Five

The corridor was quiet, but my heart thundered everyone had gone to the great hall of the dance ceremony.

I stormed down the marble steps, straight for Aedric caught up with him. I couldn’t stay in the hall any longer, pretending that his betrayal didn’t hurt. My hands clenched into fists at my sides, trembling with anger, with disbelief.

“How could you?” I demanded, voice shaking but loud enough to echo off the walls. “How could you sell me off like I was nothing? Like I didn’t matter?”

Aedric flinched, as if I had struck him, but he didn’t step back. He looked at me with that familiar calm, though today it only made my fury boil higher.

“Sylvara… I had no choice,” he said quietly. His words were calm, careful, but they rang hollow. “You have to understand…”

“Understand?!” I cut him off, my voice rising with every word. “That's your new word now, what is it that I don't understand… the fact that you gave me out like a piss of shit.. Like trash. I thought I mattered to you!@

He swallowed hard, glancing away. “I… I’m sorry. Truly. I didn’t want this for you…”

“Don’t,” I spat, my throat tight. “Don’t say that. You can fix this. You can undo what you’ve done. You’ve ruined everything!”

A sharp noise from the far end of the corridor made me spin around. Shadows shifted, and a figure stepped out. Leaning casually against the wall, arms crossed, dark eyes fixed on us. Kaelen.

I froze. My chest tightened. Every instinct screamed at me to run, but my legs refused to obey.

“Time to go, Slyvara,” he said smoothly, voice low and teasing.

I whirled toward him, fury sparking through my veins. “Don’t you dare call my name!” I shouted.

He shrugged, a faint smirk tugging at his lips. “I call whenever and however I like. Now, let’s not waste time.”

I took a step toward him, heart pounding, voice trembling. “How could you… buy me off? You can’t just…!”

Kaelen leaned slightly, casual, unbothered by my shouts. “You said you wanted to leave this bloody place,” he said. “I’m helping.”

I felt my anger flare even higher. “Helping?” I yelled, almost hysterical. “By buying me like I’m property?”

“Honestly,” he said, tilting his head, his tone calm and deliberate, “my first idea was to kidnap you. But then I saw Aedric’s face…” He smirked faintly. “…and I couldn’t resist.”

Aedric’s jaw tightened. “Kaelen!” he hissed, fury lacing his voice. Then he turned to me, eyes softening, full of guilt. “Be careful of him. His a monster I’ll come get you back when I can. I promise. I’m sorry for all the pain, Sly.”

I clenched my fists so tightly my nails dug into my palms. “I don’t need your pity!” I spat. “And don’t pretend that your promises mean anything. You’ve already betrayed me.”

Kaelen chuckled softly. “Oh, please, brother,” he said, voice smooth and calm. “Don’t make promises you can’t keep.”

I took an instinctive step back, staring at him. His presence made the air feel heavy, oppressive. I could feel the power radiating from him like heat. “I am not going anywhere with you!” I yelled, stamping my foot.

Kaelen’s eyes narrowed. Suddenly, the air shifted, dark and commanding. “Bunny,” he said, voice hard, sharp, leaving no room for argument, “we can either do this the simple way… or the hard way. Your choice.”

I shook my head violently. “No. I refuse. I will not go with you!”

He sighed, as if disappointed in my obstinance, and moved before I could react. One arm was around my waist, the other slid under my knees. I thrashed, kicking and yelling, but it was useless. His grip was iron.

“I warned you,” he said quietly, lifting me onto his shoulder like I weighed nothing.

I shrieked, pounding my fists against his chest, but he didn’t even flinch. He carried me down the corridor, past the open doors, past shocked maids and pack members who quickly looked away.

Outside, the carriage waited, horses stamping, nostrils flaring. Kaelen placed me on the seat, still ignoring my screams and struggles, and climbed in beside me. He adjusted the reins with ease, one hand steady on the leather, eyes forward.

“Where are you taking me?” I shouted again, voice hoarse from screaming.

“Home,” he said casually. “Velkorin. Stormfang Pack. You’ll learn to call it home soon enough.”

My stomach dropped. “Stormfang Pack? Velkorin? You can’t just…”

He ignored me, calm, in complete control. His presence filled the small space of the carriage, leaving no room for argument, no room for resistance.

I pressed my face to my hands, heart hammering, lungs burning. The betrayal, the humiliation, the sheer impossibility of it all was crushing.

“Do you always make people this angry, bunny?” he asked casually, smirking from the corner of the carriage.

I glared at him, shaking with fury. “I hate you.”

“Not yet,” he said lightly. “Give it time. You’ll get used to me.”

The carriage jostled along the uneven road, the city fading behind us. I didn’t know where Velkorin was exactly, but the forested mountains and mist rising in the distance promised nothing comforting.

I pressed my face into the folds of my gown, angry tears sliding down my cheeks. I couldn’t believe it.

I, Sylvara Rynne, the girl who had nothing, had been taken… sold, really… to the most feared Alpha of the northern packs. The one whose name alone sent shivers through the elders’ lips.

I had so many questions. And yet, as the carriage continued through the winding mountain roads toward Velkorin, I realized there was nothing I could do but endure.

The castle came into view before long...dark stone, towers that scraped the sky, walls that seemed impossibly thick. Smoke rose from chimneys, curling into the clouds above. This was his domain, his home, and I was now a part of it.

The horses slowed, and the carriage came to a stop at massive doors guarded by armored wolves. Kaelen didn’t speak, didn’t even look at me. He stepped down, lifted me easily, and carried me inside as though I weighed nothing.

Inside, the halls were vast and dimly lit, tapestries hanging on the walls depicting hunts, battles, and the sigil of the Stormfang Pack... a black wolf with silver eyes. The air smelled faintly of pine, metal, and something rich and alive.

I struggled to breathe. I was trapped. Alone in the world that had just been ripped away my freedom from me, and into the hands of the most ruthless, feared Alpha I had ever known.

Kaelen set me down gently but firmly. “Here we are,” he said softly, almost mockingly, his eyes holding mine. “Welcome to your new home.”

I pressed my hands to my face, shaking, furious, humiliated. “This isn’t my home! I don’t belong here! You…”

He stepped closer, dark eyes still locked on mine. “It will be.”