Chapter 142

Several small packs inhabited the north, most of them weak and vulnerable against a dominant force like the Southern Moon Pack. Though they aligned themselves with Kenzo, their contributions to the war were negligible—they were the ones in need of protection. The south, however, was a different beast altogether. It was a land where bloodthirsty packs thrived, expanding their territories through violence. The weaker ones either perished or were absorbed by the stronger. And among them, the most powerful and influential pack was the one ruled by my father.

To avoid direct conflict, the five strongest southern packs swore allegiance to him, forming an alliance known as the Great Five. These packs weren’t just warriors; they operated like a syndicate, their hands deep in all manner of illicit dealings—crime lords disguised as Alphas.

For Kenzo to seize control of the south, he had to dismantle the Great Five before even thinking about facing Cassius Marwood in battle. Each of these packs was given the option to surrender, yet Kenzo’s intelligence had already determined their response. They would fight to their last breath rather than abandon their empire of blood money.

With this in mind, Kenzo divided his warriors and the Royal Army legions, assigning each faction a target. The plan was to strike all five packs simultaneously. Some teams were set to engage in open combat, while others were tasked with securing key transport routes and cutting off supply lines, slowly tightening the noose around them.

Our group—led by Kenzo—was assigned the most dangerous front: the Moon Valley Pack’s territory, the strongest among the Great Five. We were the spearhead, launching a direct assault supported by six other units before pushing toward the main mansion to confront Alpha Iskander and his elite warriors. Iskander had a reputation for being ruthless, nearly as much of a cold-blooded monster as my father.

Kenzo knew that the only way to bring the Moon Valley Pack to its knees was to eliminate Iskander personally. The rest of us were to take down his top fighters.

It should have been flattering that Kenzo considered me strong enough for this task. Yet, at the same time, I couldn’t ignore the irritation bubbling inside me when he called Bopha weak. If she was so incapable, why was she on our team? Either he had lied to protect her from me, or he simply wanted to keep her close.

Both possibilities made my blood boil.

I wouldn’t call it jealousy—not exactly—but something about his behavior gnawed at me. I understood the burden of guilt, the need to care for someone because of a promise, but there had to be limits. Visiting your so-called "brother" in his bedroom in the dead of night? That was crossing a line.

Still, I decided to silence my judgmental thoughts, at least for now. Instead, I watched, observed, and waited before jumping to conclusions.

As we traveled south, I realized, ironically, that I should be grateful to Bopha. She gave my mind something to fixate on other than the nagging suspicion that a spy for EH was sitting in the van beside me. If I kept dwelling on that thought, I’d be drowning in paranoia long before we reached Moon Valley’s territory.

We stopped a few times at gas stations along the way. Each group took a different route—strategic, to avoid drawing too much attention. Even a convoy of three black vans was enough to raise eyebrows; a hundred would make headlines. It made sense, but it also meant I was stuck in a van surrounded exclusively by wolves.

Icarus, tasked with leading the assault on the Crystal Ball Pack—the third-largest in the south—wasn’t with us. And with Bopha circling Kenzo like a devoted shadow, I had little choice but to talk to the only other familiar face: Leif.

Thankfully, he didn’t seem to mind.

“I thought you were an asshole when we first met,” I admitted bluntly at one of our stops.

Leif let out a loud laugh, leaning against the van. “Yeah, I kinda was.” He winked and tossed me a bottle of water. “Sorry about that. I thought Alpha had just brought home a pretty souvenir from his trip. No offense.”

“None taken,” I said with a smirk, mirroring his stance against the van. Twisting the cap open, I took a sip. “I probably would’ve thought the same thing if I were you.”

“Still,” he said, his grin softening, “I was an ass. My bad.” He gave me a playful bow, as if offering an official apology.

I chuckled, but my gaze shifted toward Kenzo. He stood a few feet away, engrossed in a phone call, while Bopha remained fixed at his side, eyes locked onto him like she was trying to stake her claim.

A part of me—my less rational, more impulsive side—wanted to hurl the water bottle straight at her. Twice.

Unfortunately, I had made a promise to myself to rise above such petty urges... for now.

Leif caught the dark look I was shooting her way and let out an amused snort.

“Relax,” he said, smirking. “Bopha’s like a shelter puppy—always waiting for Alpha to throw her a bone. But he’s never been interested in her. At least, not the way she wants him to be.”

“I’m not worried,” I said, forcing a laugh. “She just pisses me off.”

“You’re jealous.”

“I’m not.”

It wasn’t entirely a lie.

I wasn’t jealous—I was exhausted. Tired of chasing after a man’s attention. Tired of watching history repeat itself.

