CHAPTER THIRTEEN
929 Words
The plan began in Kael’s study, behind a locked door and a spread of territory maps.
It had to look real — believable enough to tempt Lucien, but harmless enough that Kael could spring the trap without risking actual weapons falling into rogue hands.
He sent Ronan and Mara to the old storehouse at the northern edge of the compound. Inside lay crates unused for years, coated in dust. They filled them with layers of sand to give weight, then stacked rusted farming tools, broken spears, and a few battered crossbows Kael hadn’t seen in years.
From the outside, the crates looked like they could arm a small warband. From the inside, they were worthless.
The next part was more delicate: letting Lucien think he’d discovered the shipment. Kael didn’t go to him directly — that would reek of a setup. Instead, he sent the word out through a different channel: pack gossip.
Two of his younger hunters, men known for loose tongues, “overheard” Ronan and Mara talking about the shipment being moved to reinforce the southern ridge. By midday, the story was already weaving through the pack like smoke.
And Kael knew exactly where that smoke would drift — straight to Lucien.
By the second night, the bait was ready.
The “shipment” was loaded onto a mule cart, wrapped in thick canvas, and taken down the narrow ridge path under the watch of three of Kael’s most reliable trackers. They were to travel slow, leave signs of movement, and appear lightly guarded.
Kael followed from a distance with Ronan, keeping to the shadows. Mara’s team split into two flanking groups, lying in wait among the rocks and pines above the ridge.
The night air was sharp with frost, the moon casting the landscape in silver-blue.
It wasn’t long before movement stirred on the edge of the trail — three figures slipping from the treeline, their scent sharp and foreign. Rogues. And behind them, walking like he owned the night, came Lucien.
Kael’s pulse quickened. He took the bait.
Lucien’s men moved with silent efficiency, cutting off the cart’s path. One of them yanked the mule’s reins while another flipped back the canvas, revealing the heavy crates. They grinned at the sight, clearly thinking they’d struck gold.
Lucien stepped forward, inspecting the contents without opening them. His smirk was faint but satisfied — as though this were confirmation of everything he believed about Kael’s “weak” leadership.
“Move them,” he ordered quietly.
The rogues bent to lift the crates — struggling a little at the unexpected weight but determined to haul them away. They started toward the trees, boots crunching softly in the frost.
That was when Kael saw her.
Selene.
She emerged from the darkness like a wraith, her cloak drawn tightly around her. Her gaze locked instantly on Lucien, her pace quickening toward him without hesitation.
Kael froze, every instinct warring within him. She shouldn’t be here.
Lucien’s smirk shifted into a warm, almost intimate smile. “Selene,” he greeted, his voice carrying softly over the ridge.
She moved closer, glancing at the rogues hauling the crates. “What’s going on?”
Lucien stepped toward her, lowering his voice in that careful, coaxing tone Kael knew too well. “Just handling something Kael doesn’t want to. You don’t need to worry.”
From the shadows, Ronan leaned toward Kael. “We have them dead to rights. Do we take them now?”
Kael’s gaze flicked between Lucien, Selene, and the stolen crates. This was the moment — but it was also the danger. If he struck too soon, Lucien would twist the capture into proof of Kael’s jealousy and control.
But if he waited too long…
The rogues reached the treeline, struggling under the dead weight of the crates. Kael clenched his jaw. “Now,” he ordered.
Blackthorn trackers poured from the shadows like the forest itself had come alive. They moved fast — cutting off the rogues, forcing them to drop the crates with dull thuds.
Lucien spun, eyes narrowing as Kael emerged from the rocks, the gold of his Alpha gaze catching the moonlight.
“Midnight scavenging, Lucien?” Kael’s voice was low, controlled, but carried the steel edge of an Alpha ready to draw blood.
Lucien gave a slow shrug. “Interesting thing about your borders, Kael. They seem to contain so many things worth taking.”
Kael’s lip curled. “And yet somehow, all the valuable things stay here.” He gestured toward the dropped crates. “Disappointing haul?”
Lucien’s eyes glittered with mock amusement. “You set me up.”
Kael didn’t deny it. “And you walked right in.”
Selene stepped between them, her voice uncertain. “Kael… maybe this isn’t what it looks like.”
Kael’s gaze sharpened. “And what does it look like to you, Selene?”
Lucien smiled faintly, resting a hand on her arm. “It looks like an Alpha who doesn’t trust the people closest to him.”
Kael’s wolf snarled within, but he didn’t give Lucien the satisfaction of seeing his control break. Instead, he gestured to Ronan.
“Take them.”
The rogues were seized. Lucien allowed himself to be shackled without struggle, still wearing that infuriating half-smile. He glanced back at Kael as they led him away.
“You’ve caught me in your trap, Kael. But you’ve trapped yourself with her.”
Kael didn’t answer. He just turned to Selene, voice low and final. “We’ll talk when I return.”
- Writer
