Kairen's POVWe decided to take a walk down to the river where we first met. Hand in hand, we moved over the lush grass underneath the spell of stars. It felt like home, in more ways than one.We finally found a suitable spot and sat down by the river. We watched it move gently for a little while, letting nothing pass between us but air and the calming sound of nature.Todd broke the silence first. “I was always a sick child. Never thought that I would even live to see eighteen years.”I kept quiet, what he had started on his own, it was better to leave him to continue. For him to have started talking to me about this, it definitely meant a lot to him.“My father owns one of the biggest pharmaceuticals in the world. I admire him for working so hard to help mankind battle diseases and infirmities. But I could also see that doing it was sort of an escape for him since he lost my mother.”I leaned my head on his shoulder, feeling a pang of sadness. “I'm sorry.”Todd brushed my cheek with
Kairen's POVDays after our real relationship kickstarter, Todd invited me over to his home so that I could meet his father. I was initially worried because while Todd was aware of my werewolf blood, his father wasn't, and I didn't know how we could even approach such a topic with him. But Todd assured that his father had never mentioned any sort of aversion towards werewolves. To be safe though, I suggested that we shouldn't tell him just yet, until he at least got to know who I was.I stepped into his house, wearing my best formal wear that made me look a little older than I was. I blew out a breath, slightly nervous for what was to come. Meeting his father was a huge step in our relationship, and although it was just a simple meeting with nothing too serious attached, it didn't help me feel any less nervous.Todd's home was beautiful, but had a quiet, empty feel to it. Like it was missing the touch of a person—a mother. It felt too clinical, too organized, for people to be actually
Kairen's POVI came awake almost drowning in my own sweat. My sheets were damp and clung to my skin. I spent about ten minutes just gasping for air, and trying to make sense of what I had seen in that dream.I had no doubt about it now, the person in my dream had been Mom. It had always been her, one way or the other. The green eyes. The long black hair. Her familiar kind voice.But it made little sense why I saw her in Todd's home in my dream. That was the first time that she had shown up at a different location, and I didn't think it was a mere coincidence. She said she had been waiting for me to find her. Waiting. How long had she been there? How was it even possible? How would I be able to confirm the truth in that dream?I had to find out what really happened to Mom. I needed more light to be shed on what happened 18 years ago.With determination, I got out of bed and got ready for the day. The weather had been glomy of recent, so I made sure to put on appropriate clothing so th
Kairen's POV“So there's this . . . gala my dad's company is hosting. I'm supposed to attend—I don't really want to, but he's been talking about it for a while and I wouldn't want to ghost. Would you like to come with me?” Todd asked the next day after I returned to school from my impromptu trip home. We were eating at a small restaurant a little distance away from school. He wanted to talk, and I wanted to eat, so it was a win-win situation.I dropped my fork down to my place daintily and dabbed my lips with a napkin even though it didn't matter. I pretended like I didn't already know what he was talking about, because I didn't need him to start asking questions that would require me to tell him something entirely different from the truth.“I'll come with you.” Even if he hadn't asked me to be his date, I was certain that Dad would have taken me. But it was better this way. Less suspicious.From what Professor Crest told us, Todd's father was likely dealing illegally with werewolves
Kairen's POVAs odd as it seemed, Todd didn't seem to be too disturbed by the fact that I had marked him.He sat up, and released a sigh of relief. “It's like a weight on me has been . . . lifted. I should be in excruciating pain, but I'm not.” His eyes went over his body in calm wonder. The overhead bulb cast shadows over his body, making the scene more memorable.Finally, he turned to me. “How does this whole thing work? Being your mate and all—and wait . . . I'm human. I thought werewolves only ever had werewolf mates?”“That topic deserves a long, in-depth class on werewolf history I'm not ready to dive into yet. But usually, yes. It's not possible for a werewolf to feel the mate bond to a human.”“But I'm . . . “ His voice trailed off as little by little, realization sunk into his features. “But, there's no way I can be a werewolf—”I got ready for the conversation I was about to initiate. “Todd, do you know why I'm really here?”“I'm guessing it's not because I asked you.”“Not
Rayne's POV18 YEARS AGO Nothingness. I floated through a void, not knowing where I was coming from, or where I was headed. Everything and nothing coexisted in this space, and I was the only witness to it.Then, I fell through that void. My body was dropping through the emptiness so fast that I couldn't breathe. Did air even exist here? Or was I simply a spirit wandering the abyss?Everything came to a stop at last, and something underneath me cushioned my fall. But . . . I didn't feel the impact of landing. I just felt something underneath me out of nowhere.Voices came to me through the dark. Wrapping around me and trying to pull back to reality. A part of me wanted to remain in the dark because it was afraid of what the light would hold. I vaguely remembered trying to escape from something terrible, before I was consumed by this empty, wild darkness.“ . . . she's healing already, just like we expected boss.”“Good. She's coming with us.”A distant whirring started, and the thing
Rayne's POV18 YEARS AGOI looked at the doctor, wondering how on earth I managed to fall into his grasp. He had mentioned that I was a Pure Lycanthrope but how did he know that piece of information? Had he perhaps been monitoring me from afar?I asked him this question.“She's dead now. Threw herself out of a bloody window like the insane woman she was. A bad investment. But at least, through her, I was able to find you . . . my real target.” A strange light filled his eyes as he looked at me. “Your blood is far superior to that of the other werewolves I have tested.”Other werewolves? It clicked in my head that I wasn't the first who had probably been subjected to this doctor's cruel experiments. “Other werewolves? Do you mean . . . you have been taking my kind, and using them for your purposes?”“You make it sound like I'm doing something horrible. I am a scientist. Sometimes, hard choices have to be made for.the greater good.”I shook my head. I was done listening to his rubbish.
