Chapter 64


    Kai had never been a patient person, and it was torture of a new kind to stay behind and wait. It did not


    bother him that he could not shift back to his human form anymore. He wasn’t picky and was ready to


    spend his whole new life as a wolf as long as he could rescue Savannah. She was his priority and the


    one and only thing on his mind from the moment he woke up. When Fenrir asked for his firstborn, Kai


    didn’t even hesitate. Why would he? A child was in a distant future he could never have in the first ce


    without the rebirth, and in all honesty, he could have tricked the Godter. There were many legends


    about simr urrences. Either way, it was a problem forter. But Savvy… Sawy needed his help


    now.


    Of course, he wanted to save his kingdom too. He was brought up and trained to exist with the weight of


    responsibility for the


    North. However, now he knew that if he was ever forced to make a choice, he would have to spend


    eternity begging Fenrir’s and his


    people’s forgiveness because he knew whom he would choose. It was not right, it was selfish and not


    worthy of a king, but Kai knew now


    that Savvy came first. She was his everything, and somehow, after he was reborn, all those feelings only


    intensified.


    The memories of Savannah’s scared face were shing before his eyes. Memories from when life was


    slipping away from him. He


    understood what was happening before she did, andwhen she realised he was dying, it scared her


    beyond belief. That girl had no


    problem facing multiple enemies, walking into deadly traps, being betrayed and stabbed in the back, but


    losing him brought horror to


    her face and grief into her soul. Primal boundless fear gripped her and Kai… Kai was horrified, too.


    Knowing that he was abandoning her,


    knowing that the enemy woulde for her when she would be at her weakest…


    The Lycan King of the North had already felt weak once. Right after his parents died. After just one day,


    he had to start taking care of


    his kingdom and his depressed little sister. Every time Elene sobbed in his arms, every time his then–


    advisors looked at him as if he was


    just a little boy with a sparkling crown, he felt like that. Useless, weak, pathetic… an impostor.


    Contrary to everyone’s beliefs, his life was never easy. Although his childhood was happy until he lost his


    parents, even when they were alive, he had to work hard for everything. His father didn’t ept any


    excuses and he had high expectations of his heir. Kai didn’t get to y with other kids much, he had


    more important things to do. Maybe it was the reason that he had trouble making friends in the first


    ce. He had next to no experience with rting to people. He was introduced to Aspen because their


    fathers were friends, but it took them years to get close. L was an exception – the two of them hit it


    off immediately. Although Kai was always surrounded by people, L andter Aspen were the only


    two he could call friends. They stood by him when he became the King, and he knew he could always


    count on them. It was important because he was also aware he couldn’t count on anyone else. Everyone


    wanted a piece of him, but mostly, they wanted him gone. The Northerners were fiercely loyal to their


    King, but, just as with their Lunas, they had to ept, him as their King first. So, Kai earned their


    respect. He had to be stronger, sterner, and more ruthless.


    For a brief moment, he thought that he and Gideon could be friendly, but they were too much alike. Kai


    knew he had to be the best for everyone to fear him and stay away from the North. Gideon had simr


    ideas about the West. They were unlucky to end up at the same Alpha training facility at the same time


    because they immediately shed. It still could have been a healthypetition. They tried to keep it up


    for a while, but once Kai heard Gideon talking about his sister in a less–thanplimentary way, all hell


    broke loose. Kai went on the defence, and there was that knowledge etched in his mind that the best


    defence was a good offence.


    ying the role of the perfect king was hard for him because perfect was one thing that he wasn’t. This


    was why he loved his ” gardener and the little maid” game with Savannah so much. He loved her gaze


    flickering when she looked at him and, at the same time,


    having no idea who he really was.


    ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.


    She came into his life unexpectedly and turned everything upside down, bringing chaos into it, but also…


    she brought him peace.


    Kai didn’t even notice how his life became all about her.


    And now he had quite a few things to worry about.


    Kai had made an impossible deal. Maybe she would never forgive him when she found out, but as long


    as she would be there to find out, he’d take it. He would find a way around this. He would do everything


    he could to make her happy and not give away their first–born baby, but his main priority would always


    be Savannah’s safety. If he had to die again today to achieve this- so be it.


    It was strange to be in this new form. Fenrir called him Amarok, and he remembered old northern


    legends about giant lonely wolves who destroyed everything in their path. This wasn’t what he wanted to


    be, but again, he was ready to ept it if it meant he would have enough power to defeat his enemies.


    He was supposed to be dead anyway, but since he was given a second chance, he wasn’t going to


    waste it.


