Kaliyah's POVMemories of how the previous Kaliyah had crushed on Calum from afar resurfaced, and I began to look at the hot warrior trainer before me in a different way.Calum looked between the two of us with an irritated expression. “What the hell do you think you’re doing, fighting each other like a couple of pups in training?”Kovu opened his mouth to retort, but Calum cut him off with a sharp gesture. “Don’t even start with me, Kovu. You think you can pull this stunt and get away with it? If I catch you doing this again, I'll report you to your father, the Alpha. See how much you like that.”Kovu’s jaw clenched, and his fists tightened, but in the end, he didn’t say anything. The threat of being reported to his father seemed to be enough of a deterrent, and Calum looked like someone who would follow through on his threats.“And you!” He turned to me, locking his yellow eyes on mine.“And me? He’s the one who tried to slash my head off,” I pouted, lips pursed in complaint.“Yes,
Kovu's POV“Who is that?” I growled as a persistent knock rattled my door, dragging me from the shallow pit of sleep I managed to find. I groaned as I forced myself up. Last night could be ranked up there with one of the worst nights of my life. Not only did I not get the chance to settle things with Kaliyah once and for all, but I'd also spent the better part of the night trying to drown out Kyrax's growls and snarls. Long story short, I barely slept.The knocking didn't stop; in fact, it grew more insistent as the seconds passed. A vein popped in my head, and my patience snapped.“What is it?” I marched towards the door and yanked it open.An omega stood there, trembling in fear, sweat dripping down from his forehead. He looked like he'd rather be anywhere else but here, which was an accurate analogy considering I looked like I was about to eat him alive.“Speak!” I thundered at him, which made his trembling increase.“The Alpha is… is requesting your presence in the pack's meeting
Kovu's POV He continued, “Now, to the matter at hand—Asterion Maverick. The new Alpha of the Eldrath pack has proven to be a ruthless adversary. He’s been recruiting rogues, swelling his numbers. As of our latest intelligence, his forces are nearing ten thousand and rising. This is no ordinary enemy we face.” “Rogues aren’t ones to be controlled. They are feral, uncontrollable beasts,” one of the generals, Viktor, added. “Yet Asterion commands them with an iron fist. We suspect he’s using some form of dark magic to bind them to his will.” A deafening silence descended on the meeting hall when the words “dark magic” were spoken. It was a serious taboo in the packs to use or even consider the use of dark magic. The only race that relished the use of dark magic and used it without abandon was the shamans. “Uhm… I have something to say.” Kaliyah cleared her throat and raised her hand, seeking permission to speak. “You may proceed,” my father granted her the floor. “Wh… when I f
Kaliyah's POVThe strategy meeting unfolded, but I barely paid attention as I was boiling with rage. Each time Asterion's name was mentioned, my hand would clench into fists beneath the table, and my nails would dig into my palm. Keeping my emotions in check became a chore.The memories of how the bastard killed me in my previous life, puncturing a hole through my heart, were still fresh in my mind. Combined with the memory of how he had slain the previous owner of this body, it was safe to say that my anger had reached a frightening crescendo.*Kill, kill, kill, kill, kill*Akira's words played on a loop, growing louder with each passing moment, and it was a struggle to keep her in control. I was barely able to focus on the discussions of terrain, ambushes, and alliances. All I could think about was Asterion and how he had taken everything from me.“But if Asterion comes out like last time, leading the charge himself, who will face him?” I heard General Magnus pose the question.Ther
Kaliyah’s POV Alpha Torino rose from his seat and swept his gaze across the room. The generals, who had been watching the exchange with bated breath, remained silent as they waited for his decision. Even Akira had surprisingly fallen silent. Torino’s gaze landed on me, and his eyes softened a bit before he opened his mouth to pass his verdict. “Kaliyah,” he began, “I acknowledge your passion, your drive to end Asterion’s reign. This fight is obviously personal to you; it's gone beyond a sense of duty or honor. It's about vengeance.” He paused, and I held my breath, my heart pounding against my ribcage as I waited for his next words. I had already decided to take matters into my own hands in case he rejected me, but still, his acceptance would make things really easy for me. “But,” his tone turned sterner, “Asterion is no ordinary enemy. He is a hybrid, a force of destruction, a beast who has taken countless lives in his quest for power. I cannot, in good conscience, allow you
Kaliyah's POVDigging my claws into its chest, I ripped through the coarse material like it was paper. I slashed the dummy again and again, letting out my pent-up emotions in the process.I could have easily destroyed it in one go, but I needed it to last longer, to suffer, to endure my strength. My claws slashed through its arms, its legs, and its neck, tearing it apart piece by piece. The material began to fray and shed under my relentless assault, yet it wasn't enough—it needed to endure more.Suddenly, I imagined the dummy as Kovu and Asterion, and my mana flared out of control. I plunged my claws into the dummy's torso and released the energy. My mana burst out like a wave, exploding from my core and tearing the dummy apart. Its pieces flew everywhere like leaves in a storm, but I was still left feeling extremely dissatisfied.“Urghh,” I grunted, looking around the training ground. I needed more, I needed another target, something else to destroy and tear apart, or better yet, a
Kaliyah's POV“Too slow,” Calum sneered, sidestepping my attack with ease and countering with a vicious jab to my ribs. The impact was akin to being struck by a carriage, and I grunted in pain, staggering back and barely managing to keep my footing.Before I could recover and lunge at him again, he was on me. His movements were as fluid as a river as he danced around me, landing blows and dodging my every attempt to counter. It was either he knew exactly what I was going to do before I even did it, or I was just too slow.“Urghh,” I grunted as I tried to channel my mana into a more focused attack, recalling a technique from the previous Kaliyah's memories—an explosive burst of speed combined with a mana-infused claw strike. I launched myself at Calum, trying to execute the technique, but the energy scattered, slipping out of my control like sand through my fingers.I gritted my teeth and landed a punch against Calum's shoulder. To my utmost dismay, it did little more than push him bac
Kovu's POV"What the hell happened to you, Kaliyah?" I leaned against the nearest tree with my arms crossed, watching as Kaliyah picked herself up from the ground. That sparring match with Calum had to be the most shambolic display I had ever seen from her. She had always been a relentless warrior who never backed down from a fight. Heck, she could even give Calum a run for his money on a good day, but today? She was a shadow of that.“Well, well, if it isn't the mighty Kaliyah getting her ass handed to her,” I called out, intentionally mocking her. I wanted to see that fire in her again. I refused to believe that the warrior who had just been one-shotted by Calum was Kaliyah. Impossible—it wasn't her.Kaliyah shot me a glare, and I expected her usual vicious comebacks, but there was nothing. Only silence from her and a flicker of something in her eyes. Defeat? Resignation? I didn't know for sure.“Lost your edge? Or did that near-death experience with Asterion take a bigger toll on y