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Chapter 6
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2025-03-19 12:35:48Keiran’s POV
The moment I took a whiff, her scent hit me, letting it fill my senses as I loomed over her. I knew she wasn’t a rogue, just as she claimed.
This made sense because Rogues wouldn’t be stumbling in my land unless they had a death wish.
Her scent didn’t carry the wild bitterness and chaos most Rogues had, but it seemed a little bit off… No… in fact, a little bit familiar.
It’s subtle, but it almost had a mix of the scent of chestnut and mint. I couldn’t point a finger at whether it was indeed the same scent I had been looking for three years, though because it was faint and a bit different.
“Adeline… Adeline Hansford.”
I kept my eyes on her. If she was lying, which I was damn sure she was, I’d find out soon enough. But the real question was why she was lying.
I’d seen countless wolves hide before. Most of them were cowards running from debts, deserters feeling their Alpha’s wrath, and so many more, but they never ran to hide in the most dangerous pack, my pack.
And even if some of them did get lost and went there, they’d be too scared to lie and beg to be kept alive.
But this little stray was different. She looked more afraid of something than me and my pack, and she kept that sarcastic mouth of hers running wildly everywhere, almost like the Demonmaw was her least of things to be scared about.
The next morning, I passed through the barracks on the way to the academy where I train warriors.
I watched her from outside her room through the small gap in her curtains after I heard the swishing of wind inside. To my shock, I found her in the middle of the room, moving her fists with surprising precision as she shadowboxed in the corner.
For someone I’d dragged out of the dirt, she wasn’t as helpless as she pretended to be.
The second I found her, I had half a mind to throw her out or kill her as I did for the others who made the same mistake as she did.
When I said that, she was a problem. I meant it. She’s like a mystery puzzle that needs solving.
The reason I let her stay for now was maybe because of the mixture of determination and desperation in her eyes that didn’t come from someone looking for trouble but from someone running from it. Or maybe it was something deeper…
Her identity was, without a doubt, suspicious, but what caught my attention the most was her scent, which seemed so familiar as well.
So familiar with the scent that covered Luna's body when I found her dead.
I clenched my fist, thirsting for the truth.
“Alpha,” Teddy Fisher, my beta, cut off my thoughts as he stepped beside me and nodded in Adeline’s direction, whispering, “You sure about keeping her?”
I wasn’t… Not at all… What if she really held a secret about the death of Francine, my Luna… what happened then? Would it be something I wanted to know?
Instead of voicing my thoughts, I shrugged my shoulders in time that Adeline kicked the ass of the one she was sparring with. “She doesn’t look so weak. Might be useful.”
Ted scoffed. “Or dangerous.”
Well, he wasn’t wrong…
“Keep an eye on her. If she steps out of line, I’ll deal with her myself,” I ordered, and he nodded before going to the Academy.
Looking back at her and catching her scent in the air, the memory of that night resurfaced in my mind. The blood in the air, my mate’s lifeless body in the middle of dead Rogues, and the blurry figures that vanished in the forest as I tried to get to Francine to save her…
Someone had fought hard to protect her that night. But I didn’t catch on who…
Could it have been her?
I shook the thought away. By the looks of it, Adeline hadn't even had her first shift. My mate died three years ago, and she would have been too young then to fight off those Rogues.
But I don’t believe in pure coincidence. There’s just no such thing. Not to mention her suspicious identity and the recent news of criminals on the run. She’s definitely connected to something.
The pieces didn’t fit — not yet — but I knew better than to ignore them.
Focusing back on the present, I left to follow Ted to the Academy, but I suddenly halted when something came into my mind. We might as well test out if that shadowboxing was something real.
With a smirk on my lips, I ordered one of the guards to get her and prepared her to enter the academy.
I stepped forward, raising my voice over the crowd. “Demonmaw doesn’t waste time on the weak,” I growled. “You train hard, or you die fast.”
The room silenced instantly. My gaze locked on Adeline.
Her eyes widened, but she didn’t look away.
