CHAPTER NINE
934 Words
Kael had learned something long before he became Alpha — a wolf’s worst enemy was not the one you could see coming with teeth bared.
It was the one who stood smiling beside you, waiting for the right moment to slip a dagger between your ribs.
Lucien was exactly that kind of enemy.
The morning after his latest confrontation with Selene, Kael could feel the thin strands of trust between them fraying. It was an ache that settled behind his ribs, growing heavier every time he thought of her meeting Lucien in the gardens.
He told himself he was leaving for the northern patrols that morning, but in truth, he had a different destination in mind — the borders near Crescent Fang territory.
Ronan was waiting by the stables when Kael arrived. His Beta studied him for a long moment before speaking.
“You’re not telling me everything.”
“I’m telling you enough,” Kael replied curtly, saddling his stallion.
“Enough to know this isn’t just a routine patrol,” Ronan said, falling into step beside him. “You’re going after him, aren’t you?”
Kael mounted and looked toward the distant hills. “We’re going after the truth.”
They rode hard, cutting through the pines until the air took on a cooler, damper scent. The closer they drew to Crescent Fang lands, the heavier the silence became.
By midday, they were positioned high on a ridge. Below, the land stretched out in wild folds of dark green forest, and beyond that — the sharp silhouette of Lucien’s estate.
It was imposing. High stone walls, a looming central tower, banners snapping in the wind. It looked more like a fortress than a home.
“Seems… defensive,” Ronan muttered, eyes scanning the perimeter.
“Defensive means secretive,” Kael said. “And secretive means dangerous.”
They stayed hidden among the ridge trees, observing. From here, Kael noticed things the average eye might miss — the extra guards posted along the eastern wall, the constant movement of messengers on horseback. Two of them rode west, toward rogue lands.
Ronan caught his look. “That’s not good.”
“No,” Kael murmured. “That’s not good at all.”
Rogues didn’t work with organized packs unless something big was happening. And if Lucien was playing with rogues, it meant he wasn’t just here to steal Selene’s attention. He was playing a much larger game — one that could put the Blackthorn Pack in real danger.
By the time they turned back toward home, Kael’s mind was grinding through possibilities. None of them led anywhere safe.
That evening, the packhouse was bustling — the smell of roasted venison drifting from the kitchens, the hum of conversation echoing through the hall. But Selene wasn’t there. Her seat at the long dining table sat empty, the candle in front of it unlit.
Kael knew where she was.
The moon was high when he finally slipped from the packhouse, moving silently through the shadows. His boots barely made a sound on the worn flagstones as he crossed to the gardens.
He stayed hidden in the darker corners, letting his ears guide him. The faint trickle of the fountain. The rustle of roses shifting in the night breeze. And voices.
“…Kael doesn’t understand,” Selene was saying, her tone softer than he’d expected. “He thinks control is the same as love.”
Lucien’s reply was smooth, almost too gentle. “And you deserve more than that. You deserve someone who trusts you to make your own choices.”
Kael’s jaw clenched, the words hitting him like stones.
Selene let out a quiet sigh. “Maybe I do. But he’ll never see it that way.”
Lucien stepped closer — Kael could see the faint shift in his shadow under the moonlight. “Then maybe you need someone who already does.”
Kael’s hand twitched toward the dagger at his belt. He could step out now, end this conversation with a single threat, maybe even with steel. But he forced himself to remain still, to listen.
He didn’t like what he heard.
The way Lucien’s voice wrapped around her like silk.
The way Selene’s posture softened in his presence.
The way she didn’t flinch when he drew nearer.
It wasn’t yet betrayal in the physical sense — but the emotional danger was there. And sometimes, Kael knew, that could cut deeper.
When Selene finally left, her figure vanishing along the garden path toward the packhouse, Kael didn’t follow her immediately. He stayed in the shadows, watching Lucien linger at the fountain. The other Alpha glanced up at the moon with a faint smile — the kind of smile a predator wears when it knows the hunt is going well.
Only when Lucien turned and disappeared into the night did Kael move.
Back in his study, the fire crackled low, casting long shadows across the walls. Kael poured a drink, the amber liquid catching the firelight. He didn’t sip it right away. He just stared at the glass, his mind working.
Lucien wasn’t merely flirting with danger. He was orchestrating it.
And Selene — whether she realized it or not — was becoming his instrument.
Kael knew his next move couldn’t be reckless. If he stormed in now, Selene would see it as proof of everything Lucien had been whispering into her ear. No — his next step had to be precise, controlled.
The war had already started. And Kael would fight it the way a true Alpha should.
Not just with strength.
But with strategy.
- Writer
