Kayla’s POV Darkness surrounded me, pulling me under like an deadly sea. But faint voices echoed in the distance, breaking through the void. “Kayla! Stay with me, damn it!” That voice. Deep, rough with panic. Alpha Adrian. I felt my body being lifted, strong arms holding me tightly. My head lolled against a firm chest as the sound of hurried footsteps and frantic voices filled the air. “She passed out from pain—get out of my way!” Adrian snarled. “Alpha—” “I don’t want one doctor—I want two! I want the best medical team working on her immediately,” he barked. “I don’t care what it takes. She needs the best treatment possible.” The desperation in his voice sent a dull ache through my chest. The best treatment. A cruel memory suddenly resurfaced—one I had buried deep inside. “Doctor, treat Mia first,” Xavier’s cold voice had rung through the hospital room. “She’s carrying my child.” I had been lying on the hospital bed, barely conscious, blood soaking through my gown. My bod
Kayla’s POVThe hospital air smelled sterile, the walls too white, the bedsheets too stiff. I should have been relieved to be leaving, but instead, my body felt heavier than it had ever been.The moment I stepped outside the hospital doors, the warm afternoon breeze touched my skin, but even that couldn’t lift the weight pressing down on my chest.Then I saw him.Alpha Adrian stood by a sleek black SUV, his sharp golden eyes locked onto me the second I appeared. He wasn’t just here to send someone to pick me up—he had come himself.He was leaning against the car, arms crossed, but as soon as he saw me, he straightened and strode forward. Without a word, he carefully lifted me into his arms.“Adrian, I can walk,” I muttered, my voice weak.“You don’t have to,” he said simply, carrying me as if I weighed nothing.I was too tired to argue.He gently placed me in the passenger seat, buckled my seatbelt himself, and only after making sure I was comfortable did he walk around to the driver’
Kayla’s POVEver since Adrian's mother, who I heard is called Lady Catherine told Adrian about his stepbrother’s visit, something about him had changed.He was still attentive—still the man who carried me to bed, still the man who wiped my face with a warm towel when I was too drained to do it myself. But now, there was an edge to him, a restlessness he couldn’t seem to shake.I caught it in the way his eyes darkened even more when he thought no one was looking, in the way his fingers drummed against the wooden desk when he sat with me during meals.A week had passed, and I had mostly recovered. My body was still adjusting, but I was strong enough to move around on my own now.And yet, Adrian still insisted on tending to me.The only thing he didn’t do was help me in the bathroom. That was the one thing he let Ingrid handle.Which gave me an idea.When Adrian was in the middle of brushing my hair—something he had stubbornly taken upon himself—I cleared my throat. “I need to use the re
Kayla’s POV“Ingrid, are you sure about this?” I asked, eyeing the dress she had just laid out for me.She sighed dramatically. “Luna Kayla, you’ve asked me that three times already.”I bit my lip. “I just… I want everything to go right. I don’t want to cause Adrian any more stress.”Ingrid turned to me, hands on her hips. “Adrian invited you to this. He wants you there. And you’re doing this for him, right?”I nodded. “Right.”“Then stop worrying.” She patted the dress. “Now, get changed. We don’t have much time.”With a deep breath, I took the dress and stepped behind the privacy screen.As I changed, I thought about Adrian—how he had been these past few days.Even after I recovered, he had still been… kind. Attentive. Caring.He still brought me meals, even though I was perfectly capable of getting them myself. He still tucked me in at night, as if making sure I was safe before he could sleep.And he never let me feel like a burden.I wanted to pay him back, even if it was just by
Kayla’s POV I couldn’t move. Adrian's brother was stunning. Ingrid had previously told me that his name was Hector. He had the same powerful presence as Adrian, but there was something more… polished about him. His sharp jawline and piercing blue eyes made it impossible to look away. But it wasn’t just his looks that shocked me—it was the way he carried himself. Confident. Effortless. Like he already knew he owned the room. it stunned me. Then, another figure emerged from the car behind him. A woman. And not just any woman—a stunningly beautiful older woman. Her golden-blonde hair was styled in perfect waves, and her soft features were enhanced by flawless makeup. She moved with the grace of royalty, her long emerald-green dress flowing behind her like liquid silk. She stepped up beside Adrian's brother, her hand rested lightly on his arm. It soon became clear that this was Hector’s mother. Lady Elizabeth. “Oh, how lovely,” Lady Catherine sneered, her voice drip
Kayla’s POVI was fucking PISSED!.Not at Adrian.Not at his brother Hector of course.Not even at Candice and her annoying, manipulative ways.I was furious at myself!I couldn't believe that I fainted in front of Adrian's family! what is wrong with me?!!I don't want to be weak. I don't want to be seen as some fragile girl who needed to be carried around and protected. But here I was, waking up in a soft bed, feeling lightheaded and drained, because my own body had betrayed me.The worst part?I had passed out and woken up in Adrian’s arms... Again!I groaned and pressed a hand over my face. “I hate this.”A low chuckle rumbled beside me.“You hate that you’re injured? That's understandable but not your fault.” Adrian’s deep voice was laced with amusement.I turned my head to glare at him.He was sitting beside the bed, one arm resting on the chair, his sharp eyes watching me closely. His dark hair was slightly messy, like he had been running his fingers through it too much.“No,” I