Brave... or stupid.
I didn’t know which one she was yet, but I intended to find out.
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Keiran’s POV“We got a problem.”“Great!” I sarcastically thought.Just what I needed after dealing with Princess Amanda and Alpha Felix.The pile of documents in front of me was already tall enough to make me want to throw myself out the nearest window, and my inbox hadn’t stopped dinging all morning. I hadn’t even had five minutes of peace after they left before Tom showed up at my office door with that sentence.Irritably putting down the document I had in my hand and looking away from my computer, I swivelled my chair to face Tom, who was standing at my doorway with a serious expression.“What now?” I asked impatiently.Tom looked like he didn’t want to be the one to say it. His gaze shifted for a second before he sighed and admitted, “Princess Amanda and Alpha Felix decided to stay. She said she only needed to use the bathroom, but before I knew it, they were already staying in the academy and watching training.”I slammed my hands on my desk, sharply gazing at him. “And you’re o
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Madeline’s POV“I thought you already left, Princess?” I looked up from my seat on the ground when I heard Keiran’s voice as he approached the training ground.Amanda, who was having fun taunting me, was seated on the other side of the room, elegantly leaning back on her seat with a smirk on her face.She didn’t even bother to glance at Keiran and smirked, her eyes staring at me. “And miss all this fun?”Shifting her gaze to him, she continued, “You have a great academy. I’m just really curious about their talents.”Keiran followed Amanda’s glance at me and narrowed his eyes. I swallowed in anxiousness, knowing that sooner or later, I’d be back in his office and being interrogated.He opened his lips and uttered more words to her, but I didn’t hear their conversation anymore when someone blocked my view of them. “Why didn’t you hide?”I looked up at him and gritted my teeth. “Why are you guys here? Why didn’t you warn me?”Felix, looking half dead, shrugged his shoulders. “Will it cha
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Madeline’s POVTuned to my wolf’s presence, my sense of smell also heightened, especially in needed times. Despite being in the middle of sparring, I immediately caught the scent of Amanda and Felix as soon as they entered the academy.When I felt them getting near us, I immediately halted and pretended to be tired.“What’s the matter?” Helena asked.Shaking my head, I stretched my fist. “Nothing, just tired. Let’s wrap this up.”“I’ll go and change first,” I muttered as I nodded toward the locker room behind her.She let out a laugh between her pants. “That’s a new one. It’s our 10th round already, but you always push yourself to the limit before. What change?”With my eyes, I looked at my peripheral vision and caught shadows of Keiran and the others closing in. “I don’t like the air.”Looking behind me, she rolled her eyes and nodded. “I get what you mean.”I only smiled at her comment and let her think that the reason I was leaving was the same as hers - the hate for royal members.
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Keiran’s POVFelix was jolted by my question, and his shoulders tensed before he subconsciously looked away. Clearing his throat, he shook his head and replied, “No.”Forcing a smile, he added, “Just... fascinated with their training, that’s all.”I narrowed my eyes, unconvinced. There was something off about him—too guarded, too rehearsed. My instincts prickled, warning me that something beneath the surface wasn’t right. Testing the waters, I tilted my head toward the training field.“Then maybe,” I said slowly, watching his expression closely, “we could stay and watch one of the sparring matches.”I pointed subtly in the direction of the field. “Those two over there—Helena and Adeline—they’re some of the best warriors in the academy. I’m sure it’ll be worth your while.”Felix flinched—just for a split second, but I caught it. He masked it quickly, but it was there. And before he could reply, Princess Amanda chimed in, her voice sugary-sweet.“Really?” she asked, tightening her grip
