Kaia
The night had been eerily quiet. I should've known something was about to happen.
My limbs ached as I switched off the creaky tap, staring hopelessly at the dried blood stains from my recent mission on my worn clothes.
I was scared to assess any new damage on my body, since it wouldn't take long for another bruise or scrape to mark the healed skin.
The hydrogen peroxide tub was empty, and while the Red River Pack house usually had stocks of the items I needed, that meant voluntarily entering Alpha Maverick's orbit.
The Alpha's puppet.
I clenched my fist as the name mocked me. I ignored the blue and black blotches scattered along my arms.
The Red River Pack just loved to tell me how little value I possessed.
I didn't want to leave my workshop. It was my only haven from their taunting quips, but I wasn't in the mood to deal with Maverick's tantrum either.
With a sigh, I reluctantly locked my workshop and headed for the pack house. I knew Maverick's schedule like the back of my hand. I was sure he'd be cooped up in his office, planning and strategizing with his Beta, Orion.
I wouldn't be able to sleep if I didn't have the blood washed out of my clothes. I had to wear the same outfit tomorrow to run Maverick's errands. My feet and back ached and my fingers felt stiff from constantly scaling up trees.
I also had a bad habit of clenching my fists, until my nails cut into my palms and leaked blood.
The wind whipped roughly against the trees as I treaded towards the pack house.
Usually, there were pack members out at night. Evenings were reserved for them to shift into their wolves and expend the chaotic energy their beasts kept contained.
But tonight, only I walked along the freshly clipped grass.
As I entered the pack house, I heard shuffling in the adjacent hallway. The steps sounded clumsy but determined.
A flash of rich, scarlet hair distracted me as I rounded the corner.
I instantly recognised Isabella—Maverick's niece.
She reminded me of those porcelain dolls, with the soft toned frilly dresses and rosy cheeks. There was a certain childlike wonder about her appearance that was deceptive to anyone who didn't know the ugliness that lurked beneath the innocent smiles, and blush cheeks.
Isabella stalled when she realised that I was standing there. A second later, her older brother, Rainer, rounded the corner and stood behind her.
Nothing could hide the instant distaste in her angelic features as she looked me over with a barely concealed scowl.
"Her," she said, angling toward Rainer as if I didn't exist. "I heard she can't talk. Poor uncle. I don't know what he was thinking, taking her under his wing when she stinks of the gutters."
Rainer snorted and curved an arm over his sister's shoulders. "What's the use of talking if the only thing you can do is follow?"
He looked at me briefly with a small smirk, then tugged Isabella along past me.
I felt my wolf linger at the surface of my skin, simmering with challenge. I waited for their steps to recede before I took a deep breath, and let the agitation in my chest shrink, until the emotion dispersed into absolute nothingness.
No matter how much I wished on the stupid stars or the Moon Goddess to release me from this pack life, I couldn't lie to myself out of my reality.
I was stuck here, and every day felt so suffocating, I wondered if it was possible for a girl like me to leave.
For now, the vision was merely a dream—a glistening façade that I had no hopes of reaching.
My wolf barely settled as I resumed my walk to the Alpha's office. Her irritation was warm, and uncomfortable. Guilt fluttered in my chest. My wolf didn't deserve to be suppressed but we had to survive through this hell hole.
I didn't know how much longer it would be until she snapped and decided to override my control.
It wasn't the first time a pack mate looked down on me, and it wouldn't be the last.
When I knocked on the door and stepped foot into Maverick's office, I found him sitting in his ruby red velvet lounge chair. Maverick's taste was lavish, the room was draped with golden accents.
He dismissed Orion immediately when he detected me nearby. It didn't surprise me.
Maverick was a private man.
I hadn't expected to be called inside. I simply needed permission to stock up on my hydrogen peroxide stash, but it seemed as if Maverick wanted to discuss other matters.
I stiffened as he rose from his chair, his gaze running over my black singlet and plain leggings. Usually, I wore a jacket, or something to cover most of my skin since I tended to complete tasks that were quite demanding.
More clothes meant fewer bruises and scratches.
"What's going on?" I asked, keeping my voice steady. I had already completed all my tasks for the evening. He shouldn't have needed me. "You told me you would not bother me if I completed all my tasks—"
"I had some thoughts," he cut me off. "I want you to listen to them."
I kept my expression even, refusing to react despite my wolf's protests.
Maverick had no pressed suit on today. Instead, he wore black shorts and a linen shirt that exposed old scars on his chest, marking his skin with white, distressed slashes.
Maverick rarely ever looked this casual.
There was a murky glass bottle perched on the low set table beside him. He picked it up and took an indulgent gulp, all the while he kept his gaze on me.
I didn't say anything. It would be futile to leave now.
"Why so guarded? I'm not going to hurt you." He chuckled. Uneasiness slid up my spine, but I refused to let him see just how much he affected me.
