I thought I knew what strength was. To me, it meant never backing down, being first into battle and last to retreat, standing between the innocent and those who would harm them. That’s what I’d been taught, and what I’d proven through years of training and sacrifice. Every scar told a story of surviving beside my pack against the tyrant Alpha King Micah, who stole our lands and drove us into exile.
But tonight, as my packmates celebrated around the campfire, I learned my physical strength meant nothing at all. It started when Kai touched my shoulder, leaning close. “Walk with me? ” he asked.
“There’s something I need to discuss away from the others. ”
I followed without question. This was Kai, my best friend, my brother in all but blood, my future alpha, the wolf I’d pledged my life to protect and place on the throne. The forest was peaceful under the full moon, and Kai’s scent—white amber and frost—was as familiar as my own.
“To another victory,” he said, handing me a drink. “To many more,” I agreed, and drank. The liquid burned going down, but not like wine. This was different.
Wrong. By the time I noticed, my limbs were already heavy. “Kai? ” The flask slipped from my fingers.
He caught me as I fell, lowering me gently to the forest floor. “I’m sorry it has to be this way, pet,” he murmured. And I saw the knife, moonlight glinting off steel. I tried to move, to fight, to do anything, but my body wouldn’t obey.
All my strength, all those years of training, meant nothing now. I couldn’t move, couldn’t fight, couldn’t even scream. I woke up feeling like I’d been hit by a truck. My head pounded, and for a second I wondered if I was hungover.
But then Kai’s face flashed through my mind. The knife. The poison. The helplessness.
My hands snapped to my chest, searching for wounds that weren’t there. Only a nightmare, I told myself. But it felt so real. I cracked open my eyes and found myself in the fanciest bed chamber I’d ever seen.
Silk sheets. Velvet curtains. The kind of luxury I’d only ever seen when raiding rich pack estates. Before I could process any of this, the door burst open and two girls in black uniforms rushed in.
“My lady, you’re awake,” one squealed. “We were so worried. ”
I looked around for whoever they were talking to, but there was nobody else here. “Lady Landra, are you feeling better?
” the other asked, pressing a cool hand to my forehead. I tried to swat her away, but my arm felt weird. Light. Wrong.
Everything felt wrong, like I was wearing someone else’s skin. A woman in an emerald green dress swept in, reeking of omega pheromones and expensive perfume. “Oh, Lisandra, darling, my precious daughter, what were you thinking? ”
She grabbed my hand, and I was too stunned by her calling me daughter to pull it back.
“I think there’s been some kind of mistake,” I finally said, my voice coming out higher than usual. “Oh, thank the gods she can speak,” the green dress exclaimed. “With the mating ceremony so close. Imagine if she’d been left mute or worse.
” She shuddered delicately. “Disfigured. ”
“Look, lady. I don’t know who you think I am, but I’m not getting mated to anyone anytime soon.
”
They all stared at me like I’d grown a second head. “Why is she speaking like a peasant? ” Green Dress stage-whispered to the maids. “I can hear you,” I snapped.
“I’m not this Landra person, okay? ”
The slap caught me off guard. Not because I didn’t see it coming, but because it actually hurt. Usually, it took a lot more than some omega’s backhand to make me flinch.
“Landre Evangelene Vtoria,” she shrieked, “if you think for one second you can act your way out of this marriage. ”
I slapped her back. At least, I tried to. Instead of knocking her out like my slaps usually did, the woman just yelped and stumbled back, clutching her cheek.
Something was very, very wrong here. “How dare you raise your hand to me? ” I scowled. “Try it again and you won’t have any more hands at all.
”
“My lady,” one of the maids gasped. “When did you learn to fight back like this? ”
When I tried to get out of bed, my legs nearly gave out. Everything felt off balance, like my center of gravity had shifted.
Even my wolf felt different inside me. Softer. Somehow, more docile. “The king would like to see you,” a maid said.
I froze. “Did you just say the king? ”
“Yes,” Green Dress said like I was finally getting it. “The Alpha King Micah wants to officially greet you on his territory.
