K A I D AThe air feels heavier than usual as I walk back to my room, exhaustion tugging at every inch of me. The events of the day replay in my mind like an endless loop—the battle, the chaos, Lilith’s power, and Victor’s escape. My body aches, but my mind is worse, spiralling with questions and uncertainties.All I want is to collapse onto my bed, even if sleep feels like a distant dream at this point. But when I push open the door, I stop dead in my tracks.Two pack members are inside my room, rummaging through my things. One is folding my clothes into neat piles while the other packs my books into a crate. My wolf stirs uneasily, her growl low and cautious.“What the hell is going on here?” I demand, my voice sharp as I glance between the two intruders.Both wolves freeze like deer caught in headlights, their eyes snapping at me. One of them—a younger male with sandy hair—clears his throat awkwardly. “Luna Kaida,” he begins hesitantly, “Alpha Octavius instructed us to—”“To pack m
I wake with a start, the morning light streaming through the windows of Octavius’s room. For a moment, I don’t recognize where I am. Till I do. The warmth of the sheets, Octavius’ powerful scent, the soft hum of the packhouse—it’s all so foreign…Then it hits me.Last night. The battle. Victor. Lilith. The chaos that left our pack battered and bloodied.And then Octavius, insisting I move into his room.I sit up slowly, the sheets slipping off my shoulders, and glance around. The bed is massive, far too large for one person, and yet it felt oddly comforting last night. But now, it feels empty, cold even, without him here… Where is he?I reach out through the mindlink. “Octavius?”There’s a brief pause before his voice filters through, calm but clipped. “I’m outside. I didn’t want to wake you. Take your time coming down.”His words are gentle, but I can sense the weight in them, the tension that hasn’t eased since the attack.I swing my legs over the side of the bed and stand, stretch
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
I wake with a start, the morning light streaming through the windows of Octavius’s room. For a moment, I don’t recognize where I am. Till I do. The warmth of the sheets, Octavius’ powerful scent, the soft hum of the packhouse—it’s all so foreign…Then it hits me.Last night. The battle. Victor. Lilith. The chaos that left our pack battered and bloodied.And then Octavius, insisting I move into his room.I sit up slowly, the sheets slipping off my shoulders, and glance around. The bed is massive, far too large for one person, and yet it felt oddly comforting last night. But now, it feels empty, cold even, without him here… Where is he?I reach out through the mindlink. “Octavius?”There’s a brief pause before his voice filters through, calm but clipped. “I’m outside. I didn’t want to wake you. Take your time coming down.”His words are gentle, but I can sense the weight in them, the tension that hasn’t eased since the attack.I swing my legs over the side of the bed and stand, stretch
K A I D AThe air feels heavier than usual as I walk back to my room, exhaustion tugging at every inch of me. The events of the day replay in my mind like an endless loop—the battle, the chaos, Lilith’s power, and Victor’s escape. My body aches, but my mind is worse, spiralling with questions and uncertainties.All I want is to collapse onto my bed, even if sleep feels like a distant dream at this point. But when I push open the door, I stop dead in my tracks.Two pack members are inside my room, rummaging through my things. One is folding my clothes into neat piles while the other packs my books into a crate. My wolf stirs uneasily, her growl low and cautious.“What the hell is going on here?” I demand, my voice sharp as I glance between the two intruders.Both wolves freeze like deer caught in headlights, their eyes snapping at me. One of them—a younger male with sandy hair—clears his throat awkwardly. “Luna Kaida,” he begins hesitantly, “Alpha Octavius instructed us to—”“To pack m
K A I D AThe aftermath of the battle is like stepping into a nightmare. The ground is littered with debris, splintered wood, broken weapons, blood staining the ground in dark patches. Wolves, both in human form and not, are scattered everywhere. Some are limping, others clutching wounds as pack members do their best to help them. But the silence is the worst part. That suffocating, heavy silence that follows chaos…Ten people. Ten of our own, gone.I stand frozen, my eyes darting over the scene, my wolf whimpering inside me at the sight of the carnage. My gaze flicks to a pair of warriors carrying a lifeless body toward the infirmary, and my throat tightens.They were alive only minutes ago. Fighting beside us.The weight of it all presses down on me, and for a moment, I struggle to breathe. The air feels too thick, my chest too heavy."Kaida," Octavius says sharply, pulling me out of my spiralling thoughts.I glance at him, startled. He’s pacing, his movements jerky and uncharacteri
