The lodge buzzed with tension as Kain stormed out, his broad shoulders rigid and his pace unyielding. His pack scrambled to follow, murmurs spreading like wildfire. Dante's presence at the border was no small matter—it was a challenge, one that could mean war if handled poorly.
Lucia stood frozen in the center of the lodge, her chest heaving as conflicting emotions swirled within her. The weight of Kain's parting command echoed in her ears: Stay here. But how could she stay when everything about her world was spiraling out of control?
Clara's voice sliced through her thoughts, sharp and mocking. "Quite the scene you two put on back there. You're settling in well, I see."
Lucia turned to face her, bracing herself for whatever venom Clara was about to spit. The woman leaned casually against a nearby table, her smirk as cutting as her words.
"If you think you just get in here and get Kain to turn into some lovesick fool, you're in for a rude awakening," Clara said, her tone laced with amusement.
Lucia's jaw tightened. "I'm not trying to control Kain. But maybe you should focus on your own business instead of mine."
Clara's smirk faded, her green eyes narrowing. She took a step closer, her presence radiating an air of dominance. "Kain may have put you under his protection, but don't think for a second that makes you one of us."
Lucia refused to flinch, even as Clara's words sent a chill down her spine. "I don't need your approval," she said, her voice steady despite the rapid beating of her heart.
For a moment, the two women stared each other down, the tension crackling like a live wire. Then Clara laughed, the sound low and dangerous.
"We'll see how long you last," she said before turning and striding out of the lodge, her head held high.
Lucia didn't wait to see what the others thought of the exchange. Her feet carried her toward the lodge's open door, her mind racing. She couldn't sit here and do nothing while Kain faced Dante.
The forest outside was alive with sounds—branches creaking in the wind, birds calling out warnings, the distant rustle of leaves as the pack moved toward the border. Lucia followed the path they'd taken, her heart pounding with every step.
The further she went, the louder the voices became.
"Stay behind the line," Kain's deep voice commanded, his tone sharp and authoritative.
Lucia ducked behind a tree, peering around it to see the scene unfolding. Kain stood at the head of the pack, his towering presence exuding power. Across from him, Dante Voss lounged against a tree, his casual stance a stark contrast to the tension in the air.
Dante was as striking as he was dangerous. His sharp features were framed by unruly dark hair, and his smirk revealed a man who thrived on chaos. His eyes flicked over the assembled pack before landing on Kain with an air of amused disdain.
"I was beginning to think you wouldn't show," Dante drawled, his voice smooth as silk.
Kain didn't flinch. "What do you want, Dante?"
Dante's smirk widened. "Straight to the point. I like that. But you already know what I want."
His gaze shifted, scanning the crowd until it landed on Lucia, half-hidden behind the tree.
"Ah, there she is," Dante said, his tone brightening as if he'd just spotted an old friend. "The woman of the hour."
Lucia's breath caught, and the pack collectively turned to look at her. She felt exposed, her pulse racing as Dante's eyes bore into her.
Kain's growl cut through the tension, low and menacing. He stepped forward, blocking Dante's view of her. "You don't get to look at her, much less speak to her."
Dante chuckled, pushing off the tree and taking a slow step forward. The pack bristled, several of them baring their teeth, but Dante seemed unfazed.
"Relax," he said, holding up his hands in mock surrender. "I'm not here to fight. Yet."
Kain's glare could have frozen the air. "Then state your business and leave."
Dante's smirk returned, his eyes glinting with mischief. "I've come to negotiate."
"Negotiate what?" Kain's voice was clipped, his body tense like a coiled spring.
Dante's gaze flicked toward Lucia again, and a chill ran down her spine. "Her."
A low murmur spread through the pack, and Kain's growl deepened, vibrating through the clearing. "She's not a bargaining chip."
"She's more than that," Dante countered, his tone turning serious. "You know as well as I do that her power is unmatched. And if she stays with you, Kain, she'll be a target. For everyone."
Lucia's mind reeled. Power? What power?
She stepped out from behind the tree before she could stop herself. "What are you talking about?" she demanded, her voice shaking but strong enough to carry across the clearing.
Dante's eyes lit up with something close to admiration. "You mean you don't know?" He laughed softly, shaking his head. "Kain really has been keeping you in the dark, hasn't he?"
Lucia turned to Kain, her heart pounding. "What is he talking about?"
Kain didn't answer. His jaw tightened, his hands clenched into fists at his sides.
Dante tilted his head, his smirk returning. "Poor girl. Caught between two alphas and doesn't even know why."
Kain's growl silenced him. "You've said enough."
Lucia stepped closer to Kain, her anger bubbling to the surface. "No, he hasn't," she snapped. "You owe me an explanation, Kain. What is he talking about? What power?"
Kain turned to her, his expression hard but his eyes conflicted. "Lucia, not now."
"Yes, now," she insisted, her voice rising. "I'm tired of being kept in the dark! If you won't tell me the truth, maybe he will."
She turned toward Dante, but Kain grabbed her arm, his grip firm but not painful. "You don't want to hear it from him."
Lucia yanked her arm free, her eyes blazing with defiance. "Then tell me yourself!"
The pack watched in stunned silence as the two of them faced off, the air between them crackling with tension.
Finally, Kain spoke, his voice low and laced with frustration. "It's not that simple."
"It never is with you, is it?" she shot back, her chest heaving. "Maybe Dante's right. Maybe you're just as much of a manipulator as he is."