”
My heart nearly stopped. I’ve been captured. This can’t be happening. I’m Arya, the demon wolf, Micah’s most wanted, the rebel who’d been raiding his supplies and attacking his guards for years.
“We’re in the king’s palace,” Green Dress scoffed, and the room spun around me. Why wasn’t I in chains? Why was I being catered to in a fancy room? Could it be that no one had recognized me?
After all, I’d never actually met Micah. His son, however, was a different story. “What about the prince? ” I cleared my throat.
“Is he here? ”
“Why, yes. He came home last night,” Green Dress told me with a conspicuous smile that made me gulp. If Rafe finds me here, I’m as good as dead.
While I was quickly calculating escape plans, the maids dragged me to a vanity mirror. I looked up at my reflection, considering taking one hostage, and paused. There was an omega girl staring back at me. Dainty little thing.
Heart-shaped face, huge baby blue eyes, pouty pink lips, waves of golden hair. She looked as confused as I felt. I frowned, wondering why she was copying me. She frowned back.
Something cold settled in my stomach. Slowly, I raised my hand to my cheek. The omega did the same. My fingers, small, soft, unfamiliar fingers, touched smooth skin that hadn’t seen a scar or callus in its life.
No, I whispered, and perfect pink lips moved with my words. The scream that tore from this strange, sweet omega throat was definitely not a warrior’s roar. I didn’t know what to freak out about first. The fact that I was somehow stuck in the body of some omega princess called Landra, or that I was casually strolling through enemy territory without anyone trying to kill me.
A guard actually bowed to me. Bowed to me. Usually, they were too busy throwing knives at my head. “Stop fidgeting,” Isa, the green-dressed woman who was apparently my mother, hissed.
“You’re acting like a common beta. ”
I resisted the urge to tell her exactly what this common beta thought of her attitude. This was too good an opportunity to waste. I was right in the heart of enemy territory, and they were letting me walk around like I owned the place.
Kai’s going to laugh his rear off when he hears about this. Kai. My chest tightened unexpectedly. For a second, I saw moonlight glinting off a blade.
Smelled white amber and frost. No, that was just a dream. Had to be. Kai would never hurt me.
He was my best friend, my brother, my purpose. The great hall doors opened, and a voice announced us with way too many fancy titles. Everyone turned to stare, and I heard the whispers start immediately. “She’s lovely.
” “Such a perfect omega. ” “The future queen. ”
And then I saw him. Alpha King Micah, the enemy, the tyrant, the man I’d spent my life fighting against.
He stood in the center of the room radiating power. And for a second, I forgot how to breathe, because those eyes—he had Rafe’s eyes, the exact same shade of blue that haunted my dreams. We were interrupted by a guard bursting through the doors. “Your Majesty, someone’s here to see you.
”
Micah sighed but gave a small nod. And then my world stopped turning, because Kai walked in. He was carrying something wrapped in bloodstained linen, and the sickly sweet scent of death filled the room. “Great Alpha King Micah,” Kai inclined his head, voice dripping with reverence, and my blood turned to ice.
He was bowing to my sworn enemy, the man who stole his birthright. “Tell me why I shouldn’t throw you in the dungeons right now. ”
“Because, Your Majesty, I’ve come to swear allegiance to the crown. ”
The room erupted in gasps.
“My mother is foolish,” Kai said, and my jaw dropped. “This conflict serves no one. Our pack is outnumbered, lacking resources. ”
“To prove my loyalty,” Kai continued, laying his burden on the floor, “I’ve brought you a gift.
I’ve rid you of your greatest enemy. ”
Kai pulled back the linen. The world stopped. I was looking at myself.
My body, my real body, lay there with empty eyes and a shocked expression. Dark hair matted with blood, multiple stab wounds in the chest. “These are the remains of the demon wolf Arya Storm, Your Majesty. ”
“Are you saying you—?
” Micah began, stupefied. “Yes, sire. To end the war, to show our good intentions, I killed Arya myself. ”
The metallic taste of blood filled my mouth.
The knife sliding in. His scent. His hands petting my hair as he killed me. It wasn’t a dream.
