MY EX'S BROTHER: FORBIDDEN DESIRE.

For an Alpha, there's no such thing as mercy.

I have asked the world countless times for it, but I was ignored. No one ever gives a damn about you until you are six feet under the soil—cold, all bones, and rotten flesh.

The door closes behind the guards who had carried Lyra away. I can finally breathe. Maybe her presence was far more anxiety-ridden than I thought. I don't know why my body reacts the way it does when I see her, but it crushes me.

It crushes me that I'd have to wilt or flash any sign of vulnerability for a female who wants me dead.

"Shit!" I groan, twisting my head and clenching my hand with the injured finger.

My eyes move to my blood-stained brown carpet stretching over the large floor of the lounge.

Adena's brother. Caspien.

My blood goes cold. I don't understand why my fists are shaking so badly. I want this carpet soaked red in his blood.

I've lost a lot—money, machinery, and citizens—because of him. His attacks against me have resulted in so many things destroyed and so many lives lost. Four weeks ago, he and his people raided the forest I was camping at in preparation for movement to Groove Bane Pack for a coronation.

I still remember seeing three of my Betas lying dead beneath my feet, millions worth of gifts and food destroyed, twenty workers dead, and Keeper severely injured.

Somehow, he always escapes capture. I am still not a hundred percent sure he's responsible for all the attacks, including the 'Vampire' attack. I'm positive other men are hiding somewhere, working for him.

There is no way those seven weak wolves are capable of such destruction without getting caught.

"Alpha Kymon," a low female voice whispers in my ear, and I feel her hands running up my shoulder.

I have no clue how she got in here without me noticing. But I'm not in any way surprised. Heidi and I spent our ten-year-old lives learning how to sneak into places undetected. She was particularly too skilled for her own good.

"I am only sparing your head because you are the soon-to-be Alpha of your clan," I say, staring at my cut. My brows knit together each moment I feel my muscles contract and relax because of her arms on my shoulders.

"You cut yourself," she murmurs, too close to my ear. "I overheard a bit of the conversation, sorry. I don't understand why you are still keeping her alive—"

I grimace, grab her hand, and push it away before getting to my feet and properly adjusting my robe.

"My decisions are made to no one's opposition."

"I understand, Kymon," she says, cracking a smile as she walks to me and places a hand on my chest. "Kymon—"

"I know what you want to say, Heidi, and you know my response," I tell her and pull away, but she grabs my arm and makes me look at her. She's incredibly strong for a female.

"Please, Kymon—"

"I don't care if you are in heat, Heidi. I cannot give you what—"

"It's not just about that." She exhales sharply and presses a finger to her temple. "Look at us. We are great together. We have everything in common. We have both lost our mates. If we wed, our packs would be unstoppable."

Her eyes are dilated as she stares at me with yearning. I do enjoy hurting people, but not those who are without fault. I cannot feel any emotions aside from friendship for her, and even if I could, I can't just forget about Freya.

"You are making the soon-to-be Alpha of her pack—the most feared, bravest, and hottest as hell—beg you, Kymon." She purrs, running her hand over my chest. "Give me a chance."

"You are being selfish, Heidi," I say and grab her by the wrist. "Don't do this. Don't misuse the respect I have toward you. We are fine as friends."

"Not as fine as we'll be if—"

"Don't!" I hiss, and she wilts slightly. I peel her hands off me and point at the door. "I won't tolerate you entering my space unpermitted next time. Excuse yourself now."

Anguish and hurt engulf her eyes at my words. She stares at me for a few seconds before walking toward the door, her expression now unreadable.

When she reaches the door, she stops and looks at me, angry now. "Fine, as you say, but I claimed you first. No female is permitted to have you, even if you eventually fall in love."

A few seconds later, she's gone. I exhale and get up from the couch just for my eyes to land on the massive antique clock on the wall. Shit—twenty minutes late.

I head back to my room and change into a silk brown sweatshirt and white cargo pants before sliding on my brown fur coat.

The old library is a place I enjoy going to without any companions following me around. So, I take the secret way out of the house. Four clicks on the eyes of Freya's portrait, and the portrait shifts to reveal a dark pathway. I close the entrance as I step in, and complete darkness consumes me.

It's a lot easier to find the way out because I have mastered my steps. The first time I discovered this place, I was nine. My first week in this house after discovering who my father was. Mum showed me this place. She forced me to walk through it and find the exit, even when she knew I was petrified of the dark. She said it was a perfect way to escape if I needed to run.

Run from who exactly? I asked her, and she wouldn't say anything, but her eyes would turn glassy.

There are four rooms here. Two of which I have access to, and two of which my mother forbade me from entering.

I come out through a short flight of stairs that—to normal passersby—is connected to a six-story apartment across the road.

Within five minutes, I am entering the old library.

"Evening, Trinity," I greet the old librarian, who is sitting in an armchair behind a table, reading a human book—Twilight.

It's funny how they thought we were non-existent until we weren't.

"Oh, Alpha Kymon… Welcome."

I look through a bunch of books on the first shelf in aisle two, which is close to her.

"Were you expecting someone else?" I ask because normally she wouldn't sound so surprised to see me. "Baxter?"

She chuckles like a teenager. "Oh no, Alpha. Turns out the supposed handsome farmer who claimed to be a widower is currently married—with six kids." She sighs. "I'm waiting for Williams. He wanted to drive me to the North."

I look at her, pinching my brows. "Why? Plus, you know night isn't the safest time to travel. You know what happened to Rider."

She rolls her eyes and pushes some paperwork into a compartment box. "He's a very careless man. His big mouth must have made those rogues beat him half to death."

"Still."

Her voice lowers this time. "I have to go to the North tonight. I assure you, I'll be fine. I'll give Becky the key to this place so you can get in."

I continue scanning for any book that can get my mind off the chaos of this world.

Red-leaf mosaic, brown hardcover with green thorns riding up and down the edges of the book. I adjust myself to shelf six and take the slightly heavy book. I have never seen this book here before.

"You have quite the sharp eyes," Suzie, the librarian, is now standing next to me, staring at the book with a wistful smile.

"You just got this new?"

She shrugs. "I have no idea how it got here this morning. Maybe Becky brought it in."

I open the first page, and suddenly, my heart begins to pound in my chest. There's a dead rose on the first page, which looks almost too real to be a drawing.

Something is written under it that I cannot comprehend. I have never seen this language before.

"It means The Book of Reborns," Suzie explains, as if sensing my confusion.

I gape at her, and she just smiles and shakes her head. "It's a tribal language for vampire tribes. My father taught me a lot of tribal languages when I was a young wolf."

I flip to the next page, and there's another writing.

"Do you believe in rebirth? If not, you cannot access this book."

I shake my head in denial and flip through the rest of the pages, only to find them blank. Perfect waste of time.

I slide the book back onto the shelf and take a book on cyclones instead.

"I'll settle for this tonight," I say, raising the book, but her gaze remains fixed on The Book of Reborns.

After a moment, she peels her eyes off it, nods at me, and returns to her chair.