Keiran’s POV
The moment I took a whiff, her scent hit me, letting it fill my senses as I loomed over her. I knew she wasn’t a rogue, just as she claimed.
This made sense because Rogues wouldn’t be stumbling in my land unless they had a death wish.
Her scent didn’t carry the wild bitterness and chaos most Rogues had, but it seemed a little bit off… No… in fact, a little bit familiar.
It’s subtle, but it almost had a mix of the scent of chestnut and mint. I couldn’t point a finger at whether it was indeed the same scent I had been looking for three years, though because it was faint and a bit different.
“Adeline… Adeline Hansford.”
I kept my eyes on her. If she was lying, which I was damn sure she was, I’d find out soon enough. But the real question was why she was lying.
I’d seen countless wolves hide before. Most of them were cowards running from debts, deserters feeling their Alpha’s wrath, and so many more, but they never ran to hide in the most dangerous pack, my pack.
And even if some of them did get lost and went there, they’d be too scared to lie and beg to be kept alive.
But this little stray was different. She looked more afraid of something than me and my pack, and she kept that sarcastic mouth of hers running wildly everywhere, almost like the Demonmaw was her least of things to be scared about.
The next morning, I passed through the barracks on the way to the academy where I train warriors.
I watched her from outside her room through the small gap in her curtains after I heard the swishing of wind inside. To my shock, I found her in the middle of the room, moving her fists with surprising precision as she shadowboxed in the corner.
For someone I’d dragged out of the dirt, she wasn’t as helpless as she pretended to be.
The second I found her, I had half a mind to throw her out or kill her as I did for the others who made the same mistake as she did.
When I said that, she was a problem. I meant it. She’s like a mystery puzzle that needs solving.
The reason I let her stay for now was maybe because of the mixture of determination and desperation in her eyes that didn’t come from someone looking for trouble but from someone running from it. Or maybe it was something deeper…
Her identity was, without a doubt, suspicious, but what caught my attention the most was her scent, which seemed so familiar as well.
So familiar with the scent that covered Luna's body when I found her dead.
I clenched my fist, thirsting for the truth.
“Alpha,” Teddy Fisher, my beta, cut off my thoughts as he stepped beside me and nodded in Adeline’s direction, whispering, “You sure about keeping her?”
I wasn’t… Not at all… What if she really held a secret about the death of Francine, my Luna… what happened then? Would it be something I wanted to know?
Instead of voicing my thoughts, I shrugged my shoulders in time that Adeline kicked the ass of the one she was sparring with. “She doesn’t look so weak. Might be useful.”
Ted scoffed. “Or dangerous.”
Well, he wasn’t wrong…
“Keep an eye on her. If she steps out of line, I’ll deal with her myself,” I ordered, and he nodded before going to the Academy.
Looking back at her and catching her scent in the air, the memory of that night resurfaced in my mind. The blood in the air, my mate’s lifeless body in the middle of dead Rogues, and the blurry figures that vanished in the forest as I tried to get to Francine to save her…
Someone had fought hard to protect her that night. But I didn’t catch on who…
Could it have been her?
I shook the thought away. By the looks of it, Adeline hadn't even had her first shift. My mate died three years ago, and she would have been too young then to fight off those Rogues.
But I don’t believe in pure coincidence. There’s just no such thing. Not to mention her suspicious identity and the recent news of criminals on the run. She’s definitely connected to something.
The pieces didn’t fit — not yet — but I knew better than to ignore them.
Focusing back on the present, I left to follow Ted to the Academy, but I suddenly halted when something came into my mind. We might as well test out if that shadowboxing was something real.
With a smirk on my lips, I ordered one of the guards to get her and prepared her to enter the academy.
I stepped forward, raising my voice over the crowd. “Demonmaw doesn’t waste time on the weak,” I growled. “You train hard, or you die fast.”
The room silenced instantly. My gaze locked on Adeline.
Her eyes widened, but she didn’t look away.
Brave... or stupid.
I didn’t know which one she was yet, but I intended to find out.
Madeline’s POVMy eyes locked with Alpha Keiran, and I didn’t look away. Neither did he as he continued, “Some of you will break before the week is over.”His voice boomed in their training hall, giving a chill to every new warrior in training. And honestly, so did mine, but I didn’t show it.Demonmaw Nightwalkers Pack were known for its ruthlessness and mercilessness. If I wanted to escape here, I needed first to survive. And to do so… I needed to blend in.“Nice pep talk…” I couldn’t help but sarcastically remark under my breath.Keiran obviously put me in with this new batch of warriors to scare me away. Well, I’m about to prove him wrong.
