Chapter 7
Serena's POV
“Speak!” Kaidon asked, raising an eyebrow as he waited for me to say something.
I opened my mouth, about to make the most ridiculous request to the man touted as the most ruthless Alpha in all of Elyndor, but I stopped midway, hesitating. What could I possibly say to convince this stone-hearted man to let me stay in his pack?
My mind raced, thinking of what to say and how to say it in a way that wouldn't make my situation even worse than it was. My brain, however, picked the worst time to go blank, and an uncomfortable silence descended on us as a result.
Kaidon's stormy gray eyes narrowed in impatience as he turned fully to face me. “If you’ve got nothing to say, don’t waste my time. Don’t ever call my attention unless you have something worth sharing.” His voice took on a dangerous edge. “You won’t get another chance anyway. You’re leaving tomorrow.”
His words hit like a slap, and I felt a sudden wave of panic rising in my chest. I couldn't let it end like this. Not when I had finally made it, against all odds, to meet him. He was the only one who could help me with my revenge against Draven, and I wasn’t going to give up now.
“I... I’m sorry.” I swallowed hard, quickly stammering. Without hesitation, I closed the distance between us and dropped to my knees. My head tilted up as I stared at him with pleading eyes. The desperation in me was evident, but I was past caring at this point.
“Please... Alpha Kaidon, I require your assistance,” I said, gazing up at him, forcing tears to pool in my eyes.
Kaidon's expression remained unreadable, but the way his eyes hardened told me all I needed to know. He wasn't in the slightest bit moved by my display. He crossed his arms, jaw clenched, as he looked down at me in disdain.
“What gives you the right to think that you can request assistance from me?” he asked in an icy tone.
My heart sank even further. He wasn’t going to budge, no matter what I did. The thought of giving up flashed through my mind, but I clenched my teeth, refusing to submit to defeat.
Then, in a moment of complete surrender, I lowered my head to the floor, bowing before him in total submission. My forehead pressed against the cold tile ground as I swallowed what little pride I had left, hoping it would move him.
“I have nowhere else to go,” my voice came out small, shaky, barely above a whisper. “You are my last resort, Alpha Kaidon.”
The silence that followed was deafening. My poor heart was left in suspense as it thudded painfully in my chest. A few minutes passed, and no response. I gritted my teeth, pushing my luck and daring to continue.
“I want to call the Rykor pack my own,” I confessed, trying to inject as much emotion into my voice as possible. “I will do anything, anything at all. I’m willing to serve as a lowly maid if that’s what it takes.” I paused to catch my breath.
“Just let me stay. Let me stay under your roof.”
I blinked my eyes, forcing even more tears to stream down my face as I slowly raised my head to meet his cold gaze. “Please, Alpha Kaidon... I’m begging you.”
I brought my hands together in a gesture of plea.
My heart sank as I stared into those emotionless gray eyes. He wasn't moved, and he didn't care. I gritted my teeth, the gears in my mind whirling into overdrive, thinking of anything that could help my case. After a few minutes... nothing.
I lowered my head to the floor once again.
“I have nowhere else to go...” my voice wavered as I pressed my forehead harder into the cold ground, hoping that somehow, my complete surrender would reach him. My mind spiraled, memories flashing—how my parents were killed in cold blood by Draven, how he betrayed my love and trust.
Goddess, please. Make this work. I said a silent prayer to the moon goddess as I waited for his response.
Kaidon remained silent. The silence hung in the air, suffocating me with every passing second.
Slowly, after a few more minutes passed, I looked up to peek at him, expecting the same stone-cold indifference, but something caught my eye. His jaw was clenched tightly, and his eyes seemed distant. His entire body went rigid, and I could see the veins in his neck and temples standing out like cords, pulsing like a heartbeat.
What was happening to him?
I opened my mouth to say something, but before any words could come out, Kaidon moved. Without another word, he sidestepped me, brushing past with a force that sent a shiver down my spine. I scrambled to my knees, unsure of what had just happened.
“Kaidon—” I started, but he didn’t even glance back.
He stormed out of the room, and the door slammed behind him with a loud bang, echoing through the empty space and leaving me alone, kneeling on the cold floor and confused as hell.
What just happened?
I sat there, trying to make sense of the strange shift in Kaidon’s behavior. What had caused him to react like that? One moment, he was as cold as the northern winter winds, the next... it was as though he was fighting an inner battle.
A part of me, the curious one, wanted to chase after him to demand answers, but I held myself back. He was the infamous Kaidon. If I pushed him too hard, I would probably join my parents in the afterlife.
I sighed, getting up from the floor and walking back to the bed. Sitting on the edge, I glanced towards the window, the light from the full moon casting a silver glow across the room.
As I stared up at the moon, the questions still lingered. Would Kaidon truly cast me out tomorrow, or had his strange behavior signaled something else? I hoped it would be the latter.
Kaidon was my last hope. His power was the only thing that could stand against Draven’s tyranny. Without it, I had no chance of avenging what had been done to me—no way of making Draven pay for the lives he had destroyed, mine included.
I have to stay, I thought fiercely. I don’t care what it takes. I can’t leave this place without securing his help.
I decided to wait until tomorrow. The next day, my fate would be decided, and my next course of action would depend on his decision.
With a heavy heart, I lay down on the bed, pulling the covers over myself as I stared at the ceiling. Slowly, the strain of the day’s events began to catch up to me. My body felt as heavy as lead, and before I knew it, my eyelids were closing as I slipped into unconsciousness.
However, as soon as the darkness took hold, they appeared again—the auburn wolf and the warlock.
Why the hell do I keep dreaming about them? I thought in fear and confusion, staring at the two giant figures as they cast their gazes on each other, the wolf growling menacingly while an aura of magic surrounded the warlock.