Chapter 10: Kill The Curious Cat.

Kael staggered backward, his powerful frame suddenly unsteady.

He clutched his chest, breathing in sharp, ragged gasps as pain tore through him, sweat gathered at his temples.

With tremendous effort, he dragged himself to the couch and collapsed onto it, his broad shoulders heaving with every labored breath.

Lucas rushed to his side, alarm flooding his face. "Kael! Are you alright?"

"The ring," Kael managed through gritted teeth. "And the wine. Now."

Lucas didn't hesitate. He sprinted to the bar, snatched the ornate ring and a bottle of dark crimson wine they kept specifically for these episodes, and returned within seconds.

He helped slide the ring onto Kael's finger, then poured a generous glass.

Kael drank in long, desperate gulps. Slowly, his breathing began to steady.

The violent trembling in his hands eased as the ring's power settled back into place. He sank against the cushions, eyes closed, chest still rising and falling heavily.

Lucas stood over him, his expression caught between worry and frustration. "How long are we going to keep doing this?" he asked quietly.

Kael's eyes snapped open. "Doing what?"

Lucas gestured toward the ring. "You keep taking it off, and every time you do, this happens. We're losing time and making no progress."

Kael straightened, his expression hardening. "What's your point, Lucas?"

"My point?" Lucas's voice rose. "Look at yourself. How do you expect to find your mate when you refuse to wear the ring? Your health is deteriorating, and you're acting as though none of this matters. It should terrify you."

Kael stood up. "I don't need a lecture. I'm going upstairs."

He turned to leave, but Lucas grabbed his arm. "You're not listening to me. Why do you always dismiss what I say? I'm asking you, just once, to forget that I'm an omega and actually hear me out."

Kael turned slowly, his dark eyes cold. "That is precisely the problem. You're asking me to ignore the very thing that defines the limits of your understanding. You have no idea what I stand to lose if I fail this mission."

Lucas shook his head. "You are ungrateful, and it is your greatest flaw. With the way you treat people, keeping a woman close for even ten days will be nearly impossible. You need to soften."

Kael stepped closer, towering over him. "And this is exactly why I don't listen to you. You're speaking from pure emotion right now. Emotion has no place in serious decisions and you sound no different to me than a woman in the middle of an outburst."

Lucas flinched but held his ground. "Just a woman to you? Then explain why every time that particular woman comes near you, you have these episodes."

Kael went still. A long silence stretched between them as something shifted behind his eyes.

"You're right," he said at last, his voice quieter. "The first time we crossed paths, I felt the beast inside me fighting to the surface. And now it's happening again." He exhaled slowly. "This is insane."

Lucas's frustration softened slightly. "So now it makes sense? I was beginning to think you only saw me as your driver...someone with nothing worth hearing."

Kael regarded him for a long moment. "If I truly didn't value you, I wouldn't speak to you at all, let alone keep you at my side. I know where your loyalty lies, Lucas."

Lucas nodded. "I'm not questioning your appreciation, but your head is cluttered right now, and you're not thinking straight. We need to focus on finding your mate."

"I've already found her," Kael said, sitting back down. "The challenge now is making her fall for me, which shouldn't be difficult because she's clearly drawn to me."

Lucas hesitated. "I know, but her friend... don't you think she could become a problem?"

Kael stared at him, and then something shifted in his expression...the slow recognition of a forgotten warning. "You're right. I hadn't considered that. The Oracle, Lord Zach, told us it wouldn't be straightforward. He said someone would be destined to interfere, to stand between me and my mate and I think she is that person."

"How can we be certain?" Lucas asked carefully.

"She called last night," Kael said, his tone darkening. "She demanded I stay away from her friend. She already knows I'm interested in both of them, think about that."

They held each other's gaze.

"I didn't consider that," Lucas said slowly. "She seems harmless, like she couldn't hurt anyone."

Kael's mouth curved into a cold, dangerous smile. "They always do. Harmless right up until they aren't. She is destined to derail everything and prevent me from completing the ritual and I'm certain of it."

Lucas's eyes widened. "What do you plan to do? Because I don't think she even knows the role she's playing."

"Maybe she doesn't," Kael said evenly. "Maybe she was set on this path without fully understanding it. But knowingly or not, she is doing her part, and I must do mine."

Lucas leaned forward, unease written across his face. "Say it plainly. What are you suggesting? Because I can already feel it's not something I'm going to like."

Kael's voice dropped to a low, measured calm. "We eliminate her. We remove her from the equation entirely, and I complete the ritual without interference."

Lucas let out a short, disbelieving laugh...one with no warmth in it. "You can't be serious. Do you even hear yourself? And have you thought about what that could do to the curse? You just said she might be destined to play a role in your life, what if that role is necessary?"

"Lord Zach said I needed one woman to clear my curse," Kael said flatly. "Not two. One is more than enough."

"We are not killing her," Lucas said firmly. "We are not murdering an innocent woman over a suspicion."

Kael's expression went cold. "Innocent people are used all the time. She may not have been sent by any demon, but what if she's the vessel? The unknowing instrument? If she learns too much about me, she becomes a liability we cannot contain."

Before Lucas could respond, the doorbell rang, sharp and clear through the silence of the penthouse.

Kael's expression shifted into something predatory. "Speak of the devil." His lips curved slowly. "It seems our curious cat didn't leave after all."

Lucas stiffened. "That is not funny. If that's her out there, she heard everything we just said."

"I imagine she did," Kael replied, his eyes going ice-cold. "I slammed the door in her face, and she stayed. She is either very brave or very foolish."

The two men stared at each other, the weight of what had just been said pressing down on the room like a held breath.

If Elara was standing on the other side of that door, there would be no waiting until tomorrow or next week.

Tonight would have to be the night she dies.