From the corner of my eye, I see Fury push back from the chair and rise with a long, weary sigh.“Ignore the rumours going around,” he says. “Nothing’s been confirmed yet. But one thing I do know for sure—the alpha won’t let go of the one destined for him by the Moon Goddess… not a second time. Not even for power.”I freeze, fingers stilling on the plate in my hands. Something hot coils in my chest, and before I can stop myself, I drop the plate into the sink with a loud clatter.I whip around. “I don’t care if the rumours are true or not!” I snap, heat rising in my face. “It’s not my damn business, Fury. I still stand by what I said—I don’t accept the mate bond between us. So you don’t have to defend him.”He runs a hand through his hair, but I continue.“Power can drive a man crazy. I’ve seen it—I’ve lived it. So Jack can marry the Alpha King’s daughter. Or the goddess herself, for all I care. He can fuck whoever he wants—”My voice cracks at the end, and I hate that it does. A heav
The growl that rips from him is pure fury. His hand clamps around my neck like a vice, squeezing until my feet lift off the ground. I gasp, struggling as he chokes the air from my lungs.“I haven’t seen you around before, and I know a brat when I see one,” he snarls. “You can’t possibly be from the Blood Fang pack. Our women are well-trained—submissive, obedient. But you—” his lip curls in disgust, “you’re a mouthy little brat who clearly doesn’t belong.”My hands scramble uselessly against his wrist. Then, without thinking, I spit—straight into his eye.He roars in rage and lets go, stumbling back with a curse. I collapse to the floor, coughing violently, sucking in air like it’s the most precious thing in the world. My lungs burn. My throat screams.“How the hell could I be from here?” I rasp between gasps. “With pigs like you running around, thinking you own every damn thing that breathes—”“Beta Khaos!” a familiar voice shouts cutting me off.I turn my head and see Fury jogging ov
I straighten up. I could sit here, starve, and cry about my feelings… or I could do what I’ve always done—survive. If Jack couldn’t feed me, I’d do it the old-fashioned way.If bounty hunting taught me anything, it’s how to live without comfort. I’ve done it before. I can do it again.Rabbit stew. Wolf style.I head out of the kitchen, rubbing my hands together as I make my way to the room. I slip on Jack’s hoodie and his oversized boots, stepping outside and inhaling the crisp, piney air. The house is secluded, swallowed by dense woods—perfect for a solo hunting session. Rabbits were easy prey. And honestly? Nothing tastes better than roasted rabbit under moonlight in wolf form.Shifting comes naturally. Bones crack, skin tightens, and fur rushes across my body. My wolf stretches with a long, satisfied growl.We run. Silent. Sharp. Hungry.But after more than an hour of prowling through thick underbrush, I find nothing. Not even a twitching rabbit tail or the flap of a bird wing.Whe
KaliI lay there. Unmoving.My body is still curled up on the bed, tangled in soft sheets. My eyes are wide open, staring at the wooden ceiling above—as if it holds the answers I’ve been searching for since the moment I met Jack. His voice keeps echoing. His words playing in a loop like a broken record, stabbing and soothing me all at once.“If nothing’s changed… if you still don’t want me. Then I’ll accept your rejection.”Why the hell does that hurt?He said it so calmly. So… empty. Like he was already letting go. And that terrifies me more than I want to admit.I suck in a shaky breath, my chest tightening. I should be relieved. That’s what I wanted, right? Freedom. Space. A clean break from this confusing, dangerous bond.But now that I’m actually lying here—alone—something about it just feels wrong.God, I hate that he has been kind of good to me. He’s supposed to be an Alpha. Ruthless. Arrogant. Possessive. A total asshole like the rest of them. The kind of Alpha who thinks the
Alpha Jack The wind howls past my ears as I run in wolf form. It takes four hours, but I don’t stop once. I race through forests, leap over rivers, and dodge trees with barely a sound. When I reach a secluded area behind tall hedges, I shift into human form, pulling on the fresh clothes I stashed in a bag.My chest heaves, rising and falling like a wild animal finally caged, as I think about why I’m here. All I need to do is get in, speak to the Alpha King, and get the hell back to Kali.The palace looms before me—a towering beast of stone and gold, carved into the side of the mountain as if the gods themselves placed it there. It exudes power and old wealth. The kind of place that commands silence and respect just by its very existence.Carriages of every color line the long stretch of gravel—at least a dozen of them, each polished to a gleam, bearing the crests of various packs. Alphas from all over have gathered here. Each one is desperate to impress the king and his precious daug
The cold wind slaps against my face as I step out of the house—her house now. The one I built with my own damn hands, hoping… praying… that one day, she’d call it home. My first mate never even made it past the threshold. Fate took her too soon, before I could show her the life I’d dreamed of. But Kali—stubborn, sharp-tongued Kali—will get the chance. If this damned plan works. Gravel crunches beneath my boots as I walk away, my chest tight with the weight of a thousand regrets. But I don’t look back. Not until I’m far enough that I won’t turn around and do something reckless—like storm back in, grab her, throw her over my shoulder, and claim her on the spot. Kiss her. Mark her. Ruin everything. Only when I’ve put enough distance between myself and the house, where I can no longer smell her scent clinging to the air like a drug, do I finally stop—and let the mask slip. A harsh laugh rips from my throat. Loud, breathless, like a man unhinged. My head tips back as the sound burst