Chapter Twelve — Kaine’s POV

The whiskey had long lost its bite, but I kept drinking, hoping for the numbness to settle in. But it didn’t. The elder’s ultimatum echoed in my head, louder than the noise in the bar. You’ve been offered a chance to right your mistake, thanks to Zephyr. You have one week to marry Juniper and seal the alliance, or the Moonshadow pack walks away for good and we’d be making an enemy out of them.

After the failed retribution, the elders stayed behind while the rest of the pack filtered out. That’s when they revealed that they’d been working without my knowledge to revive the alliance after everything that went down at the mating ceremony. They all filed out one by one, but Zephyr remained.

He began by stating the obvious—what it means for a rejected mate to have the Alpha’s son. He spoke quietly, telling me that he had watched me grow and always believed I’d make a fine Alpha. Then he reminded me of where my loyalties should lie, and my father’s final words before he passed.

The conflict of the decision before me weighed heavily on me, so I went to the bar, hoping the alcohol would drown out the voices in my head. But it wasn’t much help. My father’s words lingered in my head, as though he was sitting beside me, and I was plunged back to that moment, six years ago…

The healer emerged from his room, and one look at her face told me everything. My father had just had another one of his seizures, and we had sent for the healer. She arrived in time to revive him, but when she looked at me now and shook her head, I knew that he didn’t have much time left.

“You should say your goodbyes,” she said softly. “He’s barely hanging on.”

Hearing her say it was like a rude awakening. My father was going to die today. She left and I entered the room, knowing that this might be our last conversation. My chest was heavy, and I felt a thick knot form in my throat when I saw my father lying in bed, looking pale, gaunt, and breathing slowly.

“Don’t tell me you’re going to cry,” he said, his voice groggy yet still carrying a hint of humor even on the verge of death.

I chuckled, though it felt like a sharp pain stinging my chest. “You should save your strength, father.”

“So, what? We’re just going to sit here while you watch me die?”

I swallowed hard. Each reminder of his death was like a dagger to the chest. The reality was before me, yet I wasn’t ready to accept it.

“Come here, Kaine. Sit with me.”

I did as he said, taking the seat beside his bed. He extended his arm, and I linked mine with his. His skin felt cold, almost lifeless.

“Fate’s a bitch, you know?” He chuckled dryly. “It has a twisted way of selling you dreams it knows you can’t embrace. Look what it did with my mate, Eva.” He turned his gaze to the ceiling, longing etched across his features. “The mate bond is a strong connection, son, as I’m sure you know. But with us, it’s always been our weakness. We’re always fated to the one we can never be with.” He mustered a painful smile and looked at me with tender affection. “I need you to promise me something.”

“Anything, father.” My voice was barely a whisper.

“I worked hard to build and to keep this alliance with the Moonshadow pack, and now it’s your turn. In a few years’ time, Juniper Greymont will be of age, and you’ll mate with her. Promise me you’ll keep your head down and finish what you’ve started. Promise me you’ll lead with your head, and not with your heart.”

“Father—”

“Promise me, Kaine,” his voice was firm this time. “Grant me this last wish before I join our ancestors.”

I tightened my grip around his hand. “I promise.”

A small smile spread across his lips, but I felt his grip loosen. “Never forget, Kaine, your duty, honor, and the pack come first.” And his hand slipped from mine and dropped to his side.

Your duty, honor, and the pack come first. Those were my father’s last words, words he’s expected me to live by. Guilt gnawed at me. I could feel the conflict tearing at me apart. Every fiber of my being wanted to be with Lyra. It felt like life had no meaning without her. But my promise to him haunted me. The weight of his legacy hung on every choice I faced. And the last thing I wanted to do was destroy that legacy.

I downed another shot of the whiskey, letting it burn its way down, but the process of numbing me was interrupted. The familiar scent—a blend of wild jasmine and something uniquely hers—drifted through the bar, cutting through the haze of alcohol clouding my senses. I turned around, and the sight of her and Dominic together hit me like a jolt to the core.

He leaned in to whisper something that made her smile again, this time wider. Her eyes sparkled, and she covered her mouth, trying to suppress the smile tugging at her lips when she caught the scowl of one of the patrons, but whatever he said must have been too damn funny. A strand of hair fell across her face, and Dominic reached out, tucking it behind her ear like it was the most natural thing in the world.

My blood ran cold.

He was too close. Too comfortable. And the way she looked at him, the way she smiled, it twisted something dark inside of me. My grip tightened around the glass until it cracked beneath my fingers. Without thinking, I was on my feet. The room tilted for a second, the alcohol hitting harder than I expected, but I steadied myself. My eyes locked on Dominic, the anger boiling over. Before I knew it, I was in front of them.

“Enjoying yourself, Dominic?” I spat, my voice low, but laced with enough venom to wipe that smile off his face.

He looked up calmly, as if my presence didn’t bother him in the slightest. “Actually, yes.” His eyes flicked to Lyra, then back to me. “We had a pretty great day today, didn’t we?”

She had the guts to smile—wide and bright, like nothing about hanging out with Dominic was wrong. “It was nice to get away from everything for a while,” she answered. Then her gaze turned to me, concern etched on her face as she asked, “Are you okay, Kaine? How long have you been here?”

“Long enough to see you getting cozy with my cousin,” I snapped, the bitterness in my tone palpable.

Confusion flashed across her face as her smile faltered. “Excuse you?”

I turned my attention back to Dominic. “You think you’re clever, don’t you?”

Dominic squared his shoulders, leveling my glare. “I don’t have to be clever, Kaine. I just have to be here.”

His words hung in the air, unspoken but clear.

My fists clenched, trembling with the need to punch the smug look off his face. “Back off,” I said through gritted teeth.

“From what, Kaine?” His gaze flickered to Lyra, then back to me. “I can’t. I just—I can’t.”

“What the hell is that supposed to mean?”

“It means I like her,” his tone was ragged with frustration. “I enjoy spending time with her, I like being around her, so I simply cannot back off!”

My vision blurred with rage. “I’m warning you, Dominic. Back the fuck off.”

He didn’t budge. Instead, he took a step toward me, his eyes daring me to make a move. “Or what? You don’t own her, Kaine. And to be honest, I stand a better chance with her than you right now.”

That was it. The punch landed before I even realized I’d swung. Dominic staggered backward, crashing into a table as blood trickled from his nose. The bar went dead silent. All eyes turned to us, but I didn’t give a damn.

Dominic wiped blood from his nose, his lips curling in a sneer. “You think this is going to make her take you back?”

Oh, he was biting off more than he could chew at this point. I lunged forward, ready to hit him again, but Lyra stepped in between us, her eyes blazing with fury.

“What the hell is wrong with you?” she shouted, shoving me back with surprising force. “You don’t get to act like this. Not with him.”

“What on earth is that even supposed to mean?” I spat out.

Ignoring me, she grabbed a napkin and moved to press it against Dominic’s bleeding nose. “You should leave, Kaine,” she said, not sparing me a glance. “You’ve caused enough harm for one night.”

For a second, I hesitated, watching as she nursed Dominic’s broken nose with so much care and tenderness. His smug expression had faded into something darker, like a silent satisfaction that infuriated me even more.

Anger bubbled inside of me, and without a word, I turned and left.