Kai’s POVI had always prided myself on being in control, on knowing what to do in any situation. But with Katherine, I was out of depth. She wasn’t just any woman; she was my mate, the one person who mattered above all else. The bond between us was undeniable, the only thing that made the burden of leadership bearable. No matter how much I wanted her close to me, it meant nothing against the number of enemies I had. A soft knock on the door broke through my thoughts, but I didn’t need to turn around to know who it was. I had sensed her approach before she even reached the corridor. Claire’s presence was always like a cool breeze, soothing and unmistakable. She entered the room quietly, closing the door behind her with a soft click.“Kai,” she greeted, her voice gentle but tinged with concern. “I could feel your turmoil from the other side of the palace.”“It's nothing; I just have so much to work on,” I said, lying through gritted teeth, but I knew that she could see right through m
Katherine's POVThe message I’d received had been brief and cryptic, but the urgency behind it was undeniable. My instincts screamed at me that something was wrong, that we were in danger. But who could have sent it? My thoughts raced as I navigated the path that led to the palace, my mind trying to piece together the fragments of information I had. Trisha stirred on my shoulders, her tiny hands wrapped around my neck. “Mommy, are you okay?” she asked me as she bounced on my shoulders with each step I took. “Shh, it’s okay, baby. We’re almost there,” I whispered, trying to keep the fear out of my voice. She was so young, so innocent. She didn’t deserve any of this.Soon, the palace gate came into full view, and I was glad at the thoughtfulness of Kai to keep us close to the palace. The guards positioned at the entrance immediately stiffened as I walked towards them, their hands moving to their weapons as they stepped forward to block my path.“Halt! State your business,” one of them
Katherine's POVI glanced over at Claire, who paced the length of the room; her expression set with determination. She had already called for one of the maidens to care for Trisha. I couldn’t shake the feeling of dread that settled in my stomach like a lead weight. Kai and I had not slept all night, even though he had made several attempts to help put me to sleep."Katherine," Claire said, her voice pulling me out of my thoughts. She stopped in front of me, her eyes filled with concern. "We’re doing the right thing. Trisha will be safer here.""I know," I replied, my voice barely above a whisper. "But keeping her here means we have to keep everything a secret—our relationship, her identity. It’s a lot of weight for such small shoulders."Claire nodded, her expression softening. "It’s a risk, yes. But it’s a risk we have to take. Kai can protect her here in ways he couldn’t from a distance."I nodded, knowing she was right. Kai was the Lycan King; his power unmatched that of anyone els
Kai's POVThe wind howled as I drove into Jackson’s territory, the landscape shifting from the lush forests of my kingdom to the stark imposing structures of his pack. The palace loomed ahead, a mix of grandeur and foreboding, surrounded by dark clouds that seemed to match my mood. As I approached the entrance, something caught my eye, vehicles lined up in a way that made my stomach twist. The way they were arranged, and the huddled figures within, suggested something far more sinister than mere transportation. My instincts kicked in, a warning that gnawed at my conscience. I resolved to ask Jackson about it later, or perhaps Azra could discreetly look into it; I trusted her instincts more than my own sometimes.“Unexpected visit,” Jackson said, his voice smooth but strained, as silk pulled too tight. “I wasn’t prepared for company.”“It’s nothing to worry about,” I replied casually, keeping my tone even. “I didn’t come for a long trip. I only came to pick Roma.” I let the words hang
Azra's POVOnce I stepped into the house, I could feel the emotions that the said man had passed through before his death. Whoever killed him had been quite enraged, considering how angrily the body parts were strewn across the room.I took some pictures and looked up to find the horrifying scene where the words that King Kai had mentioned were written in blood. The scene reminded me of my first experience in war; it was with the shadow hunters.The adversity that we could not see. My whole family's problems today began when we all agreed to dedicate our lives to fighting off the shadow hunters, but no one had ever won a battle against the shadow hunters.“What are you doing here?” I heard someone ask, and I turned around, my pistol in the air, ready to shoot.“Elera?” I said, seeing her bloodied body.She got in and saw the scene in front of her, her eyes widening with shock as she let out one of the loudest screams that I had ever heard. The windows and the cup on the table shattere
Kai's POV When Azra informed me of his suspicions using the code word, I was worried. Wondering what he had found. It was to my utter dismay when he informed me about Elera's possible involvement in what was happening. “She doesn't seem stable enough for any question that you might have right now. Something must have happened here. You know Elera; she's not one to be violent, even though she is mean.” Azra said to me as soon as the guards I came with whisked her away. “So you think that she is responsible but didn't intentionally do it as she is not in the right frame of mind?” I asked Azra, just to be sure that she was thinking correctly. “Yes, my king. We all knew that Dexter was a hollow wolf, and all I could find out about him after thorough investigations was the pack he was brought up in, which surprisingly turned out to be Omnidom. He had been a member of that pack but under the leadership of another Alpha. He has lived a lot of lifetimes, and so many people pay for his ser
