Alpha’s Angel

Sage was sweeping the long, dark hallways of the grand estate, the quiet sound of the broom bristles against the polished wood floor the only noise breaking the silence. Her mind was elsewhere, as it often was, drifting between thoughts of her past, her future, and the strange unease that had settled in her chest. Her friend, Lena, stood at the edge of the hallway, her voice low but tinged with curiosity. "How long is he going to stare at you like that?" Sage's fingers tightened around the broom handle, but she didn’t look up. "Lena, please, be quiet," she murmured, her tone flat, though there was a tightness in her chest that betrayed the calmness of her words. Lena chuckled softly, clearly amused. "You know what I mean. He's been staring at you for over an hour, he’s undressing you with his eyes." Sage had always been aware of the way Kael watched her, those long, lingering glances that he never seemed to give anyone else. Two or three more glances than he should. She could feel his eyes, even when they weren’t on her, like a heavy weight that followed her from room to room. The alpha of the pack, as commanding and imposing as he was, had an almost predatory nature when it came to her. And Lena wasn’t wrong. He always stared longer at her than was appropriate. But Sage had learned to ignore it, to push down the gnawing discomfort, knowing what lay beneath it. Kael was a man with power, and in his eyes, she was nothing more than a pawn in a game of chess. Sage didn’t look up from her task, though she could sense Lena’s gaze shifting toward the far end of the hall. "I know," she said, her voice carrying the weight of years spent under Kael’s watchful eye. "But it doesn't matter. He’s always done it." Lena’s voice dropped to a whisper. "Astrid’s not going to like it. You know how she is." Sage felt her stomach twist at the mention of the Luna. Astrid had been cold and calculating from the moment Sage had entered the estate. There was no pretending that the Luna didn't notice every glance Kael gave her, every lingering touch that seemed just a little too intimate, every quiet exchange that passed between them. "I’m not the one who needs to worry," Sage replied, avoiding the full weight of the truth. "It’s not like he’ll ever actually do anything." But she knew, deep down, that she was wrong. Kael wanted something, she might want to give him. And Astrid... well, Astrid was always watching. Sage felt the familiar, unsettling prickle of Astrid’s presence before the Luna even appeared in the hall. Tall, composed, with a regal, almost otherworldly beauty, Astrid’s eyes narrowed as they fell on Sage. "Angel," she greeted coldly, her voice smooth but sharp, the kind that could cut through the air. Sage's breath hitched for a moment. "My Luna," she replied, without looking up. She knew what was coming next. "Aren’t you supposed to be cleaning? Or perhaps entertaining my husband?" The words were so venomous that they might as well have been a slap to the face. Sage said nothing. She had no response. The truth was, Astrid had always despised her, for reasons Sage couldn’t even begin to comprehend. "Don’t think I haven’t noticed," Astrid continued, her voice lowering as if to keep it between them. "Your eyes, Sage." There was a long, loaded pause before she spoke again. "Those crystal blue eyes of yours." Sage stiffened but said nothing. She had long since learned to hold her tongue around Astrid. "They belong to the Seeker of Moonlight, don't they?" Astrid’s voice was ice, but there was a flicker of something dangerous in her eyes. "A legend that everyone else dismisses, but not him. Kael believes in it. And if he believes in that prophecy, then he believes in you. What if I cut those eyes out? Would then my husband believe in me?” Sage barely managed to keep the bitter laugh from escaping her lips. The Seeker of Moonlight. A title that had been whispered among the pack for years, mostly in jest or reverence. No one believed it was true. Not really. But Kael... Kael saw her as something more than just the housekeeper, something more than just a girl with a strange connection to the moon. He saw her as his. And she hated it. "I’m just doing my job," Sage finally said, shaking off the conversation and heading toward the next task. "I don’t have time for prophecies." Astrid's smile was a razor blade hidden in velvet. "No one gets to decide their fate, Sage. Especially not someone like you." Sage felt the coldness of her words wrap around her, but before she could respond, Kael’s voice broke in, low and commanding. "Angel," he called, the word hanging in the air like a chain, heavy with meaning. Sage froze, her heart sinking. He’s always called me Angel. Not Sage. Never Sage. It was a name that was meant to make her feel like a possession, like she was something pure to be claimed and kept. She knew it wasn’t a coincidence that he called for her now, when Astrid was nearby. It was no accident that she had been summoned to his chambers. Sage took a deep breath, steeling herself for what was to come. "Yes, Alpha?" she answered, keeping her voice as neutral as possible. He was standing in the doorway to his room when she arrived, his dark gaze piercing as he looked her over. His eyes—those dark, hungry eyes—always made her skin crawl, but she had no choice but to meet them. He winked at her, a gesture that made her blood run cold. "Come in, Angel," he said, his voice rich with false warmth. "I have something for you." Her stomach dropped. She could feel Astrid’s eyes baring into her back, the tension hanging in the air like a storm waiting to break. Sage stepped into the room, knowing full well that she’d been called here on purpose. Kael wanted something. And though she didn’t know exactly what, she had a sinking feeling that it was something she wasn’t going to be able to escape.