RAINE 30 minutes later… I finished showering and got dressed inside the bathroom. It just felt more comfortable that way. I wasn’t going to risk wrapping a towel around myself or getting dressed in the room while he was still sitting there like it was totally normal. I put on a pair of long black leggings and a fitted short sleeved top, towel dried my hair as best as I could, and stepped out of the bathroom, biting my lower lip. My steps felt awkward, but I tried to act normal. I sat down at the vanity and slowly started brushing my hair, letting it fall straight down my back. In the mirror, I could clearly see Alpha Killian still lounging on the couch, legs crossed, casually scrolling on his tablet. Every now and then, he took a sip from that white teacup like he had nothing better to do. I looked at him through the mirror. “Why aren’t you working today?” I asked, trying to keep my tone neutral. “Go back to your office. I’m sure there’s a mountain of paperwork waiting.” He gl
RAINE In the morning… I woke up with a dull ache spreading from the tips of my toes all the way to the back of my neck. It felt like my whole body had been twisted, burned, and wrung out all night long. Morning sunlight poured harshly through the wide-open window, stabbing into my tired eyes. I groaned softly, squinting against the light. I tried to sit up, but my body didn’t even feel like mine. Every muscle screamed. My joints felt like they’d been messed with. And through the haze of slowly returning consciousness, memories of last night came rushing back like a wave of cold water. Heavy breathing. Clawing. Biting. Growling. And desire—wild, unhinged, feral. Me and Alpha Killian… we really did it, fully under the control of our wolves’ instincts. I turned to the other side of the bed. Empty. My heart sank a little. Did he leave me? Like I was just some vessel to carry his offspring? But before that ache in my chest could grow any deeper, I heard soft tapping—fingertips ag
RAINE "I didn’t hear you mention in the meeting earlier that I’d be accompanying you for the next two days, and since today," I said flatly. I knew I sounded sarcastic, but I didn’t care. Alpha Killian didn’t respond. He walked over to the window of my room and, without saying a word, pulled the curtains wide open. Light spilled in, hitting my face. I squinted, trying to adjust. Outside, the flower garden looked fresh and vibrant. White roses, lavender, and wildflowers were neatly blooming. Beautiful. But I was too pissed to appreciate it. Sera, who’d been standing awkwardly near the door, finally gave a polite bow and quietly left. Once the door closed, it was just me and Alpha Killian in the room. The air shifted. Quiet. Heavy. And somehow... tense. I walked slowly to the couch and sat down. We were only a few steps apart now. But it felt like there was a mountain of ice between us. I was still upset. Really upset. But I knew my place. I couldn’t yell at him. I couldn’t lash out
RAINEAlpha Killian wasn’t finished. His voice remained calm, sounding emotionless, though I knew every word had been carefully thought through.“Celine has also started a new program,” he said. “She’s opening a class for young female wolves. A beauty class.”Once again, whispers started among the younger warriors and a few servants standing at the back of the room.“That’s wonderful,” someone murmured.“She’s perfect for it. Luna Celine is beautiful.”“Girls would definitely prefer that over self-defense training. Who wants to sweat and get hurt?”I stayed silent. I didn’t show any reaction. But I heard everything. I always did.No one mentioned the martial arts class I had been planning. No one asked about it, or even seemed interested. That’s fine.Then Alpha Killian turned back to me. His dark eyes were unreadable, as always.“Regarding yesterday’s incident,” he said, “you will not face any punishment. According to our pack’s law, you have the right to choose anyone as your Lungua
RAINEBeta Jax suddenly attacked Asher!It happened so fast. I hadn’t even opened my mouth yet when Beta Jax’s body shot forward like a bullet out of control. His voice roared with fury, his eyes burned with rage, and his fist flew straight at Asher’s face without warning.I held my breath. My whole body tensed.But Asher wasn’t surprised. He simply tilted his body slightly, and the attack missed. He blocked with his left hand, then spun Jax’s body and threw him to the floor with a movement that was almost too swift to follow, like the wind itself.Everyone in the hall fell silent.Beta Jax tried to get up, but Asher stepped on his arm with enough strength to stop him. Not aggressively, but firmly. Asher’s expression was calm, like someone who had done this countless times before. And maybe he had.I saw Beta Jax’s face turn red, not just with anger, but shame. He had been defeated, in front of many, by an outsider. A nobody. It was more than just physical defeat. It was humiliating.
RAINE“We’re here,” I said to Asher, my voice a little hoarse from not sleeping since yesterday.Sera slowly parked the car in front of a large stone building. We borrowed this car from one of the palace servants in Shadowfang, but I gave him a lot of money so he wouldn’t ask questions. I knew I wouldn’t be allowed to leave, so I didn’t ask for permission.Sera and I traveled for a full day and night. The road to the northern mountains wasn’t dangerous since it was sacred territory, no rogue wolves dared to hunt there. But the path was still difficult, full of rocks, slippery, and steep. Sera drove really well. I praised her more than twice. She just laughed and said she used to escape patrols all the time when she was younger. I believed her.Finding Asher wasn’t too hard, since there were only ten houses in that area. Simple homes, far from pack life and politics. I knocked on each door one by one, asking politely, until finally a man with eyes as sharp as blades stepped out of hous