    His whole body was new, and it took some getting used to it because of how giant it was. It didn’t feel the


    same as being in his royal lycan form. He wasn’t simplyrger now, but in a way, he became stronger


    and more powerful. He couldn’t find it in himself to shift back into a human, but at the same time, he had


    no trouble making everything around him freeze. He could create ice with his will, and he


    could shape whatever he wanted out of it.


    The first thing that he tried when he realised that was, of course, Savannah’s sculpture. He sat in front of


    it now, waiting for the news from Ash, keeping it away from melting. He had made her almost identical to


    the real version, and just looking at her was helping him to stay focused and maintain his sanity. She was


    his anchor to this world, and having her close, even if it wasn’t the real Savvy, was helping him to keep


    himself from going feral and charging at that damn castle.


    Riannon was the one who talked him out of it. Surprisingly, Gideon’s mate was his voice of reason now.


    When she was contacting him through her wolf Onyx, he could feel their emotions and knew that they


    were genuine. That made him listen.


    Time after time, the Luna and the Queen of the Western Lycan Kingdom told him to believe in Savannah,


    promising that the Princess would be able to take care of herself. He really wanted to just go to Bjorn’s


    castle, kill everyone, and get Savvy back. But they all knew that it wouldn’t be that simple. Too many


    things weren’t adding up, and traitors were everywhere.


    He was greedily watching the news, promising himself to kill both Chloe and ude when he would get


    the chance. He couldn’t


    believe how easily they switched sides. However, thanks to them, he was getting bits and pieces of


    information about Savannah. L


    did not want to show him the whole video of how she was brought to the white bear’s castle, but after his


    menacing growl, his Beta gave


    up and let it y. Seeing her on his enemy’s back brought him back into despair. For once, he and


    Gideon were on the same page, and


    both wanted to go to the White Bear Cliffs immediately, but this time Kyle was the one who stopped


    them.


    “You need to see this!” He stood before the two of them with hisptop, opening a page of his TruthTeller


    website.


    “This is really not the time!” Gideon growled and Kai snarled in agreement.


    “Just wait!” The young man insisted, and then Evelyn and Riannon stood up for him, insisting that he had


    a point. “I’m receiving


    anonymous videos from how everything really went,” he told them. “Bjorn probably has enemies in his


    castle, too! There are so many of


    them! I mean, so many videos… Look!”


    He started by showing them how they’d chained Savvy to make her sit on that white bear’s back, which


    made Kai’s insides burn with


    fury. Then there was a video about how Savannah was almost unconscious by the time they got to the


    castle and how she threw up all


    over that piece of trash, the white bear king. Thatst part brought him momentary satisfaction, but at the


    same time it pained him to


    see the woman he loved so much in that situation. Thest video was of three girls Kai had never seen


    before.


    “I’ve been cleaning the whole room for hours!” one of themined, “I don’t think that Queen


    Savannah will be ready to


    perform her… queenly duties anytime soon. The healer told the king that she shouldn’t be doing anything


    physical for at least the next


    two days. Poor man! I thought the king would snap his neck on the spot. He was lucky to survive.”


    “The king seems impatient, though,” another girl said. She had a broom and dustpan in her hands and


    looked like a maid without a


    uniform.


    “He will not touch her in anger!” The third one rolled her eyes. “Have you seen how he looks at her? She


    was sick all over him, but


    he was worried if she was all right, not caring about anything else. He would never do anything to hurt


    her!”


    The video ended, and Kyle closed hisptop. Gideon and Kai exchanged nces. This time they didn’t


    need to speak to understand


    each other.


    “We have at least a day more,” Riannon said quietly.


    “And trust me, Savvy knows how to y sick,” Kyle smirked. “Gid, remember that week you invited the


    sons of Alphas to our mansion to “get to know” Savvy better and then she identally poured wolfsbane


    all over herself in a ss and got stomach flu because


    of that?”


    Kai snarled angrily as the Western King ran his hand over his face.


    “Let me guess,” Gideon exhaled heavily. “Never happened?”


    “Nope,” Kyle shook his head, “but when all these women suddenly decided that you were looking for a


    Luna a weekter that


    “-wasn’t a coincidence,” Gideon finished the sentence, grunting. He’d always suspected that.


    “Look,” the redheaded nephew of his Beta sighed and nced at Evelyn for support, “I’m not saying that


    we shouldn’t save her. I would die for Savvy, you know that. Not only is she my best friend, but she’s also


    like a sister to me. We grew up together, and I care for her as much as you do. But Riannon is right, and


    we should believe in her. Also, we can’t be reckless about this. We need a good n to make sure that


    when we go there, we really get her back and don’t mess anything up.”


