KAEL.“Was she sad when I was in a coma?”“She was miserable.” Landon glanced at me and gave me a weak smile before turning his attention back to the road. “Her eyes were always puffy by morning, so I knew she was crying herself to sleep. But she would still do her duties, running the household and making decisions for the pack. She lost weight. The colors in her eyes were gone. She would smile, but not the same smile she carried before. She kept her agony to herself, but she made sure the surroundings looked happy. She added more flowers around the house and your room so when you wake up, the house wouldn’t look dull.”The flowers that Miranda said were Desiree’s doing. This was, of course, a lie, as since Adessa left, the house had never had any fresh flowers around. “And you know what’s funny? She would dress up every day in blue because that’s your favorite color. She wanted to look pleasant in your eyes once you wake up.”“And I told her to fuck off when I did,” I mumbled under m
MIRANDA. I was supposed to be at my friend’s housewarming party, but I had to cut short my presence because my incompetent mate failed his task again. Dexter had only one job—to eliminate Kael before he realized who was running the show in his life—but he couldn’t do it perfectly. I was getting frustrated.He was supposed to eliminate Kael and Landon in the accident that took Kael's memory. For some reason, Landon didn’t drive Kael that day, and poor Onald became the victim. But Kael survived. Again.This was not the first time Dexter staged an accident for him. Dexter also attempted to set fire to one of the warehouses he and Kael visited. Kael was in the middle of the warehouse and was far from the exits when the fire broke out, but someone noticed it right away before it reached an explosion. No one was harmed, and Kael didn’t get even a scratch.Today, again, he failed.Dexter made sure he had an excuse to stay behind and let Landon drive them to their deaths, but like a cat wit
DELTA LANDON.“Adessa is in danger.” Alpha Kael said, and I wanted to jump out of my seat. What the fuck happened to his statement: “I can’t trust anyone at the moment?” I wanted to laugh, but the seriousness on the Alpha’s face made me swallow my chuckle. I had no idea what he planned to do, as he didn’t tell me anything, but I guess I just had to wait and see. “What do you mean Adessa is in danger?” Dexter asked. “Where is she?”“I thought she left.” Desiree butted in, her arms crossed against her chest. “Did she accidentally trip on her own feet and land face down on the ground full of shattered glass so she looks so awful that she became a danger to herself?”“Enough, Desire…” Miranda cut her off, and Desiree just rolled her eyes before letting out a huff.Miranda then turned her attention to the Alpha. “Where is she? And why is she in danger?” She sounded so concerned that I wanted to laugh again.If anyone here didn’t like Luna Adessa, Miranda would be the first on the line.
MIRANDA. I couldn’t believe Kael’s revelation!How on earth did he find Adessa? And why did Alpha Draco not call me to inform me that Adessa had escaped him?I was not sure if Adessa knew or met Alpha Draco when she was kidnapped or if she was able to run away before she realized where she would be taken. So I had to be careful, as she might have told Kael about him. Even if I wanted to confront Alpha Draco, I knew I shouldn’t do it, as Kael might be watching him closely if Adessa dropped his name. This was getting messier! Everything was spiraling out of my control. If Dexter had driven with him to Bayson City instead of planning the failed car accident, then he could have known where he had taken Adessa. But he was stupid to think the car accident timing should be today.Aah!I was fuming mad, and even if Dexter wanted a word with me after we left Kael’s office, I pushed him away as I thought Landon would come out of the office and might realize we were talking or had gone off som
KAEL.After my conversation with Landon, I asked him to drive me to the center. I bought a new phone and called Rasmus. It took three transfers before I was finally able to catch him. "Holy shit! Is that you? Damn, Kael, I thought you're already dead." He began as soon as our lines connected. I chuckled. "What do you mean?""I haven't heard from you for a long time. The last time I called you, Dexter said you went out hunting. I called three times that day, and you were still out hunting. I called a week later and was given the same reason." He snickered.It must have been during the time I was in a coma. I wondered why they didn't tell my closest family about my condition. "I didn't know hunting has been your new favorite pastime." He continued. "I thought no one can beat fucking, especially when you have a Luna...""I need help." I cut him off. As much as I wanted to joke around with Rasmus, I had no more energy today. Not when I had many things in my head."Should I feel hurt?
