Who is he?

The eastern training grounds of the Velkaris Dominion had already come alive long before sunrise. Warriors filled the vast stone arena, their bodies glistening with sweat beneath the pale morning light as they sparred with relentless determination. The rhythmic clang of steel echoed across the fortress walls, blending with the occasional growls of wolves shifting in and out of partial transformation. Every movement was deliberate, every strike delivered with enough force to remind the younger warriors that weakness had no place within Velkaris. This was a kingdom built on strength, and every soldier who bore its crest understood that survival depended on discipline long before talent.

Watching over them from an elevated platform was Kael Velkaris.

Unlike his younger brother, whose calm often concealed dangerous intentions, Kael never hid what he was. His presence alone was enough to keep hundreds of warriors on edge. He stood with his hands clasped behind his back, his broad shoulders squared, his silver-gray eyes roaming across the field with unwavering focus. There was no trace of boredom or impatience in his expression. He watched each exchange carefully, silently judging every mistake, every hesitation, every sign of carelessness. To Kael, battle was not a sport or a display of strength. It was survival. Every flaw left uncorrected today would become a corpse on tomorrow's battlefield.

A young warrior lost his footing after taking a brutal hit to the chest and crashed into the dirt. He remained there for only a heartbeat before forcing himself upright, his breathing ragged as he wiped blood from the corner of his mouth. Before his opponent could lower his weapon, Kael's deep voice carried across the grounds with quiet authority.

"Again."

There was no anger in the command, nor was there encouragement. It was simply an expectation. The warrior swallowed the pain and lunged back into the fight without complaint, while the others trained even harder under the weight of their Alpha's gaze. No one wanted to be the one who disappointed Kael Velkaris.

The morning drills continued until hurried footsteps broke the steady rhythm of the arena. One of the palace guards crossed the training grounds at a respectful pace before stopping several feet away from the platform. He lowered his head, waiting patiently until Kael acknowledged his presence. Interrupting the Alpha during training was never done lightly, and judging by the tension written across the guard's face, whatever news he carried was important.

"Varok."

This meant leader in Velkaris

Kael didn't take his eyes off the arena.

"What is it?"

"The western patrol has returned."

"And?"

The guard hesitated for the briefest moment.

"They found nothing."

A heavy silence settled between them. Kael's expression didn't change, but the air around him somehow grew colder. For weeks, reports had continued arriving from the western territories. Entire settlements had vanished without warning. Not raided. Not burned. Simply... gone. Homes stood untouched, food remained on tables, livestock wandered freely, yet every living soul had disappeared without leaving behind so much as a scent trail. It defied everything the wolves knew about tracking, and the mystery had begun spreading unease throughout the Dominion.

"What about the scouts from the northern pass?" Kael asked.

"They reported the same, Alpha. No tracks. No bodies. Nothing."

Kael finally shifted his gaze toward the guard, and although his face remained composed, there was a dangerous sharpness in his eyes that made the younger man instinctively lower his head further. Whatever was happening beyond their borders wasn't random. Predators always left evidence. Even the most skilled assassins overlooked something. But this... this felt unnatural.

"Increase the patrols," Kael ordered. "No village is to remain without protection. If anything changes, I want to know before sunset."

"Yes, Varok."

The guard bowed, yet instead of leaving, he lingered uncertainly. Kael noticed immediately.

"There's something else."

"Yes... Varok."

"Speak."

"Your brother returned to the palace before dawn."

Kael's brow furrowed ever so slightly. Ronan had informed no one that he intended to leave the capital, which in itself wasn't unusual. His younger brother disliked explaining his movements. What caught Kael's attention was the uneasiness in the guard's voice, as though he feared the rest of his report.

"And?"

"He wasn't alone."

Kael's eyes settled fully on him now.

"Who did he bring back?"

"We... we're not entirely sure."

The answer only deepened his curiosity.

"What do you mean you're not sure?"

"A woman."

For the first time that morning, genuine surprise crossed Kael's face.

Ronan had rejected every alliance proposed by the elders for years. Princesses from neighboring kingdoms, daughters of powerful Alphas, noblewomen whose marriages could have strengthened the Dominion—all had been turned away without hesitation. Rumors about his complete lack of interest in women had spread so widely that many within the kingdom had stopped believing he would ever choose a mate.

Yet now, without warning, he had returned with an unknown woman.

"Who is she?" Kael asked quietly.

"We haven't identified her yet. But I hear she's a lesser wolf."

Kael's gaze drifted toward the towering palace that overlooked the capital, its highest balconies catching the golden light of the rising sun. Whatever his brother had brought back wasn't an ordinary captive, and Ronan wasn't the kind of man to act without purpose. If he had taken an interest in someone mysterious enough to confuse an entire household of wolves, then the matter was no longer merely personal.

It had become a concern for the entire Velkaris Dominion.

"Find out more and report back to me." The guard nodded, bowed and walked off. Leaving Kael lost in his own thoughts.

BACK IN RONAN'S MANSION

Eliara remained standing in the room, staring at the closed door. He had simply just left and any further explanations. A while later, there was a knock on the door. Eliara immediately became alert, waiting before responding.

"Miss Eliara, I have brought your clothes and breakfast."

She slowly opened the door and found a young woman standing outside with a tray of food and a set of neatly folded clothes. The woman lowered her head respectfully and placed them inside when Eliara allowed her to enter.

Eliara looked at the food but didn't touch it. The memory of the previous night returned immediately. She still wasn't sure if she had been drugged or if her exhaustion had simply taken over, but she wasn't willing to risk losing control of herself again.

After taking a bath and changing into the clothes provided, she left the untouched food behind and walked toward the door. She expected someone to stop her, but the hallway remained quiet.

Confused, she stepped outside and began exploring.

The place was unlike anywhere she had ever been. The halls were enormous, with ancient carvings covering the stone walls and large portraits of warriors displayed along the corridors. Everything about the place carried an overwhelming sense of power and history. Even the people walking around seemed different, carrying themselves with confidence and respect.

As Eliara moved through the palace, she heard voices coming from nearby. A group of women stood together, their elegant clothes and confident manner making it clear they were not ordinary servants.

"That must be the woman Alpha Ronan brought back."

Eliara slowed.

Alpha?

The word caught her attention.

"Why would Alpha Ronan bring someone as lowly as her here?"

Her footsteps stopped.

Alpha Ronan.

For a moment, she simply stared ahead, trying to process what she had heard.

Alpha?

The man who had kidnapped her. The man who had given her fifteen days as if her feelings were a challenge he could win.

He wasn't just some powerful man.

He was an Alpha. And judging by the way they spoke about him, he was someone with a status far beyond anything she had imagined.

For the first time since arriving, Eliara realized she knew almost nothing about the world she had been dragged into.