CHAPTER 2: KADE

I woke up, feeling revitalized and smugly content, the rich aroma of whiskey mingling with the fresh scent of rain that seeped through the cracked window. The weather was perfectly suited for our secret meeting with the buyer of our stolen items, an exchange that carried an air of both danger and excitement. I had already forgotten the danger and fear I felt yesterday after the encounter with that strange man. My focus today is succeeding on selling our products and moving on.

The soft hum of the city drifted into my room, a symphony of distant sirens and the rhythmic patter of raindrops against the pavement. It was a typical morning, yet it crackled with a unique energy that made my pulse quicken. My head buzzed with the sweet afterglow of our recent victory, the thrill of pulling off a successful job still coursing through my veins.

For a brief moment, I let myself revel in that achievement, allowing the warmth of satisfaction to wash over me as I prepared for the day ahead.

Last night had been perfect, or as perfect as crime could get. I stretched my arms above my head and stared at the ceiling of my cramped apartment above the garage. My world might have been small, my life messy and built on shadows, but I’d won. Again, I will fight and sweat to make sure that I will leave this place and search for a better life.

“Rise and shine, queen of thieves,” Kade’s voice called from the kitchen corner. I rolled over and grinned, feeling excited by the praises coming from him. He has always been great at cheering me on. He was at the table, stacking the stolen jewelry like it was treasure in some pirate’s hoard. Coins, necklaces, and a silver dagger gleamed in the weak morning light.

“Damn,” he said, admiration in his voice. “We hit the jackpot.”

I sat up, rubbing my eyes. “Told you. No one touches Aine Dragonfyre in this city.” The words tasted good and strong. "I'm so glad we did this, but the other guys will be extremely upset that we left without them." Kade turned to look at me with a worried look on his face, and I clicked my tongue, feeling annoyed already. "Don't mind them, besides, they wouldn't have agreed they are too chicken or big stores," I said, trying to comfort Kade. I don't care about what they feel.

How they feel or what they do about it doesn't make a difference to me because I'm their boss, and they will do whatever I tell them to. I'm the leader for a reason, and whoever doesn't listen to me will have to exit the group. "I don't care about them, I'm just worried, that's all. I hope they do understand that I need the extra cash, my girlfriend is going to give birth to our baby soon." I smiled and hit his arm playfully, feeling proud.

"I'm going to be a godmother soon, I'm so proud," I said, giggling in joy. I hope I am the best version of myself when that baby comes.

Amid the thrill and excitement, something from last night still nagged at me: his eyes. The man in the store seemed to linger in the shadows, a dark energy radiating from him like a brewing storm. Each time I blinked, I caught a glimpse of him standing there. I could hardly breathe as I recalled the way my body had frozen, my heart pounding as if I had been… claimed.

But that was absurd. I didn’t freeze. I didn’t panic.

“Earth to Aine?” Kade snapped his fingers in front of my face.

I blinked. “Huh?”

“You were staring into space. Thinking about the store guy?” he teased, wiggling his eyebrows.

I smirked, trying to shake it off. “Please. He was in my way. That’s all.” But deep down, I knew I was lying. I didn't get much sleep last night; I stared into space and thought about how tall and strong he looked; I imagined how deep his voice must be when he laughs, as I had heard his angry voice. "Will you go see your mother today?" Kade's voice brought back my senses. I looked back at him and shook my head. "I'm not in the mood to be sad today."

By afternoon, we were drunk with success and expensive liquor. Music pounded softly from Kade’s phone as we sprawled on the worn couch, the jewels glittering like forbidden stars on the table.

“This is it,” Kade said, his voice giddy. “One more score like this and we’re untouchable.”

I raised my glass. “To being untouchable.”

We clinked and laughed. For a moment, I allowed myself to believe that I could continue living in the shadows of this city, reigning as the queen of my little empire, untouchable and unseen. But life doesn’t allow you to keep victories without a cost.

I immediately heard something, and I stopped and strained my ears so I could distinguish what it was coming from: a car engine.

A low growl echoed outside the garage; too smooth and too heavy to belong to anyone from this neighborhood. My instincts prickled, and a sharp, cold ripple slid down my spine. “Do you hear that?” I whispered.

Kade paused, frowning. “Yeah. The car engine sound doesn’t belong around here.”

Before I could respond, the door exploded inward with a deafening crack. Wood splintered, and metal screamed. I didn’t think; I reacted.

“Kade!” I shouted as I dove to the floor while three men stormed inside. Their eyes glinted with a strange golden hue, and their movements were fast and predatory. Werewolves, though I didn’t yet know that word applied to them. All I understood was that they were anything but normal. Kade swung a bat, but the first man caught it mid-swing as if it weighed nothing and snapped it in half.

“Run!” Kade yelled.

I bolted for the side door, but a hand like iron clamped around my arm and yanked me back. I slammed into a broad chest, my breath escaping my lungs. My eyes met the man holding me; he was taller than the others, with dark chestnut hair, and his expression was a cruel smirk of delight.

“Well, well,” he drawled, his voice gravelly. “The little thief.”

“Let me go!” I spat, thrashing against his grip, but he held me unrelentingly. Kade swung again with a broken chair leg, but the man barely flinched before backhanding him across the face. Kade crashed to the floor, groaning.

“No!” I screamed, panic clawing at my throat. The man holding me leaned in closer, his voice a menacing whisper. “You shouldn’t have touched what belongs to the Moonflower Pack.”

I didn’t understand the name, but the malice in his tone was unmistakable. Then, before I could react, his brother, the cruel one with the chestnut hair, snapped Kade’s neck as easily as if it were nothing.

The sound shattered me. Time slowed. My vision blurred. My heart pounded against my ribs as the reality sank in; my best friend, my partner in crime, the only family I had left in this filthy city, was gone. I didn’t even feel my scream until it seared my throat.

The next hour became a blur of terror. They dragged me into a black SUV and the forest outside the city, the rain turning the world into a smear of dark green and silver. I fought back, kicking and cursing, but they were too strong. My captor never stopped smiling. “Alpha’s gonna want to see you,” he said. “Bet he’ll enjoy breaking you in.” Fear twisted my stomach. Alpha? Pack? None of it made sense.

When the car stopped, they pulled me out onto the wet gravel. A sprawling estate loomed ahead, more of a fortress than a home. Lights glowed behind high windows, and the scent of pine and wet earth filled my nostrils. I stumbled as they shoved me inside, my sneakers squeaking against the polished wood. Every instinct I had screamed at me to run, but my legs wouldn’t move. Then I saw him. Raven Moonflower. He stood at the base of a staircase, his black hair damp from the rain, dark eyes locked on me. Power radiated off him in invisible waves, freezing me in place.

“You,” I whispered before I could stop myself. He remained silent for a long moment, staring at me with the same intensity as the night before. Then, his gaze flicked to his brother. “What did you do?” His voice was low but dangerous. “She was running away from us,” the brother replied with a shrug. “And her pet human got in the way.”

I flinched at the word “human.” Raven’s jaw tightened. His eyes returned to me, and something passed through them; something I didn’t understand. “Take her to the east wing,” he finally ordered. “And keep her alive.” The way he said it made my skin crawl.