Kael's POV I hadn’t realized my mouth had parted in disbelief until the cold air hit the back of my throat.Garrick—my head enforcer—wanted to step down?The silence that followed was deafening. Hood stared at him as though he’d just declared he’d grown wings, while I stared at him as though he had just asked for one of my kidneys. For a man like Garrick, who held his position with the ferocity of a lion and the pride of a born warrior, stepping down was unthinkable. And yet, here we were.I’d be lying if I said I didn’t have an inkling as to why.It had to be Lyria, the omega girl.She’d bested him. Humiliated him, if we’re going by the whispers that refused to die down. But even then, to resign over a single defeat? It stung more than it should. Especially because it wasn’t just a defeat. It was a mystery that hadn’t been unraveled yet.No ordinary omega could do what she did. Not even close.As I opened my mouth to speak, Hood beat me to it—his voice laced with that unmistakable e
Lyria's POV The moment I caught the scent of the Alpha King dragging nearer, heavier with each stride, I instantly froze and pressed my eyelids shut. Feigning sleep had become my newest art—one I had perfected just to avoid looking at that cold, unforgiving face. The same man who’d ordered my death… and yet, days ago, had saved me from another.Even now, the memory of that moment clung to me like thorns in my throat.One second I was staring death in the face, the spear inches from piercing my heart, and the next, he was there, saving me from the hands of another enemy as if trying to make me choose him instead as my favourite enemy.I’d been stunned… confused. I couldn't fathom why a king who hated me—who wanted nothing more than to see me dead—intervene? But as the silence of the dungeon days ticked by, the answer slowly took shape like smoke curling into something solid. He didn’t save me out of mercy. Or guilt. No. He saved me because he had questions. And he wanted answers ab
Lyria's POVIvy’s brows furrowed the moment she saw my downcast face. Her voice stumbled softly into the silence between us. “Did I… say something wrong?”I blinked, clearing the sudden haze in my eyes. “No,” I murmured. “You didn’t.”She exhaled sharply, pressing a hand to her chest like she had been holding her breath the whole time. “Oh thank the Moon. I thought I messed up—”“It’s just…” I cut in gently, my voice heavier than I expected. “You triggered a memory.”Her smile faltered, her eyes suddenly soft with concern. “A sad one?” she asked cautiously, then quickly added, “You don’t have to share, not if it still hurts.”I hesitated, but then gave a small shake of my head. “It’s fine. I think… maybe I should.”Ivy sat quietly, her fingers resting lightly on the tray she had brought in, eyes locked on me as I drew in a breath that trembled.“There was an event one night,” I began, my voice low and distant as though pulling the words from a fog. “I was young—too young to even remem
Lyria's POVHood stood at the entrance of the cell, his towering frame casting a long, heavy shadow that reached all the way to where Ivy and I sat. His arms were crossed over his chest, the muscles in them taut, straining beneath the fabric of his shirt as he glared down at us with a face that could rival stone."What is going on here?"His voice boomed with authority, deep and unmistakably commanding. My heart skipped a beat, and the warmth Ivy had wrapped around me just moments ago vanished in a blink. I stared at him, words caught somewhere between my throat and my trembling lips, unsure of what to say or how much to say.But Ivy—bless her impulsive little soul—jumped in faster than lightning. “Beta Hood!” she greeted with a bright, honeyed voice that somehow sounded completely unfazed by the cold tension in the air. She even flashed him a radiant smile like she’d just seen an old friend walk in, not a furious Beta.I blinked in disbelief.And then something happened—something tha
Kael's POVI stayed back in my office surrounded by the mess of parchment, ink, and stacks of reports that demanded my attention. The flickering lanterns cast long, restless shadows on the walls, and though the room was dead quiet, my thoughts were anything but quiet. The silence wasn’t comforting tonight—it gnawed at me, amplified the growing unrest in my chest.Each alpha from the surrounding packs had a scheduled audience with Hood every six moons on my command. It was a tradition, one designed for efficiency. Hood would gather their concerns, discuss matters of security, resources, territory boundaries, and anything else worth raising. In theory, I was supposed to be deeply involved in all of it. After all, I wasn’t just any alpha—I was king. The King of Werewolves.But kings didn’t always have the luxury of being omnipresent. And for someone like me, who had enough on his plate with Iceclaw alone, delegation was survival. Hood understood the burden better than anyone. Loyal. Eff
Kael's POVThe cell stretched long and silent, eerily so for a place that was never meant to sleep. My boots echoed sharply against the stone tiles as I moved closer to Lyria.She lay still on the floor, curled slightly on her side like she was just resting. My heart still kicked against my ribs at the sight of her unmoving form. Panic clawed its way up my throat, but I shoved it down—along with the unfamiliar feeling of dread that rushed through me when I saw that she was alive.My eyes were able to catch the soft rise and fall of her chest now. She was breathing. My jaw clenched hard, and yet I didn't understand why relief hit me so violently that I almost staggered. What was this damn feeling?I wasn’t supposed to care.I should’ve been furious. And I was—my face stayed carved in fury, a mask I knew too well how to wear. My hands balled into fists as I took another step forward.“Lyria!” I barked.But she didn’t stir. “What a deep sleeper she is,” I scoffed. Then I stamped my foot
