Morning came quickly.
Serena stirred on her bed, her lashes fluttering open. The moment her eyes met the pale light, the memories returned…., the flames, smoke, his silver eyes. Her chest tightened.
She shot upright, swung her legs off the bed, and rushed out of her chambers barefoot. The corridors blurred around her as she ran, heart hammering, until she stood before Kaelen's doors.
Without hesitation, she shoved them open and burst inside.
The chambers were empty. Cold.
She spun to leave, but then she heard the sound of a door shutting behind her.
Kaelen emerged from the bathing room. His long damp hair clung to his face, droplets of water tracing down his sculpted torso. Two servants trailed him, carrying his robe.
Serena froze. Her gaze betrayed her, sliding from his face to his chest, lingering, caught in something she couldn't name.
His voice cut through her haze like a whip.
"How dare you step into my chambers without permission?"
She snapped back to herself, breath hitching. Right. Why she was here.
"I… I want to talk to you."
Kaelen's silver gaze burned as he spread his arms. The servants draped his robe across his shoulders, fastening it quickly before he waved them away.
"In what position are you, human, to talk to me?" His tone was low, dangerous.
Serena swallowed. Her voice cracked when she said it.
"your mate."
The Alpha King stilled. Then his silver eyes ignited like molten steel.
"Do not ever dare to call yourself that."
Her chest ached, but she forced the words out anyway.
"Then let me go. Please."
"I told you." His voice was ice. "You are here to serve your purpose. You leave only when that purpose is done."
Serena's throat tightened. She stepped closer, her eyes lifting to his, trembling but resolute.
"You want pups, don't you? Fine. I'll do it. I'll give you what you want….but afterwards, you let me go."
His jaw flexed. "I don't want you here either."
"But I have a condition," she pressed. Her hands clenched at her sides. "Just once. You'll sleep with me once. If I don't get pregnant, then you let me go. I won't allow you to use me again and again like your consorts. I'm no wolf. I won't endure it twice."
Kaelen's silver eyes narrowed. Her defiance stung, but she was right. A human and a wolf was already absurd. The thought of bedding her more than once made his blood curdle with disdain.
Slowly, he stepped closer, towering over her. His voice was a lethal whisper.
"Fine. I accept. And I wont miss."
Serena's heart sank, her breath catching as his words sank deep. She looked at him, waiting, terrified yet determined—as if bracing herself to begin now, just to get it over with.
But Kaelen turned away, his cloak billowing behind him.
"You may leave. I will see you tonight."
***********
(Throne Room)
Kaelen sat on the throne, the weight of the early sun casting long shadows across the floor. His silver eyes were fixed on the distance when a guard appeared at the entrance.
"My King," the guard announced, voice steady. "Your Beta has arrived."
Moments later, Thayne, the Beta of Selvayra, entered the room. His presence commanded respect, his movements sharp and deliberate. He bowed low to the Alpha King.
"Rise, Thayne." Kaelen's voice was calm, but each word carried authority.
"Last night," Kaelen continued, his gaze piercing, "there were trolls in the Waterfall Forest. You will ensure they remain within their confinement. From the look of you, the ogres are gone."
Thayne straightened, nodding. "Yes, my King. The ogres are gone. It was difficult, but we managed it."
A pause. Then Thayne's tone shifted, careful but probing.
"I hear you have a new mate," he said, "and she is… not exactly of our kind."
Kaelen's brow furrowed. "She will leave," he said coldly. "But the council is obsessed with an heir. That is all I intend to take from her before she departs."
Thayne's eyes narrowed slightly. "How did she cross the veil so easily? This is the second time a human has entered our Realm. Don't you think it could be preplanned? You cannot trust her….even with your heirs."
Kaelen considered this, fingers tapping lightly against the throne's armrest.
"Priestess Eiryn was present that day. She confirmed the Moon Goddess has no objections. I do not believe there is more to her than what she seems. My bloodline is strong. Her humanity will not taint my pups."
