Chapter 44 THE ALPHA IN ME

Chapter 44 THE ALPHA IN ME
CHAPTER 44. THE ALPHA IN ME

KAELEN'S POV

"What the... what the fuck are you doing here?"

The words tumble out of my mouth in a harsh, jagged whisper, barely cutting through the heavy silence of the corridor. I am vibrating with a sudden spike of pure adrenaline, my eyes locked onto the captive witch. Ciara stares back at me, her porcelain face a mask of absolute, frozen shock. She looks at me as if she honestly never expected the heavy oak doors to open, let alone to see the future Alpha stepping out into the light.

I throw a quick, frantic look over my shoulder, staring back into the depths of the high chamber. Elder Cyphros is still positioned near the far end of the room, his tensed silhouette framed by the dancing flames of the hearth, thankfully still completely absorbed in the residual frustration of the discussion we just concluded. He hasn't noticed the breach. Not yet.

Before she can recover her wits or turn into a cloud of smoke, I lunge forward. My movements are a blur of alpha speed as I roughly grab her by the forearm, shoving her out of the path of the doorway, dragging her body a few feet down the corridor. I spin around and slam the heavy timber door shut behind me, the brass latch clicking into place with a definitive, muffled thud.

I pivot back to face her, my chest heaving as I lean into her personal space. "Were you actively eavesdropping on a Council discussion, Ciara?" I demand, my voice dropping to a low, razor-sharp hiss.

She doesn't flinch. Instead, her chin lifts with an unmatched, defiant grace, her vibrant violet eyes flashing with an eerie, luminescent fire. She glares back at me with an expression of pure, unadulterated annoyance, folding her arms tightly across her dark cloak as she scrutinizes my face with a deep scowl.

What the heck is her problem? The thought screams in my head. She is the one who was just caught red-handed committing an act of treason against the Council, yet she is standing there projecting a blistering, toxic anger directly at me. For a long, agonizing minute, she doesn't utter a single syllable. She just keeps staring at me, her eyes twin pools of venom.

I blink in total confusion, the silence stretching until it turns suffocating. I look around the empty corridor, searching for logic. "So, that’s it? You’re just not going to say anything to defend yourself?" I ask, my arms crossing over my chest.

"I am actually completely disappointed by the sheer atrocity, defiance, and casual brutality of your pack," Ciara spits out suddenly, her voice cutting through the quiet like a serrated blade. "In fact, it extends to every single member of the other dominant species in this pathetic supernatural world."

The sheer bitterness in her words forces me to take a cautious step back, staring down at her in a state of quiet wonder. I don't interrupt her, my jaw tensing as she continues her tirade, her chest heaving beneath her robes.

"So, let me get this straight, future Alpha," she mocks, her lips curling into a cold, blood-red sneer. "You want to stand there and tell me that simply because of some ancient obligation made by a stupid, malicious Elder who doesn't possess a single desire to maintain the peace, you are going to turn your back on the very person you claim to care about? If she turns out to be a witch at the end of the day, you're just going to carelessly kick her out into the cold?"

The moment the accusation leaves her lips, my heart skips a beat, my mind short-circuiting. Oh, great. She heard everything. She was pressed against the wood, absorbing every single line of my negotiation with Cyphros. Of course, she has every possible reason to be completely annoyed about that conclusion.

I grit my teeth together so hard the muscles in my jaw ache, a defensive anger bubbling up in my blood. "Look, Ciara, it’s really not what you think, okay? It’s not like that’s the actual plan I have mapped out in my mind."

"Oh, yes, Kaelen, that is exactly what you have in mind," she interrupts ruthlessly, stepping closer until I can smell the herbal scent of her magic. "If she turns out to be a witch, do you honestly think you have the courage to stand there and just let her exist? Of course you don't. You’re definitely going to succumb and follow the bloody obligations of your pack hierarchy. I must have been so incredibly stupid to have assumed that maybe, just maybe, you would have considered the reality of her situation. I thought you would protect her after seeing the fact that you actively fought for her stay here."

I blink rapidly, my hands lowering as I try to project a calm I don't feel, wanting nothing more than to steady her before her voice reaches the Elder's ears. "Look, you are completely missing the memo here, witch."

"Of course I am getting the memo, Alpha," she counters, her voice rising in a sharp pitch of pure disgust. She takes another step, her violet eyes boring into mine. "I don't give a damn about whatever all of you are actively planning behind closed doors, or whatever garbage you choose to think about us witches. But what your history books conveniently fail to mention is that your ancestors were the ones who started this entire cycle of bloodshed. They were the ones who caused this war from the beginning. And we witches are only doing what we consider best for our own survival, because we know that collaborating with your packs is never going to yield anything good. You guys just don't understand the corruption you breed. All you care about are your stupid, nonsense rules that you think you are following, but you are the very ones bringing about the decay that is separating the supernatural world."