Kaida blinks awake, her vision swimming as she tries to make sense of the blurry shapes around her. Her body feels heavy, like every muscle has been drained of strength. The scent of blood, ash, and damp earth clings to the air, forcing her to remember the chaos of the fight.Lilith… this was her doing…“Kaida.” Octavius’s voice is the first thing she hears, rough but steady. She feels his hands gently lifting her, his touch both firm and careful. “Hey, look at me. Are you alright?”Her head throbs as she tries to focus on him. His blue eyes are locked on hers, filled with concern, his face streaked with dirt and blood. “I… what happened?” she rasps, her throat dry.“You blacked out,” Octavius replies, helping her sit up slowly. “Lilith hit us with… something….” His jaw tightens as he glances around. “It was like nothing I’ve ever seen before. One minute, we were holding our ground, and the next…” He trails off, frustration etched into his features.Kaida’s mind races as fragments of
The battlefield erupts into chaos once again. Growls and snarls rip through the air as claws clash and bodies collide. The scent of blood and earth fills the battleground, heavy and suffocating.Cole charges at Victor with relentless determination, his golden eyes blazing with fury. Each movement is powerful and precise as he lunges at his opponent. But Victor is quick, effortlessly dodging Cole’s strikes, his mocking laughter cutting through the fight. “Is that all you’ve got?” Victor taunts, dodging another of Cole’s attacks with infuriating ease. His voice carries the same smug arrogance as his smirk.Cole’s jaw clenches, his focus never once shifting. “You won’t be laughing when I’m done with you,” he growls, his fists glowing faintly as his wolf surges forward. Lilith, standing nearby, watches with a predatory gleam in her deadly green eyes. Her white hair flows behind her, an extension of her body and her lips curl into a wicked smile. In one smooth motion, she inserts herself
He walks forward, his steps delayed, his shoes crunching against the ground beneath him as if he owns it. Victor steps into the open with ease, his hands clasped behind his back as if he’s on a leisurely stroll. His shirt, once a crisp white, is now streaked with blood... evidence of his recent handiwork. The faint metallic scent wafts toward us, sharp against the backdrop of burning wood and scorched earth.“Well,” he begins, his voice smooth as silk but carrying the edge of a blade, “isn’t this a lovely gathering?" He lets out. Victor... But how did he get out...?"I warned you my father wouldn’t leave me to rot in some dingy cell. And yet, you still underestimate me... A shame, truly.” He lets out, a sinister smile playing on his lips.There is tense silence that dwells in the atmosphere, sending the remaining pack warriors on edge, their growls low and vibrating through the battlefield. Octavius steps forward, his eyes locked on Victor with a cold fury, his fists clenched at his
The night air bites at my skin as we step outside, the chaos of the attack unfolding before us. Wolves clash in the clearing, snarling and snapping as they fight tooth and claw. The Raven Moon warriors move like a well-oiled machine, their training evident in the way they cover each other’s backs and hold the line.But something feels wrong. Off.Octavius stands beside me, his eyes scanning the battlefield with a sharp, calculating gaze. He’s tense, his shoulders rigid as if bracing for something worse. “This isn’t it..” he mutters under his breath, his voice barely audible over the noise.“What do you mean?” I ask, my own instincts flaring as I try to pick up on what he’s sensing.“They’re holding back,” he says, his jaw tightening. “Lucien wouldn’t send this many wolves just for a distraction. There’s something else...”As if on cue, a figure steps into the clearing, her presence dark, and drawing the attention of everyone around her. The wolves, pull back at the sight of her, each
K A I D AThe next few minutes are a blur of movement and preparation. The packhouse comes alive with activity, warriors rushing to their posts and securing the building. The air is thick with anticipation and it's almost suffocating, but I can't lose focus. They're here. They're here for him. Victor... And I can't let have him.The first place we go to is the cells, where he is being kept. Octavius and I move together, a team of warriors behind us as we make our way through the hallways. Outside the cells, in the distance, I pick up peculiars sounds, sounds that put me on edge, more than I already am. Snarls, growls, and the unmistakable sound of wolves running. They're getting closer. So we need to move, fast.When we reach the cells, Samson and Miyuki are already there, along with several other warriors. Victor sits in his cell, looking far too smug for someone in his position.“Well, this is exciting,” he drawls, leaning back against the wall as if he doesn’t have a care in the wo
The entire packhouse is buzzing with activity, every single person on edge, every single person aware of what's at stake. I can feel it. This history, this pack has with Lucien. The day he turned Rogue, the day he killed Octavius' father...The air is heavy as I walk through the hallways of the packhouse, tailing Octavius as we make our way outside, to where the meeting is to take place. he is silent, but I can feel how tense he is. So am I to be honest, and all I want now is to heart the game plan in stopping Lucien and his people.We finally reach outside where members of the pack have gathered. Highly ranked officials as well as ordinary pack members. I make my way to the front of the group, my steps slowing down as I take notice of Lucas, Rafe, Akando, and Audrey, all standing close to each other. Samson and Miyuki are standing in front of them, every one of them seemingly waiting for Octavius and I to arrive.Octavius takes his place at the head of the group, his broad shoulders