CHAPTER 4-Cold Fury

Seraphina ran until her lungs burned.

She did not go to her bedroom to hide and cry like a helpless victim. She was not that weak little girl from the woods anymore. The humiliation in the throne room had broken her heart, but as the tears dried on her face, a hot, fiery anger took over.

How dare Kael insult her like that? How dare he call her a useless orphan in front of the entire court? She had dedicated her whole life to this pack. She had saved his father’s life. She deserved respect.

Seraphina marched straight into her quarters. She ripped off the elegant green gown, throwing it carelessly onto the floor. She pulled on her tight black leather training pants, a simple black tank top, and laced up her heavy combat boots. She grabbed her twin silver daggers, sliding them into the holsters on her thighs.

She needed to hit something. She needed to release the rage boiling in her veins.

She headed out to the private training grounds at the back of the castle. It was an isolated area surrounded by tall stone walls and ancient trees.

When she stepped into the clearing, she stopped dead in her tracks.

Someone was already there.

Kael.

He was shirtless, his massive, muscular back covered in sweat. He was brutally attacking a heavy wooden training dummy. His movements were terrifyingly fast and savage. With one final, powerful kick, he completely shattered the thick wooden post into splintered pieces.

He turned around, panting heavily. The moment his golden eyes landed on Seraphina, his jaw tightened.

"What are you doing here?" Kael barked, his deep voice rough. "Are you here to beg me to change my mind? Because my answer is still no."

Seraphina walked right up to him, refusing to back down. "I would rather die than beg you for anything, Kael."

Kael let out a cold, mocking laugh. "Then why are you here? Go back to your pretty room, human. This place is for real warriors."

"I am a warrior!" Seraphina yelled, her voice shaking with intense emotion. She stepped directly into his personal space, tilting her head up to look into his arrogant face. "Your father raised me to fight. I have bled for this pack. I loved this pack! And you stood there and treated me like trash because I don't have a wolf. You broke my dignity today, Kael."

Kael’s eyes flashed with a sudden, dark intensity. In the blink of an eye, he closed the distance between them. He grabbed her upper arms, his grip tight and burning hot, and pinned her firmly against a thick oak tree behind her.

Seraphina gasped as her back hit the rough bark. He was so close she could feel the heat radiating from his skin. The smell of pine trees and rain wrapped around her, making her heart race wildly. The sexual tension between them was thick and suffocating.

"You think this is about your dignity?" Kael growled, his face just inches from hers. His chest rose and fell heavily against her own. "You are a distraction

Seraphina. 

Ever since we were teenagers, you have been a constant distraction. I am the future Alpha King. I have a crown to protect. I cannot afford to be weak for a human mystery whose own mother died keeping secrets."

"I am not weak!" she snapped back, staring fiercely into his glowing eyes. "Look at me, Kael! I am right here. I am not afraid of you."

Kael stared down at her lips, his grip tightening on her arms. For a split second, she saw a flash of raw hunger in his eyes. He wanted her, but his stubborn pride was fighting against it.

"You are human," Kael whispered, his voice dropping into a dangerous, low pitch. "A single bite from a rogue wolf could kill you. I need a Luna who can survive a war, not a fragile girl I have to spend my whole life protecting."

Before Seraphina could shout back, a loud, piercing sound cut through the air.

*WRAAAAAL!*

The palace alarms blared loudly, echoing across the entire kingdom. It was the emergency siren.

Kael instantly let go of her arms, stepping back as his wolf instincts took over. His ears twitched, listening to the distant sounds of screaming and crashing glass near the front gates.

"The borders have been breached," Kael said, his face turning pale and serious. "The rogues know my father is sick. They are attacking the castle."

"I'm coming with you," Seraphina said, instantly drawing her silver daggers.

"No! Stay here and hide!" Kael commanded fiercely. "This is a real fight, human. Don't get yourself killed."

Without waiting for her reply, Kael turned and ran toward the main courtyard. As he ran, his body shifted beautifully and violently, turning into a massive, midnight-black wolf. He let out a deafening howl and disappeared into the shadows.

Seraphina cursed under her breath. She wasn't going to hide like a coward while her home was destroyed. She ran after him, heading toward the main courtyard.

The moment she broke through the back doors into the courtyard, chaos met her eyes. The night sky was lit with fire. Dozens of massive, ugly rogue wolves had broken through the stone walls, fighting viciously with the castle guards. Blood was splashing onto the cobblestone floors.

Seraphina scanned the crowd, looking for King Draven, but before she could move, a dark shadow loomed over her.

She spun around just in time. Three massive rogue wolves were standing in front of her, their jaws dripping with foam and blood. They growled deeply, their hungry eyes locked onto her small human body. They saw her as an easy meal.

"Come on then," Seraphina whispered, tightening her grip on her silver daggers.

The first wolf lunged directly at her throat. Seraphina ducked quickly, sliding under its heavy body and slashing its belly with her left dagger. The wolf yelped in pain, collapsing to the ground.

But she didn't have time to celebrate. The other two wolves attacked at the exact same time. One wolf tackled her from the side, knocking her hard against the stone floor. Her daggers flew out of her hands, clattering across the pavement.

Seraphina scrambled backward, but the third wolf jumped forward, its sharp claws swinging violently.

*SLASH!*

The sharp claws ripped deeply into her right forearm. Seraphina let out a sharp cry of agony as she fell back against the fountain. Blood immediately began pouring out of the deep, ugly wound.

The rogue wolf snarled, stepping closer to finish her off.

But as Seraphina’s blood dripped onto the cold cobblestone, something impossible happened.

A bright, blinding golden glow suddenly burst from her wound. The light was so powerful that the rogue wolves stopped, whimpering and covering their eyes in pure terror.

Across the courtyard, the massive black wolf—Kael—had just torn the head off a rogue. He turned his head toward the blinding light.

His golden eyes widened in absolute shock as he witnessed the magical glow radiating from Seraphina's arm. The heavy, sweet scent of her blood hit his nose, and his inner wolf went completely wild with realization.