My best friend, my brother, my everything. He murdered me. My world fractured into sharp, painful pieces. That’s my body.
My actual body lying there dead on the floor. And Kai, my Kai, murdered me. Stabbed me over and over while petting my hair like I was his favorite dog being put down. After everything I’d done for him.
And he just handed my corpse to Micah like some twisted gift basket. Everyone was smiling. Cheering. Some were actually clapping like this was cause for celebration.
They were congratulating him for murdering me. A deep voice cut through the buzzing in my ears. “Ah, my son. Good thing you’re here.
You’ve crossed paths with the demon wolf. Will you identify the body? ”
The crowd parted, and Rafe moved through with that fluid grace I knew too well. All contained power and lethal elegance.
He knelt beside my body, and I braced myself for the smirk, the satisfaction. But there was no triumph in the set of his shoulders. No satisfaction in his face. If anything, he looked like he’d been carved from ice.
His hands, usually so sure in battle, slowly lifted the linen. “What’s the meaning of this? ” Rafe’s voice came out too quiet. “A present for your father, cousin,” Kai’s tone was sickeningly sweet.
“What do you expect in exchange? ” Micah asked. “Immunity. I only ask for a place in your pack, Alpha.
A chance to prove myself. ”
“This is ridiculous,” Rafe snarled. “How are we to trust you when you so easily betrayed your own? ” His eyes fell to my body again, and something flickered across his face.
“You two were friends, were you not? ”
“Your offer is intriguing,” Micah said. “You will be given a chance to prove your loyalty. ”
Rafe’s voice cut through, sharp with disbelief.
“Father, you can’t. ”
“Seriously, I can and I will. You’ll oversee his integration personally. ”
The room was spinning now.
Black spots danced at the edges of my vision. The last thing I saw before everything went dark was Rafe’s hand still resting on the linen covering my dead face. I woke up in Landra’s ridiculous bed again. It was dark out now, and thankfully the green nightmare that was Isolda was nowhere to be seen.
Something hollow opened up in my chest as the weight of it all crashed down on me. All those years of fighting, of bleeding, of pushing myself beyond every limit. The countless nights spent training. The battles where I’d nearly died.
The missions where I’d killed to keep Kai safe. I’d given him everything, and for what? So he could murder me and dance with our enemies on my grave. But I’m not actually dead, am I?
A smile curved my lips as the plan formed. No one knows Landra is actually Arya Storm. I’m right here in the heart of enemy territory, perfectly placed to gather intel, to stop Kai from revealing too much, and most importantly, to end the bastard with my own hands. He thinks he can stab me in the back and walk away a hero.
Not on my watch. All I have to do is play my part, bat my eyelashes, and act precious. Easy enough. “You,” I pointed at one of the maids.
“Bring me a drink. Scotch. Three fingers, no ice. ”
They exchanged confused looks.
“Should we prepare you for your fiancé? ” one asked. “Your mother insisted if you woke. ”
I’d forgotten about Landra’s fiancé.
This complicated things. “How close am I to my fiancé? Like, on a scale of 1 to 10, how in love would you say we are? ”
The maids exchanged uncomfortable looks.
“Well, my lady, as you know, you haven’t seen each other since childhood. You can’t expect love to be there overnight. But don’t worry,” the other added quickly. “You’re so beautiful and charming.
Prince Raphael will surely fall in love with you in no time. ”
“Wait, did you just say Raphael? ” I asked, my voice rising dangerously. “That I’m engaged to Rafe?
”
They finished lacing me into a pale blue dress while panic set in. What if Rafe figures out who I am? He’d have me killed on the spot. But then I caught my reflection in the mirror.
The delicate creature staring back at me couldn’t look less like Arya Storm if she tried. All wide eyes and pouty lips, tiny waist. Even my scent was different. No way he’ll recognize me.
Not a chance. And actually, this could be fun. A giggle bubbled up in my throat as I imagined it. The mighty Rafe, future alpha, unknowingly enthralled by his enemy disguised as his sweet omega bride.
