ALINA I was pacing in my room, my thoughts a tangled mess of confusion and frustration. Even though it was morning, I already felt exhausted. My mind kept racing through everything that had happened since I’d returned—Kai, the baby, the pack, the harem women. It was overwhelming, and I didn’t know how to process it all.A knock at the door pulled me from my thoughts. I froze, my heart skipping a beat. “Who is it?” I called out, my voice tense.“It’s me, Kai,” came his reply from the other side.I sighed heavily, the tension in my chest tightening. The last thing I wanted was to see him right now. “I don’t want to talk to you, Kai,” I said, trying to sound firm.“Please, Alina,” he insisted, his voice softer this time. “Just for a minute.”I hesitated, staring at the door, feeling torn. Part of me wanted to ignore him, to keep the door closed and block him out. But another part of me, a quieter part, was curious. Maybe this would be different. Maybe he’d finally say something I needed
ALINAA lot of time had passed since my heart started to soften towards Kai. Since the day he had brought me the chocolate from my pack, somehow I felt like I could warm up to him. Forgiving him did not seem that bad. He did not buy my forgiveness with a pack of exotic chocolate of course, but I just did not feel the same animosity towards him. The fact that he did that for me made me more happy than I have ever had. No one— except Xavier who cheated on me— showed me kindness like this. Maybe forgiving him was not that bad. He has also been coming to my room all the time to talk. He had brought me a stack of books to read, and I almost screamed with joy when I saw them. I never had access to books back in my pack, only when I was about to clean my father’s library would I sneak and read some pages before he came back. He had never caught me trying to do that, but I did not want to imagine what would have happened if he did. But here, I could be myself. I could read a lot of pages eve
KAI I was outside, giving orders to some of the guards, my mind preoccupied with the ongoing issues at the pack border. It seemed like every day, there was a new problem—rebels, rogue wolves, strange reports that I wasn’t sure whether to believe or not. Everything felt like it was on the verge of falling apart, and I was barely holding it together. It did not help that the lords and elders were still adamant about not collecting any order I gave.They were growing impatient with every day that passed and recently, I had a feeling that they were already planning my assassination. Perhaps they already had someone that they wanted to be in line. I wished I could fire them all, but then that would not be smart because I knew that I was going to need them if I was able to get Alina as my luna. They have seen two generations of the alphas of the Seven Isles. They are the best. I was mid-sentence, telling the head of security about a new patrol schedule, when I caught sight of her. Alina.
ALINA I spent the next few days in my room and the next time I came out to take a walk, I found out that the pack was in complete lockdown, and I was starting to get restless. It was the Seven freaking Isles. It was the most secure place in our entire world, and yet it was having creepy killings. They knew that this could be the work of another werewolf. There was something dark that was brimming with us that we did not know. Since Kai had told me about the killings at the border, I decided it was safer to stay inside so I went back to staying alone in my room, even if it meant I was stuck in my room with nothing to do. Days felt long, and despite the initial comfort I had found in my surroundings, the quiet was beginning to gnaw at me.Kai had also visited me every night. At first, I was hesitant, unsure of what he wanted, but over time, I found myself looking forward to our conversations. He wasn’t the same man I had thought he was. He listened. He asked about my day, about my past
KAI The next few days were a whirlwind of me trying to bypass the elders. They had called for me urgently in the past 24 hours more than five times, and it seemed that it was about time since I went to them. I was tired of our meetings. It only consisted of me telling them the one thing they did not want to hear. After a few more summons today, I decided that I needed to go. They needed to be fucking patient. The tension in the conference room was palpable when I walked in, thickening the air. I sat at the head of the table, staring at the faces of the lords and elders, their expressions a mix of frustration and fear. They seemed to be even more on edge right now. They had sent me a letter that ren more guards had been killed at the borders. I offered my sympathy to the families, but that was not enough. Lily told me that people were talking a lot. “We can’t wait any longer,” Lord Armand said immediately after I sat down on the chair. He did not even wait for me to breathe. “The
ALINA Something felt wrong with Kai. I couldn’t shake the feeling that had settled deep in my chest, the sense that something was off with him. He had been acting strangely for the past few days—distant, distracted, like there was something weighing heavily on his mind. And while he tried to hide it, I could see through him. Normally, I would over think and maybe think that perhaps he was not who he said he was. Maybe he was just putting up an act with me, but then a part of me strongly did not believe that. This morning, I hadn’t seen him at all, which only made the knot in my stomach tighten. I needed to know what was going on, so when one of the maids brought my breakfast, I asked her directly.“Is there something big happening in the pack?” I asked, trying to keep my voice casual, though the anxiety in me was growing.The guard’s eyes widened slightly, like she was not expecting me to speak to her, and she shook her head quickly. “No, ma’am,” she said, her voice tense. “Everyth
