Kayla’s POVWithin hours, the field we were in was flooded with the army, the elders, the former alpha, the beta and some generals.Mateo came to see us.“Are you guys okay?” He asked, his eyes fixed on me.“I’m fine,” was all I could muster up.“I knew I told you not to let that man and his daughter into the palace. You refused and let them in. Now look at what he’s done. He’s trying to steal pack secrets.”That was the former alpha. He was pissed about everything that was going on.“Dad, you need to chill out. We got them before anything could get out of hand. You don’t need to get mad about it.” Zach tried to make the case less than it actually was but it backfired.“I don’t need to get mad about my pack being under attack by these people?!” The old man pointed to me. “She isn’t supposed to be here. She’s a mess just like her mother was and now her father is. What kind of family is this? Do we need to kill everyone from her family before they all learn?”“Father!” Zach yelled in an
Kayla’s POVListening to his words gave me a new sense that he actually cared for me and he would do anything but I was still scared. I had been hurt before, I didn’t want to be hurt again.“Let me be your guiding light,” the man went on. “Follow the path of love and come to me. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.” His words struck a chord within me, reminding me of the past and what I had gone through with him. I had overcome countless challenges and obstacles to be with Zach, and I couldn't let fear diminish our love. I took a deep breath, allowing his words to resonate within me."You're right," I replied, my voice filled with newfound determination. "We have faced adversity before, and we have emerged stronger every time. I won't let fear hold me back. I choose to believe in our love and in us."A smile spread across his face, his eyes shining with pride. "That's my girl," he said, his voice filled with admiration. "Now we just need to find out what your father did that for.”As
Zach’s POVThe next day, I headed to the prison to see Kayla’s father who was being beaten by a guard.“What are you doing?” I asked as the guard shrugged.“Your father said I should interrogate him.”“Don’t do that,” I sighed. “I’ll talk to him. He should say something to me without all of this torture.”I leaned in to look into the man’s eyes as he looked at me with a sneer. “Sir, I don’t want us to resort to methods that we would regret later. How about you tell me what I need to know and I’ll be out of your hair in a very short time.”That should do the trick but the man looked away from me. He didn’t seem to get the memo that no one cared about him and they could kill him just as they did his wife if this kept up.Suddenly my father entered with an angry step.“Has he talked yet?” He asked the guard who pointed to me. “Did you release him from his torture? Don’t undermine my authority in this pack. When I say something I expect you to obey it.”“Father!” I yelled in anger. “I’m
Zach’s POVMy tone filled with cruel satisfaction. I didn’t like where this was going but this was the only thing I could do which would get the truth out. "You have learned a valuable lesson today, Ulric."With a swift motion, I reached for a small dagger at my side. The blade glinted in the dim light as I pressed it against his throat. The traitor's eyes widened in terror and resignation, realizing that his fate had been sealed.My grip tightened on the dagger as I leaned closer, my voice dripping with malice. "Remember this moment, Ulric and think about it deeply. Is this how you want to go down? Your daughters are outside and they see you for what you are," I hissed. "Remember the price of your treachery. You should think really deeply before I swipe this through your throat.”The man thought about it and decided to talk.“I’ll say everything.”That got a smile on my lips. With a straight face, I straightened up and started for the door, motioning for the guards to get him to the
Zach’s POVThose words from him were something I didn’t know I would hear anytime soon.“Excuse me?” I asked as the man gulped.“Well, technically I’ve tried stealing it before but it didn’t work smuggling it out so there’s that.”“And when was this?”The man looked at Willow and Kayla before looking at me.“Don’t you remember the woman you beheaded?”“That was Kayla’s mother.”“I had stolen the pack secrets and when your father found out, he got mad and asked for the pack to be on lockdown. That made things difficult to navigate through. So I knew that there was only one thing to do as I was afraid that if the lockdown didn't end I would be caught. It was also during that time that your father sent guards who went from one house to the next, searching for the pack secrets, and that night they were sweeping through each house really fast. So I took it upon myself to save my head. The minute the guards came knocking, I gave them Susan since I was scared that they would take me away.”“
Zach’s POVFelix rose to his feet, his gaze meeting mine. It seemed like he wanted to say something but he was turned and the guards made him leave the throne room, his head held low with the weight of his shame. The room fell into a heavy silence, the echoes of his footsteps fading into the distance.I made my way to Kayla while the man was led out as she turned to me, her eyes filled with tears. "What do we do now?" she asked, her voice trembling.I took her hand in mine, squeezing it gently. "We rebuild," I said, my voice filled with determination. "We learn from this betrayal, and we emerge stronger than ever. Together, we will guide our pack towards a brighter future."“No, you’re talking about you. You’ll rebuild. I’m broken right now. My father is a traitor. He’s a terrible man.”“Hey,” I held her steady. “You should not cry for him. He doesn’t deserve those tears. He’s a terrible man. You should focus on yourself. Focus on our child.”As everyone dispersed, leaving Kayla and
Zach’s POVWillow looked up, her tear-streaked face a mixture of pain and confusion. "I don't know who I am anymore," she whispered, her voice barely audible. "Everything I believed was a lie."Kayla stepped forward, her heart breaking for the woman. "Willow, you are still the same person you've always been," she said, her voice filled with conviction. "Your bloodline does not define you. You are strong, compassionate, and resilient. And I will be here for you, no matter what. And no matter what, we are still sisters."Kayla looked at me, her eyes searching for peace. And in that moment, I knew that our love would be the foundation upon which we would rebuild.“Take him away,” I said to my guards who bowed and dragged the man away from us.He cried but it all fell on deaf ears. He was a monster. He didn’t deserve any pity from any of us.It was during this trying time that Adriana’s mother visited and while she stayed with Kayla, I focused on handling other pack business. Although sh
Kayla’s POVThe woman who was seated beside me saw the protruding bulge of my belly and smiled.“Very soon you will bring life into this world and I can’t wait for what you would call the child.”“What did you want to discus?” I was not about to have a conversation about my family with this woman. She was not person I would trust for that kind of conversation.“It’s about Adriana,” she said. I raised a brow.“What about her?” I scoffed. “Are you here to brag about how she’s having the best marriage and how it’s not on par with my relationship? If that is how it is going to be, please know that I’m not in the mood for it and I’m feeling very cranky today.”“It’s not about that… actually it’s the opposite.” Now she got my attention as I looked at her with narrowed eyes.“What do you mean?”I saw her sniff and try to control her emotions before she started talking.“Adriana is not happy in her relationship with Jackson. She is being abused by the Alina day and night and he doesn’t even c