Kairen's POVThe ‘someone’ I sensed turned out to be the very person I had been running after for so long. The shape of her back was so familiar to me, even if I had only been seeing it in my dreams. A sob rose in my throat. I wanted to run to her and wrap my arms around her; to tell her how much I had missed her, and that I didn't know that it was possible to live for so long knowing that your family was out there in the world, but you couldn't get to them because of a lot of reasons.“Mom . . .” I said, lips trembling. I could smell her warmth, and her motherly love even if she hadn't yet turned around to look at me. Her body was so still, but I could hear the blood rushing in her veins and the heart pumping inside her chest. “Mommy . . .”Her shoulders started to shake. Her head bowed as she placed her hands up to her face. It was like she didn't want me to see her crying, but I didn't care about any of that at all.I pushed aside all inhibitions, and rushed over to her. Before I
Author’s POVYears had passed since the great war that signaled the end of an era for the Mysticrock pack and its allies. That singular moment that had seemed miniscule in the eyes of many ended up being a memorable turning point in the treaty between humans and werewolves all over the world. The scars of the terrible times had healed, though the memories of struggle and loss remained etched in the hearts of those who survived. Life, however, had a way of moving forward, and in the years since Dr. Cedric’s imprisonment, the werewolf community had continued to thrive. Mysticrock pack had expanded even further since Rayne’s rescue of the imprisoned werewolves. Many of them chose to remain in service to her, preferring to stay within reach of the Lycan Queen, than even in their own home packs. The pack now stretched across more miles of dense forest, now basking in the warmth of the afternoon sun. The land had increased in vibrancy, and anyone who saw it wouldn’t have been able to tell
Rayne's POVKaiden.I smiled at the thought of him, my heart swelling with warmth. He had been there all along, quietly watching, waiting, and never pushing. Even when I had been mated to an Alpha, our fates intertwined in ways I hadn’t understood. Kaiden had been my constant, my true north, even when I didn’t realize it. And now, here we were, fated to be together, just as it was always meant to be. Even the years apart did nothing to dampen the flames of our passion. Many times, thinking about him was what kept me moving during the most terrible of days—the hope that eventually, once I got free, I would be back by his side, where I was truly meant to be. The place where I truly belonged.A soft rustle of leaves pulled me from my thoughts, and I opened my eyes to see Sal approaching. Her twin daughters, Ivy and Isla, followed closely behind, their identical faces full of curiosity and energy. Seeing them filled me with a burst of joy, because I could still vividly remember when she a
RAYNE'S POVIt’s strange when I look back at everything now. All that chaos, the pain, the heartbreak—it all seems like a lifetime ago, though it’s only been months since my world changed for the better once again. I sat at the edge of the pack grounds, watching the late afternoon sun stretch its golden light across the treetops. A soft breeze played with the locks of my hair, pushing the strands against my face in a tickling manner. The wind carried the familiar scent of pine and earth, but it also brought memories, tugging at my mind until I could no longer push them aside.Eighteen years. That’s how long I had been trapped, held captive by Dr. Cedric, who cared for nothing else but his own twisted ideals—only what my blood could do for him. I used to wonder how I survived all those years, locked away, forgotten by the world I had once known, and separated from my family. The nights that I had screamed myself to sleep because I couldn’t stand the silence of those human-sized pods o
Kairen's POVI couldn’t help but let out a little surprised laugh as he took my hand and led me away from the crowd. Roman, who was talking to a group of his classmates, momentarily paised to give us a knowing look as we passed, but he didn’t say anything. He simply gave a small wave before turning back to the group of friends he was with. Todd didn’t say much as we walked, his hand warm and steady in mine as we made our way through the campus and out into the surrounding woods. It wasn’t until we reached the all too familiar clearing—the place where we had first crossed paths—that I realized where he was taking me.The memories flooded back the moment we stepped into the familiar space. The trees were just as tall, their branches swaying gently in the wind, and the soft sound of the nearby stream filled the air. It was peaceful here, just like it had been that day so long ago, when our lives had first intertwined. Who would have ever thought that I would have fallen in love with a g
