Chapter 62 CHAPTER 62

Chapter 62 CHAPTER 62
ΚΑΙ

I was already on my way to the Blackstone pack, and the road stretched out endlessly before me, the steady rhythm of the carriage wheels keeping me awake even though I was exhausted. I sat back in my seat, cloaked in disguise as a traveling elder from the pack that I had just conquered, trying to maintain my cover. A part of me hated this hiding and scheming but it was necessary. I couldn't afford to draw attention, not now. If I used cars, it would raise suspicion, and the last thing I needed was Jaime to find out what I was up to.

The plan had been set into motion the moment I left the Seven Isles, and every decision I made now was critical. I was on my way to the Blackstone pack, where I intended to make my next move. Conquering Blackstone would give me the power I needed to take back the Seven Isles from Jaime. I kept chanting that in my head all through the ride to keep me awake because I knew that if I closed my eyes to sleep, I would be exposing myself to death. The people of the pack I conquered were not loyal to me. They were just scared.

I had to do more to make them loyal to me. As I looked out of the window, my mind drifted away entirely from the mission. My thoughts kept going back to Alina whenever I hadn't quiet time to myself, wondering if she was safe, if she knew I was alive. I had told Lily not to tell her, but what if something had happened and she was forced to tell her? I did not want her to know initially because I did not want her to come looking for me. It will spoil the entire plan.

Suddenly, the carriage came to a stop. There was shouting outside, the sound of raised voices and commotion. My heart jumped in my chest, and without thinking, I grabbed the hilt of my sword and threw open the carriage door.

"What's going on?" I demanded, stepping out into the open.

I was met with the sight of my guards surrounding a figure lying in the road, and my heart nearly stopped when I saw who it was.

"Lily?"

I rushed forward, pushing past the guards to kneel beside her. She looked frail and weak, her skin pale, and there was a tired look in her eyes. I could hardly believe it was her. She looked like she had been through hell.

"Lily," I said again, my voice softer this time as I helped her to her feet. "What happened?"

She leaned against me, her body trembling as she struggled to find her strength. "I barely made it. I have been running for hours," she whispered, her voice hoarse. "I was about to be executed, Kai. Jaime ordered my death. He wanted me dead because I stood against him." She was still panting. I did not know exactly how far the Seven Isles was to this place, but I knew that it was very far. How had she been able to run for so long?

The rage that surged through me was immediate and overpowering. Jaime had crossed every line imaginable, but this? This was too far. He had dared to order the execution of one of my closest allies, one of the few people I trusted completely. I felt my Lycan beast stir inside me, the urge to shift, to tear Jaime apart with my bare hands.

"I'll kill him," I growled, my hands clenching into fists. "I'll go back right now and end him. He won't get away with this."

Lily reached out, grabbing my arm to stop me. Her grip was weak," No, Kai. You can't."

"I can't?" I repeated, with fury laced in my voice. I could barely see well as the anger coated my eyes. "He tried to kill you, Lily. He's destroying everything, and you're telling me I can't stop him?"

She shook her head, her eyes pleading. "Not yet. You have to finish what you started. If you go back now, you'll ruin everything. The plan has to happen according to what we've set in motion. Please, Kai. Don't throw it all away because of your anger. I am here. He did not executer me so there is no reason to lash out, at least not yet."

I clenched my jaw, fighting against the overwhelming urge to turn back and storm the Seven Isles. Every fiber of my being screamed to avenge Lily, to take down Jaime once and for all. But she was right. I couldn't let my emotions derail the plan. We had come too far for that.

I took a deep breath, forcing myself to calm down. "Fine," I muttered, though the words tasted bitter in my mouth. "I'll stay on course. But after this is all over, I am going to shred that son of a beast."

"We'll get him," Lily nodded, eyes fluttering from exhaustion. "But for now, we should go. I just need a little water and then I will be good."

"Let me get you into the carriage. You need more than just water. You need to rest."

Lily gave me a tired smile as I supported her and she climbed into the carriage, her movements slow and painful. She had been through so much, and it made me sick to think of what Jaime had done to her. The son of a bitch thought I was dead but he was still trying to hurt the ones close to me that did nothing to him. I was glad that Lily was still standing. That was what mattered.

As I settled back into the carriage, I couldn't help but ask the

question that had been burning in the back of my mind since I saw her.

"What about Alina?" I asked quietly, my voice barely above a whisper.

Lily looked at me, her expression softening with sympathy. "She's holding on. She's doing well, considering everything."

I exhaled a breath I hadn't realized I'd been holding, relief washing over me. "And, the baby?" I knew from the moment I saw her with the shin walkers that there was something wrong with the baby. Before she left, she had a bulge. When I went to get her with Yara, I noticed that she looked different and it did not take me long to crack that the reason why she was like that was because she did not have a bump anymore.

Lily's face fell, and she looked away for a moment before meeting my gaze again. "She lost the baby, Kai."

The words hit me like a punch to the gut, and for a moment, I couldn't breathe. I had been prepared for the worst, but hearing it out loud, knowing that the child I had never met, the one I had been so eager to protect, was gone, it tore something inside of me. My throat tightened as I fought back the wave of grief that threatened to consume me. I had wanted to be a father. I had wanted to give Alina and our child a future, a life that I never had with my parents. And now that future was gone.

I cursed myself because it was all my fault. I wished I had come to save her earlier but instead, I was in my room wallowing with pain of losing her. Now it seemed like I had just lost both of them.

"I'm sorry, Kai," Lily whispered, her voice full of sorrow. "I know how much you wanted this."

I swallowed hard, nodding even though I couldn't find the words to respond. What could I say? There was nothing that could fix this, nothing that could bring our baby back.

Lily reached out, her hand resting on my arm in a gesture of comfort. "We'll make it through this," she said softly. "We have to stay

focused. If you finish this, if you take back the Seven Isles, you'll have everything you need. The pack will be yours. And so will Alina."

I nodded again, though I was not sure Alina would still want me and my heart still ached with the loss. But I had to put all of that to the back of my head now. I had to keep moving forward. I couldn't afford to break down now, not when we were so close. If I lost sight of the goal, if I let my grief take over, then Jaime would win. And I couldn't let that happen.

"We'll do this right," I said, my voice stronger this time. "Jaime won't know what hit him."

Lily gave me a small smile, "That's the Malakai I know."

As the carriage continued its journey toward the Blackstone pack, I stared out the window, watching the landscape pass by. I had lost my child, but I hadn't lost everything. Alina was still out there, and I would do whatever it took to do things right this time. To give us both the life we deserved. I had to focus on that now. I had to stay strong for her, for our future. And when the time came, I would tear Jaime apart for everything he had done.

But for now, I would bide my time. I would conquer Blackstone, and I would rise again. The Seven Isles would be mine, and Jaime would pay for his treachery against me.