Page 91 of Fated
Asher’s grin faded as he met Caleb’s gaze. “That felt wrong, didn’t it? Those rogues… They weren’t feral—not all of them. And the weapons?”
Caleb shook his head, his expression grim. “No. This was something else. Whoever’s behind it… They’re not finished.”
Before they could continue, Garreth burst into the room, face pale. “Asher!” he cried. Relief washed over his face as he saw his son awake and conscious.
Caleb stepped back, expression soft. “He’s wounded and suffering from silver poisoning, but the doctor expects him to be better by morning.”
Garreth’s shoulders dropped several inches. His fingers dug into Caleb’s shoulder, conveying wordless gratitude before he crossed to Asher’s bedside in three quick strides. Caleb excused himself, stepping into the waiting area to give them privacy.
He stood by the large window in the hospital’s waiting room, looking out over the scarred packlands. Fires still smoldered in the distance, the faint cries of mourning wolves echoing in the night. His fingers pressed against the cool glass, trembling with a rage he hadn’t allowed himself to feel during the battle.
This wasn’t just an attack on neighbors anymore. Asher’s pale face flashed through his mind, the image burning into his retinas. The she-wolf’s anguished howl echoed in his ears, vibrating through his bones. Caleb’s throat constricted, chest shrinking until each breath became a focused effort. This was personal now. These rogues—whoever was commanding them—had shed Crescent Fang blood. Had nearly taken someone he loved.
His reflection stared back at him, eyes harder than he’d ever seen them. The diplomatic and untested alpha was gone. In his place stood a protector with blood on his hands and retribution in his heart.
“This was only the beginning,”Fenrir murmured low in his head.“We need to be ready. Weallneed to be ready.”
CHAPTER FORTY-THREE
LENA
The scent of orange and nutmeg wrapped around Lena like a quiet embrace as she sat against her headboard, Kai’s oversized shirt draped loosely over her frame. Dawn light filtered through the curtains in soft hues of gold and rose, but she barely noticed. Her attention was fixed on the ritual planning binder in her lap, pen idle in her hand as she toyed absently with the corner of a page.
Her gaze drifted downward to Kai sprawled beside her, his head resting on her thigh with one arm draped loosely over her legs. Dark hair fell haphazardly across his forehead, and his long lashes cast delicate shadows over his cheeks as soft, rhythmic snores escaped his parted lips. His fingers twitched faintly insleep, his broad shoulders rising and falling with each unhurried breath—his entire body completely at ease.
Lena reached out, fingers moving gently through his hair, smoothing the wayward strands. She was in awe of the sight of him so unguarded, so trusting in his unconscious state—nothing like the alpha-heir she’d met at the summit almost a month ago. That Kai had been hard-edged, rigid with duty and expectation, words clipped, presence commanding. This Kai was softer, quieter. The cracks in his armor had widened, allowing her glimpses of the male beneath.
Her fingers stilled in his hair, and she smiled softly before returning her attention to the binder in her lap.
Lena had been up for hours, reviewing the final details for Cian’s alpha ceremony. Each page was packed with meticulous notes and lists, the result of weeks of planning with Nerina. Everything was coming together now, and Lena couldn’t help but feel a swell of pride as she reviewed the plans.
The ceremony would be perfect. She was certain of it. From Cian’s oaths beneath the full moon to the pack run that would mark his first as alpha, the night promised to be unforgettable. She pictured her twin’s wolf, Zephyr, strong and commanding as he led the run, his presence uniting the pack in a shared rhythm.
Her thoughts turned to the reception that would follow—a night of dancing, laughter, and celebration. She couldn’t decide what excited her more: watching Cian take his place as leader and swearing in Ryker and Jace as his beta and gamma, the run, or the chance to share the joy of the evening with Kai.
Her smile softened as she imagined the two of them slipping away from the crowd, finding a quiet moment for themselves amid the celebration. Or maybe they’d just stay until the last song played, her hand tucked in his, their laughter mingling with the music.
She resumed stroking Kai’s hair absently as the thought lingered, glancing down at him again. Last night had been the first time he’d stayed over in her suite. She hoped it wouldn’t be the last.
The past two weeks had been nothing short of extraordinary. Lena closed her eyes, letting the kaleidoscope of memories flash vividly behind her eyelids. They weren’t just moments—they were pieces of something bigger, something that felt like it was slowly, steadily, becoming hers.
Their morning runs—sacred rituals before dawn—where Orion and Elara moved as one through the forest. The wolves expressing what they themselves couldn’t yet name. The way Orion would press against Elara, nipping playfully before mounting her with a possessiveness that left both wolves—and their humans—trembling with satisfaction. These weren’t mere animal instincts, but the physical manifestation of the bond Selene had blessed them with.
Two halves finding wholeness.
It wasn’t the divine bond that made her pulse quicken. It was Kai himself—the way his emerald eyes darkened when he looked at her after a run, hunger and tenderness impossibly mingled. The way he challenged her during afternoon sparring sessions, movements fluid and precise, never condescending even as he pinned her with frustrating regularity.
“You’re getting closer,”he’d tease, that infuriating grin making her simultaneously want to punch and kiss him.
And then there was the sex.Goddess, the sex.
Heat pooled low in her belly as highlight reels played in her mind—Kai waking her with his mouth, tongue tracing paths that left her gasping... His whispered filth as he took her hard against the pantry shelves, the thrill of staying silent while her brother and friends sat feet away... His hands mapping her body as if memorizing sacred text…
Lena bit her lip, thighs clenching involuntarily. The chemistry between them was undeniable, but what she cherished most weren’t the physical moments. It was the quieter ones.
The sweet notes they’d slipped under each other’s door that hinted at emotions neither one of them were ready to voice out loud. The long walks to the ritual grounds, where they talked for hours under the soft light of the moon. Beneath the stars, she’d come to know Kai in ways that made her heart swell. He wasn’t the proverbial Prince of the Pacific Northwest packs. He was a young wolf who’d grown up too fast, burdened with expectations too heavy to carry alone.
Somewhere along the way, in those quiet moments, she’d fallen completely. She loved him. Every messy, imperfect, beautiful part of him.
