Impossible

Chapter Two

Impossible

Ariana stared at Kael in confusion.

“What’s impossible?”

Kael didn’t answer immediately.

His attention remained fixed on the place near her neck where the strange silver glow had appeared moments ago.

Ariana stepped back again. “You’re starting to scare me.”

That finally seemed to pull him back to reality.

His expression hardened almost instantly.

“You imagined it,” he said coldly.

“I didn’t imagine your reaction.”

“You should sleep.”

Ariana let out a disbelieving laugh. “That’s it?”

Kael moved toward the door.

“You’ll need your strength tomorrow.”

“For the wedding I never agreed to?”

He paused briefly but didn’t turn around.

“You should stop repeating that sentence. Nobody here cares.”

Then he left.

The door shut behind him quietly.

Ariana stood frozen in the middle of the room.

Something about that moment felt wrong.

She slowly touched the side of her neck.

Nothing was there now.

No mark, no glow

Yet her skin still felt warm beneath her fingers.

Ariana walked toward the mirror again, pulling her hair aside carefully.

Still nothing.

A sigh escaped her lips.

“Maybe I’m losing my mind.”

After tonight, that honestly seemed possible.

She sat on the bed slowly, exhaustion finally beginning to settle into her body. But every time she closed her eyes, the same broken images returned.

Blood on white floors.

Silver chains.

Someone screaming.

Run.

Ariana opened her eyes immediately.

Her chest rose unevenly.

Why did those visions feel real?

Why did they hurt?

A soft growl suddenly echoed somewhere deep inside her.

Ariana froze.

The sound hadn’t come from outside.

It came from within her.

Her wolf.

Or at least… what remained of it.

Most wolves awakened fully by eighteen.

Ariana was already nineteen.

Yet hers had always been weak, Silent, Broken.

Her stepmother used to call her cursed.

Useless and Unwanted.

Ariana lowered her gaze.

“Are you finally awake?” she whispered quietly.

Silence answered her.

The small hope inside her faded again.

Of course.

Nothing ever answered back.

---

Downstairs, Kael stood alone in his office.

Rain tapped steadily against the tall windows behind him while papers remained untouched across the desk.

His beta, Ronan, entered carefully.

“You sent for me?”

Kael remained silent for several seconds.

Then...

“Close the door.”

Ronan immediately obeyed.

Something about Kael’s tone felt dangerous tonight.

“What happened?”

Kael finally looked at him.

“I saw a moon mark.”

Ronan frowned slightly. “On the girl?”

“Yes.”

“That’s impossible.”

“That’s exactly what I said.”

Ronan crossed his arms slowly. “Are you certain?”

Kael’s jaw tightened slightly.

“I know what I saw.”

Moon marks were rare.

Ancient.

Most people believed they disappeared generations ago.

The mark only appeared within bloodlines connected to the old Alpha families—the original rulers before the kingdom wars destroyed them.

Ariana was supposed to be nobody.

A frightened girl sold by desperate relatives.

Not someone carrying ancient blood.

Ronan spoke carefully. “Could it have been magic?”

“Maybe.”

“Or your mind connecting things that aren’t there.”

Kael’s eyes darkened immediately.

“My mind works perfectly.”

Ronan sighed internally.

Everyone in the kingdom knew Kael had changed after Lyra’s death.

But no one dared say that aloud.

“What are you planning to do?” Ronan asked.

Kael walked toward the fireplace slowly.

“I still want answers.”

“And if she truly knows nothing?”

Kael’s expression remained unreadable.

“Then she suffers for the sins of her family.”

Ronan watched him quietly.

“You used to be better than this.”

The room became still.

Kael turned slowly toward him.

“And you used to know when to stop talking.”

Ronan raised both hands slightly. “Fine.”

But even after the conversation ended, Kael’s thoughts remained fixed on Ariana.

That silver mark.

Those frightened eyes.

And the strange feeling that hit him the moment he touched her wrist.

Something wasn’t right.

---

The next morning arrived too quickly.

Ariana barely slept.

Servants entered her room before sunrise carrying dresses, jewelry, and boxes she didn’t ask for.

“You’ll bathe first,” Martha said gently.

Ariana rubbed her tired eyes. “I’m not wearing any of that.”

“You don’t really have a choice, dear.”

That sentence again.

Everyone in this place loved reminding her she had no control over her own life.

Two women helped prepare the bath while another brushed Ariana’s hair carefully.

Nobody spoke much.

The silence felt heavy.

Finally, Ariana looked at Martha through the mirror.

“Has he always been cruel?”

Martha hesitated.

“The Alpha was different once.”

“What changed him besides his mate dying?”

The older woman’s expression softened sadly.

“Grief changes people.”

“That much?”

“Yes.”

Ariana lowered her gaze quietly.

Part of her wanted to hate Kael completely.

Another part saw something emptier than cruelty in his eyes.

