KAIA'S POV
I'm lying in bed, staring at the ceiling and trying not to think about last night at the river. Trying not to think about his voice. His scent. The way he looked at me like he could see straight through my soul.
But my body has other ideas.
The heat is building again, low in my belly. The same restless energy that drove me to the river in the first place. My hand starts to drift toward the hem of my nightgown when a sharp knock echoes through the cottage.
"Kaia!" My father's voice booms from the other side of the door. "Get up! We have somewhere to be!"
I bolt upright, heart racing. "Coming, Papa!"
I throw on my robe and hurry to the door, smoothing down my messy hair. When I open it, my father is standing there with the biggest smile I've seen on his face in years.
"Good morning, sunshine," he says, practically bouncing on his toes. "Wear your best dress. We're going visiting."
I raise an eyebrow. "Visiting? Papa, it's barely dawn. Who visits at this hour?"
His grin gets even wider. "The Alpha has invited us to his home for breakfast."
The words hit me like a slap. "What?"
"Alpha Ronan Duskmore himself sent a messenger this morning," Papa continues, clearly oblivious to my shock. "Personal invitation. Can you believe it? After all these years of keeping to ourselves, an Alpha wants to meet with us!"
My mouth goes dry. This is it. This is the opportunity I've been waiting for.
For three years, I've been planning this moment. Three years of keeping a terrible secret from my father because I know the truth would destroy what little spirit he has left. He's already been broken by losing Kelly and our mom, by watching his world crumble around him. If I told him that the Duskmore family was guilty, my father would march straight to their door demanding justice.
And they would kill him for it.
So I've carried this burden alone. The knowledge of who destroyed our family. The hunger for revenge that consumes me. The careful planning of how to get close enough to the Duskmores to find out which one of them actually pulled the trigger.
And now, Ronan has practically delivered himself to me on a silver platter.
"Papa, I don't think—"
"None of that now," he interrupts, waving his hand dismissively. "This is a huge honor, Kaia. Huge! Now go get ready. Wear the blue dress, the one your mother made before... well, before. You look beautiful in blue."
He disappears down the hall, whistling some cheerful tune, leaving me standing in my doorway with my world spinning out of control.
Alpha Ronan wants to see me. After last night at the river, he's actually invited me to his home.
Perfect. My plan is already working.
I should feel triumphant. Victorious. This is exactly what I've been hoping for - a way to infiltrate the Duskmore family, to get close to them.
But instead, all I can think about is the way Ronan looked at me last night. The raw hunger in his eyes. The way his presence made my skin flush and my heart race. The way my body responded to him despite everything I know about his family.
The way I wanted him to touch me, even as I flinched away.
I dig through my wardrobe until I find the blue dress, but my hands are shaking. Not from nerves about the plan, but from something else entirely.
I can't stop thinking about him. About the way he immediately backed off when I flinched. About the genuine regret in his voice when he apologized. About the way he looked at me like I was something precious, something to be protected rather than conquered.
It doesn't fit. None of it fits with what I know about the Duskmores. They're monsters. Killers. The family that destroyed mine.
But Ronan... the way he treated me last night...
"Focus," I whisper to myself as I slip into the dress. "This is about revenge. This is about justice. You can use his attraction to you. Make him trust you. Find out which one of them is the killer."
But even as I say it, I can feel the heat building between my thighs. The memory of his voice, deep and commanding. The way he said my name like it was something sacred.
The way he looked at me when he thought I might run.
"Kaia!" Papa calls from downstairs. "Are you ready yet? We can't keep the Alpha waiting!"
"Almost done!" I call back, though my hands are shaking so badly I can barely fasten the buttons.
Minutes later, Papa returns to my room and practically drags me toward the door.
"Papa, slow down," I protest as he hustles me outside. "We're not late for anything."
"We might be," he says, his eyes bright with nervous energy. "What if the messenger got the time wrong? What if we're supposed to be there earlier? What if—"
"Papa, breathe," I say firmly. "It's going to be fine."
But even as I say it, I know I'm lying. Nothing about this is going to be fine.
The walk to the Alpha's territory feels both too long and too short. My father chatters nervously the entire way, talking about what an honor this is, how it might change our lives, how proud my mother would be.
I barely hear him. All I can think about is my plan. Get close to Ronan. Make him trust me. Find out which brother killed my mother - was it him? Was it one of the others? And then...
