I wake with a start.It’s disorienting at first, the scent that overwhelms my senses, making it impossible to think straight. The ridiculously soft sheets that aren’t mine, the distant hum of voices outside. And then, it hits me.Last night.The battle. Victor. Lilith. The sheer chaos that left the pack battered and bloodied. The way everything changed in a matter of hours.And then Octavius, looking at me with those intense blue eyes and telling me I’d be staying with him. Sleeping in his bed...I push myself up slowly, the sheets slipping off my shoulders. The bed is massive—far too large for one person, but somehow, it felt safe last night. And now? Now it just feels… empty. Cold, even...Where the hell is he?I reach out through the mindlink. "Octavius?"A brief pause before his voice filters through, calm and slightly raspy."I’m outside love. I didn’t want to wake you. Take your time coming down." His voice sends a chill through. Love, he calls me. Pfft. Just cause I slept in h
The words leave my mouth before I can fully process them."I need to activate my Lycan gene."The moment the sentence hangs in the air, it feels like everything around me stills. The cold wind nips at my exposed skin, and even the distant rustling of the trees seems to fade into silence.Miyuki sucks in a sharp breath beside me, and Lucas' brows shoot up, his usually impassive face betraying the faintest flicker of surprise.But it’s Octavius I watch the most.He doesn’t react the way I expect him to. He doesn’t argue, doesn’t try to tell me I’m insane. He just watches me, his icy blue gaze locked onto mine, studying me in a way that makes my stomach twist."Are you sure?" he finally asks, his voice low and calm.I swallow hard. "Yes..." nodding my head a few times.I expect my voice to waver, but it doesn’t. It’s firm. Steady. Because this isn’t a decision I’m making lightly."If I’m going to find my sister," I continue, "if I’m going to stop Lucien and Lilith, I need to be stronger.
K A I D AThe library is quiet. Too quiet.The kind of quiet that makes my own breathing feel too loud, the rustle of pages unnatural. The scent of old parchment and ink fills my nose as I sit cross-legged on the floor, surrounded by stacks of books I barely understand.I don't know how long I've been sitting hear for, neither do I know exactly what I’m looking for. Maybe something about Lycans? Maybe a clue about my past? Hell, maybe a step-by-step guide on how to wake up my so-called “dormant” gene and beat Victor’s smug face into the dirt.That would be useful.Instead, I get ancient, barely-legible texts about battles long forgotten.I exhale through my nose, rubbing my temples.I’m exhausted. Everyone is.The attack left us rattled, but instead of focusing on recovering, I’m stuck here, digging through dusty books, trying to figure out what the hell I am.A sudden knock against the heavy wooden doors makes me jump. My heart lurches before I catch Octavius’s scent, strong and into
K A I D AI close the book with a soft thud, pressing my palms against the worn leather cover as my mind races. This is insane. No, actually, insane doesn’t even begin to cover it. Weeks ago, I was just Kaida... Rogue, survivor, fighter. Now, I’m sitting here in the middle of the damn pack library, being told that I’m potentially a descendant of an extinct royal bloodline of Lycans.Oh, and let’s not forget that my sister, who I thought had been dead for years, is being held hostage by a psychopath who massacred my entire pack and somehow, that psychopath is my mate's uncle...I exhale sharply, rubbing my temples. Yeah, this is a lot.Octavius watches me from across the room, his expression worried as he remains silent. He hasn’t said a word in the last minute, just letting me sit with the information, probably waiting for me to either process it like an adult or have a complete meltdown. Honestly, I’m still debating which one to choose. The others are watching too -- Miyuki
K A I D AI don't even know why I thought this would be a good idea.Coming back here... where my pack once stood. I had thought it would bring me some answers, help me make sense of the information I've received in the last 48 hours. Information about me potentially being a Lycan.There has to be something I can find in my old packhouse, some clue that will point me in the right direction. But I haven't been here in years. The last time I stepped foot here was right after the attack, when I came back to see if there were any survivors. It was abandoned, and the ground still smelt of rotting corpses and burning wood. And now... the territory that once belonged to my family... is just quiet... way too quest...The air is thick with anticipation as Octavius and I move through the dense forest, the scent of damp earth and decayed wood filling my lungs. The towering trees above us are just as I remember, stretching like skeletal fingers beneath the dim afternoon light. I take in a slow br
K A I D A Jace. Alive... Standing in front of me like a ghost resurrected from my past. Like he never left. Like he never died. I stare at him, my body locked in place, my breath shallow and uneven. My pulse pounds so violently against my ribs that I can barely think, barely process. He's older, more muscular, and even taller than the last time I saw him. This doesn’t make sense. It can’t make sense. I watched him die... I saw his body, lifeless, unmoving. I heard the agonizing screams of my pack as they were slaughtered one by one. And when I returned to this place after the attack, there was nothing left. So how is he here? How? I take a shaky step forward, my voice nothing but a whisper. "Jace..." His name barely leaves my lips, and yet, it feels like the entire world shifts around us. Jace’s eyes lock onto mine, and for a moment, something flash in them... relief, disbelief, something raw and painful. "You’re alive…" His voice is rough, strained, like he can’t quite b
K A I D A I don’t move immediately. My feet feel rooted to the earth, my mind still struggling to catch up with what just happened. Jace is alive. Not just him—others, too. My pack. The people I thought I had lost forever. They survived. I swallow hard, glancing between Octavius and Jace. The tension between them is thick, a silent standoff of dominance neither of them wants to acknowledge. Jace’s eyes flicker toward me once more, something unreadable in his gaze, before he turns and starts walking. I hesitate for only a second before following. The masked figures around us move in sync, their presence both protective and cautious, as if they still don’t fully trust us. I don’t blame them. If I were in their position, I’d be the same way. Octavius stays close to my side, and he doesn't have to say much for me to know what's going on in his mind. He doesn’t like this. I can tell from the rigidness in his shoulders, the sharp way he scans our surroundings. He doesn’t trust Jace.