Kael's POVThe moment Hood said those words—“I did it, Kael”—the entire room stilled. Even the wind outside seemed to hush, as though nature itself paused to absorb his confession.I turned my eyes slowly to Garrick, whose face had twisted into something like righteous indignation. He didn't need to say a word. That look—piercing, demanding—spoke volumes. He wanted an apology.As if I could really say sorry. He should’ve known better. I was many things—Alpha, King, warrior—but a man who handed out apologies wasn’t one of them. Not even when I was wrong. Especially not when my pride hadn't decided it was wrong.But even if I’d been inclined to mutter an apology—and I wasn’t—I had no time for that now. My gaze remained fixed on Hood, the confession still echoing through my mind.“You’re going to explain that,” I said, voice low and sharp.Hood didn’t flinch. And his calm was infuriating. “I used one stone to kill two birds,” he said simply.My fingers curled slowly into a fist. “Elucid
Lyria's POV The more I thought of what happened last night, the more tangled my thoughts became, like a vine twisting tightly around my ribs. It made breathing feel like a task. Nothing made sense. Nothing added up.The lifeless guard, sprawled on the cold stone floor. The blood. The blade. The silence.I had no idea who had sent that guard in the first place. Was he meant to kill me? Intimidate me? Was he one of the King’s pawns—or a rebel trying to get close? And then... who had killed him?Given how fresh the blood of that guard was, the King, Kael, must have arrived just moments after he was killed . His fury was unmistakable, yes, but not once did he punish me—not yet. He had questioned me relentlessly instead, demanding to know what happened. That alone told me something important.He didn’t know. Which meant he didn’t send the guard.Which also meant... he hadn’t killed him.But then who did?It made me question everything as my thoughts kept spiraling. I again thought of how
Kael’s POVI was done for. I knew it. The very moment my willpower began to crumble and my wolf clawed his way to the surface with an urgency I hadn’t felt in years—I knew I was cooked. Completely and utterly doomed.There was no logic left in me. No reasoning. No command. I wasn’t thinking anymore, only reacting.One moment I was frozen in place, the next I was lunging forward, propelled by something far greater than me. A pull so strong it felt cosmic. Lyria made a startled sound and staggered back, her chains clinking, halting her motion. She couldn’t escape. She didn’t even try to scream. She just stared at me with those eyes—those damn haunting eyes that seemed to see every broken shard in me.In the blink of an eye, I covered the little gap between us. The only little preamble was me brushing my lips against hers. The moment she parted those lips for me whether against her will or not, my tongue swept against her in a passionate kiss. This wasn't a kiss I could call gentle, tes
Kael's POV The stone floors of the palace echoed under my boots as I marched through the hallway like a storm gathering strength. Rage churned in my chest, pulsing with each step. Every servant who saw me ducked out of my way, sensing the fury that licked around me like fire. My destination was clear—Lyria’s cell.But right now, all I could think of was Hood. What in the hell had he been thinking?My jaw clenched so hard I heard a faint crack in my own ears. Hood had no right. No permission. I hadn’t told him to let her out. I hadn’t even thought of it, not after everything. What if she’d escaped? What if she’d disappeared without a trace, leaving behind only questions and the sting of betrayal?I spotted him just ahead, leaning near the corridor that led to the cells. He straightened the moment he saw me, but there was something off about him—his usually neat appearance was frayed around the edges, like he’d just come out of a whirlwind. Hair disheveled. Shirt slightly rumpled. But
Kael's POV The wind howled through the ancient trees of Aetherwood, their gnarled limbs swaying like devout worshippers paying homage to a silent god—only this time, I imagined they were paying homage to me. A twisted honor for a cursed king. The rustling leaves murmured secrets I couldn’t decipher, and high above, birds cried out into the soft dusk like children calling for answers no one was willing to give.Everything felt… normal.Too normal.And that was the cruelest part.Because inside me, nothing was normal. My chest felt like it was caving in from a pressure I couldn’t explain. The deeper I breathed, the tighter my ribs felt, like the air itself was turning against me.I found a moss-covered boulder at the base of a silver-barked tree and collapsed onto it, my elbows resting on my knees, hands rubbing over my tired face.So I was going to die.That much had been made clear. If I didn’t find something—some answer, some act, some truth—I would wither like the weakling son of a