Kairen's POVMonths had passed since the chaos surrounding Dr. Cedric had finally come to a fruitful demise. Life had slowly begun to find its beat once again, though the scars of what we’d been through still lingered in small, subtle ways. The pack had recovered from most of the damage done in those crucial 18 years, the tension, fear and anxiety giving way to a renewed sense of strength and hope. But more than anything, the peace allowed us to move forward—each of us in our own way.Today, we were gathered for something far different than the clashing of claws and roaring. The university campus buzzed with excitement and celebration as students in their robes moved through the courtyard, their faces lit up with the glow of glorious achievement. They were celebrating the years they had gone through the halls of this school, studying to become people of influence in the nearest future. Todd and Roman were among them, their final year completed, and now they were finally graduating. T
Kairen's POVI stood next to Todd, the silence between us heavy with everything left unsaid. His face was drawn, shadows clinging beneath his eyes, and I wondered how much longer he could keep this up—this weight he carried, the war within him.“Todd...” I began, unsure of what to say. What could I say? His father was a monster, and though I had known Dr. Cedric’s cruelty, I couldn’t pretend to understand what it meant to Todd. It wasn’t just about stopping a villain; it was personal, wrapped in all the twisted layers of family, duty, and a lot of shame.He probably didn't feel like he was supposed to be by my side.Todd shook his head, as if to stop me from saying whatever was on my mind. “Don’t, Kairen,” he said softly, his voice hoarse. “Don’t say anything. You don't have to try to make me feel better about this.”I hesitated, but I couldn’t let it go. “It’s not your fault,” I said, my words firmer than I felt. “It's not your fault at all.”His lips twitched, but it was far from a
Kairen's POVThe air I breathed in that evening remained thick with dampness, and the stench of blood and fear still lingered, though the fighting had long since ended. Even though the manor was now pristine and devoid of any evidence of the terrible fight that occurred, the memories still lingered in my brain, and I didn't think that anything would have been able to change that anytime soon. Todd had been quiet for most of the evening, focused on freeing the last of the prisoners trapped in the underground cells beneath the manor. Mom had said that even though she had managed to rescue some of them, she had the feeling that there were more of our kind still stuck in the manor—but she couldn't find out where for some reason.Todd had volunteered to go in search of the other prisoners and I had decided to go along with him for two reasons. One, I actually wanted to get some alone time with him and iron out some loose ends concerning his father's imprisonment. I could tell that he wasn
Kairen's POV“Your mother's healing capabilities is probably the major reason she was kept here,” said Dad. “I suspected that one of you might have inherited her abilities, but I didn't know who would.”By this time, Roman's wound had already healed halfway, and color had started to seep back into his face. He hadn't spoken yet, but the look on his face was one of pure relief.I didn't even know what to feel at that point. I had gone from shocked, to grieved, and back to shocked. All I could do was watch him, knowing fully well that I was completely dumbfounded to say or do anything else until I was sure of what was happening.“I guess Roman took my healing, and you,” Mom turned to me, smiling for the first time since she saw her son's supposedly dead body, “and you took my gift of sight.”“Sight?” I asked quietly, pressing a shaking hand to my chest. “What do you mean by sight?”“It's what we call being able to see beyond the physical. I discovered mine late, but my mom was supposedl
Kairen's POVTo my surprise, Dad only walked over to me and ran his hand through my hair. “My daughter has found a mate. Which I find to be a very wonderful thing. She is an excellent judge of character, so I have no doubt that she wouldn't have picked this young man if she didn't see him as worthy.”The man who had spoken up earlier frowned, his face showing disgust. “You would allow your child to be with the son of the one who had tormented your kind? The one who even kept your own mate away from you?” The man's eyes trembled as he stared at Dad. As long as Dad remained the Lycan King, no one actually had the guts to be disrespectful towards him.“I would allow my child the freedom to choose.”The man sneered. “And that is why we all decided that you weren't the best choice to lead us as a society any longer. The years must have changed you . . . Made you more of a spineless diplomat than the warrior you showed us years ago when you were going after this position.”Dad didn't respo