Chapter 10: The Trap Beneath Her Smile
1027 Words
The night should have felt safe.
But it didn’t.
Kael’s chambers were quiet, dimly lit by flickering firelight that cast shadows across the walls. I sat on the edge of his bed, my fingers nervously twisting the fabric of my dress.
“Relax,” Kael’s voice came from behind me.
I turned slightly as he stepped closer, his presence instantly grounding me.
“You’re safe here.”
I wanted to believe that.
“I know,” I whispered. “But something feels… wrong.”
His expression darkened.
Before he could respond—
A sharp knock echoed through the room.
Kael stiffened.
“Who is it?”
A guard’s voice followed. “Alpha… there’s been an incident near the southern border. We need you immediately.”
His jaw tightened.
“Now?” he asked, clearly irritated.
“Yes, Alpha. It looks serious.”
Silence stretched.
I could feel the tension radiating off him.
“I’ll be fine,” I said softly. “Go.”
His eyes snapped to mine.
“I don’t like leaving you alone.”
My heart softened slightly.
“I won’t leave this room.”
He hesitated.
Then stepped closer, brushing his fingers gently against my cheek.
“If anything feels off… don’t open the door. Don’t trust anyone.”
Something about the way he said it made my stomach twist.
“I won’t,” I promised.
His gaze lingered on me—intense, reluctant.
Then he leaned down—
And pressed a slow, lingering kiss to my forehead.
“Stay here,” he murmured.
And just like that—
He was gone.
⸻
The silence that followed felt heavier than before.
Too heavy.
Minutes passed.
Or maybe longer.
I wasn’t sure.
Then—
Another knock.
Softer this time.
My heart skipped.
“Kael?” I called.
No answer.
Another knock.
Something felt wrong.
I stood slowly, remembering his warning.
Don’t open the door.
But then—
“Aria,” a familiar voice called gently.
Selene.
I froze.
“What do you want?” I asked cautiously.
“I came to help you.”
I almost laughed.
“Help me?”
“Yes,” she said calmly. “You think I don’t see what’s happening? The Elders are already planning something worse than containment.”
My chest tightened.
“What do you mean?”
A pause.
Then—
“They’re going to force the Alpha to reject you.”
The words hit like a punch.
“That’s not true,” I said quickly—but my voice lacked confidence.
“Isn’t it?” Selene replied smoothly. “You’ve seen how they look at you. You think they’ll allow someone like you to stand beside him?”
Silence.
Doubt crept in.
“I can prove it,” she continued. “But not here. Too many ears.”
My instincts screamed at me to stop.
To ignore her.
To wait for Kael.
But the fear…
The fear of losing him—
“What do you want me to do?” I asked quietly.
“Come with me.”
One simple sentence.
One terrible decision.
⸻
The hallway outside was darker than usual.
Too quiet.
Selene walked ahead, her steps calm, confident.
I followed—hesitant.
“This way,” she said, turning toward a rarely used corridor.
My heart pounded.
“Where are we going?”
“To the truth.”
We stopped in front of a large wooden door.
Old.
Dusty.
Forgotten.
Selene turned to me slowly.
“You wanted to understand this world,” she said softly. “This is where it begins.”
Something felt off.
Very off.
But before I could react—
She pushed the door open.
“Go ahead.”
I stepped inside.
The moment I crossed the threshold—
The air changed.
Cold.
Heavy.
Wrong.
My chest tightened instantly.
“What is this—”
The door slammed shut behind me.
I spun around.
“Selene—?”
Her laughter echoed from the other side.
Soft.
Cruel.
“You really are naïve.”
My heart dropped.
“What did you do?” I demanded, panic rising.
“You wanted to prove yourself, didn’t you?” she said mockingly. “Consider this your test.”
Energy pulsed through the room.
Dark.
Familiar.
But unstable.
My breath hitched.
“No…”
The walls flickered with shadow.
My shadow.
Out of control.
“You said you’d help me!” I shouted.
“I am,” she replied coldly. “I’m helping everyone see exactly what you are.”
The shadows surged violently around me.
My body tensed.
Pain shot through my chest.
I couldn’t control it.
Not like this.
“Stop—!” I gasped.
But it was too late.
Outside—
Footsteps.
Voices.
Guards.
Elders.
“They’re coming,” Selene said softly.
My heart pounded harder.
“You set me up…”
“Of course I did,” she replied. “And now… they’ll see you as the monster you truly are.”
The door burst open.
Light flooded in.
Gasps filled the air.
“She’s lost control!”
“Contain her!”
Fear. Shock. Judgment.
All of it crashed into me at once.
“No—I didn’t—” I tried to speak, but the shadows lashed out violently, proving their point.
And then—
A voice cut through everything.
Furious.
Terrifying.
“ENOUGH!”
The room went still.
Kael.
His presence slammed into the space like a storm.
His eyes landed on me—
And everything in them changed.
Rage.
Not at me.
At them.
At her.
At what had been done.
He stepped forward slowly, power radiating off him.
“No one touches her,” he said, his voice deadly calm.
The Elders hesitated.
“Alpha—she’s unstable—”
“I said,” he growled, his aura spiking violently—
“No one touches my mate.”
My breath shook.
“Kael…” I whispered weakly.
His gaze softened instantly when it met mine.
“I’m here.”
Three simple words.
And suddenly—
The chaos didn’t feel so overwhelming.
But the damage had already been done.
And Selene…
Had just started the war.
- Writer
