Kael’s POV.
The room was completely silent, the kind of silence that felt heavy, pressing against my ears. The only sound was the soft scratching of my pen gliding steadily across the crisp sheet of paper in front of me. My hand moved with purpose, each word shaping my escape, though the weight of my decision bore down on me like a mountain. The note was short, written with precision and finality, but each word carried the force of a storm I could no longer contain.
*”Father, I cannot marry Aria. This union is a lie, and I refuse to trap myself-or her-in a life neither of us deserves. By the time you read this, I’ll be gone. I’m leaving for London. Don’t try to find me.”*
I leaned back in my chair, my body tense as I stared at the words I had written. They looked strange to me, as though they had been written by someone else entirely, someone braver, more reckless. But they were mine. Every letter, every stroke of the pen, was mine. They weren’t just words; they were my declaration of freedom, my rebellion against the life I’d been forced into.
Carefully, I folded the note and placed it neatly on my desk, ensuring it sat directly next to the Silverfang pack crest engraved in gold. The ornate symbol of my family’s power seemed to mock me, a reminder of the weight I had carried my entire life. My father would find the note in the morning, and by then, none of it would matter. I’d be gone, and he wouldn’t be able to stop me.
My eyes flicked to the clock on the wall, its hands ticking steadily forward. Midnight. The hour seemed fitting, shrouded in darkness and secrecy. It was the perfect time to act, the perfect time to break free.
I reached for my phone, my fingers hovering over the screen as I hesitated for a brief moment. This was the final step, the one thing that could change everything. Finally, I began typing out the message to Aria, my heart pounding with each word I wrote.
*”Come to my private house. If you want to end this, I’ll give you the chance. Midnight. Don’t tell anyone.”*
I hit send, watching the words disappear into the void, and set the phone down on the desk. A faint buzz confirmed the message had been delivered, and with it, my plan was set into motion. There was no turning back now, no undoing what I had just done.
The house was quiet when I arrived, the kind of quiet that made everything feel sharper, more intense. The moonlight cast long, jagged shadows across the forest surrounding the property, the trees swaying gently in the night breeze. The house wasn’t far from the Silverfang castle, but it was secluded enough that no one would disturb us here. No guards to report back to my father. No prying eyes to witness what was about to unfold. Just me and Aria.
I poured myself a glass of whiskey, my hand steady even though my mind was anything but. The amber liquid shimmered faintly in the glow of the fireplace, catching the warm light like molten gold. The tension in my chest tightened as I took a sip, the smoky burn sliding down my throat. The anticipation clawed at me, a strange mix of excitement and dread twisting in my stomach. I wasn’t sure if she’d come. Part of me hoped she wouldn’t, that I could slip away into the night without facing her fire one last time.
But the other part of me-the darker, restless part that never let me sleep-needed her to come. It craved the confrontation, the battle of wills that only Aria could ignite in me.
I downed the whiskey in one quick gulp, the burn doing little to settle the storm raging inside me. My mind raced, a chaotic blur of thoughts and memories that refused to let me rest. Images of Aria flashed through my head like lightning: the way her defiance burned brighter with every challenge, the sharpness of her tongue that could cut through any pretense, and the fire in her eyes every time she looked at me. She was infuriating, impossible to control, and yet, she was the only person who had ever made me feel truly alive.
The sound of tires crunching on the gravel driveway snapped me out of my thoughts, the noise cutting through the silence like a sharp blade. I set the empty glass down on the table and walked to the window, my heart pounding as I peered outside. A sleek black car rolled to a stop in front of the house, its headlights cutting through the darkness before flicking off.
She came.
She stepped inside slowly, her movements deliberate and tense, as though she were preparing for a fight. Her expression was guarded, her lips pressed into a tight line, and her hands were clenched into fists at her sides. It was clear she didn’t trust me-or this situation. She was still wearing the same sapphire gown from the dinner earlier, and though it was meant to radiate elegance, tonight it seemed weighed down by the tension in her posture. The fabric clung to her, shimmering faintly in the dim light of the room, but her rigid stance robbed it of its beauty. She looked like a warrior in formal armor, ready to defend herself against any attack.
