Keira POVI had faith in my t-shirt and jeggings and believed they shield me from Liam's overly invasive touch. Ripping them off me would not be too easy if he tried. Thankfully, he didn't join me on the bed. At least, not immediately. I had laid down when he pulled a stool close and deposited himself in front of me. He took a long swig from his bottle of scotch while his eyes stayed fixed on me.Moments went by in silence while he watched me with a look that made him unrecognizable to me. It occurred to me that he'd barely felt recognizable since the day I walked in on him and Belle at the Pine. Then he finally spoke,"Elder Hill was right, you know. I have needs that you can't meet, Kiki. I need your wolf awake when I fück you! But you've never let me have that. Our wolves have never done what couples should do. I'd like to know why? How's that fair to me?" '''False peace false peace false peace.''' I kept singing these words in my head to avoid barking out what I truly wished
Keira POVIn the last two days, I had very little sleep because of Liam. It took hours, but he'd eventually discovered my hiding place the day after. Once he did, he'd banged on the door almost all night.While he was busy with that, I got a hold of Conan using the intercom in the chamber where I locked myself up. I had him sneak into my study to get the spare copies of my divorce papers and Liam's reassignment at the Pine. Conan had held on to it and waited till the coast was clear. As soon as Liam grew bored of sticking near the guest chamber, he'd brought the files to me. It was a few minutes before dawn. I was starting to nod off when his gentle knock, followed by a whisper, woke me up and slipped the papers into the room. Now, it was the morning of the full moon. I was positively sick of being confined to this room. But it was either this or get raped by the soon-to-be ex.I sat on the bed with copies of the documents that Conan had dropped off discreetly. I let the images from
Apparently, Liam felt so much larger than life now. He failed to realize that I could make him suffer immensely in that nine hours when the full moon would be visible in the sky. This was proof that he thought me completely useless and weak. And totally at his mercy.After breakfast, I got my cellphone and turned it on, expecting to see missed calls from Alpha Nox. There was none. I guessed he got my message last time. He truly was keeping his distance until we met tonight. That was a good thing.However, I couldn't stop checking my cellphone and willing him to call. I wanted him to confirm our meeting, which was set for after dark. No call came. Male werewolves went crazy in the full moon. I had never seen a Lycan in the full moon, but I'd heard stories. They were ten times worse, according to the rumors. The day he'd dropped the bomb that we were fated, when I asked us to meet on the full moon, it was because a part of me believed him. Not only that. I wanted it to be true, too.
Nox POVMy feet were as silent as a wild cat approaching its prey. I was close to Spring Moon borders now. My Beta and other warriors lurked all about the woods, waiting for my orders.I stopped and let my senses roam the place first. Keira's warriors were also nearby, but it's not like they were ready for battle. They were merely alert and doing their usual patrol work, making sure there was no trouble near their land. If I moved any closer, one of them could see me. Then I would have to kill him so that he didn't announce my presence.Fortunately, my meeting point with Keira was supposed to be near the borders and not deep inside Spring Moon lands. So I could watch for her from where I stood.I knew what she planned to do. Once she had done it, Theo and my guys would get my signal to invade her pack.She already thought the worst about me. There was no reason not to surpass her expectations tonight. She would learn just how cruel and greedy I could be since that was her impression o
Nox POVPlan B was that we would invade and subdue all of Keira's warriors first. Then I would deal with her after I had taken her pack and murdered her piece-of-shit husband.'Alpha?' 'We'll...' She stopped pacing, causing me to forget what I was about to say. Then she looked in my direction as if she sensed something. Even from such a distance, I could scent her anger and anticipation. She was eager for things to get moving between us. She was highly impatient. Something distracted her, and she looked away from where I hid. Then she swiftly turned around and raced deeper into the pack. I followed her with silent paws.It was her Gamma, Conan, who called her attention.Theo followed me quietly and stayed well hidden.'Alpha, we're two minutes behind time on the plan,' he informed me.'We retreat,' I stated gently.'What? Like... no fighting tonight?''Yeah. No fighting. We'll come back another time.'*****I followed Keira still, keeping a good distance between us. She roamed her
Keira POVThe night is not going as I pictured it. I had gotten Liam's signature on all of the documents where they needed to be. But the head of the Elder's Council was missing, and I couldn't secure his notary. According to his omega, he went out in the afternoon and was not back yet.Not only that. Nox did not show up! I spent the whole night in the woods at the place where we were supposed to meet. But there was no sign of the Lycan. At some point, I'd foolishly began to worry, wondering if something happened. I imagined that the Midnight Moon may have realized that their head doctor was in danger. They may have brought battle to his pack to rescue their own.These thoughts threatened my resolve to keep hating him. I had to quickly return to my senses. Alpha Nox was the enemy, I kept repeating this to myself to keep my head straight. His reason for not showing up was clear. He was playing games. He did not want to give me the satisfaction of knowing for sure if we were fated or
