BOUND BY FATE; DRIVEN BY VENGEANCE

Under the Surface

Chapter Ten:

Under the Surface

The faint light of the early morning filtered through the drawn curtains of my room as I sat on the edge of the bed, the events of the night before still lingering in my thoughts. The meeting with Marcus, the pact I’d made in the shadows of the forest, and the weight of it all pressed against my chest, threatening to crush me under its magnitude.

I had to be careful. Every move, every word, had to be measured. Marcus might be playing his game, but I was caught in a dangerous web, with Kane at the center of it all.

Before I could gather my thoughts, a knock at the door interrupted the quiet. My stomach turned. There was only one person who ever called on me with such intent, and I wasn’t ready for it.

I opened the door to find one of the younger pack members standing there, their face tense with apprehension. “The Alpha requests your presence in the main hall,” they said softly, before quickly retreating down the hallway.

I took a deep breath, steeling myself. If I was to survive here, I needed to play the game—Kane’s game—without drawing attention to myself. Not yet. I couldn’t afford any mistakes.

The halls of the pack house were eerily silent as I made my way toward the main hall. I could feel Kane’s presence before I even saw him. The tension in the air seemed to thicken with each step I took. He was waiting for me, no doubt. Watching me. Always watching.

When I stepped into the hall, Kane was standing by the large fireplace, his broad frame outlined by the flickering flames. His face was partially shadowed, his expression unreadable as he turned his head to acknowledge me with a slight tilt of his chin.

“Sophia,” he said, his voice low but carrying an edge. “You’re late.”

I didn’t flinch. “I wasn’t aware there was a set time for pack meetings,” I replied, my voice calm, though I could feel the heat rising in my chest.

Kane’s eyes narrowed, and I knew he wasn’t pleased with my tone. But it didn’t matter. He could dislike me all he wanted. I wasn’t here to please him.

“Sit,” he ordered, gesturing to the chair across from him. His command was simple, but the weight behind it was clear. The alpha’s presence was always overwhelming, and he expected respect—something I would never give him willingly.

I obeyed, sitting stiffly, but I didn’t break eye contact. I could feel his gaze on me, assessing, calculating. Kane was always analyzing everyone around him, but with me, it was different. He never trusted me. I wasn’t an ally, not in his eyes. And that suited me just fine.

For a moment, there was only silence between us, the crackling of the fire filling the space, but I could feel the storm brewing. Kane finally spoke, his voice cold and controlled.

“You’re quiet today. More so than usual.” He studied me, his gaze flickering over my face with an intensity that made my skin prickle. "And your face is sweating, almost like it's ached in deep worries. Why?”

I leaned back in my chair, keeping my posture nonchalant despite the rising tension in the air. “I don’t remember owing you my time nor explanation, Kane.” I wanted to keep the facade up but he was gnawing at my skin.

His eyes darkened at my response, but he didn’t speak for a moment. The silence stretched, thick and uncomfortable, and I could see the flicker of frustration in his eyes. Kane didn’t like being ignored, didn’t like anyone challenging his authority—especially not someone like me.

“I don’t trust you,” he finally said, his words blunt and deliberate.

I let out a short, humorless laugh. “I’m sure you don’t. And I’m not interested in earning your trust.”

Kane leaned forward slightly, his eyes narrowing further, studying me like a wolf eyeing its prey. “Good. I don’t trust easily, and I don’t expect you to earn mine. But know this,” he said, his voice lowering to a dangerous whisper, “I’m watching you. You’re new here, Sophia, and I don’t like having strangers in my pack who think they can do whatever they want.”

I met his gaze with a steely calm, the corners of my mouth pulling into a faint, almost mocking smile. “You’ll have to do more than watch me, Kane. I’m not afraid of you.”

He stood up straighter, his tall frame casting a long shadow over me. His eyes flickered with something darker—anger, or maybe something worse. “That’s your mistake, little wolf. Never underestimate me. I’ll let you think you’re safe for now. But if you cross the line…” He trailed off, letting the threat hang in the air between us like a storm waiting to break.

“I’m not the one you should be worried about,” I replied evenly, my words sharper than I intended. “You should be looking over your shoulder, Kane. People in this pack are restless.”

The flicker of anger in his eyes shifted, replaced by something else—something unreadable. “Is that a threat?” he asked, his voice icy.

“No,” I said coolly. “Just a warning.”

For a long moment, Kane didn’t respond. His lips pressed together in a thin line, his fists clenched at his sides, but he said nothing. It was as if he was weighing his options, trying to figure out whether I was more trouble than I was worth.

I didn’t flinch. I couldn’t afford to.

Finally, Kane took a deep breath, his expression hardening. “I don’t need your warnings. Just stay out of my way, and maybe you won’t get hurt.”

I didn’t trust the veiled threat hanging in his words, but I nodded, keeping my response simple. “Of course. I wouldn’t dream of getting in your way.”

Without another word, Kane turned sharply and walked toward the door, his footsteps echoing through the room. I stayed seated, not watching him leave, but sensing the door close behind me, the silence once again settling over the room like a thick fog.

As soon as I was sure he was gone, I stood up and walked to the window, my hands pressed against the cool glass as I stared out into the darkening world beyond.

I had no idea how much longer I could keep up the charade, pretending to be just another submissive wolf in Kane’s pack. But I had no choice. Not yet.

In the distance, I could see the faint outline of Marcus’s cabin. A chill ran down my spine, though it had nothing to do with the cold. The tension between us—my complicity, his plans—had created a dangerous thread that bound us together.

But now wasn’t the time. I needed to be patient, to wait for the right moment.