Katherine's POV I couldn't decide whether to stay in the palace and wait for Roma to arrive or go out and meet Elera. When it came to caring for Tricia, Claire had been the best thing that had ever happened to me. Taking into account how preoccupied I have been with everything that is going on around me."Remain back and provide a warm welcome to Roma. It is due to your request that she has come here. She could have done just fine without the independence, even though she too required it given how long she had managed to thrive on her own. As Claire suggested, I chose to remain behind and greet Roma when she got there.Soon, Tricia was asleep, and the guards informed me that Roma had arrived. I picked up my shawl and ran down the stairs. When I saw Roma, she looked different; there was something about her that told me that she had been through untold hardship in the hands of Alpha Jackson, and my heart went out to her. “Roma!” I screamed and leaped into her arms, both of us staggeri
Katherine's POV The air was filled with anticipation as I looked at the beautiful city, even though things weren't going so well, I was slowly getting back to the life I used to have, amidst the chaos. Roma had arrived. I was happy that she had finally left the life that took so much from her, the same one that had taken so much from me too. The past few weeks have been a whirlwind of fear and discomfort, but she was finally here and I knew that her arrival would bring me some peace. She was waiting for me in the garden and I hurried to get to her so I could finally hug her. When I made the final turn to the garden, she was there. She stood tall, her dark hair rolling down her shoulders. As soon as she saw me, her face softened and a warm smile spread on her lips.“My Katherine,” she yelled out, her voice filled with the warmth of years of friendship. I ran as fast I could to her, ignoring everything else and wrapping my arms around her in a tight embrace. “It’s so good to see you,
Katherine’s POVThe sun hung low in the sky, casting a pale golden light over the training grounds. The last day of my training, and I still hadn’t seen Kai. It had been three days since I last heard from him, three long, agonizing days of silence. Each moment without a word from him gnawed at me, a dull ache that deepened with every passing hour. Where was he? Why hadn’t he come? Even Tricia has been asking of him nonstop, Roma had just been moved down to where we were and she has been the one taking care of Tricia on my behalf. I should’ve been focused on my training, but my thoughts constantly wandered back to Kai. The connection we shared, once so clear, felt distant now. I knew he had his reasons, and his responsibilities, but it didn’t make his absence any easier to bear. Every attempt to channel my inner light, my supposed gift as the Light Seeker, was met with resistance. The power inside me felt muddled, out of reach, like trying to catch water slipping through my fingers.
Kai's POVThe forest surrounding Alpha Jackson’s hideout was eerily quiet as if even the wind was holding its breath. I moved silently, the soft crunch of leaves beneath my boots the only sound. No guards, no patrols, nothing that suggested Jackson was even concerned about being found here. Bold. Or foolish. But Jackson had always been both. It was how we had become acquainted in the first place. I reached the clearing, and there it was: the old stone cottage that Azra had described, hidden deep within my kingdom’s borders. A fitting place for someone trying to hide in plain sight. I couldn’t help but smirk at the audacity of him, slipping into my kingdom without so much as a word of notice. But I wasn’t surprised. As I approached the entrance, the door swung open, and there he stood. Alpha Jackson. He looked the same, nothing had changed about him. “King Kai,” he greeted, his voice smooth and dripping with false humility. “What a pleasant surprise. I didn’t expect a visit from the
Kai's POVThings were beginning to calm down in the low towns, but, even, I could not let the worry go. I knew that the problem was not close to being over yet. I knew that much of the peace was because I had hidden Katherine away. Keeping her out of sight, away from those who might want to use her or, worse, destroy her. She was training privately with Claire, learning how to control her power as the Light Seeker, and it seemed to be working. But how long could I keep her hidden? How long before the world found out who she truly was?The thought weighed heavy on my chest as I made my way to the secluded house where Katherine was training. A part of me wanted to tell her everything, to be fully honest about the dangers swirling around us, but I knew I couldn’t. Not yet. She had enough on her plate without the burden of my fears. The air was crisp as I approached the safe house, the setting sun casting long shadows across the stone path. As I entered, I could feel the soft hum of Kat