“You actually came,” I said, keeping my tone casual as I leaned against the edge of the fireplace. The flickering flames illuminated the room, casting long shadows that danced across her face. My voice was steady, but inside, I was anything but calm. I hadn’t been sure she’d come, and now that she was here, I wasn’t certain what I wanted to happen next.
Her glare was sharp enough to cut through steel, her eyes blazing with resentment. “You said you’d let me end this,” she said, her voice cold and direct. There was no hesitation in her tone, no hint of doubt. She wasn’t here to play games-she was here to take her life back, and she didn’t care what it cost.
I smirked, hiding the sting of her hostility as I gestured toward the couch with a lazy flick of my hand. “Then sit. Let’s talk,” I said, my voice calm but laced with challenge. I knew she wouldn’t make this easy, but that only made me want to push her more.
“I’m not staying long,” she snapped, her voice sharp and filled with anger. Her words cut through the quiet of the room, and I could feel the fire in her tone, the simmering rage she had been holding back.
But she didn’t move to sit. Instead, she stayed where she was, standing in the center of the room like she owned it. Her chin lifted defiantly, her shoulders squared, and her stance unyielding. She was daring me to try and push her further, daring me to underestimate her resolve.
This was exactly what I both loved and hated about her. She was strong in a way that few people were, unyielding even when the odds were against her. But that strength made her impossible to control, and it drove me insane. She was a storm I couldn’t tame, no matter how hard I tried-and I hated how much I wanted to.
“You want to end the wedding?” I asked, my voice calm as I took a step closer to her. “Fine. Say the word, and I’ll make it happen.” My words hung in the air, daring her to take the out I was offering. Part of me wanted her to say yes, to call my bluff, but another part of me hoped she wouldn’t.
Her eyes narrowed, suspicion flashing across her face. “Why are you doing this, Kael?” she demanded, her voice sharp and full of mistrust. “Why drag me out here in the middle of the night?” Her tone was accusatory, and she had every right to question my motives.
“Because I wanted to see you,” I said simply, my voice dropping lower as I spoke. The truth of the statement shocked even me, but I didn’t let it show. I kept my tone steady, my expression unreadable, as I waited for her reaction.
Her lips parted slightly, her confusion evident as she stared at me. “What?” she asked, her voice softer now but still laced with disbelief. Her confusion was genuine, and for a moment, I saw a flicker of vulnerability in her eyes.
I took another step closer, closing the distance between us until the faint scent of her perfume filled the air between us. It was intoxicating, a mix of jasmine and something warm, something uniquely her. “You think I don’t want you, Aria?” I asked, my voice soft but carrying an edge of danger. “You think I don’t *see* you?” My words were deliberate, each one cutting through her defenses.
She shook her head, taking a step back instinctively, her eyes never leaving mine. “This isn’t about wanting me, Kael,” she said, her voice firm but trembling ever so slightly. “This is about control. You don’t care about me. You just want to win.” Her words were sharp, piercing through the room like daggers aimed at my chest.
Her accusations stung more than I wanted to admit, but I refused to let the pain show. Instead, I stepped closer again, closing the distance she had tried to create. My movements were slow, deliberate, until she was backed against the wall with nowhere to go.
“Maybe I do want to win,” I said, my voice low and dangerous, each word dripping with intensity. “But that doesn’t mean I don’t want *you.*” My eyes locked onto hers, and for a moment, the air between us seemed to vibrate with tension.
Her eyes widened in surprise, her lips parting slightly as I leaned in closer. My hands braced against the wall on either side of her, caging her in without touching her. The heat between us crackled, electric and charged with a mix of anger and something darker, something neither of us wanted to name.
“Kael,” she said, her voice trembling as she tried to maintain her composure. “Let me go.” Her words were firm, but there was a note of uncertainty in them, a hesitation that made me pause for just a moment.
I only wanted her body. Her virginity.