Chapter 8

KANE’S POV

Sleep refused to come.

I laid on the wide, empty bed in my chambers, staring up at the ceiling. The night was quiet. The  only sound in the room was from the crackle of fire in the fire place. Yet inside me, there was no calm. I was restless. And so was my wolf.

Her face haunted me. Brie.

She was beautiful. I loved everything about her - the curve of her lips, the fire in her eyes, even the sharpness of her blade when she raised it against us earlier. She was the most beautiful woman I had ever seen, not just in body but in spirit. She was strong.

And she was mine. Ours.

My wolf growled in agreement inside me, pacing, demanding, pulling. But the thought only made me clench my jaw harder. Fate was cruel. I never believed in it, never trusted it—and yet one glance at her, one breath of her scent, and I knew.

She belonged to me. To us. A soft laugh broke my thoughts.

“Kane,” a sultry voice whispered.

I turned my head to see one of my mistresses slipping into the room. She wore nothing but a thin robe that slipped off her shoulders, revealing skin she knew I’d once been eager to touch. Her hips swayed as she approached the bed. Her eyes were filled with so much desire.

“You look tense,” she purred, reaching for the ties of her robe. “Let me ease your mind.”

The silk slid to the floor, and she stood before me in all her naked glory, confident, teasing. Normally, this would have worked. Normally, I would have taken her right then, hard and fast, to rid myself of the ache in my chest.

But not tonight.

“Leave,” I said flatly.

She blinked, clearly surprised. “What?”

“You heard me. Get out.”

Her lips parted in disbelief. “You… you don’t want me?”

“I don’t,” I said, sharper this time.

Her face twisted into confusion, maybe even insult. She stepped closer, kneeling at the edge of the bed. “Kane, please. Whatever’s bothering you, I can—”

I snapped.

“GET OUT!” My voice roared through the chamber.

She gasped, scrambling to grab her robe from the floor.

“F-fine,” she stammered, backing toward the door. “I’ll go.”

When the door slammed shut behind her, the silence returned. The silence was heavy and suffocating now.

I dragged a hand down my face, letting out a deep breath. My chest burned with a need I couldn’t name. My wolf snarled, restless. I tried to close my eyes, but the moment I did, I saw her.

My mate

But not as before.

In my vision, she lay on the ground, pale, cold. Her body was limp. Her lips parted like she was gasping for air but finding none. My eyes snapped open.

No.

It wasn’t a dream. It was the bond.

“Brie,” I growled, launching from the bed. My wolf clawed inside me, urging me to run, to find her. The pull was undeniable, magnetic. The bond tore at me with every second I hesitated.

I ran outside immediately, shifted into my wolf and let instinct take over. The night blurred around me as my paws hit the earth, racing through the forest. I let the bond guide me. I ran as fast as I could. I let my wolf trace her scent until I found her.

I saw her collapsed on the ground. Her skin was pale. Her lips trembled. Her breathing was slow. My chest clenched so tightly I thought I’d break.

“No… no, no, no…” I dropped to my knees beside her. I shifted back to my human form, not caring that my body was bare in the cold night. My hands trembled as I touched her face. I gently brushed strands of hair from her skin.

The moment my palm met her cheek, my wolf howled. The bond sparked like fire. It was burning and alive.

“Mine,” I whispered.

Her skin was cold, too cold. My heart raced as I leaned closer, begging her, “Stay with me. Don’t you dare leave me. Not now.”

She didn’t answer. Her chest barely moved.

Panic gripped me but I forced myself to move. I gathered her into my arms, holding her against me as if my warmth alone could save her.

“Mate…”

I carried her through the forest. My pace was fast and desperate. By the time I got to the palace,  my arms ached from holding her, but I didn’t slow.

“Prepare a room for her!” I barked the moment I stepped inside the palace gates. Maids scrambled and got to work.

“Yes, Alpha!” they chorused

Within minutes, a chamber was ready. I laid her gently on the bed, brushing my knuckles across her cheek. Her breathing was shallow, but still there. I felt relieved but I was still a bit scared. I was worried about her.

The door burst open.

“Kane,” Tyler’s voice came first, followed by Tristan. Both stopped when they saw her.

“You found her,” Tristan muttered.

“She was dying out there,” I said “I got a vision of her getting hurt. I went out to find her”

Tyler stepped closer “Goddess. She’s here now. She’ll survive.”

For a long moment, none of us spoke.

Finally, I turned to them. “Out. She needs rest.”

Tristan hesitated but Tyler tugged his arm. “We’ll talk outside.”

Once the door closed behind us, the air between us grew heavy.

“We all felt it,” Tyler said quietly. “Didn’t we?”

Tristan nodded slowly. “I’ve been dreaming of her for months. She was like a shadow I couldn’t touch. And when I saw her today… I knew.”

My throat tightened. “She’s ours. All of ours.”

“But how?” Tyler asked. “How can three Alphas share the same mate?”

“I don’t know,” I admitted. “But I don’t care. She’s meant for us. I felt it the moment I touched her.”

Tristan’s gaze hardened. “And if she refuses?”

I growled. I could feel my wolf pushing forward. “She won’t. She can’t. Fate doesn’t bind souls for nothing.”

There were no answers tonight, only possibilities. We agreed to speak more in the morning.

But even as I returned to my room, I couldn’t close my eyes. Not when she was just down the hall.

Eventually, I gave up trying. My feet carried me back to her chamber in the dead of night.

The room was quiet. She lay still on the bed. Her chest rose and fell slowly. I sighed in relief.

I stepped closer, watching her sleep. Her face looked so peaceful, so fragile compared to the fierce warrior she had shown me earlier.

“You’ll understand soon,” I whispered. “You’re ours.”

I turned to leave, not wanting to disturb her rest.

But then—

I felt a sharp blade of steel against my throat. I froze in shock.

“Move,” a low, deadly voice hissed behind me, “and I’ll cut your throat.”