Cora’s POVThe smoke signal was slowly dissipating already but I tried to trace is origin from where it looked the thickest and I confirmed that it was coming from beyond the palace fences.That was all it took to figure out that it’d been set off by my partner; the shadow.I had absolutely no clue how he/she always managed to find me and send cryptic messages that only I would understand, but the shadow’s ability to be so attentive to details and an an ardent planner were things I truly admired.Those attributes also made it easier to trust my mystery partner because they were essential in plotting the defeat of a powerful man like Kai whose enemies had been clumsy in their attempts to execute him, myself inclusive.Fucking go already, my wolf urged me as though she wasn't as whipped with Kai as I was.In fact, she seemed oddly at peace and filled with contentment whenever I was with him but since I knew that both our loyalties were still tied to our deceased pack, I understood why s
Kai’s POV“Uh, thanks” She mumbled with a small smile covering her perfectly coated red lips.I’d never get over how adorable she looked whenever she turned red from being complimented, it was in those moments that I realized that despite her hard shell Cora was still a feminine woman with sweet little quirks.“I’m starving over here,” She crossed her legs and my eyes feasted on the beautiful skin of her thighs that were now exposed to me.“Just a few minutes, Milady,” I curtseyed playfully and she shot me a mean glare instead of a small like I’d expected.“I didn't know you were a grumpy ass while hungry,” I walked over to the light switch to dim them before I made my way over to the drawers to pull out scented candle sticks.While doing that, Cora didn't respond to me still, she just sat down and followed my movements with her eyes like a she’d pounce on me any second from now. And in many ways, I was scared for my life as her gaze narrowed angrily while I lit the candles on the tab
Kai’s POV“All set?” I asked as I emerged from a shed where I’d been watching Levi order the guards to load a carriage.“Yes, Alpha,” he called out just before a guard mounted the horse attached to the carriage.“Make sure not even a dime is left uncollected, and defaulters for the last payments should pay double this time around,” I reminded him like he hadn't gone on tax collection trips a thousand times.I just preferred to be thorough, and that's why I always sent Levi on those trips. He was through, calculative and I trusted him with my finances as well as my life.“Yes, sir,” Levi responded as he climbed into the carriage.I watched it ride out of the palace gates until it’d disappeared into the woods. I realized then that since Levi would be gone for at least two days passing through the towns under my protection to collect taxes, the rest of the administrative work rested solely on my shoulders since, you know...Leila was dead.But she deserved to die, especially since she wa
Kai’s POVThe woman before me couldn't be the same one I’d fallen in love with.And yes, maybe this was the worst possible time to admit that I was ridiculously in love with Cora, but that was the truth, and I’d been in love with her for longer than I could possibly pinpoint.But the woman I’d shared my heart and all of its fullness with wouldn't be smiling while I was in pain, the woman that’d melted in my arms countless times wouldn't have venom in her eyes as she regarded me.I groaned as the ache in my body multiplied.Everything fucking hurt, both within and outside my body as I struggled to maintain my balance.“C–co… Cora,” I fought the pain lodged in my throat as I spoke.She didn't say anything, she just looked me over like seeing me in utter pain was a n extremely proud moment for her and she felt absolutely no sympathy for me.A painful jab stabbed my heart at that.No, no way.“Was it you?” another groan left my lips as the ache in my bones intensified.I was so fucking we
Cora’s POVI blinked hard, really hard.The kind of way you blink when you've seen something so unbelievable that you wish it’d disappear by blinking harder than usual.It didn't work the first three times, so I did it a fourth time even harder than the others.Still, the person with the plank before me didn't vanish into thin air and I wasn't sure what to make of it. “L– Levi?” I choked out as he towered over Kai’s collapsed body with a victorious and wicked grin covering his features.The same man whose calmness and unwavering loyalty made everyone assume that he was ordained by the heavens to be Kai’s beta had suddenly morphed into a beast. No judgment, but—okay, I'm definitely judging him—I would've believed that it was anyone else but him.Literally anyone else.I’d have even preferred it if Nina had turned out to be the evil mastermind that’d finally helped me take down Kai, but Levi? Damn, the man was fucking twisted to betray Kai, and brilliant enough to make Kai trust him eno
Cora’s POV The door of my room finally came into view, but that exact second, I decided that there was somewhere else I’d rather be. I spun around and practically ran out of the palace with the long strides I’d been taking, and the entire time all I could think about was that I’d finally executed my mission, the one mission that’d left me torn and confused for so long and in ways that almost made me give up.As much as I could admit that I did feel something for Kai,—shamefully, by the way—what I took pride in was that I didn't choose a monster like him over my deceased pack whose deaths required his blood in return.Finally, I reached my destination and because of all the nerves wrecking havoc in my body, I kicked the door open.“What the!” I immediately regretted it and screamed out in horror.“Fucking hell!” Nina exclaimed and struggled to cover up just before I slammed the door shut.I balled both hands into fists and rubbed my eyes violently hoping that it’d help me unsee what
Kai’s POVThe stench in the torture dungeon was the worst part of it all.Not the silver nails that were lodged in my wrists, not the wolfsbane infused chains around my arms, not the rogues that’d been spitting on me every now and then.Not even the sick looks I’d been getting could overpower the horrible odor in the room.If they had plans to take me out with the smelly room, then they were much closer to succeeding than they thought because the place fucking reeked.Speaking of “they”, I still hadn't met Cora’s partner and I was getting increasingly curious by the second. I wondered who’d been foolish enough to go against me and how they’d learned of a weakness that I’d made sure to protect as I did my life.Maybe her partner was an ancient voodooist and he or she had done some dark shit to penetrate into my mind and dig up my deepest and darkest secrets, because there was no way the one person who knew of it would give it away.No fucking way.Also, as long as they were keeping me i
Levi’s POVKai’s face? Priceless.The mere fact that he’d been cocky enough to assume that I’d be blindly loyal to him despite how much of a monster he was made it glaringly obvious that he was nothing but a muscled idiot. So, seeing the shock on his face when he realized that I’d betrayed him was far more rewarding than I’d thought it’d be.Nothing could've prepared me for how powerful and satisfied I’d been when I saw him looking raggedy and helpless in chains.He’d brought his miserable fate upon himself and I was beyond pleased that the moon goddess had chosen me to put him in his place. I strongly believed that everything was set in stone on the very day that Kai had unintentionally exposed his weakness to me.I still recall that day like it was an hour ago.Kai had been drunk to stupor after our first major win, we’d conquered an army of almost a hundred and fifty thousand werewolves with an army of only two hundred werewolves. Kai had intentionally subdued the beast within him i