LOGINHis eyes immediately snapped open to the familiar beams of his private chambers. Kai groaned and tried to sit up but he immediately felt strong hands gently holding him back down. “ Relax Alpha. You just regained consciousness,” a calm voice said. It turned out to be one of his most trusted werewolf physicians. “ Ahh Kai, you gave us quite a scare. I’m glad you’re okay now,” his nana whispered, softly stroking his hair. Her eyes were red-rimmed with worry, but she tried to smile and convince herself that he was out of danger now. Kai’s jaw clenched as he held his nanny close. He felt so empty. It was as though his body had been torn apart into two and he couldn’t find his other half. He could feel her… Ariana’s fear. He knew she was in danger. The pain and anguish she was going through was all tumbling down and echoing through their bond like haunted screams he couldn’t silence. It wasn’t a surprise to him at all when the physician finally gave the diagnosis. “ The
Ariana The first thing I noticed when I woke up was the cold. It cruelly sank into my bones, damp and relenting ... as if the earth itself wanted to bury me. My head throbbed violently in the exact area I’d hit my head. My wrists burned from the coarse ropes that bit painfully into my skin. I blinked slowly, trying to force my eyes to adjust to the darkness. I was trapped in a cell. Where was I? Who would do such a thing to me? And for what reason? “ Let me out of here! Help me! Somebody please! What am I doing here?!” I screamed. There was no response. It seemed as though my abductors were not even here. Or perhaps they were guarding the place from outside… or maybe they just chose to ignore me. I kept yelling and crying out for help once more but gave up when I realized no one cared to say anything back to me. No, no, no, I kept saying to myself. There had to be a way out. I was not about to spend my night in this hell of a cage. I kept look
Kai I moved through the village with my sleeves rolled up, helping the younger wolves repair the storm-damaged roof of the main gathering hall. The sun was high up. Sweat ran down my back, the familiar weight of the timber I carried feeling grounding. It felt as though it was reminding me of who I was supposed to be. An Alpha. A protector. The man who was supposed to carry the pack so no enemy could break in. I tried my best to distract myself as I lifted another heavy beam into place and secured it with steady hands. I couldn't help myself… My mind was elsewhere. “Easy there, Alpha,” one of the older males grunted beside me, wiping his brow. “It feels good to have you back among us. You’ve been gone too long again. The pack notices your absence every single time.” My jaw tightened but I kept working. “I know. The human world demands so much of my time.” Another wolf, a young father whose mate had just given birth, clapped me on the shoulder. “We understand the huma
Ariana I stepped into Lena’s apartment carrying her food basket like a peace offering. Lena didn’t look okay at all; she had a nose mask on and sadly we didn't hug because she didn’t want to ‘pass it on’. Hug or not, seeing her was more than enough for me. “You actually brought soup. I love you. Marry me instead of Jake.” I laughed softly and helped her back to the couch. “Eat first, drama queen. Chicken noodle soup .... just the way you like.” “ Yes, baby! How was work today? Hope you didn’t miss me too much?” “ Nova isn’t Nova without you, queen. The place was as dull as hell. Harlan didn’t come to work today either.” “ Oh, I know. When I told her I wouldn’t be coming to work today she told me she wouldn’t either.” “ Oh really… and why is that? Do you think it has something to do with Derrick?” “ Uhh, I don’t know. She wasn’t specific. Why Derrick?” “ Well, the jerk pounced on me today. He seemed mad that I’m handling the Torrence project. He even accused me of s
Ariana The next morning at work felt way heavier than usual. Lena had caught a nasty flu which had kept her home with strict orders from the doctor to rest. Without my bestie present to cheer me on and to make my day fun, the office felt colder and lonelier. I missed her already, and I was definitely going to her place after work to give her the chicken noodle soup, pack of honey lemon throat lozenges, chocolate pudding, and the fruit basket I’d prepared for her. Lena’s absence only meant one thing: Derrick’s free rein and bullying. Derrick was my boss’s lover and the office’s resident bully. He’d always be seen circling innocent workers like a shark thirsty for a blood spill. His constant nastiness was no surprise to me but today, he seemed particularly venomous. I was at my desk reviewing the Torrence files when his voice cut through the air.“Blake!”I looked up. Whoops! Someone must have set fire to his tail today. He was already storming towards my office with his face t
Viktor Iron fang stood alone at the edge of the ravine, the wind slicing across his bare chest like a dull blade. Blood still crusted the deep gashes along his ribs and left shoulder from the battle weeks earlier. The wounds, though closed, still reminded him of how Kai had humiliated him. He could still hear his father’s voice echoing in his head from years ago… Finish what I started… or you are no son of mine. His claws flexed, digging into the rock until the stone crumbled. His father had died protecting the purity of their kind. Selene, the Oak Claws previous Luna, had chosen to shield a human-werewolf abomination. That stupid hybrid child should have never even drawn breath. His father had led the raid to end it but instead the Luna had fought against them and caused a rift between the Iron Fang and the Oak Claws shielding the child after planning an escape route for the hybrid’s parents. And then later, Kai ( who was nineteen years at the time) came back and took the







