Chapter 5

Kael

The hall empties slowly, the heavy wooden doors closing behind the last of my warriors. Silence descends, broken only by the crackle of the torches lining the stone walls.

I remain standing at the center of the room, hands clasped behind my back, staring at the space where Elara stood moments ago.

My claim still echoes in the air: She is under my protection.

I never speak those words lightly. Here, they carry the weight of blood and bond, and my pack knows what it means. It means no one touches her, no one questions her presence, not unless they want to face me.

But already, I sense their doubt simmering beneath the surface.

They don’t understand why I brought a wolfless omega into our midst. They don’t see the necessity. They don’t know the truth that burns in my veins like poison.

I turn sharply and climb the stairs to my private chambers, shutting the doors behind me with a final, echoing thud. Here, I can breathe. Here, I can shed the mask for a moment.

The curse stirs inside me, a constant, restless hum beneath my skin. My wolf paces in my mind, wild and snarling, barely held back by sheer will. The beast has always been there, but since my twentieth year, it has grown… unpredictable. Dangerous.

And the reason for that is simple.

My line is cursed.

Every Alpha in my bloodline is born with a mate destined by the moon. A gift, some might say. A blessing. But our gift was twisted long ago, poisoned by a betrayal so deep the moon herself turned her face from us.

Our mates do not live.

I close my eyes, and for a moment, I see their faces—the women who tried to love me, who dared to stand at my side. Each one perished, claimed by the curse before the bond could be completed. The last…

My chest tightens painfully. Don’t think about her.

I force the memories down, burying them where they belong. There is no use in reliving the past. It only makes the beast harder to control.

This is why I cannot allow myself to love. Why I cannot take a true mate. The curse feeds on connection, on the bond itself. The moment I care, the moment my heart weakens, the moon takes her from me.

And the wolf goes mad.

I pace the length of the room, fists clenching. My pack doesn’t know the full truth. They only see the surface—the Alpha who never chooses a Luna, who keeps himself apart. Some whisper that I am heartless. Others think I am simply too ruthless to share power.

Let them think it. Better they fear me than pity me.

But time is running short. The curse worsens with every passing season. My wolf strains against its cage, and one day soon, I will lose control. When that happens, my pack will suffer. Blood will be spilled.

Unless I break the cycle.

That’s why I need an heir. A child strong enough to carry my bloodline forward, to take my place when the darkness finally consumes me. A child born of strength… and survival.

Elara is perfect for this role.

Wolfless, yes, but unbroken.

I saw it in her eyes, even through the fear. There’s a core of defiance there, buried beneath years of cruelty. She’s endured things most would not survive. That resilience matters more than a wolf’s strength.

And perhaps, because she has no wolf, the curse will not touch her.

Perhaps.

I move to the balcony overlooking the courtyard. From here, I can see the omega quarters, lit by faint torches. Somewhere inside, Elara is being shown her new reality. I imagine her wide, wary eyes, the tremble in her voice when she said, Yes, Alpha.

Something in my chest twists, sharp and unexpected.

I crush it immediately.

I cannot afford to feel anything for her. If I do, the curse will awaken fully. It will hunt her as it has every other woman I’ve dared to care for.

Elara will serve one purpose and one purpose only: to give me an heir.

After that… she will be free to live as she chooses.

If she survives long enough to see that freedom.

My wolf snarls at the thought, possessive and vicious. The urge to claim her, to mark her, rises like fire beneath my skin.

I grip the stone railing until it cracks beneath my hands.

“No,” I whisper to the darkness. “She will not be my mate. I will not condemn her to that fate.”

I take a long, steadying breath, forcing the wolf back into its cage.

I will not let history repeat itself.

Even if it means keeping Elara at arm’s length, no matter how badly my instincts want otherwise.

Down below, the torchlight flickers, and for a fleeting moment, I imagine her standing there, staring back at me. Fragile, small, yet unyielding in a way I can’t quite name.

The beast inside me growls.

And for the first time in years, I feel truly afraid—not of my pack, not of my enemies… but of what she might awaken in me.