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CHAPTER 13
~Rhiannon's POV~
"I don't know," Kael admitted in a voice like gravel and ice. "You walk into a council chamber wearing mockery and hold your head like a queen."
"So?"
"You barely look at us and still manage to gut every one of us with your words and silence. I don't even know which is worse. And now you want to act like none of this matters?"
"It doesn't," I lied.
Kael's jaw shifted, and then he leaned down—so close our noses almost brushed, his lips just a breath from mine.
I could see the outline of his canines now, that sharp Alpha edge he always hid under cold, calm.
"You're lying," he said. Not a question. A fact.
I wanted to push him back.
I didn't.
Instead, I stared into the storm of his eyes and whispered, "And if I am?"
Kael's nostrils flared.
His voice came softer now. More dangerous. "Then you're not the only one."
Silence fell between us but Kael didn't kiss me. He didn't touch me. Instead, he pulled back slightly, the fire still burning in his gaze, but chained down hard.
"Your clothes will be in your room by sunset," he said, voice clipped now, back in command. "The others will be informed. No one questions your place here again."
I didn't speak.
Kael reached for the door, hesitated, then turned halfway.
"One more thing," he added. "The next time Seraphina touches what's yours…" He trailed off, his voice sinking into steel. "She'll regret it."
"I don't need a next time," I muttered, and then he left, closing the door behind him with the same silent authority he always carried, but leaving the heat of his nearness like a brand on my skin.
I exhaled, chest tight, heart thudding far too fast.
Ravyn purred softly in the back of my mind. "He wanted to bite us."
"He wanted to break first," I whispered back.
"And he nearly did."
I didn't reply. Because Ravyn was right, he nearly did.
And worse… so did I.
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~Author's POV~
Seraphina's Quarters – A Few Hours Later
Seraphina was still basking in the illusion of victory. To her, she had successfully turned Kael against Rhiannon and was waiting for the news of Rhiannon's punishment.
She'd had Fiona hang the stolen gowns across her open wardrobe, the black one with silver trim displayed in front and centre like a prize.
Her reflection smiled at her in the tall mirror—smug, painted, untouchable.
The knock at her door was expected.
"Go, open up," she told Fiona. "It may be news."
Fiona nodded. However, the sound of two guards entering without waiting for an invitation.
Seraphina turned just in time to see one of them close the door behind them while the other held a bundle in his arms—all the clothes she had stolen from Rhiannon.
All of them—the gowns, the coats, the boots.
"What's going on?" Seraphina demanded, folding her arms, smile slipping.
The first guard stepped forward. "Alpha Kael has issued an order."
"Then he can deliver it himself," she snapped, already spinning toward the wardrobe like she might snatch the gowns back.
The second guard dropped the bundle of garments to the floor between them. One reached into his belt and pulled out a knife.
"By order of Alpha Kael," the first one said coolly, "These clothes—originally gifted to Lady Rhiannon—are to be destroyed since his mates do not fancy them."
Seraphina's eyes widened. "WHAT?"
"Let us begin," the second guard urged.
"Destroyed?" Seraphona asked and immediately rushed towards them. "Are you out of your minds?!"
They didn't answer, but instead, right before her eyes, the knife and scissors flashed.
The first slice tore through the black gown like silk under fire. Seraphina lunged forward, but one of the guards blocked her with an arm.
Her hands slapped against his chest, but he didn't move.
"This is insane! He wouldn't—he wouldn't humiliate me like this!"
The second dress and a fur-lined coat were next shredded. One by one, the stolen garments were turned into ribbons on her floor.
"I'm his—" she hissed. "I've served this estate for years. He can't just—Kael cannot humiliate me for a… a slave!"
Rather than answering ehr or confronting her, the guard turned. "He did. And his words were very clear, Lady Seraphina."
She stood frozen, breath ragged, fury pulsing in every inch of her spine. "What did he say?" she whispered.
The guard paused. Then repeated word for word. "If she wants to wear rags so badly, give her what she's earned."
And just like that, the last scrap of velvet fell into pieces at her feet.
When they left, they didn't bow or offer sympathy. Only the sound of boots echoing down the hall… and Seraphina's shaking breaths in the aftermath.
—
Serapina stood among the wreckage, eyes burning, hands trembling at her sides.
They'd stripped her. Not physically, no—but worse.
Kael had humiliated her publicly for all to see as though she had never once shared his bed and made love to him.
And Rhiannon… Rhiannon was winning.
"I'll kill her," she whispered. "If no one else will, I'll rip her to pieces myself."
A knock echoed on her door again—soft this time.
Carla slipped in after a few seconds and lowered her head but when she lifted her head again, her eyes widened at the sight of the ruined clothing. "My lady…"
Seraphina snapped her fingers. "Get Mira. Now."
Carla blinked. "But she's—"
"Now."
The door shut behind her, and Seraphina's nails dug crescent moons into her palms as she stared down at the torn fabric.
Minutes later, Mira entered with her back straight, lips curled in satisfaction—until she saw the scene.
"What happened?"
Seraphina didn't smile. She didn't greet her either.
"He humiliated me," she hissed. "In front of his guards. Kael humiliated me for Rhianon. He had his guards rip the clothes apart."
"What? What happened?"
Seraphina narrated he false tale of how Rhiannon had thrown the clothes and I picked them when she told me she didn't want anything from Alpha Kael but later she lied I stole them. Do you understand what that means?"
Mira's brows furrowed. "He's already defending her openly."
Seraphina's voice turned venomous. "He's picking her. Over me. And soon…" she scoffed, her eyes trailing to the window. "Soon, Rhiannon would come for your spots."
Mira crossed the room and sat delicately on the edge of the chaise. "Then we do what we said. We remind him of what she is. A witch. A manipulator. She doesn't belong here."
"She's already in the east wing," Seraphina spat. "Next, she'll be in his bed. In their beds fucking them."
"We won't let it happen," Mira said as he reyes gleaming. "We tell the council everything. Her thoughts, her scent, her strange wolf. We say she's using dark magic to bind the Alphas. We say she plans to take control."
"And the council will believe us?" Seraphina scoffed.
"They already want a reason not to," Mira replied. "Let's give it to them."
Seraphina finally looked up, her expression sharp again. "She told me… if she married them, she'd send the rest of us away. Every last one. She'd make sure the Alphas never looked at another female again."
Mira's lips parted slightly. "She said that?"
"She did."
And Mira wanted to believe it, needed to.
"Then we have to act fast," Mira said. "Before she marries even one of them."
Seraphina's cruel, dangerous smile returned. "Oh, darling," she purred. "We're going to make sure she never marries any of them."