Like someone who stopped caring whether he survived or not.

The thought unsettled her.

“You shouldn’t pity him,” Martha said suddenly.

Ariana blinked. “I didn’t say I did.”

“You looked like you were about to.”

Before Ariana could answer, another servant entered quickly.

“The guests are arriving.”

Martha clapped softly. “Finish dressing her.”

The dress waiting for Ariana was beautiful.

Silver fabric covered with delicate embroidery that shimmered softly beneath the light.

It looked like something meant for a queen.

Not a prisoner.

Ariana stared at herself in the mirror afterward.

She barely recognized the girl standing there.

“You look stunning,” one servant whispered.

Ariana gave a faint smile that never reached her eyes.

“What’s the point if I don’t want this?”

Nobody answered.

---

The ceremony took place inside the estate’s massive ballroom.

Nobles, Alphas, and powerful wolves filled the room.

The moment Ariana entered, whispers spread immediately.

“That’s the girl?”

“She looks too innocent.”

“I heard Kael plans to break her.”

“Serves her family right.”

Ariana kept walking.

Even when humiliation burned through her chest.

At the end of the hall stood Kael.

Dressed entirely in black.

The silver crown resting against his dark hair marked his status clearly.

Alpha King.

Ariana stopped beside him.

“You look miserable,” he said quietly.

“I’m marrying a stranger who threatened to kill me. What expression were you expecting?”

A few nearby guests glanced toward them nervously.

Kael remained completely calm.

“At least pretend to cooperate.”

“Why?”

“Because embarrassing me would end badly for you.”

Ariana looked away.

The ceremony began shortly after.

An elder stepped forward holding the traditional moon blade.

“We gather tonight under the blessing of the Moon Goddess to witness the union between Alpha Kael Draven and Ariana Vale.”

The words barely registered in Ariana’s mind.

Everything felt unreal.

The elder continued speaking ancient vows while servants lit silver candles around the ballroom.

Then came the binding ritual.

“Join hands.”

Ariana hesitated.

Kael extended his hand impatiently.

After a moment, she placed hers in his

The elder used the moon blade carefully across their palms.

Ariana flinched slightly as pain spread through her skin.

Drops of blood touched the silver bowl between them.

Then suddenly...

A sharp pulse exploded through Ariana’s body.

Her breath caught instantly.

The candles around the ballroom flickered violently.

Several guests gasped.

Kael’s grip on her hand tightened.

Silver light flashed briefly beneath Ariana’s skin again.

Stronger this time.

The elder stumbled backward in shock.

“What…”

The entire ballroom fell silent.

Ariana looked around in confusion.

“What’s happening?”

Nobody answered immediately.

The elder stared at her with visible fear now.

“That mark…”

Kael’s voice turned deadly calm. “Finish the ceremony.”

“But Alpha...”

“I said finish it.”

The old man swallowed hard before continuing quickly.

“By blood and moon, the bond is complete.”

Applause slowly filled the room, though uncertainty lingered heavily in the air.

Ariana pulled her hand away immediately.

“What was that?”

Kael leaned closer slightly.

“Smile.”

“What?”

“Everyone is watching.”

Ariana clenched her jaw but forced a faint expression onto her face anyway.

Music soon filled the ballroom as guests began moving again.

But the whispers became louder now.

“They saw it too.”

“Impossible.”

“Could she be...”

Kael suddenly wrapped a hand around Ariana’s waist.

“Dance.”

“I don’t want to.”

“That wasn’t a request.”

Before she could refuse again, he pulled her onto the dance floor.

Ariana stumbled slightly before catching herself.

“You enjoy controlling people, don’t you?”

Kael guided her calmly through the music.

“People are easier to manage when they listen.”

“And what if they don’t?”

His eyes met hers briefly.

“They learn.”

Ariana hated how steady he remained while her entire world felt like it was collapsing.

“What was that silver light?”

“You tell me.”

“I don’t know anything about it.”

Kael studied her face carefully.

For lies.

For manipulation.

But all he found was confusion.

Ariana lowered her voice slightly. “You honestly think I killed your mate?”

“I think your family destroyed my life.”

“That’s not the same thing.”

“No,” Kael agreed quietly. “It’s worse.”

The music slowed around them.

Ariana noticed people still staring.

Watching her.

Fear began crawling beneath her skin again.

“Why are they looking at me like that?”

Kael didn’t answer immediately.

Then...

“Because they think dead bloodlines should stay dead.”

Ariana frowned. “What does that mean?”

Before Kael could answer, a scream suddenly echoed across the ballroom.

Everyone turned instantly.

A servant crashed through the doors, pale and shaking.

“Alpha!”

Kael’s expression darkened immediately.

“What happened?”

The servant struggled to breathe.

“The eastern guards are dead.”

Silence.

Then the servant whispered the next words.

“And someone carved the Vale family symbol into the walls.”