CHAPTER 6

RAINE

I sat still at the edge of the bed, my back facing Killian. The chandelier hanging from the ceiling swayed slowly, stirred by the night breeze sneaking in through the small window above the bed. The room felt suffocating. Like a cage.

Then I heard Beta Jax's voice delivering news of war to Killian.

I froze. War? But... why should I be surprised?

I shouldn't be. I shouldn't care. It's not my responsibility.

I thought… whatever. Let them go to war. I don’t care.

But still, my body couldn't lie. My palms were cold. My back was stiff.

I heard Killian's voice, flat and firm—cutting through the night air like a blade.

"Tighten the palace security. Deploy rogues from the northern clan to guard the borders. If they strike first, we strike back. Until death."

Jax answered shortly. "Understood, Alpha."

Then his footsteps faded away, fast, firm, disappearing into the hallway.

The door was closed again.

I took a slow breath, almost as if I was afraid he might hear it.

Without a sound, Killian walked toward me. My breathing changed rhythm instantly without me realizing. He was standing close. I could smell his distinct masculine scent…the scent of pine forests.

Then he spoke, his voice cold and emotionless. "You will stay here tonight. I’ll lock the door from the outside."

I stood up immediately, turning to face him.

"What do you mean?" I asked, my voice rising. "You want to lock me up like a prisoner?"

My eyes locked onto his, and for a second, his eyes blinked slowly, as if weighing his answer. But he didn’t offer an explanation. He simply walked to the table, picked up the leather belt where his long sword hung, and fastened it around his waist.

He was getting ready for battle. Or at least, to defend his territory from a threat.

I stepped forward, grabbing his arm. "You can’t just—!"

I really didn’t want to be locked in this room. Not knowing when he would return.

"What the hell? You’re locking me in here? You want me to die? What if you don’t come back for 24 hours?!?" I said, trying to hide my frustration.

But he turned to me, and his voice struck the space between us like a low, warning growl.

"You are my Luna. My mate. You belong to Shadowfang now, and you belong to me. You’re my responsibility. You stay here."

His words were like a whip. Not because of what he said… but because of how he said it. Cold. Possessive. Like I was an object.

I couldn’t speak. My lips parted, but no sound came out. My eyes widened slightly. Inside, I screamed. But my body couldn’t fight.

For a moment, just a moment, I felt myself tremble. Not because I was afraid of him—I wasn’t afraid of Killian. But because I feared... the feelings that started to stir again without my permission.

Yeah, my wolf loved him too much and would easily submit to Killian. I hated that.

Killian stared at me for a long time. Then, for some reason, his expression changed slightly. Not as hard as before. As if he realized he had crossed a line. His gaze softened. Calmed. Then he looked away and walked toward the door.

Without saying another word, he stepped out… and locked the door from the outside. The sound of the click was quiet, but it hit my heart like thunder.

I stood there, frozen.

I wanted to be angry. I wanted to cry. But all I did was sit back down at the edge of the bed, staring at the body pillow that still marked the boundary between us.

***

How long have I been sitting here?

Maybe fifteen minutes. Or half an hour. But it felt like hours. My chest was tight, my mind spinning in circles with no destination. The ticking of the clock on the wall grew louder, as if counting down the seconds of my patience.

I couldn’t sleep. Couldn’t sit still.

Suddenly… I heard a commotion outside. Far down the hallway. The sound of fast footsteps, shouting servants, and something falling. I stood up, tense.

What’s happening?

The noises were unclear, panicked voices, crashing sounds. But I could feel it. This wasn’t a normal disturbance. This was… more than that.

I walked to the door. Knocked hard.

"HELLO! Anyone out there? What’s going on?!"

No answer.

I pounded the door harder. "Please! Someone! ANYONE!"

Still silence.

I paced around the room, panic creeping into my bones like cold mist. Not because of the war. Not because of the lock on the door. But…

“Mom…” I whispered without thinking.

My heart pounded faster. In the middle of all this chaos, only one thing came to mind—where is Mom?

I bit my bottom lip, trying to hold back tears that suddenly threatened to fall. Not because I was weak. But because of the fear that hit me without warning.

Mom... the only reason I survived in this house back then. The only one who protected me when I was a child, when Killian and his friends used to mock and tease me. She was the one who secretly hid me in the back kitchen when my stepfather—Markus, the old Alpha—was furious because of some complaint from a servant.

And now… I had no idea where she was.

Did she know about this war? Was she safe?

“What if something happened to my Mom? What if they’ve already attacked the inner palace? Why am I locked up in here?!”

I ran to the window. But it was sealed with strong metal bars from the outside. I couldn’t see anything but the dark night sky and the occasional flicker of torchlight from the palace courtyard below.

I gritted my teeth. I couldn't let this continue.

If he wouldn’t let me out… then I’d find my own way. I had to know where my mother was. I didn’t care who attacked. I didn’t care who won.

Right now, I only wanted one thing—my mom had to be safe.