Madeline’s POV“First day in the academy, and you’re already sparring right after the night I aided your wounds, really?” Mara, the pack doctor, sarcastically greeted me as I entered the infirmary.For some reason, I wasn’t imprisoned in that tiny barracks now, but it still was my room. And I’m now officially enrolled in the academy, as per Keiran’s orders. What exactly was running through his mind was something I couldn’t comprehend.On the bright side, hiding in here wasn’t a bad idea either. After all, where else was the best place to hide but in a place where everyone least expected I’d be?Sitting down on the bed, I removed my hoodie. “Tell that to you, Alpha,” I snarked.“Oh, wow! That’s one hell of a strike. Who did it?” she asked with a scrunched-up face after I removed my shirt to show the claw mark on my shoulder on top of my previous injury after Jaxon clutched it.I replied flatly, “Jaxon.”Her hands halted from cleaning my wound, looking at me in shock. “Jaxon? He’s the t
Madeline’s POV“Don’t hold back.” Helena grinned with her arms raised, blocking her face while jumping a little in place.We were in the forest where field training was done. Since it’s not an official sparring, there’s no instructor watching us. But words did spread fast, especially when it turned out that Elena was the first in the senior class.Before we knew it, trainees were already circling around us, watching with great interest.Raising my arms and getting into a fighting stance, I dryly replied, “I won’t if you won’t.”The fight began, and cheer and advice were shouted from the crowd, but Helena and I were living in our own world.At first, I easily dodged her attacks with my speed and fast reflex, but that seemed to have pushed Helena’s button because she started attacking more aggressively.“Not bad… but I thought you were tougher,” she remarks with a smirk as she breathes hard while pertaining to how I’d just block her attacks or dodge.I nodded my head and narrowed my eye
Keiran’s POV“Those stupid trainees. If they want to undergo unsupervised sparring, they should never have themselves get caught.” Ted entered my office, shaking his head in annoyance.Leaning back, I looked at him with a raised brow. “That’s what you’re annoyed about?”Slumming himself down the couch, he questionably looked at me, “What else?”“Hey! Where are you going?” he asked as I shook my head and stood up, going for the door.“It’s time for afternoon training. Let’s wish you didn’t tire them all out, or they’ll annoy the hell out of me when they fail.” With that, I slammed the door shut and went to the academy.
Madeline’s POVOne second, I was mesmerised by the delectable dishes on the buffet, and the next thing I knew, I was being pinned down on the couch by this bipolar of an Alpha in front of me.A frown formed on my lips as soon as he said something about my scent. Was he sick? How could he have known my scent when we didn’t even know each other until a few days ago?He’s not some pervert, was he?As soon as that thought came into my mind, though, I immediately shook it off. Keiran and his pack were known for many bad things, but bullying a woman wasn’t one of those.Hence, I merely frown. “I doubt that.”His face turned dark, leaning forward as he spoke in a dangerous tone, as though he wasa second away from losing control. “Three years ago, I found someone…”He paused, and I was drowned further into looking at him as I saw how he took a deep, controlled breath, something I would usually do whenever I remember my mother’s accident and didn’t want tovisualisee it all over again.My eyes
Keiran’s POVI could feel her staring at me, but I kept being nonchalant. But as soon as she closed the door behind her, I carelessly threw the paper I was pretending to read onto my desk, leaning back to my seat and pinching the bridge of my nose in frustration.Our little conversation lingered in my mind, repeating over and over again that it was almost making me crazy.After pouring myself some whisky, I stared at my glass, watching its amber liquid swirl lazily, synced with my hand movement while I tapped my fingers on my armrest, yet my mind was anything but calm.“She’s lying… or she’s hiding something…”She couldn’t even look straight into my eyes when she said she didn’t know what I was talking about.“She’s connected to Francine’s death! I know it!” Brax, my wolf, growled in my mind. I could feel his frustration and anger, which matched mine.It can’t be her... I told myself for what felt like the hundredth time. But doubt gnawed at me like a festering wound. That scent... the
Madeline’s POVMy thoughts were still filled with my confrontation with Keiran. I sat on the edge of my bed, my fingers absentmindedly tracing the scar on my right shoulder blade, and my breathing got uneven.“He didn’t think I had something to do with that person’s death, would he?” I asked under my breath, silently wondering how that person could bring out such an intense reaction from a cold man like him.He wasn’t just angry. The guilt, pain, and remorse were radiating all over him. It was faint, but he must have been too overwhelmed that he didn’t completely mask his feelings from me earlier. “Let’s go back! Maddie.”
