MasukKaelThe heavy doors of the auditorium swung wide, and the scent of thousands of lilies hit me like a sucker punch to the gut. This was fucking real, too real. The room was beautiful, draped in white silk and gold thread, illuminated by the soft, flickering glow of a thousand candles that were irrelevant due to the sun, but added to the aesthetics. It was exactly the kind of ceremony an Alpha deserved, but as I stepped onto the soft carpet of the aisle, it felt like I was walking toward my own execution.I kept my back straight and my chin up, walking gently to the song strummed from the piano. The whispers carried on, the faces of women flushing as they made eye contact with me. My boots made no sound on the fabric, but in the room, my heartbeat felt like a drum. I reached the altar and turned to face the crowd. My eyes immediately found Alpha Xerxes in the front row.He was leaning back in his chair, a look of pure satisfaction on his face. When our eyes met, he didn't look away; i
KAELThe two days leading up to the ceremony were a blur of noise and color that I wanted no part of. Outside my study, the pack house sounded like a construction site. I could hear the constant thumping of hammers, the shouting of decorators, and the rustle of heavy silk being moved through the halls. The entire pack was abuzz and it sickened me that I was supposedly the center of the conversation.To them, it was an alliance that would seal the security of the pack for ages, but they didn't know that I was walking toward the edges of my freedom.I spent most of those forty-eight hours locked in my office, staring at the walls. I tried as hard as I could to avoid seeing her within those periods, I didn't want to bump into her or have her say anything that would piss me off.The whispering were the worst part of it, the chatter from the pack member about how exciting it was, how was this exciting? How was being shoved into something against your will, exciting?Every time I closed my
KAELMy chest still rose and fell sporadically, the sound of victory courisgg through my veins. The win was exhilarating, watching as life drained from the eyes of the very man who had tried to kill me through dubious means. It took every ounce of self control not to spit on his limp body as I walked past him.But as custom demanded, after every duel came the council meeting to analyze the entire scenario. But I doubted tha5 anyone would disagree with what had happend today. Not because they were afraid of me, but because Donald was a fucking douche and everyone agreed.I flexed my knuckles and whip of sharp pain tore through my hands, I cast my eyes to see the split skin that has caked blood. For the first time after the fight, I could see the state of my body. There was an ugly shade of purple that seemed to deepen as the seconds clocked away. It should heal in minutes. I cast my eyes back to the elders who had convened the meeting.Elder Xavier was the first to speak. He cleared hi
KaelThe clearing was so silent I could hear the blood dripping from my chin onto the dry earth, each drop felt like life was oozing out of my pores. I didn't have time to think about what was going through the heads of the pack members but I knew one thread was constant.What the fuck was happening?I couldn't answer that question because everything happened so fast. One minute was standing, the next Donald lunged at me and hit me so fast everything rocked violently.I was on the ground, my vision swimming like I was on a Ferris wheel that was slowly gaining momentum. I could barely walk a straight line, it felt like I was drunk when I had never in deed gotten drunk before because of my quick metabolism.My body felt like lead, while my muscles refused to cooperate with me. I couldn't move, it felt like the weight of the world was on my bones, pushing my head into the ground.Donald stood over me, his chest heaving not from exhaustion, but from the sheer adrenaline of victory. He loo
KaelThe door to my room slammed open once more, the vibration coursing through the entire room and pulling me from my slumber. My eyes snapped open, but the world didn't sit still. My head throbbed and buzzed with the same uncertainty and confusion that was there a few minutes ago."Kael! Get up! What the hell is wrong with you?" Drew’s voice was a roar of pure panic. He was over me in a second, ripping the heavy blankets off my body. He pushed at my shoulders, the consistent movement pushing the drowsiness off me.I tried to sit up, but my head felt like it was filled with lead. My tongue was thick, and my throat was parched. "What... what time is it?" I croaked."It’s nearly dusk, Kael! You’ve been out for twelve fucking hours," Drew shouted, grabbing my shoulders and shaking me. Twelve hours? That’s…how did it take that long?"The duel starts in less than thirty minutes. Silas and the elders are already at the field. The entire pack is waiting. They think you’ve tucked tail and ru
KaelIt was almost like when I finally closed my eyes to sleep, the bright light tore through the blinds, soaking into my eyes. I winced and rolled over to the other end. I could barely get any sleep last night every time I closed my eyes, I saw the needle piercing Darius’s skin or the pale, convulsing mess he had become on my floor.A sharp knocking at my door made my head throb. Before I could even growl out a command to stay away, the door swung open.Elena marched in and the scent of food filled the entire room. My eyes fluttered open just a bit and I caught her carrying a silver tray laden with eggs, toasted bread, and a steaming cup of coffee. She had traded her emerald gown for a silk robe that whisked behind her, and she carried a soft smile.What does she want again? I groaned and shoved my head into the pillow, I’m in no mood to entertain her and her tricks this time around."Good morning, Kael," she said, lowering the tray just beside my bed, "I thought you might need your







