Chapter Nineteen — Kaine’s POV

The recent attacks on our pack members had prompted a meeting with the Betas. Fortunately, none of these incidents were connected to what had happened between Lyra and those two shifters the other night. The attacks seemed unrelated, a separate threat entirely. But the Betas didn’t hesitate to bring up the unease spreading among our people, hinting that Lyra’s return to Crescent Valley was somehow connected to these attacks.

“She‘s been back for a month now, and these attacks just began last week,” I had said firmly. They shrugged their shoulders, exchanging wary glances with one another, as though unconvinced, but the finality in my voice was enough to cut the conversation short. The Elders were already obsessing over Lyra and my broken engagement with Juniper Greymont. I hadn’t expected that my own security council would turn into a roundtable about her, too. We worked to strategize—tightening patrols, increasing support for victims, and tracking down the attackers still at large. They were talking about something else entirely.

Just outside the town hall in the pack headquarters where most of our meetings were held, I was saying my goodbyes to the Betas when I spotted Dominic among the gathered pack members. They looked visibly agitated, their expressions a mix of worry and frustration, while Dominic stood in their midst, seemingly trying to calm them. At least, that’s what I presumed, until a few of his words caught my attention.

“The attacks…I know who’s behind them,” I heard him saying.

My brows shot up. I’d been ready to head back inside to get my things and head to the sparring ground. But now, I froze in my tracks, curious about what Dominic was talking about. Did he know something about the recent attacks?

“Clarke and Talon have been to the healer’s place for a week,” Dominic continued. “And when I asked if they saw who attacked them, they affirmed they knew who it was.”

A ripple of gasps passed through the crowd, their interest piquing, just as mine did.

“It was the girl—Lyra Winters. She shifted and nearly killed one of them, if not for the intervention of the Alpha.”

One woman, her voice filled with venom and sharp with accusation, cut through the crowd. “So, the Alpha knows about this?”

“Know?” I could hear Dominic scoff. “He swept it under the rug because he knows what pack laws say about pack members harming their own. You need to see Talon’s face—scarred for life. And Clarke? He’s still recovering, but she nearly took him out.”

A cold disbelief settled over me, willing me to deny the familiar voice in my ear, to refuse to believe that this was Dominic—my cousin, a man I’d considered my brother. And yet, as I turned to see him, I couldn’t escape the bitter truth before me.

“He’s slowly slipping out of control,” Dominic went on, his tone thick with spite. ”He cannot handle this pack anymore and we know it. Our Alpha isn’t acting in our best interest anymore. He’s risking everything for her. We can’t stand by and watch him bring chaos to our pack.”

“That girl,” another woman spat out. “He’s going to bring us all to the ground because of her.”

They spoke some more, and at the end, another person from the crowd said, “Mr. Mason is holding today’s meeting at his house. Apparently, he’s also recovering from an allergy flare-up, thanks to the girl.”

Dominic shook his head slightly. “I’ll see you, then. Just have a few things to wrap up.”

*****

Later that evening, I sat by the courtyard overlooking the fountain where a sculpted Alpha Fenris stood. My eyes rested on the marble sculpture, but my thoughts were elsewhere, drifting back to Dominic and everything I’d overheard earlier. The gentle sound of the flowing water seemed to lead me back to the years when Dominic and I would race around this very fountain, trying to tag each other and laughing like nothing else mattered. I always looked forward to the visits from his pack, because those were the rare days where I felt free, without the constant weight of being groomed to be an Alpha. I got to be a kid and just have fun.

My father would be tied up in endless meetings with Dominic’s father, while my mother would vanish with her sister, their conversations pulling them into their own world. They would spend the entire day together, wrapped up in their discussions, leaving no time to monitor me or make sure that every little thing I did was worthy of an Alpha.

Dominic’s presence was always a brief escape from the suffocating expectations of my parents. We’d run wild, venture to sparring grounds together to watch shifters train, and sometimes sneak off to the diner to eat things my mother would never allow. He brought a sense of normalcy to my world, a reminder of who I was underneath all those expectations. But that changed when I turned sixteen, and those visits stopped.

