Chapter 5
732 Words
By sunrise, chaos reigned in the throne hall.
Elders shouted. Generals demanded arrests. Nobles whispered conspiracy.
And at the center, me.
“She sends secret messages to her homeland!”
“She arrives, and men start dying!”
“The prophecy awakens!”
Always the prophecy.
As though doom lived beneath my skin.
Kael sat above it all, motionless upon his dark throne, colder, sharper than ever.
Yet I sensed the shift: a storm coiled beneath his calm.
“The corpse was found beside her quarters,” an elder declared.
The crowd swelled with murmurs.
Another voice rose.
“Your Majesty, imprison her until the facts are clear.”
Imprisoned, humiliated.
Kael’s tone froze the air.
“No.”
The room halted.
“I said no.”
Silence radiated from him like frost.
Then his gaze met mine, piercing, conflicted.
“She will remain under watch. That is final.”
The council obeyed, but distrust lingered like poison in their eyes.
By dusk, whispers infected the corridors.
Servants avoided me; guards stared with unease.
Only Lina stayed near.
“They claim the king’s been enchanted,” she muttered, unhooking my jewelry.
I managed a bitter smile.
“Enchanting, am I?”
But unease churned in my chest.
A soft knock, then the doors opened without waiting.
Selene entered quietly.
Lina froze.
“Leave us,” Selene said sweetly.
I gave a brief nod.
Lina slipped out.
Once alone, Selene’s charm fell away, revealing the steel beneath her grace.
“I almost admired you,” she said.
I waited.
“Most crumble when Kael denies them. You’re still standing.”
“I make a habit of disappointing expectations.”
Her eyes iced over.
“Yes. You do.”
Then she said, softly but with weight:
“You should go.”
“Why?”
“For your life.”
No threat in her tone, only sincerity.
“The king is changing,” she whispered.
I frowned.
She laughed, cold and brittle.
“You think I’d wound myself to frame you? Hardly. I know every shadow this palace casts.”
“You know who’s behind it?”
“I know the reason.”
She stepped nearer, voice turning secretive.
“The council fears you, but they fear the prophecy more.”
“What prophecy?”
Her gaze darkened.
“The Alpha King will either die by his true Luna’s hand… or rise beside her to conquer all realms.”
The puzzle locked into place, every suspicion, every wary glance.
I wasn’t distrusted because I was unworthy.
I was feared because I was fate.
“And when he begins to love you,” she said quietly, “every soul near him will bleed for it.”
Heartache flashed behind her bitterness.
“How long have you loved him?” I asked.
“Long enough to know he’ll never belong to anyone.”
The doors slammed open!
Kael stormed in, fury radiating like ice.
“What are you doing here?”
“Speaking with the princess,” Selene replied evenly.
“Alone?” His tone sliced through the air.
So, the mighty Alpha could feel fear. For me.
Selene saw it; something in her shattered.
She bowed faintly.
“As you will, my king.”
Then she was gone.
Kael turned on me, voice sharp with panic cloaked as command.
“What did she say to you?”
“Shall I start fearing your mistresses too?” I said.
“She’s dangerous.”
“So are you.”
A low growl escaped him; frustration cracked his restraint.
Then he froze, nostrils flaring.
“You smell… wrong.”
Before I could react, he seized my wrist, dragged it close, and his fury erupted.
“Who touched you?”
“No one!”
“Don’t lie.”
His wolf lurked just under his skin.
Then realization struck.
“Selene,” he murmured.
His eyes turned the shade of stormsteel.
“She used bloodroot oil.”
“I don’t understand.”
“It’s a banned mating balm, made to stir possession,” he said, taut with restraint.
My blood ran cold.
The violation was deliberate.
Kael dropped my hand as though burned, retreating, but the scent had already done its work.
Desire hit like wildfire.
His breathing deepened, eyes flicking toward my lips.
And for the first time since I entered his world, the Alpha King began to lose control.
- Writer