He’ll probably write terrible poetry about my beauty. Oh gods, what if he tries to serenade me? “We’re here, my lady,” the maid said, showing me into a small reception room. The door opened, and the room suddenly felt smaller.
“Lady Landra,” he greeted, his voice like ice. Was he always this tall, this broad? In my old body, we’d been nearly eye to eye. But now, his entire presence seemed to loom over me, radiating alpha authority.
“Please don’t hesitate to let my people know if you need anything,” he said curtly. And then he gave me the briefest nod I’d ever seen before turning away. Wait, what? Where’s the besotted alpha tripping over himself to please his omega bride?
I feel cheated. “Aren’t you going to sit? ” I blurted out. “Tonight’s not a good time.
You should rest. ”
He didn’t even look at me. And then the door closed behind him with a decisive click that felt louder than any slam. My priorities were crystal clear after that disaster: find out what Kai’s plotting and make the bastard pay.
Simple, direct, just my style. Actually, it was probably a good thing Rafe seemed so indifferent. He’d be too busy being broody to get in my way. But halfway down the corridor, something made me falter.
A scent. White amber and frost. My pulse spiked, my throat closed up, and suddenly I was back in the forest, bleeding out as he watched me die. And then Kai stepped through the doorway.
“What a lovely surprise. Lady Landra, I presume? ” His voice, gods, his voice. How many times had that voice encouraged me, guided me, made me feel like I belonged somewhere?
“I must say, the rumors of your beauty hardly do you justice. ” Kai’s smile didn’t reach his eyes. “No need to look so frightened, pet. I know I’m the enemy here, but I’d never harm such a pretty little thing.
”
The word sliced through me like another knife to the chest. He used to call Arya that late at night around the campfire, his fingers threading through my hair. Pet. I thought it was meant only for me.
But now he was using that same endearment on Landra, and I realized with sickening clarity that I was never special. A familiar scent cut through my panic. Woodsmoke and warm oak, sharp with aggression. Suddenly Rafe was there, a solid presence at my side.
“Is there a reason you’re ogling my fiancée, cousin? ”
“My apologies. I’m simply unused to omegas, especially ones as enchanting as your intended. ”
I was going to kill him.
Just not today. Not when the mere sight of him made me taste blood in my mouth. I squared my shoulders and moved to follow them into the meeting room. I needed to be in there.
“What do you think you’re doing? ” Rafe’s voice pulled me up short. “I’m attending the meeting. ”
“Since when?
”
“Since I decided I wanted to. ”
Rafe’s eyebrows shot up, and his guards actually snickered. I moved to push past him. “Step back, Rafe commanded.
And I did. My body moved back like it was the most natural thing in the world. Worse, it felt good to obey him. His scent shifted slightly, satisfaction rolling off him, and warmth pooled in my stomach.
“The maids will escort you back to your room,” he said. “I’m your fiancée,” I exclaimed. “Surely that means I’m allowed to go where you go. ”
A growl rumbled through his chest.
“We’re not mated yet. ” And then he was gone, striding into the meeting room like I wasn’t even worth a backward glance. I was still shaking with fury as I stalked through the grounds. Sure, being Landra had its perks.
The food was incredible. But what good was any of that when I had no autonomy, no respect? A sound caught my attention. The clash of steel, grunts of exertion, the thud of bodies hitting dirt.
“These are the training grounds,” Penny said as I watched massive wolves dancing around each other, others practicing with weapons. “Is there a problem here? ” A tall man approached, all broad shoulders and military bearing—Hudson, captain of the guard. “Oh, is that what they’re doing?
I thought they were learning advanced slacking off. ”
His expression darkened. “With all due respect, what would a delicate omega know about combat training? ”
I pointed to a nearby fighter.
“His grip is wrong. He’s going to drop his weapon the second someone hits it hard enough. That one’s leaving his left side completely exposed. ” Silence fell.
“You have a good eye,” Hudson admitted grudgingly. “In another life, you might have made a useful warrior. ”
“Might have? ” My voice went sharp.