Her words are a chaotic torrent, leaving me completely confused as I look down at her with a heavy, tensed frown. Before I can form a counter-argument or untangle the history she’s throwing in my face, she lets out a final, bitter scoff. She spins on her heel, her dark cloak billowing behind her as she begins to walk away briskly, her boots clicking aggressively against the stone.

I open my mouth in a state of utter bewilderment, my hand extending into the empty space. I actually want to call her back, to drag her into an alcove and force her to listen to the truth, but I don't even know how to begin that conversation. I let my hand drop, relaxing my tensed frame against the cold stone wall, and rub my palm firmly across my forehead.

Good Goddess, I cannot handle this drama right now. If she had just stayed quiet and listened to the underlying terror in my pulse, she would have known that I am actually completely terrified about the ritual. I don't give a single damn about the fact that Iris might be a witch. I don't care if she belongs to the vampires, the shifters, or a bloodline that shouldn't exist. The beast inside me has already locked onto her coordinates. I cannot let her out of my sight.

I frown slightly, a sudden, cold realization hitting my brain like an ice water bath. With a violent jolt of panic, I remember exactly where I left her. Iris. Davina. I left them alone together in my private quarters. Oh, good Lord, and I have been away navigating the executive building for entirely too long.

I break into a sprint, my movements transforming into a blur of supernatural speed as I cross the threshold of the executive hallway. I tear through the manicured pathways of the campus, the evening air rushing past my face until I finally come to a sudden, skidding stop outside the stone student hostel buildings. I march down the residential corridor, my breath hitching as I reach my private lodge. I grasp the handle and push the door open briskly, my eyes immediately scanning the space.

Iris is there. She is leaning heavily against the carved wooden headboard of the bed, her head laid back against the dark stain. She is gazing blankly up at the ceiling rafters, her small hands flat against the sheets as if she is completely lost in the labyrinth of her own thoughts.

The exact millisecond the door clicks open, her head snaps around to look at me. She quickly sits up, her posture bracing. And then, I see it. It is a subtle, beautiful shift behind her features—something that strongly resembles a flash of hope and unadulterated happiness erupts in her expression the moment her eyes lock onto mine.

Good Lord. Those icy, crystal-blue eyes are stunning under the low light, sparkling like a cluster of diamonds in the dark. My heart skips a beat, a sudden warmth blooming beneath my skin. I swallow hard against the dryness in my throat, watching the way she continues to gaze at me with those glittering, vulnerable eyes. I close the heavy door slowly behind me, sliding the brass bolt into place, and then I slowly approach the edge of the mattress.

"Hey," I say, my voice dropping to a soft, comforting register.

Her lips tremble for a fraction of a second, and then she smiles softly back at me. "Hey."

I swallow hard again, my alpha confidence completely deserting me as I realize I am suddenly entirely short of words. I climb onto the mattress, my movements deliberate, and sit down on the sheets beside her. "Are you okay?" I ask, extending my hand to place it gently on her shoulder.

The moment my palm makes contact with her skin, I notice the way her small frame violently shivers. But she doesn't flinch away from the touch. Instead, she relaxes her tensed muscles and leans her weight into my side, her warmth bleeding through the fabric of my clothes.

Good Lord... what does that simple movement do to my biology? I can feel something fierce, wild, and heavy beginning to boil deep down between my legs. It feels like a sudden surge of molten heat, an uncontrollable fire that threatens to consume my restraint. The primal desire is back with a vengeance, and I am fucking losing my mind here, trapped in the scent of her crimson hair. My eyes leave her shoulder, trailing slowly across the curve of her jawline, down toward the pout of her full lips.

I swallow hard, forcing my thoughts back to reality. "Hope... hope Davina didn't give you much of a problem while I was gone?" I ask.

I freeze internally, my brow pinching into a sharp frown. Wait. Did I just stutter? The future Alpha of the Crescent Pack just stammered over a simple question. I observe her micro-expressions with a clinical intensity, waiting for the lie.

Iris blinks rapidly, her long, cute eyelashes flashing and fluttering against her cheeks as she digests the question. She hesitates for a long beat, her gaze dropping to the blankets, and then she quickly shakes her head.

"No," she says softly, her voice bare.

She snaps her head away, looking toward the dark drapes at the far side of the room. The way she delivered that reply was a little too sharp, a fraction too fast, and dripping with a defensive suspicion that alerts every single instinct in my blood.

The heat in my veins instantly turns to an icy, possessive fury. I frown deeply, my fingers curling until my fists clench tightly against my thighs.

"Ah... it’s cool," She murmurs, her voice shaking as I lean in closer. "I mean... she... well, she..." She trails off, her jaw locking. I can smell the trace of Davina's aggressive scent lingering in the sheets, mixed with the faint odor of ozone.

I look directly into Iris's averted face, the alpha in me rising to the surface. "What exactly did Davina do to you, Iris?" I ask again, my voice sounding openly threatening, the growl vibrating through the quiet room.