Se connecterThe walk feels longer than it should.Or maybe it’s just the tension tightening in my body with every step.My arms wrap loosely around myself as I follow the directions Nora gave me, my eyes scanning my surroundings carefully. The further I go, the more I notice the route—reinforced gates, signal horns mounted at intervals, and elevated watchtowers looming overhead. Patrol lines move in calculated patterns, layered in inner and outer circles like a fortress built to keep something in… or something out.And when I finally reach the place, I stop. A large building stands alone, isolated, with no other structures around it.“This…?” I murmur as my confusion quickly twists into unease.This isn’t what I expected when I imagined Kei’s house. Not even close.The building stands in silence, too quiet. And for some reason, it doesn’t feel like a place Kei would live.Worse, it feels like something is watching me from the shadows.A faint shiver runs down my spine as I take a cautious step fo
I don’t even remember falling asleep, but when I open my eyes again—it's morning.Again.I blink slowly, disoriented, my body stiff from sleeping on the couch. Then I freeze when I see Nora sitting across from me.Watching me.My breath catches slightly, my body tensing as I push myself up onto my elbows, my eyes narrowing as I take her in.She’s… staring too intensely. She looks off, and there’s something in her eyes—something heavy.Guilt?Or maybe I’m imagining it.“Jeez, Nora—” I say, my voice rough as I sit up fully, rubbing my eyes with a small yawn. “How long have you been sitting there?”She doesn’t answer immediately. She just keeps looking at me before finally speaking, her voice quieter than usual.“I didn’t want to disturb you… you looked so peaceful.”Peaceful?That alone makes me frown.I’m not peaceful. I don’t do peaceful.Still, I let out a small huff of amusement, stretching slightly. Then my gaze sharpens as I really look at her.And that’s when I see it. The bandag
I wake with a sharp inhale, like I’ve been dropped back into my body instead of gently returning to it, and for a second, everything feels… lighter.My eyes flutter open slowly, blinking against the pale morning light spilling through the curtains. There’s a strange, unfamiliar spark sitting in my chest—motivation. Determination.It burns even though—even though the emptiness is still there.My hand drifts to my chest, fingers pressing lightly as if I can feel the absence of my wolf, my strength, that constant hum of power that used to live under my skin. My lips part slightly, a faint, broken exhale slipping out.Goddess, I feel weak.Not just physically—though that’s there too—but something deeper. Something hollow that no amount of rest seems to touch.But then I picture Keal’s face—how I’ll end his pathetic life—and just like that, adrenaline rushes through me, hot and fast, chasing away the heaviness.I push myself up on the bed, ignoring the slight ache in my limbs. I roll my sh
Her eyes widen at that.“And if you’d seen how Kei struggled during the attack,” I continue, glancing up at her, “you’d understand why this doesn’t add up. He was fighting fewer than twenty men—and losing ground. Covered in blood. Weak.”Nora immediately shakes her head. “That’s not possible. I’ve seen the Alpha fight. He’s not just strong—he’s terrifying. Fast. Ruthless.”“Exactly,” I reply. “There are stories of him defeating warriors ten times his size. And let’s not forget—when he was barely more than a boy, he challenged and surpassed his own father, who was Alpha, before most could even control their wolf.”I pause, letting the contrast sink in.“He should have wiped them out without breaking a sweat. Instead, he struggled. Meanwhile, his Beta—his own brother, and of a lower rank—arrived and eliminated them effortlessly.”That silences her, because now she sees it too. Something is wrong.My fingers tighten slightly against my knees.“The herb I gave you.”Her eyes snap to mine.
That—That breaks something.Nora lets out a sharp, frustrated sound—almost a scream—the echo bouncing off the narrow walls. She drags both hands through her hair and paces once, like she’s trying to outrun her own thoughts.“Fuck,” she breathes, her voice rough, stripped down to exhaustion and truth. “I know, okay? I know you’re right.”She stops and looks at me—really looks this time.“I just… didn’t want to admit it.”She rakes a finger through her hair as the weight finally settles. “I know I have to accept it sooner or later. I’ve been avoiding it because… saying it out loud makes it real. But I think…” She pauses, taking a shaky breath. “I think it’s finally time.”Another breath.“Time to let him go… for good.”I stay silent, letting her reach that conclusion on her own.“I’ll accept it,” she says at last, her voice softer, though still unsteady. “The next time I see him, I’ll accept the rejection.”Then she huffs out a weak laugh, trying—and failing—to lighten the moment.“I
“I can walk on my own.”My voice comes out sharper than I intend as I tug my wrist free from Nora’s grip the moment we’re far enough from the open grounds, back in the narrow, hidden passage that leads toward the old house. The walls close in around us again, swallowing the distant noise of chaos, leaving behind only our footsteps and the tension still clinging to my skin.“You know you don’t have to obey every word he says, right?” I add, flexing my fingers where her grip had been, the faint imprint still lingering.My neck aches too—a dull, throbbing reminder of Keal’s hand wrapped around my throat earlier.Funny.For people who are supposedly fated mates, they really do have something in common—gripping others like they’re trying to leave permanent marks. Maybe that’s what the Moon Goddess saw in them.I almost scoff at the thought.Nora stops so abruptly I nearly walk into her. She spins on me with a hiss, her eyes blazing in a way I’ve never seen before. It startles me. Not soft,
I don’t remember falling asleep.But I remember the moment just before it happened.My legs were shaking so badly I nearly collapsed.Kei had left me a trembling mess on that kitchen counter—my entire body still humming with the aftershocks of pleasure, my wolf purring in smug satisfaction while my
That.That is exactly why I cannot allow the pack to see what she truly is.Rumors will spread about her saving the western edge from the fire. I can dismiss those as exaggerations. Panic makes wolves dramatic.But if more members of my pack—elders, ranked warriors, those who hold influence—witness
Alpha Kei’s POVQueen me?For a moment, I genuinely wonder if I misheard her.Me.Alpha of the strongest pack in the kingdom. The wolf who defeated his own father before most men earned their first scar. The one other Alphas measure themselves against in private and flatter in public.Queen?The wo
Me?Falling for Kei?I almost laugh out loud at the absurdity of it.That’s the mate bond talking. It has to be. The mate bond is nothing more than some ancient, ridiculous biological conspiracy designed to make a powerful woman like me lose her common sense over broad shoulders and a low voice.Ye