Hadrian had claimed he loved me, yet he still found reasons to be with Selene more than me. Kenzo swore I was his mate, yet his gaze, warm and lingering, always seemed to find its way to Bopha instead.

“Entertain me, Leif.” I decided to shift the conversation. “Tell me about yourself.” I gave him a playful once-over, teasingly scrutinizing him from head to toe.

He chuckled, a little nervous, rubbing the back of his neck. “There’s not much to tell. My brother and I were orphans. Alpha Galen Lockridge took us in, and we grew up alongside Alpha Kenzo in the mansion.”

His voice softened slightly as he continued. “My brother became an elite warrior when he was sixteen. He was with Alpha Galen on a diplomatic visit to a friendly pack in the west. But on their way back, they were ambushed by southerners…”

I didn’t need him to clarify who he meant by "southerners." He was talking about my father’s pack.

My jaw clenched, and I shut my eyes for a moment. Would there ever come a day when I wouldn’t feel the weight of guilt pressing against my ribs because of the bloodline I carried?

“I’m sorry, Leif…” The words slipped out instinctively.

“Don’t be.” He nudged my shoulder lightly, offering a small smirk. “I heard he wasn’t exactly your biggest fan.”

“So…” I cleared my throat, eager to change the subject. “How did you end up being the pack’s go-to driver?” I grinned, attempting to lighten the mood.

Leif shrugged. “I’m just good with cars, I guess.” But then, a spark flickered in his eyes.

“Vans are boring, though. I have my own race car…” His voice dropped slightly, as if sharing a secret. “I tuned it myself. I could take you for a spin sometime, if you want.”

His words trailed off as his gaze shifted to something—or rather, someone—behind me.

“Are you flirting with my girl, Leif?”

Kenzo’s voice was calm, his smile cool, but there was an unmistakable edge beneath it.

I exhaled dramatically, twirling a loose strand of hair around my finger. “I thought ‘your girl’ was the dark-blonde shadow standing behind you.” My eyes gleamed with mock innocence. “But I’m glad Alpha Kenzo finally found a moment to speak to me.”

Leif barely managed to contain his laughter.

Kenzo’s jaw tightened, his eyes locking onto mine in silent warning.

“Leif, give us a moment, will you?” It wasn’t a request. Leif knew it, too, nodding quickly before stepping away.

Kenzo closed the distance between us, placing both hands on the van beside me, effectively caging me in.

“Are you trying to make me jealous?” His voice was low, a quiet growl that sent a shiver down my spine.

I met his gaze head-on, smirking. “I wasn’t expecting your attention. You’ve been so… preoccupied with Bopha.”

His eyes darkened. “I don’t care about Bopha. Not the way I care about you.”

He lowered his head, lips hovering dangerously close to mine.

Kenzo’s presence eclipsed everything else, but I knew—without a doubt—that we had an audience. And among them, Bopha was certainly watching.

A reckless little part of me wanted to call his bluff.

I tilted my head, challenging him. “How do I know you care? All you do is talk.”

The moment the words left my lips, he closed the distance.

His mouth captured mine in a slow, deliberate kiss, sending a jolt of electricity through my body. I hadn’t actually expected him to do it—not here, not in front of everyone—but he didn’t stop there. His arms wrapped around me, pulling me flush against him as his lips parted mine, his tongue stroking against mine with a teasing gentleness that made my breath hitch.

His kiss was intoxicating, filled with heat and hunger yet laced with tenderness.

When he finally pulled away, his gaze locked onto mine, deep and unreadable.

“I have a million ways to prove it,” he murmured, his lips grazing my earlobe. “All you have to do is let me.”

I gasped softly, my mind scrambling to process what had just happened. My pulse hammered in my ears, and my breath came unsteadily as Kenzo stepped back, releasing me.

The moment I regained my bearings, I realized every pair of eyes was glued to us. And Bopha… she looked absolutely livid.

Clearing my throat, I ran a hand through my hair before slipping around the van and heading back to my seat. As I passed the others, their amused expressions only deepened the warmth creeping up my cheeks.

When Kenzo slid into the driver’s seat, he turned to glance at me with a boyish smirk.

I swallowed, a pleasant flutter curling in my stomach as my lips twitched upward in response.

From that moment on, every time we stopped along the road, Kenzo stayed by my side. He made sure I had water, food—whatever I needed. Yet, despite the sudden attention, it never felt suffocating.

It was… sweet.

And every single one of his smiles belonged solely to me.

A quiet chuckle escaped me as I shook my head. “If I had known all it took was making him a little jealous…”

Because, as familiar as this feeling was, I couldn’t deny it.

The butterflies were back.