Chapter Five: Kael

The word reverberated inside me as my eyes widened in shock.

Mate.

Alpha Mich’s piercing gaze did not waver. His ocean blue eyes bored into mine, as if they were tearing through every layer of my soul. He took a slow step toward me, and another, until the space between us seemed to collapse beneath the weight of something unexplainable. The air crackled, charged with a magnetic pull I could not resist no matter how much I tried.

And in that chilling moment, I realized the impossible.

The ruthless, fearsome Alpha Mich… was my fated mate.

"So you’re the one," he said at last, his voice low, edged with disbelief. The words escaped his lips as though torn from somewhere deep inside him, as though he had been waiting for this moment but dreaded it all the same.

He felt it too.

I couldn’t speak. My lips parted, but no words came. I only stood there trembling, torn between fear and the bond pulling me toward him like a moth to fire. My heart hammered painfully in my chest. Sold to a fearsome Alpha, now bound to him by fate? Nothing could have prepared me for this.

"Damón!" Alpha Mich suddenly called out, his eyes never leaving mine.

A man hurried into the sitting room, bowing slightly.

"Take her to the guest room," Alpha Mich ordered.

The guard blinked in surprise. "Guest room? Alpha, we bought her to work. Shouldn’t she be taken to the workers’ quarters instead of—"

The sound of a slap cut through his words. Alpha Mich’s hand had landed on his cheek with such force that Damon staggered.

"Do not refer to her like that," Mich said sharply, his tone dripping with authority that chilled the room. "She is more important than you. Now do as I say."

Damon lowered his head in silence and quickly led me away, his hand gripping my arm though not as roughly as before. He ushered me up the winding stairs and into a lavishly decorated guest chamber. My eyes widened at the sight. Velvet curtains framed tall windows, golden chandeliers glimmered faintly above, and the bed was so soft that when I sat, I sank into it like a cloud.

I should have felt relieved. But all I felt was confusion.

I couldn’t believe Alpha Mich was my fated mate.

"He is your fated mate, Aria," Karina, my wolf, howled inside me, her voice vibrating with excitement and certainty.

"I was sold to him," I whispered back. "He’s my captor. I don’t know if he even feels the bond the way I do."

"He does," Karina insisted. "He even said it. Remember his words: ‘So you’re the one.’ He feels it, Aria. He even shut his guard up when he tried to call you a slave. He’s already protecting you."

I buried my face into the pillow, rolling restlessly on the bed. "But I’m afraid," I admitted, my voice shaking. The weight of the unknown pressed down on me until my chest hurt.

Just then, the door creaked open. My heart leapt in panic.

It was him. Alpha Mich.

He stepped inside, silent but commanding, holding a neatly folded black dress draped over one arm, a pair of sleek heels dangling from his other hand, and a set of glittering jewelry.

"Today is the Embermoon Pack anniversary," 

"I got these for you, hope you'll fit in it" he said flatly, tossing the garments onto the bed.

"Wolves from far and near will be attending. You’ll serve at the party. Only the Alphas I will be meeting with."

His tone was final. No room for argument.

Before I could respond, he turned on his heels and walked out, leaving me staring at the elegant dress in shock.

"Serve Alphas?" I whispered under my breath as my hands trembled over the fabric. Fear pooled in my stomach. "What if… what if Kael is there?"

I quickly got dressed. The gown hugged me perfectly, the silky material clinging to my curves as if it were made for me alone. The heels added a graceful height, and the jewelry shimmered when I slipped them on. I pulled my hair into a neat ponytail, trying to steady my nerves.

When I stepped out, Alpha Mich was waiting. He was dressed impeccably in an outfit that radiated power, a dark aura that silenced even the air around him. But when his eyes fell on me, something shifted. His gaze swept over me slowly, lingering on my curves, tracing every line of me.

"You look beautiful," he said simply.

I froze at the words. This was the Alpha the entire pack feared, the ruthless king no one dared to cross. Yet here he was, admiring me: his captive. Was it truly me he saw, or was it only the bond tugging at his soul?

"Let’s leave," he commanded, and together we headed to the waiting car.

---

The Embermoon Pack’s grand hall was breathtaking. Crystal chandeliers shimmered like fallen stars, red velvet curtains cascaded from ceiling to floor, and tables glistened with silver and gold. The scent of roasted meats and spiced wine filled the air. Men in tailored red suits filled the room, Alphas of power and wealth, their dangerous smiles and cold eyes watching everything.

Alpha Mich moved through them without flinching. He walked straight to the high table and sat, a king reclaiming his throne. Every Alpha in the room seemed to acknowledge his presence, though no one dared challenge him.

I stood by the wall, clutching the tray in my trembling hands, trying to steady my breath.

Then… I began to serve.

Wine poured carefully into crystal glasses. Dishes set down with precision. Napkins folded neatly on polished plates. But I could feel it, the weight of their eyes on me. Some gazes burned with curiosity, others with interest, and some with a darkness that made my skin crawl. They whispered, lips curling as they studied me.

I wasn’t invisible anymore.

"Come serve at the other end," a voice called.

I obeyed, moving carefully across the glittering hall, my heels tapping against the marble floor. And then… my heart stopped.

My eyes locked on a face I had prayed never to see again.

Kael.