Maverick's gaze was possessive, sending cold tremors down my spine.
"Please cut to the chase, Alpha." I forced the words from between my teeth.
Maverick smirked, but then he launched the glass bottle in his hand across the office. It shattered mere inches from my face. I then felt something warm trickle down my cheek.
"You've become more insolent. You're due for some more training," Maverick growled, slinking toward me.
My breath caught in my throat.
Halfway across the room, he stopped, turning still. His ears perked, and a small wrinkle appeared between his brows.
He narrowed his gaze on the door. "Hide."
The small star symbol engraved at the base of my neck tingled with the command.
"What?" I blinked, choking on the question.
It wasn't the suddenness of the strict command that surprised me. It was the pure panic in his expression that told me something else was happening.
"Hide now if you want to live," Maverick demanded.
Then, uniformed men broke into the office.
Maverick had no time to speak or move. He was tackled to the floor and captured with silver cuffs on his wrists and ankles.
Maverick shouted a curse, but one of the uniformed men strapped his face with what resembled a muzzle. Only stifled grunts and groans escaped the contraption as he tried to wrestle his way out of it and from the hands that forced him to keep still.
One of the men ordered Maverick to keep his lips sealed if he wanted to survive another few minutes. Shockingly, Maverick did submit as much as his dominant wolf would allow—which wasn't much.
A woman approached me without a word and took my hands, binding them with the same silver cuffs they'd bound Maverick with.
Unlike him, they left my ankles alone and didn't bother with a muzzle. I was more confused than scared as I was led out of the pack house and taken to the open field in front.
The burn of the silver against my skin barely registered, but I could smell the metallic tinge of my own blood as we walked.
I glanced at the pack members gathered on the field—hands bound, and eyes covered with thick blindfolds—as I was forced on my knees like the rest of them. Rainer was there, solemn but silently outraged in the face of our intruders.
Although I'd lived amongst the pack for years, I was more like a stranger to them. They only ever saw me if Maverick wanted me to do something that regarded their attention or presence.
I noted that only a few of us were permitted to see everything. They hadn't blindfolded me. I had an inkling that they weren't too concerned about anyone else in the pack, other than Maverick.
"What the hell is going on here?!" Orion demanded. He was tied at his wrists and ankles. He too hadn't been blindfolded.
"Shut up," one of the uniformed men snapped.
"By whose orders are you treating my pack like a bunch of criminals?" Orion demanded.
"The Alpha King," a woman replied blandly. She looked so bored out of her mind, filing her nails, and checking them after a few swipes.
"The Alpha King? Why would he meddle in the affairs of small packs? It makes no sense—"
"It also makes no sense that you're dealing things that could harm shifters to the human hunters," a man cut in, suddenly appearing from a group of uniformed shifters on silent feet.
Heads whipped to the side as the man approached. I watched him from my peripheral, aware that he was the most dominant shifter on the field right now.
My skin pricked with awareness. There was an aura about him that made it difficult to keep staring at him without being overwhelmed by his presence.
Even my wolf was reacting to him, and that was unusual.
I gently calmed my wolf and offered quiet reassurances. I had no clue if we were safe, but I wanted to know who the enigmatic man was.
He wore no uniform, unlike his counterparts.
He was dressed in black trousers, a long-sleeved grey shirt, and a pair of sturdy combat boots. From the collar of his shirt, I could spot black ink in the form of thick lines that formed an indecipherable shape ending near the lobe of his right ear.
Maverick ceased speaking altogether when the man crouched in front of him and grabbed his chin impolitely.
"Maverick."
His voice was silk and thrummed with undeniable dominance. Again, my wolf stirred. The man unlatched the muzzle clamped around Maverick's face and peeled it off.
"Why do you think I'm here?" The mysterious man spoke.
Rather than an interrogation, it sounded like a taunt.
Whoever this stranger was, even Maverick couldn't hide his distaste.
"You've been getting your hands dirty with the wrong people, and you'll be executed for this. I'll be taking the rest of your people to the Silver Claw Pack until they can decide their next Alpha."
Whispers immediately rose among everyone.
The Silver Claw Pack.
Everyone knew of the Silver Claw Pack, and their leader, Alpha Nero Hunt.
It was impossible not to know him.
He became the Alpha of the Silver Claw Pack at the young age of sixteen and superseded everyone's expectations, growing to become one of the most dangerous shifters known across the packs.
The fact Alpha Nero was favoured by the Alpha King also drew attention.
Whatever the Alpha King commanded, Nero Hunt executed.
I gathered it was probably why the man himself was here. He was simply carrying out his duty to the Alpha King, and that meant he was here to deal with the issue that involved Maverick.
He'd accused Maverick of dealing with things that could harm shifters.
There was only one real thing that was detrimental to shifters. Silver.
Easiness prickled my skin. My attention darted to those around me. Guilt was on most of their faces.
If I wasn't so good at controlling the way I presented, I was sure the same emotion would reflect on my own face.
