Five

Catriona's POV

"No matter what happens, you must persevere until your mating ceremony where..." Mum trails off, her pale skin turning crimson red and I grimace.

"I know what happens after the mating ceremony, Mum." I say to save us both the pains of the details of this conversation. "In fact, most people don't even wait for the mating ceremony to get into it." I add, unable to resist teasing her a bit.

"No, my dear it is different." She says and sighs sufferingly. "The... coming together of mates is different from regular sex, you must be a full wolf to survive it, it is why your Father set the condition."

"That he must help me manifest my wolf before we can have the mating ceremony." I say saucily, a little sensitive on the topic of Dad.

"Precisely." Mum rises and paces. "This was never the plan, I don't know why that bull-headed giant won't just pick another mate to avoid these complications."

I fold my hands and wait for her to calm down. In a way, my parents' worst nightmare came to life. They coddled me all my life and now it seems I've been thrust head-first into the eye of the storm. She settles back down after a moment.

"No matter, if anyone maltreats you even for a second, you turn back around and come home. The Ironbound pack is ready to go to war for you." I nod and she palms my face. I imagine it is like looking at a mirror of what my older self will look like, given how identical people say I am to her younger self. "You know how important you are, to us and to the pack don’t you? You are Khafal, Cat, and he must treat you like one."

"I understand Mum." I hug her tight, beginning to get anxious and restless with everyone's worry. Ever since the agreement, one member of my family or the other has been hovering around, watchful eyes on me like they fear I'll disappear any second. After Mum leaves, I step into the hallway and nearly collide with Vekra.

"Going somewhere?" She asks.

"I'm hoping Reynee has something for me to scavenge from the kitchens. I'm starving." I reply.

"I'll walk you." She says and we fall into step.

"You guys can stop acting like tomorrow is my funeral." I say and she chuckles.

"You don't understand. I would rather throw the war alpha into the deepest sea and shackle him to the sea bed to be torn apart by vicious creatures than let him lay a hand on you. I imagine Father and Mother feel even worse." She bites out and I laugh.

"That's oddly detailed." I say and she shakes her head and gets serious again.

"It doesn't feel right. I'm considering coming with you, just to make sure nobody messes with you until you're fully settled."

"You can't do that!" I argue.

"Sure I can." She replies cooly and I groan and throw my hands in the air, drawing short.

"Vekra, you are the heir to Ironbound pack, you cannot leave this place willy-nilly to play bodyguard in enemy territory just because of me. And you all need to stop treating me like a child at some point and trust me to handle myself. Can you do that much?"

It turns into a glaring contest and I fight the urge to wilt in the face of Vekra's aura. She sighs and pinches the bridge of her nose.

"You are right, you must earn their respect on your own." She concedes and continues walking and I hurry to catch up to her longer strides. "The war alpha may be an arrogant asshole but he will protect you. Do not stray too far from him."

"I won’t." I assure her to put her mind at rest though I know I'll do no such thing. I don't think I can bear seeing him any more than absolutely necessary.

Reynee has leftovers from the feast and more. It's like the entire kitchen is suddenly trying to feed me food worth a year to compensate for all the time I'll be away and by the time Vekra and I leave, our bellies are filled to bursting and I've laughed so hard at the kitchen staff’s tales that my tummy hurts.

Vekra takes her leave and though I don't want to go back to my room yet, the keep is too crowded and it feels like everyone is watching my every move. Needing fresh air, I escape to the roof and settle under the shade of a gargantuan tree that casts its shadow against a chimney.

I've not even settled in when I hear footsteps behind me and I look over to find Orion settling down beside me. Immediately, I rest my head on his shoulder and feel at peace.

"Running away from the crowd?" He asks.

"From the stares. It's like they've never seen me before." I reply and he chuckles.

"It's true, they haven't, none of us ever saw you before and now there's nothing else to see but you, Little Khafal." He says and I scoff.

"Not you too.” I groan and he laughs. “And I stopped being little ages ago." I point out.

"You'll always be the Little One even a hundred years from now." He says and I shake my head with a smile. "The keep won't be the same without you."

"True, because you and Hela might literally burn it down to the ground."  I reply and he laughs.

"I wish I could say that won't happen." He replies.

"Have you seen Hela?" I ask and he shakes his head, his rough stubble rubbing against my forehead.

"Not since the failed Procession." He adds.

I can imagine she and Hirshan have alot to talk about since the Procession was sprung on him just this morning.

Orion and I remain on the roof until the sun draws long shadows in front of us and when he rises to his feet, my heart squeezes painfully because I can't believe how much I already miss him when I'm still right here. I smile to hide the feelings choking me up and watch him saunter away and I'm burning up with the need for answers and happen to know just where I can get them.