KAEL.“I don’t know. I can’t remember anything about her, but…” I paused.“But?” she asked.“But I crave her.” I didn’t know why I let those words slip out. I couldn’t even admit that to myself, but for some reason, it flew out of my tongue as if it were the general truth. Desiree’s chest heaved as her nose flared.In just two steps, she was in front of me. Her hand flew and landed on my cheek. She slapped me hard, and it sting. But it didn’t break anything within me. It didn’t rattle my senses, unlike when we were younger, whenever she was fuming mad at me. So I knew this was the end of us.I didn’t want to hurt her, but I also didn’t want to shower her with words she would rather hear. “Shame on you, Kael! Adessa tricked you into marrying her once, and she’s doing it all over again! And you’re just letting her! Who knows, maybe the danger she's in is just a game she's playing to get your attention!" She stopped to take a deep breath, but then she continued. “Oh, how I wish she was
ADESSA.It had been a week since I got here, more than two weeks since I left Kael, but the sickening feeling of someone watching me all the time had never faded. Being grabbed in a place I considered home and safe was traumatizing, and ending up killing two people was a never-ending nightmare I was still trying to get away from.Most nights, I would wake up sweaty and shaking as they invaded my sleep. The men I killed would crawl up from the ground and reach for me with their bloody hands. I had no idea what I feared most lately: being found by Alpha Draco’s men or dying from my nightmares.Why did it all come to this? All because I let Kael into my life. I didn’t see anything wrong with loving him. And whatever I did as his Luna was all done with a good heart. I never took advantage of my position nor talked down to anyone like how Miranda had always made it seem. Miranda. I wished I could tell people how badly she treated me. But of course, no one would believe me. She was the s
ADESSA.“Kael…” I had no idea how I was able to speak as my throat felt dry.I felt like I would collapse—tired from all the running and shocked upon seeing him before me. Was I imagining things? But the warmth of the hands that went up to my arms and began rubbing them was real. I could feel him. “Did you sell me to Draco?” I asked him in a hoarse voice. I could say many other things, but I wanted to know if I was right that I was feeling relieved to see him. That he wasn’t the person behind the mess I was in.“What? Why would you think that?” He asked back, but before I could respond, he was already cursing. “Fuck!”My body was abruptly turned around, and I ended with my back slammed against the cold, rough wall. Kael pressed his body against mine with his hand resting on the wall beside my face and our foreheads touching each other’s. My eyes grew wider when I realized the position we were in. He was hovering over me, covering almost my whole body, and if you were looking from
KAEL.“I need a quick nap. I haven’t had a good sleep these past few days.” Draco said as he slumped his body under a big oak tree. I wouldn’t believe him if I couldn’t see his face clearly. He did look tired, and bags were under his eyes. This game, or just being here, was certainly tiring him.“We’ll stop for only an hour. We need to move further than the rest.” Prince Vaidas told him.“Who the fuck are you to decide all the time?” Draco sneered at him before closing his eyes. “Don’t forget you’re on this team because of me.”“The hell I care about what team I belong to. I’m not anyone’s puppet.”“I didn’t say you were!” The prince growled. “But resting is not an option until we can secure a long distance from them!”“Unless you fucking know the route of the whole forest, there’s no telling if we are far from them or not. Who knows? We may just be going around in circles only and end up in front of them by the time they are ready to look for us.” Draco told him.That was the same
ADESSA.“The first team: Prince Vaidas. Alpha Kael and Alpha Draco… The second team: Alpha Leon, with…” The Game Master’s voice faded because my mind got stuck with Vaidas, Draco, and Kael on the same team. I was worried the first two would gang up with Kael, and that was not right. But before I could voice my concern to anyone who would dare to listen, Esriel leaned closer and whispered. “Relax. It’s better that he’s on the same team as them.”“Do you know the next challenge?” I asked him. He nodded. “It’s the task Esaias was asked to manage, but since that fraud prince was not really thrilled by this game, he asked me to help him.”I bit my bottom lip, suppressing myself from smiling because he called him a fraud prince. But he was right. The youngest of them certainly had no interest in this game, as our father often scolded him because he never listened during discussions. “Each team needs to protect their treasures within 48 hours, which the challenger needs to steal. The ste
KAEL.I was not bothered about nakedness, but I knew Adessa would be, as I would never want her to be naked in front of many other men. However, I had no option but to move forward, wearing only my shoes. “Can I share my clothes with my Alpha?” Landon asked one of the men watching us.One shook his head in reply before speaking. “Whatever he has with him are the things he would take to the next challenge, so no, you can’t share anything.”“What do you mean, next challenge? Is it immediately after this or tomorrow?” I asked as I tied my shoelace.“After this. Wait for more instructions.” He said this before turning his attention away from us, signaling that this conversation was over. I looked at Landon and found him looking at the other Alphas around us, particularly Draco and his Beta, Roman. Roman was handing him his dagger. I hissed lowly. I left mine at the manor. I thought Draco wanted to help me, but it didn’t seem to be the case. If he really wanted to, he should have told
