Sweetest Lie

"This is how I wanted it! You don’t give me orders!"

Alpha Kade’s voice rang out like thunder as he slammed his wine glass down on the table. The glass shattered instantly, the sound sharp and loud in the giant hall. Wine sprayed across the table, dark red and thick, like blood pooling on polished wood. The pieces of glass sparkle everywhere, tiny shards flying in all directions.

Jamil flinched. Jamil is one of his trusted friends with wealth, his trusted wolf His hand lifted halfway, like he was about to block something—even though nothing hit him. But he didn’t step back. He stood still, his face tense. His usual calm and sharp eyes were filled with a mix of fear and stubbornness.

“I’m not ordering you, Alpha Kade,” Jamil said quietly. His voice was steady, but there was a hint of a tremble underneath. “I’m just saying… this isn’t right. It’s not how things should be done. This isn't how we planned it all along”

Before he could say more, Kade cut him off. But not with a shout. His voice was low. Too low. That kind of voice was always worse. It was the type that made your skin crawl and your heart beat faster for no good reason.

“You don’t give orders. Not now. Not ever.”

Kade’s eyes, glowing like molten gold, locked onto Jamil’s. His stare burned, like he could see straight into him. “I’m the Alpha of the Bloodfang pack. What I say… is law.”

He didn’t move. He didn’t need to. His presence alone was crushing. It filled the room, sucked out the air, and made the whole place feel colder. The temperature in the hall dropped. Jamil felt the chill creep into his bones.

Jamil swallowed, his throat dry like sandpaper. He could barely speak. But he knew this side of Kade. Kade didn’t back down once he made up his mind. And anyone who tried to push him… well, they paid for it.

“Alpha Kade, please,” Jamil said, his voice softer now, nearly begging. “She’s just a girl. Barely a woman. This… this isn’t fair. Not to her. Not to someone of that age.”

Jamil glanced at Lucian, sitting to Kade’s right. The table was big, it was big enough for fifteen people—but only three sat around it. Three powerful men. But only one held real power here. Kade.

Lucian was dangerous in a different way. He was the quiet type. The kind that smiled while stabbing you in the back. Jamil had never trusted him even though they were friends.

Lucian let out a laugh. It wasn’t funny. It was the kind of laugh that made you feel dirty just hearing it. He leaned back in his chair, looking far too comfortable. His fingers played lazily with the stem of his wine glass, untouched by Kade’s outburst.

“Young is the best, Jamil” Lucian said, smirking. “Easier to control. Easier to break in.”

Jamil said nothing. His stomach turned. He hated how calmly Lucian said those words. Like it was normal. Like it was okay.

He gripped the edge of the table, holding on tight. His knuckles turned white. He wasn’t surprised—Lucian always had a sick way of thinking—but it still made something inside him ache. A warning. Something bad was coming.

Jamil opened his mouth to speak again, but Lucian raised a hand. Just a simple gesture. But it shut him up instantly. That’s the kind of hold Lucian had. Cold. Silent. Controlling.

Then Lucian spoke, and his voice had changed. It was almost playful now, like a child unwrapping a gift. But it wasn’t a good kind of joy. It was creepy. Wrong.

“Here she is.”

The hall fell dead silent.

All three men turned their heads at the same time, their eyes locked on the hallway entrance.

Kade didn’t say anything. But his jaw clenched. A small twitch gave away how tightly he was holding back. Lucian, on the other hand, grinned wider. Too wide. Like a wolf spotting prey.

Footsteps echoed down the hallway—slow, unsure. You could tell whoever was walking didn’t want to be there. The sound was soft, but heavy, like each step was harder than the last.

First, a long shadow stretched across the marble floor. Then, slowly, the figure appeared.

Lina.

Jamil’s heart stopped for a second.

She looked so small, like he had pictured her. So lost. The maid beside her, the one who had given her the dress earlier, held her arm gently. But there was no real kindness in her touch now. It was fake. Forced. The maid wore a smile that looked like it had been painted on her face. Too wide. Too cheerful. Like this was some party, not a horror show.

Lina looked around the hall with wide eyes, scared and unsure. She looked up at the tall walls, the huge paintings, the giant chandelier above them. She was searching—probably for something familiar. Something safe. But there was nothing here for her. Only power. And danger.

Her steps were shaky. She kept pulling at the sides of her dress, smoothing it, then tugging at it like she wanted to take it off. The cream-colored silk dress was supposed to be beautiful, but on her, it looked like a prison.

She was drowning in this room.

So fragile. So out of place. Like a lamb surrounded by wolves.

Kade’s face didn’t change much. But Jamil noticed the shift. He knew Kade too well not to catch it. The flicker in his eyes. That sharp look. It wasn’t kindness. It wasn't a regret. It was something else. Something dark. Possessive. Dangerous.

Lucian leaned forward. He didn’t take his eyes off Lina. His voice came out soft, smooth, and filled with something dark.

“Welcome to Kade’s household.”