The heavy wooden door slammed shut behind Selene, the finality of the sound making her stomach twist.
A lock clicked into place.
She whirled around, shoving at the handle, but it didn’t budge. Of course, the bastard locked it.
Selene let out a slow breath, forcing herself to remain calm. Panicking wouldn’t help. She needed a plan.
The room was large but minimal—dark stone walls, a simple bed covered in furs, a wooden table with a basin of water, and a window high above that was too small to escape through. The scent of cedar and smoke lingered in the air, wrapping around her like a constant reminder of him.
Her body still ached from the fight, but she refused to rest. She paced instead, her mind racing.
Kael Draven was dangerous. Not just because he was Alpha of the Shadowfang Pack, but because she could already feel the mate bond tightening around her like a noose.
She clenched her fists. She couldn’t let it happen.
Not to her.
Not after everything she had lost.
A knock at the door made her whirl around, muscles tensing.
"Eat," came a deep voice from the other side.
A plate of food was slid through a gap at the bottom of the door.
Selene stared at it, suspicion flaring.
"I’m not a prisoner, but you’re feeding me like one?" she called out.
No response. Just retreating footsteps.
She exhaled sharply, pressing her hands against her temples. Her wolf was restless, too aware of Kael’s presence in the fortress. The bond between them was like an invisible thread, tugging her toward him.
She refused to be bound to anyone—especially an Alpha.
Selene moved to the small table and inspected the food. Meat, bread, and some kind of stew. Her stomach twisted with hunger, but she forced herself to ignore it. She had survived on less.
She needed to focus on escaping.
She glanced at the window again. It was impossible to reach without shifting into her wolf—but even then, it was too small. The door was thick, reinforced. No weaknesses.
Selene swallowed back frustration.
She had survived for years on her own. She would survive this, too.
Even if it meant running from the Alpha who claimed her as his.
---
Kael
Kael stood at the balcony of the Alpha’s chambers, staring down at the village below. His warriors moved with purpose, the fires burning in the courtyard casting flickering shadows.
His gaze drifted toward the tower where she was.
Selene Voss.
His mate.
He could still feel her. Even from a distance, the bond hummed under his skin, growing stronger with every second she spent on his land.
She was stubborn, that much was clear. But there was something else beneath her defiance—something wounded, something afraid.
Kael’s jaw tightened.
She thought she could fight the bond. Deny it.
She was wrong.
Darius approached, arms crossed. "She’s already testing the door."
Kael smirked. "Of course, she is."
Darius exhaled. "Are you sure about this? She’s dangerous. A rogue. We don’t know what she’s capable of."
Kael’s expression darkened. "She’s mine."
Darius hesitated before nodding. "And if she runs?"
Kael’s silver eyes glowed.
"Then I’ll hunt her."