    “Besides,” Evelyn said, stepping forward, “Princess Savannah is not the only one we need to rescue. I


    know you probably don’t care much about Petra, but I do and so does Savannah herself! And also, there


    is your Gamma. I’m sure you want to get Aspen out almost as much as you want to rescue Savannah. In


    all honesty, the princess is the one who is safe there. It’s going to be much more dangerous for the other


    two.”


    Kai wasn’t torn about this, he felt guilty. Evelyn was right, he really wanted to try and save them all, but


    Savvy was the one at the top of his mind. Once he got her out, he woulde back for Petra and


    Aspen. And also to kill Bjorn. But that would be after his beloved was safe. Or during her rescue, in the


    best–case scenario.


    “We will, of course, try to save them all together,” Lassured them with his soft political tone. Kai


    knew that he was about to find an excuse to reject the suggestion, but this was when Evelyn stepped


    forward.


    “And I believe there’s a way to do all of this,” the woman proimed confidently. “I have just spoken with


    Petra’s father over the phone, and he told me that Bjorn offered him a chance to buy Petra. They told him


    to send a delegation to his castle to negotiate this. The bears are putting her-” Evelyn’s voice broke, but


    she took a deep breath and went on, “they’re putting Petra up for an auction. Whoever pays the highest


    price gets to keep her.”


    They all got quiet, each thinking of how best to resolve the situation.


    “Don’t you see?” Riannon furrowed her brows and hugged herself. “This is a perfect opportunity to get


    our people inside the castle and get Savannah and the others out safely. We just can’t pass this


    opportunity up.”


    Kai still did not like this. It meant waiting longer, and all he wanted to do was get there sooner, grab his


    woman, rescue her, and bring her back home.


    A loud shriek pierced their ears, and they all looked up as Zara was flying down from the sky. She shifted


    while she was still in the air andnded in front of them with grace. She was the one Kai waited for the


    most because she could bring him news that nobody else could.


    “Did you see her?” Gideon asked without hesitation.


    “She was in her room the whole time I was there, sleeping alone,” the werebird informed them. “I couldn’t


    get too close, though, without being suspicious. Hawks do not rest on windowsills, you know. Not to


    mention that they know me. I also saw Bjorn, and it looks like he’s busy. I don’t think he’s going to get to


    spend time with Savannah anytime soon. She is safe for now.”


    That gave Kai the strength and patience to wait a bit longer and n everything properly.


    Luckily, it was a good decision.


    ………


    They waited for a signal from Ash but received nothing. He was supposed toe back first and bring


    them information on who was where and what the weak spots in defence were. Everybody knew that


    Aspen would be the easiest to ess but the hardest to get out due to his multiple injuries. Zara


    informed them that the Gamma’s condition was the worst out of the three. She also confirmed that she


    hadn’t seen Astrid and her friend Emma anywhere, which left their fates unknown. However, Brigit


    seemed to feel at home, which convinced them that she was the one helping Bjorn all this time to


    everyone’s disappointment. Only Riannon did notment on how the she–bear was going to be


    punished for her betrayal when the war was over.


    ***


    Kai was waiting by his ice sculpture because it was the only ce where he could handle thetest


    news. There were rumours that Bjorn was going to mark Savannah today. Just the thought of it made his


    stomach churn and his blood boil, and that was saying a lot considering that ice spikes grew out of him


    now. He tried to calm himself by looking at the sculpture, because every time he closed his eyes he saw


    his mortal enemy, Bjorn, digging his ws into his mate’s neck, marking her for life…


    Savannah did not deserve this. She had already been through so much. She had been through more


    than him or anyone else he knew. A lot of people had a sad story in one way or another, but Savvy could


    never catch a break and had to face one struggle after another. Not to mention that he knew her. He


    knew that if she wasn’t broken now, this would break her for sure. Waiting now felt wrong more than ever


    before. He had to be there, he had to get her out, to save her.


    Zara was out on her mission of spying on the castle again. She was so good that the bears did not notice


    her in the skies. Although it was possible that they simply didn’t look. She was supposed to return and


    alert them if there was any danger to Savannah. However, Kai heard the explosion before the werebird


    managed toe back.


    He was the first to realise that it wasn’t the one that Ash was supposed to set up. The location of the


    explosion was higher and much further South than the gates.


    This time, he decided that he’d had enough of waiting for one day. Something did not go ording to the


    n, and he was not going to listen to any more excuses.


