Kailey’s POV I sat down at the wooden table and lightly tapped my fingers on the top. My mind was restless, buzzing with thoughts I couldn’t shake.Auren. My boy. My only child.I had to make sure he was safe. I had to.I kept thinking about Ezekiel's promise that James would always be by Auren's side. That wasn't enough, though. Not while Cecilia looks on. Not with the way she carried herself now, like she ruled the pack with nothing but her look. She was scary. And if I had listened to Mage, if I had never stirred her anger, maybe things would have been different. But it was too late for regrets. The only thing that counted now was Auren’s safety.The door creaked open, and I looked up, my heart racing for a split second before I saw the familiar face.“Lydia,” I breathed, motioning her inside. “Close the door.”She did as I asked, her moves quick but quiet. She was one of the few I still trusted, one of the few who hadn’t turned their back on me when everything started falling apa
Kailey’s POV I reached across the table, gripping his hand.“You stay sharp. You listen to James and Lydia. You do not, under any circumstance, trust Cecilia. She will smile at you, she will act like she cares. But never forget what I’m telling you now. If she ever tries to get close, you walk away. If she tries to speak to you alone, you leave. Do you understand me?”His throat bobbed as he nodded.“Say it, Auren.”“I understand,” he said firmly.I released his hand, leaning back.“Good. Because if anything happens to you while I’m gone, I will burn this entire place to the ground.”He gave a small smirk, but I could see the seriousness in his eyes.“I’ll be fine, Mother.”I exhaled, forcing myself to believe it.“I hope so, Auren. I really do.”I sat there, watching Auren, my hands clenched on my lap. The candle on the table flickered, casting shadows over his face. He was fidgeting, his eyes looking everywhere but at me. I could tell he had something to say. Something he thought I
Ezekiel’s POV I was just standing at the door, even as I saw my love—Kailey—talking with our son. It gave me so much joy that I wanted to just go in and hug them both, but I restrained myself and was just hearing all they were saying, even as I smiled.Auren sat at the table, his little fists clenched, his jaw set like he was trying to be strong. Kailey sat across from him, her eyes sharp but full of something deeper—worry, love, maybe both."I need you to listen to me, Auren," she said, her voice low, serious. "You have to be careful while we’re gone. I don’t trust Cecilia, not for a second. And neither should you."Auren nodded, but I could see the hesitation in his eyes. He was just a boy, no matter how much he wanted to act tough."Say it, Auren," Kailey pressed."I understand," he said, firmer this time.Kailey let out a slow breath and leaned back in her chair. "Good. Because if anything happens to you while I’m gone, I will burn this entire place to the ground."I almost chuck
Ezekiel’s POV As I watched my son clutch the pendant, his little fingers tightening around it, I crouched lower until I was at his level. His bright eyes sparkled with pride, excitement dancing in them like flames. I could see it—the way he already felt stronger, more important. And he was.“Auren,” I said, my voice steady but firm. “Did you hear everything your mother told you earlier?”His head bobbed up and down quickly. “Yes, Father.”“Good.” I reached out, tapping a finger lightly against the pendant he held close to his chest. “This means something. This isn’t just a gift, son. This makes you an Alpha. This marks you as a leader. No one can control you now. They can only guide you.”Auren’s eyes widened just a little, the weight of my words settling on his young shoulders. “Only guide me?” he echoed, his voice small but steady.I nodded. “Yes. You’re not a puppet for anyone to move as they please. Not me. Not your mother. Not the elders. No one. You will listen, you will learn,
Ezekiel’s POV I was getting ready. Kailey had already left. She had to, because there were still things I needed to settle before I could leave.I sat in my office, my pen scratching against the parchment as I signed off the last of the festival preparations. The money budgeting had taken longer than expected, but it had to be done before the end of the day. My brows were furrowed in concentration, the candlelight flickering against the stack of documents in front of me.A knock came at the door."Alpha," James' voice was firm but cautious."Yes?" I answered without looking up, my focus still on the parchment."Some elders are here to see you."I sighed, rubbing my temple. "Tell them I’m really busy, James." I gestured at the documents in front of me. "I have to finish this up before I leave."James hesitated, and that made me look up. His expression wasn’t his usual calm. There was something else there—something that made my gut twist."They said it’s urgent."I set the pen down slo
Ezekiel’s POV As they left, the door slammed shut behind them, the sound echoing through the room. My blood was still boiling, my fists clenched so tight that my knuckles turned white. I took a deep breath, but it did nothing to calm me. My wolf was pacing inside me, restless, furious.James stepped in almost immediately, his eyes scanning my face, reading my anger like an open book. He hesitated at the door, then sighed as he walked closer."Alpha," he said, voice low but firm. "I’m sorry about what just happened. Cecilia… she’s becoming something else entirely. This is getting out of hand."I let out a bitter laugh, shaking my head. "Getting out of hand? James, she’s been a problem for years. Now she’s just getting bolder because these damn elders are letting her."James ran a hand through his hair, his frustration clear. "Maybe we need to reconsider things, Ezekiel. Maybe—""Maybe what?" I snapped, turning to face him fully. "Maybe we let her get away with this? Maybe we bow our h