I couldn’t believe that a man I considered my brother would throw me under the bus in front of my people. He, more than anyone else, knew how hard I was working to have them accept Lyra’s return, to prevent attacks like the one she faced on her way back to the diner the other day. I’d trusted Dominic enough to confide in him about what happened, and even asked him to check on Clarke and Talon at the healer's home. And he broke that trust.

My grip tightened around the whiskey glass. My jaw was clenched, fists balled as anger pulsated through me—the one emotion I relied on to cope with things that cut deep.

The sound of the front door opening and closing was the indication that Dominic was back. Heavy footsteps echoed along the path to the courtyard, and as his scent reached me, the anger was sharp on my tongue.

“Hey Kaine,” Dominic said, walking deeper into the courtyard. From the sound of his voice—high pitched with excitement—it was clear he had no idea I knew the truth. “I checked on those shifters: Talon and Clarke. They seem to be doing a lot better. I’m not sure they would keep their mouths shut about what happened but I tried to sway them, so we’ll see.” He stopped in front of me, taking me in with a quick glance, then shook his head. “Does this have something to do with Lyra? The last time I saw you drinking like this, you were furious with me for hanging with her.”

I remained silent, battling the urge to slam him against the wall and punch him until I drew blood.

Dominic moved closer, his voice quieter. “Did you hear me, Kaine?”

For the first time since he entered, I lifted my gaze to regard him. The moment our eyes locked, it felt like an arrow straight to my chest. I was looking at a man I had always thought I could trust with my life.

Noticing my expression, Dominic asked, “What’s going on, Kaine? How did the meeting with the Betas go?”

I gulped down the last remnants of the whiskey in the glass and stood, taking a couple of steps toward him. Dominic stood his ground, his brows drawn together in confusion.

“You say you care about Lyra,” I started, drawing out each word to emphasize my disdain. “You like being around her, you enjoy spending time with her, and all that crap you said the other day.”

He sighed, glancing at the ground momentarily before looking back at me. “Look, man, we talked about this.”

I regarded him a moment too long, as if trying to comprehend how the man in front of me could betray me like this. Then I scoffed, shaking my head. “You know what’s going on with the pack, and with Lyra being back. If you care about her so much, I’d expect you’d do everything in your power to protect her from their wrath.“

“And that’s what I’m doing,” Dominic lied through his teeth, and it made me hiss. How many more lies had he told me?

“That’s not what you were doing in the park headquarters earlier,” I said, watching as his brows furrowed deeper in confusion. And a few seconds later, realization washed over him and I saw the face of a guilty man.

He took a few steps backward, his voice low, “Look, Kaine, I can explain. They were all coming at me, about you, about Lyra, about the attacks. I had to say something—I couldn’t stand alone against that crowd.”

“Stand alone’?” I clicked my tongue in disapproval. “You told them about Talon and Clarke, and I’m sure this meeting at Mr. Mason’s fueled the discussion.”

“The meeting was just an opportunity for me to hear the thoughts of the people and relay them back to you.”

“Goodness, Dominic. How stupid do you think I am?”

“Kaine, listen to me—”

“It’s treason to go against your Alpha, Dominic. You know that right?”

His expression shifted to anger as his face flushed and he scoffed, “My Alpha?” He no longer looked guilty—he seemed defiant. “What kind of Alpha lets his emotions get in the way of his duty?”

I shook my head. “Our fathers made us believe that emotions had no place in leadership, but they were wrong.”

“No,” he shot back. “They were right. That’s why they were great leaders before they died. You have to sacrifice one for the other, and you just don’t know how. That makes you exactly what the people are saying you are: incompetent.”

I smiled bitterly. “So, you’re not even denying it? You did betray me.”

Dominic fell silent.

“I just want to know one more thing.” I stepped closer, asking through gritted teeth. “Why?”

He squared his shoulders, matching my stance, and looking directly into my eyes. “Because I think this pack could do with a leader who understands the difference between duty and personal gratification.”

*****

Dominic’s words reverberated in my mind throughout the evening, relentless and unyielding. Duty. Personal gratification. Even my attempt to clear my head by going for a run proved futile. I had moved past the shock that someone I trusted could hurt me like this. My reality had altered, leaving me to question everything I knew about Dominic Wilder—my cousin.

Panting, I leaned against a tree to catch my breath. Disbelief had transcended into anger, but beneath it all was that all-consuming ache in my chest—a deep, raw wound that would never heal. It was a familiar pain, one I had felt when I lost my father. It was also grief, because in a way, I’d lost my cousin.