K A I D A The tension between Octavius and Jace is heavy. Way too heavy. But I has expected as much. I can feel the anger rolling off both of them in waves, like two wolves circling each other, ready to strike. I don’t know what I expected when I found out Jace was alive, but it sure as hell wasn’t this… okay… maybe I did expect, just a little bit. Octavius stands firm, his arms crossed over his chest, his expression rigid as his brows furrow, that famously intense, smouldering look of his, clear as day on his face. Jace, on the other hand, remains calm, his gaze sharp as ever, sizing Octavius up like he’s still deciding whether or not to rip his throat out. I sigh, rubbing my temples. “Are you two seriously going to do this right now?” Neither of them looks at me. Neither of them backs down. Great. Just what I need. “I don’t trust him,” Octavius states bluntly, still not breaking eye contact with Jace. Jace scoffs, rolling his eyes. “Yeah, well, the feeling’s mutual, A
K A I D AI didn't realise I would feel this much guilt after leaving my Pack. At the time, I couldn't think clearly, I was young, and I was terrified. The others, they couldn't run, they stayed and fought, and most paid the ultimate price. I shouldn't been there with there. I should've done something to protect my pack, my sister. But regret will do nothing for me now. All I can do is focus on rebuilding my pack the best I can after the damage has been done.I struggle to face Valerie. She's put me on the spot, reminding me of everything I wish I did to help my pack. I swallow, nodding a few times as I finally face her, taking in all the shame that comes with everything she's just said to me.“I know...” I admit, facing her and looking her in the eye, letting her know that though I feel ashamed of running, I'm not going to try and pretend like it never got to me.“But I'm here now. And I'm going to help rebuild the pack. I swear to you, we will find my sister. She’s alive, I can fee
K A I D AMy mind won’t stop racing.Every thought, out of control, on a spiral, out of reach.What the hell was that?The surge of power I felt when fighting Anita and Sera…?And the worst part is, I felt like I was holding something back… Could it really have been the Lycan gene?Octavius and I are together now, and though that brings me some level of reassurance, it doesn’t change the questions clawing at my mind. According to him, completing the process will accelerate the time it takes for my gene to awaken... so is that why I'm now feeling like this? Like at any moment, I'm about to snap and lose complete control.After training, I had to step away from everyone. It was all too much and I needed space to think. And I'm glad Octavius could understand that. Though, I've come to love him breathing down my neck, more in the literal sense rather than the figurative, there's moments when I do need a minute to myself, especially when I've spent so much of my time being on my own.I mad
K A I D AThe next day...The morning air is crisp and cool, but the warmth of exertion burns through my limbs as I strike again. We're training early today. Octavius thought it would be best for us to waste no time ensuring we are in our best shape for when we face our enemy again. My foot slams against the wooden training dummy with a satisfying crack, the force sending it rocking backwards. I don’t stop. I pivot, fists up, and launch a second kick before following it with a sharp jab, my knuckles connecting with the hardwood.“Again,” Octavius commands from nearby, his voice firm but calm.I don’t hesitate. I strike again. And again.Around me, the training grounds are alive with movement. Warriors from both Raven Moon and Xarano Packs push their bodies past their limits, training harder than they ever have before. The intensity in the air is powerful, heavy with determination, urgency, and something sharper... fear.We all know what’s coming.Lucien is out there. Planning. Watchin
K A I D AA thick silence settles over us as my words linger in the air. Jace and the others exchange glances, but no one speaks right away. I’m sure they’re all just taking in what I’ve just told them… that we need to find out what bloodlines they descend from.I press my lips into a firm line, scanning each of their faces. “We need to figure out which bloodlines we all come from,” I repeat, my voice calm but urgent once I notice their reactions. “This isn’t just about heritage anymore. If the royal families were the originals Lycans, and Lucien is actively hunting Lycans down, then we need to know what we’re up against.”Jace tilts his head slightly, arms still crossed over his chest. “And how do you suggest we do that? It’s not like we have some magical family tree lying around.”“I’ll figure it out,” I say confidently, determination settling in my bones. “I’ve already been looking into Lycan history, and if I dig deep enough, I might be able to find something that connects us to t
