KARA“No, you won’t, I don’t need you to fight because the way I see you, you are talented.” Zarek said, his gaze locked on Aria.Aria chuckled softly. “I am not talented, I am only trying and besides Linda is going to take me down so easily.” Aria said and turned to Linda. “Isn’t that what you want?”Linda smirked, stepping closer to me with venom in her voice. “Your son was killed, you were chased away by a lowlife lady, and here you are—standing so weak.” Her words cut through the air like a blade, dripping with cruel satisfaction.My hands curled into fists, but I didn't move. My eyes darkened, rage flickering beneath the surface, but I swallowed it down. I wouldn’t give Linda the satisfaction of seeing me break.Aria’s amused expression faded. “That’s enough, Linda.” Her voice was firm, but Linda only scoffed.“Oh, please,” Linda sneered, crossing her arms. “I’m just saying what everyone else is thinking. A woman who couldn’t even protect her own blood has no place standing here
KARA“Who is she?”Delilah’s voice cut through the tension like a blade. She stood at the entrance of the training grounds, arms crossed, eyes burning with something between rage and disbelief. She was one of the most respected members of the pack—and the most relentless when it came to Zarek.Zarek barely spared her a glance. “She is Kara.”Delilah’s expression twisted, and before he could say anything else, she stepped forward, her voice sharp.“The former Luna of the Storm Claw pack? You brought her here? Did you even think for a second about what the Alpha of that pack did to you? He betrayed you, Zarek. And now you’re standing here, training his woman?”My stomach twisted. Betrayed? Mymind spun at Delilah’s words.“What?” I turned to Zarek, demanding answers. “What is she talking about?”Delilah let out a cold laugh. “You want to know? He would never tell you but let me do the talking for him.”Before she could continue, Aria took a step forward. “You talk too much.” Her tone was
KARAThe vampire lunged.I barely had time to react before a black blur slammed into him, sending him flying backward.Zarek.He landed between us, his eyes glowing gold, his entire body radiating power.His gaze flickered to me for half a second. “Stay behind me.”I didn’t argue.Zarek turned back to the vampire, his expression dark. “You should have stayed dead.”The vampire grinned, wiping blood from his mouth. “Missed me, did you?”Zarek didn’t reply.He moved.The fight was brutal, fast.Zarek fought like a predator, every movement precise, lethal.But the vampire wasn’t weak. He met every attack with equal force, matching Zarek’s speed.Then more vampires emerged from the trees.A dozen. Two dozen.My stomach dropped.This wasn’t just an ambush.It was an invasion.Linda’s voice rang out from a distance. “They’re trying to break through the eastern wall!”And then a figure showed up.“Leo?” I muttered under my breath.“Kara.” His voice was calm, steady—too steady. He knew exactl
BACK AT STORMCLAW PACK“MIA!” Kimmelly’s voice was barely above a whisper, but the urgency in it was clear. She stepped forward, blocking the entrance.“I need to speak with Izzy,” Mia said, her tone steady, unwavering.Kimmelly shook her head, glancing around nervously. “Do you know it’s forbidden for a vampire to set foot inside the pack’s territory? If Kieran sees you, he’ll kill you. And worse, you’ll get her into trouble.”Mia didn’t flinch. “Izzy is already in deep trouble.”Kimmelly narrowed her eyes. “Why?”Mia hesitated for half a second before saying, “Kara is back.”A tense silence stretched between them. Then the door behind Kimmelly creaked open. Izzy stepped outside, her child walking beside her, tiny fingers curled around her wrist.Izzy’s gaze locked onto Mia. “That can’t be true.”Mia exhaled sharply. “It is.”Izzy went still. The color drained from her face.Kimmelly looked between them, confused. “I told you Izzy, I told you Kara is still alive.” She panicked “Don’
