Chapter Three

Kia

I threw myself into the passenger seat of Pam’s car and slammed the door. 

My chest heaved as I struggled to catch my breath. The lingering heat from Ryder’s skin still burned on my waist.

"Drive.”

 "Please just drive, Pam."

Pam hit the accelerator. The tires crunched over the gravel as we sped away from the manor. She glanced at me with wide eyes.

"What in the name of the Goddess happened in there?" Pam asked. 

"You look like you just went toe to toe with a feral beast."

"He is losing his mind," I said softly. I rested my forehead against the cold glass of the window. 

"They are all losing it. I need a distraction tonight. Is Vluran going to be at the Ascension?"

Pam let out a loud laugh.

"You and your bloody crush," Pam teased, shaking her head. 

"Yes, my brother is already there. He was asking if you were riding with me."

A small, genuine smile touched my lips. The thought of Vluran was the only light in my miserable existence. He was a Delta, strong and kind, with warm hazel eyes that never looked at me with pity.

"Do you think he actually asked about me?" I whispered, feeling a flutter of nervous energy.

"He talks about you all the time," Pam said, turning the steering wheel sharply as we entered the pack square. "Just play it cool, alright? Don't let the triplets ruin your entire night."

We parked and walked into the grand packhouse. The Ascension hall was a massive room built from dark stone and heavy timber. Chandeliers hung from the ceiling, casting a golden glow over the hundreds of wolves gathered inside. 

We wove through the crowd of omegas and low-ranking wolves. I kept my head down until Pam nudged my ribs.

"Look by the pillar," she whispered.

I looked up. Vluran was standing there in a crisp dark suit. He caught my eye immediately. A slow, breathtaking smile spread across his face, and he raised his glass toward me. My heart did a chaotic flip in my chest. I smiled back, feeling giddy and completely weightless for the first time in months.

Then the wooden doors at the front of the hall slammed open.

The music stopped playing. The chatter died instantly. Every wolf in the room straightened up, lowering their chins in a mandatory show of submission.

The Triplet Alphas had arrived.

Ryder, Liam, and Kratavak walked down the center aisle. Their collective Alpha pheromones rolled through the room like a suffocating wave. Ryder walked in the middle. His golden eyes scanned the crowd, lethal and cold, until they locked directly onto me.

He stopped walking. He just stood there, staring at me with an intensity that made my skin crawl. It felt like he was stripping me bare in front of the entire pack. I wanted the floor to swallow me whole.

"Why is he looking at you like that?" Pam muttered under her breath.

Before I could answer, a sharp pain blossomed on my shoulder.

Someone shoved me hard from behind. I stumbled forward, barely catching my balance. A cold, sticky liquid splashed all over my dark dress, ruining the fabric instantly.

A chorus of giggles erupted behind me.

"Oh, look at the clumsy little stray," Moss sneered.

She stood there holding an empty crystal goblet, surrounded by her equally vicious friends. She wore a stunning emerald gown that clung to her every curve.

"You ruined my dress, Moss," I said, keeping my voice steady.

"Did I?" Moss stepped closer, her eyes flashing with malice. "It looks exactly like the rubbish you always wear. You do not belong here, Kia. You are a wolfless joke. The only reason you are tolerated is because you make a decent maid."

Tears pricked the corners of my eyes. The entire hall was watching. Vluran was watching.

Before I could form a comeback, a large hand clamped around my wrist like an iron vice.

"Come with me," Liam growled.

He did not wait for my permission. He dragged me out of the main hall and down a dimly lit, empty corridor. His grip was bruising. I dug my heels into the carpet and jerked my arm back.

"Let go of me!" I yelled.

Liam spun around. His eyes were dark and full of absolute disgust.

"Do you enjoy humiliating my family?" Liam asked, his voice dripping with venom. "Because that is all you seem to do. You are a walking disaster."

"I did not ask Moss to pour wine on me," I fired back.

"You provoked her just by breathing the same air," Liam stepped closer, towering over me. "Look at you. You are pathetic. You have no wolf, no rank, and no pride. You are nothing but a burden."

"Then let me leave," I said, my voice rising. "Let me walk out of this territory tonight. I do not want to be your anchor. I do not want to be your breeder."

Liam let out a cruel, mocking laugh. "Leave? You would not survive a day in the real world. You need us. You are a parasite feeding off our charity."

"You are a monster," I spat, my chest heaving with rage. "You act like you are so superior, but you are just terrified. You are terrified of the madness in your own blood. You use me because you are weak."

"Shut up," Liam warned, his jaw clenching.

"No," I challenged, stepping right into his space. "I am not your toy. I am not your punching bag. You hate me because I am the only one who sees exactly how broken you are."

"I said shut up, Kia."

"Make me," I whispered fiercely.

Liam let out a frustrated growl. His hands flew to the sides of my face, his fingers tangling roughly in my hair. Before I could process what was happening, he crashed his lips onto mine.

It was not a gentle kiss. It was punishing, violent, and completely desperate. His mouth moved against mine with a fierce hunger that tasted like peppermint and fury. My mind went entirely blank. I tried to push his chest, but his arms wrapped tightly around my waist, lifting me slightly off the floor.

