ALINAI wanted to leave. Every inch of me screamed to get out of this place, to escape the web of lies and manipulation that had trapped me. But Maria and Nina had told me there was a lockdown in the pack. No one was allowed to leave or enter because of the dangers that had been going on in the pack. Kai had gotten my necklace back. He got it the same day that I asked him to get it for me, and I could not even be thankful to him because he was the reason why I had lost it. Instead whenever I saw him, I was filled with a burning rage.I felt trapped, like a caged animal, and the fact that Kai had orchestrated all of this made my blood boil. Every time he came to my room, trying to talk, trying to explain, I shut him out. It didn’t matter what he had to say. Nothing could undo what he had done. The fact that he thought that he was going to be able to sway me was what stunned me the most. His audacity was alarming. Earlier today, he had come with flowers, of all things, as if that would
ALINA I stood there, stunned, staring at Jaime like he had just suggested something completely absurd. Which, to be honest, he had. Marry him? Out of nowhere? First of all, I did not even know who the hell he was apart from him being Kai’s cousin. The fact that he thought it was safe for him to come and tell me this was making my head spin with confusion. He must be sick in the head. “Excuse me?” I finally managed to say, blinking in disbelief.Jaime smiled, unfazed by my reaction. He still stood his ground, and here I was thinking that he was actually going to laugh it off and say that it was a joke. He was as serious as he could be. “You heard me. Marry me.”I shook my head, trying to wrap my mind around what he was saying. “Why would you want me to marry you?”His expression turned more serious, though that cocky smile still lingered at the corners of his mouth. “Because I need a strong Luna by my side,” he said simply. “And you’re exactly that. You’ve been through a lot, you’re
KAI The next few days were hard. I could barely think straight. The whiskey I had been drowning myself in had done little to numb the pain. It had worked before. Whenever I was in pain and resorted to taking alcohol, it worked like magic to take the pain away. But this time was just too much for alcohol to the magic on. I had tried too many times to drown myself in it, but all I was doing was destroying myself because numbing the pain was not the solution to all of this. Alina wasn’t listening, the council had completely turned their backs on me, and everything I had worked for was falling apart. I felt lost, like I was standing on the edge of a cliff, with no way to pull myself back. Nothing in my life was going well and the worst thing was that there was no one I could blame for this. Whenever I felt the urge to find the root of my problems, all I could do was look at myself in the mirror because I was the root cause of everything. I’d wanted to talk to her, to make her see reaso
KAI I stormed down the hallway, my mind clouded with rage. Every step I took, I could feel my anger building, surging through me like a tidal wave. I was going to go back to my room and lick my wounds, but then I realized that it would be taken pathetic of me. I was not the type to just sit back and watch my whole life crumble and go to shit. I need to do something about it, at least. I had to confront Jaime. He was taking everything—my pack, my future, and now, Alina. When I reached his room, I shoved the door open without knocking. Jaime was sitting at the desk, his blonde hair perfectly styled, and his blue eyes gleaming with amusement when he saw me. That infuriating smirk was plastered across his face like he was enjoying every second of this. We used to be close. There were times when I regarded him as my brother, but I guess he never did and he’d resentment of me because he and his family were exiled from the pack years ago by my father. "Why?" I demanded, my voice shaking wi
ALINA I stared at myself in the mirror, barely recognizing the woman looking back at me. My hair was pulled back, my face carefully made up, and the dress I wore felt heavy with the weight of expectations and decisions I wasn’t even sure I believed in. It was surreal, but here I was, getting ready for a wedding. Again. I almost could not believe this was my life. It was almost as if I was a spectator in it, because I simply could not believe all of this. Two weddings in one month. It almost felt like a sick joke. Like I was watching myself from the third person point. I let out a shaky breath, my gaze drifting down to my stomach. My hands automatically pressed against the slight bulge there, a reminder of the child growing inside me. What would my baby think of me if they knew I had resorted to something so petty? That I was going through with a wedding, not out of love, but out of spite. Out of anger. My heart twisted as I thought about it. I was sure it was not going to affect th
ALINA I had to change out of my wedding dress because my mother in law had sent me another one. Normally, I wouldn’t want to change it but the dress she sent for me was prettier. They had postponed the wedding tonight, so I would get time to adjust to how I wanted to look for the wedding. I smiled when I saw my reflection in the mirror. My dress, a soft ivory silk gown, felt heavy on my body, much like the weight of the decision I was about to make. My hair was pinned up, a delicate tiara nestled in my long black, but it all felt like a façade. It wasn’t the wedding I had ever dreamed of, and the excitement I should have been feeling wasn’t there.I couldn’t help but think about Nina and Maria. I had expected them to come, to maybe offer some words of support, but they hadn’t shown up. And I didn’t blame them. I was breaking their brother’s heart, after all. Of course, they wouldn’t support this. They probably hated me for what I was doing to Kai. Jaime had moved me into a larger, mo
ALINA The wedding was over, but the night wasn’t. An after-party had been arranged, and as much as I wanted to retreat to my room and cry my eyes out for the rest of the night, I forced myself to stay. Jaime insisted on introducing me to everyone, his arm draped possessively around my waist as he guided me from guest to guest. I smiled politely, and nodded at the appropriate moments, but inside, there was a gaping hole in my chest. A void I couldn’t seem to fill, no matter how much I tried to convince myself to want to stay here just for a few hours before everyone retreated back to their beds.We mingled with Jaime’s friends, most of whom I hadn’t met before. They were polite enough, but it was clear they didn’t know what to make of me. I was going to be the new Luna. That came with a lot of respect they were showing me, but I could tell that none of them truly liked me. Like I was never going to belong here with them, as a werewolf while they were all royal lycans. I could see the
KAI I looked down at Jaime, his face bloodied and swollen, barely recognizable beneath the bruises. My fists still ached from the blows, and the adrenaline was making me feel dizzy, but I wasn’t done. I needed to make sure the bastard was still alive. I kicked him in the ribs, hard enough to get a response, but he didn’t move. His body just lay there, limp and unresponsive. The anger that had fueled me moments ago began to fade, replaced by a growing sense of unease. What had I done?I hoped I did not kill him. I sure hated him for everything, but I did not want to kill my cousin. I resented him but that not much that I would be willing to have his blood on my hands. My head spun, the alcohol I’d downed earlier mixing with the guilt, making it hard to think straight. I wanted to go after Alina. I wanted to know how she was, if he had hurt her, but I knew the last person she would want to meet right now was me. I thought of who I could send to meet her. Maybe my sisters, but I neede
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