LOGINZara’s POV “Zara... is it true?” Kali asked, her voice a fragile, trembling fracture in the heavy silence of the room. “Is what Kora saying... is it true? Am I the Shadow Wolf?”The question hung in the air between us, charged and terrifying, stripping away the last remnants of denial we had clung to. My heart hammered against my ribs, heavy and erratic. I looked down at Kali, seeing the sheer, unadulterated panic radiating from her posture. I wish I could tell her a comforting lie but there was no point in doing that. The truth was out, ugly and inescapable, and she needed me to anchor her before she completely unraveled.Slowly, I closed the small distance between us, sitting down on the edge of the mattress right beside her. I reached out, my fingers wrapping gently around her cold, rigid hands.“Look at me, Kali,” I murmured, keeping my tone as steady as I possibly could, though my own mind was spinning.Kali slowly lifted her gaze, her eyes wide, glassy, and completely dry. If i
Zara’s POvThe heavy wooden door shuddered under a violent second blow, nearly rattling the iron hinges out of the plaster frame.“Open it, Zara! I swear to God, I’ll scream it down the entire corridor for every guard and servant to hear!” Kora’s voice was pitched high with hysteria and malice, cutting through the thick silence of the room like a jagged blade.Panic spiked through my veins. If Kora exposed Kali right now, before we even had a chance to breathe, let alone understand the monstrous, terrifying reality of what had just happened in the forest, Emmett’s men would descend on this room in seconds. Kali wouldn't stand a single chance. The pack wouldn't hesitate; they would tear her apart to protect themselves, or worse, Emmett would turn her into a killing machine to fight every kingdom that had ever raised a brow at his pack. I glanced back at Kali. She was curled tightly into the corner of the mattress, her arms wrapped around her knees, trembling so hard she looked like sh
Zara’s POVThe heat blasted against my face, searing and unnatural. The man shrieked, a sound so primal and agonizing it sent a fresh wave of nausea through my stomach. He dropped Kali instantly, clawing desperately at his chest and arms and entire head where white hot flames danced across his skin, feeding on air that seemed to twist and warp around him.Kali hit the ground hard, gasping for breath, her wide, terrified eyes fixed entirely on her own shaking hands. Wisps of gray smoke still curled lazily from her fingertips.Kali. The Shadow Wolf? The pieces slammed together in my mind with terrifying clarity. Maduro must have known this too, no wonder he wanted Kali so badly! Kora had known all along. And if she didn’t, now she knows.All along the shadow wolf had been right under our noses and we didn’t know."What did you do, you freak?!" Kora’s voice sliced through the chaos. She had recovered from her initial shock, her face contorted into an ugly mask of rage. She lunged forwar
Zara's POVI pushed open the door to Kora’s room with more force than necessary, the wood creaking loudly in the quiet hallway. My head still throbbed from where she had hit me the night before, a constant, dull reminder of how close I had come to dying. But I couldn’t sit in that bed any longer, waiting for answers that wouldn’t come. I needed to know what Kora was up to. Anything — a note, a letter, a scrap of clothing with a scent — that would tell me exactly what she was planning. Who that man on the beach had been. And most importantly, who the Shadow Wolf was. That secret was the key to saving Ike, and I wasn’t going to let Kora keep it from me.The room was eerily neat, the bed made with military precision, the air still carrying a faint trace of her perfume, something sweet and cloying that turned my stomach. I moved quickly, my coat swirling around my legs as I searched the drawers, the nightstand, even under the mattress. My hands trembled slightly, not from fear but from th
Kali's POVI woke up with a banging headache that felt like someone was hammering nails directly into my skull. The pain was so intense that a low growl escaped my throat before I could stop it. I squeezed my eyes shut tighter, trying desperately to get my vision to refocus as blinding lights flooded my eyes, making everything spin in nauseating circles. My head throbbed with every heartbeat, a relentless rhythm that made it hard to think straight. Where was I? What had happened? The last thing I remembered was leaving Zara’s room, the weight of her disappointment still heavy on my chest, and then… nothing. Just darkness.Slowly, the whistling in my ears, that high pitched, disorienting ring, began to fade. Voices started filtering in, at first muffled and distorted, but gradually becoming clearer. Two voices. One was unmistakably Kora’s, sharp and venomous. The other was a man’s, deep and rough, like gravel under boots.I didn’t dare move. My body felt heavy, my limbs weak, but I for
Zara's POVI growled in annoyance, the sound rumbling low in my throat, only to immediately wince as a sharp, vicious thud slammed through my skull. The pain radiated from the spot where Kora had hit me, pulsing like a living heartbeat that refused to be ignored. I pressed my fingers against my temple, breathing through the wave of dizziness that followed. That treacherous bitch. She had dragged me into the water like I was nothing, left me to drown, and now I was paying for it with every movement."Fucking Kora," I cursed under my breath, the words venomous and raw. Once all this was over, I will make sure she pays dearly for this.But I couldn’t waste time wallowing. I decided right then that I didn’t even need Kali’s help to leave this room. I wasn’t a prisoner here. I was Zara — the woman who had survived Ike leaving me, who had built a bakery from nothing, who had almost bound herself to a liar like Isaac. If anyone tried to stop me from walking out of here, I would put them in
Kali's POV The mansion was eerie quiet and dark. There was no sign of movement either. Was everyone at the mating moon ceremony? Well if that was the case, this works perfectly for me. I can slip in and slip out without being detected. I rubbed my side. The burning sensation had increa
Kali's POV My heart was racing inside my chest and my skin suddenly felt too sensitive.Too sensitive to Aiden's touch. I managed to wiggle myself out of his hold, that was already loosening around my waist, and turned to look at him. "You're my mate."Aiden didn't even sound so sure. His expres
Zara's POV My eyes snapped open. I wiggled out of his grip, shoving him so hard he started backwards, his eyes popping open in shock. "Zara what did I..." "What did you say?" His brows scrunched together in confusion, only for a split second. "That you're mine." I scoffed. He had to b
Zara's POV "Shh! it's starting!" Suzie squeaked. My heart skipped inside my chest. The forest immediately fell silent except for the soft rustle of leaves under the night wind. We stood gathered in the open square — a wide, flat space surrounded by tall trees that seemed to guard us . The ea







