Chapter 20
Kali’s POV
The world feels distant, as if I’m trapped in a dream–floating, no, sinking–caught between reality and darkness. A sharp, relentless throbbing pulses through my skull, and my body feels unbearably heavy.
Am I dreaming? Is this what dying feels like?
The last thing I remember is the betrayal–the wicked cackle of that old woman and the greedy voices of those bastards, plotting to sell me off like a damn object.
I should have known. I should have learned my lesson. But I didn’t.
And now… there’s a sound.
A noise so foreign in this desolate place, yet so familiar it stirs something deep inside me. Whimpers. Choked sabs. The distinct sound of flesh meeting flesh–a body hitting the ground with a sickening thud.
What…?
I try to move, but my limbs refuse to obey. My eyelids flutter open weakly, my vision blurred, the edges swimming in darkness. There’s movement–no, a shadow. A figure stands tall, fists striking down with brutal force, beating someone into the dirt.
A man.
Through the fog in my mind, a name lingers
on the tip of
y tongue.
Jack?
Could it really be him?
Did he hear my desperate, pathetic plea through
bond? Did he run miles
to
save
– Me?
The
believed? If he’s here, was I wrong to push him away?
Would I still reject him?
about this mean he truly cares? That maybe, just maybe, he isn’t as cold as I once
I fight to keep my eyes open, but my vision is still blurry. The scent in the air–it isn’t intoxicating as it should be. It’s familiar, yes, but not quite Jack’s. And yet… something about it stirs recognition deep within me.
I strain to listen, my body still too weak to react, but I catch part of a conversation.
The woman–damn her. Her voice quivers with terror. “Who–who are you?” she gasps between sobs.
“Why are you doing this to us?” one of the men chokes out, his voice thick with pain.
A low, cold chuckle follows, sending a shiver down my spine–though not as intense as the chills Jack’s voice would bring me. Then, a deep, unyielding voice–one laced with something dark and dangerous–replies,
“Call me Fury.”
My breath catches.
Fury?
The name echoes in my mind. His voice–it should be familiar. It is familiar. But it’s not Jack.
Who is he?
“Because I’m here to teach you a lesson–one you’ll never forget in a hurry.” His words drip with malice, with the kind of rage that promises destruction.
I hear bones cracking, pained screams filling the air, and the old woman’s frantic pleas grow weaker. My head is spinning, my consciousness slipping again, but a smile tugs at my lips as I let the darkness take me.
In my mind, I picture Jack standing there like my knight in shining armour.
Maybe… maybe I don’t have to fight alone anymore.
A sharp, pounding ache in my skull drags me out of unconsciousness.
A deep groan rumbles from my throat, and I curse under my breath, pressing a hand to my temple. “Shit,” I mutter, squeezing my eyes shut. “That bitch must have hit me harder than I thought.”
I don’t know how long I’ve been out, but one thing is clear–my dreams were humiliating. All of them had been about Jack. Him storming in like some hero. Him carrying me away from danger. Him whispering in my ear that he’d come for me, making my cheeks heat with frustration. Why the hell was my head filled with him?
Ugh. Disgusting.
I try to sit up and immediately realise something’s wrong. My head wasn’t resting on cold dirt like I expected. It was on something firm. Warm.
1 freeze.
Slowly, I crack my eyes open, my breath hitching when I see what–or rather who–I had been using as a pillow.
Fuck. The warrior.
Not just any warrior.
Him.
The one from Jack’s pack. The one who, unlike the rest of those bastards, had kind eyes. The one who stopped me from settling the score between those two mates that day. The one who told me not to interfere because Jack hadn’t introduced me as his Luna.
But why was I disappointed that it was him and not Jack who had come for me?
“You-“I gasp, scrambling upright so fast that I nearly topple over. “What the hell are you doing here?”
He looks down at me, calm and unbothered, like I hadn’t just jolted awake in his lap. His dark eyes watch me carefully, unreadable as he remains silent.
