ASENA‘Wake up!’An unknown female voice came like a storm, rattling my body. I didn't want to submit to the harsh command. I wanted to sleep. I needed to keep my eyes closed. I knew what would happen as soon as I opened them.‘Wake up, Asena!’The voice was relentless, tormenting me even now after all that suffering. I didn't want to feel the pain. I begged the voice to leave me alone, but its power only grew.‘Open your eyes! Now!’‘It will hurt if I do. Please, don't make me suffer again…’‘Would you rather die?’Would I? A deeper, other than physical, kind of pain resurfaced—heartache, an excruciating kind of longing. Love. My mate. Kaan. I was ready to die for him, but given a chance to live, how could I refuse?‘I want to… live.’‘Good.’ Pleased with my answer, the voice softened. ‘She thinks you're worthy.’‘She?’‘Your wolf spirit,’ the voice said, the sound laced with a breathy chuckle. ‘She can heal you, but you need to shift. Do it as soon as you open your eyes.’‘I don't k
I needed to focus. I had to remain calm. None of those warriors could have recognized me in my wolf form. Hell, I wouldn't have recognized myself in this form. They knew me as a shadow wolf, an Omega—a currently dead Omega. They had no reason to find me suspicious… Unfortunately, the tips of their swords pointed at me claimed otherwise.“Show your mortal form,” the one closest to me commanded.Well, shit. So much for remaining unrecognizable. Resisting the urge to bare my teeth, I stepped back.A smug grin curved the man's lips. “What's the matter? Are you too shy to show us your body?”Icy laughter pierced the air as all the warriors advanced at me. Bastards. They didn't care who I was or why I was by the Tenebris River. It was my naked body they wanted.“Don't make us force you to shift,” another one warned. “No one without the Alpha King's permission is allowed to enter this area. You're trespassing, and as Alpha Khaos's warriors, we have the right to serve the punishment of our ch
KAANA Few Hours EarlierThe savage currents tossed my body for thousands of frantically drawn breaths before I was thrown closer to the shore. No doubt that my mortal flesh wouldn't have survived the wild ride courtesy of the Tenebris River. Fortunately, my wolf's strong body withstood the vicious flow… most of the time.My claws stabbed the half-decayed wood of the fallen trunk as I worked my way out of the water. Exhaustion hit me as soon as I dragged myself onto the rocks. I would have gladly spent the next few hours lying on that shore, waiting for my body to heal, but I had no such luck. I knew that Khaos's warriors were probably already looking for me, and I wouldn't be surprised if Acyn sent his men as well.Groaning in pain, I rose to my paws and started moving along the rocky shore. The wound on my side was still open, but thankfully, the bleeding lessened. It would have been better if I could wrap my wound with a piece of fabric, but unfortunately, I had torn my clothing to
ASENA“I love you, my little one.”Perhaps I had only imagined hearing those words, but my heart lurched in my chest at the mere thought that it might have been real. The warmth of his body, his strong arms around me, his kiss on my lips—it all felt real to me.Then I heard other voices, but they quickly became a blur of distorted sounds. I was safe; my wolf told me so. I shifted slightly, nuzzling the strong body that held me. As soon as I found comfort in the familiar, citrusy scent, I drifted into a sweet unawareness…When I opened my eyes, I realized I was lying on a soft mattress, and my body was covered with delicate fur. Gentle streams of daylight fell through the large window on the right side of my bed. An armchair was placed beside the bed. Someone sat in it…I blinked, adjusting my sight. Then my heart tripped. “Kaan,” I breathed out hoarsely.He was there. This wasn't a dream. He was alive. A powerful surge of emotions rushed through me, sending a shiver. A knot rose in my
We were still in bed when the bond between us began to rebuild. I could feel it as if someone weaved the broken golden thread, joining our hearts again. Hours later, other aspects of our connection appeared. I could hear his thoughts, and he could hear mine… It was quite embarrassing for the first few minutes until I learned how to control the mind link between us. It might have been nothing new to Kaan, but I had never experienced hearing someone in my head before.Kaan explained that usually only the Alpha of the pack had the ability to block the link, but since I had been of Alpha lineage as well, I could shove him out of my thoughts whenever I wanted. I couldn't help but find this a useful piece of knowledge.“As my Luna, you can also mind-link everyone who was originally from the Shadow Mountain Pack,” he said as a smug grin parted his lips.My eyes widened. “Does it mean I can mind-link Caspian?”“Yes, you can.” He carefully traced his mark on my neck with his fingers. “You can
KAANI watched my amazing Luna pack her clothes into a leather bag. Mine was already packed, so I just sat on the bed, enjoying the view, while I talked through the link with Caspian.‘He regained consciousness mere hours ago, and now that idiot insists on coming with us,’ Caspian groaned.I blew out a breath. ‘I didn't tell Asena that you found him a few days ago. No one could tell whether or not he was going to wake up, so…’‘She'll understand, Kaan,’ Caspian assured. ‘She needed to cope with Delmira's betrayal and Lelah's death. It's understandable you didn't want to tell her about Dritan.’I breathed out a curse and dragged my fingers through my hair. ‘So where is that idiot now?’‘Most likely on the way to your chambers. Angus and Damien tried to stop him, but he threatened to punch them when they blocked his way.’I pinched the bridge of my nose. ‘Fuck… I guess I will need to let Asena know before this fucker parades inside our bedroom.’A rough chuckle came through the link. ‘G
ASENAOne side of my lips curled up as I listened to Dritan's speech. I lined up with Kaan and smiled at my mate. He instantly grabbed my hand and intertwined our fingers. My chest swelled, and I felt hot tears gathering in the back of my eyes. Kaan had blood on his hands. He had killed for Alpha Khaos, but he had also saved many lives. He had chosen to become a villain because it had seemed like the only way to gain leverage in this war. He had allowed others to hate him for years. It was time for those who hated him to know his reasons…Garren scratched his beard, processing Dritan's words. I knew that he was a reasonable man who would never be blinded by general beliefs. Unfortunately, the warriors around him still oozed hostility, and none of Dritan's words softened the anger written on their faces.“For now, I believe that you didn't come here for bloodshed,” Garren said, his eyes shifting from me to Kaan and back to me. “You need more than a few words to gain my trust, and you c
Fear turned out to be a better motivator than any logical argument we could have come up with. The icy terror satiated the air in the meeting hall. It took a few minutes for everyone gathered to realize that only we could give them what they truly wanted, and that was survival.Of course, some would rather hold on to their hatred even though they would risk the lives of their families that way. The insults and curses were still audible in the hall. I could sense that Kaan was at his limit. His urge to end those who spoke ill of us grew. His patience was about to run out, and I had to admit that so was mine. Surprisingly, it was Vidarr who spoke up first.“If you think that you can insult Luna Asena or Alpha Kaan just because they came here in peace, then I suggest you think again!” he growled. “You will show them respect, or we won't blame them for the bloodshed your stupid tongues caused!”Standing by my side, Kaan breathed out a chuckle. “I think I like him,” he whispered in my ear.