Alpha Kael's Contract

Set up

Sounds like she was set up,” Alpha Kael said, shrugging and letting go of my throat. “We all know normal wolfsbane doesn’t affect us anymore. Wolves like us evolved past that centuries ago.”

What? I didn’t understand. Wolfsbane had always been dangerous. It was drilled into me since I could walk.

“Which only leaves Blood of Wolfsbane,” Kael muttered.

“You weren’t there, Alpha Kael,” my brother growled through clenched teeth, narrowing his eyes. “It was regular wolfsbane.”

Kael nodded. “You’re right. I wasn’t there.” Great. Now there was someone else reminding me of a mistake I had made years ago. “But tell me this, where would a six-year-old get Blood of Wolfsbane?”

“I didn’t ask you here to talk about my slave!” Alpha Ronan spat. “Or what happened to my parents.”

Kael grabbed his leather jacket from the chair. Unlike other alphas, he dressed casually: a simple black tee and jeans over his huge frame. His arms were bare, not a single tattoo.

“You’re right. I have some things to think over,” he said.

“I thought we agreed…” my brother protested.

“Nothing has been signed yet. I’ll show myself out,” Kael said.

The moment he left the office, both my brother and Beta Mason turned on me.

“What did you say to him?” Alpha Ronan demanded, slamming a hand into my stomach.

“N-nothing… well, he just asked why I smelled… different,” I stammered.

“Did you tell him?” Beta Mason spat, practically in my face. I hated him. I hated him enough to promise myself I’d get revenge one day.

“Well?!” Alpha Ronan yelled when I didn’t answer quickly, slapping the side of my head. “I didn’t say it was you!” I whispered, trying to sound strong.

He yanked my hair, pulling my head back painfully. “If you ruin this, you won’t see daylight again.” He dragged me down the hall to the basement.

“Please…” I begged. “He was an Alpha… I had to answer him.” My cheeks burned with tears.

On the other side of the basement door, Kael was leaning against the wall, arms folded, watching us. My brother’s grip on my hair released.

“Alpha Kael, I thought you had left,” Alpha Ronan muttered.

“I said I’d leave. But instead of the door, I find a basement full of your sister’s strange scent. Is this how you treat your family?” Kael asked.

“She’s responsible for the death of my parents. This is what she deserves,” Alpha Ronan snapped.

“You should keep your nose out of other packs’ business!” Beta Mason added.

Kael laughed. “If I agree to this deal, your business becomes mine. Tell me, what’s her punishment? No food? Locked away? Beatings?”

“Do we really” Alpha Ronan started, but Kael cut him off.

“You really think she would just sleep through all of this? I’ve already stopped you from hitting her once.” His eyes roamed over me. “She’s underfed, bags under her tired blue eyes. A sister of an Alpha, yet treated like this? Regardless of what she supposedly did as a pup…”

“She did do it!” Alpha Ronan growled. “And she has nothing to do with our deal.”

“That’s for me to decide,” Kael said, crimson eyes scanning the hallway. “Where is her mate? I’d like to know how she feels about this.”

I closed my eyes, silently begging my brother not to call her Luna, Cassandra. She was worse than both Alpha Ronan and Beta Mason combined.

“On second thought,” Kael sneered, “why bother her? I’m sure she’s just as vile as you.”

I peeked through slits at him. No reason to defend me, yet he did. And I… I was just a nobody, the so-called traitor. But instead of a death sentence, my brother had made me suffer for years.

“I have a proposition for you, Alpha Ronan,” Kael said, smirking.

“We’ve already agreed on terms.”

“Well, I’m adding one. If you don’t agree, you won’t get my help. You’ll have me as your enemy and you don’t want that.”

“I take it this has to do with her?” Alpha Ronan muttered through clenched teeth.

“You would be correct. Let me take her to my pack, then you, Ronan, will have a deal.”

Me? Why would he want me? I felt nervous under his gaze as he studied me.

“Deal,” Alpha Ronan said, sticking out his hand. Kael didn’t shake it. Instead, his crimson eyes shifted back to me.

“I’ll have paperwork ready tomorrow,” Kael said. He reached out and cupped my face. “Make sure you have everything packed.” He dragged his thumb across my bottom lip and strode to the front door, slamming it behind him.

“Get out of my sight!” Alpha Ronan barked at me.

I hurried up to my tiny bedroom. Almost empty, with just a few clothes. It would take less than a minute to pack.

By morning, I hadn’t slept. Kael’s questions kept running through my mind. Why was I interesting to a wolf like him? He had the biggest pack, known for their fighting skills. That’s why my brother wanted to link Moo

nshine with Kael’s pack but where did I fit in? And what was Blood of Wolfsbane?