I came here to kill the Wolf King.
And now I’m dreaming of his hands on me.
The thought claws through my skull as I wake, drenched in sweat, my body still humming from the remnants of the Blood Binding. The crimson silk gown clings to my skin, soaked through, the golden runes now dull, like scars. The mark on my shoulder burns—not with pain, but with memory. The ritual. The magic. The climax that tore through me like a storm, violent and unstoppable. I came without him touching me beyond our palms, without a single kiss, without anything but the raw, brutal force of the bond.
And I liked it.
I press my palms to my face, trying to erase the images—Kael’s hands on my wrists, his breath in my ear, the way his heartbeat matched mine as the magic surged. I should hate him. I do hate him. He killed my mother. He burned our temple. He took my birthright and called it justice.
But my body doesn’t care about justice.
It only cares about him.
The silver collar is gone—the guards stripped it in the holding chamber, and Kael hasn’t replaced it. Without it, the bond is raw, exposed, a live wire stretched between us. I can feel him nearby, in the chamber beyond the hearth, his presence a low thrum in my blood. He’s awake. Watching. Waiting.
I sit up slowly, the silk slipping from my shoulders. The room is cold, the fire long dead. Moonlight slices through the shutters, painting silver lines across the stone. I should get up. Should dress. Should plan.
But I can’t.
My limbs are heavy. My core aches, still tender from the ritual’s aftermath. Every breath sends a ripple through me—a whisper of heat, a pulse of need. The bond isn’t done with me. It’s just getting started.
A knock at the door.
“Enter,” I say, voice hoarse.
Kael steps inside, dressed in black leather, his hair slightly tousled, his gold eyes sharp. He doesn’t smile. Doesn’t speak. Just watches me—on the bed, half-naked, the silk gown slipping, my skin still flushed from fever.
“You look like sin,” he says, voice rough.
I glare at him. “And you look like a predator.”
“I am,” he says, stepping closer. “And you’re in my den.”
He reaches the bed, his hand rising to the strap of the gown. I slap it away.
“Don’t touch me.”
“You’ll wear proper robes today,” he says, ignoring me. “No more silk. No more runes. Just gray. Like a good little witch.”
“I’m not your puppet.”
“No,” he says, leaning down, his breath hot against my ear. “You’re my mate. And today, you’ll prove it.”
He straightens. “Get dressed. The Council convenes at noon. And you’ll be at my side.”
He turns and walks out, the door clicking shut behind him.
I sit there, trembling. Not from fear. From rage. From the unbearable, humiliating truth: I’m losing control. Not just of the mission. Not just of my body. Of me.
I force myself up, strip off the silk, and pull on the gray robes from the chest—simple, heavy, marked with werewolf sigils. They feel like a shroud. A surrender.
But I wear them.
Because I have no choice.
The Great Hall is already filling when we arrive—Alphas, Betas, envoys from the vampire and fae courts. The air is thick with tension, with the low hum of whispered alliances. At the dais, the High Elder stands beside the treaty scrolls, his staff raised. Kael takes his place at the center. I stand beside him, close enough that our arms brush, far enough that I don’t have to look at him.
But I feel him.
His heat. His scent. The bond, pulsing between us like a second heartbeat.
Then—
“Ah. The fated pair.”
The voice is smooth, dark, laced with amusement. I turn.
Thorne, Lord of the Crimson Spire, steps forward—tall, pale, dressed in a tailored black coat that looks more like a funeral shroud than clothing. His eyes are black as ink, his fangs just visible as he smiles. He’s the Vampire Lord, one of the most powerful beings in Atheria. And he’s watching me like I’m a feast.
“Envoy Morgana,” he says, bowing slightly. “A pleasure to see you again. Though I must say—” His gaze flicks to Kael. “—I didn’t expect you to be… claimed so quickly.”
“It was unexpected,” I say, voice steady.
“Mm.” He steps closer, his scent—cold roses and iron—cutting through Kael’s dominance. “And yet, here you are. Bound to the Wolf King. How… tragic.”
“It’s none of your business,” Kael growls.
Thorne ignores him, his eyes locked on me. “I’ve heard rumors. That the bond is strong. That it consumes you. That you scream his name in your sleep.”
My face burns.
“Lies,” I say.
“Are they?” He reaches out, his fingers brushing my wrist. Cold. Deliberate. A jolt runs through me—not from fear. From something darker. Something I don’t want to name.
Kael moves like lightning.
He steps between us, his hand closing around Thorne’s wrist, crushing it. “Touch her again,” he says, voice low, dangerous, “and I’ll rip your arm from your socket.”
Thorne doesn’t flinch. Just smiles. “Possessive, aren’t we? But tell me, Kael—” He tilts his head. “—does she want you? Or is she just afraid of the bond?”
“She’s mine,” Kael says. “And that’s all that matters.”
Thorne chuckles. “For now.”
He turns to me, his voice dropping to a whisper only I can hear. “If you ever want out… my offer still stands. Immortality. Power. Freedom from him.”
My breath catches.