Thayne's gaze sharpened, unwavering. "I will still keep a watch. The last thing I want is for this kingdom to descend into turmoil again because of a human."
Kaelen inclined his head slightly, a silent acknowledgment of caution. "Tonight, no one is to enter my chambers. Inform the head consort."
Thayne bowed once more and departed, leaving Kaelen alone with the silent weight of his thoughts.
*************
(Serena's Chamber)
Serena sat before the dressing mirror, the soft silk of a long royal-blue robe cascading over her frame. Candlelight flickered across her skin, giving her a glow that almost didn't feel like hers.
Naya dismissed the other maids with a flick of her hand. "Leave us."
Once they were gone, she leaned in, her touch gentle as she fixed the last strands of Serena's hair. Golden-brown waves shimmered as they flowed down her back, her lips painted a soft red. Finally, Naya placed the familiar glasses upon her eyes, completing the look.
"No she-wolf comes close to your beauty," Naya whispered, admiration in her tone.
Serena laughed nervously. "And what about you? You're very pretty, Naya. You look like a princess. I wonder why you're here… You could be mated to a pack leader."
A faint smile curved Naya's lips. "Thank you."
Then, without another word, she pulled out a single moonflower. Slowly, deliberately, she crushed the petals until they bled pale blue, pouring the essence into a waiting glass of wine.
Serena frowned. "What… are you doing?"
"This will help you," Naya said softly. "You are human. You don't know what it feels like to lie with a wolf. Tonight will not be easy. The king is not gentle….nor is his nature. Drink this, and you will match his energy."
Serena stared at the glass, uncertainty twisting in her stomach. Her fingers twitched toward it, then pulled back.
"No." She shook her head. "I want to be aware of what's happening. I don't want to seem… desperate. If I drink that, it will feel like I wanted this too much… like I can't help myself."
Naya blinked, surprised. "But Serena…."
"No buts." Serena stood, her voice trembling but firm. "The quicker this is done, the quicker I get closer to leaving here. His consorts hate me and… how do I even know no one in this kingdom wants the throne for themselves? Someone could try to kill me just to weaken him. My world is safer for me and safer for him too."
Naya stilled, the weight of her words sinking in. What if Serena was right? What if someone would want her dead, just to break the Alpha King?
A sharp knock at the door cut the thought short.
Serena exhaled shakily.
"Come… let's go." Naya took Serena's hand, squeezing once before leading her toward the king's chambers.
In the distance, a pair of eyes caught them….Lirvana's. She froze, her chest tightening as realization struck.
Her sharp gaze followed every step as the human approached Kaelen's doors.
"So this was why Thayne had ordered them not to enter the King's chambers tonight."
Her nails dug into her palms, drawing crescents of blood. Jealousy scorched her veins, envy twisting like a knife. The pain of never being chosen, never being touched by Kaelen, tore through her like fire. He had lain with every consort but her. Every single one. And now… the human. The human he despised was walking into his bed.
Her gaze darkened, locked on Serena's form as she vanished into Kaelen's chamber. If I had bonded to him that night, Lirvana thought bitterly, it would have been me. Not her.
Hatred coiled tighter, more venomous than ever. She swore then and there that if the girl conceived, she would not allow that child to live. She would not allow Serena to leave even a fragment of herself in Selvayra.
"I will make sure she is erased from this world. And I will find a way to bind myself to Kaelen."
"Even if it seems impossible…. I will make it possible."
****************
(Vornyx; The Outlands)
A lone figure dangled from chains, wrists, and ankles bound, the metal biting into his skin. Ember eyes blazed with fury, each breath ragged and sharp.
"In no time… I will leave this place, Kaelen!" he roared, voice cracking, echoing against the barren rocks.
"I… will… kill… you!" The words tore from his throat, raw and dangerous, every syllable dripping with rage.
The wind howled around him, carrying his scream into the darkness, yet no answer came. Only the promise of blood and vengeance lingered in the air.