ADESSA.“Relax, you looked constipated,” Esriel whispered as he sipped his wine, and I couldn’t stop myself from squinting my eyes at him.I felt betrayed. Aside from the fact that I had no idea what Kael had picked up from underwater, as the cameras were too far, it bothered me that he was the only one who arrived at the riverbank with his full clothes on while the rest were naked. And seeing that after the challenge, the rest of the Alphas were putting their clothes on while my husband remained naked with only his shoes on was pissing me off. “What’s the first clue?” I tilted my head to the right to ask the King politely, even if I was internally furious. “I don’t know.” He replied, and I didn’t want to believe him. Earlier, on our way here, I was able to corner Esriel and ask him where he got the clue. He said Father told him out of nowhere. So I wondered why he didn’t want to admit to me he knew what it was. “Esmond is the one assigned to the clues for this task,” Father added
KAEL.As soon as I received my signal, I dove into the waters. I was fifth to the last, and I could only hope there was still something left for me to take. Aside from the fact that I only had limited time to get to the other side, knowing Draco and Prince Vaidas picked the first and second spots was not helping my confidence.I had already swum almost a hundred meters, but I still couldn’t see any gemstones.I saw a gold coin—something ordinary humans or shifters had no access to—but I doubted Adessa would ever consider money or gold a treasure. But what if it wasn’t her who chose these treasures?But still, I ignored it and swam past it. I also chanced upon a bronze goblet. It took me a while to decide whether it was something related to what we used for breakfast. It certainly looked like the cup we shared earlier, but I was sure this task was prepared even before breakfast, so I swam past it as well. I went to the surface to breathe before diving back in, and after a while, I fin
KAEL.Fuck! Fuck!There were more clues, for sure, not just the one given by Adessa.They were still outside, and I could see them taking off their boxers or briefs. Some already had nothing under their pants. From the expression on their faces, I knew they were celebrating because I was still fucking fully clothed. Only my Beta bore a different expression—he looked defeated, just as I felt. But there was no time to feel sorry. I tried to raise the window beside me, but it was locked. My gaze went to the driver, and I saw his window was open. I hastily grabbed my shoes off my feet and slipped my hand between our seats, throwing my shoes outside.“Hey, you can’t do that!” The driver snarled at me, and I just raised my hands up in surrender as I sat back. He abruptly nodded his head, like he was apologizing, and dropped his gaze. He probably realized I ranked higher than him. I breathed heavily as I waited for someone to throw my shoes back in, but it looked like no one from the outs
DANIELLE.I was helping them dress up Princess Adessa for the first night of the game, but I couldn’t focus. I couldn’t stop thinking about the prince. Prince Esriel left the breakfast hall and only returned when the princess was done eating, just to pick her up. He didn’t even glance at me and was nowhere during dinner. Earlier, before we headed to the breakfast manor, while the guards were helping the princess into the car, he whispered to me that he would not sit with my lady and Alpha Kael and that we could eat together. I didn’t reply as he had moved away before I could say anything, but I didn’t object, so I was baffled when he left the dining hall and didn’t come back.I was glad Beta Landon was there, so I didn’t have to eat alone. Not that eating alone was ever a problem, but I did hope Esriel would join me, so it would have been more devastating if I had expected that and ended up being alone. “Someone’s at the door.” Miss Mariel said, and it snapped me back to the present
KAEL.“Look who’s back?” Alpha Randolf exclaimed the moment we entered the main receiving room of our home manor. We just came back from breakfast, and since I heard movements in this area, I nudged Landon to head this way. I nodded at them and inserted my hands into my pockets. “Why are you all gathered here? Are we being summoned?” I asked, my eyes shifting to everyone. “The first clue was given while you were away.” Prince Vaidas spoke without glancing at me. He was busy carefully running his thumb along the edge of his dagger.“And what is it?” I asked. I didn’t like this. Why was it given while I was away?“Why would I tell you?” Alpha Randolf scoffed, then glanced at the others who were looking at us. “Or I should say, why would we tell you? While you ate breakfast looking at the beautiful princess, we ate looking at each other’s fucking face. Not an appetizing sight. So I guess it’s only fair you go blindly to the first task.”Most of them chuckled at his words, and those wh
ADESSA.“Can you move his chair to my right?” I asked. “My lady, the instruction was to have both of you sit at the ends of the table.” The main server, a soft-spoken older man, replied.“I understand that. But I am also instructing you to move his chair nearer. I cannot, for the life of me, speak loudly. I don’t want to shout just to keep a conversation going.” I smiled bashfully at him. “Yes, of course, my lady.” He then instructed his companion to comply. I was glad he didn’t question my request anymore. Kael smiled broadly as he took his seat on the right side of the table, and soon, they proceeded to serve us. I glanced at Danielle and saw her sitting at a round table with Landon. My brother was nowhere in sight.“Where is Prince Esriel?” I asked the main server. “He stepped out, but he left four guards by the door and instructed them that no one is allowed to go in and out, including you, my lady.”“I see…” I didn’t ask anymore. Once they left us. Kael reached for my hand, a