Chapter 3

Kaelvyr’s Pov

I stare down the empty hallway where Aurevielle just vanished, my jaw clenched so hard I think my teeth might crack. People do not walk away from me. People do not look at me with eyes full of pure hatred when we have barely even spoken more than a few polite words at pack banquets. 

I am Kaelvyr Draven. The future Alpha of the Draven Pack. Everyone is careful around me, everyone wants my approval, and everyone treats me like I am made of glass and gold.

Except for Aurevielle Soreyn.

Tonight, she looked at me like I was a monster hiding under her bed. And what makes it worse—what makes my mind race and my temper flare—is that I cannot figure out why.

"Kaelvyr?"

I blink, tearing my eyes away from the corner where she disappeared. My beta, Lucas, steps out of the ballroom doorway, wiping a hand across his forehead and looking at me with a confused grin. "Hey man, your parents are looking for you. They want you to talk to the trade delegates from the northern territory."

"Tell them I'll be there in a minute," I snap, my voice colder than I intended.

Lucas stops dead in his tracks, his smile fading. He takes a step back and looks me up and down. "Whoa, chill out. What's wrong with you? Did someone from the rival packs try to start something?"

"No," I mutter, turning on my heel and walking briskly down the hallway to find the fresh air of the terrace. I need to cool down. My head is pounding, and my wolf is acting completely out of its mind.

Deep inside my chest, my wolf is scratching and pacing like a trapped animal. It’s angry. It’s restless. And worst of all, it is howling for Aurevielle.

Shut up, I tell my wolf, dragging a hand through my dark hair as I lean against the cold stone railing of the balcony. She hates us. Didn't you hear the way she spoke to us? She wants nothing to do with us.

My wolf ignores me completely. It only cares about one thing: the sweet, intoxicating scent of jasmine and rain that lingered on Aurevielle’s skin when she walked past me. It is driving me crazy. For months, the elders have been whispering about my future, talking about arranged alliances, elite breeding programs, and finding a suitable Luna to stand beside me. 

They have even whispered about Veylissa, the girl with ties to the southern border, as a traditional match. But my wolf has never cared about any of them. It has stayed quiet, cold, and completely dead inside my chest—until tonight.

Until Aurevielle looked at me with those wide, terrified, angry green eyes.

"Kaelvyr."

I jump slightly, turning around to see my father walking out onto the terrace. He has that heavy, serious look on his face that he always wears when he is about to talk about pack business or money.

"Father," I say, trying to push my annoyance down and put my mask back on. "I was just coming back inside."

"Good," my father says, stopping beside me and looking out over the city lights. "Because we need to talk about your schedule for next month. The university's elite Alpha leadership program is finalizing its roster. I've already spoken with the Soreyn family. They are sending their best, and I want you to request to work closely with their business heirs."

My ears perk up. Aurevielle. She is going to be in that program.

A strange, heavy thrill shoots through my chest, though I try my hardest not to show it on my face. "The Soreyns?" I ask, keeping my voice smooth. "Are you sure that's a good idea? Their daughter, Aurevielle... she doesn't seem very fond of our pack right now."

My father lets out a short, dry laugh. "Aurevielle is a sweet girl, Kaelvyr. She has always been polite. You must be imagining things. Besides, an alliance between our packs will give us complete control over the eastern trade routes. You are the future Alpha. You don't need her to like you; you just need her family's name next to yours."

His words leave a bitter taste in my mouth. You don't need her to like you. Why does that sentence bother me so much? I have never cared about anyone's personal feelings before. Marrying for duty, for power, for the pack—that is what my life has always been about. So why does the thought of Aurevielle looking at me with such cold disgust make my stomach twist into painful knots?

"I'll handle the leadership program, Father," I say tightly. "I'll make sure the alliance happens."

"Good boy," my father says, clapping a heavy hand on my shoulder before turning and walking back inside the warm, noisy ballroom.

I stay out on the cold balcony for a long time, staring up at the dark night sky. My mind keeps replaying the way her voice shook when she told me to stay away. There was real fear in her eyes. Not just anger—fear. Like she knew something terrible about me that I didn't even know about myself.

How can someone be so afraid of a man they barely even know?

The next few days drag by slowly, but my mind is completely stuck on her. When the first day of the university's elite leadership program finally arrives, I pack my bags and head to the residential complex early. The program is supposed to be the ultimate test for young heirs—months of living in the designated campus housing, completing intense business projects, and learning pack diplomacy. Everyone is on their best behavior, trying to prove they are worthy of leading their families one day.

When I walk into the administrative office to check in, the head coordinator looks up from his desk with a look of pure panic on his face.

"Alpha Kaelvyr," the man stammers, standing up quickly and bowing his head. "We... we have a serious problem with the residential assignments."

I raise an eyebrow, crossing my arms over my chest. "A problem? What kind of problem?"

"Well, your reserved Alpha suite was accidentally double-booked due to a database glitch," the coordinator explains, sweating bullets. "And every other luxury apartment in the complex is completely full. There is only one single residential unit left that meets the security and space requirements for high-ranking pack heirs."

"Then give me that one," I say, keeping my voice calm and commanding. "What is the issue?"

The coordinator swallows hard, looking like he is about to deliver a death sentence. "The issue, sir... is that the only remaining unit has already been assigned to Aurevielle Soreyn."

My breath catches in my throat. My wolf instantly wakes up inside me, letting out a loud, victorious roar that echoes through my soul.

Aurevielle and I. Living under the exact same roof.

A slow, dangerous smile spreads across my face. She wanted to run away from me? She wanted to pretend I didn't exist? Well, fate just handed me the ultimate advantage.

"Don't change a thing," I tell the coordinator

smoothly. "I'll take the apartment.”