Chapter Nine

 

Aria’s POV

We started making our way back to the dorm.  Of course, Kael was still sulking about the fact that I wouldn’t stop teasing him about the kiss in the garden. 

Honestly it was so sudden, I had forgotten all about my curiosity of the Cull Trials. It was rare seeing the all-mighty arrogant Kael flustered. 

Maybe you should try it… the thought crossed my mind and I instantly pushed it out. That would be disgusting, people would think we were a gay couple.

Bleh

Kael barged into the room, his shoulders tense, his jaw clenched like he was trying to bite through stone.

I leaned against the desk, smirking. “Still thinking about your girlfriend?”

His head snapped toward me, eyes narrowing. “Shut it.”

“Oh, come on,” I drawled, enjoying every flicker of irritation on his face. “It’s not every day the great Kael Draven gets kissed in public. By the founder, no less.”

“That wasn’t a kiss,” he muttered, pacing like a caged wolf. “It was a—”

“Humiliation? Display of dominance? A test?” I shrugged, lips twitching. “Either way, you didn’t exactly push her off.”

His glare could’ve burned holes in me, but I only grinned wider. For once, he was the one off-balance and not because of me. And I liked it more than I should’ve.

“You think this is funny?” he asked, voice low, rough.

“A little.”

In two strides he was in front of me, his hand slamming down on the desk beside me, caging me in. My smirk faltered, just slightly, when I realized how close he was. His dark red eyes locked on mine, burning hotter than his anger should’ve allowed.

“You really want to push me right now?” he growled.

My heart stumbled, but I forced myself to lift my chin. “I thought you liked a challenge.”

For a beat too long, neither of us moved. His breath brushed against my skin, and my wolf strained against its leash, restless, wanting—

A loud chime rang through the dorm, shattering the moment. A silver orb floated outside the window, pulsing with council light.

“All heirs, prepare. Instructions for the Cull Trials will be given at dawn.”

Kael exhaled sharply, stepping back. My chest finally loosened, though it left me far too aware of the silence he left behind.

I swallowed, shoving down the heat curling in my stomach. Great. As if the Trials weren’t already bad enough, now I had to survive them with him.

The orb’s glow faded from the window, leaving a charged silence between us. Kael still stood rigid, his gaze fixed on the floor like he was fighting something I couldn’t see.

Before either of us could speak, the door burst open.

“Kael!”

Kaiden stumbled inside, chest heaving, sweat dripping down his temple. His hands braced against the frame like it was the only thing holding him up.

I straightened immediately. “What happened?”

Kael was already at his side, gripping his shoulder. “Kaiden, talk.”

But he couldn’t. His chest rose and fell in ragged bursts, mouth opening without words. He shook his head, trying to breathe, eyes flicking between us in desperation.

“Damn it, breathe first,” Kael barked, though his tone was more worried than harsh.

I shoved a chair toward him, and Kaiden collapsed into it, gulping down air. A long, tense moment passed before his voice finally broke through, hoarse but steady enough.

“It’s… it’s Luca.”

Kael froze. 

Kaiden swallowed hard, his hands curling into fists on his knees. “He’s gone too far this time.”

Kael stiffened, his jaw tightening. “When did he come back?”

The question hit me sideways. Come back? My eyes darted between the two of them, confusion heavy in my chest. 

I didn’t even know who they were talking about, but from the way Kael’s entire frame coiled, this Luca wasn’t just anyone.

Kaiden dragged a hand through his damp hair, finally catching his breath. “This morning. He found me before the announcement… and forced me into a team with him.”

My brows furrowed. “Forced? How?”

Kaiden’s laugh was bitter, short. “You don’t say no to Luca. Not without paying the price.” He lifted his gaze to Kael, and the weight in it made my stomach turn. “He plans to kill you during the Trials. He said it himself. Out there… it’s the only place he can make it legal.”

The room went still.

Kael didn’t flinch, but I saw it, the flash in his eyes, the barely-there twitch in his fingers, like claws threatening to surface. Whoever Luca was, he wasn’t just a threat. He was personal.

Kael didn’t answer right away. He stood frozen, staring past Kaiden like the words had struck somewhere deeper than bone. His fists curled tight at his sides, and for a moment, I swore the air around him sharpened, heavy with the growl of his wolf clawing to break free.

Kaiden shifted uncomfortably, rubbing his arm, but said nothing more. The silence stretched, thick and suffocating.

I bit my tongue, fighting the urge to speak. But the longer I watched him, his shoulders rigid, his jaw locked like steel, the more I realized this was more than just academics or rivalry. 

Finally, I stepped closer. “Kael.”

His eyes flicked to me, red burning like embers in the dim light.

“Who is he?” I asked quietly. “Luca… who is he to you?”

The answer came rough, like it scraped his throat on the way out.

“He’s my brother.”