ADESSA.
The whole day went by in a blur. People came and went. Everyone was fussing over Kael. I had attempted to reach out to him, but Miranda blocked me all the time.
There was a time when I screamed at her out of frustration, and it was the scene Kael accidentally witnessed. Of course, he didn’t like it.
So, instead of letting me speak with him, he took his stepmother, who kept pretending I was the mean one, and they left the house. I had no idea where they went, and no matter who I asked around, no one could tell me.
So I didn’t get any sleep at all. I watched the clock tick, and the moment it hit six in the morning, I was already up and began managing the housemaids in the kitchen, hoping Kael would be back for breakfast.
Breakfast came and went, and there was still no sign of him.
After eating, I went to my office and called the central hall to check if he went there, as he would usually do during work days. But he didn’t. They were actually surprised to find out he had woken up.
So, up to this moment, I had no idea where he was, and I couldn’t reach Dexter, who went home after Kael and Miranda left the house yesterday.
I was pacing back and forth, contemplating my next move, when I heard the sound of an approaching car.
I walked toward the window and peered outside. My office window was facing the parking lot, so I saw Miranda’s car driving in her assigned parking space.
My heart began thudding loudly as if it would jump out of my chest. I didn’t like it. It felt like an omen that something terrible was about to happen.
Miranda exited the car and was followed by another man, but not Kael. It was Mr. Toledo, Kael’s attorney and legal advisor.
What is he doing here? And where is Kael?
Goosebumps rose from the skin at the thoughts that flooded my head. I tried to shake it off when I heard another sound of an approaching car.
It took a while before Dexter’s car came into view, and the moment the backseat door opened, I already knew why I was feeling agitated. Kael got out of the first before he laid out his hand to someone.
And I was right, she was here.
Desiree placed her hand on his, and soon they were holding hands. I didn’t see any more because a knock came through the door. I turned away from the window and walked back to my table.
My heart was breaking, but I couldn’t let them see that. I cleared my throat before allowing the person outside.
Miranda entered my office, followed by Mr. Toledo.
“Is there anything I can do for you?” I asked as I eased back in my chair.
“You need to sign this document so we can all move forward,” Miranda said as she strutted toward me and dropped a clear folder on my table.
My gaze slowly shifted from her to the document in front of me. I didn’t need to open it. I could clearly see what’s inside the folder.
Divorce papers.
“Sign it,” she said arrogantly.
“No,” I answered firmly.
“Kael wants a divorce.”
“He’s the one who wants to divorce, then he should be the one asking for it. He’s not a baby anymore that needs his nanny to do things for him.”
Miranda hissed as her eyes narrowed. “Look at you. You have grown horns in just over a year. Kael no longer wants you…”
“Kael doesn’t remember me, but it doesn’t mean he doesn’t want me,” I told her in the same arrogant voice she was using, even if I didn’t believe my own words.
“Really? Well, if you don’t know who he spent the night with, let me tell you. He was with Desiree, and they were excited to be with each other. You could only imagine what they did together.”
“Really? I didn’t know Kael and Desiree would stoop that low and cheat on me when everyone in this pack knows he is still married to me.” I told her sarcastically, masking my pain at the thought of them being intimate.
Her palms slammed against the desk as she glared at me. “Sign the damn paper, Adessa. Do not piss me off!”
I grabbed the folder and rose from my seat before heading toward the door, ignoring her words.
“Where are you going?” she asked.
“To my dear husband. I want to know what he’s been up to.”
I could still hear Miranda talking, but I had already walked out of my office and shut the door. I prepared myself for the worst because I knew Desiree was with Kael.
But even if I did my best, I still came unprepared when I walked into his office and found Desiree sitting on his lap, talking to him in her angelic voice — the exact opposite of her attitude.
This was not my first encounter with her. A few weeks after my wedding, I bumped into her a number of times, and in every instance, she attempted to harass me in public by calling me names.
“I want to speak with my husband,” I said in a cold tone, and their heads snapped to look at me.
“Don’t you know how to knock?” Desiree asked in a mocking voice.
“Don’t you know how to be decent? You are worried about me invading my husband’s office when you should be checking yourself because you’re sitting on his lap.”
