Selena

"I don’t want to stay here." My voice echoed through the underground armory.

Beta Bastien didn’t even look impressed by my protest. "You don’t have a choice."

The heavy metal door stood open behind him while several guards waited outside with weapons drawn.

"I am not a prisoner."

"No," Beta Bastien replied dryly. "You’re the reason half the castle is currently losing sleep."

I folded my arms. "That isn’t my fault."

"It rarely is, according to people who attract trouble."

I glared at him and he glared right back.

For a moment, neither of us spoke, then Beta Bastien sighed heavily. "Stay here." His tone softened slightly. "Just for now." With that he turned and walked away, shutting the big door behind him.

I hated that he sounded reasonable. I hated even more that Alpha Kael had agreed with this plan.

The assassins had somehow breached Blackbourne Castle. A castle that was supposed to be nearly impossible to infiltrate.

A castle protected by warriors, guards, patrols, scouts, walls, and enough security measures to make invading armies think twice. Yet assassins had gotten inside.

That thought alone made my stomach twist. How powerful were they? And more importantly... Who sent them?

My father? The Council? The vampires? Questions continued spinning inside my head. Questions nobody seemed willing to answer.

Silence followed as I was left alone here. I looked around and the place was ancient. Dust covered most of the shelves.

Old shields leaned against walls, broken spears sat abandoned in corners, the air smelled of rust and forgotten battles and It was very cold too.

I wrapped my arms around myself and began pacing back and forth. Anything to keep my thoughts occupied but it didn’t work.

I kept thinking about Alpha Kael. About the way he’d thrown himself over me when the window exploded.

About the glass that had pierced his skin and about the look on his face.

That look hadn’t been indifference. No matter how much he pretended, no matter how many walls he built, for one brief moment, he’d looked genuinely terrified.

Terrified for me. The memory made my chest feel warm and I immediately hated it.

Thirty minutes passed and maybe more. I could hear the sounds of chaos from above gradually fade.

There was no more crashing, no more shouting and no more alarms. Eventually, everything became too quiet, making me frown.

If the attack was over, why was I still down here?

It already crossed my mind to walk toward the door but before I could make a move, I heard footsteps noting someone was coming.

"Finally."Relief flooded through me.

"Beta Bastien?" I called as the footsteps continued towards the door.

"Beta Bastien, are the assassins caught?" There was still no response as the footsteps kept approaching.

A strange feeling settled inside my chest as the metal lock clicked and the huge doors slowly opened.

I smiled but then the smile vanished as the man standing outside wasn’t Beta Bastien.

I had never seen him before and his face was hidden beneath a wrapped kaftan. His eyes through the kaftan were unfamiliar,dangerous and predatory.

My heart started beating fast as the stranger slowly removed the cloth covering his head then he smiled. "I finally found you."

I stepped backward as every instinct screamed at me to run.

"Who are you?" I asked with a shaky voice.

He ignored the question. "I’m here to save you and take you away from here."

My pulse quickened. "Take me where?" Again, he ignored me.

Instead, he walked forward and I immediately backed away. "I said stop."

His smile widened. "I don’t want to hurt you."

"Funny." I grabbed an old spear leaning nearby.

"You look exactly like someone who wants to hurt me."

The assassin’s expression hardened. "I wasn’t given permission to return without you."

My grip tightened. "I wasn’t given permission to go with you."

For a moment neither of us moved, then he lunged at me and I swung the spear but he dodged and his hand shot out as his strong fingers wrapped around my wrist.

I twisted violently but he pulled harder and pain shot through my arm.

I screamed. "Let me go!" He dragged me forward as I fought, kicked, scratched and bit him but he was much stronger.

My scream echoed through the armory as the assassin cursed.

Then suddenly, I heard a deep savage terrifying growl. The kind that belonged to a predator at the very top of the food chain.

The assassin froze and so did I as something moved too fast.

One second the assassin stood in front of me and the next, he was airborne with his body slammed into the wall with a sickening crack.

I stumbled backward with my eyes widened seeing Alpha Kael.

His wolf was partially visible. His Golden eyes blazed and his breathing sounded rough, dangerous and feral.

The assassin barely managed to stand before Alpha Kael hit him again and again.

A punch and another punch until blood sprayed and the assassin crashed into shelves then weapons fell around him.

Still Alpha Kael didn’t stop while the assassin tried fighting back but It was useless.

Alpha Kael looked like murder itself. Every blow carried enough force to break bones. Every strike landed harder than the last.

