KIERANI clenched my fists, my breath coming heavier as I trudged through the thick forest behind Vee, every step echoing in my head like a bad decision. “You know this is insane, right?” I muttered, my voice sharper than I intended. She didn’t even slow down, just tossed me a look over her shoulder that made my chest tighten with equal parts frustration and disbelief. “Insane?” she scoffed.“Kieran, you followed me here, no one dragged you.” I bit back the urge to snap because deep down, I knew she was right, but that didn’t change the fact that I had just walked myself straight into what could easily be Lucian’s trap. My eyes darted around, every rustle in the leaves making me tense.“If his rogues jump me now, I’m dead,” I said, half to her, half to myself. “Not dead,” she replied too quickly, “just… outnumbered.” I stopped in my tracks, staring at her. “That’s supposed to make me feel better? Outnumbered usually leads to death, Vee. Or worse.”She finally stopped walking, turning
RAVENI glanced over my shoulder for what felt like the tenth time in less than a minute, my brows drawn low, because honestly, I couldn’t wrap my head around why Kieran was still there, still following me like some stubborn shadow that refused to disappear. “You do know,” I said, letting my voice drip with the kind of warning that should’ve made any sane man turn back, “that I might be walking you straight into a trap, right?” He didn’t even blink—just gave me that infuriating half-smile, the one that made it look like he knew more than he was letting on.“Yeah,” he said simply, “but if it’s a trap, it’s still better than sitting around and wondering what’s out here.” I let out a sharp breath, almost a laugh but not quite, shaking my head. “You really don’t know when to quit, do you?” I muttered.“Not when I think the person leading me knows something I don’t,” he shot back, his tone laced with something between challenge and curiosity. I stopped for a moment, narrowing my eyes at hi
KIERANI kept my eyes on Raven as she moved swiftly ahead of me, her figure weaving between the trees like she had walked this path a thousand times before. “Raven,” I called, my voice cutting through the quiet rustle of the leaves, “are you ever going to tell me where the hell we’re going, or do you plan to keep me guessing until we get lost?”She didn’t turn back, didn’t even slow her pace, just tossed her voice over her shoulder like it was a casual thing. “If you can’t handle a little mystery, Kieran, you’re free to turn around.”I scoffed, shoving a low branch out of my way. “Turn around? You think I’m the type to stop halfway just because I’m not getting answers?” She let out a laugh—short, sharp, and just this side of mocking.“You’re the type to get in over your head and then complain about it later.” I pushed forward, narrowing the gap between us. “I’m the type who doesn’t like being lied to. And right now, you’re not telling me anything, which makes me think you’re hiding so
RAVENI could feel it, the subtle prickle at the back of my neck, the faint change in the rhythm of the air behind me, the way my instincts kept urging me to turn around. But I didn’t. I just kept walking, my boots crunching lightly against the gravel path, my hands buried deep in the pockets of my coat, my face calm as though I hadn’t noticed a thing. Still, every part of me was aware, hyper-aware, and when I finally let my eyes drift ever so slightly to the side, catching the reflection in the faint shimmer of a shop window, my lips almost curled. Alpha Kieran. Of course it was him.“Well,” I muttered under my breath, just low enough for only me to hear, “this should be fun.” I tilted my head forward and kept walking, pretending to be lost in thought, though my mind was already calculating the quickest way to get him exactly where I wanted him. I didn’t give him the satisfaction of catching my glance—oh no, that would ruin the game. Instead, I slowed just enough to make it look like
KIERANAt this point, I was already tired—no, exhausted, of everything that was happening within my pack, the bickering, the silent power struggles, the undercurrents of mistrust that no amount of meetings or speeches seemed to fix. I sat slouched in my chair, fingers rubbing against my temple as if I could massage away the weight of leadership.“I swear, Dorian, if I hear one more complaint about territory lines or hunting rights, I’m going to start throwing people out of the council room,” I muttered, my voice low but dripping with the kind of frustration that comes from weeks of sleepless nights. Dorian just chuckled faintly, leaning against the desk like he had all the patience in the world.“You can’t throw them out, Kieran,” he said with that maddening calmness of his. “You’re the Alpha. You have to listen to them, even when they’re driving you insane. That’s what makes you the Alpha they respect.” I looked up at him sharply. “Respect? You think they respect me? Half of them are
RAVENI looked over at Rowena, her face half-hidden in the dim light, and I asked quietly, “Have you heard anything new from Lucian?” I tried to keep my voice neutral, but there was a bite in it I couldn’t quite mask. She shook her head slowly, the corner of her mouth twitching in that way it always did when she was holding back. “No,” she said, her tone clipped, “and even if I had, Raven, there are some things better left unsaid.” I frowned, leaning a little closer. “Better left unsaid?” I repeated.“Since when do we start keeping things from each other?” She met my eyes with that cold, knowing look that could slice through anyone. “Since we’re talking about Lucian,” she said firmly.“He’s not like Kieran or the others. Lucian is… unpredictable. Temperamental. It only takes one wrong word, one wrong move, to make him explode. And when he does, there’s no undoing it. You can’t treat him like the rest. You’d need someone who knows how to twist him, how to pull the right strings without