“Because I wear pretty dresses and smell sweet, I couldn’t possibly know how to fight? ”
“Being good at something means practicing it, and those hands have never seen a day’s work. ”
“Care to test that theory? ”
Hudson stared at me like I’d suggested we all strip naked and dance in the moonlight.
Then he laughed. “You want to spar with me? ”
“Unless you’re scared of getting beaten by an omega. ”
I struck first.
He blocked easily, but I saw the surprise in his eyes when he realized I actually knew what I was doing. My brain knew these moves, but this body was weak, soft. The muscles didn’t respond the way they should. Fine.
If I couldn’t overpower him, I’d have to outthink him. I faked left, then dropped and swept his legs. He stumbled exactly as planned, and I moved to pin him. But these arms weren’t strong enough to hold him, these legs weren’t fast enough to complete the move.
He recovered, and suddenly I was the one in the dirt. Heat flooded my cheeks. Back in Zara’s pack, weakness like this would have earned me a beating at best, death at worst. I waited for the mockery.
Instead, Hudson offered me a hand up, grinning. “That was impressive. ”
Around us, the other warriors were actually cheering. “Impeccable technique, just needs some conditioning.
Would you like to train with us? ”
“But I lost. ”
“But you fought smart. Used your head.
That shows potential. ”
Where I’m from, potential doesn’t matter. Either you succeed and you’re in, or you fail and you’re out. Why was this fool blabbering about potential?
“We’re going to wrap up here and go for drinks,” Hudson announced. “You should join us, little lady. ” And before I could respond, two of the warriors were lifting me onto their shoulders like some conquering hero, the whole group erupting in cheers. The tavern lights made pretty patterns in the air.
“Another! ” I demanded, slamming my empty glass down. Everyone around the bar cheered. Well, apart from Penny, who was tugging at my sleeve.
“You’re something else, little lady,” someone said. “You want to know who I am? ” I stage-whispered, swaying closer. “I am the terror of the night, the shadow in the places with shadows, the most dangerous—” I collapsed into giggles.
Everyone’s so nice here, I observed. They keep telling me how pretty I am. “Well, except Rafe. He doesn’t think I’m pretty at all.
”
Hudson tensed. “At least someone appreciates me. Maybe I should have been your fiancée instead. You’d appreciate me properly, wouldn’t you?
”
“You’re very drunk. ”
“Am not. ” The room did a pretty swirl. I tried to stand up to prove how completely fine I was, and collided with something solid and warm.
Something that smelled absolutely divine. Woodsmoke and warm oak and everything good in the world. Rafe. I beamed up at him.
“You have beautiful eyes. Did you know that? ”
His jaw was doing that ticking thing. “Captain, care to explain why my fiancée can barely stand?
”
Hudson practically coughed out his drink. “Your Highness, I had no idea she was your—”
“He thinks I’m pretty. So he bought me a tiny bitty little drink or two or six. ”
Rafe’s chest rumbled with a growl.
“If I ever find my fiancée in a situation like this again, it won’t happen again, Your Highness. ”
And then we were moving, Rafe lifting me in his arms like I weighed nothing. His scent engulfed me, perfect. Heat unfurled under my skin, slow and heady, making me feel soft, pliable in his arms.
“Finally,” I sighed, nuzzling into the crook of his neck. “Been waiting forever for you. ”
His grip tightened. But I was on a very important mission to seduce my alpha, and I wanted to do it properly.
When he finally set me down on my bed, my instincts guiding me, I bore my throat. A surrender, an offering, a plea. “We could have been doing this for ages,” I whispered, reaching for his hand. “Or do you only like me when I’m an omega?
”
“My lady, you need to sleep. ”
“I have a much better idea. ” I giggled, yanking him down, and pressed my mouth to his, moaning at the sheer perfection of the contact. For just one heartbeat, he gave in.
His hand cradled my face, his kiss turning firm, commanding. But then he pulled back. “Aren’t you going to stay? ” I whined.
“Why do you always have to leave? ” My voice dropped to something fragile. “I’m only happy when you’re here, Rafe. I feel so alone without you.
