chapter 3
1030 Words
"Have you lost your mind?"
James was the first to recover, shooting to his feet so fast his chair toppled backward. "You can't mate with her. She's—"
"I know exactly who she is." Kane's voice was eerily calm, but I could see the tension in his shoulders, the way his hands clenched on the table.
"Her father killed yours!" another council member shouted. "The pack will never accept it!"
"The pack will accept what I tell them to accept."
"Kane." Marcus's voice was careful, measured. "Think about what you're saying. A political mating is one thing, but with her—"
"It's the only option that makes sense." Kane turned to face the room, his presence filling the space. "Viktor wants her because of her bloodline. If she mates with anyone of lower rank, he'll still challenge for her. But if she's mated to an Alpha..."
"There are other Alphas," James argued. "Send her south to Crescent Moon, or east to—"
"And look weak?" Kane's eyes flashed. "Let every pack know that I couldn't handle one rogue female in my own territory?"
"This is insane." I finally found my voice, stepping forward. "I'm not mating with anyone. Especially not you."
Kane turned those gray eyes on me, and I felt the full weight of his attention. "Would you prefer Viktor? Because those are your only two options now."
"I prefer freedom."
"That's not an option anymore." His voice gentled slightly, but his words were still harsh. "The moment you revealed yourself, you became a target. Every unmated Alpha in three territories will come for you."
"Because of my bloodline?" I laughed bitterly. "The bloodline of a traitor and murderer?"
"Because you're an Alpha's daughter who just took down three wolves without breaking a sweat." He stepped closer to me, and the council members shifted nervously. "Your father may have been a traitor, but he was also one of the strongest Alphas of his generation. That blood runs through your veins."
"Blood you hate."
"Blood that could be useful."
The cold calculation in his voice made my stomach turn. "So I'm just a tool to you? A weapon to use against your enemies?"
"You're a solution to a problem." He turned back to the council. "A mating contract. Temporary. One year."
"And then what?" Marcus asked quietly.
"Then she's free to go wherever she wants, as long as it's not here."
"The pack will revolt," James insisted. "Elena has been preparing to be your mate for years. Her family—"
"Will understand that this is about survival, not love." Kane's voice hardened again. "Viktor is gathering allies. He's planning something. If he thinks he can use her against us—"
A loud crash interrupted him. The door burst open, and a blonde woman stormed in, her blue eyes blazing with fury. Elena. Even after five years, I recognized her—tall, elegant, and absolutely livid.
"Tell me it's not true," she demanded, her gaze landing on me with pure venom. "Tell me you're not actually considering mating with this... this murderer's spawn."
"Elena—" Marcus started.
"Don't." She whirled on him. "Five years, I've waited. Five years, I've stood by your side, Kane. And now you want to throw it all away for her?"
"This isn't about what I want," Kane said coldly. "It's about what the pack needs."
"The pack needs strength! Unity! Not the daughter of the man who destroyed everything!" Elena's voice rose to nearly a shriek. "My father is calling for an emergency meeting. Half the pack is already gathering. They won't stand for this."
"They'll stand for whatever I decide."
"Not this time." Elena stepped closer to him, her voice dropping to a hiss. "Mate with her, and you'll have a civil war on your hands."
The room went silent again, the threat hanging in the air like smoke.
Kane's expression didn't change, but I saw something flicker in his eyes. Uncertainty, maybe. Or calculation.
"Get out," he said quietly.
Elena's jaw dropped. "Kane—"
"Get. Out."
The Alpha command in his voice made everyone in the room flinch, including me. Elena's face went white, then red. She shot me one last look of pure hatred before storming out, slamming the door behind her.
"She's right," James said quietly. "The pack won't accept this. Not without proof that it's necessary."
"Then we'll give them proof." Kane turned to Marcus. "How long before Viktor makes his move?"
"Based on his pattern? Days, maybe a week."
"Not enough time." Kane ran a hand through his hair, the first sign of frustration I'd seen from him. "We need to—"
Another crash, this time from outside. Howls rose in the night—not friendly ones. Warning calls.
Marcus checked his phone, his face paling. "The border patrol. They're under attack."
"Viktor?" Kane was already moving toward the door.
"No." Marcus looked up, confusion clear on his face. "Rogues. Dozens of them. Coming from multiple directions."
Kane's eyes found mine, and I saw the realization there. This wasn't random. This was coordinated. Someone had planned this.
"Lock her down," he ordered the enforcer. "No one gets to her."
"Wait—" I started, but he was already gone, Marcus and most of the council following.
The enforcer, Jensen, moved to block the door. "You heard the Alpha."
"This is connected to me, isn't it?" I asked, though I already knew the answer.
Jensen said nothing, but his expression was answer enough.
I moved to the window, watching as wolves poured out of the pack house, shifting mid-run as they raced toward the borders. In the distance, I could hear fighting—snarls and howls and the sound of bodies colliding.
"How many rogues would it take to attack Silvermoon?" I asked quietly.
"More than have ever worked together before," Jensen admitted. "Rogues don't form packs. They don't coordinate."
"Unless someone's controlling them."
He shot me a sharp look. "That's impossible."
But we both knew it wasn't. We both knew there was one way to control rogues—promise them something they wanted more than their freedom.
Promise them an Alpha female.
- Writer
