Chapter 2

Even so, Seraphina wasn't about to let me off the hook.

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A bitter, humorless smile twisted my lips. Of course she did.

Even in the supposed sanctuary of our cabin, the cacophony of the train was a physical assault.

The reek of stale beer, cheap human perfume, and the sharp, animal musk of hundreds of werewolves—it all slammed into me, a brutal sensory overload.

The rocking of the train became a nauseating lurch, each sway a hammer blow against my skull.

The headache morphed into a full-blown migraine until exhaustion finally claimed me, pulling me under into a fitful sleep.

I have no idea how long I was out before a hand, gentle and familiar, began to stroke my hair.

I jolted awake, my vision swimming with black spots.

But through the dizzying haze, I saw him. Kael.

I gently pushed his hand away. "Don't touch me."

"Gods, Elena, you look like hell," he murmured, the concern in his voice a little too practiced. He sat beside me, his hand moving toward my forehead.

I recoiled as if burned.

"Sensory overload," I ground out. "Too many scents."

Kael offered a helpless, almost charming smile.

"Okay, okay, my fault. It was so loud in the public car, I didn't hear my communicator."

He grinned, reaching out to pinch my cheek.

"But I got you the only private cabin on this entire train," he said, as if bestowing a great gift. "I was the one stuck squeezing in with Seraphina and the others. And after all that, you're still not happy?"

I stared at him.

He genuinely saw nothing wrong.

He thought he'd done me a favor.

Maybe he didn't have any ulterior motives.

Maybe he was simply trying to help an Omega in need.

Our years of love couldn't be a lie, could they?

Perhaps I was the one being too sensitive, too possessive.

"Ecstatic," I whispered weakly, fighting another wave of nausea. "Now if you don't mind, I need to rest."

"I know you're not feeling well." His voice softened into a persuasive purr as he pulled me to a sitting position. "But I need you to do something for me."

My eyes snapped open.

"Seraphina is having a complete breakdown in the public car," Kael said, his grip on my hand tightening. "You know how it is for an unmarked Omega around so many strangers. She's on the verge of a panic attack."

"And?"

"I need you to give her the cabin," he said, his tone so casual you'd think he was asking me to pass the damn salt. "We can rough it out in the public car together. A real adventure. It'll be good for us, strengthen our bond."

He bent down, as if to help me with my boots. "You were just complaining about me not being with you. Now's our chance."

I sat bolt upright, the blood draining from my face. I couldn't believe it.

He wasn't here for me. He was here to kick me out.

A strangled, hysterical sound almost escaped my lips. "You want me... to give our cabin... to her?"

"Elena, you're the heir to an Alpha. You were raised to be a shield for the weak," he coaxed, his eyes softening in that way that used to make my knees go weak. "Seraphina needs a safe, quiet space."

"So do I," I shot back, pressing my fingers to my temples. "I have sensory overload. My head feels like it's going to split open."

Just as Kael opened his mouth to argue, the thick, cloying scent of an Omega in distress flooded the doorway.

A slender figure stumbled in.

"Alpha Kael!" Seraphina's voice was a broken sob.

She shot me a look from under her lashes, a perfectly calculated glance that was equal parts hurt and defiance.

"It's all my fault. I'm just a weak Omega, not like you, Elena. You were born with power, the daughter of a great Alpha. You get everything you could ever want."

She let out a dramatic, shuddering breath. "I can't afford a private cabin. I know you look down on me because I wasn't born with a silver spoon in my mouth... Please, just let me go. I'll take my chances in the corridor. Let the chaos out there swallow me whole. Maybe... maybe I'd be better off."

Kael's face hardened into a mask of granite.

He moved instantly, pulling Seraphina behind his protective frame.

"Elena. For your arrogance, Apologize to Seraphina. Now."

Their voices weren't quiet.

I could feel the hostile glares from wolves in the adjoining cars.

Murmurs rippled through the nearby cars.

"What's going on with that poor Omega?"

"Is that bitch picking on her?"

"She sounds like she's in agony."

I hadn't done a single thing, yet I was the villain of this story.

My chest was so tight I could barely draw a breath.

My eyes burned with unshed tears.

"Why should I?" I choked out. "I did nothing wrong..."

At that exact moment, the train gave a violent lurch, screeching to a sudden stop. The world tilted, and a wave of intense vertigo crashed over me.

I swayed, my face ashen.

For a fleeting second, Kael’s expression tightened with concern.

He reached out to steady me.

"Ugh!" Seraphina suddenly gasped, clutching her head and collapsing against him. "Alpha Kael, my head... I'm so dizzy... I... I think I'm going to pass out..."

He forgot me instantly. All his attention snapped back to her as he eased her onto the cabin's sofa.

Then he grabbed my arm, his grip unforgiving, and hauled me to my feet. "The cabin is for Seraphina. Consider this your apology for your appalling behavior."

He all but threw me into the chaotic aisle of the public car. "Be good," he said, his voice cold. "And drop the princess act. This will build some character."

"You sit here. I'm going to take care of her. I'll be back when she's asleep." With that, Kael turned his back on me.

The cabin door slid shut, his silhouette a dark shape against the frosted glass before it disappeared entirely.

The lock clicked, a sound as final as a coffin lid shutting.

And with it, the last of my composure shattered.

The sensory assault was instantaneous and brutal.

I scrambled for the nearest restroom and doubled over, dry-heaving until my throat was raw.