“Adessa…” It was Kael. He didn’t say anything to her, but he must have motioned for her to stand up because she lazily got up from him.
“Tell her to leave. I want to discuss things with you.”
Kael took a deep breath and looked at Desiree. They stared at each other for a while before he nodded his head.
Desiree pouted, her shoulders slumping, but I knew it was all for the act. I didn’t move until she was out of the office. After her, I closed the door and walked toward Kael’s table, sliding the folder onto him.
“So, you want a divorce,” I stated. I was trying my best to keep my voice from breaking.
KING ESSAK. I stared at the fire that erupted from the ground, creating a barrier between my family and the Guardians. “Did you do that?” Alpha Kael asked my daughter.“No… I don’t even know how to use my heat… More so, ignite a fire.” Adessa’s reply made the hair on my skin rise and my heart to drum loudly. This kind of flame—igniting from the ground to create a barrier—was Adelaine’s way of calling a cease-fire whenever we had arguments. With her fire between us, I had no way to reach her whenever she decided to walk away. “Adelaine…” Lesandra spoke as she stared at someone behind us. I was right; it was her. Even without seeing her, my wolf and I could feel her presence.My body was frozen, but my knees buckled. My hand reached out to hold Esmaeel, and like always, my firstborn didn’t disappoint me. He held my hand tightly, which was holding onto his arm, giving me the support I needed—the same support he had given me two decades ago when I told him I made a mistake.Esmaeel w
ADESSA.My tears fell as I slowly watched our outstretched hands meeting each other until the tips of our fingers finally touched. And then I felt it—sparks. And an explosion of all of my senses.“Mate…” I softly muttered, but it was drowned out by Kael’s voice.“Mine!” He growled before his hand gripped mine and pulled me toward him.The Guardian holding me wasn’t expecting it, so he couldn’t do anything when I got out of his grasp. I felt my body spiraling down, but my mate’s strong arms wrapped around me and caught my fall.My mate. Kael is really my mate! My arms and legs immediately snaked around his neck and hips, not caring if the cape could still cover me. All I knew was that I was back in his arms and that the sparks were exploding everywhere in my body, caressing my soul. Our bond, including the mate’s scent, activated the moment we touched. I reveled in the pleasure of scenting him, nuzzling my nose against the crook of his neck. Kael smelled of newly cut cedar wood and
ADESSA.I knew Kael would never let me go. I didn’t want him to, but some choices had to be made. I swallowed hard as the pain intensified. I was slowly running out of breath, but I didn’t want to let go of him. Before I could think more, Kael leaned closer and crushed his lips into mine. Time stood still, and I forgot everything, even the danger we were in. All I knew was that I longed for this. I longed for his kisses and the overflowing love that he was giving me.My mouth moved against his, kissing him passionately while the familiarity of his touch and his warmth enveloped me. A moan ripped from my throat before it turned into a shriek when my bones everywhere snapped.I felt my body being ripped apart.My eyes flew open, and I saw Kael moving backward on his ass, swallowing hard as he stared at me. He wasn’t blinking, just looking at me. I kept screaming. It felt like my teeth were falling out, and the next thing I knew, I was screaming until it turned into a howl. My body mov
ADESSA.“A life for a life. Come with us, and we will spare him…” Lesandra said calmly, like she wasn’t threatening a life. The tornado slowed down, and I saw Kael waking up from losing consciousness, or he probably just closed his eyes while he was being spun. Vines wrapped around his body until they curled around his neck. My body shook as I dropped onto my knees, and more tears trickled down my face. They knew Kael was my weakness and that I would give up everything for him, even my own heart.“Why, Selene?” I screamed in between my loud cries. “What have I done to you? Why me?”Memories of my childhood until I met Kael, until Draco haunted me, and the nightmare of the Royal Games came flashing in my head. All my life, I lived with the uncertainties of tomorrow. Despite everything fate had thrown my way, I always prayed for better days and never lost my humanity, but I still got nothing.Maybe because I was not bound to be happy—only to serve. “Let him go…” I cried, my voice a
