CHAPTER 3: THE GOLDEN CAGE AND THE SOUTHERN THREAT

ELENA

The royal pack limousine was a fortress of black leather and tinted glass. Across from me sat Kaelen, his massive arms crossed over his chest, his golden eyes tracking every single breath I took.

Leo and Lily had finally fallen asleep, curled against my sides. My arms ached from holding them so tightly. I looked out the window as the crumbling brick walls of the human slums melted into the towering, pristine glass skyscrapers of the Lycan Citadel.

"They need proper beds," Kaelen said suddenly, his deep voice slicing through the silence. "Tomorrow, the royal physicians will examine them. They will have the best tutors, the best protection, and the finest clothes."

"They had a good life," I snapped, keeping my voice low so I wouldn’t wake the twins. "They were happy."

Kaelen let out a harsh, mocking laugh. "They were hiding in a rat-infested apartment in the human sector, Elena. You kept the heirs to the Northern Pack crown eating cheap noodles."

"You don't want them, Kaelen," I whispered, the old pain burning in my throat. "You just want control."

In a flash, Kaelen moved. He slid across the leather seat, his massive frame crowding me into the corner of the limousine. He didn't wake the children, but his large hand gripped my chin, forcing my face up. His thumb brushed over my lower lip, pressing hard enough to make me gasp.

"Do not mistake my protectiveness for a game, Elena," he growled, his face inches from mine. His scent of cedar and rain filled my senses, making my heart race. "I want my children. And I want you. You are going to learn your place in my palace And your place is beneath me."

My body traitorously flushed at his words, a heat blooming deep in my belly. I wanted to bite his fingers, but the limousine suddenly slowed to a stop.

The door opened. We weren't at the main palace gates. We were in a private VIP garage.

"My Lord," a Beta guard said, bowing low. "The Council has already arrived for the emergency summit. And... the Southern delegate is waiting in the grand foyer."

Kaelen’s jaw clenched so hard a vein popped in his neck. His eyes flashed an angry silver. "Tristan is already here?"

"Yes, Alpha King."

Tristan. The name hit me. Tristan was the Alpha of the Crescent Moon Pack, the ruler of the Southern territories. Three years ago, when Kaelen had rejected me and left me bleeding in that alleyway, it was Tristan who had found me. He had helped me escape to the human sector. He had kept my pregnancy a secret from Kaelen.

Kaelen looked down at me, his eyes narrowing as he noticed my sudden paleness. "You know him," Kaelen stated, his voice dangerously soft.

"He... he helped me once," I stammered.

Kaelen’s aura exploded, thick and suffocating with territorial rage. He scooped up Leo into one arm and grabbed my waist with the other, practically lifting me out of the car. A female pack nanny immediately stepped forward to gather Lily.

"If he touched what is mine, I will tear his throat out," Kaelen snarled into my hair.

We walked through the corridors of the palace, entering the grand foyer. Standing near the massive marble fireplace was a man who looked like the complete opposite of Kaelen's brutal elegance.

Tristan was tall, lean, and effortlessly handsome, with sun-kissed skin and piercing emerald-green eyes. He wore a sharp grey suit, his long silver hair tied back neatly. He looked more like a deadly corporate prince than a wild wolf.

The moment we walked in, Tristan’s green eyes locked onto me. His nostrils flared as he caught my scent, and a look of intense, protective worry crossed his face.

"Elena," Tristan breathed, taking a step forward.

Before he could take a second step, Kaelen was in front of him. Kaelen handed Leo to a waiting guard and stepped directly into Tristan’s space. The two massive Alphas stood chest-to-chest, the air between them vibrating with deadly energy.

"You are a guest in my territory, Tristan," Kaelen growled, his voice a low, vibrating warning. "Keep your eyes off my mate."

Tristan didn't back down. He tilted his head, a smooth, mocking smile playing on his lips, though his eyes remained deadly serious. "Your mate, Kaelen? The last time I checked, you threw her out like trash. You rejected her bloodline. If I remember correctly, I was the one who took care of her when she had nowhere else to go."

Kaelen’s wolf roared. The sound echoed off the high ceilings, causing the human servants to drop to their knees in terror. Kaelen grabbed Tristan by the lapels of his expensive suit, his fangs fully extending.

"She is my Queen," Kaelen hissed, his grip tightening. "And if you ever speak to her, look at her, or breathe her scent again, I will declare war on the South and paint my palace walls with your blood."

Tristan didn't look afraid. Instead, his green eyes flicked past Kaelen’s shoulder, locking directly onto mine. He gave me a subtle, reassuring nod.

"We'll see about that, King Kaelen," Tristan whispered smoothly. "The Council meeting hasn't started yet. And a human Queen requires the approval of all four territories.

I haven't cast my vote yet."