Ezekiel’s POV Cecilia laughed even as she sat down, crossing one leg over the other, her movements slow and deliberate. Her smirk was wide, her eyes glinting with a mix of amusement and arrogance."Since you refuse to have Kailey and her son out of my way, I’ll make sure the entire pack turns against you," she said, tilting her head slightly, her voice laced with venom. "Everything you hold dear? I will burn it to the ground."I scoffed, shaking my head as I leaned back against my desk. "Is that so?"She leaned forward, her fingers tapping against the armrest of the chair. "You don’t get it, do you, Ezekiel? I am your Luna. Not Kailey. Not anyone else. Me. And I will fight tooth and nail to make sure that stays true."I chuckled, the sound low and mocking. "I would love to see you try."Her jaw clenched for a split second before she masked it with another smirk. "You think this is funny?""Oh, I think it’s hilarious." I pushed off the desk, taking slow steps toward her. "You, sitting
Kailey’s POV I paced back and forth, my heart pounding in my chest as I watched Ezekiel’s guards approaching. The sun was setting behind them, casting long shadows over the dirt road. My stomach twisted with unease. Why were more guards coming? I had already left ahead of Ezekiel because he had things to take care of. Now he was sending more men after me?Something wasn’t right.James rode at the front, his expression unreadable. The moment he got down from his horse, I rushed towards him, grabbing his arm.“James, what’s going on? Why are more of you here?” I demanded, my voice sharp with worry. “Is everything okay back home?”James sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. “Kailey, we need to talk.”I folded my arms, trying to steady my breathing. “Then talk.”James glanced at the other guards, then back at me. “Not here.”I frowned but nodded. “Fine. Over there.” I pointed to a quieter spot near the edge of the packhouse. As soon as we were alone, I turned to him, my patience wearing
James pov. In no time, We arrived at the forest. The trees were tall and close together. The ground was soft under our boots, covered with fallen leaves. Birds still chirped in the trees, but the deeper we went, the quieter it got.It didn’t take long before the air started to feel different. It was heavy. like the forest itself was watching us.We walked in a loose formation, eyes scanning everything around us. I kept my hand on the hilt of my sword, just in case.Jon moved beside me, whispering, “Feels strange, doesn’t it?”“Yeah,” I whispered back. “Too quiet.”We reached a small clearing where the sun broke through the trees. I knelt down and checked the ground.There were tracks, big ones, fresh and blood.“Kellan,” I called quietly. “Come look at this.”He came over and crouched beside me. His eyes narrowed as he studied the prints.“Wolves,” he said. “But not ours.”I nodded. “Rogues.”Of Course I knew it was rogue, but since when? We have made sure no rogues comes to this ar
James pov The morning sun was up in the sky. I could feel its warmness on my face as I walked across the compound of the pack house. The cool breeze rustled the trees around, and the sounds of birds filled the air. This was more like a perfect, peaceful morning. I tilted my head to look at Jon who walked beside me, he has his hands tucked into his pocket coupled with a relax smile on his face. Jon wasn't just a warrior under me anymore, with the few years we have spent together, our bond grew stronger, the friendship we shared grew. “It’s been a while since we had a quiet morning like this,” Jon said, glancing up at the clear blue sky.“Yeah,” I agreed, letting out a soft chuckle. “yeah, no trainings for today so yeah it was expected” Jon grinned. “that is true”We walked past the training ground, it was empty, however there were maids around, carrying out some cleaning. We paused, standing just by the edge of the training ground. Then I looked at Jon.“I haven’t told you the n
Ezekiel's pov. With the progress of the pack house, I decided to build an office, a personal space where I could take care of the happenings in the pack house, where some of the other wolves could report to me whenever there is a problem in the pack.The Pack house has expanded with time, five years was not a small time, it was enough time to develop the pack house and right now, I intend to add more development to it. As I sat behind the large wooden desk in my office, flipping through the reports scattered in front of me. The sunlight slipped through the blinds, casting long shadows across the room. A small smile tugged at the corner of my lips as I leaned back in my chair.I had promised Auren I would be there for his training match this evening.I still remember how mad he had been yesterday when I didn't show up, I didn't want to see him that mad again.He had reminded me at breakfast, twice, and even made me pinky swear like he used to when he was younger. It was hard to sa
