The memories come back in fragments, pieces of a life that feels worlds away. I can almost smell the pine and wildflowers from the valley where we used to run, the crisp mountain air, the warmth of a life I once knew. This place, this memory—it's the only home I’ve ever known... “Kaida, keep up!” My sister’s voice floats on the breeze, teasing and bright. “Hey, some of us haven't yet had our first shift you know...” I shout back, laughing as I push myself to keep up with her, the Alpha’s heir, as the elders used to call her. Korra Xarano. At 18 she was strong, swift, as if she’d already grown into the leader she was destined to be, next in line to be Alpha It was easy to follow her lead back then, and I loved that she made everything feel safe. I was 2 years younger at the time and I'm glad I didn't grow up in my sister's shadow. Our parents treated us both equally, and my sister even wanted me to be her Beta, the two of us ruling the Xarano Pack side by side...The two of us were
I am choked by fear and disbelief before a guttural shriek leaves my mouth.“MOM!! DAD!!!" I scream and soon as Korra hears that, she comes to a stop and drops me onto the ground, her body trembling with fear and anger as she glances back in the direction our parents have been killed..."Kaida... you have to run okay... someone needs to lead the attack now that Mom and Dad..." Her voice trembles, tears streaming down her face as she holds onto mine, her grey eyes meeting mine."N-no... don't leave me, please... I won't survive without you..." I breathe out, sobbing as I hold onto my sister, desperate for her not to leave."You will, you are stronger. Much much stronger than you know. the blood of Alphas runs through you, that and much more..." She tells me before she hugs me tightly, crying quietly just as she steps back and away from me."Run! Until you're off the territory don't stop until you are somewhere safe." She orders me and for some reason, I can feel the authority in her vo
He emerges from the shadows, his steps slow, measured. Like a predator that's already decided I'm his prey. He is pitch black, his fur shining under the moonlight, his blue eyes, gleaming like a cold fire, lock onto mine, and for the first time in a long time, I feel something cold slide down my spine. But I don't flinch. Instead, I meet his gaze, my breath steady despite the fire raging in my chest.He says nothing at first. Just watching, sizing me up. That's when he decides to shift right in front of me, revealing a man standing tall, with cream-white skin as compared to my tanned, caramel one... His hair is dark, as dark as it was in his Wolf form and his features are sharp and defined, He is naked, baring his large, muscular body before me, and I try my best not to look at his manhood, my eyebrows rising for a moment before I look away, trying to ignore ... large it is...I eventually look back at him, finding him putting on a bare of trousers, his skin glistening as he tilts his
I wake up to darkness, my head pounding like someone’s taken a hammer to it.For a moment, I don’t move, don’t breathe. I keep my eyes closed and feel out my surroundings the way I always do when I wake up in a new place. I’m cold. My hands are stiff, my body sore. The stone beneath me feels rough and unwelcoming. My senses come online slowly, piecing together the details like a puzzle, but it’s a twisted version of the place I grew up—a place that would never feel like home.The scent of blood and sweat fills my nose. My blood. My shoulder aches where the wolf’s claws tore into it, but it’s not bleeding anymore. My wounds aren’t healing completely either, which means I must’ve only been out for three or four hours. Someone kept me alive, kept me chained here, and for what?I open my eyes, and the world swims into focus. Stone walls. Thick iron bars. A cage. No.I push myself up onto my knees, ignoring the pain, and look around. It’s a small cell, barely big enough to stand in. The on
I have absolutely no concept of time in this damn cell. It could be midday or late afternoon for all I know and the tiny window close to the ceiling isn't helping to provide enough light to help me decipher what time of the day it is.I've probably been here almost 18 hours, almost a full day. Just great. My mind travels back to the day before and how I even got myself into this mess.I had just left my previous settlement, being on the move for a few days around this new region. Usually, I had studied the maps of different packs, territories and areas around me so I knew where almost everything was. "No man's land" is typically where I would find myself. These are areas not owned by any packs but instead were heavily populated by humans. I could live amongst them, hiding as one of them and usually I would be successful.I would live in small spaces, one-bedroomed houses, homeless shelters, did whatever work, how dangerous, and even stole money just to get around, just to keep myself m
The three lug-heads continue to carry me through a narrow dark hallway, filled with cells just like the one I was in. Except all the rest of them are empty... I'm guessing they don't really keep prisoners for long..."Where are you taking me?!" I scream at them as I continue to fight them but I'm afraid to say I've been weakened by the silver, so I am unfortunately not at my full strength.They carry me towards a staircase, ignoring all my commotion. Finally, we reach the top of the steps and the blonde man opens the door right at the top of the staircase. Light floods into the tunnel, momentarily blinding me and making me squint my eyes at the sensitivity.I then feel them finally let me go, my feet hitting solid ground, wrenching my arm from their grip and ignoring the soreness that ripples through my shoulders from being dragged.Finally, I adjust to the lighting and see that we are in the forest and it appears to be the afternoon, just like I had predicted."Don't try anything stu
