Chapter Two: The Cold Ride North
578 Words
The carriage creaks as it rolls over uneven ground, the wheels crunching softly against fresh snow. I sit opposite the Alpha, my hands resting stiffly on my lap, still red from the silver binding that had been cut minutes after the auction ended.
They didn't remove it gently.
They sliced it like they couldn't bear to touch me too long—like I was already contaminated by Kael’s presence.
He hasn’t said a word since the auction. Not a single glance. Just sat down in the leather seat across from me, legs wide, arms folded, eyes staring out the window like I didn’t exist.
Good. I didn’t want to speak either.
But silence is heavy. It presses in like fog, curling in the corners of the cabin, thick and uncomfortable. I find myself sneaking glances at him when I think he’s not looking.
Alpha Kael is even more terrifying up close.
His features are sharp—chiselled like winter ice. Black hair falls in neat waves against his forehead, but nothing about him is soft. His jaw is tight, and his expression is carved from stone. The only warmth in him is the heat radiating from his body, making the small space feel suffocating.
I clear my throat. "Why did you buy me?"
His eyes shift toward me.
It feels like being caught in a blizzard.
He doesn’t answer right away. He just watches me, his stare pinning me down like I’m prey that tried to bite the hunter.
Then finally, he says, “Because I could.”
My stomach twists. “That’s not an answer.”
“It’s the only one that matters.”
I grip the edge of the seat. “So I’m just another thing you collect? Like a sword or a wolfhound?”
His brow lifts slightly. “You think I collect pretty things?”
“I think you collect broken ones,” I snap before I can stop myself.
His eyes narrow just a fraction. But his voice stays calm, low and dangerous. “Careful, little Omega.”
“I’m not afraid of you,” I lie.
He smiles, but there’s no humor in it. “You should be.”
We ride in silence after that, but the tension between us is thick enough to taste. Bitter. Electric.
Outside the window, snow begins to fall—thick flakes swirling in the night air. The trees blur by, skeletal and dark, like shadows waiting to swallow me whole.
“I’m not sleeping with you,” I whisper, more to myself than to him.
His head turns toward me again. This time, it was slower.
“I don’t force what’s mine,” he says. “You’ll come to me. When you’re ready.”
The words hang in the air, both a promise and a threat.
My heart beats wildly against my ribs. My wolf stirs beneath my skin, but she’s confused—drawn to the dominance in his voice, the raw pull of the bond that’s already starting to form.
I press a hand to my chest, trying to slow my breath.
This isn’t right.
This isn’t love.
This is war.
And I need to remember that. No matter how beautiful his voice sounds in the dark… or how the heat of his gaze makes my body ache in ways I don’t understand.
I need to escape.
But somehow… deep down… I think I already know
There’s no escaping Alpha Kael.
Not now.
Not ever.
- Writer