A few moments later, I’m on the roof of the eastern wing where our guests are housed. As stealthily as I can, I scan the room I intend to break into, then lower my upper body and pull the windows open before lowering myself inside and landing quietly.

The room would be pitch black if not for the wan light from the window and I pause to let my eyes adjust. I see the slip of a shadow too late, and it’s too fast for me to evade as I’m yanked against a hard male chest and a razor sharp claw rests against my jugular.

“I admire your eagerness but your parents might have a thing or two to say about having our mating ceremony impromptu under their roof.” Alpha Kael’s voice rumbles against my ear and a violent shiver races down my spine, my cheeks heating rapidly.

My chest rises and falls rapidly, my entire body freezing as I become hyperaware of that dangerous claw at my throat.

“I just want to talk.” I say, swallowing hard when it comes out in a fearful whisper.

Curse this impulsive decision of mine, how did I forget how terrifying he is in person? And my wise decision is to trap myself in here with him? He pauses, the moment stretching out and in the near-dark, I am acutely aware of the steady rise and fall of his chest against my back, the soft bathe of his breath against my ear. I shiver again, fear causing my heart to race faster.

“Disappointing.” He says and releases me. I stumble away from him, spinning around to keep him in sight but he just leans farther back into the shadows, folds his arms and watches me. “What do you want to talk about, mate?” He asks.

For a moment, I fumble to find my tongue, distracted by how much space he seems to consume in the room. He is larger than life, compelling and magnetic such that nothing in the room is worth watching except for him. That’s because he is dangerous, I realize. And those bulging muscles on his arms remind me that tales of his strength are far from exaggerated. But his obstinacy cost me my pack and all the possibilities that being Khafal could have presented to me. Because of him, I’m not Khafal but a fucking broodmare and Eirwyn will remain with the pack while I journey away. That was Dad’s final decision. I welcome the anger and it clears my head.

“Why me?” I ask, my hands tightening into fists. “Why are you so hell-bent on me?”

“You owe me a life-debt.” He replies.

“And you could have called it a hundred different ways but you chose to force me into marriage. Why?” I grit out.

My labored breathing is the only thing I can hear for a moment.

“A thousand ladies could have been paraded in front of me and I would still have chosen you.” He replies in a matter of fact tone and I shake my head to clear it, refusing to be derailed.

“Have you seen me in your dreams? You don’t know me from the stable horses so I ask again, why me?” I persist.

“I would certainly hope I can tell my own mate apart from stable horses.” He drawls with a twitch of those lips again.

“Alpha Kael!” I growl.

“Is it so far-fetched to think that I waited to see your face amongst the women presented and when you didn’t come, I thought I would have to go house to house searching till I found you?” He asks and I laugh humorlessly.

“How does that make any sense?” I ask and he shrugs.

“Does it not?” He asks and I blink, wondering when he got this close because I never saw him move. I retreat immediately but he stalks closer, closing the space between us and I realize it’s fully dark out. I shiver as his scent swamps me and he consumes my vision completely. “Are you sure this interrogation is the only reason you broke into my room? You could have easily used the door for such a formality visit.”

My eyes widen at his insinuation.

“Why else would I have come here?” I ask, my voice breathier than it should be.

It feels like I’ve been put under a spell as he raises a finger to my hair and twirls the length. “You tell me, Goldie.”

My mouth is dry and my heart is pounding but the nickname is enough to break the spell and I yank my hair from his grip and slip out of reach, keeping him in my sight as I back towards the window.

“Don’t cross the line, Alpha. I’m an unwilling participant in all this.”

He folds his arms and watches me leave, his thoughts as hidden as the night and I break into a run without looking back.

I run all the way towards my room, loathe to run into anyone lest they see something of that encounter on my face but I just turn the corner when I crash into someone and Hela cries out.

“Hela!” I say, trying to catch my breath and willing the heat in my cheeks to subside. “I didn’t see you there. Where have you been?”

Hela stares at me with the most emotionless face and then she turns away without acknowledging my question. I frown, confused and wondering if something happened in my absence.

“Hela!” I call, grabbing her arm but she hisses and yanks it back. “Hela what’s going on?” I ask, unsure.

“How did you do it?” She says and I’m clueless only a moment before I realize she’s referring to Eirwyn. It’s like a dam has broken for her and she advances on me, her face twisting with emotion while I back away, shocked. “There is no way you’re Khafal, that’s just a pathetic joke. What did you do Cat?!” She hisses and it feels like someone reached into my chest, clenched the beating organ in their fist and wrenched it out of my chest.