Then I'll make them pay. All of them.
I've spent three years preparing for this. Three years getting stronger, smarter, more cunning. I'm not the broken fifteen-year-old who made that vow by the river anymore. I'm ready to take them down, no matter what it costs me.
But as we approach the Alpha's house, my resolve wavers. The building looms in front of us, all dark stone and imposing windows, and suddenly I'm not thinking about revenge anymore.
I'm thinking about the way Ronan's eyes dilated when he looked at me. The way his voice dropped to that low, commanding register that made my knees weak. The way he smelled like danger and desire and something that made my body sing with want.
What is wrong with me? Why does he affect me like this?
"Impressive, isn't it?" Papa whispers as we approach the front entrance.
"Terrifying," I mutter under my breath.
A servant opens the door before we can knock, as if he's been waiting for us.
"Mr. Grimm and Miss Grimm," he says with a respectful bow. "The Alpha is expecting you. Please, come in."
We're led through corridors lined with portraits of stern-faced Alphas from generations past. Their painted eyes seem to follow me as we walk, judging, calculating.
But my body starts to react before we even reach the main hall. The scent of the place - wood smoke and leather and something uniquely masculine - makes my pulse quicken. Makes that familiar heat start to build between my thighs.
It's his scent. Ronan's scent, permeating every inch of this place.
No. Not here. Not now.
I need to stay focused. I need to remember why I'm here. Remember the vow I made by the river.
But all I can think about is the way he looked at me last night. The way he moved closer, predatory and graceful. The way his hand reached for my face before I flinched away.
What would have happened if I hadn't flinched? What would his touch have felt like?
"Excuse me," I say quickly, catching the servant's attention. "Could you direct me to the ladies' room? I need just a moment to... freshen up."
"Of course, Miss," he says, pointing down a side corridor. "Third door on the right."
"I'll wait here," Papa says, settling into a chair in the hallway. "Don't take too long, sunshine."
I shake my head. "Go ahead, Papa. I'll find my way to you."
He looks at me suspiciously for a moment, but then the servant is leading him away, and I'm alone in the corridor.
I hurry down the hallway, my heart pounding harder with each step. The scent is stronger here, more concentrated. It's making my head spin, making my body respond in ways I can't control.
I find the ladies' room and slip inside, locking the door behind me. The space is small but elegant, with a marble sink and an ornate mirror that reflects my flushed face back at me.
"Get it together," I whisper to my reflection. "You can do this. This is your chance for revenge. Don't let him distract you."
But even as I say the words, I can feel the heat building. The restless energy that's been plaguing me for days is reaching a fever pitch. Being this close to him, breathing in his scent, knowing he's just down the hall...
My hands start to shake.
All I can think about is Ronan's eyes. The way they burned with desire when he looked at me. The way his voice commanded me to turn around, to look at him.
The way my body obeyed without question.
"No," I breathe. "Not here. Anywhere but here."
But my body isn't listening to reason. The Frenzy is rising, that primal werewolf need that demands satisfaction. My skin feels too tight, too hot. Every nerve ending is on fire.
I think about the way he stepped closer to me at the river. The way his presence filled the space between us. The way he said my name like it was something precious.
What would it feel like to have those hands on me? To have that mouth against my skin? To have him touch me the way I've been touching myself in the darkness of my room?
Before I can stop myself, I'm lifting the skirt of my dress. My hands find the edge of my undergarments, pushing them aside with desperate urgency.
"Just quickly," I whisper. "Just enough to make it stop."
I brace one foot against the wall, lifting my leg for better access. My fingers find their target, already slick with need. The relief is immediate but not enough. Never enough.
I close my eyes and let myself imagine. His hands instead of mine. His voice whispering my name. His body pressing against mine, all that Alpha power focused on giving me pleasure.
"Please," I whisper to no one. "Please just let me get through this."
My fingers move faster, chasing the release that might give me enough control to face him. I imagine his mouth on my neck, his teeth grazing my skin.
I imagine him wanting me as much as I want him.
The thought should horrify me. I should be disgusted with myself for wanting the enemy.
But I can't stop. The need is too strong, the heat too intense.
I'm almost there, so close to the edge, when the door bursts open.
My eyes snap open and lock with dark ones across the small room.
Alpha Ronan Duskmore stands in the doorway, his hand still on the door handle, his eyes wide with shock.
And hunger.
So much hunger.