Chapter 3: Under the Alpha’s Roof

I should have run.

The moment the rogue wolves disappeared. The moment he said I wasn’t entirely human. The moment he decided, without asking me, that I was “under his protection.”

But my legs wouldn’t move.

Because the truth was—

I had felt it.

That power.

It hadn’t been imagination.

It had been real.

And if I left now, I would be alone with it.

“I’m not going anywhere with you,” I said, even as my voice lacked conviction.

The Alpha arched a brow. “You already are.”

“I don’t take orders from you.”

“No,” he agreed calmly. “But the rogues will track you by scent within the hour. Alone, you won’t survive the night.”

I hated that he sounded reasonable.

Behind him, the other wolves — men — watched me carefully. Not hostile. Not friendly either. Just wary.

Like I was something unstable.

“What’s your name?” I asked suddenly.

He looked mildly surprised.

“You know my title.”

“I didn’t ask for your title.”

A long pause.

“Kael,” he said at last.

The name suited him. Sharp. Controlled. Dangerous.

“Kael,” I repeated. “You rejected me.”

A flicker of irritation crossed his face. “You keep saying that as if I wounded you.”

“You did.”

The words slipped out before I could stop them.

Silence fell.

The forest seemed to hold its breath again.

His expression shifted — not soft, not apologetic — but aware.

“You felt it,” he said quietly.

It wasn’t a question.

“Yes,” I admitted.

That invisible thread. That pull. That warmth that had ignited when he stepped close.

“And when you said those words…” I swallowed. “It hurt.”

Kael’s jaw tightened.

“The bond doesn’t disappear with rejection,” he said. “It weakens. It becomes unstable.”

“Unstable how?”

His eyes darkened. “Painful.”

Great.

“So you’re hurting too?” I challenged.

He didn’t answer.

That was answer enough.

“Alpha,” one of the wolves interrupted cautiously, “we should return. If rogues are bold enough to attack this close—”

Kael nodded once.

Then he turned to me.

“You’re coming.”

It wasn’t a request.

—

The pack house was nothing like I expected.

Not some primitive cave or hidden underground den.

It was a massive estate tucked deep within the forest, modern yet built with dark stone and towering glass windows. Lights glowed warmly inside, casting golden reflections against the trees.

I stared.

“You live here?”

Kael glanced at me. “Did you expect mud huts?”

“I don’t know,” I muttered. “You turn into wolves.”

A few of the men snorted softly.

Kael opened the front doors without responding.

The moment I stepped inside, warmth wrapped around me. The interior was sleek but not cold — dark wood floors, a wide staircase curving upward, the faint scent of pine and something musky lingering in the air.

Wolf.

Eyes followed me as we entered.

Women. Men. Some younger, some older.

Every single one of them froze when they saw me.

A human.

Inside their home.

Whispers spread instantly.

“That’s her?”

“She’s the one?”

“She smells human…”

My face burned.

Kael stepped slightly in front of me.

The movement was subtle.

Protective.

“This is Elena,” he announced, voice carrying effortlessly through the large hall. “She will be staying here temporarily.”

A murmur of shock rippled through the pack.

One woman stepped forward — tall, striking, with long dark hair and sharp eyes.

“And why,” she asked smoothly, “is a human staying in the Alpha House?”

Her gaze slid over me, assessing. Judging.

Kael’s posture shifted almost imperceptibly.

“She is under my protection,” he said.

The woman’s eyes widened slightly.

Then narrowed.

“Protection,” she repeated.

Her gaze moved between us.

Understanding dawned.

And with it—

Jealousy.

Oh.

Oh no.

Kael noticed it too.

“Stand down, Selene,” he warned quietly.

Selene.

Of course she had a name like that.

“Of course, Alpha,” she replied, though her eyes never left me. “We all trust your judgment.”

The words sounded obedient.

They didn’t feel it.

Kael turned to one of the other wolves. “Prepare a room in the east wing.”

“The east wing?” Selene repeated sharply. “That’s—”

“Enough.”

The authority in his voice ended the discussion instantly.

He gestured for me to follow.

As we climbed the staircase, I leaned closer to him.

“She hates me,” I whispered.

“She hates anything that disrupts order.”

“Is she your—” I hesitated. “Was she supposed to be your mate?”

His silence told me everything.

“I see,” I muttered.

“She was considered suitable,” he said evenly.

“Until I showed up.”

“Yes.”

We reached a long hallway lined with doors.

Kael stopped in front of one.

“You’ll stay here.”

I crossed my arms. “Against my will.”

“For your safety.”

I scoffed. “You rejected me to protect your pride. Now you’re protecting me to protect what? Your conscience?”

His eyes flashed.

“You think this is about pride?”

“Isn’t it?”

He stepped closer suddenly.

Too close.

The air shifted again.

That pull snapped tight between us, stronger now that we were alone.

“You know nothing about what it means for an Alpha to take a human mate,” he said, voice low. Controlled. Dangerous.

“Then explain it instead of making decisions for me!”

His breathing deepened slightly.

Mine matched it.

For a moment, neither of us moved.

The tension was electric.

Unspoken.

Then—

A sharp pain stabbed through my chest.

I gasped, stumbling slightly.

Kael’s hand shot out instinctively, gripping my waist to steady me.

The contact sent heat racing through my body.

But the pain didn’t fade.

It intensified.

Kael’s expression changed instantly.

Alarm.

“What is it?”

“I—I don’t know—”

The warmth from earlier returned.

But this time it wasn’t gentle.

It was burning.

Silver light flickered faintly beneath my skin.

Kael’s grip tightened.

“This shouldn’t be happening,” he muttered.

“What shouldn’t?”

His eyes locked onto mine.

“The bond isn’t weakening,” he said quietly.

“It’s awakening.”

And suddenly—

I wasn’t sure if being under his roof was protection.

Or the beginning of something far more dangerous.