Kayla’s POV "Kayla right?" A voice suddenly said behind me. I turned around to see Hector's handsome face beaming at me.That was the first time we bumped into each other. After that, I turned around and walked back to my room, still fuming about seeing Adrian and Candice. But after that day, I still kept bumping into him.like right now, This was the third time but I was getting really tired of bumping into Hector. It was like the universe had some sick sense of humor, forcing me into these run-ins with Adrian’s insufferably charming brother. And worse? Hector took full advantage of it. Like right now. I had just stepped out of the pack’s administrative office after helping Ingrid with some paperwork when I turned a corner— And smacked straight into a firm, muscular chest. A familiar chuckle rumbled in front of me. “Well, well. If it isn’t my favorite little distraction.” I knew that voice. I didn’t even have to look up. Hector. Of course. I took a deep breath, schooli
Adrian’s POVI didn’t like the way Hector was looking at Kayla.And I hated the way she didn’t immediately pull away.It made something sharp twist in my chest, something dark and possessive.And then Hector had the audacity to grin at her and say, “We should continue this conversation later, Kayla. Maybe over dinner?”Absolutely not.Before she could respond, I stepped forward, putting myself directly between them. “She’s busy.”Hector’s smirk widened. “Oh? I don’t recall you being her schedule manager, brother.”I clenched my jaw. “She’s busy,” I repeated, my voice leaving no room for argument.Kayla blinked, clearly startled by my tone.Hector, on the other hand, looked amused. He glanced at Kayla. “Well, if you ever find yourself not busy, you know where to find me.”I exhaled sharply, my patience thinning. “Don’t you have somewhere else to be?”Hector chuckled. “Fine, fine. I’ll back off… for now.”I didn’t respond. I just turned to Kayla. “Come with me.”She hesitated for a seco
Kayla's POV After breakfast, I insisted on helping the staff with chores—cleaning the tables, washing dishes, folding laundry. I needed to do something with my hands that would keep my thoughts from spiralling intodark thoughts.Plus I was eager to start helping the children as fast as possible. The funny thing was that the kids followed me around, asking questions about where I came from, if I had a wolf, if I’d ever seen the Alpha in real life. I smiled and answered as vaguely as I could, not ready to explain the chaos I’d run from. But for the first time in days, I felt a strange sense of peace.Like I was right where I should be. I was hanging laundry out back when one of the staff—Elara, a tall woman with sharp gray eyes and a strong build—approached me. “You’re quite the helper Miss Kayla,” she said, nodding with a basket on her hip. “I needed something to keep me busy,” I replied. She glanced around before adding, “You know, Lady Anna swears you’ve been here before.”
Kayla I ended up spending the night at the Orphanage and it was one of the most restful nights I've had in weeks.Sure, I might have had one or two night mares where I saw Adrian kissing Candice in her room while my body wrecked with painful sobs, but hey, it was better than the nightmares I usually had about the darkness that was trying to take control of me.I knew that I would finally be able to get rid of the problem when I finally get to the Oracle's sanctuary, but I just had to wait until the guards weren't searching for me so persistently.To be honest, I'm surprised that Adrian was putting that much effort into finding me now when he had been ignoring me for the last few days.Hadn't Candice satisfied him enough? Or was he so greedy that he wanted the two of us at the same time?Men! I should have known better than to let myself trust them again. Especially after how Xavier treated me.I had stupidly let myself become a fool for love again! How pathetic!I definitely won't le
Kayla's POV I really didn’t know where I was going at first. Not really. My feet just kept moving, dragging me farther away from the palace, from the pack... from Adrian. Every step felt more gut wrenching than the last, like my body wanted to turn back even though my heart refused to. Where do I go? I paused in the shadow of an old bakery, pressing my back to the cold brick wall as I hugged the jacket tighter around me. My breath was beginning to puff visibly in the cold evening air, and the wind cut through my clothes like icy knives.I would go to mountain, I finally decided. It was the only place I knew where I would be accepted by someone.I obviously couldn't go back to Xavier's pack but it was the only other place I knew, so the Oracle's sanctuary was my best vet.Plus If there was any place I could find answers—or strength—it was with her. Maybe I could even finish my training. Maybe I could finally understand why I was… this. Why I couldn’t control my power or trust my
