Kane’s Path to Revenge
Kane's POV
The walls of my study felt colder, the silence almost mocking as Kyle laid out his plan. The thrill of what he suggested had reignited a spark of satisfaction, one that had dulled since Cleopatra’s betrayal. I leaned back, letting his words wash over me—an ambush, a test to see just how much Cleopatra had changed, how powerful she had become. The idea of Williams having to watch her falter, to witness her fail in his protection… It was perfect.
Kyle leaned forward, his eyes gleaming with a dangerous excitement. “The word is that Williams has chosen Cleopatra as his Luna. They’ll return to the palace together to be crowned, side by side.”
I sneered. Cleopatra, my Cleopatra, as Luna of that miserable excuse for an Alpha? It was laughable—and infuriating. Kyle’s intel had better be right, or he’d face my wrath just as surely as anyone else who dared to lie to me.
“Their return is today,” he continued, voice low and conspiratorial. “If we take your newest squad, position them at the last boundary before the palace, we can ambush them. See how prepared they really are. And how much Cleopatra truly knows of her power.”
It was clever, even I had to admit that. Cleopatra had been my greatest weapon in the making, her power something I’d wanted to cultivate for my own advantage. Now, she’d turned it against me. But if Kyle was right, if she wasn’t fully awakened, I could still twist her back to my side. Control her, bend her to my will as I’d always planned.
“Very well,” I said, a smirk playing on my lips. “Prepare the squad. I want them ready to leave immediately. But you and I… we’ll keep our distance and observe. Let’s see what Williams and Cleopatra are really capable of.”
I strode out of the study, calling for Jack. The beta appeared quickly, his expression carefully neutral, though his eyes held a faint flicker of suspicion. Good. Let him wonder, let him stew. Jack’s loyalties had been questionable of late, and I wasn’t about to indulge him in this scheme.
“You’re staying here,” I ordered curtly, watching his reaction closely. “I need you to guard the pack.”
He hesitated, and for a split second, I thought he might protest. But he bowed his head. “Understood, Alpha.”
He kept his voice level, but I saw the question in his eyes as he glanced toward Kyle. My lips curved in a mockery of a smile. Let Jack wonder. He didn’t need to know everything, especially when it came to matters of my revenge.
Kyle and I led the squad out into the shadowed woods, where the scent of damp earth mingled with the faint chill of evening. I glanced around, scanning each of the newly trained warriors I’d handpicked. Their loyalty, untested as it was, would be proven today. As they spread themselves in formation, I felt a dark satisfaction unfurl within me. They were mine to command, and soon, Williams and Cleopatra would be reminded of exactly who they were defying.
We reached the boundary, a hidden stretch of forest just before the palace grounds, and I signaled for the men to position themselves. They blended into the shadows, waiting for their moment to strike. Kyle and I moved further back, concealed by thick underbrush but with a clear line of sight.
The anticipation was a live wire, thrumming with tension. Soon, the sound of hoofbeats reached us—a steady rhythm that grew louder, nearer. Through the trees, I caught sight of them: Williams, Cleopatra, and another figure I didn’t recognize, riding alongside them. My teeth bared in a silent snarl. There she was, just as the rumors had said, sitting proudly. And riding with Williams.
I didn’t miss her changed appearance. I remember when I first saw her hair color change so easily. I should have made sure she couldn’t escape me then. Maybe if I had done something, she would still be lying at my feet.
I motioned to the squad, who waited until Cleopatra and her companions drew nearer, crossing the boundary I’d marked in my mind. The moment they passed it, I gave the signal, a sharp, silent command. The warriors launched from their hiding places, surrounding the trio in a tight, lethal ring.
Kyle and I stayed hidden, watching intently. Williams reacted instantly, blocking Cleopatra’s path and shouting commands to the unknown man with them. Cleopatra’s gaze swept over the attacking wolves, her eyes alight with a fierce, determined glint. She moved with ease, not with fear but with resolve. But there was something different about her, something restrained. She didn’t tear into my men with the savagery I expected.
Instead, she fought with precision, knocking them back but sparing their lives, holding back in a way that puzzled me. I wanted to see her power unleashed, her ferocity unchained, yet she fought as if bound by some unseen restraint.
“She hasn’t fully awakened,” I muttered to Kyle, my voice low with a twisted sense of satisfaction. “If she had, my men would be dead already.”
Kyle nodded in agreement. “She’s powerful, but not unstoppable. With all you told me the last time and with all that I saw at the last ambush, I expected so much more. Maybe she hasn’t reached her full potential yet.”
A dark smile spread across my face. Good. She was still vulnerable, still within my grasp to control. If she had hesitated to kill, perhaps she hadn’t yet realized the extent of her abilities. It meant there was still time—still a chance to manipulate her, to turn her power back to my advantage.
But then I saw it—a faint mark on Williams’ neck, unmistakable even from this distance. My blood ran cold, then surged with rage as the realization hit me. Cleopatra had marked him. They had sealed their bond, defying every claim I’d ever staked on her.
A furious growl escaped my throat, the sound echoing through the trees as I clenched my fists. They had sealed their bond. She had chosen him, claimed him, and rejected me in the most final way possible.
I felt the fury clawing at my insides, a wild, consuming need to rip them both apart. Without thinking, I surged forward, every intention of making myself known, of dragging Cleopatra from his side and forcing her to see the consequences of her betrayal. But before I could step into the clearing, a force crashed into me from the side, slamming me to the ground with unexpected strength.
Kyle.
He pinned me down, his hand gripping my shoulder with brutal force, his legs pressing into my back to keep me immobilized. “Kane, don’t be an idiot!” he hissed, his voice urgent and low. “If you go out there now, you’ll ruin everything.”
I struggled against his hold, a snarl ripping from my throat. “Let me go, Kyle,” I spat, my voice laced with venom. “They need to pay for this.”
Kyle tightened his grip, leaning down so his face was close to mine, his eyes sharp with warning. “Do you want to lose everything? They’ll see you, and everything we’ve planned will be exposed. Cleopatra is powerful, but she’s not invincible yet. If you blow our cover, you risk everything.”
For a brief, maddening moment, I considered tearing Kyle apart. But his words penetrated the red haze clouding my mind, and the reality of the situation settled over me. He was right. If I revealed myself now, all our plans, all my vengeance, would be for nothing.
Reluctantly, I forced myself to still, though the fury continued to simmer, hot and unforgiving. I watched, helpless and humiliated, as Williams and Cleopatra fought off my warriors. And as they made their escape, a single, seething thought pulsed through my mind: I would have my revenge.
Kyle released me, giving me a warning look, but I barely acknowledged him. My gaze remained fixed on the spot where Cleopatra had stood, her betrayal now etched into my memory.
I would destroy them both. And this ambush, this so-called test, was only the beginning.
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