CHAPTER 4: CHAINS OF FATE
1175 Words
A heavy silence filled the dimly lit chamber, broken only by the slow crackling of the fireplace. Selene sat motionless on the edge of the bed, her fingers curling into the thick fur blanket beneath her. The cold metal cuff around her ankle felt heavier than before, an unyielding reminder of her captivity.
She hated this place. The suffocating walls, the eerie stillness, the way the scent of pine and embers clung to the air—none of it felt like home.
Home.
A bitter laugh almost escaped her lips. Was Moonveil truly home, or had she been living in a carefully constructed lie? Kade’s words still clung to her like a curse. Her father had massacred his people. Her father had made Kade into the ruthless Alpha he was today.
Selene wanted to deny it. She wanted to scream that he was wrong, that her father was not a monster.
But she couldn’t.
Because a part of her, the part that had spent years questioning her father’s choices, his secrecy, and the way he ruled with an iron fist, whispered that Kade might not be lying.
Her stomach twisted as she stared at the untouched plate of food beside her. The bread had gone cold, the meat congealing in its own juices.
She wasn’t hungry anymore.
A sharp knock at the door made her tense.
Before she could move, the door creaked open, and Kade stepped inside. He didn’t speak right away, his golden eyes sweeping over her with quiet calculation. Tonight, he wasn’t wearing his usual cloak. Instead, he was dressed in a simple black shirt and fitted pants, his sleeves still rolled up, revealing the powerful muscles in his forearms.
Selene ignored the way her traitorous heart quickened.
He held something in his hand—a key.
Hope flared in her chest, only to wither the moment he stepped closer and crouched beside her. He reached for her ankle, his fingers brushing against her skin as he unlocked the shackle.
The moment she was free, she shot up from the bed, taking a step back.
Kade smirked, rising to his full height. “Relax. If I wanted to keep you chained, I wouldn’t have unlocked it.”
Selene didn’t relax. “Then why did you?”
Kade studied her for a moment before he turned toward the door. “Come.”
She didn’t move.
His smirk deepened. “You have two choices, little Luna. Stay here and rot in that bed, or walk out of this room with me.”
Selene lifted her chin. “And what happens if I go with you?”
Kade’s expression darkened slightly. “You’ll find out soon enough.”
Something about the way he said it sent a shiver down her spine.
She hesitated for only a second before following him.
The hallway was dimly lit, torches lining the stone walls. The further they walked, the louder the sounds of voices and movement became.
She wasn’t sure what she had expected the Rogue Kingdom to be—lawless, chaotic, filled with nothing but bloodthirsty wolves. But as they stepped outside into the main courtyard, she was met with something far different.
There were warriors training in the open yard, their weapons clashing in the crisp night air. Groups of men and women gathered around a large firepit, talking in hushed voices. Children darted between wooden houses, their laughter ringing through the air.
This was… a pack. A real pack.
Kade kept walking, leading her toward a raised platform at the center of the courtyard. Selene’s pulse quickened when she saw the wooden post standing tall, thick chains hanging from its sides.
She slowed her steps. “What is this?”
Kade turned to face her, his expression unreadable. “A test.”
Selene’s hands curled into fists. “A test for what?”
Before he could answer, a familiar voice cut through the air.
“She’s the one, isn’t she?”
Selene turned sharply, her gaze landing on the woman from earlier—the one with piercing gray eyes and an air of authority.
Kade nodded. “She is.”
The woman crossed her arms, her gaze cold as she studied Selene. “And you really think she can survive this?”
Kade’s lips twitched. “She doesn’t have a choice.”
Selene’s heart pounded.
Survive what?
The answer came when Kade stepped closer, lowering his voice so only she could hear.
“There’s only one way to prove that you belong here, Selene.” He gestured to the platform. “You fight.”
Selene’s breath caught. “Fight?”
Kade’s golden eyes gleamed under the firelight. “Win, and they will accept you. Lose…” He smirked. “Well, I suggest you don’t lose.”
A surge of anger flared in her chest. “This is a joke, right? You think I’m just going to stand there and fight for my life like some—some rogue?”
Kade’s smirk faded. “That’s exactly what I expect.”
Selene clenched her fists. “I’m not like you.”
His eyes darkened. “Not yet.”
Before she could argue, a voice rang out from the crowd.
“I’ll do it.”
Selene turned, her stomach sinking as a man stepped forward. He was tall, his muscles lean but powerful, his eyes sharp with challenge.
He cracked his knuckles, grinning. “Let’s see if the little princess can handle herself.”
The crowd murmured in anticipation.
Selene’s mouth went dry. This was madness. She wasn’t a warrior. She wasn’t like Kade’s wolves.
But hadn’t she survived worse? The nights spent training in secret, mimicking her father’s guards, always knowing that one day she might need to fight for her life?
Her father had never let her step onto the battlefield, but she had watched. Listened. Learned.
And now, she had no choice but to use it.
But as she looked around, she realized something.
They didn’t just see her as an outsider.
They saw her as weak.
Selene swallowed hard.
She wasn’t weak.
She had survived captivity. She had survived Kade.
And she would survive this.
She turned to Kade, lifting her chin. “Fine. I’ll fight.”
His golden eyes flickered with something unreadable. Approval? Amusement?
Maybe both.
Kade stepped back, gesturing toward the platform. “Then show them who you are, little Luna.” Selene took a deep breath, pushing down the fear clawing at her throat. The torches flickered against the night breeze, casting jagged shadows across the wooden post where she would soon stand. A low murmur rippled through the gathered wolves. Some looked eager. Others doubtful. Most looked like they had already decided she would lose. Her opponent rolled his shoulders, cracking his knuckles as he smirked at her. “Try not to cry, princess.” Selene clenched her fists. She wouldn’t cry. She wouldn’t run. She would fight.
Selene took a deep breath, pushing down the fear clawing at her throat.
She would show them.
She would show them all.
- Writer
