C4

“Kael, I suggest you rethink your posture. You’re lounging on that bed like a King who hasn’t realised his Queen is armed with a blade.”

“And you’re standing by the balcony like a pup who’s never seen a man without his tactical gear. Sit down, Zaria. My wolf is tired of watching you vibrate with anxiety.”

“I’m not anxious. I’m calculating how many ways I can exit this room without using the door.”

“There’s only one way out that doesn't involve a three-story drop, and I’m currently blocking it. Now, stop staring at my chest and come to bed. The sentries need to see the lights go out.”

“You have a lot of nerve for someone whose face I almost relocated with my palm earlier.”

“And you have a lot of spirit for a girl who’s spent fifteen years pretending to be a ghost. Why so hesitant now? Afraid the Okoye blood will react to an Adebayo?”

“I’m afraid I’ll wake up and find you’ve throttled me in my sleep to clear the path for a Mensah alliance.”

“If I wanted a Mensah alliance, I’d be in the next room with Amara. I’m here. With you. Now, are we going to discuss the way you’ve been playing the entire Ridge for fools, or are we going to sleep?”

“I’d prefer to discuss why you think I’d ever share a mattress with the man who led a raid on my mother’s estate.”

“I was ten years old, Zaria. If you want to hold the sins of the father over the son, we’re going to be here all night. Besides, I know you saw the way I looked at Tade today. That wasn't the look of a loyal soldier. That was the look of a man waiting for a reason to pull the trigger.”

“You’re a polished rogue, Kael. One minute you’re the cold heir of the Dominion, and the next you’re making jokes about blood-rites. I don't trust the mask.”

“Good. Trust is a luxury for omegas. We’re Alphas. We deal in leverage. My leverage is your protection. Yours is the Okoye serum. Now, move. I’m turning off the lamp.”

I didn't move. I watched the shadows stretch across the room as the light died. My skin pricked with the sudden chill of Valoria Ridge, the mountain air slicing through the open balcony. I didn't want to admit it, but Kael’s scent—that heavy, intoxicating mix of rain and iron—was the only thing keeping the darkness from feeling oppressive.

I stayed on the sofa, clutching the ceramic blade until my knuckles turned white. Sleep didn't come easily, but when it did, it was heavy and thick, fueled by the stress of the day and that single, cursed sip of ceremonial wine I’d taken at the Alpha Hall.

When the moon hit its peak, the beast didn't howl—it walked.

I woke up to the smell of cedar and the feeling of warmth. My eyes snapped open, and for a second, I thought I was back in the Shadow Den, dreaming of a life I could never have. But the ceiling was too high, the silk too soft.

I shifted, and my hand brushed against something warm, firm, and undeniably human.

“Morning, ‘Darling.’ Did you enjoy the hunt in your dreams?”

I froze. I wasn't on the sofa. I was sprawled across the centre of the massive obsidian-carved bed, my head resting on a pillow that smelled exactly like Kael Adebayo. And Kael himself? He was sitting right there, fully dressed in a black tactical vest, watching me with an expression that sat somewhere between amusement and genuine shock.

“Why am I in this bed?”

“You should ask yourself that. Around 3:00 AM, you decided the sofa wasn't tactical enough. You crawled over here, whispered something about a ‘tabby cat,’ and proceeded to use my ribs as a footrest.”

“I… I don't sleepwalk. That’s a lie.”

“Is it? Because I have the security feed from the room’s internal monitors. In the Adebayo Dominion, we record everything. Safety first, right?”

“Give me that phone.”

“Oh, I think you should see the highlight reel. It really captures your… hidden depths.”

I snatched the device from his hand, my heart sinking as the video played. There I was, moving with the eerie grace of a moon-drunk wolf, climbing into the bed and—to my horror—tugging at the hem of Kael’s shirt.

“Is that me? Why am I hitting you?”

“You weren't hitting me, Zaria. You were ‘marking your territory.’ You swatted me and told me that if I barked one more time, you’d leash me to the Alpha Hall gates.”

“I did not.”

“Watch the clip. Your exact words were: ‘One more word and I’ll spank the Alpha right out of you.’ I have to say, your sleep-self is much more assertive than your awake-self.”

“It was the wine! Nyara always told me the Okoye blood can’t handle fermented berries!”

“Whatever the cause, you were quite the handful. You spent three hours curled into my side like I was your personal heat pad. I didn't know whether to shift or call a priest.”

“You could have pushed me off!”