”
“You tried to take your own life only a few days ago to escape this engagement, Landra. ”
Wait, what? Landra tried to kill herself? “I understand I haven’t been very welcoming,” he murmured, squeezing my hand briefly.
I looked at the shadows under his eyes, the weariness in his face. Something in my chest ached. “It’s okay,” I mumbled, patting his leg clumsily. “Don’t be sad, okay?
I’m here. ” His hand was in my hair, and his warmth lulled me into darkness. The morning hit me like a silver-tipped spear. I was in the middle of convincing Penny I’d rather die than drink her hangover cure when Isolda swept in like an emerald hurricane.
“What were you thinking, daughter? Do you have any idea what you’ve done? ” She paced. “If the alpha calls off this engagement… We didn’t spend a fortune crafting you into the perfect omega just for you to throw it all away.
”
Crafting me, like I’m a product to be sold. “Is this about that boy again? Are you still pining over Thomas after you nearly destroyed everything for that fool? ”
“Who’s Thomas?
”
Her hand struck my cheek. “You need to accept that Thomas is mated now. Bad enough you tried to take your own life over that worthless kid. ”
Landra tried to kill herself because some guy used her and left.
The realization settled like a stone in my gut. After a short bath, I was taken to meet Rafe on the terrace. “You rang? ” I drawled, enjoying how his expression faltered.
“Lady Landra, how are you feeling this morning? ”
“Look, I say, cutting straight to it. Yes, I had a few too many, but sometimes a girl just needs to let her hair down and have some fun. You feel me?
”
He blinked. “Please sit. I thought we could have breakfast together. ”
“Why?
” I crossed my arms. “Seeing as we are to be mated, I don’t think it ridiculous that we should spend some time together. ”
I decided to test him. “I think you can do better than that,” I challenged, extending my hand imperiously.
And then there it was, that familiar smirk I knew so well, the one that used to make my blood sing in battle. He approached slowly, never breaking eye contact as he sank to one knee. His hand was warm when it took mine. His breath ghosted across my pulse point.
Gods, I had to bite back a moan. And then I spotted the waffles. If there was one perk to being dead and reborn as Landra, it was definitely the food. I dove in without hesitation.
“Where did you learn to fight? ” Rafe asked. “I’ve heard your form yesterday was quite impressive. ”
I froze mid-chew.
How would Landra know how to fight? Yesterday I was so caught up in showing off, I didn’t think about how suspicious it would look. “My ex taught me,” I blurted out triumphantly. Then I caught Rafe’s curious look.
“I mean, when I say ex, barely an ex, nothing serious. We didn’t— I mean, nothing past second base. First base. We held hands.
That’s it. ”
“I really don’t care about your past relationships. ”
Which for some reason really pissed me off. “Oh, I could tell.
Since you’ve been ignoring me the entire time I’ve been here. ”
His laugh caught us both off guard. Rich and genuine, transforming his whole face. “Forgive me,” Rafe said, his voice unexpectedly sincere.
“I understand how it must have felt not being taken seriously. I’m looking for an equal partner in my mate. If you wish to attend the meetings, you should be there. ”
“When’s the next one?
”
His expression turned apologetic. “You’ll only be able to join once we’re mated and I become alpha. My father doesn’t see things quite the same way. ”
The realization hit like a bucket of ice water.
To get my revenge, to protect the alliance from whatever Kai was plotting, I was going to have to actually mate with Rafe. That evening, I stared at the ceiling. The mating ceremony was in two weeks. Two weeks to stop Kai, or being bound forever to my greatest enemy.
The thought should have made me want to run. Instead, my stomach did this weird flip thing every time I thought about Rafe. I grabbed a pillow and screamed into it. Penny burst through the door.
“Are you all right? ”
“Fine,” I waved them off, accidentally knocking into the second maid. My words died in my throat. That scent under the flowery perfume—something familiar, something wild and sharp that didn’t belong in these polished halls.
The maid kept her eyes down, perfectly submissive, but I’d know that face anywhere. Willa, one of our best spies, now apparently playing servant in the alpha’s house. If she’s here, that means Zara sent her. Whatever Kai’s planning is big enough to risk sending in another operative.