Kailey’s POV. It had been five years since the execution of Cecilia and the rogue leader, Damon.Five years since that terrible thing happened, more like a war or a conflict which almost took the peace of our home. Five years since I almost lost my son.I still remember everything like it was yesterday. I still remember all that happened in the forest, how I almost died searching for the relic, how I almost did trying to save the one I love, Ezekiel, how I almost died trying to rush back home to my son. But now, I'm glad, things were different. The pack house had been rebuilt. Bigger, Stronger, With tall stone walls, better guards, and thick wooden doors that could keep even the strongest rogue outside. Warriors patrolled the borders night and day, and peace had finally returned to the pack.I stood by the wide window in our chamber, looking out at the courtyard where the young wolves trained. I could hear their distant yells, the clash of wooden weapons, and the proud howls of
.Kailey’s POV The sun was setting low in the sky, painting the whole courtyard in orange and red hues, I stood beside Ezekiel, holding Auren tightly in my arms. My heart was heavy, this was a day I had both waited for and dreaded.Ezekiel stepped forward. His face was hard, his shoulders straight. He was not my mate at this point, He was the Alpha, and today, he had to act like it.Cecilia stood before us, her hands chained, her beautiful hair messy and dirty now.Beside her, the captured rogues and Roy knelt on the ground, their heads lowered. The whole pack was gathered around, watching in silence.Ezekiel’s voice rang out strong and clear over the courtyard.“For treason against the pack, for working with our enemies, for trying to kill my son and destroy our home” he said, “I, Alpha Ezekiel, sentence Cecilia, Roy, and their allies to death.”There was no noise. No one cheered. This wasn’t a happy moment. It was a sad, painful necessity.Cecilia looked at him, her eyes burning wi
Kailey’s POV The sun was setting low in the sky, painting the whole courtyard in orange and red hues, I stood beside Ezekiel, holding Auren tightly in my arms. My heart was heavy, this was a day I had both waited for and dreaded.Ezekiel stepped forward. His face was hard, his shoulders straight. He was not my mate at this point, He was the Alpha, and today, he had to act like it.Cecilia stood before us, her hands chained, her beautiful hair messy and dirty now.Beside her, the captured rogues and Roy knelt on the ground, their heads lowered. The whole pack was gathered around, watching in silence.Ezekiel’s voice rang out strong and clear over the courtyard.“For treason against the pack, for working with our enemies, for trying to kill my son and destroy our home” he said, “I, Alpha Ezekiel, sentence Cecilia, Roy, and their allies to death.”There was no noise. No one cheered. This wasn’t a happy moment. It was a sad, painful necessity.Cecilia looked at him, her eyes burning wit
Ezekiel's pov. The room was quiet as I sat beside Kailey at the head of the long conference table, a heavy silence hanging over us.The evening light was slipping through the tall windows, painting long shadows across the floor.Kailey’s hand rested over mine. I could feel her shaking, though she tried to hide it.We were both tired, still confused by the whole thing. I knew she must have gone through alot find the relic in the forest. Right now, We were waiting for news. News about our son, about James, about Lydia.My heart twisted every time I thought of Auren’s little face.Where was he? Was he safe?Suddenly, the heavy doors of the conference room burst open with a loud BANG.I jumped to my feet, ready to fight. But it was Cecilia.She stormed inside, her hair wild, her breathing heavy like she had been running. Her eyes widened when she saw us sitting there.“You!” she gasped, stumbling to a stop.Her face twisted for a second, like she wasn’t sure whether to be scared or angr
Kailey’s POV. As I stood there, looking at Ezekiel, standing in front of me, I couldn't believe my eyes.“Is this really you?”I asked, tears gathering in my eyes already.“It's me,” he answered, walking towards me. “You saved me. Suddenly I heard a voice, it was the voice I recognized, the couch of the forest spirit. “you have saved him. He would have lived as the Withered Stag for the rest of his life.” I glanced around and could see the warriors all on their horses around.I frowned, looking toward the mist “What about the relic.?” “There is no relic, the solution was your blood, the only way to save him was the blood of his mate.” the spirit muttered. After a while, there was a snap from the spirit and then it looked like we were all teleported from that area of the forest as the next thing I saw was Ezekiel and I, together with the rest of the warriors standing at a familiar road that leads out of the forest.The road that was once confusing now looks really familiar, of cour
James pov. The next morning, we decided to head north just as the message Lydia had dropped indicated. We moved fast through the trees. My boots hit the ground hard as I ran, sword in hand. Jon was right beside me, and the rest of our warriors followed close behind.We had tracked them here finally. Lydia and Auren were close. I could feel it, I don't think they were far off anymore. We had increased our pace the very moment we stepped out of the cave, ready and motivated to find Lydia. She had dropped the message and it was to show us that we are on the right track. Suddenly, we burst into a clearing, and there they were.Cecilia stood proudly in the middle, her long red cloak flapping in the wind. Beside her was Damon, the rogue leader, tall and strong, his arms crossed like he didn’t have a care in the world.Roy was there too, along with a handful of rough-looking rogues. They had Lydia and Auren held at the back, tied up and guarded by two rogues with knives.My heart slam