Sometime later, I woke up in my bed in the chamber that I had Yara prepare a few days ago. Not the other master's bedroom. It was late in the afternoon. Aria had long retreated back to sleep.When I looked out the window, I was confused for a moment, thinking that it was the morning of the next day. As usual, I'd fallen into deep slumber for a few hours when my wolf went into hibernation. I was awake now and had returned to being just Keira, the weak Luna.I rushed out of bed and went to the bathroom. As I washed up, the events of the night and this early morning flooded back. The rage festered inside me for all that happened.My anger over Nox's absence was mixed with a longing that left me frustrated. I stared in the mirror at my neck, letting my fingers brush the two dark imprints that was Liam's mark. They were small and not quite bright but not invisible.At some point in our marriage, I had decided that the husband was one of those male wolves who did not put their mark on a fe
Nox POVWhen I first spotted Conan running away, I thought that he was afraid of the fight and trying to go hide himself. The idea that he was a coward filled me with such revulsion and fury like I had never known. Because he was Keira's Gamma. Basically, he was her bodyguard when her wolf was unavailable. Which was most of the time.If he ran from battle like he was doing right now, how could he stand with her? How could he fight with and for her?"Aaaarrrgh!" I roared, charging after him like a deranged beast. Only when I entered the foyer of the main building did I realize what he meant to do. He was rushing inside to his Luna. Not to go hide, but to inform her of the battle. I had just entered the grand reception area when he vanished through a door. His deputy bravely jumped in front of me to stop me from going any further. Sweat poured down his brow, indicating his terror of me. But he didn't back down.My Beta came out of nowhere and dove for him, tackling him to the ground
Nox POVI was deep in the woods near the Winter Moon pack when Ramos joined me. He was with Fabian, the Autumn Moon warrior, who accompanied him on his way to the North this morning.I did not stop when they appeared. The fact that I ran into them meant that they hadn't captured the prisoner still. The only status report that mattered to me now was to hear that Liam had been caught and detained.We continued the hunt quietly till we entered Winter Moon's lands. The pack's Alpha had his territorial marks all over the place. Ignoring it, I began scouring the entire place for any sign of Liam or that elder. According to Pavlov, the old male had not returned to his restaurant yet. Surely, he and Liam were together. My claws itched for the latter.As I went further into Winter Moon's territory, some warrior guards accosted me and attempted to keep me from going any further."Alpha Nox, we don't want any trouble," pleaded their leader. "But this is wrong. You can't just come into our lands
Nox POVWhen Aria first spotted me, she snarled viciously as she struggled to get up and defend herself.I ran to her, vaguely noting the blood trails that led away from her spot into the woods. She seemed too weak to move."Aria," I dropped to my knees before her.She began to relax. There was blood all around her. From the scent, some of it was hers. My heart was in my throat. I was shaking from fear and rage, and unsure what to do.She looked toward the woods, and I glanced Pavlov's way, who immediately shifted and took off in that direction. I ripped my shirt as she began to shift back into her human form. It strained her to do it. She gave up trying and sighed, shutting her eyes. I let out my wolf, then lifted and carried her into the woods to race back to her pack.I could feel her healing from whatever wounds were inflicted on her. But she exerted herself in the process. It was too much of an effort.When I entered the pack's main building, Doctor Servius ran towards me. I wh
Nox POVMy heart dropped at the news of Liam's escape. My fist tightened on the cellphone. Ramos' breathing was heavy on the other end of the phone. I knew he was anxious about my reaction and enraged by his mistake."He's coming my way, you said. Which way? The Autumn Moon?" "No. Spring!" He replied. My mind immediately went to Keira. She was out in town. Outside the pack, though not too far. I recalled the look on Liam's face when I told him that Aria was awake. A she-wolf whom he would never have the pleasure of knowing even though they were once mated. If he was on his way here, rather than to take revenge on me, which would be foolish and suicidal, he was definitely coming to get Keira. "I don't understand, Ramos," I said. "How's it possible that he escaped? He had two werewolves guarding him." Not to mention that one of them was Ramos Vargas, a warrior of the North. "I am ashamed, Prince Nox," he replied. "We were distracted by those damned rogues. I let my guard down. B