I sent Penny for tea and turned to the other maid. “Give me your uniform. ”
The servant’s passages were a maze, but Willa’s scent was easy to track. She was heading toward the annex.
Toward Kai. I scaled the wall with trembling muscles, my heart pounding. The rose trellis creaked under my fingers. Finally, I reached the balcony outside Kai’s room, voices drifting through the partially open doors.
“The alliance is in chaos,” Willa’s voice drifted down. “Your mother’s supporters are shaken by Arya’s death. ”
“As they should be. ” Kai’s tone made my blood freeze.
“Your mother is pleased, though. ”
Pleased. Zara is pleased. “It was on her orders that I sacrificed Arya, after all.
”
My fingers went numb on the branch. No. Zara wouldn’t. She found me, raised me, made me strong.
“So, it was you,” Willa sounded impressed. “Who else could have taken down the demon wolf? ”
Pride colored his voice. Actual pride.
Like he was bragging about murdering me. “She didn’t even fight me, really. It wasn’t much of a fight at all. ”
“Given that you two were close.
”
“It’s not about expectations. ” Something dark gleamed in Kai’s eyes. “Arya is loyal to me. She accepted her fate, her sacrifice, because I asked her to.
”
Loyal? I didn’t accept anything. He just kept stabbing again and again while I begged him to explain why. “She lived for me.
Everything she was, everything she did, it was all for me. She loved me, belonged to me. She’s mine. Mine to kill and mine to keep.
”
His eyes lifted suddenly, locking with mine through the window. A smile spread across his face, slow and terrible. “Soon that won’t matter. I’ll be alpha of this pack, and Landra will be my mate.
Just you wait. ”
The branch snapped. By some miracle, I made it to the ground without breaking anything. I don’t know how long I stayed there, crouched in the bushes beneath Kai’s window.
My whole life had been a lie. I wasn’t a warrior. I was a puppet, a toy. Something for Kai to play with and break when he got bored.
A memory surfaced. Zara finding me, a half-starved pup on the edges of her territory. “You’re special,” she’d said. “I can see your strength, your potential.
” But she hadn’t seen me at all. She’d just seen a weapon she could shape. Another memory. My first kill.
Twelve years old, throat raw from screaming as Zara held me down. “This is what loyalty means,” she’d whispered. “This is love. ” But it wasn’t love.
It was never love. Another memory I’d been fighting crashed through my defenses. Kai’s quarters after a raid, him pushing drinks into my hands, his hand sliding under my clothes. “No, Kai.
Stop. ” “Shh. You want to prove your loyalty, don’t you? ”
I barely made it to my hands and knees before I was retching into the bushes.
How many nights like that had there been? How many times had he—
Someone found me, gasping my name. The maids bathed me, murmuring soft concerns I couldn’t process. “Lady Landra.
” A deep voice cut through the fog. Rafe. His presence filled the room. “Did someone hurt you?
”
The question broke something in me. Did someone hurt me? Everyone hurt me. My whole life was built on hurt disguised as love.
Arms wrapped around me, and that scent—woodsmoke and warm oak—surrounded me. My wolf, so lost and confused, suddenly settled under his touch. “You’re safe now,” he murmured, and the gentle authority in his voice made my whole body relax. His hand stroked my hair, and it was different from any touch I’d known before.
No ownership, no demand, just comfort freely given. I cried until there was nothing left. And through it all, Rafe’s presence wrapped around me like a blanket, keeping the nightmares at bay. A week passed.
The only thing that felt real anymore was Rafe’s daily visits, just sitting with me. But today, he hadn’t come. As night fell, I slipped out, following his scent through moonlit corridors until I found him at the edge of the estate where ancient oaks gave way to open meadow. A pyre burned against the star-strewn sky.
“Who died? ” I asked. “A great warrior,” Rafe replied. “Arya Storm.
”
The name hit like a physical blow. I looked around, confused. No one was here. He’d built a pyre for the enemy wolf who’d been his foe for years, and he stood alone.
