KARAI sat behind the large oak desk, the scent of fresh paper and ink filling my Luna office. My fingers traced the grain of the wood absently as I stared at the documents in front of me, but my mind was elsewhere.The door swung open without a knock.Izzy.She strolled in like she owned the place, her movements smooth, confident. She stopped in front of my desk, her sharp eyes scanning my face.“You actually lost your memories?” she asked, tilting her head slightly.I smiled, keeping my expression neutral. “I’m sorry I had to trouble you like that, sister-in-law. My apologies.”Izzy’s lips twitched upward, but the smile never reached her eyes. Without a word, she placed a small black box in front of me.“A gift,” she said.I hesitated before reaching for it. The moment my fingers brushed the lid, something cold and unsettling crawled up my spine.I opened it.Inside, nestled in dark velvet, was a pendant—a silver wolf encased in a delicate frame.At first glance, it was beautiful. T
KARA“You can’t come with me,” Zarek said, his voice final as he turned to leave.My blood simmered. What does he mean I can’t?I stepped forward, grabbing his wrist. “Zarek, watch me.”His golden eyes snapped to mine, irritation flashing across his face. “Kara, don’t be stubborn. This isn’t your fight, it’s my responsibility. I am the Alpha.”I scoffed. “Not my fight? The pack is under attack. My pack. My new home and it’s attacked by your sister and Kieran, anything that involves Kieran,count me in, I can’t wait to destroy him. So please don’t tell me to stay behind like some helpless Luna.”He exhaled sharply, jaw tightening. “You—”The study doors burst open again. Aria and Liz rushed inside, their faces tense.“This is bad,” Aria panted. “The northern border is drenched in blood. Our warriors are falling.”My heart pounded. “Then we need to go now.” I said heading forward but then Liz dragged me back.Liz shook her head. “No, Kara. You can’t go.”I shot her a sharp glare. “And wh
KARA“You think I forgot? The way you controlled fire back there,” Aria said, stepping into the infirmary where I was checking on the wounded warriors.I smirked but didn’t respond.“So you’ve been hiding it for years,” she continued, crossing her arms.I nodded and then turned my gaze to her, my smirk fading. “Something is wrong with Zarek.” My voice was firm, steady.Aria frowned. “How?”“There’s this pill he always takes. I need to find out what it does.”Aria hesitated, her brows knitting together in thought. “The day Zarek slept in your room, I saw Izzy walk into his office with a bottle of pills. We crossed paths, and she dropped it. I didn’t think much of it then, but now…”My stomach twisted. “What color was the bottle?”“A white bottle,” she said immediately.We both froze. I turned to her, my heart hammering. “Was Zarek’s pill changed?”Neither of us needed to answer that.I spun on my heel and rushed back to Zarek’s quarters, my pulse pounding in my ears. I didn’t barge in—
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.
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
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
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.
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
“She wasn’t always like that,” Leo snapped. “You didn’t see the version of her I did.”“I saw enough,” Zarek said. “And I made the call no one else would.”“You made the call,” Leo repeated, voice quiet now. “You didn’t hesitate. You didn’t even try to talk to me.”“What would I have said?” Zarek’s voice rose now, the calm breaking. “That the woman you loved planned to turn half the supernatural world into slaves and the other half into corpses? That she used you as a weapon and you didn’t even realize it?”“I did realize it,” Leo said, fists clenching. “Too late. But I did.”“And what would you have done?”Leo met his eyes. “I would’ve stopped her myself.”Zarek’s breath hitched for half a second.“I loved her,” Leo continued, his voice cracking. “But I loved you too. And I hated you for making me choose between the two.”“I didn’t give you a choice,” Zarek said.“No, you didn’t.” Leo’s voice was calm now, too calm. “You gave the order, then buried me like I was the one who started a
Micah stepped out of the trees slowly, hands at his sides, not threatening. He looked older now, more tired, but the sharp edge of sarcasm hadn’t dulled in his voice.“I’d say I missed you, but that’d be a lie.” Micah gave a half shrug. “You look like hell, by the way.”Leo let out a dry chuckle. “That’s because I’ve been there.”Micah studied him in silence for a moment. “You don’t look like him anymore. The Leo we knew.”Leo finally looked over his shoulder. “That Leo died in a pit and crawled out a vampire.”“You crawled out something, alright,” Micah said. “But I don’t think it’s too late.”“I do,” Leo said. “I should’ve died down there. Would’ve made things easier for everyone.”“But you didn’t.”“Yeah. I didn’t.” Leo turned, his eyes darker now, but no longer glowing. “And now what? You’re here to convince me to come back to the pack? Ask for forgiveness? Be the brother again?”“I’m not here to convince you of anything,” Micah said simply. “I’m here because I wanted to see for m
KARAThe moment we stepped out of the woods, Leo vanished. One second he was there—forehead still resting against mine, fingers wrapped around mine like he was afraid of letting go—and the next, gone like smoke in moonlight.I stood there for a second, staring into the trees, not sure if I’d imagined it all. But my heart was still racing. My wrist still bore the shape of his grip. And my mind—my mind was full of things I didn’t know how to say out loud.We returned to the packhouse in silence. Delilah flanked me on one side, her expression carved in steel. Aria moved behind us, not saying a word. I could feel their eyes on me, like they were waiting for me to fall apart. I didn’t.Linda was already waiting on the porch, arms crossed, brows pinched with worry. She didn’t ask questions. She just looked at me—and somehow, she already knew.Inside the packhouse, Zarek was pacing the length of the main hall like a caged animal. The moment he saw us, he stopped. His eyes scanned me, then De
KARALeo didn’t flinch. His eyes locked on mine, feral, glowing faintly gold under the moon. But this was not the Leo we knew. Not anymore. Something inside him was wrong—off. He was supposed to be dead. Buried. Gone.And yet, there he stood. Breathing. Smirking.Delilah edged closer beside me, her voice low. “He shouldn’t be alive. We saw him die.”“Then we buried the wrong body,” I whispered.Leo’s gaze shifted. “Touching reunion. Too bad it won’t last.”I stepped forward. “Let go. Zarek loves you. He did everything to save you.”Leo laughed—harsh, broken. “Save me? He killed the one I loved.”“That girl,” I said, voice firm, “wanted to destroy the world.”“You don’t know what love is,” Leo spat.“And you don’t know what she was planning,” I shot back. “She used you, Leo. You were her puppet.”He flinched. Just for a second.“I don’t care,” he said, voice lower now, bitter. “I would’ve burned everything for her.”“And she would’ve let you.”“I chose her.”“No. You followed her. That
“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