddenly I was there, living it again as if for the first time.I was
Lily POVEverything hurtBrightness. That was the first thing I became aware of—a harsh, glaring light that seemed to pierce straight through my eyelids. Pain followed, radiating from what felt like every inch of my body, a dull, persistent throb that intensified with each shallow breath.I tried to open my eyes, but they felt sealed shut, heavy and uncooperative. My mouth was dry,
Kai POVI had no time to dwell on it. The silver wound on my flank burned like fire, joining the chorus of injuries from my fight with Lucas. But Lily needed me, and nothing would stop me from reaching her."Kai!"I turned at the sound of my name, surprised to see my cousin Kevin rushing through the trees toward me. He came to an abrupt halt as he took in the scene—two dead assassin
Chapter 151Kai POVI stood in front of the French window of my office, my breathing ragged, blood was still seeping from the wounds Lucas had inflicted. Vanessa had sent me pack to my pack earlier after reluctantly agreeing to help search for her sister after seeing the evidence of Lucas's betrayal, but we had no solid leads on where he might have taken Lily.
Lily POV"I—I don't know what you mean," I stammered, trying to pull away, but his grip was like iron.In one fluid motion, Lucas shoved me backward, sending me sprawling onto the bed. The key slipped from my grasp, still attached to the chain around his neck."You think I'm stupid?" he snarled, looming over me. "You think I can't tell when you're playing me?"
Lily POVThe mirror in the bathroom of my bedroom was the only thing keeping me sane. Lucas had showed up two days ago, bruised and thoroughly injured. He had tried to force himself on me. He had tied me up and tore my clothes, while screaming that Kai would never have me. I had cried and begged and promised, but all my pleas had fallen on deaf ears. Just when I thought he would finally