91 It’s been ages

KAZIMIRThe council chamber was cold and suffocating, filled with the weight of their judgment.I stood at the center of the room, my hands clasped behind my back, my face carefully neutral. Five elders sat before me, Elara at the head, Gregor to her right, three others whose names I couldn’t care about enough to remember. They looked at me with scowls on their faces. I knew then that Katherine must have talked to them. It was the only plausible explanation for the impromptu meeting. "Alpha Rossi." Elara's voice was crisp, formal, cutting through the silence. "We've summoned you to discuss a matter of grave concern.""I assumed as much.""Katherine has decided to withdraw from being considered as your Luna."I felt a wave of relieve but I kept my face still. "I see.""She has blatantly refused to be your Luna. She's abandoned all hopes and ambitions of marriage to you." Elara paused. "She also told us that Ariel Blondeau is the woman you’re after. And that the woman is is hiding thi

92 Chamomile tea

ARIEL The lab felt cold and bright and I hated it. I hated it so much. The feeling of being back inside this place, the place that reminded me so much of Malhorn’s lab. Seeing it now, it reminded me of it even more. I sat in the corner, my arms wrapped around myself, watching Lev and Tessa work over Evie's still form. She was on the makeshift bed, her small body connected to monitors, her face pale and slack. The glow had faded from her skin, but the heat, the unnatural, dangerous heat, still radiated from her in waves.Evie was unconscious. She'd been unconscious for at least three hours.Lev moved around her, checking monitors, adjusting IVs, murmuring to Tessa in language I didn't understand. His hands were steady, his face calm. But I could see the tension in his shoulders, the tightness around his eyes."She's stabilizing," he said finally. "The heat is decreasing. Her vitals are returning to normal.""Is she going to be okay?""She's going to be fine. She just needs rest." He

93 - Savior

KAZIMIR The house felt so wrong when I walked in.I felt it before I saw it, the tension, the quiet, the way the air seemed heavier than usual. The kind of heavy that settled in your bones and made you want to brace for impact. Something had happened. Something bad.Tessa was in the hallway, she was Lev’s girlfriend, she came over sometimes, but this was the first time she had come over since Ariel was around. I wondered if it had something to do with Evie. "Tessa. I didn’t know you were back.""I am. I have to tell you something. “What happened?""Evie, Ariel’s daughter." She paused, her voice slow. "She had an episode. Her powers manifested somehow. She hurt one of the maids. She’s stable now. Lev is with her now."I was already moving toward the lab, my footsteps echoing on the stone floor. The hallways felt longer than usual. Every step felt like I was wading through water.The lab doors swung open.Evie was on the bed, small and pale. Her once bright red hair looked dull and l

93 - Decisions

ARIEL The building was a monument to complete and sheer arrogance.It rose out of the industrial district like a glass spear, all sharp angles and reflective surfaces, gleaming against the gray sky. No name on the outside. No logo. Nothing to indicate what happened behind those tinted windows. But I knew. This was Malhorn’s twisted and elaborate science lab.The lobby was all white marble and chrome, sterile and cold. I still remembered the cold dread that filled me when I came through the building. Whenever I walked through the building. They knew who I was. They'd been expecting me.The elevator ride was silent and smooth, but it did nothing to calm me down. Floor after floor flashed by until we reached the top. The doors opened onto a hallway that was all glass and steel, the city sprawling beneath my feet like a kingdom waiting to be conquered.Malhorn's executive secretary was waiting for me. A nice looking woman with blond hair in a slick back bun, glasses and a shiny white sm

94 - Safe landing

KAZIMIR "You don't know that.""I know her." My voice was raw. "I know what she'd do. She'd sacrifice herself to save her daughter. She'd walk into hell itself if it meant keeping Evie safe."Dimitri was quiet for a moment. Then: "I'll go with you.""No." My voice was sharp, final. "I'm going alone.""Kaz..." "If she's with Malhorn, I need to move fast. I can't wait for backup. Who knows what he'll try to have her do while she's alone with him." "Let's be rational here for a bit. I don't want you to do anything that would lead to an all out war with Malhorn's pack.""I don't care."I turned toward the door."Kazimir."Dimitri's voice was loud, sharp, cutting through the fog of my anger. I stopped.I turned to look at him."I have a tracker on her phone."The words hung in the air."What?" I stared at him."I bugged her phone. For a while now." He paused, his voice careful. "I could check and tell you where she is..." "Why didn't you tell me sooner?""It was a recent development. O

95 - Scarlet from the past

KAZIMIR "I'm more than part of it. I helped build it." She leaned forward. "Kaz, I'm the one who suggested they recruit you. I've seen what you've done with the pack. The power you've built. The strength you've shown." "I don't care about the coalition." "You should." Her voice was earnest. "The coalition is the future. They could help you. Protect you. Give you resources you could never access on your own. All they ask in return is your loyalty." "I've already told your representative no." "I know. But I'm asking you to reconsider." "Why?" "Because you're my friend. Because I've known you since we were children. Because I..." She stopped. "Because I still care about you, Kaz.." "You disappeared for three years. You let me think you were dead. And now you want me to trust you?" "I know how it looks." She reached across the table, her hand covering mine. "But I'm not asking you to trust me. I'm asking you to trust that I'm trying to help you." I pulled my hand away. "Tell