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Keiran’s POV“What’s the plan?” Tom asked as we got inside the office, setting down the invitation on my table.I look at it with disdain and shake my head before leaning back on my seat. Shrugging, I nonchalantly replied, “Greet them is all. It’s just a meeting. There’s no need for a party or anything.”“But–”He tried to protest, but I gestured a zip motion with my finger and lips. “But nothing. It’s just the royal family being spoiled brats again.”Tom looked at me hesitantly. “But won’t they think we are being disrespectful? I mean, as powerful as our pack is, it’s still the kingdom.”Sighing, I pushed the invitation his way. “Then we’ll greet them with warriors and shit at their arrival make them feel important. Anything beyond that…”I pursed my lips and waved my hand in dismissal.Tom smirked at me and shook his head in both admiration and disbelief. “I really don’t know where you’re getting your guts.”With that, he turned and left.And just as I said, it’s what we did. Early
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Madeline’s POVMy heart stopped beating, and the bags I’m carrying slipped out of my hand, falling to the ground, while my eyes opened wide as I watched the scene before me unfold with unsettling feelings.“From the kingdom?” Keiran asked, and the messenger nodded his head as he handed the red envelope with a dry gold seal on top.Holding the letter, he looked in my direction and raised his brows. “Everything alright, Adeline?”“Adeline!” Helena smacked me in my shoulder, putting me out of the haze before she gestured at Keiran, who was still waiting for my reply.“Y-yes, of course.” I want to smack myself again for stuttering as I hurried to pick up the bags I dropped and walked together with Helena toward him.Acting clueless and nonchalant, I nodded at his hand. “What is that about?”“From the palace? Is something big happening?” Helena asked, just as curious as I was. The only difference was that her question was directed to Tom.Keiran and Tom looked at both of us weirdly before
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Madeline’s POVWe stood in silence as the wind rustled around us as if sucking something from within our souls… And after a few minutes, I felt free… I felt light…When I rejected Felix, there was a heavy feeling that lingered within me, the small piece of our mate bond, which I thought I could live through and wouldn’t matter along the way. But when he spoke those words and accepted my rejection, it felt different.A subconscious smile spread from my lips as I heaved a sigh of relief. I didn’t know I was holding on.He let out a scoff that hid beneath his small smile. “Now, you’re smiling. I guess I did the right thing.”Hearing him say that made me realise that I was being a little insensitive. Indeed, he broke my heart, but he was also my childhood best friend and the one who helped me escape, and he was still helping me now.“I’m sorry,” I whispered, after all, he was here in an enemy pack and risking his life…My brows furrowed. Did he risk his life just to accept my rejection?C
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Madeline’s POVBecause of what happened last night, the patrol and security around the pack house became even tighter.“Come on, we’ll be late!” I shouted from downstairs while waiting for Helena, who was rushing from the pack house. Without her, I might not be able to leave and meet with Felix.Fortunately, she had plans to go to the market today and buy some supplies for the training.“Why are you in a rush, girl?” she asked suspiciously as soon as we got settled in the car.Rolling down the car window, I let the fresh breeze of air blow my hair and the warmth of the sunlight touch my skin. With my eyes closed, enjoying the sensation, I replied, “I just want the fresh air. It felt like forever since I got out of the pack.That was the truth, though. Since I got inside the pack house, I never left the pack, and that’s what most of us thought as well – that I was a prisoner.At first, I went with Helena everywhere she wanted me to go. We checked boxing gloves, weapons, and even new tr
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Madeline’s POVSilence engulfed us once again, and yet I still feel like the surroundings were as loud as when rock music was being played by how fast and loud my heart was beating.“Don’t give in…” I told myself silently while fighting the urge to tell him the truth.I shook my head firmly and shrugged my shoulders. “Like I said a thousand times, I’m no one. I’m just trying to survive, is all.”Keiran narrowed his eyes and leaned closer, breath fanning against my lips. “Then why does Jason think otherwise?”My eyes widened while my breath hitched, bringing a crack to my facade. “W-what?” Feeling how I panicked, I tried to mask it as fast as I could and cleared my throat. “What did he say?”He studied me for a while, fingers tapping on the dresser behind him. “He’s been looking through sealed royal documents, and we had a witness that he’s been reporting to someone in the kingdom.”Could I really not hide it anymore?I bit my inner cheek as I racked my brain while contemplating a lot.
