THE SCENT OF TREASON

An Unforgivable Debt

Kaelen carried me back through the shattered kitchen doors, his stride unbroken as his bare feet moved silently over the stone floor. He did not say a word, but the raw, radiating heat of his body was the only thing keeping my shivering limbs from freezing entirely.

Inside the grand foyer, the air was thick with tension. Dozens of pack warriors stood in stunned silence, having rushed back to the estate behind their King. They watched in absolute awe and terror as Kaelen strode past them, carrying a human cleaner in his arms while covered in the blood of his second-in-command.

Kaelen ignored them all, carrying me straight up the spiral staircase and back into his massive bedroom. The splintered wooden door lay flat on the carpet, a stark reminder of the violence that had unfolded just an hour ago.

He set me down gently on the edge of the plush bed, immediately pulling a heavy fur blanket over my shoulders. He knelt before me, his hands gently framing my face. His dark eyes searched mine, looking for any trace of lingering shock.

You are safe now, he murmured, his thumb lightly brushing my cheekbone. The pack knows what Silas did. And they know his fate.

Where is he? I asked, my voice still raspy and dry. Is he...

He is alive, Kaelen replied, his jaw tightening. For now. He is locked in the silver-lined cells beneath the estate. A mutiny against the mate of the Alpha King is treason. The pack laws dictate a public execution.

The word mate sent a cold shiver down my spine that had nothing to do with the temperature. I looked down at my hands, clutching the edges of the heavy blanket.

You cannot do that, Kaelen, I whispered.

His eyes narrowed slightly, a dangerous flicker of gold returning to his irises. Why? He sought to murder you in my own home. He deserves far worse than a quick death.

Because Silas was right about one thing, I said, looking up to meet his intense gaze. The pack is already on the brink of war. If you execute your second-in-command over a human—over a cleaner who has done nothing but bring trouble to your doorstep—you will lose their loyalty. They will see me as a curse. They will see you as weak.

Kaelen leaned closer, his grip on my shoulders tightening, though he was careful not to hurt me. Let them try to challenge me. I am the Alpha King. My word is law, and my mate is sovereign. I do not rule by the consensus of cowards who would s*******r an innocent girl to save their own skins.

But I am not your mate, Kaelen! I burst out, the tears finally spilling over my eyelashes. I am a human with a magical debt. My sister is still out there, and the witches of the Obsidian Circle are probably preparing to tear her apart because you walked away from the war path for me.

The room fell into a heavy, suffocating silence.

Kaelen stared at me, his expression unreadable. Slowly, he reached out and took my hand, placing it directly over his heart. Beneath my palm, the rhythm was incredibly fast, wild, and powerful.

You felt my presence when I was miles away, he said softly, his voice carrying a depth of certainty that terrified me. You survived Silas because my silver blade was within your reach. The bond is not a choice, little lamb. It is a fact.

He leaned in, his forehead resting gently against mine.

And as for the Obsidian Circle, Kaelen whispered, his breath warm against my lips. I did not call off the attack. I only turned my own vehicle back. My warriors have already breached their outer territory. By dawn, your sister will be safe in this castle, and the witches will know the price of threatening what is mine.