“Kieran, we can’t take a walk, people are waiting for me inside to attend to them.” Izzy said.The tension in the room was thick enough to cut with a blade.Izzy stood at the entrance of the grand hall, her knuckles white as she gripped the edge of the doorway. The chandeliers flickered above, casting eerie shadows against the polished stone floor. The scent of power and dominance filled the space as Alphas from across the regions took their seats.Her son, Ronan, was turning seven today. A day that should have been filled with joy. Yet, dread coiled inside her chest like a viper ready to strike. Kieran’s voice was low, firm. “It won't take long.”She didn’t turn to face him. Instead, she swallowed the knot in her throat. “Kieran, today is our son’s birthday. You have never tried to hold him once—not since the day I gave birth to him. He barely even knows you.”Kieran exhaled slowly, running a hand through his dark hair. “I have been so busy later, I would do better as a father.”“Ou
KARA“I am so sorry I am late,” I said, stepping into the grand hall, my voice smooth and confident.Silence followed.All eyes turned to me—some in shock, others in barely disguised curiosity. The air grew thick with tension, the weight of my presence pressing down on everyone in the room.Luna Anderson, ever observant, turned to Kieran and Izzy. “Is she the former mate of Kieran?”I smiled, a slow, deliberate curve of my lips, before nodding. “Indeed, I am.”Izzy’s face twisted in fury as she pushed back from her seat. “Kara, you are banished from this pack! How dare you show up here?”I kept my expression calm, tilting my head slightly. “The last seat is free, and I am here on behalf of Alpha Zarek, the one you thought was dead.”Gasps rippled across the room.Izzy’s jaw clenched, her lips pressing into a thin line. She couldn’t speak. She couldn’t move.I took my seat gracefully, smoothing the fabric of my dress. “Now, you may begin, Alpha Kieran,” I said, my voice laced with mock
KARA I paused. “I don’t have to say it now, I want her to suffer slowly, not like this, this is not the best way to make her pay.” I muttered to myself.“What were you saying?” Kieran asked.I smirked “Ronan here, looks exactly like his mom.” I said as I turned my gaze back to Izzy.“You were about to say something, why did you stop?” Luna Anderson asked.I smirked and then took a few steps back. “I will talk about it some other time, today is not the time.” I said with a wide smile, Izzy watched as I walked away but there was nothing she could do.“You did a great job over there.” Linda finally admitted, her voice begrudging but firm.I raised an eyebrow, my arms crossed. “Thought you didn’t like me.”“I still don’t,” she replied flatly. “But I’m doing this for Zarek.”Her words stung more than I expected, but I shrugged it off. Whatever. I wasn’t here to make friends.“What were you about to say earlier?” Linda asked.“I wanted to explode Izzy, but that wasn’t the right time to do
KARAThe air in the room shifted. Thickened.Leo moved faster than I could react. In a blur, he was in front of me, gripping my chin between his fingers. Not gentle. Not rough. Just enough to make sure I couldn’t look away.“I will become ruler of all the kingdoms,” he said, his breath warm against my face. “And I will make you my queen.”The laugh that tore from my throat was sharp, jagged. “You’re insane.”His grip tightened slightly. “No, Kara. I have been waiting for this moment for a very long time.”“Where are my friends?” I asked.“I don’t know, maybe they are probably dead.” He said without hesitation.And then, before I could process what was happening, his lips crashed onto mine.It wasn’t a kiss. It was possession. It was a statement.I bit down—hard.Leo pulled back with a curse, wiping the blood from his lower lip. His eyes flashed with something dangerous, something violent.For a moment, I thought he’d hit me.But then, he exhaled through his nose, the tension in his sh
“You heard what?” Kieran asked, turning sharply.Izzy’s hand trembled, the silver wine goblet clinking against the table. “Leo is dead.”The words hung heavy in the hall, louder than the music playing in the background, louder than the laughter echoing from the guests.Mark straightened from where he was tying the last of the birthday banners. “Are you sure?”Izzy nodded, her voice barely above a whisper. “It was her. Kara did it.”Kieran’s jaw tensed. “Of course she did.”“But today is—” Izzy glanced around. “Today is Ronan’s birthday. We don’t need this now.”“Doesn’t matter,” Mark muttered. “If Kara killed Leo, she won’t stop there.”“She's coming, isn't she?” Kieran asked, looking toward the window.Izzy’s silence was the only answer he needed.They didn’t invite the Golden Wolf Pack. Kara wasn’t supposed to be anywhere near their borders. But somehow, deep down, Kieran knew she was already on her way.The music played louder now. Guests were arriving, exchanging gifts, and laughi