Keira POVI stood a few feet inside the large office, staring at Liam Rudd, my ex-husband. The sound of the door latching behind me was a distant, irrelevant sound at that point. Even the Winter Moon's elder's voice was insignificant. My mind raced with various explanations for Liam's presence."How are you here?" I asked him.The smirk faded from his face and was replaced by a look that made me recall the days before the full moon, when he'd assaulted and tried to force himself on me. I remembered how I'd locked myself up in a guest chamber to avoid him until the full moon. The look on his face now was exactly the same as that time. I grew anxious and quickly looked behind me, only to find the elder standing with his back to the locked door. As if were standing guard."It is so good to see you again, my wife," Liam said. "My Luna. And I'm glad you're happy to see me too."I heard the door give another click sound behind me and turned. The elder was smiling at Liam's sarcastic remark
Nox POVKeira was a hard worker. Efficient, too. She was focusing on her family business and did not seem bothered by my existence. I was highly bothered by her walking around like I didn't exist. I had spent the whole morning shamelessly following her about. I didn't bother peeking this time. There was no point. I'd let everyone know that I was watching and following her, hoping to earn a reaction.But she had not even spared me more than a few seconds' glance. The time flew by too fast, and Theo came to find me, reminding me of the pressing matters that demanded my immediate attention. At the same time, my phone rang. It was Conan, who had just delivered my message to the former members of Spring Moon Elders Council.Zoey Faust, who was not a former member but was grouped with them, had caved first, according to Conan. She was ready to meet me face to face and talk. I decided to return to the pack for now. Keira Gray didn't live at the Pine, I consoled myself. She would return to
Keira POVNox was here. Not just in the building, he was nearby. Every now and then, I would feel him watching me. Today was the first time he came in here since the day he handed the wine company back to me.My morning had been going on smoothly when I sensed him. I'd almost forgotten that my arrest could come at any time. Blame that on the fact that no one stopped me from leaving the building this morning. Not only that, Liam had been taken far away to be punished. All thoughts of my troubles at home were far from my mind. After Nox's cruel words to me, spying on me was the last thing I expected from him. So when I first spotted him, I thought he'd come to kick me out of here. Maybe he would order the warriors around to drag me back to my chamber. Or the prison he'd prepared.I'd spent every single minute of the early hours with the nagging thought that I could be escorted out of here any moment. But until the middle of the day, work continued to go on smoothly despite his watchful
Nox POVI watched as Liam was escorted out of the building. He was not my primary reason for perching by the window of my office. Keira was passing through the foyer with Pavlov behind her. She stopped shot and stiffened as she sensed her ex far behind.The fact that she could feel him like that made my stomach turn. My father resumed talking, making me recall that I had the phone to my ear. I didn't hear the last thing he said."Nox!" He snapped."I'm right here, your majesty," I returned."Good. He is MY prisoner! Now, I know this goes without saying, but Ramos knows your scent quite well. He wouldn't mistake it for another."My fist tightened on the receiver. Apparently, King Cyrus could read minds. He knew what I was thinking. That was no surprise. He was the father who raised me, so I was more like him than anybody else. He knew me like the back of his hand. "If you go after the guy to murder him on the way, Ramos will know it's you no matter how you disguise yourself. And I w
Keira POVI took the hand Ramos Vargas offered and was going to say welcome to my home but caught myself. "Nice to meet you, Mister Vargas," I said instead.Breakfast went on smoothly and seemed to be ending on a good note. No unpleasant talk came up. We were nearly done when the newcomer finally mentioned Liam."I feel like you ought to hear it from me," he said. "Actually, King Cyrus asked me to inform you personally as this is your household. I'm taking Liam Rudd to the Northside. We're leaving in a few minutes."My heart jerked as the news."He confessed to attempting high treason against the Prince," he went on. "That makes him an enemy of the North and the Lycan King's prisoner. Alpha Nox is not allowed to do him any more harm than he already did. The one who gave him the poison will face their punishment here. As soon as we find out who. But I've been asked to bring Liam with me immediately.""I see," I replied lamely, not knowing what else to say.I couldn't stomach the rest
Keira POVThis was the part where I defended myself and screamed that I had no part in Liam's plan. To tell him that I intended to refuse when next the talk came up.But I did not say a word. I would hate to sound defensive. I had every right to try to take back my pack, did I not?Even if I wanted to speak up right now, my throat was closed as a result of the pain caused by his words.I did not expect him not to retaliate the attempted attack. After all, he was a wolf. A mutant, but a wolf nonetheless. Revenge was part of his genetic makeup. Moments after he went out of my private chamber, I stood waiting. Pavlov or another warrior would barge in any moment to drag me to the dungeon below the building. I would be locked up with the others like a common criminal. In a pack where everyone called me Luna.My palms grew sweaty as I waited. Maybe they would take me to the Autumn Moon. I decided that would be better than being imprisoned here Hours or what felt like it went by, and nothi