As soon as the men are gone, it's just me and him in the room, a heaviness filling my chest as he watches me. He doesn't say anything to me at all, instead, he continues to watch me, analyze me, every detail of me. A frown suddenly appears on my face as I try to decipher what could be going in through that sick head of his, and when I've finally had enough of the silence, I decide to speak up. "What the hell do you want with me?" I demand, breaking the silence. I've had enough of this—enough of their glares, their questions, their assumption that I owe them anything. "Speak, damn it." He raises an eyebrow, clearly unimpressed. "Be silent." The command is cold, like ice water down my spine, but I hold my ground. I then watch him as he slowly walks around his desk and approaches me. "You're a rogue, clearly..." he continues, as if I'm not even worth the effort of conversation. "But there's something about your scent... something different from all the rest..." he tells me and that'
Octavius and I stare at each other for a moment, silence stretching between us, thick as a winter fog. I feel his grip tightening on my forearms, his fingers digging into my skin just enough to remind me who's in control here, just as I gasp and squint my eyes at him. I refuse to break eye contact, my breathing slightly heavy and my gaze defiant as I look up at him, daring him to try me. I won't give him an inch, not now, not ever.After a moment, his gaze drifts down, his expression shifting slightly as he studies my hands. He lifts them up just enough for the light to hit, and I can see the faint frown that tugs at the corner of his mouth. "Looks like it hurts..." he murmurs, his tone low as he examines the burns on my skin, his thumbs brushing close to the angry, raw marks. Something almost like concern flashes across his face...That's when I jerk my hands back, yanking them out of his grip, and take a step away from him, anger flaring hot in my chest. "Don't touch me." I snarl,
The room is quiet except for the faint crackle of the fireplace in the corner. I lean against the desk, my arms crossed, my mind swirling with everything that’s happened. Octavius stands by the window, his broad shoulders stiff, his gaze fixed on something far in the distance. The pack meeting is starting soon, but Octavius thought it best that we keep aware from everyone a while at least before the chaos erupts again. I look over at him and I can immediately tell he’s deep in thought, the lines on his face sharper than usual.“The pack…” I begin hesitantly, breaking the silence. “They’re tense, like they’re holding their breath. Everyone knows what's at stake...” Octavius doesn’t turn right away. His fingers tap lightly on the window frame before he exhales, his shoulders slumping slightly. “Yes,” he says finally, his voice low. “They all know, what Lucien did...” I watch him carefully, and I take this opportunity to ask him... “Octavius... can you tell me what happened that day
“I don’t want to be a Lycan,” Is the next thing I blurt out, the confession tumbling from my lips before I can stop it. Octavius pauses as he looks at me, slowly letting go of my face but still he remains standing close to me.His brow furrows slightly, keeping his eyes on me “Why?” he asks, his tone soft, lacking judgement and at the sound of that, I know it is safe to tell him what I am feeling."Because it’s not who I am..." I say, my voice shaking. "I don’t want to be from an ancient royal bloodline... I don't want an even bigger target on my back than I already do..."I continue, shaking my head just as I take a step away from him for a moment, finding myself suddenly overwhelmed from being this close to him.I don't know much about Lycans. Except that, that nothing good will come from me being a Lycan. Lycans are considered the purest form of a werewolf, primal, ancient and undiluted with the blood of humans... If I became a Lycan, I don't know if I would be myself anymore... and
The forest stretches out ahead on me, my gaze focused on nothing in front of me, instead, all I can do is allow my thoughts to run rampant, collapsing over eah other as I try to figure out what to do now with all this new information. The late afternoon air is warm against my skin, and a sudden breeze passes through me. I need a moment alone, away from everyone, everything... just for a few minutes, just so I can figure out what the hell I am going to do.I begin to hear the sounds of footsteps crunching behind me, soft and cautious and before I can even turn around, I immediately sense his presence, his powerful scent suddenly filling the air and causing a stir of emotions within me."This is insane... this is all so fucking insane..." Is the first thing tht comes out of my mouth, just as I slowly turn around to face him. Octavius' worried eyes meet mine as he walks towards me, a slow exhale leaving his lips as he watches me, but he doesn't yet say anything..."All of this, it's just
