Bastian
After I dropped Kaida off at Dahlia’s apartment, I headed straight back to the estate, but my mind was far from quiet. The night had been pleasant, more than I had expected. Kaida was reserved, but there was a strength in her that drew me in. She wasn’t just some broken woman in the aftermath of a failed marriage-she was something far more complex. And as I left her at the doorstep, a plan began to form in my mind, one I couldn’t ignore.
I made my way to the wine cellar, a place where I often went when I needed time to think. The familiar scent of oak barrels and aged bottles filled the air as I grabbed a bottle of red from the shelf and poured myself a glass. The wine was smooth, with a hint of bitterness at the end, much like the thoughts swirling in my head.
Kaelen Darkridge.
The name alone was enough to send a rush of anger through my veins. I knew him well-too well. In our younger years, Kaelen had done something unforgivable. He had been the one who stripped my father of his position in the alliance between the northern packs. It had been a calculated move, a brutal political play that left my family on the outskirts of power for years. My father’s health had deteriorated soon after, and though no one said it aloud, I knew it was because of the shame and humiliation Kaelen had caused him.
Kaelen had been ruthless, cold-blooded, and unapologetic. He didn’t care who he destroyed as long as it benefited him and his pack. And me? I had been too young to stop it. Too weak to fight back.
But I vowed that day, the day my father lost everything, that I would make Kaelen pay. I swore I’d see him suffer for what he did to my family. The problem was, Kaelen’s pack was the strongest in the region, a fortress surrounded by loyal allies. Even now, as Alpha of the Darkmoor Pack, I knew that trying to take Kaelen down by force would be a death sentence for my people. His influence ran deep, his power
absolute.
But tonight, as I drank from my glass and thought of Kaida, something shifted. For the first time in years, I saw a way to hurt Kaelen without ever lifting a finger against his pack. I had the ultimate weapon: Kaida Ashwood, his ex-wife. The mother of his unborn children.
I swirled the wine in my glass, watching the dark liquid ripple like the storm brewing in my chest. Kaida was Kaelen’s weakness, whether he realized it or not. She had been his Luna, the woman he’d marked, the mother of his heirs. And now she was here, under my protection, carrying his children. She might think she’d escaped him, but Kaelen was the kind of man who wouldn’t let go easily. He would come for her.
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And when he did, I would be waiting.
I didn’t plan to harm Kaida-I wasn’t that kind of man. But I could use her, use the connection she still had to Kaelen, to break him. Every moment she spent with me, every smile she gave, every conversation we shared-it would chip away at Kaelen’s control, his sense of superiority. He’d lose his mind knowing I was close to her, that I was the one protecting her, providing for her.
With Kaida and her pregnancy, I had leverage-leverage that could force Kaelen to his knees. The idea sent a thrill through me, a dark satisfaction that I hadn’t felt in years. The same man who had humiliated my family, who had taken everything from me, would now feel that same powerlessness. That same helplessness.
Just as I was finishing my second glass of wine, I heard footsteps behind me. I didn’t need to turn around to know who it was.
“Ben,” I said, setting my glass down on the table and leaning back in the chair. “You’re up late.
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Ben stepped forward, his face serious. “I figured I’d check in on you. You’ve been quiet since you dropped Kaida off.”
I nodded, gesturing for him to take a seat. Ben had been my right-hand man for years, my Beta, and the only person who truly understood the weight of my grudge against Kaelen. He sat down across from me, watching me with a steady gaze.
“Something on your mind?” he asked.
I smirked, swirling the last of the wine in my glass before setting it aside. “I’ve been thinking… about Kaelen.”
Ben’s brow furrowed. “Kaelen? What about him?”
I leaned forward, my elbows resting on my knees. “Kaida is pregnant with his children. She’s here, under our roof, and he doesn’t even know it. He doesn’t know that the woman he discarded is now in my care.”
Ben stayed silent for a moment, his expression unreadable. He was a strategist, always thinking ahead, and I knew he understood where I was going with this.
“You want to use her,” he finally said. It wasn’t a question-it was a statement.
I didn’t deny it. “Kaelen took everything from my family, Ben. Everything. And for years, I’ve had no way to strike back without putting our pack in danger. But now…” I paused, a dark smile playing on my lips. “Now I have the ultimate weapon. I have his ex-wife, carrying his
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children. I have the one thing that could make him vulnerable.”
Ben exhaled slowly, rubbing a hand over his jaw. “And what’s your plan? To make him suffer by being close to Kaida?”
I nodded. “Exactly. He’ll lose his mind knowing I’m the one protecting her, the one standing by her side while she’s carrying his children. And when he comes for her, because he will, I’ll be ready. I’ll have the upper hand for once.”
Ben studied me for a long moment, his eyes narrowing slightly. “Do you think Kaida will go along with this? She’s already been through hell with that man.”
I shrugged, leaning back in my chair. “She doesn’t have to know the full extent of my plans. I’m not going to hurt her, Ben. She’s been through enough. But she’s my key to breaking Kaelen, and I’m not going to let that opportunity slip through my fingers.”
Ben sighed, running a hand through his hair. “I don’t like it, Bastian. Kaida’s a good woman. She doesn’t deserve to be caught in the middle of this.”
“She’s already in the middle of it,” I countered, my voice hardening. “Whether she likes it or not, Kaida is a part of Kaelen’s world, and that means she’s a part of mine now. I’ll protect her, but I’m not going to sit back and do nothing while I have the chance to make Kaelen regret everything he’s done.”
Ben stared at me for a moment longer before nodding slowly. “Alright. Just… be careful. Kaida’s not the enemy here.”
“I know,” I said quietly. “But Kaelen is. And soon, he’ll regret ever crossing me.”
Ben stood up, giving me one last look before heading for the door. As I watched him leave, I felt a sense of resolve settle over me. Kaelen had taken everything from me once, but now the tables had turned.
And this time, I would make sure he felt the full weight of his betrayal.
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Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.
