The Alpha's Heir Forbidden Mate

Know your place

(Kiara)

By late afternoon, the pack house was busier than usual. Two Alpha families were coming for dinner, and Lucan expected everything to be perfect. Maris had every servant moving between the kitchen and dining room while she checked our work. I kept busy and tried not to think about what Lucan had said earlier.

Alpha Roderick arrived with his mate and their daughter, Selene. Selene looked around Cassian's age, and Lucan seemed especially pleased to see her. She greeted Evelina and Aurelia before turning to Cassian. The smile she gave him made me look away.

"Kiara, you're serving this side tonight." Maris handed me a tray. "Pay attention and don't cause any problems." She walked away to check the other servants.

I took the tray without answering. I would have to pass Cassian and Selene throughout dinner. After Lucan's warning, it was the last place I wanted to be. I reminded myself that I was there to work.

Cassian entered with Lysander a few minutes later. His attention moved around the room before finding me near the wall. Our eyes met, and I looked away. I didn't need Lucan noticing anything else between us.

'He was looking for us,' Nyra said. 'He always does.' She sounded pleased.

'Don't start,' I told her. 'I have enough problems.' I picked up the first dishes and headed toward the table.

Selene smiled at Cassian as he joined her. I moved away before I heard what they were discussing. I told myself I didn't care that Lucan had placed them together. Cassian was the future Alpha, and Selene was someone people would expect beside him.

Dinner continued without trouble for a while. I carried food, collected empty dishes, and stayed out of the conversations around the table. Every now and then, I caught Cassian looking at me. Each time, I remembered Lucan telling me not to mistake kindness for something more.

"You should visit our territory next month," Selene said. "We're holding training events with several neighboring packs." She smiled at Cassian. "I think you'd enjoy it."

"Thank you for inviting me." Cassian reached for his glass. "I'll have to see what I have planned." He didn't agree to go.

Lucan looked pleased with the conversation. He asked Alpha Roderick about the training events and mentioned that Cassian should spend more time with neighboring packs. I understood what he was doing. He wanted Cassian and Selene to spend more time together.

I carried another tray toward the table. One of the visiting sons pushed his chair backward as I passed behind him. I stopped before the tray touched him and stepped around the chair. Nothing fell.

"Kiara, watch what you're doing." Lucan looked directly at me. "Our guests shouldn't have to worry about a servant walking into them." Several people turned toward me.

"I stopped before anything happened, Alpha." I kept the tray level. "Nothing was spilled." I knew immediately that I should have stayed silent.

Lucan's expression changed. "I don't remember asking for an argument." He pointed toward the doorway. "Return to the kitchen for the rest of dinner."

"Yes, Alpha." I placed the tray on the serving table. "Excuse me." I walked out before anyone could see how angry I was.

I'd done nothing wrong. Lucan knew it, and everyone close enough had seen what happened. This wasn't about the chair or the tray. He wanted to remind me that I didn't belong at that table.

I heard footsteps behind me before I reached the kitchen. I knew who it was without turning around. Cassian had left the table again because of me. I stopped and faced him.

"Go back to dinner." I looked toward the dining room behind him. "Your father has already made his point." I didn't want him making things worse.

"You didn't do anything." Cassian stopped in front of me. "He saw exactly what happened." Anger filled his voice.

"It doesn't matter." I lowered my voice. "You're making things worse by following me." I wished he understood how differently Lucan treated his choices and mine.

Cassian looked toward the dining room before facing me again. "Is this because of what he said to you earlier?" He seemed to understand there was more happening. "Did he warn you about me?"

I didn't answer immediately. Telling Cassian everything could lead to another argument with Lucan. I didn't want to be responsible for that. Still, I couldn't pretend nothing had happened.

"He reminded me that you're the future Alpha." I looked at him. "He thinks I need to remember what that means." I left out the part about Cassian feeling sorry for me.

Cassian glanced toward the dining room. "And Selene?" His expression changed as he seemed to understand. "That's why her family is here."

"She's an Alpha's daughter." I tried to sound as if it didn't bother me. "She belongs in your world." The words hurt more than I expected.

"I don't want Selene." Cassian looked directly at me. "My father invited her family, not me." There was no hesitation in his answer.

"You don't know what you'll want later." I stepped back. "You're going to be Alpha one day." That future had been planned long before either of us understood what was happening between us.

Cassian stared at me. "Why do you keep deciding what I'll want?" He took a breath before continuing. "Shouldn't I get to decide that?"

I had no answer for him. Something had changed between us, and I knew Cassian felt it too. He wasn't defending me because we'd grown up together. Whatever he felt had become something neither of us could keep pretending wasn't there.

"I should get back to work." I turned toward the kitchen. "You should go back before your father comes looking for you." I started to leave.

"Kiara." Cassian waited until I looked at him. "I meant what I said yesterday." His eyes stayed on mine.

I knew exactly what he meant. He had missed me while he was gone. He had thought about me during those three weeks. Now he was standing here instead of sitting beside the Alpha's daughter his father had chosen to place beside him.

Cassian returned to dinner, and I went back to work. I tried to concentrate on the dishes, but his words stayed with me. Lucan had warned me not to mistake Cassian's kindness for something more. I was beginning to think Lucan had noticed the truth before either of us admitted it.