I hadn’t known the twins for very long-about six months, to be precise. Despite the brevity, our bond had deepened quickly, faster than the norm even among werewolves. It made us feel like a cohesive unit, but there were still facets of my formidable mates I had yet to fully comprehend.
One of those revelations was just how terrifying Kieran could be in a state of murderous rage. I had witnessed him on battlefields, my focus torn between him and his wounded brother. I had seen him move with predatory grace in wolf form, but there was something unnervingly compelling about watching Kieran unleash his fury in human guise.
Without warning, Kieran lunged forward, faster than Kat or I could react, and collided with Zack. Despite being in a suit, Kieran moved with a swiftness that caught me off guard. Unfortunately, Kieran’s speed surpassed my expectations.
“Kieran, stop!” Kat’s voice rang out, her words a desperate plea amid the snarls emanating from the two men. Her outburst startled me, but it was the tumultuous storm of emotions pouring from her that rendered me nearly incapacitated. Whether she realized I could sense her feelings remained unclear; her gaze remained fixed on Kieran and Zack, both teetering on the brink of another violent clash.
The two men grappled fiercely, each vying for dominance. Kieran was driven by a primal thirst for retribution, his hand closing around Zack’s throat, nearly engulfing it entirely. I could see tiny droplets of blood welling up, but Zack’s face betrayed no hint of pain or fear. Despite detecting a faint undercurrent of fear in his emotions, it was clear he wasn’t entirely foolish.
Kat’s emotions jolted me from my shock, and I reached out to Kieran with every ounce of our bond, pulling until I felt drained. Kieran jerked as though electrocuted, the pain in his emotions registering in my own psyche. Perhaps I had exerted too much force in my attempt to draw his attention.
“Enough, Kieran. That’s enough,” I murmured softly, placing my hand on the wrist that pinned Zack against the wall.
Relief washed over me as Kieran responded to my touch, releasing his grip on Zack. I allowed him a moment to collect himself, observing as he donned a veneer of composure that poorly concealed his burning urge for violence.
Once Kieran had distanced himself from Zack, I turned my attention to Kat. She couldn’t ignore the intensity in my gaze, not when it spoke volumes. Her face, flushed from witnessing the altercation, paled considerably as she met my eyes. Her mouth opened and closed, but no words emerged. What could she possibly say? The truth was undeniable, etched in her emotions.
“Sophia, please-” Kat began, her voice hoarse as her eyes flickered towards Zack.
Zack remained impassive against the wall, color slowly returning to his face. He made no attempt to interject into the silent exchange between Kat and me, but his gaze met mine without reproach. He faced me without apology, a fact that intensified Kat’s buried anguish, which I felt even when she attempted to conceal it. It clawed at my chest like searing talons, sinking deeper with each passing moment.
Zack’s emotions were an enigma, devoid of remorse, desire, or pain. They were so meticulously suppressed, so twisted, that I wondered if he had ever experienced genuine happiness in his life.
In that moment, another fragment of my innocence shattered. My heart ached for Kat, for what Zack Billford had inflicted upon her-a bond severed at his behest. Glancing at Kat, I sensed she wasn’t ready to confront this pain here and now. I gave Zack a terse nod, feeling my own simmering fury rise to the surface. Taking my mate was one thing, but rejecting my friend? Whoever had paired us had a cruel sense of irony. Kat deserved better, and Zack deserved someone as duplicitous and loathsome as himself.
“I have a task that needs attending to. If I could have sought aid elsewhere, I would have. As it stands, you’re the most capable and least likely to betray me,” Zack declared coolly. “Assist me, and I’ll facilitate Ethan’s return. Perhaps one night soon, he might find his cell door unlocked.”
A snarl escaped Kieran, yet Zack ignored it with an audacity that prompted me to speak on Kieran’s behalf, at least until he regained his composure enough to articulate his thoughts.
“Answer my question first, and then we might consider your proposal-no more vague nonsense,” I retorted, my voice steady despite the roiling tempest of emotions inside me. Matching his icy demeanor with my own, I silently wished for him to choke on his arrogance.
“My father is responsible, obviously,” Zack replied dismissively, rolling his eyes in a display that belied his esteemed position and inflated ego. “His one oversight might be our sole opportunity. My father isn’t concerned with who knows about our… other dealings, as long as certain secrets remain buried.”
“What exactly are these ‘secrets’?” Kieran demanded tersely, his anger now contained enough to speak.
When Zack offered no immediate reply, Kieran’s smile turned predatory.
“You want our assistance, yet you won’t defy your dear old dad,” Kieran remarked with a bitter edge. His laughter echoed hollowly within me, resonating in the empty spaces where Ethan’s absence left a void. “I won’t be placing any trust in you, not for a second.”
