SelenaBy morning, my arms already hurt. Apparently, cleaning castle kitchens involved far more scrubbing than I imagined.

I stood beside one of the massive wooden counters while wiping away spilled broth and flour from breakfast preparations. Around me, cooks barked instructions at one another while servants rushed in and out carrying trays.

The heat alone was unbearable.

"I swear she gets bigger every week," Marqee whispered beside me.

I nearly laughed knowing who she was referring to but I had to pretend by asking. "Who?"

"The headmistress."

I quickly lowered my head to hide my smile.

Marqee glanced around carefully before leaning closer. "She yelled at one poor servant for breathing too loudly yesterday."

"That’s impossible."

"I witnessed it myself."

I snorted softly. The headmistress truly terrified everyone in the lower quarters. The woman stomped through hallways like a storm cloud, shouting at servants over the smallest mistakes.

No one disobeyed her. Ever.

"She wasn’t always like this though," Marqee added quietly while scrubbing a pot. "At least that’s what older servants say."

"What happened?"

Marqee’s smile faded slightly."She lost her mate and son."

My movements slowed.

"To rogues," she continued softly. "During a hunting trip years ago."

The humor disappeared from me instantly."Oh."

"They say Alpha Kael personally brought their bodies home himself." Marqee sighed. "Afterward, he gave her permanent work inside the castle and made sure she was cared for."

I blinked slightly. "That was kind of him."

Marqee nodded. "The Alpha takes care of people loyal to him."

That surprised me more than it should have. Kael rarely appeared warm or soft. Everything about him screamed control, discipline, danger.

Yet beneath all that... perhaps there was more.

Before I could think further, another servant burst into the kitchen excitedly. "You all won’t believe what happened!"

Everyone immediately looked toward her.

"What now?" one cook groaned.

The maid looked breathless with excitement. "The Alpha captured an entire feral horde!"

Several servants gasped loudly while I froze as something sharp had pulsed through the mate bond earlier that morning. Strong emotions. Intensity. I had felt it briefly before pushing it aside while working.

Now I understand why.

Marqee immediately grabbed the maid’s arm. "What happened?"

The girl practically bounced with excitement."There were hundreds of them near the northern border!"

"Hundreds?" someone repeated in horror.

"Yes! And Alpha Kael trapped them without sacrificing warriors!"

That caught my full attention immediately. "How?" I asked before I could stop myself.

The maid dramatically lowered her voice. "They say he created some impossible trap and captured them all alive."

Marqee shook her head with admiration. "I told you," she muttered toward me. "The Alpha is terrifyingly intelligent."

The maid nodded eagerly. "One merchant claimed Alpha Kael once dismantled an infamous rogue group using only five warriors."

"I heard that story too," another servant added quickly. "Those rogues terrorized trade roads for years before Blackbourne wiped them out."

The cooks began loudly discussing Kael’s battle tactics while servants exchanged increasingly exaggerated stories about him.

Apparently, my mate was becoming some sort of legendary war strategist. Not that he would ever admit it himself.

Then suddenly—

"I heard the Nightbane pack caused the feral attack."

The statement instantly silenced me, making my head snapped toward the servant who spoke. "What do you mean?" I asked too quickly.

The servant shrugged. "That’s what some warriors are saying."

Cold unease spread through me immediately.

Father was here? I wiped my hands quickly. "I need to leave for a moment."

The headmistress appeared seemingly from nowhere. "No."

I nearly jumped.

"You finish your work first," she snapped.

"It’s urgent."

"So is this kitchen."

I clenched my jaw quietly. Minutes dragged painfully afterward while my thoughts spiraled endlessly.

Father came to Blackbourne? Did he know I was here? What happened at the border?

Then suddenly movement near the hallway caught my attention. Alpha Kael.

He walked beside Beta Bastien while discussing something quietly. Even from across the room, his presence immediately pulled at the mate bond and my chest tightened instinctively.

As though sensing my gaze, Kael looked toward the kitchen and our eyes locked.

Again, everything around me faded briefly as the bond pulsed warmly and intensely.

Then Marqee elbowed me sharply. "Stop staring at the Alpha like that," she whispered urgently.

I looked away immediately but determination had already settled inside me. I need answers right now.