    Amarok raced through the dark woods faster than any of hispanions, and he was the first to reach


    the group of wolves desperately trying to escape from the white bears. Surprisingly, there were just a few


    in pursuit, and Kai pounced on them without mercy. He didn’t even need his freezing powers to eliminate


    the enemy. However, as he was ripping through the throat of thest one, he could already tell that


    Savvy’s wolf was not in the group.


    He was enraged, but calmed down slightly when his eyesnded on Aspen. His Gamma looked horrible,


    chanting something with his broken lips caked with dried–out blood. It looked like the bears were hurting


    him and then letting him heal, only to break everything all over again. A torture so cruel that it was rare


    for anyone to use it these days.


    “Brigit, Brigit… Bri…git,” he was repeating the name and Kai growled. That Brigit girl was blessed to find


    hermate who was ready to love her unconditionally and give her everything that a maid could want, and


    this was what she did to him.


    Ash shifted into his human form and bowed his head respectfully to the king of the North.


    Seeing where Kai’s attention was, the Alpha said, “He will be okay–what doesn’t kill us makes us


    stronger.”


    But when Kai’s eyes glowed menacingly in the darkness and the air around them became ufortably


    cold even for a werewolf, Ash quickly changed the subject to what was really important now.


    “Princess Savannah is in her royal Lycan form now,” he informed Amarok quickly, knowing that Kai was


    still inside. “She told us to run while she was covering for us and leading them away. We would have


    never made it without her help.”


    Kai wasn’t listening anymore, he only turned on his paws and sprinted to where the group came from,


    trying to pick up her  scent.


    ***


    Brigit was watching from the window in her room as Savannah and the werewolves freed Aspen and


    ced him on one of the wolves‘ backs. It was probably just an illusion that her mate… her ex–mate…


    locked his eyes with hers for a moment. After all, his eyes were so swollen he probably couldn’t see a


    thing anyway. But she let herself believe that it was the truth and that he knew that she was the one that


    set off the explosion in the tower and helped the fire in the castle spread in order to help him escape.


    She knew that he would never forgive her betrayal and that they would probably never see each other


    again, but a smile formed on her lips as she ced her forehead on the cold ss of the window and


    watched them escape.


    “Thank you, Aspen,” she whispered, even though there was no chance he would hear her. She was


    thanking him for the new feeling in her chest that tugged and pulled and warmed her up when everything


    else in her world was so cold. She remembered how she once thought that she was in love with Castiel.


    That mernory now made herugh. There couldn’t be anyparison. She was fighting the mate bond


    so hard because she knew he would hate her one day. She fought for Castiel’s love for years and spent


    hundreds of nights with


    him. Yet the one time she had been with Aspen would be what she would cherish in her heart forever


    now. The night of Savvy and Kai’s marking ceremony when all she originally nned to do was to kiss


    him and drug him. Instead, she let him take her in a small dark room he used in the castle when he was


    overseeing its security.


    Castiel loved to experiment and knew thousands of ways to please a woman, to drive them crazy and


    make them want him even more. But it was always about him with that sly fox.


    With Aspen, she found out what real love was. Even if it was just a glimpse of it. That big guy who could


    crush walls with his bare hands was touching her as if she was made out of the finest porcin,


    worshipping every inch of her body, making it about her for once. What they had… what they could have


    had… was pure and beautiful. And Brigit wished there was the tiniest of chances that one day he could


    forgive her and they could be together. A tear rolled down her eyes as she watched them disappear in


    the thick darkness of the woods.


    “Just stay alive,” she whispered, thinking now that dreaming of getting back with him was too bold.


    Instead, she should take what life was willing to give her and be grateful for that. She wouldn’t be able to


    live if he’d died because of her. She wouldn’t be able to breathe… but now, at least, she could do that.


    Two small hands wrapped around her, and she turned to see her sister, Ingrid.


    “You love him, don’t you?” Ingrid asks through tears, and Brigit tucked her face into her sibling’s blonde


    hair and let herself to let out her tears finally. Ingrid stroked her back and gave her the time she needed,


    before she whispered, “Bri, you need to go with them. You can. He would look for me, but not for you.”


    “Aspen would never want me again,” Brigit distanced herself and wiped her eyes, knowing that she


    couldn’t be seen crying. It was too dangerous. “It’s toote for us now,” she smiled sadly. “Besides, my


    ce is here with you. With my people. Don’t you think?”


    Ingrid didn’t think that. She knew how badly her sister was treated by some of the white bears, not to


    mention how the guilt was slowly eating her alive.


