Adrian’s POV The moment I stepped into my room, I felt my body relax. It had been a long night—filled with fights, interrogations, and threats—but now, I was finally back where I wanted to be. With her. Kayla was already in bed, curled up under the covers. The dim light from the bedside lamp cast a soft glow on her face, making her look even more delicate. At first, I thought she was asleep. But then, her eyes fluttered open. "You're back," she murmured, her voice laced with exhaustion. A slow warmth spread through me. She had been waiting for me. I sat on the edge of the bed, reaching out to tuck a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "You should be sleeping," I said softly. She blinked sleepily. "I wanted to make sure you came back okay." Something in my chest tightened. She cared. Even after everything she went through this night, after all the danger, after all the problems she had endured—she wasn't thinking about herself. She wanted to make sure I was okay. I brush
Kayla’s POV A soft warmth surrounded me, and for the first time in a long while, I felt truly safe and wanted. It took me a moment to register why. it was because I was in Adrian’s arms. His strong, steady breathing tickled the back of my neck, and his body heat wrapped around me like a protective cocoon. His arm was draped over my waist, holding me against him as if he had no intention of letting go. I should have been shy about this—should have been flustered about being this close to him. But I wasn’t. Somewhere between last night’s terrifying attack and the way he had held me afterward—something had changed between us. His touch no longer made me nervous. It made me calm. It made me feel home. I blinked up at the ceiling, my mind drifting back to the way he had touched my face last night, the way his thumb had brushed my cheek so gently. "You’re worth it," he had said. Those words had shaken me. I had spent so long being treated like I was disposable. Unwanted. A bur
Kayla’s POVThe weight of their stares was suffocating.Every councilman in the room glared at me as if I were their worst enemy. As if I had committed some great sin simply by standing beside Adrian.I clenched my hands at my sides, forcing myself to breathe.I had expected hostility. But this? This was hatred.I turned slightly toward Adrian, seeking reassurance—not that I needed it, but because something about his presence always made things seem less scary.And when I looked at him… I saw growing rage.Not at me—but at them.Adrian’s dark eyes was beginning to burn with undiluted fury as he surveyed the room, his body tense with barely contained aggression.Then, his gaze locked onto Councilman Augustine.And just like that, the storm hit."I won’t be allowing you to preside over this meeting, Augustine," Adrian said, his voice deadly calm.Murmurs broke out instantly. Augustine was head councilman, this was his main duty, Adrian's words must have been a slap to his face.Augustin
Kayla’s POVI couldn’t stop thinking about it.Leo’s words echoed in my head like a haunting melody I couldn’t shake."I know your secret.""You’ll go missing, just like all those wolfless girls before you."My stomach twisted.How did he know?Who else knew?How long had they known?And worst of all—how much danger was I really in?I kept my face blank as Adrian led me out of the council hall, but my thoughts were anything but calm.I needed to figure out what to do.Fast.I barely noticed the drive back to the palace. My mind was still tangled in a mess of worry when Adrian’s voice suddenly cut through the haze."You’ve been quiet," he said, his golden eyes flicking to me with a hint of concern.I forced a small smile. "Just thinking about somethings. It's nothing to worry about."Adrian didn’t look convinced. "About what?"I hesitated.Should I tell him?Should I tell him that Leo knew everything—that he had practically threatened to make me disappear?The words were on the tip of
Kayla’s POVA slow warmth curled around me, pulling me from sleep. The bed was too comfortable, the scent surrounding me too delicious.It was Adrian, cuddling me without shame, and I was letting him.I could feel his gaze before I even opened my eyes."Are you awake, or are you pretending?"His voice was teasing, husky with amusement.I blinked my eyes open, only to be met with his smug expression.Adrian was close—leaning over me, his smoldering eyes full of mischief."You’re staring," I mumbled sleepily.He grinned. "Can you blame me? you're free to stare back."I scoffed and turned my face into the pillow. "You’re annoying.""And yet, you were seeking my touch in your sleep."I froze.My eyes snapped back open, and Adrian’s grin widened as he leaned even closer."Not like that," he added, his voice wicked. "Yet."I smacked his chest, my face burning. "You’re impossible!"Adrian laughed.Then, before I could retaliate, he sat back and stretched. "Come on. Get up. I have plans for u