“And risk getting ‘spanked’? I’m a warrior, Zaria, not a martyr. Besides, you looked… peaceful. For a girl who wants to kill me, you sure do cuddle like you mean it.”

“I’m going to kill you now. Delete that video.”

“Not a chance. That’s my insurance policy. If you ever try to stab me in my sleep, I’ll play that at the next High Council meeting. The fearsome Zaria Okoye, cuddle-bug of the Ridge.”

“You are a disgusting, manipulative beast!”

“And you’re late. Get up. The Elders are gathering in the Alpha Hall for the Morning Rite. If we don't show up looking like a united front, Jabari will assume I’ve already turned you into a rug.”

“I need to fix my face. My mask is ruined.”

“The mask stays off, Zaria. We’re going down there as the Okoye-Adebayo union. If they’re going to hate you, let them hate the real you. It’s more satisfying that way.”

“I’m not going down there looking like this. Give me the bag Nia brought.”

“It’s on the chair. Try not to take three hours. The Mafia packs don't like to wait for their breakfast.”

The Alpha Hall was a cathedral of power. The air was thick with the scent of woodsmoke and the musk of a hundred high-ranking wolves. At the head of the long, stone table sat Elder Jabari, his silver hair gleaming like a blade. To his right was Jarrett, Kael’s father, looking like a man who had forgotten how to smile.

The rest of the Adebayo Dominion was there—the cousins, the enforcers, the branch leaders. They all stopped talking the moment Kael led me in.

We weren't just a couple; we were a scandal. I could hear the whispers travelling through the room like a virus.

“Is that the orphan?”

“She doesn't look like a monster. She looks… regal.”

“Look at the way Kael holds her hand. He’s claimed her.”

“He’s claimed a corpse. The Mensah Clan will never let her live.”

Kael’s grip on my hand tightened, a silent command to keep my head up. We moved past the first tier of the family, stopping before Jabari.

“Grandfather. The Morning Rite is observed.”

“So I see. You look well-rested, Kael. And your bride… she seems to have survived the night without a scratch. I had bets placed that she wouldn't make it to sunrise.”

“The Okoye blood is resilient, Elder. I’m not as easy to break as the Mensahs would have you believe.”

“Spoken like a true Queen. Jarrett, what do you think of your new daughter-in-law?”

“I think she’s a target. And targets attract bullets. Kael, you’ve brought a war into this house.”

“The war was already here, Father. I just brought the person who knows how to win it.”

We took our seats at the table. The silence was heavy, broken only by the clatter of silver against stone. I could feel the eyes of every woman in the room digging into me—jealousy, spite, and fear.

Irene, the wife of Kael’s uncle Bertram, finally broke the tension. She leaned forward, her diamonds catching the morning sun, her voice a sharp, poisonous needle.

“So, Zaria. Tell us. Do you have your mourning clothes ready? Because the word on the Ridge is that the Mafia packs are already betting on when Kael will make you a widower to clear the path for a real Luna.”

“I think you have it backwards, Irene. In my family, we don't wait to be made widows. We make them.”

The table went silent. Kael didn't even look up from his plate, but the ghost of a smile touched his lips.

“Is that a threat, girl?”

“It’s a tradition. The Okoye Bloodline never goes down without taking the whole forest with them. If anyone is planning a funeral, they should probably make sure the casket is big enough for two.”

“She has a tongue, I’ll give her that. But does she have the teeth to back it up?”

“I’m an Adebayo now, Aunt Irene. My teeth are currently sitting right next to your husband’s jugular. I’d suggest you pass the salt and keep your opinions on my life expectancy to yourself.”

“Enough. We are here to celebrate a union, not plan an execution. For now.”

“For now is all we have, Grandfather. Zaria and I have a city to manage. The Valoria Ridge port is expecting a shipment of silver, and the Mensah Clan is already trying to skim off the top.”

“Then go. Show them that the Dominion has a new bite. But remember, Kael… a wolf is only as strong as the mate he protects.”

“I’m not worried about her protection, Grandfather. I’m worried about the people she decides to hunt.”

I stood up, the black tracksuit feeling more like a uniform than ever. I looked at the room full of wolves, all of them waiting for me to fail.

“Let’s go, Kael. We have a bloodline to reclaim.”

“After you, Darling. Just try not to spank any of the guards on the way out.”

I shot him a look that could have curdled milk, but as we walked out of the Alpha Hall, hand in hand, I knew the war had officially begun. And for the first time in my life, I wasn't the one being hunted.

I was the one holding the blade.