The assassin screamed but Alpha Kael ignored him. The man’s face became a bloody mess then Alpha Kael wrapped a hand around his throat lifting him slowly and effortlessly.

The assassin’s feet left the ground and his eyes bulged. I immediately realized what was about to happen.

Alpha Kael was going to kill him. "Kael!"

He didn’t react. "Alpha Kael!" I called again but still got no response.

The assassin choked as his face turned purple. "Kael!"

This time I grabbed his arm and his gaze snapped toward me. The fury inside those golden eyes nearly stole my breath.

For one frightening second I thought he’d forgotten who I was then recognition returned slowly and reluctantly.

I swallowed and quietly said, "please don’t." His jaw clenched as the assassin continued struggling.

Alpha Kael stared at me then finally released him and the man collapsed to the floor coughing and gasping for air.

Footsteps thundered from the corridor and Beta Bastien burst inside accompanied by guards.

The moment he saw the scene, he stopped as his gaze shifted from the bleeding assassin to Alpha Kael then to me. "I assume this one is ours?"

Alpha Kael didn’t answer as the guards immediately dragged the assassin away with the man groaning in pain as I watched them disappear.

Then Alpha Kael’s large hand wrapped around my wrist. "Come."

That was all he said. It was just a command and somehow I found myself following him without saying anything.

We walked through several corridors in silence as The castle was slowly calming down and Guards moved everywhere.

Servants whispered nervously as everyone looked shaken.

Eventually we reached his chambers as the door closed behind us. The sudden quiet felt strange until my eyes fell to his hands and saw the assassin’s blood covered them.

Without thinking, I reached for him. "Come with me."

For once he didn’t argue as I led him toward the bathing room. Warm water filled a basin so I dipped a cloth inside then gently began cleaning the blood from his hands.

Neither of us spoke and the silence wasn’t uncomfortable. The mate bond hummed between us.

Every touch felt amplified. Every brush of skin lingered longer than it should. I focused on cleaning because anything else felt dangerous.

After several minutes I glanced up and found his shirt was stained with blood too.

I cleared my throat. "Your clothes are ruined."

His eyes met mine and for one ridiculous second I hoped he’d remove them right there in front of me and heat rushed into my cheeks.

Alpha Kael didn’t move and I immediately regretted the thought.

Then I awkwardly escaped the bathing room before my face betrayed me as I waited in his chamber while trying very hard not to think about him.

My gaze wandered around the room instead and I saw a large painting hung above the fireplace.

The man in it looked remarkably like Alpha Kael. They had the same eyes, same jaw and same stubborn expression.

"This must be his father." I studied the painting quietly then looked around for another portrait of his mother.

There wasn’t one and that surprised me.

My attention shifted elsewhere to a dagger resting inside a display shelf. It was beautiful and the sheath was immaculate.

The hilt looked expensive, important and treasured. I carefully picked it up as the craftsmanship was extraordinary.

Suddenly, the bathroom door opened. I looked up and immediately forgot the dagger existed.

Alpha Kael had stepped out with his upper body completely bare and water still glistened across his skin.

My breath caught. ’Oh Moon Goddess.’ The man was unfairly attractive. For several seconds neither of us spoke as the room seemed to shrink.

The mate bond tightened as it became more pulling, more yearning and more demanding.

My wolf practically purred as Alpha Kael stared at me and I stared right back with neither of us looking away.

Then a knock and the spell shattered instantly as Alpha Kael opened the door and Beta Bastien stood outside.

"We await your orders regarding the assassins."

Alpha Kael nodded, then he started dressing and without looking at me he said, "Go back to bed."

"No." I said and both males looked at me as I lifted my chin. "I want answers."

"You’ll get them later."

"I heard those men..."

Alpha Kael fastened a button and cut me off. "That changes nothing."

"I should be present."

"You absolutely should not." Alpha Kael snapped.

I folded my arms. "They tried kidnapping me."

"And because of that, they cannot see your face." Alpha Kael added.

I opened my mouth to argue more but he stepped very close. Close enough for me to feel his warmth. Close enough to forget what argument I was making.

His eyes locked onto mine. "I don’t like being disobeyed." My heart skipped as his voice lowered. "Especially not by my own mate."

The words wrapped around me possessively,dangerously and intoxicating.

Then his fingers brushed against my cheek. It was mainly a simple touch yet my entire body reacted.

His thumb stroked softly across my skin. "Go back to bed." His voice became quieter and gentler. "I’ll tell you what happened with the assassins tomorrow."

And somehow... despite every argument ready on my tongue... despite every protest...I obeyed.

I turned around, opened the door and left his room.