Chapter Unedited
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CHAPTER 10
~Author's POV~
Rhiannion was the first they asked to leave.
Once she was taken back, the chamber emptied slowly, the elders murmuring amongst themselves as they filed out with sharp glances and tight mouths. The words "disrespect," "unfit," and "dangerous" lingered in the air like stale smoke.
But the Alphas didn't move.
Not immediately.
Kael remained at the center of the space, back straight, expression unreadable. The silence between the five of them crackled like a fuse waiting for fire.
Then Riven turned toward him.
"What. The. Hell."
Kael didn't answer.
Lucien rose next, crossing his arms. "Tell me you didn't know Seraphina pulled that stunt."
"I didn't," Kael said flatly.
"You picked out the clothes yourself," Talon added, voice quiet but cold. "I watched you. You checked every seam like it was battle armour."
"She wouldn't have had access to the east wing delivery unless—" Darian began, then stopped, looking Kael directly in the eye. "Unless you gave her the authority."
Kael's jaw flexed. "I didn't."
"Then you better prove it," Riven snarled. "Because what just happened in there made all five of us look like amateurs. Like we don't know how to handle our own mate."
Lucien gestured toward the door. "So go fix it."
Kael's fists clenched once, and without a word, he turned on his heel and stormed out.
Seraphina's Quarters
Seraphina was lounging on a velvet chaise, long legs crossed, a silver hairpin clutched between two fingers. She was humming softly to herself when the door slammed open.
Kael didn't knock.
She sat up straight, the hum dying on her lips.
"Kael." Her voice turned sweet in an instant. "To what do I owe the pleasure—"
"Where are Rhiannon's clothes?" he cut her off, stepping into the room like a storm rolling in. "The ones I ordered for her. Velvet. Silk. Leather."
Seraphina blinked once, feigning innocence. "What are you talking about?"
"You know exactly what I'm talking about," he growled. "Don't play games with me."
She rose, robes whispering against the floor as she moved toward him. "I… might have admired a few of the pieces. But Kael, she gave them to me. Said she didn't want them. That she wasn't interested in handouts from Alphas."
Kael's brows lowered, his shoulders tightening. "She said that?"
Seraphina nodded smoothly. "She told me you were wasting your time, that she wouldn't be bought. She said she'd rather wear the dust from her old room than anything touched by you." Her voice softened further, almost pained. "I didn't want to insult you by throwing them away… so I kept them. That's all."
Kael didn't move. Not for a moment.
His mind raced—replaying every look, every carefully timed barb Rhiannon had thrown in the council chamber. Was this a setup? A twisted way to see how far he'd let her fall?
No. She wouldn't humiliate herself like that unless she had to.
Which meant Seraphina was lying. Or at least bending the truth hard enough to snap it.
"I warned you once," he said, voice low and full of warning. "Don't make me do it again."
"Kael—"
But he was already walking away.
Corridor Outside Seraphina's Chambers
As Kael stalked through the marble corridors of the estate, he passed a pair of maids dusting the gallery hall. He paused, eyes locking on one of them.
"You," he said sharply. The younger of the two straightened immediately. "Fetch my Beta. Tell him to order a new set of garments for Rhiannon. Double the quantity. Double the elegance. Delivered to her room only. No one else touches them. Do you understand?"
The maid nodded. "Yes, Alpha Kael."
"And tell him I want them there before sunset. Personally."
"Yes, Alpha."
He turned and continued down the hall, every step echoing like a war drum.
Rhiannon's Quarters – Velvet Suite
Rhiannon's POV
I had just finished drying off.
The water in the bath had long gone lukewarm, but it had done its job—peeling off the grime, the tension, the last remaining threads of Seraphina's insult.
I stood in the center of the room wrapped in a thick white towel, hair damp, skin still warm from the bath. My old clothes were folded neatly on the chair, and the "new" outfit I'd worn to the council meeting was already back in the basket, soaking in suds.
I was considering whether to just lie back and pretend the day hadn't happened when a sharp knock echoed through the chamber.
Three firm raps. The same rhythm from earlier.
But this time, I didn't need my nose.
His scent hit me like a punch—snow, cedar, and command.
Kael.
I crossed the room slowly and opened the door.
There he stood, as composed as always—but something in his jaw, in the barely checked fury in his eyes, told me he was two seconds from boiling over.
I leaned against the doorframe. "What do you want?"
His eyes swept over me, then flicked away—just briefly. "We need to talk."
"Now?"
"Yes."
I didn't move. "You're a little late."
"I'm here now."
I stepped aside. "Then come in. Try not to break anything."
He entered without comment, and for a beat, we stood in silence—me in a towel, him in that black buttoned shirt he wore like armor.
Finally, I spoke. "Let me guess. Seraphina spun a lovely tale about how I gave her my things, and you swallowed it whole."
His eyes narrowed. "She said you didn't want them. That you—"
"Save it," I cut him off. "If you believed her for even a second, you deserve the fool's crown."
He inhaled slowly. "I didn't come to argue."
"Then why did you come?"
"To fix it."
My brows lifted. "You?"
Kael nodded once. "New clothes are already being prepared. You'll have them by sundown. No one touches them but you."
I crossed my arms over the towel. "And what about Seraphina?"
He didn't answer immediately. His silence was the only proof I needed.
"She stays," I guessed.
"She's part of the estate. She won't interfere again."
I let out a quiet laugh. "You can command wolves. Not ambition."
Kael stepped closer, stopping just within reach. "This pack doesn't understand you yet. But they will. And when they do, they'll know not to cross you."
I met his gaze evenly. "What about you?"
His voice lowered. "I already learned."