I stayed silent the entire way back to the inn. I could still hear the screams, the sounds of breaking bones and tearing flesh. I could still smell the coppery odor of blood blended with the muddy ground.I had heard it all before countless times on the battlefield, but never had I seen the deaths so brutal and pointless. Alpha Kaan had taken no part in the butchery. He had done something even worse… He'd observed and orchestrated the kills.“The emissaries seemed pleased by what they saw,” Dritan said dryly as we were approaching the inn. “Now they can report that Alpha Kaan is everything Alpha Khaos wanted him to be—a perfectly merciless killer.”Nausea rose up to my throat. There was something that terrified me more than Kaan's brutality or mercilessness. He seemed to savor every scream and every last breath. He enjoyed it. Out there, on those grounds, he truly was the monster everyone feared.Dritan grabbed my hand, pulling me to a halt as I was about to open the inn's back door.

I had waited for Kaan until the early dawn, but he hadn't returned. Anxiety consumed me slowly as I strengthened my hearing, alarmed by the slightest noise coming from outside the room. I knew that the other rooms in the inn were occupied by the Elite Squad, and knowing that did not exactly lessen my restlessness. I thought about Kaan and Caspian and the reason why they hadn't returned. Had they come too late? Had General Nathair found the rest of the members of the Crescent Hills Pack? A shudder coursed through me as I thought about that boy and his sisters. How many young pups were there…? I had known General Nathair only from stories told among the resistance, but from what I heard, I doubted that he would hesitate before spilling the blood of children. I would have lied if I'd said that I wasn't worried about my situation here as well. I was most likely the only non-shifter among the army of savage men. I didn't have a lot of fans out there, and I'd surely made a few new enemies.

KAANFucking Nathair! Caspian and I had spent more than six hours planting false trails to mislead his army, and then we had the doubtful pleasure of being invited to Nathair's castle at Inberville to “celebrate” the annihilation of the Crescent Hills Pack. I'd wanted nothing more than to tell him to go screw himself, and I would have… if that fucker wasn't Alpha Khaos's nephew. He was placed high on my death pull, and I awaited the day I would end him. Unfortunately, that day would come only after I regained my full strength.I stormed through the woods, heading to the fields outside the Shadow Forest. The crescent moon was already at its peak as we neared the place where the camp had been set. Fury satiated my blood, fueling my muscles and forcing me to run faster.It wasn't supposed to be like this. Asena wasn't supposed to stay alone in that camp for so long. I knew that Dritan would protect her on the road, but he wouldn't be able to guard her through the night. I should have bee

KAANAsena's whole body shivered as she stared at her dead ex-mate. She might have even a sliver of guilt, even though cutting his throat was an act of mercy. He would have died anyway. His injuries were too severe, and the second night in the Shadow Forest would have been his last one. I knew that now after I had heard the spirits whispering among the trees.I placed my hand on her shoulder, and she almost flinched. “It's OK,” I murmured. “You're safe now.”She slowly rose to her feet and blew out a shaky breath. “There were four others…”I gently grasped her arms, turning her to face me. “I know. I killed two of them, and the other two... well…”Her brows knitted. “What happened to them?”A faint smirk curved my lips. “The forest decided they didn't deserve to live.”Her eyes widened. “W-what?”I led her to a large rock by the shore where we both could sit. “When I found out that they attacked you and that you must have run into the forest, I turned into my wolf form and ran to find

I heard shouts and screams coming from outside the tent. I saw the shades of warriors running back and forth, some in rage, others in panic. What the hell was happening out there?“How bad is it?” Kaan asked.Caspian drew a deep breath. “More than twenty tents were set on fire simultaneously. Then several others caught fire and... ”“Fuck.” Kaan dragged his hand down his face. “Any signs of those who set the fire?”“They could have easily blended in as soon as the panic erupted,” Caspian mused.Kaan nodded, processing his words, before turning to me. “Stay in the tent and don't go anywhere. I'll send Dritan to watch over you.”I frowned. “I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself. Besides, I can help. I can—”“No.” His sharp tone almost made me flinch. “I will not risk having you out there. I've just got you back.”“Kaan, seriously, I can help,” I argued.He shook his head. “Those who attacked you had friends—friends more than willing to avenge those who died. They don't care th