Rise of the Warrior Queen (Kaia and Silver) novel Chapter 2

KAIA’S POV I blinked, slightly taken aback. My stomach twisted, but I kept my face blank. “She has the right family name, the right voice, the right everything, but she’s still not you. I’ll always want you around,” he went on. “Laura may have the name, the lineage, the father with just enough power and influence to get me what I want… but she doesn’t have you. And that… that’s a problem, Kaia.” He said it like it was my fault. Like I was supposed to be blamed for him choosing another woman over me just because I had a father who could help him ascend the throne of Alpha King like he’s always been dying to. And I didn’t like the way he said it—like he still had some kind of claim on me. He must be out of his mind. “You made your decision, Gareth,” I said, my voice turning cold. “You rejected me and chose Laura because her father is powerful and influential enough to help you get the throne. Now live with it.” He didn’t look away as he took another sip of his drink, then said, “You’re going to be summoned soon. The Council wants you there for the Alpha King Trials.” I stared at him. “What?” “You’re one of the strongest female warriors in this pack, Kaia,” he said. “They want you there. On the frontline. Representing Moonveil females.” I frowned. “And Laura didn’t want the job? She’s your mate, Gareth. The Luna of this pack and soon-to-be Queen of Wolves. Why not her?” He didn’t answer. I laughed, but it came out bitter. “So now I’m good enough to wear Moonveil’s colors and represent their female, just not your mark?” “It’s politics,” he said, almost like he didn’t believe it himself. “No,” I said. “It’s cowardice.” I turned to leave, already done with this conversation. But before I opened the door, I looked back. “Next time you feel guilty, or just feel like hurting me just to make yourself feel better, don’t bother,” I said quietly. “I don’t need your guilt. I don’t need your games. And I definitely don’t need you.” Then with that, I left, not giving him the satisfaction of seeing if I was hurting. Even if I was. Especially because I was. I stormed out of the pack house in anger. My hands were clenched into fists, and I didn’t care who saw the fire in my eyes. Gareth could go to hell. I was done with his games—his guilt, his lies, the way he always found new ways to remind me I wasn’t enough. To torment me and make sure that I never moved on from his betrayal. I was halfway to the training grounds when someone jogged up to me. “Kaia!” I turned to see Lina, one of the female warriors. Her ponytail was messy, and her cheeks a little red from running. “Mia’s looking for you. Something came up.” I slowed my pace. “What happened?” “Border patrol spotted a man,” she said. “He’s hurt—badly. Almost dead. He was found in the East woods near the mountains.” My eyes widened. The East woods? Near the mountains? That part of the forest wasn’t safe, even for those of us who grew up in this pack. I would hate to imagine what it must be like for a total stranger. “Where is Mia now?” I asked, already changing direction. “Back at the training grounds. She’s briefing the others.” I nodded and picked up my pace. The wind hit my face as I moved, clearing my head just enough to focus. When we got back, I saw Mia standing in front of a small group of female warriors, her arms crossed. The moment she saw me, she walked over. “Kaia,” she said in a low voice. “Good. I need you to take the lead on this one. The men won’t be able to get there in time.” I frowned. “What exactly is going on?” She sighed. “We don’t know for sure. But one of our border patrols found a man near the mountains by the East woods. He’s barely alive. No one knows who he is or how he got there. And we don’t know if he’s alone—or if someone’s with him, hiding nearby. For all we know, this could be a trap. But we need to check it out either way. We can’t just leave him there.” I looked past her at the other women gathered around. “Where are the male squads?” “Busy,” Mia replied. “Every single one of them is already out on assignment this week,” she explained. “So it’s up to us. But I won’t send anyone in alone—not into those woods. Not to that part.” I nodded, understanding what she was asking. “I want you to lead the team,” she continued. “Scout the area. Look for signs. If it’s safe, bring him back—if he’s still breathing.” I stared toward the tree line in the distance. “Alright,” I said, lifting my chin. “Give me five minutes. Then we move.” Five minutes later, I led the team toward the mountains. The forest was thicker and darker here, even though the sun was still up. And deep in the heart of it was where the mountain was located. We didn’t talk. Every one of us knew how dangerous this part of the territory was. If it wasn’t rogues, it was something else you didn’t want to imagine. I kept my senses on high alert, and my ears tuned for the smallest sound. “We’re close,” Lina whispered from behind me. I gave a short nod and held up a hand, signaling for them to slow down. The air smelled different here—like blood and something else. Something sour. My heart beat faster as I crouched down near a patch of trampled grass. There were footprints. Heavy ones. And they weren’t ours. Only the Moon Goddess knows who they belong to. Then I saw him. A figure lay by the edge of the creek, his body twisted awkwardly and his clothes soaked with blood. His shirt was torn in several places, exposing a muscled chest covered in claw marks and deep bruises. Even in this state—bloodied and broken—he was… good-looking. Almost hauntingly so. His jawline was sharp, covered in days’ worth of stubble. His skin was covered in blood and dirt, but it didn’t make him look any less good. His lips were parted slightly, and even though they were cracked, there was something almost perfect about them. But it was his hair that stood out. It was thick, dark, and a little too long, falling in messy waves over his forehead like it hadn’t been cut in weeks. He looked like he had been in a terrible accident. Maybe a fight. Maybe something worse. His body was so battered, it was a miracle it was even still whole. How is he still breathing? “Kaia,” Sera called quietly. “No signs of anyone else nearby. We’re clear—for now.” I nodded, crouching beside him. I expected a corpse. Truly. No one could lose this much blood and still be alive. But then, as soon as I touched him, he flinched. Barely. Like a flicker of life under all that damage. “Hey,” I said in a low voice. “Can you hear me?” Slowly, his eyes fluttered open for just a second, and I was a little taken aback by their color. Silver. I mean, they were bloodshot and full of pain, but they were also silver. They stared up at me in silence for a moment, then they rolled back, and he passed out again. There was silence behind me for all of three seconds before the comments started to flow in. “Okay, whoa! When was the last time the world saw anyone with silver eyes? Wasn’t that like forever ago?” Sera asked, her shock mirroring mine. Silver eyes were extremely rare—close to impossible, in fact. Especially with us werewolves. Wolves with silver eyes belong in the legend history books, not right here in front of us. There was something strange about this man. “No way he’s still breathing,” Lina murmured. “He looks like… like something tried to rip him apart.” “We need to move,” I said quickly. “Get him back before nightfall.” Lina pulled out the emergency cloth stretcher from her pack, and with teamwork and quick hands, we loaded him onto it. Two of the girls took each end while the rest of us kept watch. As we started back, there were thousands of questions running through my head. Who was this man? Why was he here? And how the hell was he still alive? Because whatever happened to him… I could tell it wasn’t meant to leave survivors.