Kael’s POV“Rightful heir?”I repeated the words, letting them echo in my mind like a drumbeat I couldn’t silence. They didn’t just linger, they haunted me.Does that mean… my mother wasn’t my father’s first mate?Or what is he trying to say?Then who is?The thought gnawed at me, sharp as a blade, refusing to loosen its grip. Every time I thought I could move past it, it circled back, digging deeper.“You’re not welcome here.”His voice, Alpha Lucien, my father’s, still rang in my head, cold and final. Like steel slamming shut.I clenched my fists.He wanted me gone. Out of his territory, out of his path, out of his plans. But I wasn’t going anywhere. Not until I uncovered everything.The truth. And who the rightful heir is.And her, my mate. The girl who called to my blood and had been mindlinking me. The mate I tracked through miles of snow, through shifting winds, through sleepless nights filled with her scent and presence in my dreams. The one who made my wolf stir in his cage
Kael’s POV“What is that?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.My mind drifted to the photo I found in the bathroom on the second day after returning to my father’s pack, and to what Gracie had said. I quickly dismissed the thought. I’m an adult; I can handle things myself without her help.“Use your tracking ability to find your mate today,” my mother said, her voice echoing softly in the stillness.“I’ve been trying to track her, but I’m unable to find her,” I replied, frustration seeping into my tone.“I’ve noticed someone… but that can’t be,” I continued, shaking my head. “I heard my father say she’s his mate. And I know the Moon Goddess wouldn’t mate me to my father’s mate. So I ignored her.”The thought of mind linking suddenly crossed my mind.“Mum, you know I don’t have the ability to mindlink,” I said, looking at her ethereal form.“Yes, I know,” she responded calmly.“But since I got to this pack, someone has been mindlinking me,” I said, my voice tinged with worry.“T
Aria’s POVMy heart sank as I watched him leave my old room without a word.What had come over him?I knew what we just shared shouldn’t have happened, not like that.It was rushed, wild, and raw, but I understood that we both couldn’t control ourselves. Still, what I didn’t understand was why he’d left so abruptly. Why didn’t he say anything?I stood up from the bed slowly, my body sore, trembling slightly from everything we’d just done. I picked up my dress and slid it back on, my fingers brushing over the soft fabric as my gaze drifted to the bed, the blood-stained sheets.The blood of my virginity.My heart twisted painfully. I grabbed a cloth, wet it lightly, and began wiping it away, every movement delicate, like I was erasing more than just a stain.“Be rest assured,” Freya, my wolf, finally spoke after a long silence. Her voice was calm but laced with a strange vulnerability, one we rarely shared.I knew she felt what I felt; shame, confusion, something unspoken.We both felt
Kael’s POVI didn’t know why my wolf shifted so violently the moment I saw her mark. But I knew one thing: I had to get out of that room, very fast.I barely remembered pulling my clothes on. Barely remembered shutting the door behind me.All I could remember was the look in her eyes.Hurt. Confused, and Betrayed.I had no right to stay.No right to even breathe the same air as her.I tried to calm myself as I walked, forcing my breathing to steady, but inside, a war raged out of control.How could the Moon Goddess be this cruel?How could she bind me to her?To the girl my father had already claimed?She was too young to carry scars like that.Too innocent to be caught between monsters like us.And yet here I was.Her mate.Her mistake.The night air cut cold against my burning skin as I stalked through the streets. People passed me, stealing glances, whispering behind cupped hands.“Alpha Lucien’s son.”“Since when does he have a son?”“Isn’t he supposed to be dead?”Their voices b
Aria’s POV Everything around me felt cold. Numbness spread through my body, seeping into my veins like a poison. My vision blurred, and the deep chill that settled inside my chest wrapped itself around my heart, making each breath a struggle. I didn’t know if I could keep going, if I even wanted to. The world felt as though it were closing in on me. The words I had just heard echoed mercilessly in my head: “My wolf needs energy.” I felt robbed all over again, as if my life had been drained of all its meaning, and now I was nothing but an empty shell. First, my mother had died because of Alpha Lucien. She had been taken from me, not by the cruelty of a rogue, but by the sword that was meant for him. Then, my stepfather, his father had forcefully marked me, claiming me as his mate, an act that twisted my existence into something unrecognizable. And now… now his son had taken my virginity and reduced it to nothing more than fuel for his wolf’s strength. The realization was suffocat
Kael’s POVThe steady beeping of machines pierced the silence, echoing inside my skull like a distant alarm. A sharp spark tore through my brain, jolting me into consciousness. My eyelids fluttered open, straining against the sterile white lights above. The air was cold and smelled like antiseptic; clinical, lifeless.I was alone on the hospital bed.I tried lifting my arm. It felt like I was trying to move a boulder. Heavy. Numb. A thin IV line ran into the back of my hand, dripping rhythmically into my veins. Pain surged through my skull, sharp and unforgiving, wrapping around my head like a vise.“Ahhh…” I groaned, my voice hoarse and dry. I raised my free hand to my head and felt the bulk of thick bandages pressing against my fingertips. The throbbing beneath them was relentless.“What… the hell?”My voice barely sounded like my own. I scanned the unfamiliar room, panic swelling in my chest.Why am I here?I squeezed my eyes shut, forcing my mind to remember, but each attempt was
