Stranger Danger - Chapter 22: Parting Song

[WARNING: MATURE CONTENT]I yanked my wrist, trying to pull free, but his grip didn’t budge. “Let me go,” I cried, surprised by how weak I sounded but for goodness sake, this is an elementary school restroom hallway, meaning anyone might walk in at any moment.“No.” He leaned in, his breath warm against the side of my neck. My skin prickled as my toes curled, I hated how my body reacted without my permission. “You’re mine,” he whispered, “Every part of you, your fear, your silence, even that defiance you’re clinging to. It’s all mine. And I’m not about to let anyone else touch or have what belongs to me. Not the world, not even yourself.”****Kain Locke would never forget that face, the face of the man who smiled as he pulled the trigger, murdering his parents right in front of him. That moment scarred him for life, carving a hatred so deep it kept him alive.That man was Caspian Draeven, a ruthless Alpha who ruled the underworld with fear and bloodshed and as if that wasn't enough, he took Kain too, raising him in his empire of chaos.But Kain wasn’t broken as they expected him, rather, he was burning. Burning with hatred for the man who destroyed his world and he swear to get his revenge.However, Caspian wasn’t the only monster in the Draeven family. His son, Kael Draeven, was just as dangerous, cold, brutal, and utterly loyal to his father which makes Kain hated Kael just as much, if not more.For years, Kain planned his escape, waiting for the perfect moment so he can leave to prepare for his revenge.However when he finally ran, he thought he’d won his freedom. But the unexpected happens when Kael was sent to bring him back, and their confrontation took an unplanned turn. A single night left Kain with a secret he never saw coming and a bond he couldn’t forget, no matter how much he wanted to.But secrets have a way of coming to light, and Kain’s path will lead him straight back to the man he swore to hate forever.Because some bonds can’t be broken. Not even by revenge.

When I was 15-years-old, during the year that I graduated from middle school, my father told me this.

He was once a kind boy — loyal to family, faithful to love, and full of hope.But kindness means nothing in a world that spits on your loyalty.Roman died betrayed.His stepbrother beat him.His girlfriend cheated.His family used him like a slave — and when the world ended, they threw him to the undead.But death wasn’t the end.Roman was reborn — weeks before the apocalypse that would erase humanity.And this time?No more mercy. No more weakness.This time, Roman builds his empire in the shadows, manipulates nations, steals resources before the collapse, and creates a stronghold while the world sleeps peacefully — blind to the hell that’s coming.> What?! A supermarket in New York is completely wiped out overnight!Japan’s largest food storage warehouse was found empty — zero inventory, massive losses.Similar cases in South Korea and Australia? No trace, no witnesses. Just... gone.One man is preparing.One man is rising.Roman.But just when he thinks he's the only one pulling the strings in the dark...Others begin to move.Reincarnated. Ruthless. Just like him.The game is no longer survival.It's domination.In this new world, only one king can rule from the shadows.And Roman will burn the world before he kneels.