M I Y U K IThe afternoon air is crisp, cool against my skin as I walk toward the training field, needing a moment alone.Needing space.Ever since the meeting ended, my head has been filled with too many thoughts—Lucien, Lilith, the upcoming battle. Kaida’s revelation about the royal families. And… Cole.I clench my jaw, shaking my head as if I can physically rid myself of the thought.He’s a distraction.And I don’t do distractions.I hear him before I see him.“Hey, princess.”I bite the inside of my cheek, forcing myself to stay composed before turning around. Cole leans lazily against one of the wooden posts at the edge of the field, arms crossed, smirking like he owns the place.He always looks like he belongs anywhere he goes.It’s infuriating.I exhale, levelling him with a sharp glare. “What do you want, Cole?”He presses a hand to his chest in mock offense. “What, I can’t come check on my favourite Gamma?”I roll my eyes. “I’m the only Gamma here.”“Exactly,” he says, grinnin
K A I D AI find Jace on the other side of the room, leaning against the table like they have all the time in the world. If I didn’t know any better, I’d think they were completely relaxed. But I do know better. Even with their casual stances, I can feel the tension hanging over them like a storm cloud. They’re on edge.And considering the conversation we’re about to have, I can’t really blame them.Jace notices me first, a slow smirk forming on his lips as I approach. “You really couldn’t do without getting on Octavius’ nerves?” I ask.He chuckles in response. “You say that like it’s a challenge. I think I've come to like getting under your mate's skin...”"One day he's going to snap and I won't be able to stop what he'll do to you." I tell him seriously just as I finally reach them, my expression being enough to tell them that I mean all business.“Fine, fine... backing off.” He says casually, pushing off the table and standing up straight, his arms crossing. “What’s on your mind?”
K A I D AOnce the meeting ends, everyone disperses around the room, some warriors leaving to go about their business while everyone else remains lingering behind, each of us discussing the meeting, and what each of us is going to do now. Warriors, strategists, and allies scatter in different directions, each preparing for the battle ahead. The Raven Moon Pack is on edge, and the Xarano Pack, though powerful, is still an unfamiliar presence among us...They are still my people, but I'm now with the Raven Moon, I'm Octavius' mate, therefore the Luna of this pack. But I can't help but think what will happen when this is all over...I exhale deeply, rubbing the back of my neck as I step outside the meeting hall, my mind spinning as I think of everything happening.So much is riding on this.Lucien. Victor. My sister... Korra.I clench my jaw, swallowing the wave of emotions threatening to choke me. There’s no room for fear. No room for doubt.But still… it feels like too much.A familiar
K A I D AThe tension in the air hasn't simmered down since with started. Though no one is exchanging words currently, there's still the underlying feeling of the people in the room not liking each other. I sit at Octavius’ right, my arms crossed as I scan the room. Jace and the Lycans from my pack sit across from us, their expressions watchful as they pay careful attention to what's happening.. Lucas, Miyuki, Samson, and Cole are seated closer to us, across the conference table. Octavius and I thought that would be the best way to keep the peace. And so far it seems to be remaining. My mind begins racing, as we draw closer to figuring out what the hell we're going to do about Lucien.We’ve lost too much already. Every single person sitting here. Lucien has given us all a reason to want him dead. He has done nothing but destroy... my pack, my family, and now my people here. The recent attack still lingers in the air, the memory of blood and loss gnawing at the edges of my mind. The p
K A I D AThe air inside the packhouse is heavy. Heavier than usual.Jace and his people have been led inside, and though Octavius has accepted their presence for now, the entire Raven Moon Pack remains on edge. The Raven Moon wolves don’t trust easily, and the sudden arrival of outsiders, especially ones as strong as the Lycans from the Xarano Pack—has every wolf in the room on high alert. We make our way into the large meeting hall within the packhouse, a place where we can discuss things a bit more freely. The room quickly fills up as we all station ourselves around it. The quiet hum of low conversations carries in the air, but it’s the kind of quiet that’s too sharp, too strained. I can feel it in the way the warriors stand rigid, their bodies poised to react at the slightest provocation, their eyes glued on Jace and his people. Even Lucas and Samson, usually so composed, keep their gazes locked on Jace’s group with barely restrained suspicion.And then the doors swing open.Cole