"The light is already inside you, Katherine. You just need to let it out." Claire said as a light began to illuminate my chest and formed a circle, shining steadily with its rays shining in the room. My training with Claire had begun privately a few weeks ago. I have been putting my all into learning how to channel my light. I closed my eyes and willed my heart to beat slower as if to slow time. My purpose, My title is the Light Seeker. It had not been easy at first, but here I was doing it. Taking it one day at a time. I was beginning to feel the warmth as it spread through me. And the truth was that I had not felt so good about myself in years. Not until I discovered that.The room around me brightened, the shadows in the corners retreating as the light from within me spread across the space. I felt the same deep within me as everything started to gain clarity.Claire stepped back, a satisfied smile curling on her lips. “You’re getting the hang of it, Katherine. I knew you had it
Kai's POVThe cold steel of the balcony railing bit into my palms as I absorbed the latest news. My mind was a turbulent sea of thoughts and decisions. Every one of my instincts screamed that we were on the brink of something catastrophic. The shadow hunter attack was a stark message, and I could not afford to underestimate the threat.“Azra,” I call out, my voice cutting through the tension of the hospital morning. We had barely slept until we were sure that Roma was in stable condition. He turned to me, his expression taut with concern. “I need you to secure the citadel immediately. No one in or out until further notice.”Azra’s eyes widened slightly, but he nodded without hesitation. “I’ve already taken the liberty of informing the guards. What else do you need, my king?”I took a deep breath, my weak attempt to quell the rising sense of urgency. “We need to find the warlock. If he’s under the shadow hunters' control, he’s a crucial part of their plan. His location could lead us to
Kai's POVThe hospital balcony was usually not the place I would imagine that I was going to be tonight. The events of the last few weeks burdened my mind so heavily that I felt like there was no way out of it. But I could not afford to think like that. I wrapped my clothes tightly around myself as the cold wind blew, even at that, I could feel the heat emanating from my body. Katherine could have been seriously hurt and each day, this crazy person came close to the woman that I loved the most. The thought of what would have happened if anything had gone wrong at the prison was not something that I enjoyed thinking about so I closed my eyes and took in a deep breath to steady my head. Azra ran to the balcony, his face etched with tension. His usual calm demeanor was replaced with urgency, and it immediately set my nerves on edge. I turned to face him, keeping my face as neutral as possible. “What’s going on?” I asked; my voice was sharp and hard. “Why are you here?” I demanded. Hi
Roma's POVThe palace felt eerily silent, like the calm before a storm. My mind raced as I paced the room, glancing nervously at the door. Katherine was still at the hospital, and King Kai had asked us to return. I couldn’t shake the feeling of dread that clung to me like a second skin.Claire sat across from me, serene as ever, her fingers tracing patterns in the air. She always had this way about her, a kind of stillness that made it seem like nothing could ever shake her. But I was different. I wasn’t like Katherine or Claire, who were born with power, forged by destiny. It was just me. And right now, “me” felt helpless."Roma, relax." Claire’s voice broke through my anxious thoughts. She looked up from whatever spell or divination she was working on. "The safest place for us right now is here. In the palace."I frowned, biting my lip as I stared at her. "Are you sure? What if... what if the person hunting Katherine’s friends comes for us too?"Claire came to the window, where I sto
Katherine’s POVThe sterile white light overhead blurred as I blinked my eyes open. I struggled with the blinding lights in the room and I struggled to adjust my sight to it. I opened my eyes slowly and turned my head. Kai was seated with his elbows resting on his knees. His eyes were red and the exhaustion was quite visible. Considering the eyebags under his eyes, it looked like he hadn’t slept at all, and I could feel the weight of his worry pressing down on me, even in silence.I groaned in pain as I tried my best to sit up, but my muscles screamed in protest. Kai noticed instantly, springing to my side before I could adjust the pillow beneath me. His face softened with relief as he leaned down, his voice hoarse from what must’ve been a sleepless night.“my love, how are you feeling?" He asked me.I tried to respond, but the words wouldn’t come. I glanced to the side and saw Tricia, curled up on one of the clinic's chairs. She was asleep, snoring slightly as her chest moved up and
Kai's POVThe hospital hallway felt like it was closing in around me, each second stretched by the uncertainty of what lay behind those doors. I pushed through the waiting room, not caring that I'd been told to stay put. Katherine was in there, and that's all that mattered. "His royal Majesty, wait!" one of the nurses tried to stop me, but I brushed past her, the need to see Katherine overpowering everything.The doctor stepped in my way just as I reached her room. "Your Highness, you need to calm down," he said, his voice steady but strained. "She's stable, but you can't go in just yet. She fainted, and we're trying to""Trying to stabilize her? She fainted?" I repeated, my voice incredulous. "That's not enough. I need to see her." My pulse pounded in my ears. Katherine never fainted. She was strong—too strong for something like this.The doctor's eyes flickered with nervousness. "We're running tests, but it looks like she's just stressed. Shock, perhaps, but she's out of danger."I