Kayla’s POVLady Catherine's gaze was sharp, cold, and unwavering.Even without her saying another word, I could already tell—this conversation wasn’t going to be a pleasant one.She wasn’t here for pleasantries.She was here to tackle something that had to do with me."You may have manipulated your way into getting engaged to the Alpha of the South," she said evenly, "but that does not make you an acceptable Luna of my pack yet, so don't go around town parading yourself as one."I swallowed. She must have heard about our outing.Beside me, Adrian’s body tensed. "Mother—"She raised a hand, silencing him effortlessly.I had never seen anyone talk to Adrian in that tone before. He must have a lot of respect for her.Lady Catherine turned back to me, her sharp eyes raking over my form as if she were already judging every flaw I had."Custom demands that all women who wish to become one of the Alpha's wives must undergo training," she continued. "You and Candice will both be instructed,
Kayla’s POVI woke up before sunrise, my nerves already getting the best of me.Today was the first day of training and The first test.I had no idea what to expect, and the thought of failing in front of Lady Catherine— and worse, having my bad report sent to the council—made my stomach twist uncomfortably.I sat up, rubbing my face, when I felt the bed shift beside me.Strong arms wrapped around my waist, pulling me back into the warmth of Adrian’s chest."You’re up too early," he murmured, his voice still thick with sleep.I sighed. "I have to be. I don’t exactly want to start my first day with your mother by being late."Adrian hummed, his lips brushing against my shoulder. "You’ll be fine, Kayla."I wasn’t so sure. "What if I mess up?""You won’t," he said, confident as ever. "And I’ll even check in on you later to show my support."That made me pause. "Really?"He nodded. "I want to see how you’re doing."Something warm settled in my chest at that.Adrian kissed my temple before
Kayla’s POVMy money was stolen.Only my money.I stood there, my mind racing, my hands shaking as the weight of it settled in. The test had barely started, and someone had already made sure I failed.I looked at the guard, my throat tightening. "It was only mine?"He nodded. "Yeas ma'am. Lady Candice’s money is still safely locked away, plus she has guards safeguarding it."A cold wave of realization hit me. Candice planned this. And now I was furious at myself for not expecting something like this."That snake," I hissed, clenching my fists.Ingrid crossed her arms. "It’s obvious she’s behind this. Who else would want to sabotage you like this?"I barely let her finish before storming off to get my money back.I found her in one of the palace meeting rooms, standing with a few of her followers. She looked up just in time for me to march straight up to her."Where is it?" I demanded.Candice smirked. "Where’s what?""My money!" I snapped. "Don’t play dumb."She tilted her head, feig
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
Kayla's POV Adrian had left so early this morning that I didn’t even get a chance to really talk to him and find out if he was okay. He came back drunk last night so I was really beginning to worry.I calmed myself down by telling myself that maybe he just needed some time to cool off after last night, but when noon came and he still wasn’t back, a sick feeling started growing in my stomach.I paced around our room like a caged animal, glancing at the door every few seconds, hoping to hear his footsteps. Breakfast came and went. Then lunch. Still nothing.He wasn't even bothering to eat. Was he that hurt?Finally, I gave up waiting and tried to mind-link him."Adrian? Have you eaten yet?" I asked softly, sending the thought across our bond.Nothing.I tried again."Please answer me. I'm worried about you."This time, I could feel the block. Solid and cold, like a wall had been thrown up between us. I gasped quietly, clutching my chest. He never blocked me before. Not even during ou
Adrian's POV I was waiting for Logan's answer but he was hesitant to look at me."Logan? Why shouldn't I talk to her?"“Because I don’t trust her,” he finally snapped. “You shouldn’t either.” I leaned back in the chair, watching him. “No that's not it... I think You hate her. But I what I want to know is why?” Logan crossed his arms, his whole body tense. “Because I don’t like women who choose power and money over love.” For a second, I just stared at him. That was… personal. Before I could ask more, he shook his head like he regretted saying anything and muttered, “Do what you want, Alpha. Permission to patrol the border sir!" He requested. I waved him off and called for a guard. “Send for Candice. Now.” Logan cursed under his breath but didn’t stop me. Candice arrived not long after, dressed too perfectly for the late hour, her blond hair in place and a smile that didn’t reach her eyes. “You called for me, Alpha?” she said sweetly, walking in with a little too much sway in