Miyuki watches him as he paces, his golden eyes clouded with turmoil, and her chest tightens. She’s seen wolves fall apart before; under pressure, under grief... but there’s something about seeing Cole like this, someone who has carried himself with such confidence when they first met, that makes it hit harder. Her instincts scream at her to step in, to do something, anything, to help him. But what could she possibly say to a man whose entire world has just been turned upside down?“Cole, try to calm down,” she says softly, her voice much more stable than she feels. She takes a small step toward him, unsure if she’s even doing the right thing, and it makes him react almost immediately.“How?” he snaps, whirling to face her, his voice cracking with emotion. “How am I supposed to calm down, Miyuki? I worked for the man who killed my family. Who slaughtered my entire pack!” He raises his arm up, pointing it to nothing in particular, as if to signify Lucien is out there, exhaling sharply
For a moment, the world seems to stop.Cole’s eyes snap to hers, wide and unblinking, and for the first time, she sees the cracks in his cocky façade. The smirk is gone, replaced by something raw and vulnerable, something that cuts deeper than she expected. She finds her heart thumping in her chest, anxiety and guilt filling her body... she didn't expect to feel this bad after telling him the truth...“What?” he says, his voice barely audible, bringing her attention back to the present. A small frown slowly forms on his face and his gaze focuses on her.Miyuki hesitates, her chest tightening as she tries to find the right words to say, the best way to say them...“I’m sorry,” Is the first thing she can muster, her voice quiet and steady despite the storm brewing inside her, taking a few careful steps toward Cole. “But it was him. He ordered it...”Cole doesn’t move, doesn’t speak. He just stares at her, his golden eyes searching hers for any hint of a lie. When he finds none, his sho
Miyuki doesn’t trust Cole.She’s not entirely sure if it’s because of his overly casual demeanour, the sly way he talks, or the fact that his golden eyes seem to linger on her longer than necessary. The way they analyse her, taking in every one of her features... It sends warning bells in her mind, and leaves her unable to think clearly. The question is why, especially for someone she just met... an enemy for that matter. Whatever it is, it irritates her to no end.She remains alone in the room with Cole after everyone has left, her heart suddenly racing as she keeps her eyes on him. She keeps her arms forward as she stares back at him, watching as he takes a few curious steps towards her.The faintest smirk plays on his lips when he notices her walking toward him, and Miyuki feels her irritation spike. She squares her shoulders, forcing her steps to remain steady and controlled, though she can feel her wolf stirring in the back of her mind.Cole watches her approach, his golden eyes
“Lucien has your sister, Korra,” Cole finally says, and for some reason, a weird sense of relief washes over me. It's the moment I realise he has actually been truthful in everything he's been explaining.I remain still as I look back at him, keeping my arms crossed as I frown at him, taking in his words. Those around the room who had not yet heard the news, all turn to look at me, their expressions filled with shock and surprise.As I remain silent, Cole steps forward cautiously, his golden eyes locking with mine. “It’s not just that,” he continues. “The reason your pack was massacred… it wasn’t random. Lucien believed your pack was hiding Lycans. He believed that you, your parents, and your sister were Lycans...” He explains further and the room falls into an eerie silence as everyone’s eyes shift between Cole and me. Finally, I am able to break my gaze from him and instead turn to the person standing next to me.Octavius’s gaze meets mine, his expression hard yet somehow gentle at
I can’t keep still. Every second feels like torture as I try to get a grip on reality, my racing mind. Thoughts and scenarios collapse over each other. Thoughts of my sister, she has been all this time, how she's been living, how she's being kept, what has Lucien been doing to her...The idea that she is even still alive churns inside me, a volatile mix of hope and dread, causing my heart to thump at an abnormal rate as I struggle to contain my anxiety. Victor’s words haunt me, playing on repeat in my mind, and the necklace he pointed out feels like it’s burning against my chest...Is she really alive? Could he be telling the truth?My fingers twitch at my sides as we walk through the hallways of the packhouse. Octavius strides ahead of me, his steps purposeful and focused as he leads us forward. Samson and Miyuki flank him, their faces calm but focused as they both remain silent. Lucas is behind us, ever the carefree one, though even he seems more serious now.I follow, my gaze shift
“As much as I want justice, and revenge for how they destroyed my family, I want things to be done the right way... I don’t want any lives unnecessarily lost. We have to be careful. We don’t have to play the way they do, where countless innocents die. And that’s what will happen if we rush into this.” He answers me quietly, opening his eyes to finally look at me, his voice calm again as he stares back at me.His words hit me like a wave, and for a moment, the fight drains out of me. I look at him, really look at him, and I see the weight he’s been carrying—the same weight I feel crushing my own chest...“Please,” he says, his voice soft as he looks at me, and listening to him ask me, makes my heart flip, creating a softness in my that I never even knew existed... “I’m asking you to trust me on this. And I promise you, Victor and Lucien will get what they deserve...”I stare at him, my mind racing. His words make sense, but my emotions are too raw, too overwhelming to process it all ri