5

Chapter 5

Kaelion

The scent of fear clung to the walls of the council room like smoke after a fire. It was thick, heavy, and satisfying. I sat at the head of the long wooden table, fingers steepled under my chin, as my pack members fidgeted in their seats, their eyes darting nervously.

None of them dared meet my gaze. Good. They were learning.

“Explain,” I growled, my voice low but deadly enough to make even the most seasoned warriors flinch.

My Gamma, Dax swallowed hard. “Alpha, during the… incident with Seraphina, there was an escape attempt from the prisoners we captured in the last raid.”

I arched a brow. “And?”

Jareth hesitated before clearing his throat. “They were desperate. The guards—”

“Failed,” I finished for him, my voice dripping with disdain. I let the word settle, enjoying the way tension tightened the air. “Kill them all.”

A ripple of unease passed through the room, but no one dared to question me. I leaned back in my chair, watching them, their fear a quiet symphony. “And since you all failed to keep an eye on them, you’ll share the consequences. Six months at the border.”

The younger guards paled, but no one spoke. They knew better.

“Dismissed.”

They scrambled out like rats, and I watched them go, satisfied. Fear was a better motivator than loyalty.

Just as I was about to leave, 

The heavy oak doors creaked open, and Dax stepped into the room. His face was grim, his shoulders squared as if bracing for a storm.

I was already annoyed by his presence. If he had more bad news, he needed to spit it out fast before my patience wore thin.

“What now?” I asked, irritated.

He shifted uncomfortably. That was enough to put me on edge.

“Spit it out, Dax,” I snapped.

He swallowed hard before finally muttering, “It’s Seraphina. She… she tried to escape.”

A low chuckle rumbled from my chest, but there was no humor in it. “Of course, she did.” I leaned back in my chair, fingers drumming against the wooden armrest. “Predictable.”

She had done exactly what I expected. I told the guards to ease up around her at the hospital. Let her think she had a chance. Let her believe we were stupid enough to let our guard down.

She had seen an opening and run—just like the prisoners I had executed minutes ago. My jaw clenched at the thought. I had slaughtered those men without hesitation, yet here I was, discussing her as if she were different.

Because she was.

Dax was still standing there, silent. Annoying.

“There’s more, isn’t there?” I said, my voice deceptively calm.

Dax flinched. He shifted his weight, lips pressing into a thin line.

I was on my feet before I realized it, the chair scraping loudly against the floor. “I don’t have all day, Dax. Speak.”

His throat bobbed as he swallowed. “She’s heading south… toward rogue territory.”

Silence.

A slow, dangerous heat spread through my chest. My fingers curled into fists.

She was a fool. A reckless, stubborn fool.

And I was furious.

I had let her run, knowing I would catch her. But rogue territory? That changed everything. Those savages wouldn’t just hurt her. They would rip her apart, piece by piece, and I—

I wasn’t about to let that happen.

The air in the room grew suffocating. Dax shifted uneasily. He knew better than to speak now.

I exhaled sharply, forcing my hands to relax. When I spoke, my voice was ice. “Get the car ready,” I ordered, my voice a low growl. “We’re leaving now.”

Dax moved immediately.

I rolled my shoulders, trying to dispel the burning frustration coiling inside me. She was testing me. Again.

Fine.

Let’s see how far she got before I dragged her right back where she belonged.