CHAPTER 5 — AMBITION BEHIND THE LOOPHOLES OF ANCIENT LAW
1619 Words
The morning sun had not yet fully risen beyond the territorial borders when the thick leather curtains covering the fortress windows slowly parted, allowing thin rays of light to spill across the cold obsidian floor.
Airylea's physical condition was already far better than it had been on that cursed night. The agonizing pain in her wolf's womb had gradually faded, replaced by a strange numbness, as though her fertile body was preparing itself to adapt to the new metabolism and herbal remedies prescribed by the alliance's healers.
She sat at the edge of the large stone bed, her fingers brushing over the surface of a lilac silk nightgown that hugged her body perfectly—a color she loved and that someone had somehow thoughtfully prepared inside the room's wooden wardrobe.
The chamber was exceptionally quiet.
That silence was shattered when the double oak doors at the far end of the room swung open without so much as a knock.
Kennan stepped inside wearing a loose leather robe that still carried the irresistible charisma of a renowned Shadow Alpha. A lazy smile curved across his lips as his golden eyes immediately locked onto Airylea.
"Good morning, little Queen," Kennan greeted, his voice rough with the huskiness of a male wolf who had only recently awakened, yet filled with effortless charm. "How was your sleep in your new den?"
Airylea had not even managed to answer before Kennan closed the distance between them.
He moved with the agility of a trained predator, sitting down on the stone bed directly beside her and causing the mattress to sink slightly beneath his weight.
His sudden presence carried the powerful scent of a dominant male, overpowering the lingering aroma of healing oils that had filled Airylea's senses since the previous night.
"The finest stylists in our clans and our alliance's personal tailors will arrive within an hour to take your measurements," Kennan said while studying her from the side.
His gaze traveled downward, assessing the curve of her exposed shoulder beneath the thin strap of her lilac silk gown.
"They'll design custom clothing that highlights every inch of your valuable assets before we begin this year-long training."
"I appreciate your efficiency, Kennan," Airylea replied evenly, trying to keep her voice from betraying any intimidation caused by their close proximity.
However, Kennan appeared uninterested in formalities.
His long arm suddenly moved across the bed toward her waist.
The warmth of his palm penetrated the thin layer of lilac silk covering her fertile body.
The air inside the room immediately seemed heavier as his fingers began tracing slow circles along her back, following the line of her shoulder blades before moving lower along the muscles of her spine with deliberate pressure.
Airylea flinched slightly, her breath catching in her throat.
The touch was not rough.
If anything, it was too gentle, too bold, and filled with hidden intentions.
An unfamiliar heat immediately spread from the point of contact, sending shivers down her spine.
A primitive instinct seemed to awaken within Kennan's inner wolf, reflected in the way he tightened his arm around her waist, drawing her solid, curvy body closer against his broad chest.
"Your body..." Kennan whispered, his warm breath brushing against the curve of her neck and making her shiver. "It truly possesses a dangerous kind of allure, Airylea. Zylan must be the greatest fool in the world for throwing away a she-wolf as precious as you."
"Let go, Kennan," Airylea hissed, pressing her palm against his chest and attempting to push him away, despite the fact that her own heart was now pounding beneath the tension between them.
Before Kennan could go any further, a cold clearing of a throat sounded from the doorway.
Felix stood there, still dressed in the same linen shirt from the night before, the sleeves rolled up to his elbows.
A scroll containing Elder Council medical reports rested in his right hand.
The sharp gaze behind his glasses pierced directly toward Kennan's hand, which was still resting on Airylea's back.
"Take your filthy hands off her, Kennan," Felix ordered, his voice as cold as ice and carrying the unquestionable authority of the Elder Council's chief enforcer. "The healers have scheduled a full examination this morning, and your inappropriate behavior is not on the agenda."
Kennan snorted lazily and slowly withdrew his hand, intentionally prolonging the final seconds of contact.
"You always know how to ruin the mood, Felix."
Ignoring the remark, Felix approached the stone bed.
He placed the medical scroll on a nearby table before turning his analytical gaze toward Airylea.
Even so, an equally possessive ambition lingered beneath his eyes—one no less intense than Kennan's.