Kayla's POVI sat on the cold marble floor, clutching one of Adrian’s shirts to my chest, tears streaming down my face like a damn faucet I couldn’t turn off.How could he do this to me? After everything. After all his promises to always fight for me. To never let me feel alone again.He spent the night with her.Candice.It took one fight, one misunderstanding, and he ran straight to her. I didn’t even need to ask anyone. The moment Connor hesitantly told me the truth, I saw it. Clear as day. The shattered pieces of my heart lay scattered around the room like the vases I’d broken last night.The bed smelled like him. The sheets, the pillows — all of it haunted me. His scent, his warmth... gone. Just like that.“He was never going to choose you,” the necklace whispered in that low, silky voice that made my skin crawl. “Men like him choose women like Candice. Pretty, obedient. The kind that don’t challenge them.”“Shut up,” I muttered, dragging myself up to the bed to unzip the duffe
Adrian's POV I tried hard to remember last night but my head soon began to hurt from the effort and I still came up blankPanic was quickly beginning to seize me until I suddenly heard Candice's voice. "Relax Alpha," she said from across the room, her legs tucked under her in a chair by the window with a mug in her hand. "You don't need to try hard to remember what happened last night.""Huh?" I asked in confusion.Candice smiled. "I can read your emotions on your face, and what I meant to say was Nothing interesting happened." I blinked blearily at her. "What...?" "You passed out last night after drinking that extra bottle I told you not to drink," she said simply. "I didn’t want the entire palace gossiping about how their great Alpha can’t hold his liquor so I brought you to the guest room in my quarters. I just brought coffee for you this morning." She gestured to the tray on the table. I let out a breath of relief. I didn't betray Kayla because nothing had happened between us
Adrian’s POVI'm an idiot, I know that. I'm an idiot who's hopelessly in love with a woman but still too scared of his feelings for her.These last few days have really wrecked my mental state and drinking with Candice made me forget my worries for just a few hours.But even that, didn't last long. Because once my eyes landed on Kayla, everything came flooding back.She had made lunch and brought it to me, which meant that she had been thinking of me and probably tried to reach me earlier but I had blocked her.I just wanted time to process thoughts without interruptions or guilt. But that turned out to be impossible because the second I saw the look on Kayla’s face when I refused the food she brought, a bitter knot formed in my stomach. Her smile faltered and was replaced by something smaller, tighter. Hurt. She held the tray down carefully, almost as if she were afraid it would shatter if she moved too quickly.Then she offered to make dinner but I turned it down too and I could
Kayla's POV "It's not any of your concern Kayla. I suggest you drop it... for your own good."What nonsense was he saying. Xavier was my ex husband and very obvious enemy of Adrian. What did he mean it was non of my concern?I was very confused now. Didn't Hector say he had nothing to do with Xavier? Didn't he say he was going to change his relationship with Adrian for the better? What was he hiding now? I pressed on. “You know meeting with him, especially after everything that happened, is only going to make things worse with Adrian. Do you really want to make things more complicated?” He turned his head toward me, his expression hardening slightly. “I don’t care anymore what Adrian thinks. He’s never cared about what I’ve done, and he never will. Besides, I don’t see the problem with talking to someone who actually listens to me.” I felt my heart twist in my chest. “I know you’re upset, Hector, but you promised me—even before I stopped Adrian from banishing you—that you’d stop w
Kayla's POV I couldn’t get Xavier’s smug face out of my mind as I stormed down the hall. I needed to get away from him. From all of it. Adrian, Candice, Xavier... everything felt like it was crashing down. But I still had something to do. I walked briskly toward the holding cells, tray of food in my hands, trying to ignore the flutter of doubt and anger in my chest. I had come this far. I wasn’t going to let Xavier’s words, or my own jealousy, ruin everything. When I reached Hector’s cell, I paused for a moment. The guards were standing nearby, looking bored as usual. They didn’t even seem to notice me at first, so I took the chance to slip past them. But then one of them suddenly stepped in my path, a scowl forming on his face. “Where do you think you’re going?” he sneered. I blinked. “Excuse me?” “You can’t bring food to him,” the guard snapped, his tone rude and dismissive. I frowned. “Actually, I can. And I will. I’m Lady Kayla the Alpha’s fiancée, and I’ll bring food to
Kayla's POV My heart sank at Adrian's words. He didn't even want to talk to me this morning but he was here laughing his ass off and eating with Candice.I forced a smile, but it didn’t reach my eyes. “Of course,” I muttered. “I didn’t mean to interrupt.” Candice beamed at me, clearly in a much better mood than I was. “It’s good to see you again. I’ve really missed you,” she said, taking another bite of her food. I stood there, frozen, trying to ignore the bitterness that crept into my thoughts. Why was she so comfortable here? Why was she eating with him like they did this every day? And why had Adrian invited her to his office when he wouldn't even talk to me?Candice noticed the awkwardness and tried to bridge the tension. "Come sit with us! We have so much to catch up on, but we also have all the time in the world since I'm back living at the palace now!"That made me freeze.“What?” I asked, voice a little higher than I intended.Candice beamed. “Alot happened when you were aw