X3

"You rejected a mating contract with an Alpha of the Nightfang bloodline?" Kael asked, his voice low and vibrating with an intensity I couldn't quite place. "Wait... which one?"

"The Alpha of the Nightfang Citadel himself," I said, my pulse thrumming with the high of my own rebellion. "As far as I’m aware, he’s the only high-tier Alpha currently on the throne who isn't a hundred years old or completely feral."

"Acacik, please," Elder Selene sighed, though she looked more entertained than annoyed.

"Look, the Alpha of the Ironfang pack shares his sleeping quarters with a pet scavenger and keeps a literal menagerie of wild beasts in his penthouse," I said, leaning back. "You can't tell me that's the kind of stability the High Luna Court expects."

"Perhaps he spent too much time in the debauched courts of the Southern Wilds," Kael remarked, his eyes tracking my every movement.

"Exactly. Even for a High Alpha’s circle, that’s unhinged. And the Alpha of the Perin Pack once challenged his own Beta to a death-duel over a spilled flagon of mead. The rumors from their pack logs are—"

"Enough," Selene cut in, though her eyes twinkled. "As you say, Kael is truly the only eligible High Alpha of standing left in the northern territories."

"Eligible," Kael repeated under his breath, reaching for a piece of dried venison.

"It’s an auction, after all," I said, grabbing a handful of nuts. "And if you’re looking for a legacy mate, the talent pool in the Great Hall is pretty shallow. More water, Kael?"

"Thanks." He passed his canteen over, his fingers brushing mine. A spark of static—or something deeper—shot up my arm. He was surprisingly steady. "But apparently, you aren't looking for a partner of that caliber, Acacik."

"I don't have an issue with the idea of a mate, Kael. I just don't like that one. And I seriously hate being told my entire future was bartered away before I even grew my adult fangs. It was a shock."

"What's so bad about the Nightfang heir?" Kael asked. "I haven't heard any stories about him challenging his Beta over spilled mead."

"I met him once." My jaw tightened instinctively. "He was stuck-up, loud, and his ego was larger than the Citadel itself."

"He was a pup then," Selene pointed out. "How old was he?"

I felt Kael watching me closely. I probably looked like a cornered wolf—my mahogany hair a tangled mess from the escape, my clothes smelling of the road—but I didn't flinch. I wasn't some fragile omega meant to be kept in a gilded cage. I had height, the lean muscle of a scout, and a mouth that had outrun my common sense for years.

"Fourteen? Sixteen?" I guessed. "I was barely ten."

"Pups are all disasters at that age," Selene said firmly. "I’ve mentored five Alphas, and they all went through a phase of being noisy hooligans before their bones finished growing. Most of them turned into decent leaders." She winked at Kael. "Right, Kael?"

"I’d like to think so, Elder," he replied, his gaze never leaving mine. "The Alpha might be a different man now, Acacik. You haven't seen him in years."

"I haven't. Apparently, he figured his 'mating business' was signed and sealed, so he just ignored me. Aside from that one meeting where he basically shredded my self-esteem, I haven't seen him. I hear he’s been playing the silver-tongued diplomat in the High Council City, probably doing the High King’s dirty work," I said with a sneer.

"The jerk," Kael said. The way he said it made the hair on my arms stand up. He shifted his weight, his presence suddenly filling the small den. "How exactly did he insult you?"

The humor left my face. "He gave me a label. A nickname. He thought it was hilarious. I didn't."

"On behalf of every arrogant Alpha who was a moron as a teenager, I apologize," Kael said. His voice was thick, resonant, and he sounded like he actually meant it.

"Thanks, Kael." I let a small smile slip.

"So, what’s the play, Acacik?" Selene asked. "Your cousin Elowen is expecting you at Valeheart. The moment that transport arrives at the manor without you, she’s sending a raven to your parents."

"I'm weighing my options," I said. "I’ll send a messenger to Elowen and apologize, and I suppose I have to tell my parents where I am. I don't want the High Luna Court breathing down your neck for harboring a runaway, Selene."

"How did you even pull this off if the Enforcers were driving?" Kael asked.

I couldn't help but grin. "When we hit the Granthorn border, I faked a moon-fever. I got them to stop at the Angelclaw Waystation so I could 'recover' in a darkened room. As soon as Maera was settled, I left enough gold for the bill, grabbed my pack, and slipped out the window. I hitched a ride with a merchant caravan heading north, then bribed the driver to double back and drop me at your secret trail."

"The merchant will probably take another bribe to tell them where you went," Kael noted.

"Maybe, but I just needed a head start. I’m notifying my parents now. I don't want them calling the Sentinels. Well... not yet," I corrected.

"Very thoughtful," Kael said dryly.

"I’m trying," I snapped back. "But this is my life. My freedom. Why should I just sit there and accept a blood-oath I never signed? This is the modern age, Kael. We aren't ancient tribes trading livestock. Why should I be miserable for the sake of a border alliance?"

Kael opened his mouth to argue, but I pressed on. "How would you feel? Having your mate chosen by a council of old men who haven't felt a heartbeat in fifty years?"

"Everyone has pressure," Kael countered. "A sentinel's son is pressured to guard. A healer's daughter is pressured to mend. An Alpha heir has duties. That includes finding a mate of equal blood. He can't just walk away and mate with a lone wolf from the outskirts."

I scoffed. "Don't tell me a warrior of your standing would let himself be forced into a bond with someone he couldn't stand. And as for your 'Alpha heir,' he gets to pick and choose from the best prospects at the Solstice Rites."

"Acacik, honey," Selene murmured.

"I'm sorry, Selene. I meant the gathering of 'well-bred' pups pretending to enjoy being scrutinized like prize horses," I corrected.

"You don't like the Rites?" Kael asked.

"The feasts and the music are fine," I admitted. "But you can't be yourself. You can't just decide you want to stay in your furs and read a scroll or go for a midnight run through the pines. You have to be perfect. You have to smile for the Elders and watch every word while talking to Alphas who don't give a damn about who you actually are."

Was it bold to talk to a stranger like this? Probably. But something about Kael Shadowfang made me feel like the truth was the only thing worth saying.

How long do I have before my father's Enforcers track my scent to your door, Selene?