Chapter 3

“You alright there, little wolf?”

A kind-faced man from the adjacent seat leaned over, his eyes filled with gentle concern.

I managed a weak wave, unable to form words.

“You look like you’re about to phase from the pain. Drink this,” he said softly, pressing a steaming cup into my hand. “It’s a special herbal blend for calming the senses. I’m a pack healer, you can trust me.”

A passing train attendant caught my eye and gave the man a reassuring nod, as if to vouch for him.

I offered a grateful but wary smile.

The tea smelled soothing, but I knew better than to accept drinks from strangers, no matter how kind their eyes were.

I set it aside, murmuring my thanks, and laid my head on the grimy table, trying to will the world away.

I was jolted from a shallow, pain-filled doze by the screech and lurch of the train.

The sensory overload clawed at the inside of my skull, and every joint in my body screamed in protest.

The seat beside me was cold.

Occupied by a sleeping stranger.

Kael, who had promised he'd be right back, was gone.

My communicator screen glowed in the dark. Three a.m.

One new message, sent hours ago, at 11:30 p.m. It was from Kael.

[Baby, have to stay with Seraphina. She's still unstable. Don't be mad. Think of it as a test. Builds character. Love you.]

His words. His blatant, casual cruelty. It was like a vise tightening around my heart, squeezing the air from my lungs.

The tears I'd been fighting for hours finally broke free, hot and silent against my cold skin.

And in that moment, something inside me broke.

The boy my father had pulled from the ashes of a decimated pack, the man I had promised my soul to... was gone.

He claimed he loved me.

But why did he show such complete disregard for me?

Sleep was impossible now.

I just sat there, a hollow shell, and watched the dark world rush by until the grey light of dawn.

But even with the sunrise, Kael was a ghost.

I’d been in such a rush yesterday, I’d left everything in the cabin—my potions, my emergency rations, everything except the small purse slung over my shoulder.

No water. No food. Nothing.

I desperately needed my potion kit.

Inside was the one elixir that could soothe the screaming agony of a sensory overload.

The thought of seeing Seraphina's triumphant face made my stomach churn, so I sent Kael a message, begging him to bring me my things. No response.

Finally, with no other choice, I pushed through the dizzying pain and began the long, claustrophobic journey back to the private cabin.

But I stopped dead before I even reached the door, frozen by a burst of raucous laughter from within.

"Alpha Kael, we're just playing a game, but the sparks between you two are going to set this train on fire!"

My blood ran cold.

A second later, Kael's low chuckle answered. "Don't be ridiculous. Seraphina's never played Truth or Dare. I'm just helping her out. It's not about sparks."

"Haha, listen to you, jumping to defend her honor! And you say there are no sparks!"

Someone else snickered. "Speaking of, who was that beautiful chick last night? So arrogant. Total brat."

"She's a pampered princess," Kael's voice was heavy with a sigh. "All flash, no fire. Not like Seraphina. Seraphina clawed her way up from nothing. She's got grit. She's real."

Every word was a poisoned dart, finding its mark in my already bleeding heart.

Kael was a liar.

I remembered the day of my coming of age ceremony, how he’d presented me with his courtship gift, his hands trembling as he confessed he couldn’t see me as just his sister anymore.

He wanted to be my mate, to forge a bond that would tether our very souls.

I had been so shy, so deliriously happy.

We'd agreed to have our mating ceremony right after we returned from the training camp.

"She lost, she lost! Seraphina lost again! Tequila shots for the loser!"

Drawn by the cheers like a moth to a flame, I moved to the cabin door. Through the window, I saw them. Four or five young wolves lounging on the sofas.

The expensive whiskey and cigars I’d so carefully selected for Kael were scattered across the table.

Seraphina was propped against the very pillow I had custom-made for him, the one embedded with a large, soothing moonstone.

And Kael… Kael was leaning over her.

She was holding a shot glass of tequila to his lips, her own parted in a soft smile.

They looked so close, their faces inches apart, lost in their own world.

Seraphina's face was flushed, her gaze locked on his in breathless anticipation.

A red haze of fury descended.

I didn't think.

I just meant to stop them.

But when I moved, the cabin door open with a bang.

The sudden noise startled everyone. Seraphina shrieked, jumping in surprise.

The tequila she was holding splashed everywhere, soaking Kael’s shirt and her own arm.

"Seraphina!" Kael lunged to her side.

His eyes met mine, a flicker of guilt quickly extinguished by a storm of rage. "Elena! What the hell are you doing? You cut her! Apologize!"

All the pain, all the humiliation I had swallowed, erupted.

My voice was laced with venom. "Apologize? For what? Was the tequila good? How's that 'shattering' mind of yours? Feeling better now?"

Kael flinched, opening his mouth to explain, but Seraphina beat him to it.

"It was my fault for drinking your alcohol! I'll apologize!" She raised a hand and slapped herself hard across the face.

"My senses were overloading, I felt like I was dying. Alpha Kael and the others only suggested a game to distract me from the pain."

"Is one slap enough?" She hit herself again, and again. Smack. Smack. "Is it? If not, I can get on my knees right now and beg for your forgiveness!"

Tears streamed down her face as she lunged toward me, making a show of dropping to her knees.

But she "stumbled" directly into a passenger walking past the open door, a passenger holding a cup of scalding coffee.

In a flash, a wave of scalding liquid and hot grounds splashed across the front of my leg.

A muffled grunt of pain was torn from my lips, but it was completely drowned out by Seraphina's dramatic cry.

"Alpha Kael, it hurts, it hurts so much!" She held up her arm, displaying a few faint red splotches for Kael's inspection.

Kael's protective instincts flared. He gently took her hand.

"Elena, I have never been more disappointed in you," Kael snarled, his voice a low, dangerous growl as he shielded Seraphina.

My face was chalk-white from the searing pain. "Kael, she did it on purpose! Can't you see? I'm the one who's burned!"

His gaze flickered to my leg for a nanosecond.

But Seraphina let out a tearful gasp. "Alpha Elena, how could you? It's one thing to be cruel, but to lie... You're wearing thick leather pants! There's no way you were burned! Why are you trying to frame me?"

The flicker of concern in Kael's eyes died, replaced by a glacial cold.

"Arrogant, violent, and now a pathetic liar." He looked at me with such contempt, as if I were something he'd just scraped off the bottom of his boot. "What in the hell has happened to you?"

"I'm taking Seraphina to have her arm looked at. You stay here and think about what you've done."

Kael supported Seraphina as they disappeared down the corridor.

I stood there, stunned into silence.

It was true.

Unlike Seraphina's bare arm, I was wearing leather pants.

But they were crafted from the hide of a Fiend-class magical beast, a material with extreme thermal conductivity, also known for its defense against silver poisoning.

The scalding liquid didn't just burn; it superheated the leather, causing it to cling to my skin like a second, fiery layer.

A broken, hollow laugh escaped my lips.

Wincing with every agonizing step, I turned and limped back into the chaos of the train, the searing pain in my leg was just a dull echo of the inferno that had consumed my heart.