Although I was lost in thoughts of grief and disbelief, the unmistakable snap of a twig caught my attention, drawing me back to a stark reality: I wasn’t alone. Another crack echoed from my right, and my muscles tensed as I whirled my head in the direction of the sound. Whoever it was did well to mask its presence under the thick bushes and the darkness of the night. I rose slowly, moving cautiously, each of my senses heightened as I scanned the forest for the faintest hint of movement. My gaze pierced through the shadows of the night, but even with my impeccable vision, I saw nothing. This person was clever.

My sharp hearing kicked in as I heard another twig snapping to my left, this time quieter, like whoever was closing on didn’t want to be detected. I crouched lower, in an attempt to mask myself as well. Eyes narrowed, my gaze cut through the darkness with trained precision and I finally spotted it—a flash of dark fur moved through the bushes stealthily. It was a wolf, midnight black, nearly matching my size. Its scent reached me before its eyes did, along with an unmistakable wave of aggression, an intense ferocity it no doubt clearly targeted at me.

In a split second, the wolf lunged at me from the shadows, slamming into me and knocking me flat. I caught its jaw just as its sharp fangs came within a breath of my throat. Hot saliva splattered across my cheeks as I exerted my strength to hold it down. Its eyes were filled with nothing but an intent to kill me, glowing a deep red, accentuated by unnatural streaks of black. This was no ordinary wolf. It had a vicious strength, something twisted and powerful, and that gleam in its eyes left no doubt—it was driven by something. I had seen this before with Jared. Dark magic.

Desperately, he snapped his jaw violently with a violence that shook me, thrashing as he tried to get out of my grip. His fangs raked my hand, slicing deep, but I remained steady, summoning every ounce of strength in me to shove him off. He landed only a few inches away, and was on his feet almost immediately, charging at me with renewed fury. This time, I sidestepped, though not enough, as his claws scratched down my side. Pain seared down my ribs, but I ignored it, clenching my fists. As he came at me again, I landed a blow to his jaw, enough to send him stumbling, but the wolf didn’t back down. He snarled, a guttural sound that shook the trees. And then he lunged, this time faster, his jaws snapping toward my throat with a force that brought us both to the ground.

I barely dodged, but it was clear now—if I kept fighting like this, I wouldn’t survive. I needed more, I needed my wolf.

Without hesitation, I let the shift take me, feeling my muscles stretch and my bones cracked, as my human form gave way. My midnight black fur bristled to life, and my claws extended, digging into the soil. The moment my paws hit the ground, a surge of power roared through me, and everything became sharper.

The wolf’s eyes flashed with surprise but he didn’t falter. I was even larger, faster, and smarter than him. I anticipated his next move before he made it, catching him midair as leaped, and hurling him against a tree. The impact made him shriek and crash to the ground. Unlike previous times, when he sprang back into action without hesitation, this time he remained down.

I seized the opportunity to attack, kicking his jaw as he fell on its back. He was on his feet again in an instant, launching himself at me once more. We collided as I threw my weight against him. My next move was to lock my jaws around his neck, sinking my fangs into his skin. The wolf yelped, thrashing violently, as he tried to break from my grip. In an attempt to get me off it, he scratched at my sides, his claws tearing my flesh. Blood gushed out, but I didn’t relent despite the searing pain. Its struggles began to weaken, and with a final surge, I flung him to the ground and drove my claws into his belly. The wolf’s movement ceased, his chest heaving as his form shifted back to a human one. I stepped back as the man lay breathing slowly, blood pooling around him. He was a stranger, someone I’d never seen before.

I shifted back to human form, my breath ragged from exhaustion. “Who are you?” I demanded, positioning my claws at his neck, ready to deliver my final strike by ripping out his jugular.

The man spluttered up some blood, but he smiled—a dark, twisted grin, his red eyes gleaming with a smug satisfaction that confused me.

“Too late, Alpha,” he rasped, the words coming out as a guttural whisper. “They’re already here.”

My brow furrowed deeply, knitting together in a tight line. “Who? Who’s here?”

He smirked, a gleam of triumph in his eyes as he forced out his final words. “The Blackwoods.”