Except for his eyes. They’re glowing now, imitating the moonlight with an eerie shimmer that isn’t entirely human. That’s when I notice it. The tattoo on his hand, the wolf, is glowing too, pulsing with the same otherworldly hue.
Is that what he meant by amark?
“Did he hurt you?” Kai growls, voice low and sharp, refocusing me on what matters right now.
“I’m okay,” I manage, even though my voice doesn’t sound as steady as I want it to. He doesn’t waste another second. Moving straight to the monster. Quick, clean, precise, and in one fluid motion, he slams the lycan face-first onto the desk. Twisting one of its arms behind its back until it lets out a guttural snarl of protest.
“Did he touch you?” Kai’s voice is cold now, coiled with fury. Every word lands with a punch.
“He tried,” I say, tone sharp, disgust curling in the back of my throat.
“Which hand?”
I blink. “Wh—what?”
Kai's eyes snap to mine. “Withwhichhand did he try?”
His voice is lower now, dead serious, unshaken. Glowing eyes locked on me as if the rest of the world didn’t exist. It’s almost scarier than the thing pinned beneath him.
I’m still processing the question when the lycan starts thrashing beneath Kai’s grip, desperate to break free. But it doesn’t stand a chance.
“The right one.” My voice doesn’t shake; it’s cold, certain.
Kai moves before the words finish from ringing out of my mouth. His blade flashes—a single, vicious arc, fast and unforgiving. The lycan’s scream is drowned by the wet rip of tearing flesh. Blood splashes across the floor, thick and heavy. Asevered hand lands with a dull thud, slowly rolling closer to my feet.
I should feel sick, horrified.
But I don’t.
Something inside me hums, dark and deep, a chord struck in the marrow of my bones. It coils through me, not fear... butsatisfaction.
Kai’s eyes meet mine, burning, unreadable. His nostrils flare slightly, like he senses the shift in me. Then his gaze drifts, slow and deliberate, over every inch of my body. When he refocuses on my face, there’s a coy smile waiting, just enough to reveal fangs.
Not human—not hiding anymore.
With blood still slick on his fingers, he brushes a strand of hair behind his ear as if it’s nothing. “Let’s go, Princess,” Kai murmurs, voice low and charged. “The night’s just getting started.”
I follow in silence.
Behind us, my attacker’s screams rip through the air—broken, animal, begging.
His pain sounds like justice, and justice sounds a hell of a lot like a symphony.
I’m following,barely two steps behind, when I nearly trip over Wyll, who’s slumped dramatically against the doorframe like a bored cat. I stop short.
“Why do I feel like I missed all the fun?” he drawls, voice lazy, eyes gleaming with mischief.
“Don’t worry, apparently, the night’s only starting.” Then, I ask, confused, “Where are we even going?”
“Home,” they both say in unison.
I stare at them. “Yeah… I don’t think so.”
Kai doesn’t even look at me. “Until you learn to ward a room properly, you can’t be alone.”
“I am still not going.” He lets out an exasperated grunt, rubbing the bridge of his nose like I’m the headache he regrets inviting in. His blond hair falls over his face, muting the edges, but only for a second.
“I can just stay with Nalaka, I don’t—” I don’t get to finish. One moment I’m talking, the next I’m over his shoulder. “HEY! What thehell?!” I shout, legs kicking.