My gaze snaps to the scene around us, and my stomach churns. The people who had attacked me, who nearly sold me like cattle, are sprawled across the ground–bruised and bloodied. The witch—the one who tricked me, who betrayed me–lays trembling, her pitiful moans filling the air.
I turn back to the warrior, eyes wide. “You did this?”
He doesn’t confirm or deny it, and his silence only fuels my suspicion.
“But… you—“I shake my head, struggling to reconcile the sight before me. He doesn’t look like someone who could hurt a fly. And yet, these people were nearly beaten to death.
“What are you doing here?” I demand. “How did you find me?”
“I was just passing by,” he says smoothly, like we’re discussing the weather. “Saw you by coincidence.”
I narrow my eyes. “Bullshit. I don’t believe in coincidences.” My chest rises and falls sharply. “Did Jack send you to watch me?”
Silence.
I scoff, muttering under my breath, “I should’ve known. He’s not the type to let me go so easily.”
1 glare at the warrior, but before I can grill him further, a pitiful whimper from the ground snags my attention.
The witch.
And just like that, my anger reignites, flaring like a flame doused in gasoline.
I whirl on her, stomping over before grabbing a fistful of her greasy hair and yanking her up despite her pained cries. She screeches, but I don’t care.
“You messed with the wrong bitch,” I snarl, baring my teeth.
She squirms, her hands clawing at mine. “P please,” she stammers. “I didn’t mean to-”
“Oh, shut the hell up.” My grip tightens, my nails digging into her scalp. “How dare you lie to my face? How dare you use my family to lure me in?” My chest burns with fury. “You were going to sell me!”
Tears spill down her wrinkled cheeks. “I needed money to survive! You don’t understand-”
I let out a sharp, bitter laugh. “Oh, I understand perfectly.” I shove her to the air. “You prey on desperate people. People like me.”
ground, watching with satisfaction as she scrambles backward, gasping for
She shakes her head frantically. “Young children were brought to the witch huts years ago. I knew they came from rich families. I was only trying to earn a living after being banished from my coven.”
I scoff, disgust curling my lip. “You know what? I
the
favor.”
I turn back to the warrior, my voice dripping
venom. “Do you know any black–market dealo.
Someone who buys filth like this?”
His eyes flicker with something–something I can’t read. He doesn’t answer right away, just watches me with that infuriatingly calm expression, and it makes me bristle.
“If you can’t be useful, then leave,” I snap.
“I have to make sure you’re okay,” he says simply.
I open my mouth to tell him exactly where he can shove his concern when a low whisper reaches my ears. The hairs on the back of my neck rise.
It’s the witch.
Muttering something under her breath.
Before I can react, the warrior moves. “Luna, step back!” His voice is sharp, urgent. “She’s casting a spell–”
But it’s too late.
The witch’s lips move in a hushed chant, her eyes gleaming with eerie light. In a blink, she and the rest of her people vanish, leaving only a swirling mist
behind.
I stagger back, stunned. “What the hell-?”
The warrior exhales, running a hand through his hair. “Luna,” he says slowly, “if you remain out here, it will be hard for you to survive.” His dark gaze locks onto mine. “You’ll meet worse monsters than them.”
I swallow, “So, what? You’re saying I should go back to Jack? Your Alpha?”
His jaw tightens. “It’s the best option. They will come after you.” His voice drops slightly. “She’s a witch. Witches don’t forgive. We need to leave. Now”
His words settle over me like a noose tightening around my throat.
Jack’s pack. Jack’s rules. His pack that treats women like dirt. His pack that-
Jack’s last warning echoes in my mind.
“But if you dare come back to my pack… or if you fall into my arms again, I won’t give you a second chance to escape. So, dear mate, make sure you run as far away from me as you can.”
Goosebumps prickle over my skin.
I can’t go back. Not to Jack. Not to that pack
Not when I know that this time, it won’t just be about Jack forcing me to submit–it’ll be about something far worse.
It’ll be about me falling for him despite it all.