Aria’s POVMoonlight poured in through the cracked window of my tiny room, painting the walls silver.Morning already? My heart sank.I threw off the thin blanket, grabbed my towel, and rushed into the bathroom, shivering as cold water hit my skin.“Oh God…” I said under my breath.“I’m already late.”Today was my stepfather’s Pack Mating Ceremony, and I was supposed to be at the hall early, helping the other omegas clean and set up. But here I was, just now getting dressed.I dashed out of the bathroom, still dripping, and flung open my wooden wardrobe. Its doors were barely hanging on, termites long since making a meal of it. I grabbed the only dress that could possibly pass for the day. It had a small hole in the back.Whatever. No one would care. No one ever did.Just as I was pulling it over my head, the door to my room slammed open.“Orphan!”His voice struck like a whip.Alpha King Lucien Thorn, my stepfather.“What the hell are you still doing in here?”“I—I’m so—” I stammered
Aria’s POVMy mind raced. My body froze as I saw him standing in front of me, his face twisted into a smirk. His eyes gleamed with a predatory light, and that smile… it made my skin crawl.Why is he smiling?He’s mated to his stepdaughter.The daughter of his late wife.“You are my new mate,” Alpha Lucien’s said “Ah!” The sound tore from my throat and a raw cry of disbelief. My mouth dropped open, wide in shock.But I wasn’t even of age to be mated. This… this wasn’t supposed to happen.The hall, once filled with murmurs and shifting feet, now felt suffocatingly silent or maybe it was just me. Everything sounded distant, like I’d slipped underwater. My heart pounded like a war drum, but my feet refused to move. Tears slid down my cheeks before I could stop them; hot, bitter, shameful.What have I done to deserve this?To be mated at eighteen… to my cruel stepfather?This… this was a taboo.In a blink, his wolf surged to the surface. Without warning, his fangs sank into my neck, shar
Kael’s POVThe steady beeping of machines pierced the silence, echoing inside my skull like a distant alarm. A sharp spark tore through my brain, jolting me into consciousness. My eyelids fluttered open, straining against the sterile white lights above. The air was cold and smelled like antiseptic; clinical, lifeless.I was alone on the hospital bed.I tried lifting my arm. It felt like I was trying to move a boulder. Heavy. Numb. A thin IV line ran into the back of my hand, dripping rhythmically into my veins. Pain surged through my skull, sharp and unforgiving, wrapping around my head like a vise.“Ahhh…” I groaned, my voice hoarse and dry. I raised my free hand to my head and felt the bulk of thick bandages pressing against my fingertips. The throbbing beneath them was relentless.“What… the hell?”My voice barely sounded like my own. I scanned the unfamiliar room, panic swelling in my chest.Why am I here?I squeezed my eyes shut, forcing my mind to remember, but each attempt was
Aria’s POV Everything around me felt cold. Numbness spread through my body, seeping into my veins like a poison. My vision blurred, and the deep chill that settled inside my chest wrapped itself around my heart, making each breath a struggle. I didn’t know if I could keep going, if I even wanted to. The world felt as though it were closing in on me. The words I had just heard echoed mercilessly in my head: “My wolf needs energy.” I felt robbed all over again, as if my life had been drained of all its meaning, and now I was nothing but an empty shell. First, my mother had died because of Alpha Lucien. She had been taken from me, not by the cruelty of a rogue, but by the sword that was meant for him. Then, my stepfather, his father had forcefully marked me, claiming me as his mate, an act that twisted my existence into something unrecognizable. And now… now his son had taken my virginity and reduced it to nothing more than fuel for his wolf’s strength. The realization was suffocat
Kael’s POVI didn’t know why my wolf shifted so violently the moment I saw her mark. But I knew one thing: I had to get out of that room, very fast.I barely remembered pulling my clothes on. Barely remembered shutting the door behind me.All I could remember was the look in her eyes.Hurt. Confused, and Betrayed.I had no right to stay.No right to even breathe the same air as her.I tried to calm myself as I walked, forcing my breathing to steady, but inside, a war raged out of control.How could the Moon Goddess be this cruel?How could she bind me to her?To the girl my father had already claimed?She was too young to carry scars like that.Too innocent to be caught between monsters like us.And yet here I was.Her mate.Her mistake.The night air cut cold against my burning skin as I stalked through the streets. People passed me, stealing glances, whispering behind cupped hands.“Alpha Lucien’s son.”“Since when does he have a son?”“Isn’t he supposed to be dead?”Their voices b
