Chapter 10 THE UNWANTED TOUCH

The next day at school, the silence in the hallways was deafening, a direct contrast to the noise of the previous week. Everyone knew the story now, and the atmosphere was thick with cautious curiosity. Willow Hayes, the step-witch, was a known liability, and people steered clear.

Sierra, however, was not deterred. She approached me at my locker after the final bell.

"You're meeting him, aren't you?" she hissed, her blue eyes narrowed with jealous suspicion. "He never comes to the cafeteria anymore. He’s always watching your wing of the school. You're trying to use the family bond to get to him."

I met her gaze evenly, applying the calm Kael had taught me. "You're confused, Sierra. Kael Thorne is obsessed with his father's approval. I'm just an unfortunate complication."

My calculated indifference infuriated her. She grabbed my arm, her grip surprisingly strong. "Don't think you've won! The Stormfang family is old. They have rules for disposal. You're a liability, Willow. And you're only still breathing because Marcus hasn't given the command yet."

She echoed Marcus's threat perfectly. She knew more than the average student.

Suddenly, a massive hand clamped down on Sierra's shoulder.

"Let her go, Sierra," Kael’s voice, a low, controlled rumble, was right behind us.

He had broken his confinement and was clearly not running. He looked fresh, powerful, and utterly dominant. He didn't look at Sierra; his amber eyes were locked onto my face, checking the status of the bond.

Sierra spun around, her face twisting into a furious, panicked mask. "Kael! I was just asking her why she keeps stalking you!"

Kael didn't dignify that with a response. He maintained a grip on her shoulder that was firm enough to convey a silent, brutal warning.

"Willow," he said, using my name with a low, possessive tone that made the bond flare with warmth - a public sign of his claim, meant only for Sierra. "We have to go. My father is expecting us for dinner."

He released Sierra, who stumbled back, her eyes wide with shock and humiliation. Kael then placed his hand on the small of my back, a firm, possessive touch that guided me away from the lockers. It was the first time he had deliberately touched me in public since the growl.

The action was purely political, a necessary violation of my personal space to uphold the dangerous lie that we were a united front.

"What was that?" I whispered, my cheeks burning as we walked down the now-silent hallway, students staring.

"That was me establishing the hierarchy," Kael murmured against my ear. "She knows I'm restricted, but she needs to be reminded of who I am, and who you are to me. She won't touch you again."

We reached the school doors. Instead of turning toward the bus loop, Kael led me toward a sleek black sports car idling near the curb.

"Get in," he commanded softly, opening the passenger door.

"What about my mom?"

"She knows Marcus is testing us. We're having dinner with him alone tonight. He needs to see the bond's stability up close," Kael explained. He looked serious, worried. "Tonight is the true test, Willow. We have to convince the Alpha that his future is safe with a human Mate."

I slid into the car, the scent of him and the musky leather of the seats surrounding me. The fear was back, sharp and potent. Tonight, the political game moved out of the shadows of the school and into the heart of the fortress. I was about to have dinner with the man who had just finished running his son ragged because of me, and who had promised to eliminate me if I failed to serve his Pack's purpose.

The Mate bond was humming a steady rhythm now - calm, focused, and ready for battle.