Kamari's Point of View "Your plan is absolute insanity, Kamari! Using you as bait? Come on! You are the fucking only heir of Jagged Rock. What if something goes wrong?" Malakai all but screamed as he followed me inside the house. He slammed the door shut behind us, effectively isolating me. My parents were still outside. Zayan was sent to check up on Eris and to see if she had told Rachel's enforcers anything yet. Apparently, her screams wouldn't reach the top of the house. None of us had known they were already busy with her. Had assumed Rachel would carry out the task by herself. Although, why would she? My mother was currently in mating bliss. A part of me thought my mother was cruel for sending Zayan. Her way of reminding him that there were two sides to this fight and if he fucked up it would be him inside that room next. But it was his mate that she was freely torturing. His allegiance might be with me but she still held a piece of his soul. Gaelan had asked Nolan to go and
Zayan's Point of View The lower I descended the clearer I could hear her screams. Muffled cries of a woman in despair. Pain. My wolf reared its head with the first cry. Now it was a raging beast just beneath my skin. Rachel had taught her men well, I had to give it to her. From what I could hear, Eris was on the verge of dying. Or so it seemed. No well-trained man would let her die so easily. But her screams were laced with years' worth of pain. There was no denying that. The stench of blood was overwhelming, even from this distance. Even as my shoes clacked against the cold stone, I could smell it all around me. From what I was hearing, they were at the end of this long hall. Only lit by a single bulb hanging lonely in the middle of the passage. Although with each new slice, the sound echoed all around me. Enveloped me in a blanket of anguish. Somehow, I felt like that bulb. It was flickering and somewhat faint but still going strong. I wasn't as alone as it was but it felt lik
Kamari's Point of View The covers here were better than at home. Softer. Comfier. It was strange to think that I had lived with such scratchy bedding most of my life. Even stranger to note that I now slept in a room fit for a queen. Only the highest thread count that you could possibly find was right. Only the most expensive towels that melted against your skin after a shower. Opulent luxury. How did the pack not hate my mother for all the money she spent? The sheets alone could feed an impoverished family for well over six months. The curtains in my room could cover several medium-sized windows in any given home. No wonder Arik could rally them up so easily. Their Luna gave most of her money away on bettering her own life than theirs. Which wasn't what an Alpha stood for. An Alpha had to give his or her life for their people. It was that simple. Yet Jagged Rock had little to no homeless. No one went unfed at night. Shelters for those in need had been raised during my grandfather
Kamari's Point of View After an hour of back and forth, we finally came to a conclusion on the party. The guest list was considered modest, with only two hundred of Rachel's closest people, seeing as it was such short notice. It was Monday and the party was Friday. Most of the event was going to be held outside. The food was a seven-course meal, served by the wait staff. Fine champagne would be served, alongside an open bar. All of it paid, of course, out of my mother's personal funds. "It is going to be the event of the year, I assure you, Luna," Genevieve said, beaming up at my mother. Not up, perhaps. They stood at almost the same length. But my mother's gaze could make anyone seem small and insignificant, even a gossip-hungry woman. "Then I am happy. I want a progress report by noon tomorrow. After that, I will be unavailable. I am going to show Kamari the charity projects I have been working on. Have everyone invoice to my personal email, none of this will be on the pack's e
Kamari's Point of View Everything around me was green. Green and shimmering with life. The flowers were in bloom. The trees rustled with squirrels and birds. Everything was serene. Nothing out of place. For a second, I felt at home in my own skin. No bad memories could get to me here. One with nature and the lives all around me. Hunter and Randal were looming close but even their presence wasn't fully known to me. All I could feel was the wind nipping at my arms and the dirt squishing beneath my toes. This was what I needed. The reprieve of my mind. A break from the constant questions and answers. Push and pull. This moment, it only belonged to me. When I became Alpha, I knew this wasn't going to be an option all of the time. I would have to abide by other people's schedules. Make sure that everyone was happy and not just me. Meetings, charities, events. All of it would consume my time. Hopefully, it would make all of my bad thoughts go away as well. "Someone is approaching he
Kamari's Point of View Zayan refused to sit down in my mother's office. Instead, he was a brooding mess behind me. His fingers were curled around the back of my chair. Dug in deep. Refused to let go. As if I was his sole lifeline and he wasn't about to give me up. Convincing his father to help him was a task I had entrusted my mother with. She was a persuasive person and wouldn't take no for an answer. She also couldn't resist my pleading, even when it drove her up the walls. "And you are sure he won't be busy at this time of the day? I mean, we get shit done better at night than during working hours. I chalk it up to no one calling me once the sun has set." Rachel explained and looked at Zayan with penetrating eyes. In her own way, she was summing him up. Adding all of the risks and throwing it all to the wind. All because I had asked her to. Because I needed an ally in Crescent Shine and who would be better than a man I loved... LOVED? Fucking hell. I needed to wait on that word
Kamari's Point of View My mother took absolutely no shits when it came to formal events. None whatsoever. It was just my first debut within the pack since I left. The first time that I would face most of the elderly within the pack as their new heir. And here she was, organizing several stylists for the day, not only for me but for Nolan, Zayan, and Malakai as well. We were going to be color co-ordinating our clothes but to a more subtle degree. We were together but I was still to be set apart from them. I wasn't going to be close to anything red as well, as today I had to seem like a sweet and approachable young woman. Not intimidating in the slightest. Pastel pink was the color of choice but would be difficult to match with the men. So, we settled on a light blue and white. Easy enough. Bodyguards would be stationed outside of the old-aged home but none were permitted to enter. Approachable, once again. Rachel even organized an entire squad of journalists for the occasion to ph
Malakai's Point of View Sitting in a car with Nolan and Zayan was like pulling teeth. The process was long and painful but it couldn't be helped. Although I would have much preferred to be in the presence of Nolan, rather than Zayan. The former heir was a ball of anxiety. Nerves. His leg refused to rest. Bounced up and down relentlessly. On a few occasions, he would lean on the dash of the car. Examine the building in front of us with keen eyes. It didn't seem to soothe his restless energy. Instead, he would grumble something under his breath. Nolan was the picture of calmness. His face was a blank slate of emotion. He felt a lot more at home with the situation than Zayan. The product of having such a powerful father. Of being the prodigal son. Which Zayan was also supposed to be but for sure wasn't. I blamed the fact that he never paid his father's position much mind for his lack of obedience. "How long is she going to be in there?" Zayan growled out and shoved himself off of th