(Raya's POV) After that, everything has been a blur. Kaan’s father is being loaded into an ambulance as we run outside to see it happening. Kaan’s mother Freya is weeping as she climbs up after her husband. With no time to talk, Kaan barks for the car that promptly arrives and we hurry to the hospital soon after. We find his mother in the waiting area and she sobs as soon as she sees her son. “Oh, my son, what are we going to do!? I cannot live in a world without your father, I refuse to—!” Kaan wraps his arms around his mother. “Shh, don’t even think about it, Mom, he’s going to be alright, he’s a tough devil and he’ll not go down so easily.” “You didn’t see him, it was so sudden…I didn’t know what to do—” “Mom, listen to me, listen…I need you to stay strong right now, okay? He'll be alright, but if you wind up on a gurney with him, that won't help him at all, do you understand?” Freya shakes her head. “I can’t…I can’t lose him, I’ll lose my mind…my will to live! You understa

(Kaan’s POV) I frown as I glance at my watch to check the time again. Raya seems content to just look around with wonder but I’m starting to get too antsy to stay in one place. We have been waiting for someone who will be accompanying us to one of the small islands that our scouts have chosen to be the ideal place for the Hybrid Festival. And that someone is running very late. I glance at the window of the pub and grimace. It’s starting to rain. Judging from my previous experience with the place, the Faroe Islanders follow the weather a lot. So all one can do is to wait. “Damn it,” I mutter crossly. I should have set an earlier time for the meet-up. “What’s with the long face?” Raya asks, setting her cup of hot chocolate on the table. “This is such a lovely place.” “Sometimes, I’m not very fond of waiting,” I admit in a glum voice as I sip my now lukewarm coffee, making me grimace, so I raise a finger to signal the waitress to get me another cup. “Well, we don’t really have muc

(Kaan’s POV) I turn back to my cousin and snarl “Where is she!?” Sylvana raises both hands, wincing as she feels the direct force of my rage as my beast rises to the surface, anxious for our mate. “How should I know!? I was in there with you all this time!” She steps away instinctively, out of self-preservation, away from me—an irate lycan who can actually annihilate her abilities. I almost never use my power, but it doesn’t mean it is dormant or that I won’t. “I’m just a messenger!” “If you had anything to do with this—” “I swear, I don’t—” “Kaan?” The relief upon hearing her voice leaves me reeling and I almost fall to my knees as I turn around and see her at the door coming from inside the bar. “Hiraya!” I gasp as I hurry to embrace her as tightly as I can. “I thought you were—” “I went to the bathroom because I was—what’s going on? Hey, why are you—”“Don’t let go just yet,” I mutter, breathing her in, hugging her even tighter as if I could merge her body with mine this

(Kaan’s POV) “Do you really have to stand so close to the cliff?” I turn to look at Raya, who is standing a safe distance away from the edge. Wrapped in her thick yellow jacket and green woolen scarf, she reminds me of a Caltha Palustris or most commonly known as marsh marigold, which is a wildflower common in the Faroe Islands during May and June. She’s so beautiful, my chosen mate. “Why don’t you join me? The view here is much better.” “I believe that is just the adrenaline junkie in you speaking,” she says dryly. “That looks very dangerous. The wind is so strong, it could knock you off-balance. I’m good, right here, where it’s safe, thank you very much.” I grin as I turn to stare at the sea again. “I won’t let you fall.” “You can’t promise me that.” “Come here, Hiraya.” I hear her sigh but then she slowly makes her way to where I am standing and my heart soars at the thought that she trusts me that much. I really am standing too close to the edge. With all the thing

(Kaan’s POV)“Mutiny?”Sylvana makes a clicking sound with her tongue and teeth. “You heard correctly, cousin. There are those who are considering snubbing your very first Hybrid Festival, thereby showing their discontent and disapproval for your…company.” She glances at Raya who is watching us in confusion. “They do not recognize you as the king while your father lives and they intend to use that flimsy excuse to begin undermining your authority.”“That’s absurd. My father will hear about it and—” I frown. When my father does hear about it, he will be upset and given the state of his health, stress will definitely not improve it. “Who are they? Are they planning on putting another in my place? That would be rather tricky since I am the only heir to the line of kings and no one else can do the particular thing that we do. What do they hope to gain?”“Oh, they have a subtler but more devious agenda than that of replacing a legitimate son of the lycan king, whose line was chosen and bles