Kain's eyes darkened, a dangerous edge to his expression. "Be very careful, Lucia," he warned, his tone a growl.
Lucia didn't back down. "Or what? You'll lie to me some more? Keep hiding things until it's too late for me to do anything about it?"
Before Kain could respond, Dante's laughter cut through the tension. "Ah, young love," he said, shaking his head. "So messy."
Kain turned on him, his fury barely contained. "Get out. Now
know?" He tilted his head, feigning concern. "Oh, Kain, this is cruel—even for you. You're keeping her in the dark about her? About who she really is?"
"Enough," Kain growled, his voice a low rumble that sent shivers down Lucia's spine.
Kain reached for her arm, his grip firm but desperate. "Lucia, don't listen to him. He's trying to manipulate you."
She shook him off, her eyes locked on Dante. "If you won't tell me, then he will."
Dante's grin widened, but there was a glint of something deeper in his eyes—a mix of triumph and something almost like pity. "Oh, this is delicious," he said, folding his arms casually. "She really doesn't know. Fine, Kain, if you won't spill it, I will."
"Dante," Kain's voice was a warning, sharp and dangerous.
But Dante wasn't fazed. His attention was solely on Lucia now. "You, my dear, are the last heir of the House of Lykathra."
The name sent a ripple through the pack, murmurs breaking out behind her. Lucia glanced around, confusion etched on her face. "What's the House of Lykathra?"
Dante's expression softened, but only slightly. "A cursed bloodline," he said, his tone theatrical. "Feared, hunted, and despised for centuries. They say your ancestors betrayed the Moon Goddess herself, stealing power that wasn't theirs to take. In her fury, she cursed them—your family—binding them to madness and destruction. But with that curse came unimaginable strength, strength that no other werewolf bloodline has ever matched."
Lucia's stomach churned. "You're lying."
"Oh, I wish I were," Dante said, his voice dropping to a whisper. "But you've felt it, haven't you? The strength you can't explain. The nightmares that don't feel like yours. The sense that you're not like everyone else."
Her breath hitched. She thought of the strange dreams that had plagued her since childhood, the flashes of faces she'd never seen, battles she'd never fought. It couldn't be true. Could it?
"Kain," she said, turning to him, her voice trembling. "Is this true?"
His silence was answer enough.
Her knees felt weak, and she stumbled back a step, shaking her head. "No. This… this can't be real."
Dante took a step closer, his tone gentler now, as if he could see her cracking. "It's why you're here, Lucia. Why Kain brought you into his pack. He's not just protecting you. He's hiding you. Because if others knew who you were, they'd either bow to you… or destroy you."
"Shut up!" Kain's voice exploded like thunder, his fury barely contained. He stepped between Lucia and Dante, his body a wall of rage. "You've said enough."
But Dante only chuckled. "You can't protect her from this, Kain. The truth is out. She's not just some girl you picked up out of pity. She's the key to power greater than any of us."
Lucia's chest tightened. She couldn't breathe, couldn't think. The pack's murmurs grew louder, a chorus of shock and suspicion. She felt their eyes on her, scrutinizing, questioning.
She took a shaky step back. "You knew," she said to Kain, her voice barely above a whisper. "You knew this whole time."
Kain turned to her, his expression stricken. "Lucia—"
"Don't!" she snapped, her voice breaking. "Don't lie to me. Did you know?"
He hesitated, just for a moment, but it was enough.
"Unbelievable," she said, her tone filled with bitter disbelief. "You brought me here, made me sign that contract, and never thought I deserved to know the truth? What was the plan, Kain? To keep me as your secret weapon? To use me when it suited you?"
"No," Kain said firmly, stepping closer, but she moved back, shaking her head.
"Don't touch me," she hissed, her voice trembling with rage. "You're just like him. Manipulating me. Using me for my bloodline."
"That's not true," Kain said, his voice softer now, but the crack in his armor was showing. "I was trying to protect you. You don't understand how dangerous this is."
"Then explain it to me!" she shouted, her hands trembling. "Stop hiding behind half-truths and tell me everything!"
The pack fell silent, their eyes bouncing between the two of them like spectators at a duel.
Kain's jaw clenched, his hands balled into fists at his sides. "You're right," he said, his voice low and controlled. "I should have told you. But you have no idea what's at stake here, Lucia. The moment that truth got out, you became a target. Do you think Dante's the only one who'll come for you?"
Lucia shook her head, her heart pounding. "I can't believe anything you say anymore. Not when you've been lying to me from the start."
Kain's eyes darkened, the tension between them thick enough to cut. "I've been trying to keep you alive," he growled. "But if you want the truth so badly, fine. You're the last of the Lykathra line. The blood in your veins is more powerful than any of us can comprehend. It's why you've survived everything you've been through. But it's also why people like Dante will never stop hunting you. Because with that power, they could rule everything."
The weight of his words crushed her, her legs threatening to give out beneath her. She looked at him, the man who had sworn to protect her, and felt nothing but betrayal.
"And you?" she said, her voice trembling. "What are you going to do with me, Kain? Keep me locked up like some weapon you can pull out when you need to win a war?"
His silence was deafening.
Lucia turned away, her chest heaving as the tears she'd been holding back began to spill. She didn't wait for his response. She didn't need one.
Without another word, she walked toward the forest, her vision blurred and her heart shattered.
"Lucia!" Kain's voice called after her, but she didn't stop. She couldn't.
Behind her, the pack stood in stunned silence, and Dante's soft chuckle echoed like a victory cry in t