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Chapter 4: The Scent of Betrayal

I woke up to the sound of a heartbeat.

It was slow, steady, and strong—a rhythmic drum against my back. I was warm. For the first time in my life, I wasn't cold, I wasn't lonely, and I didn't feel like a mistake.

I shifted slightly, and the massive arm draped over my waist tightened.

"Don't move," a rough, sleep-heavy voice grumbled into my hair. "You’re letting the cold in."

My eyes snapped open. The memories of the night before crashed into me.

I was in the Alpha’s bed.

I was spooned against Alpha Kaelen.

And his nose was buried in the curve of my neck, inhaling my scent like it was oxygen.

I froze, terrified to breathe. If he woke up fully and realized he was cuddling the maid—the sister-in-law he despised—he would kill me.

But he didn't wake up. Not immediately.

Instead, he nuzzled closer. His lips brushed the sensitive skin behind my ear, sending a shiver violently down my spine. His hand, large and possessive, slid up from my waist to rest just beneath my breast. His thumb grazed the underside of the curve.

"Seraphina," he murmured, his voice thick with a confusing mix of adoration and relief. "Finally… you feel right."

My heart broke.

He didn't want me. He wanted the version of his wife that I represented. He wanted the scent, the feel, the soul connection—he just thought it belonged to her.

"Kaelen," I whispered, trying to peel his arm off me. "Wake up."

He groaned, tightening his grip. His hips pressed into my lower back, and I felt the hard, undeniable proof of his morning arousal. "Not yet. You smell like rain today. No more of that chemical perfume. Just… you."

He bit lightly at my neck, a claiming nip.

I gasped. The sound seemed to pierce the fog of his sleep.

Kaelen went still.

The hand on my ribs stopped moving. The breath against my neck hitched.

Slowly, he lifted his head. I rolled over, clutching the sheets to my chest, to meet his gaze.

His gray eyes were wide, clearing instantly from sleep to shock.

He looked at me. Then he looked at his arm, which was still draped possessively over me. Then he looked at the space between us—nonexistent.

"Elara," he breathed.

He didn't yell. He didn't recoil in horror like he had the first night.

He just stared at me, his brows furrowed in intense calculation. He looked at my mouth, swollen from biting my lip in sleep. He looked at my hair, messy and spread across his pillow.

"Why?" he asked, his voice low and dangerous. "Why was that the best sleep of my life?"

"You asked me to stay," I whispered, my voice trembling. "You were choking. You said you couldn't breathe."

"I know what I said," he snapped, sitting up abruptly. The sheet fell to his waist, revealing his sculpted, scarred chest. He ran a hand through his hair, looking disturbed. "But it doesn't make sense. You are an Omega. A wolfless defect. My wolf should be indifferent to you."

He turned his head, looking at me with a terrifying intensity. "Instead, my wolf thinks you are his pillow."

He reached out, grabbing my chin. His thumb traced my lower lip, pulling it down slightly.

"Did you drug me, Elara?" he asked softly. "Is that it? Some servant's potion to make the Alpha obsessed with you?"

"No!" I cried, pulling back. "I told you, I’m just trying to help—"

SLAM.

The double doors to the suite flew open.

We both jumped.

Seraphina stood in the doorway. She was already dressed for the day in a tight crimson dress, her hair perfect, her makeup flawless.

She took one look at the scene.

Me, clutching the sheets in the Alpha’s bed.

Kaelen, shirtless and disheveled, sitting next to me.

The smell of sex—or at least, the heavy, musk-filled scent of mates sleeping together—filling the air.

Her face twisted into a mask of pure, ugly rage.

"Get away from him!" she screeched.

She stormed across the room, her heels stabbing into the carpet. She reached the bed and raised her hand, aiming a vicious slap at my face.

I flinched, closing my eyes, waiting for the blow.

It never came.

"Enough."

Kaelen’s voice was a whip crack.

I opened my eyes. Kaelen had caught Seraphina’s wrist in mid-air. His grip was effortless, but I could see the white pressure of his fingers against her skin.

"Kaelen!" Seraphina gasped, trying to yank her hand back. "Let me go! Look at this slut! She’s in your bed! She’s trying to seduce you!"

Kaelen didn't let go. He looked at his wife, his expression unreadable.

"She is in my bed because I ordered her to be," Kaelen said calmly. He released Seraphina’s wrist with a dismissive shove. "I was dying last night, Seraphina. Where were you?"

"I… I was sleeping," Seraphina stammered, rubbing her wrist. "I needed rest so I could be strong for you today—"

"You were sleeping down the hall," Kaelen cut in. "While I was choking on my own blood. Elara heard me. You didn't."

He turned his gaze to me. "Get up, Elara."

I scrambled out of the bed, clutching my oversized shirt around my knees. I felt small and exposed between the two of them.

"Get dressed," Kaelen commanded, standing up and walking toward the bathroom. He didn't look at Seraphina. "You’re not scrubbing floors today."

"Excuse me?" Seraphina demanded, her voice rising an octave. "What is she doing then?"

Kaelen stopped at the bathroom door. He looked back over his shoulder. The golden light of his wolf flickered in his eyes.

"She’s coming to the Pack Council meeting with me."

"What?!" Seraphina shrieked. "She’s a servant! Servants aren't allowed in the Council Hall! It’s for high-ranking wolves only!"

"I am the Alpha," Kaelen growled. "I decide who enters my hall."

He looked at me, his gaze dropping to my bare legs for a lingering second before snapping back up.

"My head is clear when she is nearby," he stated simply. "I need a clear head to deal with the Elders. She stands by my chair."

"This is humiliation!" Seraphina cried, tears welling up in her eyes—fake tears, I knew. "You’re choosing the maid over your wife?"

Kaelen walked back to her. He leaned down, sniffing her neck.

Seraphina froze, smiling nervously, hoping her Scent Cloak was working.

Kaelen frowned. He pulled back, looking confused.

"You smell like… chemicals," he muttered. "Like something is burning."

Seraphina paled. The Cloak was fading. She needed to recharge it.

"I… I tried a new perfume," she lied quickly, taking a step back. "I’ll go wash it off."

"Do that," Kaelen said coldly. Then he pointed at me. "Elara. Black dress. Heels. Be ready in ten minutes."

"I don't have a black dress, Alpha," I whispered.

"Then take one of hers," he said, jerking his chin toward Seraphina.

Seraphina looked like she was going to explode. "She is not touching my clothes!"

"She is wearing your clothes," Kaelen said, his voice dropping to that deadly, final tone. "Or she is going to the meeting wearing nothing but that shirt. Your choice, Luna."

He turned and slammed the bathroom door.

Silence stretched between us.

Seraphina turned to me slowly. Her eyes were black pits of hatred.

"You think you’ve won," she whispered, her voice trembling with fury. "You think because he let you warm his bed, you’re special? You’re just a hot water bottle, Elara. And when he’s done with you, he’ll throw you away."

She walked over to her wardrobe and ripped a black dress off a hanger. She threw it at my face. The zipper scratched my cheek.

"Put it on," she hissed. "But remember one thing. If you say a single word to the Elders… if you even hint that I’m not his true mate… I won’t just kill you."

She leaned in close, smiling.

"I’ll tell him you were the one who cursed him. I’ll tell him you stole my scent. And he’ll rip your throat out with his own teeth."

She turned on her heel and stormed out.

I stood there, holding the silk dress that belonged to the life I was supposed to have.

Kaelen was taking me to the Council. He was keeping me close. He was starting to smell the difference between the lie and the truth.

I began to dress. The game had changed. I wasn't just surviving anymore.

I was fighting for him.