ADESSA.“The Lunar Guardians…” I repeated. My heart dropped, knowing it must be me they were after. Did they sense my power? Are they here to kill me like they did to my mother? “What do you need? I don’t remember inviting you to my kingdom.” Father asked, and I could hear the animosity in his voice. I could only assume their last encounter was not great, and that they were not on good terms.The moment their feet touched the ground and their wings folded, one of the three—the only female among them—answered. “We come in peace. We came for Adessa.”Kael tugged my hand and wrapped his arms around me, pulling me into his chest. I held on to him as I looked at the three figures before us. “You’re not taking her anywhere,” Kael spoke firmly while Landon stood next to him. I also saw Draco and his Beta standing on the other side. And so was my whole family. We all ended up facing the Guardians, with Kael and me at the center. “You have no say in this. Adessa will be one of the next gen
KAEL.Landon and I rushed out of the cave and trekked through the remainder of the forest that would lead us back to the arena. The moon was on the verge of setting, and if the first ray of sunlight reached the arena without us, I would be eliminated.So we kept running, following the direction on the map.We still had a long way to go when we spotted something on the ground. It was still far, and the area was still dark, but I could see it flinching. I reminded Landon to be careful as we approached it.“Beta Andres!” Landon yelled, and we immediately ran toward him.Color had already drained from the face of the Beta, and his face was turning purple. Poison. “What happened?” I asked as we crouched in front of him. I had totally forgotten that this man tricked and abandoned us. His eyes were pooling with tears as he clutched my shirt. “The viper that bit me…”He didn’t need to finish his words. We already understood what happened. I thought that the viper story was not real. “Did
ADESSA.“Another team enters the arena…” The voice on the speaker echoed around us. My lips quivered and my eyes blurred with tears while I remained standing straight, staring at the underway canal where I knew they would emerge, praying to the goddess that it was him and Landon—alive and breathing. It felt like an eternity before I saw something take a human form in the dark, and then a light shone on his face. It was Landon. A smile curled on my lips at the sight of him. They made it on time. But it was wiped away the moment the shadow of his body came into view, and it revealed that he was carrying someone—a limp body. An earth-shattering shriek ripped from my throat as my knees gave way and I collapsed. I would have hit the ground if my father hadn’t caught me. But I still ended up on my knees as I shook from my agony.“No! No!” Heat rose from my stomach to everywhere in my body, and my eyes felt like they were burning.My head snapped to the right as I glared at the King, r
KAEL. “There’s one more team, you can still be saved. Good luck, Alpha!” Those were his last words before he ran away. And then he was gone. He was also not injured. He played with us all along. “One more team will still come…” Landon said. “But we won’t trick them. Right, Alpha?”I turned around and looked at him. He was still holding the lever, and despite the smile on his face, his eyes watered. Only four teams entered the cave, with two teams out and then us, there should still be one—unless they were the dead ones. “Landon…” I wanted to tell him the other team might be dead. They might be the blood we saw. “It’s not them, right?” He knew. He was not stupid, but he wanted to keep his hope up. “They just got lost, so they’re not yet here.” He chuckled, but his tears fell, and my jaw tightened. We were doomed. “I will step back inside,” I told him and put my foot to cross over, but I ended up being blocked by an invisible barrier. My eyes widened as I pushed a hand in front o
KAEL.I waited for Beta Andres to raise it more and was ready to nudge Landon to run for it when the stone dropped. My head tilted to look at Andres. He let go of the lever.“Once you let go, the stone drops. So obviously, one has to stay here to do that.” He explained. “Nicholas left you,” I said. “What choice did he have?” He scoffed. “What would you do if it were you?”“Did he show you what’s on the note given to him at the entrance?” Landon asked. “He didn’t. But he said, that if one makes it out and makes it on time, he is assured of a spot in the next round.”My heart clenched. He didn’t tell him the whole truth—that the one left behind would be considered dead. It was a possibility that no one would come until the creatures in here ended their lives. The mere thought brought chills down my spine. I had no idea how far this game would go to claim a life until I saw the pool of blood somewhere. It was shifter’s blood. Someone bled, and if he were not assisted right away, the