Then, just as abruptly as he started, Liam tore himself away.

He stumbled backward. His chest was heaving. He stared at me like I was a terrifying disease he had just contracted. He violently wiped the back of his hand across his mouth.

He did not say a single word. He just turned on his heel and walked away, disappearing into the shadows of the corridor.

I stood there trembling, my fingers touching my bruised lips.

I needed air. I walked slowly back toward the entrance of the grand hall, trying to steady my breathing. As I rounded the corner, I bumped squarely into a solid chest.

"I am sorry," I mumbled, looking up.

It was Vluran.

He opened his mouth to speak, but the words never came out.

Suddenly, the air between us shifted. It felt like all the oxygen was sucked out of the room. A powerful scent of cedar and rain flooded my senses, wrapping around my soul like a warm blanket. It was the absolute, undeniable pull of fate. The Moon Goddess had chosen my path.

I gasped, looking at Vluran with wide eyes.

Vluran felt it too. I saw the exact moment the realization hit him. But instead of joy, a look of pure, unadulterated horror washed over his features.

He took a step back, putting distance between us as if my touch would burn him.

"No," Vluran whispered, shaking his head.

"Vluran?" I asked, my voice cracking.

Other wolves were gathering around us, drawn by the sudden shift in energy. Moss pushed her way to the front of the crowd, her arms crossed over her chest.

Vluran looked at me, then looked at the crowd, and finally looked at Moss. His expression hardened into something cold and unrecognizable.

"I cannot do this," Vluran said loudly, making sure everyone could hear him. "I, Vluran of the Volkov Pack, reject Kia as my fated. I love someone else."

The silence in the hall was deafening.

It felt like someone had reached into my chest and crushed my heart with their bare hands. The physical pain of the rejection forced me to my knees. I gasped for air, tears spilling over my cheeks.

Moss threw her head back and laughed. It was a high, grating sound that echoed off the stone walls.

"Did you honestly think he would want you?" Moss mocked, stepping forward to look down at me. "A wolfless freak? A charity case who cleans our toilets? You are completely delusional, Kia. Nobody will ever want you."

Her friends joined in, pointing and whispering cruel insults that blurred together into a cacophony of humiliation.

I did not wait for Pam. I did not look for Liam or Ryder. I scrambled to my feet and ran out the heavy oak doors, fleeing into the freezing mountain night.

I ran until my lungs burned and my legs felt like lead. I ended up at the ragged edge of the territory, pushing open the rusted door of an old, dimly lit pub. The place smelled of stale beer and cheap cigars.

I sat at the darkest corner of the bar and ordered the strongest drink they had.

I downed the burning liquid in one gulp. I ordered another.

"Pacing yourself is usually a good strategy for the brokenhearted."

The voice came from the stool next to mine. It was a deep, smooth baritone that sent a strange shiver down my spine. I turned my head.

A man was sitting there. He wore a dark leather jacket and had hair as black as midnight. His jawline was sharp enough to cut glass, but it was his eyes that held me captive. They were a striking, piercing blue.

"I am not brokenhearted," I slurred slightly, the alcohol already taking the edge off my pain. "I am just completely exhausted. They want to turn me into a breeder. My own fated rejected me in front of the whole pack. They all think I am rubbish."

The stranger signaled the bartender to leave the bottle. He poured me another glass.

"Wolves are cruel creatures," he said quietly, his blue eyes studying my face with intense interest. "They value power over loyalty. They do not see the worth in things they cannot control."

"Exactly," I said, leaning closer to him. He smelled incredible. Like a brewing storm and expensive amber. "I just want to forget. I want to forget all of them."

The stranger reached out, his thumb gently wiping a stray tear from my cheek. The touch sent a jolt of electricity straight to my core.

"Then let me help you forget, little one," he murmured.

I did not think about the consequences. I did not care about the Volkov pack or the triplets or Vluran. I grabbed the lapels of his leather jacket and pulled him down to my lips.

He responded instantly, lifting me off the bar stool and carrying me up the narrow wooden stairs to the rooms above the pub.

The night was a blur of tangled sheets, breathless whispers, and an all-consuming fire that finally chased the coldness out of my bones. For the first time in my life, I felt completely wanted.

When I woke up, the morning light was streaming through the dusty window.

The bed beside me was empty. The sheets were cold.

I sat up, wrapping the blanket around my bare shoulders. A small television in the corner of the room was playing a morning news broadcast on a low volume.

I reached for the remote to turn it off, but the bold text scrolling across the bottom of the screen caught my eye.

"Northern Territory Leaders Arrive for Summit."

The camera panned to a massive private jet on a runway. A man stepped off the stairs, flanked by dozens of heavily armed guards.

My blood ran completely cold. The remote slipped from my fingers and clattered onto the wooden floor.

It was the man from last night. The man who had held me in the dark.

The reporter's voice echoed in the quiet room.

"The Lycan King has finally arrived in the region to visit his cousins, the Volkov Triplet Alphas."