Chapter 69
Kieran POV
The night had always been kinder to me than daylight.
The pack slept when the moon rose, but that’s when I could breathe.
Away from the suspicious eyes, the whispers that never stopped, and the invisible leash they’d looped around my life.
It has always been there ever since I turned rogue but with the recent attack, the invisible leash only got tighter.
Restricted movement.
That’s what they called it…. like I was some beast they were trying to domesticate.
I guess that's what they see me as.
I walked through the narrow trail behind the barracks, my boots crunching on dried leaves.
The cold air bit at my skin, carrying faint traces of pine and damp soil. My wolf stirred beneath the surface, restless and bitter, mirroring the ache in my chest.
No one trusted me anymore. Not after what happened with the rogues.
Hell, who am I kidding? They've never trusted me, but it seems to be more intense.
The thought soured the air around me, and I pushed it aside.
I needed the peace and quiet tonight, I needed the dark to swallow my thoughts whole.
But the forest had its own pulse, its own secrets.
And as I walked deeper, something felt… off.
The usual night sounds faded.
No crickets.
No rustling.
Just stillness.
My senses sharpened instantly.
Someone was following me.
I kept walking… slow, deliberate…listening.
The faint crunch of a boot behind me echoed once, then vanished.
My wolf growled low, a warning humming beneath my skin.
Someone is here.
I spun around suddenly. “You can come out now.”
Nothing.
Not even a peep.
Then… movement.
A blur of black came flying from the side, a glint of steel flashing in the moonlight.
Instinct took over.
I dodged, grabbed the stranger’s wrist before the knife could find my ribs, and twisted.
He was strong… stronger than I expected.
The blade grazed my shoulder, hot pain slicing through, but I didn’t care.
I'm not gonna let this stranger get the best of me.
I slammed my forearm into his throat and used the momentum to flip him onto the ground.
He hit the dirt with a grunt, but rolled quickly, kicking my legs from under me.
I landed hard, breath knocked out of me. He lunged again, knife aimed for my chest.
I caught his arm midair, locked it, and wrenched the blade free. He cursed… low and sharp… and that’s when his hood slipped off.
My blood ran cold.
“Ronan?”
The name left me like a ghost.
He froze.
For a moment, we just stared at each other, both breathing hard, the moonlight washing his face pale.
Scars cut across his cheek, newer than the last time I saw him.
He smirked faintly. “Didn’t think you’d still recognize me.”
I took a step back, still gripping the knife, shock rippling through my body. “You were supposed to be dead.”
“Supposed to be,” he muttered, sitting up slowly. “But death doesn’t like rogues like me. We don’t die easily.”
The air between us thickened.
Memories crashed into me…. blood, smoke, screams from that night. Ronan had been my right-hand man once.
Loyal. Brutal.
Until he disappeared after the ambush that tore half our faction apart.
“What are you doing here?” I demanded.
He gave a bitter laugh. “Checking if you’ve gone soft living with your precious pack.”
My jaw tightened. “Answer the damn question.”
“I think you know why I'm here.” He stares at me.
I step back, tense. “Why are you here?”
“Because the world’s changing.” He says simply. “And I thought you might be tired of playing pet to a pack that doesn’t want you.”
“Careful,” I warn, gripping the handle even tighter.
He spreads his hands. “Just talking.” He takes a slow step forward. “You think I don’t see it? The way they look at you? Tristan’s soldiers pretend you’re one of them, but you’re not. You’re the ghost they let haunt the halls so they can say they’re merciful.”
How was he watching me?
I shoved that thought aside, focusing on what was important.
My jaw flexes. “You don’t know anything about what goes on here.”
“Oh, I know enough. I know you barely leave the compound. I know they only keep you around because killing you would make them look cruel. I know you’re still waiting for them to forgive you.”
“I’m not waiting for anything,” I say, my voice low.
“Liar.” His tone is almost pitying. “You think you can earn your way back. But deep down, you know what they see when they look at you… a mistake they regret not finishing off.”
I turn to leave. “You’ve wasted your trip.”
His hand shoots out and grabs my arm. “You haven’t even heard the offer yet.”
My eyes glint dangerously. “There’s no offer worth my time or annoyance.”
“There’s one worth your revenge.”
That makes me pause. “What do you mean?”
Ronan smiles faintly. “The rogues aren’t what they used to be. No more chaos, no more blind rage. We’re organized now. Systematic. You think the council can keep power forever? They’re rotting from the inside, Keiran. All it takes is one push. One man on the inside who knows how to make the cracks widen.”
It dawned on me what he meant, and how I'm the one on the inside.
“I’m not interested in helping you destroy what’s left of the world,” I say.
“You’re not helping us. You’re helping yourself.”
I bark a humorless laugh. “You think I want to side with the ones who burned villages for sport?”
“So you think Tristan’s hands are clean?” Ronan’s voice hardens. “The council’s been covering its own rot for years. You know it… You’ve seen the way they work. Everything that doesn’t fit gets buried. People like you get buried.”
I turn back, eyes flashing. “And what, your pack of ferals is the solution?”
“No,” he says calmly. “But it’s the alternative. The stronger one. The one that will win.”
There’s silence for a long moment.
The trees whisper. I can feel my pulse in my throat, the ugly truth curling at the edges of my mind.
I’ve told myself I don’t care what they think of me, but it’s not true. I do. I care that Isla won’t even look at me now without a trace of pity in her eyes. I care that Tristan speaks to me like I'm a prisoner, not his biological brother.