Kaden sank into his chair, fingers clenched tightly on the armrests as the last echoes of Lila’s laughter faded into the dark.
His mind was a battlefield — a war between the fading spark of his true self and the crushing grip of the dark magic strangling his will.
He saw everything — her mocking smile, the boldness of her guard, the way she made him a prisoner in his own home.
But he could do nothing.
His voice was silent. His power, shackled.
A deep, aching rage boiled beneath his calm facade — not just at Lila, but at himself.
How had he fallen so far?
The alpha who once commanded respect now sat a helpless spectator to his own disgrace.
He swallowed hard, forcing down the bitterness that threatened to consume him.
Outside, the pack stirred, whispers spreading like wildfire.
“L
