Queen Of Wolves

“Where is Kael? Have you seen the alpha yet?” I asked for the third time, glancing at the door while my maid struggled to fasten the back of my dress. “He is outside...Probably making sure everything is ready for your birthday, Luna.” I smiled at that, even though I was beginning to get impatient. Kael had insisted on handling the preparations himself, and when I tried to help, he told me to leave everything to him. I had thought it was sweet, especially with how busy he had been lately. A knock sounded at the door, and I immediately turned toward it, expecting to see my mate. Instead, Kael walked in with Jasmine behind him. My smile faded when I noticed the Omega standing so close to him. She kept her eyes lowered, but I barely had time to wonder what she was doing there before Kael turned to my maid. “Leave us.” My maid glanced at me. I gave her a small nod, and she hurried out, closing the door behind her. Kael waited until we were alone before speaking. “I’ve made a decision, Aurora. I’m taking Jasmine as my concubine.” For a moment, I simply stared at him, certain I had misunderstood. I looked at Jasmine, then back at my mate, waiting for him to laugh or tell me he was joking. He did neither. “I’m sorry, what?” “I’m taking Jasmine as my concubine,” he repeated. “The pack is waiting for us, and I need you to accept my decision before we go out there.” I stared at him, trying to understand how he could say something like that to me and expect me to carry on with my day as though nothing had happened. “You’re telling me this on my birthday?” “I don’t want to keep the pack waiting any longer than necessary.” I let out a disbelieving laugh. “That’s what you’re worried about right now? Keeping the pack waiting?” “Aurora, don’t start this.” “Don’t start what, Kael? You just walked into my dressing room with another woman and told me she’s going to be your concubine. What exactly am I supposed to say?” “I expect you to accept my decision. We need to present a united front, and as my Luna, I expect you to behave accordingly.” I looked at him, waiting for some sign that he understood how cruel this was, but his expression remained unchanged. “You want me to accept her?” “Yes.” I glanced at Jasmine again. She had her hands clasped in front of her, looking as though she would rather be anywhere else. But when our eyes met, I caught something in her expression that made me question how uncomfortable she really was. “Why her?” I asked. “Why an Omega?” Jasmine shifted beside him, and Kael’s face immediately hardened. “I know what she is.” “Then why are you doing this? What happened to us? What happened to the life we were supposed to build together?” His jaw tightened, and I could tell he was already growing tired of the conversation. “This is exactly what I didn’t want. I came here to explain my decision, not argue with you.” “Your decision?” I repeated. “You made a decision about our relationship without even speaking to me!” “I don’t need your permission to make decisions concerning my position as Alpha.” I went quiet for a moment, partly because I couldn’t believe he had said that and partly because I was trying to stop myself from crying. I was his mate, his Luna, the woman who had stood beside him through years of whispers and judgment because of my white hair. Whenever someone suggested that my curse made me unfit to be his mate, Kael had always been the one to defend me. He had told me that none of it mattered to him, and I had believed him. Now he was using that same curse to justify bringing another woman into our relationship. “Is this because of my curse?” I asked. He hesitated, and my heart sank before he even answered. “I need an heir, Aurora. I can’t keep pretending there’s no possibility that your curse will prevent you from giving me one.” “I can have children. You know I can.” “You don’t know that for certain, and neither do I. I can’t take that chance.” I shook my head. “So you would rather bring another woman into our relationship than trust me?” “This isn’t about trust. It’s about the future of the pack.” “And Jasmine...Jasmine is your solution? A low class, weak omega?” “I want a woman I enjoy being with, Aurora. Someone I can stand to have in my bed without feeling like I’m forcing myself to do it.” I went completely still. For a moment, I couldn’t even look at him. I had known things weren’t right between us lately. He had been coming home late, and there were nights when he didn’t come home at all. I had blamed his responsibilities as Alpha because I couldn’t bring myself to believe there was another reason. Now he was standing in front of me, telling me that being with me felt like a chore. I lowered my eyes, trying to keep the tears from falling. My wolf stirred inside me, restless after being silent for so long, but I didn’t know what to do with the anger and hurt building inside my chest. “Please, Kael,” I whispered. “Whatever is wrong between us, we can talk about it. We don’t have to do this today. Not like this.” “I’ve already made my decision.” “Then why did you bother telling me? Why not announce her to the pack and let me find out with everyone else?” “Because you’re my Luna, and I expect you to stand beside me.” I looked at him in disbelief. “You expect me to stand beside you while you humiliate me?” “Don’t challenge me in front of an Omega.” I stared at him, stunned by the nerve of it all. “You’re the one who brought her into this room. You’re the one who just told me you can barely stand the thought of having me in your bed. You said all of that in front of her, Kael. But somehow, I’m the one disrespecting you?” Jasmine lowered her head, but I caught the small smile she tried to hide. She covered it with a cough, and my anger flared. “You think this is funny?” “That’s enough, Aurora.” Kael’s voice dropped into a warning growl. I turned to him. “You’re defending her against me?” “She has done nothing to deserve the way you’re speaking to her.” “And what have I done to deserve the way you’re speaking to me?” He didn’t answer. Instead, he looked away briefly before turning back to me, his patience clearly wearing thin. “I was warned about you before I chose you,” he said. “People told me I should reject you and find someone else, someone who wouldn’t bring all these problems into my life. I was too young, and I thought I could make you obedient. I was a f*****g fool” I stopped breathing for a moment. His eyes moved to my hair, and the look on his face made my stomach twist. “Maybe I should have listened.” I couldn’t speak. I just stood there, staring at the man I loved, trying to understand how he could say something like that to me. My white hair had caused me enough trouble throughout my life. People had stared at me, whispered behind my back, and treated me as though there was something wrong with me simply because I looked different. Kael knew how much it hurt. He had been there when I cried about it, and he had held me while promising that I would never have to feel ashamed of it with him. He was the person who had made me believe I could be loved without having to hide the one thing everyone else seemed to hate about me. And now he was looking at it with disgust. I wanted to ask him when things had changed. I wanted to know if he had ever meant those promises or if he had simply said what he thought I needed to hear. But I couldn’t bring myself to ask because I wasn’t sure I could handle his answer. Outside, the pack was still waiting for us. Instead, I was standing in front of him, trying not to cry. How was I supposed to look at him and still believe he loved me?