    “Bri, if you need anything- anything other than me running away from my husband, just tell me,” the girl


    suggested.


    “Right now, I need only one thing,” Brigit smiled and held her sister’s hands. “Come with me downstairs;


    pretend that we’re both distraught over what happened today. Tell anyone who asks that you were with


    me the whole time in my room. And we left it just now toe and check on our king.” She paused and


    then added, “And on your beloved husband, of course.”


    Kai’s heart broke into a myriad of pieces when he saw her. He couldn’t move. He did not dare to move.


    He was ready to kill all those bears all over again because of what they made Savannah go through.


    He’d do it in a heartbeat if given  a chance.


    Thest few days were the first ones in his new life, and at the same time, they were the hardest in both


    of his lifetimes. He failed


    her, and he couldn’t fix any of it. She was so close in her torn red dress, with her hair a wild mess


    cascading down her shoulders. She had


    been through hell, and he hadn’t been there to save her. He waste, and she had to save herself.


    Something he would never forgive himself for. Something he would never allow to happen again.


    It was torture to stay behind and wait, knowing that he wouldonly make it worse if he arrived at the wrong


    time. Riannon told them


    to believe in Savvy, to trust that she would take care of herself. And that was exactly what Savannah did.


    This beautiful, delicate woman fought like a hundred men. She was ready to sacrifice herself to save her


    friends. She was honourable, loyal, honest, fierce, brave… And  also…


    Mate. She was his mate.


    The whole world screamed this now. All his senses, the scents around them, the air, the stars in the sky,


    they all sang in unison that they belonged together.


    She was his. And he belonged to her.


    A part of him knew from the very beginning. From the moment he saw her shredding those roses, from


    the moment he thought she


    was just a little maid. But he knew she was his maid. He loved her from that very first nce, even if he


    didn’t understand it back


    then.


    The universe stopped spinning. They were the only two people to ever exist. It was hard to tell if it was


    one moment or if they stared


    at each other for eternity. Neither of them could tell…


    “You’re alive,” she barely whispered because she was afraid that a louder sound would break the illusion


    and she would be alone in


    this world again. Alone and ready to die.


    “I came back,” his voice rasped through his chest, and her breathing hitched. “For you.”


    It was him! He was here… Alive and well. He was breathing, and he wasn’t an illusion.


    Kai was alive. Her Kai. Kai Fiongh. The one she held in her arms when he was dying. The one she


    mourned for days after witnessing a silver spear piercinghis heart. The one she never expected to see


    again. Not in this world… Moreover, she was trying to get


    into the next one to be reunited with him.


    And he was her mate! Mate!


    Kai didn’t know what to say next. Was she angry with him for beingte? For abandoning her? Did she


    feel what he felt now? Did he


    hear her right when she called him her mate? Did she even want him after everything?


    Too many questions.


    He still had a few small ice spikes creating a pattern over his arms. They were melting away, but he


    didn’t want to scare her. She had been through so much, and he wanted to shield her from the whole


    world. There was so much he needed to tell her but his tongue


    couldn’t find the right words now.


    His eyes trailed over her body, which was barely covered by the leftovers of the once beautiful gown, and


    he noticed that blood


    trickled down her arms and side.


    “You’re hurt!” his lips parted, eyes glowing icy blue. His mind started racing, searching for solutions.


    Where was the healer they brought with them? How fast could he get her there? But he didn’t even


    manage to say another word when she threw herself at  him.


    “Kai!”


    She was in his embrace faster than he thought possible. Trembling, so warm and so alive. He wrapped


    his arms around her, pressing


    her as hard against his chest as he could and kissed her hair.


    He could feel her body shaking with silent tears, and his soul wept together with her. It roared from all the


    pain and happiness of


    their separation and reunion.


    “I thought you were dead! I saw you die! I-” She sobbed for the first time since he met her, and it made


    his heart clench. He didn’t want to see her cry; he didn’t want to be the reason for it, so he took her tear–


    stained face into his hands and made her look at him. Her


    green eyes had a more intense colour now, like the grass after a rain.


    He kissed one of her tears and then caught another with his lips, repeating it again and again until she


    breathed out a whimper, and then he imed her lips. Pecking them gently at first and checking her


    reaction, but when he saw that she wasn’t crying anymore but was panting instead, he crushed himself


    to her like a hurricane, a force of nature that only wanted to devour her.


    “Mine,” he snarled into her mouth.


    “Mate,” Savannah replied as sheced her fingers into his hair to bring him closer.


    “Mate!” Kai confirmed.


    A loud roar emerged from behind their backs…