7 Days to Kill

Chapter 2 — The Alpha’s Mark The first thing I noticed when I woke up was the silence. Not the peaceful kind. The dangerous kind. My eyes slowly opened, and for a moment, I forgot where I was. The unfamiliar ceiling above me was decorated with dark wooden beams and expensive golden designs. The room smelled like cedarwood, rain, and something else I couldn’t place. Him. Alpha Kael. The memory came rushing back. The forest. The attack. The stranger who saved me. The terrifying truth that he was the Alpha of the Black Moon Pack. And the fact that I was supposed to kill him. I sat up quickly, ignoring the pain in my shoulder. My hand immediately went to the small dagger hidden beneath my clothes. Still there. Good. I looked around the room carefully. No guards. No chains. No way someone as powerful as him would leave his enemy alone in his territory. Unless… He knew. My heart stopped. Did Alpha Kael know who I was? The door suddenly opened. I froze. A woman entered carrying a tray of food. She was tall, beautiful, and had silver hair that fell over her shoulders. “You’re awake,” she said. Her voice was calm, but her eyes studied me carefully. “Where am I?” I asked. She placed the tray down. “The Black Moon Pack.” My fingers tightened. The place I had spent years training to destroy. “You should eat,” she said. “I’m not hungry.” She looked at my shoulder. “You lost a lot of blood last night.” I said nothing. She sighed. “You’re lucky Alpha Kael found you.” Lucky. The word almost made me laugh. There was nothing lucky about being rescued by the man I came here to murder. “Why did he save me?” I asked. The woman hesitated. “That is something you should ask him yourself.” Before I could respond, a voice came from the doorway. “She’s right.” My entire body went still. Alpha Kael stood there. Even in simple black clothes, he looked like someone born to rule. His eyes locked with mine. And for a second, I forgot how dangerous he was. Then I remembered. He was the enemy. The monster everyone feared. The Alpha I had seven days to kill. “You’re awake,” he said. I forced myself to look away. “Unfortunately.” A small smile appeared on his lips. You have a sharp tongue for someone who was unconscious in my territory.” “And you have too much confidence for someone with enemies.” The room became tense. The woman quietly left. Leaving us alone. Kael walked closer. Every step made my instincts scream. Run. Fight. Kill. But I stayed still. “You don’t remember me, do you?” he asked. My brows furrowed. “What?” His expression changed. Something flashed in his eyes. Pain. “Nothing.” I studied him. Why did he look like he knew me? “You’re hiding something,” I said. He smiled slightly. “So are you.” My heartbeat increased. He knew. Or maybe he suspected. “I don’t know what you mean.” “Your scent.” My blood ran cold. “What about it?” “You don’t smell like a human.” Silence. The room felt smaller. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Kael stepped closer until I could feel his warmth. “Everyone in this pack knows exactly what you are.” My fingers moved toward my dagger. He noticed. Of course he noticed. But instead of attacking me, he whispered: “If I wanted you dead, you wouldn’t have survived the night.” Those words should have frightened me. Instead, they confused me. “Why save me?” His eyes met mine. “Because I know you.” I froze. “No, you don’t.” “Yes.” The confidence in his voice bothered me. “Seven years ago,” he continued, “a little girl saved my life.” My breathing stopped. A memory I had buried for years suddenly returned. A wounded boy. A stormy night. Blood. A promise. Impossible. “You…” Kael looked at me. “You were that girl.” I stepped backward. “No.” “You gave me this.” He pulled something from around his neck. A necklace. My necklace. The one I thought I lost years ago. My hand flew to my chest. I had the matching piece. “How did you get that?” His expression softened. “Because you gave it to me.” My world tilted. The boy I saved… Was the Alpha I came to kill. The universe had a cruel sense of humor. Before I could speak, an alarm sounded throughout the pack. Kael’s expression immediately changed. The playful man disappeared. The Alpha returned. “What happened?” I asked. He looked toward the window. “Someone entered my territory.” “An enemy?” His eyes turned toward me. “No.” A chill went down my spine. “Then who?” Kael’s jaw tightened. “Someone who knows why you’re here.” My heart stopped. Someone knew. Someone knew I came to kill him. And they were coming for both of us. Chapter 3 — The Enemy Within The sound of warriors moving through the halls filled the entire castle. The Black Moon Pack was preparing for war. And somehow… I was standing in the middle of it. I should have escaped. This was my chance. While everyone was distracted, I could find a way out, return to my pack, and finish the mission. Seven days. That was all I had. Seven days to kill Alpha Kael. But my feet refused to move. Because deep down, I needed answers. Why did he remember me? Why did fate keep pulling us together? And why did my heart react to him like he wasn’t my enemy? I hated it. I hated that the same man I was supposed to destroy made me feel safe. “Thinking about running?” His voice interrupted my thoughts. I turned. Kael stood behind me. “You always sneak up on people?” “Only when they’re planning something dangerous.” I rolled my eyes. “You think very highly of yourself.” “I know exactly who I am.” His confidence annoyed me. “You’re an Alpha. I get it.” “No.” He stepped closer. “I’m the man who saved your life twice.” My expression hardened. “Don’t act like you’re some hero.” His eyes darkened. “You don’t know the truth.” “Then tell me.” For a moment, he looked like he wanted to. But he stopped himself. “Not yet.” I laughed bitterly. “Of course. Everyone has secrets.” His eyes studied me. “You have one too.” I looked away. Because he was right. My entire existence was built on a lie. My name. My identity. My mission. Everything. A loud crash interrupted us. A warrior rushed into the room. “Alpha!” Kael turned immediately. “Speak.” “We found the intruder.” “And?” The warrior hesitated. Kael’s eyes narrowed. “Where is he?” “He’s in the old training grounds.” Kael’s face changed. Fear. Not for himself. For me. “Stay here,” he ordered. I almost laughed. “You think I take orders from you?” “This is not the time.” “Then stop treating me like a helpless girl.” His eyes met mine. For a second, neither of us moved. Then he said something I didn’t expect. “Please.” That one word caught me off guard. The Alpha didn’t command. He asked. And somehow that scared me more. Before I could respond, another sound echoed. A scream. My blood turned cold. Not because someone was hurt. Because I recognized the voice. Impossible. I ran. “Wait!” Kael followed. The training grounds were filled with warriors when we arrived. And in the middle of them stood a man. A man I knew. A man who was supposed to be dead. My entire body froze. “Brother?” The man smiled. But there was nothing familiar in his eyes. “Hello, little sister.” Kael looked between us. “You know him?” I couldn’t breathe. Because the person standing before me wasn’t just an enemy. He was the reason I became an assassin. The reason I was sent to kill Alpha Kael. My brother stepped forward. “You didn’t tell him who you really are, did you?” Silence. Kael looked at me. Confusion. Then suspicion. My brother smiled. “Tell him.” I clenched my fists. “Stop.” He laughed. “Tell the Alpha that the girl sleeping under his roof is the assassin sent to murder him.” The entire pack went silent. Kael looked at me. And for the first time… I saw betrayal in his eyes. End of Chapter 3