KARAMy throat burned from screaming his name.Zarek.For a second, everything went still. The cave. The cold. Even Leo.He tilted his head slightly, like he’d heard it too.“Still clinging to hope?” he asked.I spat at his feet. “You should be afraid.”Leo chuckled, slow and cold. “Your mate’s too late. He always is.”The hooded woman dragged me forward, but I yanked my arm back, digging my heels into the stone floor. “I swear, Leo, if you do this—”He stepped forward and pressed two fingers to my lips. “Shh.”I bit him.Hard.His blood hit my tongue like fire. I spit it out and shoved him with both hands. “Touch me again and I’ll kill you.”He looked stunned for a second… then smiled. “That’s more like it.”I turned to run. Anywhere. Anywhere but toward the altar glowing with red sigils and cursed candles.The woman caught me by the hair.Pain shot down my spine as she yanked me back. “You’ll walk, or I’ll break your legs and drag you.”“I’m not afraid of you,” I hissed.“You should
KARA"I told you, you will be my queen,” Leo said without looking back, his voice cold and indifferent. “But don’t expect mercy.”“Leo, I would never—”My voice caught.Everything around me cracked and warped. The blood, the stone floor, Izzy’s lifeless body—all of it shattered like glass.And I jolted upright, heart hammering.My breaths came in sharp gasps, my hands clutching the bedsheet like it was my only lifeline. My skin was damp with sweat, and the room was dark, except for the pale moonlight pouring in through the window. The scent of cedar and pine filled the air, grounding me. I blinked, trying to make sense of where I was.A warm hand slid across my back.“Kara?” came a deep voice, groggy but concerned.I turned my head slowly. Zarek. He was here. His brows were furrowed, eyes still foggy from sleep. But alive. Breathing. Real.“Oh goddess…” I whispered, voice cracking.Before he could speak, I flung myself into his arms. My body trembled as I clung to him, burying my face
KARAI knelt on the cold stone floor, feeling the weight of every breath I took. My body trembled, but it wasn’t from the cold. No, it was something far deeper. A sense of loss, of devastation, surged within me. Zarek was dead. The love of my life, the Lycan King, was gone, and now… I was alone.The wolves outside howled in mourning, their voices echoing through the darkened night. They were lost too, leaderless and broken. The sound shook the very foundation of the packhouse, and I couldn’t breathe through the crushing weight of it all. I couldn’t think.Delilah was dead. My closest friend. My protector. She had died for me, and there was nothing I could do to bring her back. The memory of her frantic attempts to save Zarek, of her rage, of her scream that had shattered my soul, replayed in my mind over and over.And now Leo stood before me, his presence as cold as the grave. He had destroyed everything.“I will take care of her,” Izzy’s voice cut through the silence, sending a chill
KARAI sat in my study, staring at the open book on my desk, but the words blurred together. My hands felt cold, my body oddly light. The exhaustion had been creeping in for days, but today, it was worse.A soft knock came at the door before Linda stepped inside, a small tray in her hands.“You haven’t taken your medicine today,” she said, setting the tray down. Her sharp eyes scanned my face, her brow furrowing. “Kara, why do you look so pale?”I blinked at her, confusion flickering in my mind. “I look pale?”Linda turned to Delilah, who had followed her in. “She looks pale, right?”Delilah crossed her arms, concern etching into her face. “Pale and lean. You don’t look good.”I forced a smile, trying to ease their worry. “Maybe it’s just the pregnancy hormones.”Linda knelt beside me, her fingers pressing against my wrist as she checked my pulse. “Your heartbeat is steady. The baby’s fine.” She looked up at me, eyes narrowing. “Then why aren’t you eating?”I hesitated. I had been eat
