Elara's hands wouldn't stop shaking as she scrubbed the same plate for the tenth time. Alpha Kael's words echoed in her head like thunder.
Tonight you're going to learn what happens when an Alpha breaks his own rules. "Get it together," she whispered to herself.
But her wolf was going crazy inside her chest, pacing and howling. Footsteps approached the kitchen. Heavy ones. Beta Marcus emerged in the doorway, his face serious.
"The Alpha wants to see you in his office. Now." Her stomach dropped to her toes. "Did I do something wrong?" "Just go." Marcus wouldn't meet her eyes.
"Third floor. Big wood doors. Knock twice." The walk through Stonehaven felt like climbing to her gallows.
Other pack members stopped talking when she passed. Their stares burned holes in her back. Everyone knew something was happening.
Something that had never happened before. The third floor belonged to Alpha Kael alone. Thick rugs muffled her footsteps.
Expensive art watched her from golden frames. Everything yelled power and money. She found the wood doors. Raised her shaking fist. Knocked twice. "Enter."
The room was huge. Floor-to-ceiling windows showed the forest beyond. A massive desk filled the center. Books lined every wall.
Alpha Kael stood with his back to her, staring out at his area. He'd changed from his suit into dark pants and a black sweater. Somehow, he looked even more scary.
"Close the door," he ordered without turning around. She obeyed, her heart pounding so loud she was sure he could hear it. "Do you know why I called you here, Elara?"
"No, Alpha." He finally turned. Those burning black eyes found hers instantly. "Sit." She perched on the edge of a leather chair, ready to run if needed.
"Let me tell you a story," Kael said, moving to lean against his desk. "About a young Alpha who took over his pack at age thirteen." Thirteen? Elara's eyes widened.
That was impossibly young. "My father died in a rogue attack. I had to be strong instantly. No weakness. No mistakes.
One sign of weakness, and the pack would have torn itself apart." His voice was cold, realistic. Like he was discussing the weather.
"So I made rules. Simple ones. Rules that kept me in control." He crossed his arms.
"Rule number one: Never show feeling. Rule number two: Never let anyone get close. Rule number three: Never take the same woman twice."
The last rule hit her like a slap. She'd heard whispers about it in the kitchens. Alpha Kael's famed one-night policy. "Those rules saved my pack," he continued.
"They made me strong. Untouchable. For fifteen years, I never broke them. Not once." "Why are you telling me this?" she whispered. Something dangerous flickered in his eyes.
"Because this morning, for the first time in fifteen years, I wanted to break rule number three before I'd even had you once." The air left her lungs in a rush. Heat flooded her face.
"Your scent," he said, pushing off from the desk to pace. "It's driving my wolf crazy. I can smell it from three floors away. Sweet. Warm. Intoxicating."
Each word made her stomach flutter with fear and something else. Something she didn't understand. "I've been with countless women," Kael continued, his voice getting rougher.
"Alphas, betas, even a few omegas. None of them affected me like this. None of them made me lose control."
He stopped pacing and stared at her. "But you do." "I'm nobody," she breathed. "Just a kitchen omega." "No." His voice turned deadly serious.
"You're something else. Something special. And that scares me." The confession hung between them like a bomb waiting to burst.
"Alpha, I don't understand what's happening to me," she revealed. "My scent, the way I feel around you... it's all new."
"You turned eighteen today." It wasn't a question. "Your adult scent is developing. But this..." He pointed between them.
"This is beyond normal." A soft knock stopped them. "Alpha?" came a female voice from the hallway. Kael's expression hardened quickly.
"What is it, Rebecca?" The door opened, and a beautiful blonde woman stepped inside. She wore a tight red dress that showed off her beautiful figure.
Her blue eyes swept the room, landing on Elara with clear disgust. "I thought we had plans tonight," Rebecca purred, moving closer to Kael.
Elara's heart clenched painfully. Of course the Alpha had other women waiting. Beautiful, confident women who fit in his world.
"Plans change," Kael said coldly. Rebecca's smile faltered. "But last night was great. I thought maybe—" "Last night was last night." His voice could have frozen fire.
"You know my rules." The woman's face crumpled with hurt and embarrassment. She shot another hateful look at Elara before leaving the room. Silence stretched between them.
"That's how it works," Kael said finally. "One night. Then it's over. Always." "Then why am I here?" Elara's voice was barely a whisper. He moved closer. Too close.
She could smell his wild, masculine scent mixed with something darker. Something that made her wolf whine with want.
"Because you're about to help me break the most important rule I've ever made." His hand lifted to cup her face. His hand was warm, rough with calluses. She should pull away. Should run.
But her body wouldn't follow. "I'm going to claim you tonight," he said, his thumb touching her cheek. "And tomorrow night. And the night after that. Until this madness in my blood finally stops." "What if it doesn't stop?"
The question slipped out before she could think. Something wild and desperate flashed in his eyes. "Then we'll both be in serious trouble." The office door burst open again.
This time Beta Marcus rushed in, his face pale with fear. "Alpha! Emergency pack meeting.
The rogues hit our eastern line. Three guards are dead." Kael's hand dropped from her face instantly. The gentle Alpha went, replaced by a cold, deadly leader.
"Gather the top wolves. War room. Five minutes." His voice was pure ice. Marcus nodded and ran. Kael turned back to Elara, his eyes still burning with that dangerous hunger. "Go to your room. Wait for me.
Don't talk to anyone. Don't go anywhere." "How long will you be gone?" she asked. "As long as it takes." He grabbed his jacket from a chair.
"But Elara?" She looked up at him, heart beating. "When I come back, nothing will ever be the same between us. Are you ready for that?" No. She wasn't ready. She was scared.
But looking into his dark eyes, feeling the pull of whatever was happening between them, she found herself nodding. "Good." He moved toward the door, then stopped. "And Elara? Lock your door tonight.
Because if any other guy gets near you while your scent is like this, I'll kill them." The words should have scared her. Instead, they sent a thrill through her entire body.
The door slammed shut, leaving her alone in the massive room. She touched her face where his hand had been. Her skin still tingled from his touch. Alpha Kael Blackwood was going to break his most precious rule.
For her. A nobody omega from the cooks. But as she walked back through the silent halls of Stonehaven, one question haunted her thoughts.
What would happen when the most powerful Alpha in the region finally lost control? And more importantly, would she survive it?