Chapter 1

Adrian's Pov

I stand in silence as I watch the flames consume Kya's body. The heat from the fire is intense, but it barely registers against the pain and anger that consume me. I can feel my wolf's rage simmering just beneath the surface, ready to burst forth at any moment. But I force it down, knowing that losing control now will only make things worse.

Kya was my mate, my other half, my everything. She was my best friend.

And now she's gone, taken from me in the prime of her life. I can't help but think of all the things we had planned together, all the future that we will never have. The thought of living without her is almost too much to bear. We were supposed to rule together…

But even as the sadness threatens to overwhelm me, the anger is always there, burning like an inferno in my chest. Someone did this to her, someone took her from me, and they will pay for it. I promise her that much.

I watch as the flames begin to die down, leaving behind nothing but ashes. I feel a hand on my shoulder and turn to see my second-in-command, Demitri, looking at me with concern.

"Alpha, we need to talk," he says, his voice low and serious.

I nod, knowing what he's going to say. We need to find out who did this to Kya, and we need to make them pay. I turn away from the pyre, my resolve hardening. Whoever did this will regret the day they crossed me.

"I swear to  you, Kya," I whisper to the wind. "Justice will be served."

  "It was Riverton." Demitri said, his frown deepening just like mine.

Riverton. Our rival pack, Riverton.

  "He sent them?" I asked as I tried to focus my gaze on the landscape in front of me, backing the pyre where Kya's body once laid.

 "Yes, Alpha. Alpha Johan of Riverton pack was the one who sent the bandits to murder Lady Kya."

I could feel it, the rage coursing through my veins again. I could feel the bloodthirst,the strong urge to destroy and to kill that son of a bitch!

Ever since I was a boy, I have heard of Riverton pack being the strongest and main rival of OverCrest, my pack.

Being the first and only son to my father, the then reigning Alpha, I used to be around when he was planning a war or some seige or something against Riverton. We were sworn enemies and peace was never going to be an option.

   "One day, you'll understand that some nations were created to be enemies. They will never be anything other than that, no form of peace can make that change, Adrian."

That was what my father always told me.

When I was coronated as Alpha Adrian OverCrest of the OverCrest pack I still had this lame idea that perhaps father wasn't entirely right. Perhaps peace could reign but that was until he murdered Kya.

By he, I mean Johan Riverton the reigning Alpha of Riverton pack. My father's greatest enemy and now mine.

 "Prepare your men." I said to Demitri when I finally had Kya's ashes in a Urn handed to me. Over here, it is tradition to back the pyre when the ashes are being gathered, like I did until it was put in an urn.

 "Alpha?" Demitri asked, following me closely as we made our way to my waiting carriage.

"Prepare your men, Demitri." I repeated, stepping in and sitting down on the warm and plush leather seats. "I am going to destroy all of Riverton and every member of the Riverton family,I swear." I said, saying the last part as I held on tightly to the urn. Making yet another promise to Kya.

 As the carriage rode on, I sighed deeply as I remembered how excited Kya was for our wedding. We were supposed to get married three days later, after my coronation which was the day I found out we were mates. You see, Kya is a very quiet girl which was one of the reasons I liked her. She had a lovely smile and was already consulting royal tailors and seamstresses on her wedding dress and how she would like it to be.

Sigh. She had been so happy until…

  "Where was she ambushed?" I asked Demitri without looking at him.

  "Border town, between Riverton and OverCrest." He answered.

She had gone to visit a relative in a neighboring and Ally pack and she was ambushed and murdered on the way back..

What angers me more was she didn't deserve this! She was innocent and yet used as a pawn to get to me.

I swear by all I own that Johan will pay for this.