Chapter 41: Chapter 41: The Alpha They Tried to Kill

Chapter 41: The Alpha They Tried to Kill

Kael’s POV

The moment I stepped out of Seraphina’s chamber, something felt wrong.

Not anger. Not tension. Something sharper than that. Something that went straight through the bond.

It wasn’t the same feeling I’d had before. This was danger. Real danger. The kind that made my chest tighten before my mind even caught up.

Liora.

I didn’t think. I ran.

The corridors blurred past me. I barely remembered taking the stairs. My only focus was the pull in my chest growing stronger with every step, like something inside me was screaming to move faster.

And then I saw them.

A group of wolves.

Not patrolling. Not guarding. Moving together in one direction, quiet, fast, and wrong.

Toward her.

My blood went cold.

I pushed harder, my boots slamming against the stone as I turned the corner into the courtyard. The air hit me hard, sharp and cold, but it didn’t matter.

What mattered was the sight in front of me.

Liora stood a few steps away from them.

Still. Too still.

Her eyes were closed Like she already knew what was coming.

Something inside me snapped.

I moved before I even realized it. One second I was across the courtyard, the next I was in front of her, stepping between her and the wolves just as they lunged.

The attack hit me instead.

Claws tore into my side. Another strike landed against my shoulder. Pain shot through my body, sharp and immediate, but I didn’t move back. I couldn’t.

Not when she was behind me.

I heard her gasp. I felt her try to move closer.

"Don’t," I said, forcing the word out through clenched teeth. "Stay where you are."

"Kael—"

"Stay still," I repeated, my voice harsher this time. I didn’t turn to look at her. I couldn’t afford to. "I’m not letting anything happen to you. Not tonight."

My body was already reacting. The shift came faster than usual, rage pushing through the pain like it had been waiting for this moment. Bones cracked. Muscles stretched. My vision sharpened as the wolf took over.

I let the roar tear out of me.

"I dare you," I growled, my voice no longer fully human. "Take another step forward."

The wolves hesitated.

I saw it clearly now. This wasn’t a confident attack. This was fear wrapped in desperation.

Whispers broke out between them.

"We attacked the Alpha—"

"We were supposed to kill the Luna—"

"What do we do now?"

"Will Lady Isolade spare us?"

My jaw tightened. So that was it.

Isolade.

One of them swallowed hard. "We’re already here. If we stop now, we’re dead anyway."

"You want us to attack both of them?" another one asked, panic clear in his voice.

"Lady Isolade will kill us if we fail," someone else muttered.

"I don’t care," the first one snapped. "The Alpha is already injured. If we don’t finish this now, none of us survive."

The moment he stepped forward, I moved.

One strike. That was all it took.

My claws went straight through him before he even realized what was happening. He hit the ground hard, the sound echoing across the courtyard.

Silence followed.

The rest of them froze. Then they ran.

Not in formation. Not with dignity. They turned and fled like they suddenly remembered exactly who they had just tried to kill.

I didn’t chase them.

Not yet.

The pain started to settle in now that the adrenaline was fading. Blood ran down my side, warm and heavy, but I forced myself to stay upright. Falling here wasn’t an option.

Not while she was still looking at me like that.

Liora rushed forward before I could stop her this time. Her hands grabbed my arm, her fingers trembling the moment they touched the blood.

"You’re hurt," she whispered, her voice breaking. "Kael, you’re bleeding everywhere."

"I’m fine," I said automatically, even though we both knew that was a lie.

"You’re not fine!" Her eyes were wide, panic and anger mixing together. "Why would you stand in front of them like that? What if they had—"

"They didn’t," I cut in quietly. "That’s what matters."

Her grip tightened. "You could have died."

I looked at her for a long second. The fear in her eyes wasn’t the same as before. It wasn’t just fear for herself anymore. It was fear of losing me. 𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒆𝙬𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝒎

Something in my chest tightened.

"I’m still here," I said, forcing my voice to stay calm. "Look at me, Liora. I’m still standing."

She swallowed hard but didn’t let go.

Footsteps approached from behind us. My soldiers finally reached the courtyard, weapons ready, eyes scanning the ground until they saw the body and the blood.

"Alpha—"

"Take her back to the chamber," I said immediately, not even looking at them. "Two of you stay with her. No one gets near her unless I say so. Not anyone."

Liora shook her head instantly. "No. I’m not leaving you here like this."

"You’re going back," I said firmly.

"I won’t," she snapped, her voice shaking but stubborn. "Not when you can barely stand. If you collapse out here, what am I supposed to do then?"

I almost laughed, but it hurt too much.

"I’m not collapsing," I said, even though my body clearly disagreed. "I just need a few minutes. That’s all."

Her eyes searched mine like she was trying to figure out whether she could believe me.

"You’re lying," she said quietly.

"Maybe," I admitted. "But I’ll come back. I promise you that."

She didn’t answer immediately. Then she nodded once, reluctantly, like the decision was tearing her apart.

"Fine," she said softly. "But if you’re not back soon, I’m coming out here again. I don’t care who tries to stop me."

I almost smiled at that.

"Go," I said, nodding to the soldiers. "Take her."

They guided her away carefully, like they understood exactly how important she was now. She looked back once before disappearing into the corridor, and I stayed where I was until she was completely out of sight.

Only then did I let out a slow breath.

The rest of the soldiers stood waiting, tense and silent.

I turned to them.

"Find them," I said, my voice colder than I expected. "Every single one of them. None of them leaves this fortress tonight. Not one."

"Yes, Alpha," they answered immediately before spreading out.

The courtyard finally went quiet again.

Another group of soldiers approached from the opposite side. These ones weren’t panicking. They were waiting for instructions.

Good.

I straightened slowly, ignoring the pain in my side.

"Listen carefully," I said. "What happened here was not an accident. This was planned. Someone inside this fortress ordered those wolves to attack my Luna."

Their expressions darkened instantly.

"And that means," I continued, "this ends tonight."

One of them stepped forward. "What are your orders, Alpha?"

I looked toward the main building, my jaw tightening.

"Split into two groups," I said calmly. "The first group keeps searching the grounds. If you find anyone running, you bring them to me alive."

"Yes, Alpha."

"The second group stays here with me."

They didn’t question it. They just waited.

I took a slow breath before speaking again.

"Go to Lady Isolade’s chambers," I said, my voice steady now, completely controlled. "And bring her to me."

Silence followed for a second.

Then one of them nodded. "Right away, Alpha."

They moved immediately, leaving only a few behind.

I stayed where I was, the blood still running down my side, the night air colder than before. My wolf was still restless under my skin, furious, unwilling to calm down.

They tried to kill her.

Inside my own fortress.

The thought alone was enough to make the anger rise again.

I didn’t move. I didn’t sit. I didn’t even lean against the wall.

I just waited.

And this time, I wasn’t going to let anyone pretend nothing had happened.