Keiran’s POV“How is it going?” I asked as I entered the academy’s backfield, standing beside Ted, who was supervising today’s sparring session.Today, he had made them spar on the field. He nodded at the middle of the field where Adeline was battling with a bulky freshman. If I remembered it right, he’s Gage, the Gamma’s nephew.I crossed my arms and sharply watched as pairs of trainees simultaneously sparred.Dort covered their combat boots from hours of relentless drills, sweat drenching their shirts, and exhaustion visible in their rugged breathing.Others already fell to the side, muscle spasming from over-fatigue.“She’s still up…&rdquo
Madeline’s POV Nervousness wasn’t even the right word anymore.What I was feeling surpassed anxiety—it was like standing in the centre of a battlefield, a thousand invisible blades hovering in the air, all pointed at me, ready to strike the moment I exhaled. I just fought eight Rogues in the woods without flinching, but now, sitting in Keiran’s office, wrapped in one of his oversized shirts and staring into his cold, unreadable eyes, I felt small. Terrified. Like, I didn’t belong.The shirt hung off my body like a dress; the scent of him—cedarwood, smoke, and something uniquely his—was the only thing that grounded me. I focused on that smell, breathing it in slowly, because it kept me from falling apart completely. My wounds had begun to close, but the dried blood still stuck to my skin, making me itch. Dirt from my bare feet was smudged on the floor. Everything about me screamed out of place.And Keiran? He hadn’t moved.He stood in front of me, arms folded tightly across his ches
Keiran’s POVI was in the office with Tom, scanning the same frustrating pile of documents we’d been reading through for weeks now. My temples were throbbing with pain, and my patience was wearing thin with every page I read, and I ended up finding it useless.“This isn’t going anywhere!” I barked, slamming the papers down on the desk with a loud, echoing thud.Tom flinched but didn’t argue as he was as frustrated as I was.Like me, he looked exhausted and irritated. “I don’t know how he’s removing all his traces,” he muttered, rubbing the bridge of his nose before collapsing into the leather chair across from me. “It’s like chasing a damn ghost. No fingerprints, no slip-ups, no messages. He’s too clean. Almost like… someone big is backing him.”He didn’t have to finish the thought. I knew exactly what he was suggesting.We’d been tailing Jason ever since Adeline tipped us off. And while his behaviour had always raised questions, nothing we had so far was solid enough to justify exile
Madeline’s POVI stared at the dagger situated on the top of my dresser, feeling determination and anger fueling my veins.Glancing out my window, I watched as the sun set and the sky turned dark. Looking at the moon, I spoke, “Goddess, if you have any mercy left in me, help me. Let there be no more tragedy on my way.”With that, I decisively stood up and grabbed the dagger, clipping it in between my pants and back.Letting no fear weaken me, I stood in front of the forest and clenched my fist. “Are you ready, Andy?”“Ready as I’ll ever be…” My wolf replied, sharing her keen senses with me.Suddenly, I’m more aware of my surroundings.Walking in through the forest where I wasn’t aware of what kind of trap I’d walk into, I called out as I got nearer to the location. “Jason? Say what you want. I’m here!”Coming out of the shadows, his eyes glinted devilishly while a cruel grin spread across his lips. “Yeah… About that…”As soon as he finished, he slowly took a step back and in a matter
Madeline’s POV“Will you be waiting here for the entire day?” Keiran asked as he leaned his head back against the wall.Since the doctor came out to share the news with us, he had been sitting beside me, waiting. I could see that he was already tired, but for some reason, he stayed.Looking at his drooping eyelids, I gave him a small smile. “Go on. You can go first. I can wait here alone. Helena isn’t just my trainer in the academy. She’s also my one and only friend.”“I never said I was tired.” After saying that in a mildly cold tone, he crossed his arms over his shoulders and closed his eyes, sleeping right there.Knowing how stubborn he was, I only shook my head and mimicked him.However, it hadn’t been half an hour yet when we heard footsteps coming in. Being the first one to open my eyes, I saw Tom approaching.He mouthed, “Sleeping?”I nodded in reply and shrugged my shoulders.He breathed a couple of times as if he was building up courage before he sighed and slightly tapped Ke
