All Chapters of The Alpha's dirty game: Chapter 81 - Chapter 90

~KAELRIC~The moon mark burned.Not painfully, no, that would have been easier. This was subtler. A slow, insidious drain that crept through my veins the longer I stayed away from Raeliya. Like my body knew it was missing something vital and was quietly punishing me for it.By the third hour away from her, my hands trembled.By the fourth, the world dulled at the edges.I stood alone in the council antechamber, staring at my reflection in the polished obsidian wall. The streaks of white threading through my dark hair were faint but unmistakable.Too soon.I clenched my jaw and dragged my fingers through my hair, irritation flaring. This was exactly why we’d made the agreement. Why the witches and Dante had insisted I keep her close until the time came where I could take it back.Where I would have to…I closed my eyes as I let out a sigh.The moon mark was never meant for her.It was meant for me.An Alpha’s blessing. A tether to the lunar cycle that would strengthen my reign, stabili

~RAELIYA~The worst part wasn’t knowing I had feelings for Kaelric.It was knowing and still not knowing anything at all.Not whether he felt the same.Not whether I was just a responsibility.Not whether the way his eyes lingered on me meant want… or fear.We orbited each other like two stars afraid of collision, close enough to feel the heat, distant enough to keep pretending we wouldn’t burn.The training grounds were already alive when I arrived that morning. Wolves sparred in tight circles, their grunts sharp against the cold air. I took a seat near the edge, arms wrapped around myself, watching Kaelric move through the space like he owned it, commanding without trying, dangerous without effort.He didn’t look at me.And that shouldn’t have hurt.But it did.Dante dropped beside me with a sigh. “You’re thinking too loud.”I snorted softly. “Is it that obvious?”“Only to people who know you,” he said, eyes flicking briefly toward Kaelric. “And to him. Even if he pretends otherwise

~RAELIYA~I learned very quickly that silence could be dangerous.It gave people room to decide your story for you.Chase’s mother didn’t confront me openly,not at first. She didn’t need to. She ruled through whispers, through carefully planted doubts that grew roots before anyone realized what was happening.I felt it the next morning.Servants who once greeted me warmly now bowed stiffly. Pack members avoided eye contact. Conversations died the moment I entered a room. Even the air felt different, thicker, heavier, like the pack itself was holding its breath.I told myself not to care.But it still hurt.I kept busy. Helped in the kitchens. Assisted the healers. Trained lightly in the courtyard, ignoring the curious stares that followed every movement I made.And through it all, Kaelric was… distant.Not cruel. Not cold.Just carefully unreachable.When we crossed paths, his gaze lingered for half a second too long before he looked away. When our hands brushed accidentally, he still

~RAELIYA~The council chamber buzzed with a tension I hadn’t fully anticipated. Even before we entered, the scent of control, authority, and expectation weighed down the air. Pack members, allies, and rivals alike gathered in hushed groups, murmuring about the upcoming discussion. Kaelric walked beside me, his posture rigid, his presence radiating power and command. Even in silence, he dominated the room.I stayed close, but not too close. Our understanding, fragile, unspoken, was that outside the private walls of the mansion, we were a show. Doting couple, flawless in presentation. Inside, the walls remained, our hearts guarded by misunderstandings and pride. Yet, even as I focused on keeping my face neutral, I could feel the subtle pull of the bond between us, faint but insistent, a reminder that the tether of the mark never truly relaxed.Kaelric strode into the chamber first, his head held high, eyes sweeping the room like an alpha surveying his territory. I followed, heels clicki

~RAELIYA~The evening air pressed against my skin as I made my way back to the mansion, footsteps light but purposeful. The events of the day lingered in my mind like smoke, Kaelric’s quiet dominance during the council, the threat in Chase’s mother’s smile, and the faint, insistent pull of the mark that reminded me he needed me, even when he tried to hide it.I wasn’t naive. I knew the risks. I knew the political games. But even knowing, it was impossible to ignore the bond, the tether of life that pulled us together despite the misunderstandings, despite the anger, despite the walls we both tried to maintain.When I arrived at the edge of the grounds, I sensed movement before I saw it. A familiar figure leaning against a tree, arms crossed, the shadow of someone plotting something that wasn’t just mischief, it was deliberate.Chase.He straightened when he saw me, a faint smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. “Rae,” he greeted smoothly, like nothing had happened, though I could se