ALINAWith the hasty decision I made, I was hoping the day was not going to come soon. I hoped that it would take some more time at least, but that was not the case. The day came as fast even though I was dreading it. On top of all of that, instead of excitement or joy, I was filled with a deep, unsettling sense that something was missing. I stood in front of the mirror, staring at my reflection in the elegant gown I had been fitted for, but I barely recognized the woman looking back at me.This wasn’t how I had imagined my wedding day. When I thought about marriage growing up, it was always about love. I never expected to be standing here, preparing to marry someone because I felt bad for them. And yet, here I was, about to marry Kai. Not because I was madly in love with him, but because I had convinced myself that maybe, just maybe, this was the right thing to do.But deep down, I knew it wasn’t. I could not just marry someone because of that. I wanted to be selfless, but I could no
KAI I felt sick to my core. Guilt clawed at me, heavy and relentless, as I stood in front of the mirror, staring at my reflection. I barely recognized the man looking back at me. The weight of the lie I had told Alina was suffocating, and Nyx’s voice echoed in the back of my mind, a constant reminder that I had gone too far.‘I warned you,’ Nyx growled, his frustration palpable. ‘You shouldn’t have lied. You should’ve been honest with her from the start.’ He had been repeating those words in my head since in the morning that they are starting to feel monotonous. Even when I was busy he was still trying to talk to me. I clenched my fists, trying to block him out even though I knew he was right but I did not need constant reminders of that. I had messed up. In a moment of desperation, I had fabricated the story about Nyx being in pain, using it as an excuse to convince Alina into marrying me. It had seemed like the only way to fix everything, the only way to secure the throne and prot
Four years laterALINA Years had passed, and life in the pack had settled in a way I had never imagined. As I stood in my bakery, gazing out the window and watching children run around, a warm smile played on my lips. It was one of those beautiful, crisp autumn mornings when the sunlight filtered through the trees, casting soft golden shadows across the cobblestones. My heart felt light, a rare but cherished feeling I’d come to treasure over time. My life had felt unreal for the past years. My two children, Kian and Liana, were heading off to school for the first time today. The thought made me emotional, but it also made me proud. Watching them grow up reminded me of just how far we’d come. With a sigh, I turned back to the bakery, smoothing my apron. The smell of freshly baked bread, warm spices, and sweet pastries filled the room. I had opened the bakery and bookshop a few years ago, not long after my children were born. It had quickly become one of the most beloved spots in the
ALINA It was my wedding day, and I was bursting with a mix of excitement and nerves. I sat in front of the mirror, my heart racing as my mother fluffed out the skirt of my dress, her hands gentle. I couldn’t believe this was finally happening. After everything Kai and I had been through, we were here, about to say our vows. It almost felt like a dream that I was going to be woken up from. I was so happy that it felt like there was an end to it. That I was just deluding myself by being happy. I glanced at my mother, her face calm and focused as she adjusted the veil atop my head.“You look beautiful, Alina,” she said, her eyes softening as she took a step back to admire me. Her voice was full of pride, and I could see a shimmer of emotion in her gaze. “You’re radiant.”I took a deep breath, feeling my nerves intensify. “Mom, I’m nervous,” I confessed, fidgeting with the lace on my dress. “What if something goes wrong?”She chuckled softly, placing a comforting hand on my shoulder. “Ev
KAI I did not know how I managed to make the witches come on my side, but I did. I knew that they were crucial in my plan of getting the skin walkers away from my pack, but I did not think they would come around in just one meeting. All of this really happened because of Alina’s mother. If she had not been around, I did not know if I was going to be able to get them but now I did and I was the happiest about it. I felt bad that I tried to sabotage her coming here in the first place. Since time had passed and I saw that there was a visible bad account of her being in the pack, I was grateful. Everyone found out that maybe witches were not that bad after all. We have been told the bad news about them all of the time by our parents, but maybe it was just because they hated them and they were trying to push that hate onto us too. Maybe that was the reason. Or maybe we have not yet seen the bad part of having witches around us, and I hoped that it was not going to happen any time soon.