Aria’s POVMy heart sank as I watched him leave my old room without a word.What had come over him?I knew what we just shared shouldn’t have happened, not like that.It was rushed, wild, and raw, but I understood that we both couldn’t control ourselves. Still, what I didn’t understand was why he’d left so abruptly. Why didn’t he say anything?I stood up from the bed slowly, my body sore, trembling slightly from everything we’d just done. I picked up my dress and slid it back on, my fingers brushing over the soft fabric as my gaze drifted to the bed, the blood-stained sheets.The blood of my virginity.My heart twisted painfully. I grabbed a cloth, wet it lightly, and began wiping it away, every movement delicate, like I was erasing more than just a stain.“Be rest assured,” Freya, my wolf, finally spoke after a long silence. Her voice was calm but laced with a strange vulnerability, one we rarely shared.I knew she felt what I felt; shame, confusion, something unspoken.We both felt
Kael’s POV“What is that?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.My mind drifted to the photo I found in the bathroom on the second day after returning to my father’s pack, and to what Gracie had said. I quickly dismissed the thought. I’m an adult; I can handle things myself without her help.“Use your tracking ability to find your mate today,” my mother said, her voice echoing softly in the stillness.“I’ve been trying to track her, but I’m unable to find her,” I replied, frustration seeping into my tone.“I’ve noticed someone… but that can’t be,” I continued, shaking my head. “I heard my father say she’s his mate. And I know the Moon Goddess wouldn’t mate me to my father’s mate. So I ignored her.”The thought of mind linking suddenly crossed my mind.“Mum, you know I don’t have the ability to mindlink,” I said, looking at her ethereal form.“Yes, I know,” she responded calmly.“But since I got to this pack, someone has been mindlinking me,” I said, my voice tinged with worry.“T
Kael’s POV“Rightful heir?”I repeated the words, letting them echo in my mind like a drumbeat I couldn’t silence. They didn’t just linger, they haunted me.Does that mean… my mother wasn’t my father’s first mate?Or what is he trying to say?Then who is?The thought gnawed at me, sharp as a blade, refusing to loosen its grip. Every time I thought I could move past it, it circled back, digging deeper.“You’re not welcome here.”His voice, Alpha Lucien, my father’s, still rang in my head, cold and final. Like steel slamming shut.I clenched my fists.He wanted me gone. Out of his territory, out of his path, out of his plans. But I wasn’t going anywhere. Not until I uncovered everything.The truth. And who the rightful heir is.And her, my mate. The girl who called to my blood and had been mindlinking me. The mate I tracked through miles of snow, through shifting winds, through sleepless nights filled with her scent and presence in my dreams. The one who made my wolf stir in his cage
Aria’s POVNow that the truth has been revealed to me, that Alpha Lucien, my stepfather, isn’t my mate, but his son is, I don’t even know how to breathe.How am I supposed to handle this?How do I pretend nothing has changed when everything has?I stared at the mark on my shoulder. Still fresh. Still stinging. I might be young, but I know enough that when your mate marks you, something shifts inside. The bond pulls at you, tightens around your soul, and makes you feel things you never asked for.And it’s true. I’ve felt it. I feel it every time I breathe.But who the hell wants to admit she’s mated to theman her mother trusted until her dying breath?A soft knock echoed on the door, breaking through the storm in my head.I didn’t move at first. My heart slammed against my chest, panicked. There was only one person who ever knocked on my door or come to my door.Alpha Lucien.If he was here to finish what he started, I was done. If he was here to tear into me with his words, I’d take
Kael’s POV“This is my first time witnessing your transformation,” Alpha Lucien said, stepping away from the door and striding toward me.His voice was calm, but there was something unreadable in his eyes which was somehow calculating and cold. “Y-yes,” I stammered, still shaken by the interruption , tracking and the mindlink I’d just felt seconds before.He was right. This was the first time he’d seen me shift. And honestly? He didn’t know the half of what I was capable of. My gifts. My instincts. My inability to mindlink like normal wolves.He knew nothing. Not really.“Why are you back?” he asked, voice devoid of warmth.The question hit me like a punch to the gut.I had expected it, yes, but maybe with a hint of concern. A welcome. A Son, you’ve been gone for years. Are you alright?But of course, this was Lucien. My father. The king.Not a man built for tenderness.“I-I…” My voice trembled. The words caught in my throat.What could I even say?That I’d come back to take what was
Kael’s POVI sat at the corner of my bed, the morning light streaming softly into the room. Everything looked calm,but my mind was anything but.I kept replaying last night.The way she ran the moment our eyes met.Why?Was it fear? Shock? Recognition?And that voice, someone had mindlinked me, crying for help. Soft. Desperate. Familiar in a way that disturbed me.“Could it have been her?” I muttered.Then quickly shook my head. “No. It can’t be.”She’s my father’s mate. That’s the end of it. Period.But the thoughts wouldn’t stop circling. Something about her felt… off. Too off to ignore.I remembered asking one of my father’s guards to tell him I wanted to speak with him. The man nodded but never came back. Hours passed. Silence.Then I wandered the halls, hoping to clear my head. That’s when I found her. In the kitchen. Alone. Whispering. Eating.She was calling out to someone, maybe herself, maybe not. I froze in the doorway, hidden by shadows, watching the way her lips moved and