To add, the opposing Alpha was aware that Maverick had been interacting with human hunters and offering silver to them.
This was a grave offence.
"No, no. Let me go!" Maverick protested.
My thoughts shattered once Maverick's frenzied cries filled the air.
"Your pleas are useless here."
"No, you don't get it. I know where she is." Maverick grabbed the Alpha by his shirt desperately. From where I knelt, I could see the tremors in his grip. "If you let me live, I'll tell you where she is."
Nero didn't respond for a moment.
Maverick took this as his sign that he was on the right path and resumed flapping his lips. "I know where your mate is. If you take me away, I won't tell you."
Whispers had circulated years ago that Alpha Nero was looking for his mate.
I'd heard the older women in the pack mention that there were endless lines of shifters who had gone to see him, insisting that they were his beloved mate.
A small part of me was envious that there was someone so devoted to finding a nameless person that was destined to be their other half. I didn't even have the imagination to even pretend that something like that existed for me.
"She is here?" Nero asked softly. The question was stoic. The man bore no reaction or emotion.
No one could misinterpret his tone. It was a veiled threat, promising brutal consequences if Maverick decided to spill lies.
Maverick nodded, insistent. "Y-Yes, I'll tell you."
More muffled whispers rose in the pack.
I looked around. All eyes that were not blindfolded naturally fell on Isabella— Maverick's favoured niece. She had been a sobbing mess, kneeling beside her mother.
However, her tears had ceased upon her uncle's confession. Nero's presence had completely struck her silent with fearful admiration.
"Line up the unmated woman in the pack. I'd like to see for myself," Nero instructed.
I flinched as someone abruptly grabbed my arm, hauling me into the line that was beginning to form. I kept quiet and let myself be dragged away. I didn't dare open my mouth.
How could Maverick hide something so important?
Once Nero's subordinates had all the unmated females in a line, Nero languidly approached. I kept my gaze forward and my expression carefully blank.
Despite my efforts to conceal my thoughts, I felt my wolf move with a restlessness that felt unusual. I became distracted, and wondered what the problem could be.
From my peripheral, I watched as Maverick silently broke free from his bonds.
No one had detected it, since all eyes were on Nero, who was steadily making his way down the line of unmated females. I felt my lungs still for a quiet second.
Something calculating flashed across Maverick's expression. It was a look I was familiar with. He intended to do something reckless.
With everyone distracted, Maverick made his move. He was faster than most shifters, a blur of movements.
Someone barked Nero's name in warning, but Maverick was already across the field with his muzzle discarded behind him. Just as he leapt into the air, Nero turned and spotted Maverick.
As Maverick descended, Nero extended a hand.
It transformed as he raised it.
His fingers were now tipped with sharp claws and his wrist and arm were beast-like as he waited for Maverick to land so he could strike. Maverick cursed, but it was too late for him.
Gravity pulled him down, but just before he could collide with Nero's claws, his frantic gaze met mine. "Cover me, Kaia!" his command rang clear.
My body reacted as the star on my neck pulsed.
I felt like a puppet, tugged by invisible strings.
Maverick had a hold on me like no one else.
I was powerless.
If Maverick went down, I would follow.
Wind howled in my ears as I left the line and sprang between the Alphas.
Maverick collided into me from behind. The sudden force of his body pushed me into Nero's claws.
I'd expected to be ruthlessly impaled.
Fuck, I was going to die.
I felt the razor-sharp tip of claws on my chest for a split second, but then it was gone.
Time lagged.
Up close, I watched the Alpha's pine green eyes widen with shock.
I grunted as I careened into him, slamming into his chest. I'd expected to fall, but his body was like an immovable rock, keeping me from face planting the grass.
I opened my mouth to speak, but my words crumbled as I lifted my gaze.
His eyes were glowing an enchanting amber shade.
Disbelief drowned my thoughts.
A gentle breeze tousled his dark, sandy hair. His pink lips were slightly parted. His nostrils flared, catching my scent in the wind.
Distantly, I was aware that my wolf was purring, completely and wholly appreciative of the male towering over us.
His heart beat a furious rhythm beneath my fingertips the longer I held his unrelenting gaze. His hands slid down my wrists, but I was more captivated by the way his lips moved to form words.
It took me a few seconds to realise what he had said.
"I... y-your eyes..."
His words slowly registered in my ears.
The flash of amber eyes was a rare and celebrated occurrence.
It was an absolute and irrefutable signal from the Moon Goddess that one had found their destined soulmate.
My heart squeezed in my chest as my lungs stuttered with bated breath.
This couldn't be possible.
But one couldn't ignore the ethereal glow of his gaze. My own eyes reflected in his irises—bright and shining.
Eyes never lied in a mating bond.
Yet, the unspoken truth hung between us like a budding flower unravelling its petals after a long, dry drought.
The powerful Alpha was my mate.