Chapter 4. Goosebumps

The day had come for Killian and the warriors of the Blood Moon Pack to leave for the Night Howl Pack—to bring home a bride he didn’t want. His mood was already foul, but he had no choice. If he refused, his father would threaten—again—to strip him of his inheritance.

A sharp knock on the door made his irritation spike. Seething with anger, he yanked it open, only to find Maya standing there. Her beautiful face was twisted in fury, eyes blazing.

“What the hell am I hearing, Alpha?” she bellowed.

Killian scowled and turned his back on her, striding back into his room in silence. Maya stormed in after him, her footsteps echoing her rage.

“You… you’re getting married?” she demanded.

Killian didn’t respond. He calmly buttoned the collar of his white shirt and began wrapping the tie around his neck, forming the knot with practiced ease.

“So, it’s true,” she said, her voice cracking with hurt. “Your reputation as a playboy outweighs my love. You’re throwing me away after using me.”

Killian’s jaw clenched. In a flash, he closed the distance between them with a speed that seemed to defy light itself, their faces now inches apart—his eyes cold, yet burning with suppressed emotion.

“I’m not throwing you away, Maya,” he gritted out in a low, menacing tone. “But I have to go through with this marriage—for my pack’s sake.”

“So the pack means everything, and I mean nothing?” she asked between sobs, her eyes brimming with tears.

“You mean so much to me, Maya,” he said, looking into her eyes for a brief moment before pulling away and walking over to the vanity table to fix his tie. “But no one—no one—is more important than my pack or my duty as their Alpha. I need a bride to claim my position, and that’s all this is. This marriage means nothing else to me.”

“Then marry me instead,” Maya pleaded desperately, her voice trembling.

“You know my father would never allow it,” Killian replied, his tone cold and indifferent as he looked at her through the mirror. “Just let this happen… and I promise, I’ll make it up to you.”

“What if she comes between us? What if you… forget me after having a wife?” Her lips trembled, her deepest fears pouring out.

“That’s never going to happen,” he growled. “No one has the power to stop me from doing what I want. If she dares to come between us, I’ll make her regret it—with her life.”

He threw on a black tux, and after pressing a brief kiss to her forehead, “I see you later, my love.” And he walked out—his face blank and unreadable.

The door clicked shut behind him.

Maya sat down on his bed, wiping her tears before dramatically rolling her eyes—just as a scheming smile began to curl on her lips. 

“I’ll make your life hell in this pack—so much that you’ll regret marrying my Killian… whoever you are, you bitch,” she hissed under her breath.

When Killian walked down to the grand hall of the pack house, his father and stepmother were waiting for him—alongside his nineteen-year-old half brother, Arthur, and his eighteen-year-old half sister, Rose. His best friend and Beta, Ethan, was also there, dressed sharply in a tuxedo as his best man.

Arthur and Rose would stay back in the pack with Luna Grace, while Alpha James and Ethan were to accompany Killian, along with a group of trusted warriors, to the Night Howl Pack.

Killian didn’t stop to greet anyone. He strode directly outside where a sleek car was already waiting. The others followed him in silence.

After a few hours' drive, they reached the Night Howl Pack. The entire place was beautifully decorated with flower garlands and strings of fairy lights to welcome the Alpha King and his heir. It was a grand occasion.

Alpha George personally came out to receive them and led them to the wedding hall, where the entire Night Howl Pack had gathered to witness the rare and historic event—the wedding of Alpha Killian.

To the pack members, it felt like a miracle. A rare and honorable moment. But Killian’s instincts were sharp, and something felt… off. He gave Ethan a subtle signal and mind-linked his warriors to stay alert at all times.

“You’re overthinking things,” Ethan muttered in a complaining tone. “It’s your wedding day. Come on, relax for once and have a little fun.”

“Shut up, Ethan. You know we’re not here to enjoy ourselves. We have a purpose,” Killian snapped at his best friend.

“Yeah, the very noble purpose of getting yourself a bride,” Ethan muttered under his breath, rolling his eyes.

Killian turned to shoot him a murderous glare, but Ethan quickly offered a sheepish smile, rubbing the back of his neck.

Killian turned his head back, eyes focused ahead, but just as he took a step forward—he collided with someone.

In the next moment, his arms instinctively wrapped around a soft, delicate body whose very proximity sent an electric jolt through him, goosebumps rising across his skin.