"The healers require a thorough examination of your spinal alignment and the remaining swelling around your pelvic area after last night's miscarriage," Felix said in the most professional tone he could manage, though his gaze darkened as it lingered on Airylea's fertile curves. "To accomplish that, I need you in the proper position so I can assess your physical symmetry before the clan healers arrive."
Airylea frowned, sensing something strange in the atmosphere.
"What position?"
Felix stepped forward.
His cool hand touched her shoulder and guided her with gentle yet unquestionable pressure until she was facing away from them.
"Support yourself on your knees and elbows. Relax. Raise your hips slightly so the tension affecting your womb can be visually evaluated from behind."
His choice of words was polite and sounded completely medical.
Yet the way his eyes remained fixed on Airylea's full hips betrayed every ounce of professionalism.
Felix wanted the woman before him.
At this very moment.
He was merely using procedure as an excuse to satisfy the curiosity that had been burning inside him since the previous night.
The room grew warmer, filled with tension between two Alpha males silently exchanging warning glances.
Airylea, not understanding the purpose behind such a position, obeyed in confusion.
She lowered herself onto her elbows atop the silk bedding, causing the lilac gown to shift slightly around her thighs and reveal pale skin that contrasted sharply against the dark fabric beneath.
However, before either Felix or Kennan could touch her again, heavy and intimidating footsteps shattered the silence of the stone chamber.
Supreme Alpha Lucas Andreass Smithe entered.
The absolute dominance radiating from him instantly destroyed the charged atmosphere hanging in the air.
His stern face looked colder than ever, and his eyes burned with the fury of a leader whose orders had just been ignored.
"You two are truly idiots. Impatient idiots."
Lucas's voice thundered through the chamber, low, powerful, and threatening enough to make both Kennan and Felix straighten immediately.
He strode forward and, with a single dominant and protective motion, grabbed Airylea's arm and pulled her back into a safe seated position beneath the shelter of his massive frame.
Lucas stood firmly in front of her, becoming a living wall that blocked the hungry gazes of his companions.
"Our female has not fully recovered from her trauma," Lucas growled, his eyes moving between Felix and Kennan with deadly warning. "Do you truly intend to devour her now by resorting to cheap tricks like this? If I see either of you touching her for personal satisfaction before her body is ready, I will personally dissolve our Pack alliance."
Felix merely adjusted his glasses without a trace of guilt.
Kennan raised both hands and chuckled softly, attempting to lighten the atmosphere despite the irritation tightening his jaw.
Airylea looked up at Lucas's broad back beneath his black robe.
She genuinely did not understand what they had been arguing about so fiercely.
Why were they acting as though her body were a territory to be fought over?
However, her attention was abruptly diverted when the enchanted crystal mirror mounted on the stone wall suddenly illuminated on its own, displaying the morning news broadcast from the border territories.
"...This morning's top story from the borderlands: following the tragic disappearance of former Luna Airylea Glacya Mona, who was declared dead after being swept away by the storm along the border river, support and public approval for Silver Moon Pack have risen dramatically, reaching their highest level within the Elder Council. Public sentiment has strengthened after territorial elders expressed overwhelming sympathy for Alpha Zylan Rhiber, who has been praised as a resilient husband for continuing to lead his warriors professionally despite his personal tragedy. Many have commended Zylan's unwavering dedication..."
The moment Airylea heard the disgusting narrative, every drop of blood in her body seemed to boil.
A painful throb spread through her head, and the warmth that had briefly lingered inside her moments ago turned into freezing ice.
Zylan...
That bastard had truly succeeded.
His fake tears from last night had already borne fruit.
The people outside sympathized with the very man who had abandoned her and killed their child.
They praised him as a victim.
Airylea gripped the bearskin covering the bed so tightly that her knuckles turned white.
Her chest rose and fell rapidly beneath the overwhelming wave of fury surging through her.
Her breathing became ragged, shattering the oppressive silence in the room.
"Curse the Moon Goddess... that bastard!" Airylea rasped, her eyes locked on the crystal mirror with blazing hatred. "He's using my death to strengthen his Pack! The entire wolf world is praising him after what he did to me and my child?!"
She turned toward Lucas, Felix, and Kennan, her face pale with uncontrollable rage.
"I won't accept this! I refuse to watch him smile while standing on my suffering! How can any of you ask me to hide here for an entire year while that bastard enjoys the glory of his territory every single day?!"
- Writer
