Chapter 6: The Heat and The Hunt
863 Words
Chapter 6: The Heat and The Hunt
The adrenaline from the fight faded, leaving my skin tingling and my heart hammering against my ribs.
As the rogues dispersed, whispering my name with newfound reverence, Kaelen walked into the ring.
He didn't say a word.
He just grabbed my wrist—his grip firm but remarkably gentle—and pulled me out of the blinding sun, straight back into the privacy of his cabin.
The moment the heavy oak door clicked shut behind us, he pinned me against it.
I gasped, my back hitting the wood.
Kaelen braced his hands on either side of my head, trapping me completely within his massive frame.
The scent of dark chocolate and winter rain surged around me, so thick it felt like a physical touch.
His golden eyes had darkened to a dangerous, predatory amber, swirling with a hunger that made my knees weak.
"Do you have any idea what you just did out there?"
Kaelen growled, his voice a low, gravelly vibration against my skin.
He leaned in so close his lips almost brushed the shell of my ear.
"You practically declared yourself their queen. My warriors are ready to die for you, Aria. My warriors."
"Are you angry?"
I asked, refusing to lower my gaze.
I placed my hands flat against his chest, feeling the wild, erratic thudding of his heart.
"Are you mad that an Omega stole your spotlight?"
"Angry?"
Kaelen let out a dark, breathless chuckle.
He lowered his head, his nose tracing a slow line down my neck, stopping right over my racing pulse point.
He inhaled deeply, a low purr rumbling in his chest.
"I’ve never been more turned on in my entire life."
A hot spark of desire shot straight down my spine.
My silver wolf clawed at my consciousness, begging me to wrap my legs around his waist, to let this alpha predator claim us.
The mate bond was screaming, a fierce, intoxicating melody.
"Kaelen..."
I gasped, my hands gripping his shoulders as his lips brushed the sensitive skin of my throat.
"You smell like starlight and silver, Aria,"
he murmured, his grip on my waist tightening, lifting me slightly so I had to tilt my head back.
"Every alpha in the world would go to war just to have you sit on their throne. But you're here. With me."
He pulled back just enough to look into my eyes, his thumb gently catching my bottom lip and pulling it down.
The raw possessiveness in his gaze was suffocating. "Tell me to stop, little wolf.
Tell me right now, because if you don't, I'm going to lock this door and never let you out of this bed."
My mind was a whirlwind of desire, but the image of Brandon’s mocking smirk flashed in my head. I needed to be strong.
I needed my revenge first.
I forced myself to meet his burning gaze, my voice trembling but resolute.
"Not yet, Kaelen. I want Brandon and Chloe to bleed first. I won't give myself to anyone while their shadows are still hanging over me."
Kaelen stared at me for a long, agonizing second.
Then, the dangerous amber in his eyes slowly receded, replaced by a deep, unwavering respect.
He took a slow breath, stepping back to give me space, though his hand lingered on my waist for as long as possible.
"A queen must have her vengeance,"
Kaelen said, his voice returning to its calm, lethal baritone.
He walked over to a large wooden desk, unfolding a leather map of the territories.
"And lucky for you, your trash of an ex-fiancé is already losing his mind."
I walked over to the desk, shaking off the lingering heat of his touch.
"What do you mean?"
"Lucas,"
Kaelen said, pointing a scarred finger at the border of the Crescent Pack.
"The warrior you broke last night. His father is the Gamma of the Crescent Pack. When they found Lucas crawled back to the border, human and stripped of his wolf, Brandon panicked."
A cold, satisfied smile spread across my face.
"Good. Let him sweat."
"It gets better,"
Kaelen murmured, looking up at me with a wicked glint in his golden eyes.
"Brandon thinks a rogue pack of savage beasts attacked his patrol. He doesn't know it was you. In three days, there is a regional Alpha Summit at the neutral packgrounds. Every pack leader in the state will be there to discuss the 'rogue threat.' Including Brandon. And including me."
I caught on instantly.
My heart leapt with a wicked, vengeful joy.
"You're going to take me with you,"
I said, a smirk mirroring his own.
"Oh, absolutely,"
Kaelen leaned against the desk, crossing his arms over his broad chest.
"They think you're dead in the dirt, Aria. Imagine the look on Brandon's face when I walk into that summit with the legendary Silver Alpha on my arm, introducing you as the new ruler of the Blackwood."
I looked down at the map, my fingers tracing the boundaries of the pack that had abused me for eighteen years.
Three days, I thought. Three days until the golden boy's world comes crashing down.
- Writer