KARAAnd we all walked away before Zarek could notice.We reached the mansion, and Liz approached me with a cautious expression.“You have a visitor,” she said.“A visitor?” My voice barely rose above a whisper.Liz nodded.I stepped into the pack hall and settled onto the chair with Linda, Liz, Aria, and Delilah by my side. The moment I looked up, I saw a woman standing at the entrance, dressed in simple robes.A monk.My brows furrowed. “A monk?”The woman stepped forward, her head bowing slightly in respect. “Luna.”I studied her carefully. She was older, her face lined with age and sorrow. Something about her presence unsettled me.“How may I help you?” I asked.She lifted her gaze, eyes filled with something that looked dangerously close to fear. “I came here to tell you a secret, Luna.”A chill ran down my spine. “What secret?”Her voice was steady, but there was an urgency in her tone. “It’s about Izzy, the Lycan King’s sister.”At that, I rose to my feet and took a step closer
KARAThe Lycan King was carried in, his body limp, a pool of blood staining the floor beneath him. His death had shaken everyone in the room to the core, but the show must go on. The celebration continued, albeit with heavy hearts.Zarek stood by the throne, eyes blank, as the pack members murmured amongst themselves. “Zarek,” one of them said, “You should stay. You’re next in line now.”I watched him for a moment, but he didn’t show any sign of grief, only cold determination.“I’ll help,” I said quietly, stepping toward him.He didn’t respond. Instead, he just nodded, his gaze distant.Later, after the body had been bathed and the mansion was in disarray, we all gathered in the main hall for the next phase. The air was thick with anticipation.Linda glanced at Zarek, her voice quiet but curious. “Never knew your father was the king.”Zarek forced a smile, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “This mansion, everything here… it’s all yours now.”No one smiled back. His words felt hollow, and t
KARAIzzy’s voice was raw with rage, her eyes burning with fury as she stood at the gates of the Golden Wolf Pack.Delilah didn’t move, her posture relaxed, almost bored. “And?” she said flatly.Izzy’s hands curled into fists. “Let me in,” she demanded, her voice shaking.“No,” Delilah replied simply.Izzy let out a sharp breath and moved to shove past her—only to be met with a firm grip. Delilah caught her wrist effortlessly, twisting it just enough to make Izzy stumble. And then, without hesitation, she shoved Izzy back.Hard.Izzy hit the ground, her palms scraping against the dirt. Her head snapped up, her expression livid.“How dare you!” she shouted.Delilah smirked. “How dare you come here and make demands?”And then I stepped out.Izzy’s eyes locked onto me, hatred pouring from her gaze like venom. Without thinking, she lunged.I didn’t flinch.Delilah moved first. She caught Izzy’s wrist mid-air before the slap could land, her grip like steel. With one sharp motion, she wrenc
Delilah stepped out of Zarek’s room and walked straight to the balcony, where she saw me.Her eyes, once filled with contempt, held something else now. Something unfamiliar.“I used to hate you,” she said suddenly. “But now, I like you.”Before I could respond, she grabbed my shoulders and gave me a firm shake. Then, just as quickly, she turned on her heel and walked away.Linda spotted her at the gate. “Where are you going?”Delilah didn’t stop. Her voice was calm, yet laced with cold determination. “To kill Kimmelly. Let me start from there.”Linda’s eyes widened. She stepped forward to block her path. “Delilah, wait—”Delilah’s head snapped up. Her brown eyes darkened, glowing like molten gold. “Don’t try to stop me.” Her voice was low, threatening.Linda hesitated.Delilah didn’t.She pulled out her phone and dialed Kimmelly’s number.“I know how to kill Kara,” she said when Kimmelly answered. “Meet me in the woods. Far from the pack. Alone.”A pause. Then Kimmelly’s eager voice.