“But wasn’t she your enemy? ”
“Does that mean she doesn’t deserve to rest with dignity? ” The defensive note in his voice made me realize he must have fought for this. Argued with his father, his pack, just to give my body proper rites.
“Did you know her well? ”
“Yes and no. ” He looked back to the flames. “I’m just tired of this war, of all the senseless death.
Arya lived her whole life fighting battles that weren’t even hers. She deserves peace now. ”
He pointed to the hills beyond the estate, to tiny pinpricks of light scattered across the darkness. “Her people.
Everyone who could come. They’ve been gathering since sunset. ”
I stared at the lights, at my people, and something that had been dead inside me flickered back to life. They came.
They actually came. “She was that important to them? ”
“More than she probably knew. She gave them hope.
Because she had a light in her that everyone could see. She fought for others, for what she believed was right. ”
“You remind me of her sometimes,” he said, shaking his head. “The things you say, or the way you move.
”
I froze. Gods, what if he figures me out? “She was betrayed,” Rafe explained quietly, “by someone she loved. Someone who should have protected her.
I should have seen what Kai was planning. Stopped him. ”
“What are you talking about? It wasn’t your responsibility.
”
“I’d like to be alone now, if you don’t mind. ”
His shoulders had slumped, the weight of leadership and loss bowing his spine. He was grieving for me, and I couldn’t even tell him I was right here. As I walked away, I knew one thing for certain.
Rafe would be different. He’d be the kind of alpha both sides deserved. I was going to protect him. I was going to stop Kai and Zara.
For the first time since my world fell apart, I had a purpose again. A real one, chosen by me and no one else. I hadn’t seen Rafe since the funeral. I needed to focus on stopping Kai.
The problem was, I had no power here. The only path to real influence would be mating with Rafe, making him alpha and me his Luna. As the maids prepared me for tonight’s engagement ball, Isolda swept in. “Drink this,” she said, pouring something into a glass of water.
“What is it? ”
“A heat trigger, if you must know. Something to help you win over your alpha. ”
Absolutely not.
I wasn’t tricking Rafe into—
And then it hit me. Kai would be at the ball tonight. If I could get him alone while in heat, he’d probably throw himself at me. Enough of an offense for even Micah to act.
It wasn’t a great plan. Actually, it was terrible. But I was running out of options. I took the glass.
“Should something go wrong,” Isolda continued, removing an ornate silver necklace with a small locket, “you’ll need this. This locket contains a sedative so potent it mimics death. If for any reason your alpha cannot or will not come to your aid during the heat, you take this. Omegas cannot rely on strength.
Poisons, sedatives, remedies. These are our weapons. You must master the art of turning weakness into power, Landra, or you won’t survive as Luna. ”
A whole world I never knew existed unfolded before me.
All those years learning to fight with fists and fangs, and I never once considered there might be other ways to wage war. “Penny,” I whispered as we headed toward the ballroom. “I need your help. I’m going to get Kai alone tonight.
After a while, I need you to find Rafe and bring him to catch us. ”
Rafe waited at the top of the grand staircase, and something in my chest fluttered when his eyes found mine. “You look beautiful,” he said softly. He offered his arm, and we descended into the ballroom as music swelled.
“Dance with me? ” he asked. He led me onto the dance floor, the warmth of his touch spreading through my whole body. The world narrowed to just us, his scent making me slightly dizzy.
His thumb traced circles on my lower back, leaving trails of fire on my skin. Raphael. Micah’s voice cut through the haze. A word.
Rafe’s jaw tightened before he forced himself to step back. I watched him go, swaying slightly on my feet. His scent lingered, making it hard to think. But I need to find Kai.
I forced myself to look away. Every brush of fabric sent sparks through my nerves. What if I completely lose control? What if Rafe smells it on me—
“Lady Landra.
” His voice hit me like ice water. White amber and frost. I turned to find my murderer watching me. “Would you honor me with a dance?
” Kai asked, his eyes trailing over me slowly. His nostrils flared, catching my heat-sweet scent. This is exactly what I wanted. To lure him in, to trap him.
So why does every instinct scream at me to run? Clenching my jaw, I placed my hand in his.
