Claimed In Fire.

Kaelen’s POV

The council chamber reeked of politics…perfumed lies dressed as duty. The moment I walked in, I knew something was off. The elders sat straighter than usual, sly smirks hidden behind their fake smiles.

I caught the eyes of Elder Myrin avoiding my gaze, while Elder Varn tapped his fingers on the edge of the table like he couldn’t wait for me to fall into the trap.

“Kaelen,” Elder Mora greeted me with a bow of her head. “Thank you for coming to this meeting on short notice.”

“I didn’t have a choice, did I?” I folded my arms, my eyes flickering from one face to the next. “What’s so urgent that you all called for me?”

Varn cleared his throat, then stood. “We’ve finalized your engagement.” The room fell silent, “My What?”  He smiled, fucking bastard.

“Your engagement has been fixed to marry Lady Avalyne of the Obsidian Claw. The contract was sealed this morning.”

I took one step forward, nothing funny about the tone of my voice. “And who the hell told you to do this without my permission?”

“We did it for the strength of the pack,” Myrin added quickly. “For the future of the Silver Fang. You’ve spent too much time chasing shadows, while your cousin Rael is getting more powerful as the years go by. It’s time to think of your legacy.”

A low growl rumbled low in my throat. “And you thought to make that decision without me.”

“It’s done,” Mora said. “You’ll make the announcement tonight.”

I felt my control gently slipping at the edges, like ice cracking under pressure. I should have ripped every one of them into shreds. I should’ve reminded them what being an Alpha truly meant.

But then—

I caught a glimpse of her staring at the doorway. 

Selene.

Her hair was down, her lips slightly parted in a stunned gasp, her eyes locked with mine and I swear the whole world stopped. She’s heard everything.

Fuck.

I moved to stop her, but she was already gone. I shoved the doors open, storming into the courtyard like a beast unchained. My guards scattered.

“Selene!” I shouted, but I got no answer.

“Aeris!” 

Still nothing.

“Did you see a woman leave with a child?” I asked the guards standing beside the northern path. He hesitated, then pointed in the direction she had gone. “She headed toward the river.”

I shifted before my next breath. My wolf tore from my skin, my paws slamming against the dirt as I ran after her. Trees brushed past me in a blur, and every scent, every noise in the forest became background noise compared to hers.

I finally found her just past the clearing, staggering backwards with Aeris wrapped against her chest. Her breath stopped the moment she saw me. “Don’t come near me,” she hissed.

I shifted back, ignoring her words. “Selene, stop…just listen..”

“You played me,” she spat. “Just like your cousin did. You are all the same.”

“I didn’t know about the damn engagement,” I said, my voice low but sharp. “They did it behind my back.”

She let out a bitter laugh, turning away. “You’re a very good liar.”

“Selene…”

“You let me believe I could trust you,” she said, her voice breaking like glass. “I opened up. I did the damn ritual. I saw things I can’t unsee. I let you close…”

And all this time, you were planning your perfect union with some high-ranking she-wolf while I was just—just another mistake you wanted to keep hidden!”

“Stop it!” I growled, stepping in front of her. “You have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“Don’t I?” she shot back, pushing me hard in the chest. “You’re all the same. Powerful wolves who treat others like disposable pawns.”

“Rael fucking lied to me, used me, marked me like his property, and tossed me aside when I got pregnant. And now you—”

“I’m not Rael!”

“Then prove it!” she shouted. “Choose me. Right here. Right now. In front of your goddess, your ancestors, your damn pack. Choose me, or let me go.”

I stared at her, my chest rising and falling, my heart pounding against my ribs. Gods, she was beautiful when she was furious—flushed, shaking, fire in her eyes.

“You think I don’t want you?” I growled, closing the distance between us. “You think I haven’t fought every damn second not to touch you for years since you walked into my life?”

“Then why didn’t you?” she whispered.

“Because if I touch you…..”

“If I claim you…..I’ll never let you go.”

Her lips parted to speak, but before she could say a word, I closed the distance between us, grabbing her with both hands. She gasped, caught between trying to step back and daring me to move closer.

“Say you don’t feel it,” I whispered in her ear. “

Tell me that your body doesn’t ache when I look at you. Say your heart doesn’t race every time I’m near. Say it,” I demanded, my voice trembling.

She met my gaze—and I saw the tears threatening to spill down her cheeks, but I didn’t let her speak. I crushed my mouth to hers, one hand tangled in her hair, the other holding her like she might disappear. 

She froze for a while before melting into me, fire igniting beneath her skin. Her lips moved against mine, wild and desperate and full of fury. Our kiss wasn’t soft. It was a war.

It was every unspoken promise, every denied truth, every damn moment of tension exploding between us. “I hate you,” she whispered, her breath hot against my mouth.

“No,” I said softly. “You want to.”

Her breath hitched. She looked at me like she didn’t know whether to kiss me again or run.   “You can walk away. I won’t stop you.”

“Or,” I said, quieter now, “you can stay…..and I’ll fight every soul who tries to take you from me. Including my council. Including my damn pack.”

She stepped back, giving me the space I never asked her for, even if it killed me.

“Make love to me Kaelen.”