CHAPTER TEN
834 Words
Kael had been Alpha long enough to know that when a wolf wanted to catch a predator, he didn’t run headlong into the forest swinging claws.
No — you set the bait. You wait. And you make the predator believe he’s the one in control.
The morning after he spied on Selene and Lucien in the gardens, Kael began laying the trap.
He spent breakfast speaking pleasantly to Selene, asking about her sleep, even commenting on the weather. To anyone watching, it looked like nothing had changed between them. To Selene, it might have even felt like a thaw in the tension.
But behind his calm eyes, every move was calculated.
By mid-afternoon, he had sent quiet word to a trusted contact in the neighbouring Iron Fang Pack — a wolf who owed him a favour from long ago. The message was simple: I need word spread that I’ll be away from Blackthorn territory in two nights’ time. Alone.
It was a lie, of course. He would not be away. But if Lucien had spies — and Kael was certain he did — the news would find its way to him.
The real plan was simple: Kael would appear gone, but he and Ronan would be hidden in the shadows near the garden that night, ready to catch Lucien in whatever he planned to do in Kael’s absence.
The more damning the encounter with Selene, the better Kael would have his proof.
But there was one thing Kael hadn’t accounted for.
Selene herself.
That evening, Selene entered his study while he was going over patrol reports. She looked hesitant, a sure sign she had something she wanted to say.
“Kael… can we talk?” she asked quietly.
He looked up, masking his suspicion. “Of course.”
She stepped inside, closing the door softly behind her. “I’ve been thinking. About what we said. About… us.”
Kael set down the papers. “And?”
Her hands twisted together in front of her. “I don’t want us to keep going like this. But I also can’t be shut out anymore. If there are things I should know — about Lucien, about his pack — I want to hear them from you.”
It was the perfect opening to tell her everything, to make her an ally in the plan. But Kael hesitated. If he told her, and she truly believed Lucien’s honeyed words, she might warn him.
So Kael kept his voice even. “There are things I’m working on. But I can’t tell you everything yet.”
Her lips pressed together. “So you’re still keeping me in the dark.”
“It’s not about trust—” Kael began.
“It is about trust,” she cut in. “You don’t trust me enough to let me help you. And that’s why…” She trailed off, shaking her head. “That’s why things are the way they are.”
She left without another word, and Kael sat back, feeling the sting of her accusation even though he’d heard it before.
Later that night, in the privacy of their chambers, Selene took out a small folded note. She had written it herself, hands trembling slightly as she held it to the flickering candlelight. The words were simple:
Lucien, Kael will be away from the territory in two nights. If you want to talk, that will be the best time.
She didn’t fully understand why she was doing it. Part of her told herself it was harmless — that she only wanted to speak freely without Kael’s looming presence. Another part whispered that maybe she wanted to see if Lucien truly cared as much as he claimed.
The truth, however, was far more dangerous.
When the next day came, Kael heard exactly what he had been hoping to hear — the false rumour of his absence was making its way quietly through the pack. His contact had done the job well.
What Kael didn’t know was that Lucien already knew. And not because of his spies.
But because Selene herself had unknowingly placed the weapon directly in his hands.
By the time the moon rose on the night of the plan, Kael was crouched in the shadows near the garden, Ronan beside him, both of them hidden from view. The air was cool, the fountain whispering in the distance.
Kael’s pulse was steady. He would have his proof tonight.
But proof of what?
He wasn’t entirely sure.
It was only when he saw Selene arrive, alone at first, and then saw Lucien step out from the shadows to greet her, that the tight knot in Kael’s chest began to twist into something darker.
They were closer than before.
The air between them charged in a way that no casual conversation could justify.
Kael’s hand curled into a fist. He wanted to step forward right then to end it.
But he stayed where he was. Watching. Waiting.
The night had only just begun.
- Writer