A few moments later, while carrying a stack of metal bowls toward the washing station, I intentionally let one slip badly against my palm.

Pain shot through my hand instantly and I hissed sharply in pain as blood appeared immediately across the cut.

Marqee gasped. "Selena!"

The headmistress stormed over instantly."What happened now?"

"I cut myself," I muttered.

She groaned dramatically. "Of course you did."

"It hurts badly," I added weakly.

She inspected the cut with annoyance. "You’ll live."

"Can I rest a few minutes?"

Her eyes narrowed suspiciously before she sighed heavily. "Five minutes. Then return."

That was all I needed. The moment she walked away, I slipped out quickly.

Castle guards filled several hallways now, likely because of whatever happened earlier at the border. Still, I managed to avoid most of them by following servant corridors Marqee showed me the previous night.

My heart pounded harder the higher I climbed. Then— I collided directly into a solid chest as strong hands steadied me instantly before I could fall.

Alpha Kael.

His expression looked completely unsurprised. "You’re terrible at sneaking," he said flatly.

I stepped back quickly. "You knew I was coming?"

"Perhaps." He said with a shrug of his shoulders.

I crossed my arms stubbornly. "Then answer my questions."

"Why would I want to do that?" He asked almost with a smirk.

Frustration immediately rose inside me."What happened at the border?"

"Nothing concerning you."

"My father was there, wasn’t he?"

Kael remained silent and that confirmed enough already.

"He came looking for me," I guessed aloud.

Still silence from him which made my stomach tightened.

"And he threatened you because Nightbane is stronger than Blackbourne."

That did it. Kael suddenly grabbed my arm and pinned me against the wall making heat explode instantly between us again.

Every single time he touched me, my entire body reacted embarrassingly fast.

His face lowered dangerously close to mine."Do not test my patience," he warned darkly.

My breathing became uneven despite myself."Then satisfy my curiosity," I whispered back.

For several tense seconds, he simply stared at me then suddenly he released me.

"Come."He grabbed my wrist and dragged me down the corridor toward his office. The moment we entered, he shut the door behind us.

"What happened?" I asked immediately.

Kael leaned against his desk with crossed arms. "Your father came searching for you."

My chest tightened.

"He demanded access into Blackbourne territory." His jaw hardened slightly. "And I refused."

I blinked.

"He left after threatening me."

"What kind of threat?"

Kael shrugged carelessly. "The usual Alpha nonsense."

But something told me he was downplaying it. I stepped closer slowly. "He’ll sell me the moment he gets me back."

The words hurt to say aloud.

Kael’s expression darkened slightly."You are safe here."

"How can you be sure?"

"Because I said so."

The confidence in his voice strangely eased part of my fear. Kael always sounded certain. Dangerously certain.

I studied him quietly for a moment before curiosity returned. "Did you truly capture hundreds of feral wolves without battle?"

He looked mildly annoyed now."That story spread quickly."

"So it’s true?"

"It wasn’t my first time handling ferals."

That was not an answer but judging by his expression, it was the only one I would get.

Silence stretched briefly between us afterward then the question weighing on me finally slipped out. "What are we supposed to do about the mate bond?"

Kael immediately returned to reviewing papers on his desk and ignoring me completely.

My irritation rose instantly."Why don’t you want to claim me?"

He still kept shut and focused on the papers on his desk.

"You keep pretending it doesn’t exist."

Still no response from him and anger flared hotter inside me now. "Are you always this frustrating?"

Kael still continued reading calmly and that did it. I reached forward and deliberately disrupted the organized parchments across his desk making the papers scattered everywhere.

His hand instantly caught my wrist. So fast that before I could react, he pulled me forward and pinned me against the desk instead and a sharp gasp escaped me.

His body pressed against mine while one hand trapped both my wrists above my head.

"Stop provoking me," he warned quietly.

My pulse raced wildly but instead of fear— it was excitement. Dangerous excitement.

Kael leaned closer slowly until his mouth hovered near my ear. "Tell me something, Selena."

The deep sound of his voice sent heat through my body immediately. "Do you truly want me to claim you?"

My breath caught instantly and suddenly, that dream from last night flashed violently through my mind.

His hands, his mouth and the way he touched me made every fiber in my body scream the same answer.

Yes.