“That’s regrettable, considering how much trust I’m willing to extend to you,” Zack shot back, adopting Kieran’s penchant for profanity. “I need someone who despises my father enough to keep my secret, because this arrangement can benefit us both. You want Ethan back, and you want to assist your fellow white wolves? Consider it done. Aid me, and we can make that happen.”
“Suddenly, you’re concerned about the white wolves?” Kieran challenged darkly. “Are they the ones aiding you in this meeting? Why don’t they step forward, then?”
“The people aiding me have as much at stake as I do if we get caught,” Zack retorted, his lips tight with resolve. He turned to face me directly, his words sending a shiver down my spine. “My father’s secret is his collection of white wolves. He desires you intensely, Sophia. You would be the prized addition to his collection. You could run and tell someone, but chances are they’d be dead by morning. Or, you could listen to reason. I don’t trust you, and neither should you trust me. We both have something to gain from cooperation. It would be foolish to ignore this opportunity. I’ve risked enough meeting with you, let alone divulging this.”
His words confirmed my worst fears. On the bright side, the most influential member of the High Table wanted me alive-for control, use, and ownership, all for his own nefarious ends.
“He can’t be serious,” I scoffed, for what felt like the sixth time since returning to our quarters.
Kat sat on the bed, her hands clenched in her lap, her expression a mixture of defiance and anger, snuffing out any trace of the sadness that had briefly surfaced.
Kieran, leaning casually against the wall in his business attire, looked as striking as ever.
“He can’t own anyone,” I protested again. “I don’t know much about magic or the werewolf world, but slavery is illegal. It was a grievous mistake the first time. Haven’t werewolves learned from history?”
“There are always those who seek to plunge the world into darkness again,” Kieran grunted. “Werewolves don’t often involve themselves in human history. We fight our own battles, with our own victories. There might have been packs involved in human wars, but we don’t learn much about them.”
“Good to know,” I muttered, mentally chiding myself. A part of me had anticipated this, perhaps since meeting Marcella. I often wondered about the elderly woman, hoping her life remained peaceful and serene.
Now, I needed to toughen up. Complaining wouldn’t help. I straightened my posture and suppressed my fear before turning to face Kieran.
“The first thing I’ll do when I take my place on the High Table is liberate every enslaved white wolf,” I declared, projecting more confidence than I felt. “I know it won’t be simple, but I’m determined to figure it out. What I can’t do is sit here in fear and walk right into Maverick Billford’s clutches. I won’t be controlled, especially not by someone like him.”
Kieran paused, studying me intently as he leaned against the wall like a sculpted Adonis. After a few tense moments, he smirked and sauntered over to me.
“There’s my girl,” he murmured, lifting my chin until his lips brushed mine.
The gesture was tender and sweet, leaving me momentarily breathless and yearning for more. Before anything further could transpire, Kieran nodded in Kat’s direction and withdrew.
“It seems the two of you have things to discuss,” he remarked in a low voice meant for my ears alone. His next words dripped with intimacy and a fierce, almost desperate protectiveness that transcended normal bounds-an ‘I love you’ that encapsulated Kieran’s unique essence. “I won’t be far, I promise.”
Once he departed, I turned to Kat.
I hesitated, assessing the situation. I wasn’t sure how she would react. Kat was one of the strongest women I knew, confronting life head-on and subduing it with sheer determination. But this situation was different.
She had confided in me about rejection shortly after I had finally accepted Ethan and Kieran. Understanding the twins’ reluctance to discuss it became clear when I felt Kat’s emotions firsthand. Rejection-it was a dagger to the soul, more agonizing than any physical wound and just as lethal. It inflicted constant, unending pain that shortened lives. Kat deserved better.
I realized she had risen from the bed and was taken aback when she smiled at me. My eyes welled with tears, stirred by the anguish of her emotions and the realization that my best friend had been spurned.
“Don’t cry, please. If I start, I don’t think I’ll stop. And I’ll never forgive you if I miss this High Table meeting because of tears,” she scolded gently, clasping my hands in hers. I sniffled and managed a rueful laugh, swiftly composing myself. “Look, I’m sorry I didn’t tell you.”
“No, I mean… damn. I’ve made plenty of mistakes myself, so I can’t blame you,” I admitted, gearing myself to ask the question I dreaded. I needed to hear her say it, even if I hoped my abilities had deceived me. “So, he… he actually did it, didn’t he?”
Her shoulders sagged slightly, but her smile remained steadfast.
“He did. The idiot rejected me, not that I’ve lost much. Have you seen his personality? It’s seriously lacking, and the daddy issues are off the charts,” she huffed, sounding more like her usual self. Seeing her spark return relieved me; how could someone so alive have such a short life? “Can you believe it, Sophia? I’m an Alpha’s Luna. I guess my bossiness comes from somewhere.”
“Unfortunately, after everything, I can believe it. At this rate, you might as well have some kind of foresight, considering you called it back at the cabin.”
“With everything going on, I don’t think you need another ability,” she chuckled, half-serious.