MasukKieraAfter Damian’s confession, my boots crunched softly against the frozen dirt of the eastern courtyard as I hurried back toward the palace. Every shadow looked like a trap. Every gust of wind sounded like a whisper calling my name.My mind was a chaotic, spinning storm of absolute madness.I was in Denial, because It had to be a lie. Damian was just playing a cruel game to turn me against Alistair. Alistair was kind to me. He protected me from Raphael, he respected my boundaries, and his touch made me feel safe.I felt Distrust, because what if Damian was telling the truth? What if the gentleness was just a mask? What if Alistair really did murder Lady Lenora, use forbidden blood magic, and hunt down women who tried to escape him?Doubt and Fear. The images of the missing women, the fact that someone in the palace had been spying on me for years before this, and Lenora's tragic fate played on a loop in my head. If Damian's warnings were real, I wasn't just in danger… I was literal
Kiera "Bingo," Damian said bitterly. "The original attackers who were asking about you weren't sent by random enemies. They were Lady Lenora's surviving relatives. They fled this kingdom years ago after her death, and they came back for one reason only: because they are convinced that Alistair murdered her and for some reason… they think its somehow connected to you.""They think he murdered her? His own mate?" I shook my head violently, backing away a step. "That's insane! Alistair wouldn't… he's the King and she is his beloved mate—""Is he?" Damian interrupted, stepping closer, his violet eyes burning with intense, painful emotion. "Do you even know who Lenora really was, Kiera? She wasn't just a normal werewolf from some stray pack.""What do you mean?""Lenora was a seer," Damian said, his voice dropping to a harsh whisper. "She came from an ancient, rare bloodline of seers gifted with powerful, unearthly visions of the future in her dreams. She could see what was coming before
Kiera That evening, I hurried straight to Alistair’s private study because I couldn't hold it in anymore. The terror and confusion were choking me.When I pushed the heavy door open, Alistair looked up from a stack of battle maps. He took one look at my pale face, stood up instantly, and crossed the room in two long strides."Kiera? What happened? Who hurt you?" he demanded, his hands gripping my shoulders. His golden eyes flared with instant, protective rage."It's Malakor," I sobbed quietly, the tears finally spilling over. I let myself lean into his chest, burying my face against his warm wool tunic. "He... he cornered me in the hallway. He told me he wants all omegas and weaklings wiped out. He said he's going to make an example out of me. He said I'm just a temporary replacement for Lady Lenora, and if I don't die or leave soon, he'll finish me himself. Alistair, what do we do?"Alistair’s body went completely rigid and a ferocious, deep alpha growl ripped from his throat, shaki
Kiera The heavy oak doors of the high courtroom slammed open with a deafening crash that echoed off the ancient stone walls.My heart hammered against my ribs like a trapped bird, and behind me, Susan and Elara clutched my sleeves, their faces pale and drawn. We had barely caught our breath from the terrifying morning at the breakfast table when the guards had dragged us back into this stupid fucking hall again.Altar-side, Alpha King Alistair strode forward, his massive frame radiating pure, unadulterated fury. His golden eyes swept over the council of elders like a wildfire, daring anyone to speak. But the elders did not cower. No… Today, they looked bolder, fueled by a collective rage that hummed through the air."Silence!" Elder Malakor’s raspy, venomous voice cut through the murmurs of the court. He stood at the center of the raised dais, leaning heavily on his carved staff, his ancient eyes fixed entirely on Alistair."You bring shame to this crown, King Alistair!" Malakor sho
Kiera Elara sat nervously near the edge of her chair, keeping her eyes glued to her plate, terrified to even breathe too loudly. Theo and Brandon sat across from us, wearing scowls of deep disgust and suspicion, making no secret of how much they hated having us there."Eat," Alistair instructed gently, pushing a plate of fresh fruit and warm bread toward me."I'm not very hungry," I muttered, pushing my fork around my plate.Across the table, Brandon let out a loud, scoffing noise, rolling his eyes dramatically. "Look at her. Useless and ungrateful. Bringing slowly servants and weak omegas into the royal dining hall now? What a joke."Susan instantly slammed her teacup down onto the table, the porcelain cracking against the wood. She glared across at Brandon, her eyes flashing with pure fury. "Shut your mouth, Brandon! You act like we wanted to be dragged into this snake pit of a palace! If you have something to say, say it to our faces instead of whining like a spoiled pup!"Theo’s
Kiera "Well?" Theo demanded, stepping closer, his boots clicking loudly against the stone. "Don't you know there is a strict royal curfew in place? Every resident is supposed to be locked in their rooms to protect the palace from intruders. So I will ask you again... what were you doing out here?"My heart slammed against my ribs. I couldn't tell him the truth. I couldn't tell him I had just been meeting with Damian in secret. If Theo found out, he would drag me straight to Alistair, and every trust I had built with him would come crashing down in a single second."Well?" Beta Theo demanded, stepping closer, his heavy boots clicking loudly against the cold stone floor. His eyes narrowed with cold suspicion as he looked down at me. "What were you doing out here?"The breath caught in my throat, and my mouth opened, but no words came out. If Theo dragged me to Alistair now, everything would shatter. He would find out I had just been alone with Damian in the dark, and my entire life her
Kiera’s povI wish I had been born blind.I wish I never even had the ability to see, because blindness would have hurt a lot less thanbeing forced to stand here, and watch as my husband fucked my little sister on my own officedesk.I wasn’t even sure my heart was still beating anymore, because w
Kiera’s povI stood outside Susan’s house, staring down at my phone.The screen was turned off now and My fingers tightened slightly before I exhaled shakily.Everything inside me felt… wrong. Empty and cold. Or maybe— I had just Changed.Because the girl who had driven away from the pack house, cr
Rafael’s povI stared at my phone longer than I should have.Kiera’s message sat there on the screen, harmless at first glance, but something aboutit didn’t sit right with me.“Sorry I haven’t gotten the papers yet. My father is being stubborn. It might take a fewdays.”I frowned slightly, my thum
Kiera’s pov My hands gripped the steering wheel so tightly my knuckles turned white. I didn’t even remember leaving the pack office. One second I had been standing outside that door, , and the next—I was here.Driving, running and escaping from the horror that was my life.My vision blurred again,