Chapter 80ALINA The merging of the Seven Isles, the Waterstone Pack, and Blackstone Pack had finally come together smoothly, though it hadn’t been an easy process. Months of strategizing, deliberating, and forging alliances had brought Kai to this moment. It was the best three months of my life. Having my mother and Kai beside me through all of this was something I didn’t even know I deserved.I was so happy for the first time in my life. It felt like I did not even deserve everything that has been going on. The packs were now unified, and as a result, they were stronger against their common enemy—the skin walkers. The witches, with me have strategized the way we are going to kill them. My mother had been a good help. She had a lot of experience so she was helping all of us. She was a great teacher. Kai was glad that I had brought her back to life now, and so are the elders and lords. She had been great help. If she didn’t come back, then we would have all been dead by now. The ski
Chapter 79KAII was panicking. The entire night I spent pacing back and forth, replaying everything that had happened between Alina and me. The way her eyes had looked so hurt when I didn’t defend her, the way she stormed out with her mother—angry and disappointed. And now, she hadn’t come back. I gave her the night, thinking maybe she just needed some space, but when she didn’t return the next morning, panic surged through me.What did I even expect sending her out? Of course she wouldn’t be back trying to beg me to come back in the palace. That wasn’t the type of person she was. And it was all my damn fault. I couldn’t focus on anything else. I had a meeting scheduled with the new elders I appointed at the Black Water Pack, but my mind was elsewhere—on her. Even as I sluggishly got ready, everything felt out of sync. When I finally made my way into the meeting room, I could tell everyone was already waiting, but I couldn’t muster the energy to care. My thoughts were consumed by A
ALINA I couldn’t shake the feeling of betrayal gnawing at my heart as I walked away from the palace with my mother by my side. The sting of Kai’s rejection, the way he hadn’t backed me in front of Aunt Arya weighed heavy on my chest. I’d expected him to stand by me, to protect me like he always had, but instead, he chose fear over love.After all, I did. I risked my mother’s life and mine to save him from the skinwalkers. I was a newbie witch so I possibly could not do all of that. But my mother helped me siphon magic from some of the artifacts that contained magic. She told me that it could kill me, doing that, but I still went ahead to do it because I could not stand Kai getting hurt when there was something I could do about it. How he had driven me out of his house simply because of something he saw, not knowing that my mother was trying to wield back strength after what I went through while killing the white walkers. As we made our way through the winding streets, the evening ai
KAI A day had passed, but the events of yesterday still weighed heavily on my mind. Alina’s mother—brought back from the dead. The skin walkers. The power Alina wielded was undeniable but dangerous. Even with everything going on around me, I could not help but feel like it was all a dream, yet the growing unease I felt was very real. I knew I had to talk to someone about it, and Lily was the only one who could help me make sense of this chaos.When I found her in the meeting room, I didn’t waste any time. “Lily,” I began, running a hand through my hair, “something happened yesterday… something big.”She looked up from her notes, sensing the tension in my voice. “What happened? Is everything okay?”I shook my head, taking a seat across from her. “Alina brought her mother back from the dead using magic. Can you even believe it?”Lily’s eyes widened in disbelief. “What? How? I mean, I know she’s a witch, but… bringing someone back from the dead? That’s ancient, forbidden magic. If not
KAI Alina was gone for a few hours and I was growing more anxious by the second. She had left without a word of where she was going and the longer I searched, the more desperate I became. I took a team of guards with me, scouring the pack and the outskirts of the pack’s border.I had to find her. I couldn’t shake the feeling that something wasn’t right, that something was terribly wrong. The feeling had been there for a while. I knew people wanted to kill her. A lot of them, and the longer she was out the more chances there are that someone that hated her saw her and hurt her. I couldn’t handle the sinking feeling at my stomach. A while after we had searched all the possible places, I decided to go out of the pack with a few guards. I knew it was a death sentence. I was putting my guards and myself in danger, but I needed to find her. I hated that she was the reason I had to do all of this. I hated that she put me in a spot like this, to fight and put myself in impossible situations
KAI I woke up with a heavy weight on my chest, the reality of Alina’s situation pressing down on me. She was in danger, and the whispers in the pack court were growing louder. I couldn’t shake the fear that her name would be dragged through the mud simply because of her association with me. As I prepared for the day, I felt a determination building within me—I needed to clear her name.The next morning, I entered the pack court, and the atmosphere felt charged. Conversations hushed as I walked in, eyes following my every move. I could feel the weight of their judgment. When I took my seat, the court was soon filled with a mix of members, including farmers and lords. The first to speak was a farmer who looked distraught.“My daughter is dead!” he cried, his voice breaking with emotion. “She was taken from us by the skin walkers. We’ve lost too many of our kin. We can’t keep living like this!”My heart ached for him. “I’m sorry for your loss. We will take measures to protect our pack f