Page 1 of Captured By Chaos


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Chapter One

This wasn’t how I expected my day to start.

I didn’t expect to be standing in the middle of an office, a High Faction Delegate just deciding to “drop by” to deliver the final nail in the coffin that was supposed to be my life plan.

“Do the three of you understand?” Cole, the imposing Varg Anwyn, said, his words commanding an answer from us.

Sandwiched between my fellow leaders Beckett and Emric, Cole’s towering build loomed over us as we stood at attention in our full black armor. We were soldiers of the Onyx Guard, the elite military forces dedicated to protecting our Country, The Isle of Kazola—a place where different beings lived together in peace. No one judged, no one let fear get the best of them, no matter what you were: a Human child, a Varg Anwyn wolf child, or a Shrivika blood child.

The Onyx Guard was a separate entity from the traditional military that handled the day-to-day protections. Broken up into nine Factions, one for each territory, we were created and trained to handle the worst of the worst: serial killers, the seedy underbelly of organized crime, and other terrible atrocities that would make most people’s skin crawl.

I had dedicated my life to the Guard, to protecting this country with all of my strength.

Tsio a Chisain. Protect The Peace.

I had lived by that motto since I took my oaths into the Guard, but one choice had ruined me in the eyes of our leaders, the High Faction—which was why Cole was here today: to seal my fate. Emric and Beckett shot sideways glances toward me, their gazes raking up my entire body to make sure I was alright.

They were good friends, but I was far from alright.

“Ar Dtus?”Cole turned his attention to Beckett, his leading title rolling off the High Faction Member’s lips, every syllable laced with impatience. I was fully aware that our silence was not the response he wanted.

“Yes, sir,” Beckett replied, his deep tenor rumbling from his chest as he stared Cole in the eye. He looked the part of a dutiful soldier, his white-blond hair shorn at the sides close to his scalp, the longer top part slicked back and away from his eyes. His armor was perfectly polished, covering his tall, well-defined body. No one would ever guess what he had done only months ago. Of course, Cole could never forget, which accounted for the smug gleam in his own gaze at Beckett’s words. “I understand my orders.”

“Good.” Cole paced in front of us, arms crossed tightly against his chest as he moved to stand in front of Emric. “And you,Dara, do you understand as well?”

Emric’s blushing brown cheek twitched, his bright, aqua eyes glazing over with obedience. “Yes, sir.” He was struggling to stay perfectly in a command stance, his fingers twisting behind his back, forced into the submissive position and away from his round face to fiddle with the thin, silver-wired glasses that perched on the edge of his petite nose.

Silence fell as Cole moved to stand in front of me, his hulking form over a foot taller than mine; but by the slight straining of the buttons from his waist coat, he had been indulging a bit too much in the sweets recently. Still, he used our major height difference to his advantage, towering over me like a looming specter. For some, it could intimidate them and make them feel small and weak, but I would never let that happen. I would never let someone think they could break me, even if inside every inch of me wanted to crack into a million pieces.

“Beta?” He rumbled, his pale, sharp-featured face coated in darkness. “Do you understand?”

I stared up at him, our eyes locked in a battle of wills. I used every shred of strength to show him that even though I knew my place, it didn’t mean I agreed with their choices. For the first time in many years, I wanted to disobey.

Yet, I still forced myself to say, “Yes, sir. I understand.”

“Wonderful.” A smirk crawled up his arrogant face before he stepped away, addressing all of us once again. “Your newest partner will be here in three days with all of the information about your next case in hand. This is time-sensitive and high priority, so we expect you to use every resource your Faction has. Understood?”

“Yes, sir,” we answered in unison, our three voices melding together like the united front we were.

“Perfect. We will expect full reports weekly of your progress.” Cole reached out to Beckett’s glass-top-and-dark-wood desk and picked up his black wool jacket and matching leather briefcase where he had nonchalantly discarded them when he arrived—as if he owned the place. “Have a good day, you three.”

He gave us a quick wave before disappearing through the door and shutting it behind him, the frame rattling at the sudden impact. We didn’t move a muscle until he walked past the glass wall and disappeared down the hall.

My muscles slacked, collapsing me against the closest sage green wall, the few paintings hanging on it shaking at the thud. I couldn’t believe what I’d just heard, what I’d forced myself to agree to. My heart beat against my chest, pounding at me like I was its own personal punching bag. How had I fallen so far…how had I failed so deeply?

“Kasha…” Beckett was the first to reach out to me, his long, pale fingers curling around my shoulder.

I couldn’t stop myself from flinching away. “Don’t. Just don’t.”

Both men sighed, resigning to leaving me alone on this subject for now. We had been Keturi together for years, taking up three of the four head roles in the Hierarchy leadership team of our Faction. We were strong together, working as if we were a machine perfectly programmed.

Now the High Faction wanted to blow that perfect machine to bits.

“What do you want us to do, then?” Beckett’s onyx-brown eyes were steady as he looked down at me, his arms crossed, shoulders hunched. Emric was to my left, his lean frame propped against the back of one of the gray leather chairs in front of Beckett’s desk, both waiting for me to take my command on the matter.

Even though they didn't touch me, their strength started to seep into my imaginary cracks, helping me glue myself back together so I could do what was right for the Faction.

“We go to the rest of the Hierarchy and we tell them the news.” I shook my head, invisible steel walls rebuilding themselves around my heart. “They’re all probably pacing the conference room while they wait.”

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