Darina was shocked when the door suddenly pushed open and Kai walked in without knocking.
Her breath hitched.
He stood in the doorway, shirtless, his toned chest rising with each breath, the soft light from her bedside lamp casting golden highlights across his messy hair. His eyes were darker than usual, his jaw set—but there was something different. A quiet intensity that felt primal. Dangerous.
He didn’t say a word.
He closed the distance between them with a predatory grace, the room seeming to shrink with each step he took. Darina sat frozen on the bed, her black lace pajama set suddenly feeling too revealing. Her top clung to her curves, and the hem of her shorts brushed the tops of her thighs like a lover’s teasing touch.
Kai sat in his study, drowning in paperwork he could barely see. The ink blurred before his eyes—not from exhaustion, but from distraction.Darina.He hadn’t stopped by her room last night. He’d worked late and convinced himself he didn’t want to disturb her. Truth was, he couldn’t face her. The guilt gnawed at him. He missed her—missed her laugh, her warmth, the way she grounded him when his world spun out of control. And lately, he’d been drifting away, wrapped in grief and obligations. He needed to fix it. Before, it was too late.Before she slipped through his fingers, too.Darina was already awake, training alone before the women’s session began. Her limbs moved with precision, every dagger slicing through the air and burying itself in the bullseye with brutal accuracy. She was strong, but today, it wasn’t about skill—it was about distraction.Kai hadn’t come to her yesterday. He didn’t trust her with his pain, didn’t feel close enough to
The whole pack had gathered for the funeral of Bred and Ralph. The air was heavy with the scent of salty tears and loud sobbing. Larissa and Cassandra’s faces were red and swollen from crying—they had known Bred since they were pups.Reed and Kai were grieving, but trying to remain composed. Their mates stood beside them, gently tracing circles on their backs to comfort them. Seeing Bred’s body in the coffin shook Jackie. Once again, she was forced to confront the reality of his death. Jackie trembled and wept, and for a fleeting moment, she thought she saw Ralph’s face in the crowd, smirking at her. Her mother pulled her into an embrace—and Ralph vanished. King Lucas stepped forward and spoke: “We stand today not only in grief but in righteous rage. We have lost two of our kingdom’s sons—Ralph and Bred—too soon. This was no accident. This was murder.Before the eyes of our ancestors and the spirits of the dead, I vow: their deaths will not go unanswered. The coward hiding in the shado
In the morning, Darina went to the women’s training and was pleased to see that the number of attendees had already grown to over a hundred.She was especially happy to see Kelly, who was making real progress and looked more radiant than ever. “Luna, thank you for all your help. I did what you suggested, and the bullying stopped. I also feel like a different person now—stronger and more confident.” Darina smiled genuinely. “I’m so glad I could help. You know I’ll always be here if you ever need anything.” Tears welled up in Kelly’s eyes as she pulled Darina into a grateful hug. “Are you practicing to cuddle your enemies to death?” joked Amber, approaching the arena. Dressed in red leggings and a matching top, her ginger hair blazing in the sun, she looked dangerous—like walking fire. Her movements were smooth and graceful, almost feline. “She is a cat, silly,” Coral whispered to Darina with a smirk. Darina hugged Amber. “No, this is just our usual g
Jackie felt water droplets falling on her face and opened her eyes. Ralph’s cold body hovered above her, his skin bluish with purple bruises. She tried to scream in horror, but he covered her mouth with his damp, icy hand.“Hello, little sl*t. You thought you could run from me?” he sneered, his laugh sounding like the screech of a poorly oiled door.He leaned closer, pressing his disgusting, frigid body against hers. “I told you—I was just getting started. Soon you’ll join me in hell. Your days are numbered.”Jackie trembled in fear and disgust as Ralph kissed her earlobe. A wave of nausea slammed into her.He whispered, “I saw it. One week left before your execution. The truth will be revealed, and you’ll lose your pretty little head. Just one week... I’ll chain you to my side. You’ll be crawling for mercy I’ll never give. I’ll toy with your body, taunt you with pleasures you’ll
Darina was shocked when the door suddenly pushed open and Kai walked in without knocking.Her breath hitched.He stood in the doorway, shirtless, his toned chest rising with each breath, the soft light from her bedside lamp casting golden highlights across his messy hair. His eyes were darker than usual, his jaw set—but there was something different. A quiet intensity that felt primal. Dangerous.He didn’t say a word.He closed the distance between them with a predatory grace, the room seeming to shrink with each step he took. Darina sat frozen on the bed, her black lace pajama set suddenly feeling too revealing. Her top clung to her curves, and the hem of her shorts brushed the tops of her thighs like a lover’s teasing touch.
Darina was expecting Kai to come to her room and comfort her. In just one day, she had been nearly poisoned, fought off rogues, and witnessed Bred die right in front of her.She had seen death before—she had killed before—but on the battlefield, not in such a sneaky, cowardly way as poison.It was terrifying to know someone wanted her dead. And deep down, she had a gut feeling it was Jackie."I feel the same," Coral said. "That cunning b**ch just wants to get rid of us.""But we have no proof... not yet," Darina sighed."Reed will get to the bottom of it," Coral replied firmly.Darina looked away, her voice softer. "Coral, I’m not sure I did the right thing opening my heart to Kai. I always feel his doubt, his lack of trust in me. He didn’t believe me again—not enough to open an investigation on Jackie. And now, when I need him the most, he’s not even here. Isn’t that what mates are supposed to do? Love and support yo