Lyria's POVI closed my eyes, regretting my action when I heard Mira's sharp voice, “come out, Lyria.”But I couldn't wonder for long how she knew that I was under this bed. Apart from the fact that she has little knowledge of ancient magic, even my gasp the other time could have given me away. As if that could change anything, I held my breath and remained still under the bed. Suddenly, the blanket that stopped halfway down the bed lifted and I winced as light fully flooded the underside of Mira's bed. Then her face appeared upside down, eyes narrowed suspiciously, but her lips quirked with amusement.“Lyria,” she said flatly this time, “Come out.”Slowly, I scooted out from beneath the bed like a guilty fox caught in the henhouse. I sat back on my heels, brushing dust from my arms. Mira stood with crossed arms, her long dark braid swaying as she stared down at me.“I—I wasn’t doing anything,” I stammered, trying to summon a smile. “Okay, that’s a lie. I was trying to surprise you
Lyria's POVThe cold bite of the shackles had etched themselves into my memory—into my skin. I had lived with the weight of those chains for weeks, their iron taste almost mingling with the air I breathed. Yet here I stood, my wrists free, my ankles unburdened. I looked at my hands, slightly trembling, and then down at my feet. No more chains.For a moment, I just stood there, motionless, not even daring to believe it. Like a pup just learning to walk, I cautiously took one step forward. Then another, The clink of metal didn’t follow me this time. No pull. No resistance. Just silence—and the soft pad of my own bare feet on the cold stone floor.I turned to Hood, still in disbelief. Ivy was hugging him again, and to my amazement, this brooding warrior actually smiled. A rare, genuine one.“I’m only doing this for you, Ivy,” he murmured, barely audible. His words made her grin from ear to ear.He glanced at me once and added, “You can walk around the palace for a while. Garrick isn’t a
Lyria's POV The more I thought of what happened last night, the more tangled my thoughts became, like a vine twisting tightly around my ribs. It made breathing feel like a task. Nothing made sense. Nothing added up.The lifeless guard, sprawled on the cold stone floor. The blood. The blade. The silence.I had no idea who had sent that guard in the first place. Was he meant to kill me? Intimidate me? Was he one of the King’s pawns—or a rebel trying to get close? And then... who had killed him?Given how fresh the blood of that guard was, the King, Kael, must have arrived just moments after he was killed . His fury was unmistakable, yes, but not once did he punish me—not yet. He had questioned me relentlessly instead, demanding to know what happened. That alone told me something important.He didn’t know. Which meant he didn’t send the guard.Which also meant... he hadn’t killed him.But then who did?It made me question everything as my thoughts kept spiraling. I again thought of how
Kael's POVThe moment Hood said those words—“I did it, Kael”—the entire room stilled. Even the wind outside seemed to hush, as though nature itself paused to absorb his confession.I turned my eyes slowly to Garrick, whose face had twisted into something like righteous indignation. He didn't need to say a word. That look—piercing, demanding—spoke volumes. He wanted an apology.As if I could really say sorry. He should’ve known better. I was many things—Alpha, King, warrior—but a man who handed out apologies wasn’t one of them. Not even when I was wrong. Especially not when my pride hadn't decided it was wrong.But even if I’d been inclined to mutter an apology—and I wasn’t—I had no time for that now. My gaze remained fixed on Hood, the confession still echoing through my mind.“You’re going to explain that,” I said, voice low and sharp.Hood didn’t flinch. And his calm was infuriating. “I used one stone to kill two birds,” he said simply.My fingers curled slowly into a fist. “Elucid
Kael's POVThe cell stretched long and silent, eerily so for a place that was never meant to sleep. My boots echoed sharply against the stone tiles as I moved closer to Lyria.She lay still on the floor, curled slightly on her side like she was just resting. My heart still kicked against my ribs at the sight of her unmoving form. Panic clawed its way up my throat, but I shoved it down—along with the unfamiliar feeling of dread that rushed through me when I saw that she was alive.My eyes were able to catch the soft rise and fall of her chest now. She was breathing. My jaw clenched hard, and yet I didn't understand why relief hit me so violently that I almost staggered. What was this damn feeling?I wasn’t supposed to care.I should’ve been furious. And I was—my face stayed carved in fury, a mask I knew too well how to wear. My hands balled into fists as I took another step forward.“Lyria!” I barked.But she didn’t stir. “What a deep sleeper she is,” I scoffed. Then I stamped my foot
Kael's POVI stayed back in my office surrounded by the mess of parchment, ink, and stacks of reports that demanded my attention. The flickering lanterns cast long, restless shadows on the walls, and though the room was dead quiet, my thoughts were anything but quiet. The silence wasn’t comforting tonight—it gnawed at me, amplified the growing unrest in my chest.Each alpha from the surrounding packs had a scheduled audience with Hood every six moons on my command. It was a tradition, one designed for efficiency. Hood would gather their concerns, discuss matters of security, resources, territory boundaries, and anything else worth raising. In theory, I was supposed to be deeply involved in all of it. After all, I wasn’t just any alpha—I was king. The King of Werewolves.But kings didn’t always have the luxury of being omnipresent. And for someone like me, who had enough on his plate with Iceclaw alone, delegation was survival. Hood understood the burden better than anyone. Loyal. Eff