Serena's POV
“Huh?” I stuttered, unable to tear my gaze away from his eyes. Those stormy gray orbs flecked with crimson, seemed to pin me in place, like I was prey and he the predator. My life was completely in the palm of his hand.
A shiver ran through me, though I couldn’t tell if it was out of fear… or something darker, something that made my heart race in excitement. Something was definitely wrong with me.
However, his next words were sure to snap me out of the daze I was immersed in.
“What is your relationship with Draven?”
The name slammed into me like a shockwave, and I froze, my blood turning to ice and my eye’s widening. How did he know about Draven?
Kaidon raised an eyebrow, his eyes narrowed as if he wanted to strangle the truth out of me. Memories began to claw their way to the surface and rage, unlike anything I've ever felt before coursed through me, threatening to overwhelm me.
I could see it all so vividly, as if I was reliving the scene. The blood-stained earth, my parents’ lifeless bodies sprawled across the ground, their faces frozen in horror. Draven had killed them in cold blood. Ruthlessly, without even thinking of all the things my father had done for him. And then, his rogues, beasts with no mercy, hunting me down like an animal, forcing me to run until I thought my legs would give out.
And the friends… the ones who’d saved me from the rogues and shown me kindness. They hadn’t survived either. The rogues had torn through them as if they were nothing. All their bodies were bloodied and mangled beyond recognition.
Rage. That was the only emotion left in me at that very moment. Every part of me wanted Draven's head at my feet. It was so bad, that if I could give my life to ensure that he died, I would gladly do so in a heartbeat. That was how much I wanted this man dead.
I clenched my fists, struggling to breathe, and Kaidon's expression hardened “Are you all right?” he asked.
His words were like a bucket of ice water that quelled the flames of my rage. I realized that I was letting the Alpha see too much, way too much. By the goddess, I could not afford that.I was supposed to be hiding my true identity from him.
If Kaidon discovered that I had once been Draven's bride, all my plans would come crashing down. I'd just barely been able to get him to let me stay here, I could not mess this up. Not by a long shot. This wasn’t the right time. I couldn’t let him suspect anything.
With a deep sigh, I forced my breathing to steady and my expression relaxed, like I hadn't just been like a raging tempest a few minutes back. Raising my chin, I met him dead in the eye with a carefully constructed confused look on my face. “I’m fine. But I don't understand Alpha… what are you talking about?”
Kaidon’s expression twisted, his eyes narrowing as if he was trying to read every hidden thought in my head. He released my chin with a low, dangerous growl.“Don’t play dumb with me, Serena.”
I blinked at him, feigning innocence. “Play dumb? I’m not playing anything, Alpha,” I replied, raising my eyebrows with an exaggerated look of confusion. “I really have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“One thing I hate the most, Serena, is lies. I hate them with every fiber of my being.”Kaidon’s gaze sharpened as he prowled in front of me.
I watched on, trying to keep my racing heart from exploding against my ribs.
“Last night, I heard you calling his name while you were asleep.”
My brain temporarily froze. What in the goddess name? He heard me? What else did my big mouth let out? For a brief moment, I struggled to find words, clearly stunned by the revelation.
“Cat got your tongue?” Kaidon folded his arms on his chest, his eyebrows raised.
I forced myself to breathe, settling on the simplest explanation I could come up with. “I sometimes talk in my sleep,” I managed, keeping my voice steady. “It’s… it doesn’t mean anything, Alpha. Just random words, dreams I can’t control.”
“Is that so?” His eyes stayed locked on mine.
“Yes,” I replied, keeping my voice firm but respectful. “I swear, it’s just a strange habit. Nothing more.”
“I’m a bit of a dreamer, you see, and it’s completely random. Sometimes I talk, sometimes I even sing—uh, poorly. It’s harmless, I swear.” I forced a weak laugh, hoping it sounded at least remotely believable.
He held my gaze for a long moment, his expression unreadable. Finally, he spoke again. “I will choose to believe you. But, if I find out that you lied to me, Serena.” He leaned in closer. “I will make every day of your life here in this pack, a living hell. Do you understand?”
I gulped, sensing how serious he was with his threat. “Yes, Alpha. I would never lie to you.”
“Good.” He nodded.
I was about to breathe a sigh of relief, thinking I was finally free from all this tension when I noticed something. Kaidon's gaze had darkened, and his eyes had shifted from stormy gray to crimson red, which only meant one thing. Even though I was wolf less, I wasn't naive to not know that currently, Kaidon's wolf had taken full control over him. From the frying pan, straight into the fucking fire
I gulped two more times, watching him lean closer, close enough that I could feel his hot breath against my skin.
He leaned even closer, his lips just centimeters away from my ear and he began to whisper, in a voice that was as nerve wracking as it was unbelievably sexy.
“I let you stay here, Serena.” He said, with that husky voice that sent goosebumps rioting all over my body. “I gave you a place, a chance at a fresh start which means, you belong to me.”
His mouth trailed down towards my neck, sparking heat that pooled deep in my stomach and made me woozy with…desire. “Every part of you is mine and mine alone. No one else touches what’s mine. Do I make myself clear?”
Instinctively, I opened my mouth to speak but the way his teeth grazed at that sensitive spot on my neck made me bite my lips, stifling a moan. What was..the Alpha doing? What was this situation?
“Do I make myself clear?” He repeated, his hand slipping around my waist, pulling me closer with such fierce possessiveness.
“Y..yes.Alpha.” I manage to say, breathless and I'm sure, barely audible.
Satisfied with my answer, Kaidon nodded and then, his eyes slowly shifted from crimson glow receding to their usual stormy gray. His grip on my waist loosened, and just like that, the passionate intensity between us faded.
He took a small step back, releasing me from his grasp, his expression smoothing out into something calmer, more composed.
“I have to admit,” he said, his voice returning to its usual level tone “your cooking is… impressive. From now on, my meals will be prepared by you alone.”
*What the heck?*. I blinked, still caught in the haze he’d left me in, my mind struggling to catch up. My thoughts were spinning. How had we gone from that intense, possessive moment to a compliment about my cooking? I could still feel the ghost of his touch on my skin, the lingering heat, and I could barely process his words. What on earth had just happened?