Chapter Three: The War He Promised

Meeva's pov

He came with the sound of horns blowing across the valley, with a sea of warriors cloaked in black and steel, standing tall beneath the rising sun.

Kael had declared war.

And just like he promised, he hadn't come alone.

From the bedroom window, I saw them, rows upon rows of the Brawnstorm Pack lined like a force of nature. At their helm was Kael, his eyes locked on the gates of Jared's estate like a predator ready to strike.

A sense of warmth and also anxiety filled me.

What if he went too far?

All for what, me?

A common omega?

A loud bang rang from the east gate. The clash of metal and roars of wolves shifting echoed through the morning air. My heart thudded in my chest, terror flooding my veins as the first wolf who lunged towards Kael got cut down like a piece of meat.

____

Wolves are savage creatures, it's in our blood. More so in the Alphas. But the things I had witnessed today cleared all doubt, the Brawnstorm pack indeed invented brutality.

But I was grateful that he spared the lives of those who didn't engage him. I ran to the window and shouted at the top of my voice. And somehow through all the noise and smoke, he had heard me.

"I've come to take her with me," he said, covered in blood and guts as Jared lay in front of his feet. In our pack it wasn't customary that the Alpha engaged in war so Jared didn't really learn the ways of combat. It was evident because he had tried to run.

But still his pride wouldn't let him back down. Again.

Even with his face buried in the dirt, blood pooling beneath him, Jared growled up at Kael like a cornered dog.

"She is my wife!" he spat, "You think you can just come in and take what belongs to me, you want to make a mockery of me?!"

Kael didn’t flinch. His boot pressed closer to Jared’s chest.

“You had her, you didn't do enough to keep her."

Jared coughed, snarling, but his limbs trembled under the weight of Kael's foot.

I stood at the edge of the balcony, my hands gripping the railing as if it could anchor the chaos inside me. The battle was over. The war had lasted less than an hour with minimal casualties because he listened to me, and showed mercy.

His eyes met with mine and he leaped into the distance, leaving Jared there.

He came up and opened the door.

Kael stood there, his broad frame casting a long shadow across the floor. Blood stained his shirt and sleeves, but his expression was calm, too calm for someone who had just painted a battlefield with dominance. His eyes softened the moment they landed on me again.

"Are you hurt?" he asked.

I shook my head, though my throat tightened. I hadn’t spoken since I saw Jared fall. I hadn’t moved since I heard Kael growl that I was his. That I was not property. That I was worth coming for.

He stepped into the room without waiting for permission. "My apologies, if I had known you were watching I wouldn't have engaged immediately."

"It's....I, I'm not sensitive to.... blood."

He let out a sigh of relief, his fingers coming up to arrange my hair strands. My knees nearly buckled the moment he touched me. He caught me before I could hit the ground, one arm circling my waist, the other cradling the back of my head.

"Tell me he didn't touch you after I left." he murmured against my hair.

I buried my face into his chest,

"No, he just locked me up."

Kael's jaw clenched. I could feel it against my cheek, the way his body tensed at my words. His arms tightened around me, not possessively, but protectively.

"He’ll never touch you again," he said, "I swear it."

I nodded, gripping the back of his bloodied shirt. The scent of iron clung to him, yet somehow, it made me feel safer than Jared’s cologne ever had.

I had no tears left, only the weight of exhaustion and the strange comfort of finally being seen. I was still a bit apprehensive though, my wolf trusted him. But did I?

He pulled back slightly, just enough to tilt my chin and look into my eyes.

"Are you ready to leave this place?"

My gaze flicked around the room, our bedroom. My prison. The silk curtains Jared liked. The mirror he made me avoid. The rug I once cried into. It was all hollow.

“Can I trust you?” I asked quietly, barely above a whisper.

Kael didn’t hesitate. He placed one hand over his chest, just above his heart, and the other over mine.

“I swear on my blood and my title, never to harm you willingly, not by hand, word, or silence."

It wasn’t the oath that convinced me. It was the way his voice shook, just slightly, like he meant every word.

My wolf stirred. He means it, she whispered. He is safe. So, I took the leap.

“Yes,” I said. “I’m ready to leave-"

The door behind us busted open. I spun around too slowly.

Jared came lunging in, blood streaming down his face. A dagger was lodged in the side of his head, crooked and horrifying, but somehow, he was still moving. Still alive. With a roar, he surged forward, the blade in his hand aimed straight for Kael’s neck.

“Kael!” I screamed.

Kael moved fast, too fast for a dying man to match. He caught Jared mid-lunge, twisted his arm until a bone cracked, and slammed him against the wall.

The dagger clattered to the floor.

Jared didn’t scream. He just snarled, still trying to fight.

“Attempting to kill an Alpha carries a death sentence,” Kael growled.

I rushed forward with my heart pounding.

“Don’t,” I said. “Please, Kael.”

He didn’t look at me. His hand was around Jared’s throat, lifting him off the ground.

“He is not worth it,” I said, louder now. “Let him beg for your mercy instead, please."

Jared, gasping, teeth stained red, still glared at me with hate.

“I said beg,” I snapped.

He refused, shaking his head. But Kael slammed him against the wall again and his pride cracked then. His knees gave out and he pleaded for his life.

Kael dropped him to the floor like discarded trash.

I turned my gaze on Jared one last time. “I reject you, Jared. Our marriage is dissolved. You no longer hold power over me, not by law, bond, or blood.”