Chapter 151: Ignition

Seraphine's POV

"We found this on Damien's body," Kaelen said abruptly, pulling a syringe from his desk drawer. He held it up to the light. A few drops of clear liquid clung to the inside.

"What is it?" Lucian asked.

"Wolf poison mixed with sedatives." Kaelen's voice was flat, controlled. "Cordelia?"

She took the syringe, examining it closely. Her expression darkened. "This combination could have severed the mate bond completely. If he'd managed to inject you with this, Kaelen wouldn't have been able to track you at all. You'd have vanished without a trace."

My blood went cold.

"Someone told him how to do that," I said. "Mate bonds are rare. He couldn't have figured it out on his own."

"Which means our traitor isn't just leaking information," Orion said grimly. "They're actively helping Ravencrest develop weapons against us."

The implications hung heavy in the air.

"What about the alliance?" I asked. "Could one of the other packs have leaked information?"

Kaelen's expression hardened. "Possible. The alliance with Nightshade and Ironwood is built on necessity, not trust. If either Alpha thought they could gain advantage by siding with Ravencrest..."

"We need to watch them," Lucian said.

"Already planned." Kaelen's four eyes swept the room. "Zephyr and Kieran are allies for now. But I want eyes on both of them. Any contact with Ravencrest gets reported immediately."

The heat under my skin intensified. I shifted in my chair, trying to focus on the conversation and failing.

Kaelen's gaze locked on me. Held.

"Border patrols double starting tonight," he continued, still watching me. "Rotation shifts cut to four hours. No gaps, no exceptions."

"I'll handle it personally," Lucian said.

"Training grounds and the village get upgraded defenses," Cordelia added. "Especially around the school."

"Checkpoints at all major entry points," Orion suggested. "Log everyone coming and going."

"Do it." Kaelen's attention finally shifted away from me. "One more thing. Damien's death stays classified."

"To prevent a war," I said quietly, the realization settling over me like ice water. "If Ravencrest knows their Alpha died here..."

"They'll mobilize immediately," Orion finished, his voice matter-of-fact. "We're not ready for that fight."

"We need time," Cordelia said. "Time to find the traitor, to shore up defenses. If Ravencrest thinks Damien just disappeared..."

"It buys us a window," Kaelen finished. "Only the people in this room know the truth. The courtyard was cleared before dawn, and the guards who witnessed anything have already signed blood oaths. Anyone else finds out, they're tried for treason."

The weight of that settled over us.

"Understood," Lucian said quietly.

"Zephyr and Kieran," Kaelen continued. "Keep eyes on both Alphas starting immediately. Watch their movements, their communications. If either one is playing both sides..."

"We'll know," Orion promised.

"One week," Kaelen said. "I want results in one week. Orion, financial records on anyone with border access. Lucian, behavioral analysis on the pack. Cordelia, focus on anyone who's shown hostility toward Seraphine."

They all nodded.

"That's it. Move."

Chairs scraped back. Lucian and Orion headed for the door first, followed by Cordelia, who shot me a concerned look before leaving.

Then it was just us.

The door clicked shut. Silence pressed in from all sides.

I stayed in my chair, suddenly very aware of every breath, every heartbeat. The bond hummed between us, alive and insistent. The heat I'd been fighting all morning surged forward, no longer dampened by the presence of others.

Kaelen turned to face me fully. His four eyes had gone deep gold, wolf rising to the surface.

"You're in heat," he said flatly.

"No. I'm fine."

"Don't lie to me."

The command in his voice made my wolf whimper. Made heat coil low in my belly.

I stood up too fast, my side protesting. "I should go. Get settled somewhere."

"Sit. Down."

My legs obeyed before my brain could catch up. I sank back into the chair, pulse racing.

Kaelen moved closer, each step deliberate and controlled. He stopped in front of me, close enough that I had to tilt my head back to meet his eyes. Close enough that his scent wrapped around me like smoke.

"You'll stay close," he said quietly, his voice dropping to something raw. "Where I can reach you."

"I can take care of myself."

"Like you did with Damien?"

The words stung because they were true. I'd fought back, sure. But if Kaelen hadn't shown up...

"I killed him for you," Kaelen said, his hand coming up to cup the side of my face. His thumb brushed over my cheekbone, sending sparks racing across my skin. "But make no mistake, Seraphine. You're mine. And I don't let anyone touch what belongs to me."

The possessiveness should've pissed me off. Should've made me argue, push back, remind him I wasn't property.

Instead, my wolf practically purred. Mine, she agreed. Ours.

His hand slid down, fingers tracing the line of my jaw, then my throat. When he reached the bond mark, I gasped. The touch sent liquid heat flooding through my veins.

"Kaelen..."

His name came out breathless. Needy.

His eyes flared brighter. "Say it again."

"Kaelen." This time it was barely a whisper.

He leaned down, his mouth hovering just above mine. "You feel it, don't you? The pull."

I did. God, I did. It was impossible to think about anything else with him this close, with his scent filling my lungs and his heat radiating against my skin.

"This is just the bond," I managed. "The heat makes it stronger."

"Is it?" His lips brushed mine, feather-light. Testing. "Or are you done pretending you don't want this?"

The heat burning through my veins made the decision for me. I reached up, fingers curling into his collar, and pulled him down to meet me.

The moment our lips touched, everything else fell away.

The kiss ignited like wildfire. His mouth claimed mine with a hunger that matched the ache burning through my veins, and I met him with equal desperation. My hands fisted in his shirt, pulling him closer, needing him closer.

He groaned against my lips, the sound rough and primal. One hand tangled in my hair while the other gripped my waist, hauling me up from the chair. My legs wrapped around him instinctively as he lifted me, and suddenly I was pressed against the desk, the wood cool against my thighs.

His kiss deepened, tongue sliding against mine, and I couldn't stop the whimper that escaped. The bond sang between us, amplifying every touch, every sensation. When his teeth grazed my bottom lip, pleasure shot straight through me.

"Fuck," he breathed against my mouth. "You have no idea what you do to me."

His hands moved under my shirt, fingers splaying across bare skin. The touch burned in the best way possible. I arched into him, desperate for more contact, more friction, more everything.

He kissed down my jaw, my throat, pausing at the bond mark. When his tongue traced over it, I nearly came undone right there.

"Kaelen, please—"

"Tell me what you want," he growled against my skin.

"You. I want you."

Something in him snapped. His control fractured, and suddenly his hands were everywhere—my waist, my thighs, sliding higher. I grabbed his face and pulled him back up, kissing him hard enough to bruise.

He lifted me again, carrying me away from the desk. My back hit the wall, and he pressed against me, letting me feel exactly how much he wanted this too.

His hands found the hem of my shirt, tugging it upward. I raised my arms, breaking the kiss just long enough for him to pull it over my head and toss it aside.

For a moment, he just looked at me. His four eyes blazed gold, taking in every inch of exposed skin with raw hunger.

"Beautiful," he murmured. Then his mouth was on me again—my collarbone, the curve of my breast, everywhere he could reach.

I fumbled with the buttons of his shirt, fingers clumsy with need. He helped, shrugging it off impatiently, and then it was skin against skin. The contact made us both groan...