He winks. “Just say the word.”
Then he’s gone, melting into the crowd.
I stand there, my pulse racing, my skin still tingling where he touched me. Not from fear. From awareness. From the dangerous, traitorous thought: What if he’s right? What if there’s another way?
Kael turns to me, his eyes blazing. “Don’t even think about it.”
“I wasn’t,” I snap.
“You were,” he says, stepping closer. “I can smell it on you. Interest. Curiosity. Want.”
“You don’t get to tell me what I feel.”
“I don’t,” he says, his voice dropping. “But your body does. And right now, it’s screaming that you want me.”
He leans in, his breath hot against my ear. “Prove him wrong. Prove me wrong. Show them all who you belong to.”
Then he’s gone, moving to the dais, leaving me standing there, shaken.
The Council session is a blur—debates, decrees, political maneuvering. I don’t hear a word. My mind is on Thorne. On his offer. On the way his cold fingers sent a shiver through me, not of fear, but of something else.
And on Kael.
On the way his grip tightened when Thorne touched me. On the way his voice dropped, possessive, furious.
He was jealous.
The thought hits me like a blade.
Not anger. Not dominance. Jealousy.
And for the first time, I wonder—what if I could use that?
What if I could make him hurt?
The session ends. The crowd begins to disperse. I wait until Kael is speaking with Riven, then slip away, moving through the corridors toward the west wing—where the vampire envoys are quartered.
Thorne’s chamber is easy to find—black stone, silver runes, the scent of roses and blood thick in the air. I knock once.
The door opens.
He stands there, shirt unbuttoned, his chest pale, his eyes gleaming. “I knew you’d come.”
“Don’t flatter yourself,” I say, stepping inside. “I’m not here for you.”
“No?” He closes the door. “Then why are you trembling?”
I don’t answer.
He steps closer, his fingers brushing my cheek. Cold. Deliberate. “You want out. I can smell it. The bond is breaking you. And he—” He sneers. “—he’s too blind to see it.”
“He sees everything,” I say.
“But he doesn’t feel,” Thorne says. “Not like I do. Not like I could make you feel.”
He leans in, his fangs grazing my neck. “One taste. That’s all I ask. Let me drink from you. Let me show you what it means to be wanted.”
My breath hitches.
Not from fear.
From need.
And then—
The door slams open.
Kael.
His eyes are gold fire, his presence a storm. He doesn’t speak. Doesn’t move. Just stares at Thorne’s fangs at my neck, at my parted lips, at my trembling hands.
And then he roars.
It’s not a sound. It’s a force—a wave of pure dominance that rips through the room, shattering the glass in the sconces, knocking Thorne back. I stumble, disoriented—
And then Kael is on me.
He grabs my wrist, yanks me to him, his other hand at my throat—not choking, just holding, feeling my pulse race. His eyes burn into mine.
“You lied,” he growls.
“I didn’t—”
“You wanted him to bite you,” he snarls. “You wanted it.”
“No—”
“Liar.” He spins me, pins me against the wall, his body pressing into mine. His hardness digs into my hip. My breath catches. My core clenches.
“You think I don’t know what you’re doing?” he whispers, his fangs grazing my ear. “You think I don’t smell the game you’re playing? You wanted me to see. You wanted me to feel it.”
My heart stops.
He knows.
“And you did,” I whisper.
He growls—low, dark—and grinds against me, his hips pressing into mine, his heat overwhelming. “You don’t get to play with fire, little witch. Not with me.”
His hand slides down my arm, to my waist, pulling me tighter against him. I should fight. Should shove him away. Should remind him that I hate him.
But I don’t.
Instead, I tilt my head, baring my neck.
He freezes.
His breath hitches.
And then—
I bite his lip.
Hard.
Blood blooms on his mouth, dark and rich. I taste it—iron, fire, him—and a moan escapes me.
He stills.
Then, slowly, he licks the blood from my lip, his tongue hot, possessive.
“You want to play?” he murmurs. “Then play.”
He kisses me.
Not gentle. Not sweet.
Violent.His mouth crashes into mine, his fangs scraping my lips, his tongue claiming me like he owns me. And I—
I kiss him back.
My hands fist in his coat, pulling him closer, my body arching into his, my core aching, needing. The bond flares—golden light erupting between us, the runes on my shoulder glowing, the air crackling with magic.
Thorne is forgotten.
The room is forgotten.
There’s only him.
Kael breaks the kiss, his breath ragged, his eyes wild. “You don’t get to leave,” he growls. “You don’t get to choose anyone else. You’re mine.”
“I’ll never be yours,” I gasp.
He smiles—slow, dark. “But you want to be.”
He releases me, steps back.
“Come,” he says, turning to the door. “We’re done here.”
I follow, silent, shaking.
As we walk back through the corridors, the bond hums between us—stronger, hotter, hungrier. And for the first time, I wonder—
What if I don’t want to win this war?
What if I want to lose?
What if I want to belong?
I came here to kill the Wolf King.
And now, I’m not sure I can.