Madeline’s POV“Under the floorboard… I… I found a… Lycan phone… A confidential phone….” My heart sank the moment the words left her lips. Even though I had known Jason was a spy for Mark, I stupidly assumed their communication methods were primitive—secret letters, hidden meetings deep in the forest. I never imagined they had something this direct, this dangerous.Stuttering, barely able to form the words, I asked, “Are you sure?”Helena gave a faint nod, her face pale and slick with cold sweat. “There’s a royal seal on it… I couldn’t be mistaken. I was… planning to bring it to Alpha…” She coughed again, blood staining her lips.“But then…” I started, my throat tightening as I pieced it together, “Someone caught you.” I swallowed hard. “Was it Jason?”She weakly shook her head. “No… But someone knew. Knew I found it... they tried to quiet things up. Attacked before I could leave…” Her voice was so faint I had to lean closer just to hear her.“Okay… okay… You’re gonna be fine.” My v
Madeline’s POVRight after Amanda and Felix left, I went straight to my room and stayed there. I didn’t want to risk bumping into Keiran—not when I knew he’d ask questions I didn’t have the answers for.As much as I hated to admit it, I was running out of time. Things had already gone on longer than they should have, and with Amanda and Felix showing up—something told me that wouldn’t be their last visit—I could feel the pressure closing in. Sooner or later, my identity would come out. I just didn’t expect “sooner” to feel so close.It’s been two days since then. Honestly, I thought avoiding Keiran would be hard… but surprisingly, it wasn’t. I hadn’t seen him at all. Not even at the academy.Even Tom wasn’t around.“Is something going on?” I asked Helena as we sat in the canteen having lunch. The peaceful atmosphere felt off, like something was coming but hadn’t landed yet.Helena bit into her bread and shrugged like it was just another day. “In this pack? Something’s always going on.
Keiran’s POV“We got a problem.”“Great!” I sarcastically thought.Just what I needed after dealing with Princess Amanda and Alpha Felix.The pile of documents in front of me was already tall enough to make me want to throw myself out the nearest window, and my inbox hadn’t stopped dinging all morning. I hadn’t even had five minutes of peace after they left before Tom showed up at my office door with that sentence.Irritably putting down the document I had in my hand and looking away from my computer, I swivelled my chair to face Tom, who was standing at my doorway with a serious expression.“What now?” I asked impatiently.Tom looked like he didn’t want to be the one to say it. His gaze shifted for a second before he sighed and admitted, “Princess Amanda and Alpha Felix decided to stay. She said she only needed to use the bathroom, but before I knew it, they were already staying in the academy and watching training.”I slammed my hands on my desk, sharply gazing at him. “And you’re o
Madeline’s POV“I thought you already left, Princess?” I looked up from my seat on the ground when I heard Keiran’s voice as he approached the training ground.Amanda, who was having fun taunting me, was seated on the other side of the room, elegantly leaning back on her seat with a smirk on her face.She didn’t even bother to glance at Keiran and smirked, her eyes staring at me. “And miss all this fun?”Shifting her gaze to him, she continued, “You have a great academy. I’m just really curious about their talents.”Keiran followed Amanda’s glance at me and narrowed his eyes. I swallowed in anxiousness, knowing that sooner or later, I’d be back in his office and being interrogated.He opened his lips and uttered more words to her, but I didn’t hear their conversation anymore when someone blocked my view of them. “Why didn’t you hide?”I looked up at him and gritted my teeth. “Why are you guys here? Why didn’t you warn me?”Felix, looking half dead, shrugged his shoulders. “Will it cha
Madeline’s POVTuned to my wolf’s presence, my sense of smell also heightened, especially in needed times. Despite being in the middle of sparring, I immediately caught the scent of Amanda and Felix as soon as they entered the academy.When I felt them getting near us, I immediately halted and pretended to be tired.“What’s the matter?” Helena asked.Shaking my head, I stretched my fist. “Nothing, just tired. Let’s wrap this up.”“I’ll go and change first,” I muttered as I nodded toward the locker room behind her.She let out a laugh between her pants. “That’s a new one. It’s our 10th round already, but you always push yourself to the limit before. What change?”With my eyes, I looked at my peripheral vision and caught shadows of Keiran and the others closing in. “I don’t like the air.”Looking behind me, she rolled her eyes and nodded. “I get what you mean.”I only smiled at her comment and let her think that the reason I was leaving was the same as hers - the hate for royal members.