Chapter 8 8

Chapter 8 8

Alpha Kael

I poured myself a glass of whiskey in my private study, staring out the glass windows at the glittering city below.

I should have been upstairs. I should have been in the penthouse suite with my new bride.

My inner wolf was pacing restlessly inside my head, clawing at my mind. Mate. Go to mate. Claim her. The intoxicating scent of wild jasmine still lingered on my jacket, driving my beast crazy. My mind was flooded with dirty thoughts and vivid images of Odette’s delicate and fragile body tangled in my black silk sheets. I wanted to devour her. I wanted to make her scream my name until she forgot all about that pathetic Beta from the island.

But the human side of me was furious. She was a liar. An opportunist. She had stood on that beach and proudly announced that she beat her sister just to steal my power and get into my bed.

The wooden door to my study swung open.

My Beta, Lucas, leaned against the doorframe. He crossed his arms over his chest, a highly amused smirk playing on his lips.

“Where is the Luna?” Lucas asked, raising an eyebrow. “And how can you be here instead of being in the bedroom with your new wife?”

I took a slow sip of my whiskey, glaring at him over the rim of the glass. “What do you want, Lucas?” I asked with a low, dangerous growl.

Lucas did not flinch. He was my best friend and my second-in-command; he was used to my temper. His smirk only grew wider.

“I am just checking on you,” Lucas chuckled, walking into the room. “It has been a wild day. A girl schemed against her own sister for your dick. Now, all the women in the pack are discussing your dick behind your back. The pack group chat is going crazy, Kael. They are calling her a legend.”

I squeezed the glass in my hand so hard it almost shattered. “She has no shame.”

“Clearly,” Lucas laughed. “But you have to admit, she has guts. Most people cannot even look you in the eye because of your scars. She looked you dead in the face and demanded that you satisfy her. That is why I sent Madame Rosa upstairs.”

I frowned, setting my glass down on the mahogany desk. “You sent Madame Rosa? For what?”

“To get you the best experience possible, of course,” Lucas grinned, completely unbothered by my deadly glare. “Odette is a tiny little thing from a conservative island. Madame Rosa will teach her how to handle a man of your size so you don't accidentally break our new Luna in half.”

I groaned, rubbing the bridge of my nose. “Goddess help me.”

“You are going to need it,” Lucas said. But then, his playful smirk vanished, replaced by the serious and hardened look of a Beta. “But before you go have the best night of your life, we have a major problem.”

“The elders,” I guessed, my jaw clenching.

Lucas nodded slowly. “They are furious, Kael. The rumors from the Mist Rain pack have already reached them. They heard that Odette is a bastard omega. They heard she betrayed her own sister and stole the wedding dress to get power. They don't trust her at all.”

“They don't have to trust her,” I growled, crossing my arms. “She is my fated mate. My mark is on her neck.”

“A mark that smoked black,” Lucas pointed out carefully. “The elders saw the video from the ceremony. They think she is cursed. They are demanding a formal meeting with her first thing tomorrow morning in the council hall. They want to test her to see if she is fit to be the Luna of the Mad Keepers. If she fails, they will use her weak status to strip you of your Alpha title.”

A dark and violent rage flared in my chest. My wolf bared his teeth at the thought of those old men threatening my mate. Even if Odette was a wicked schemer, she belonged to me. Nobody else was allowed to punish her.

“Tell the elders no,” I said coldly.

“Kael, be reasonable—”

“My wife is my matter,” I interrupted, my voice dropping to an absolute command. “The elders have absolutely no say in it. If they want to challenge my choice of Luna, they can fight me in the combat ring.”

“It will make the elders extremely mad,” Lucas warned, running a hand over his short hair. “They have been looking for an excuse to replace you for months.”

“Let them be mad,” I sneered. “I do not care at all. Now, handle the security perimeters. I need to go see my mother.”

I walked past Lucas and left the study. I walked down the sterile hallway of the medical wing until I reached my mother’s private suite.

When I pushed the door open, the smell of heavy medicines and sickness hit my nose. My mother, the former Luna, was lying in bed. She was frail and pale, but when she saw me, a warm, tired smile lit up her face.

“Kael, my brave boy,” she whispered, reaching out a trembling hand.

I immediately walked over and sat carefully on the edge of her bed, taking her fragile hand in my large, scarred ones. “How are you feeling, Mother?”

“Like an old woman,” she chuckled weakly, before looking around the empty room. “Where is your bride? I want to see the girl who finally captured my stubborn son's heart.”

What are you saying, Mom? Captured my heart. Who is feeding my mom nonsense? I need to find this gossipmonger.

My chest tightened. “She is home. She is in the penthouse resting. It was a long journey from the island.”

My mother watched my face closely. She had always been able to read me, even when I tried to hide my emotions.

“I heard the whispers from the nurses,” my mother said softly, her eyes filled with gentle concern. “I know it was a chaotic wedding. I know she was not the sister you originally intended to marry.”

I looked down at her hand. “It is complicated, Mother. She is... difficult.”

“She is your fated mate,” my mother corrected gently, squeezing my fingers. “I am worried about you, Kael. I know the elders are pressuring you. I know you only agreed to this marriage to secure your position before I pass away. But you must promise me something.”

“Anything,” I swore.

“No matter what the circumstances of this marriage are, you shall treat your wife well,” my mother said , her voice surprisingly strong. “She will be with you for life. A fated mate is the most precious gift from the Moon Goddess. She is your other half. You shall cherish it well, do you hear me?”

I swallowed the bitter truth. How could I cherish a woman who had lied and schemed for power? But looking at my dying mother's hopeful eyes, I could not break her heart.

“I promise, Mother,” I lied softly.

I stayed with her until she fell asleep, my mind racing with conflicting thoughts.

When I finally left the medical wing, I took the private elevator all the way up to the penthouse. Every floor the elevator climbed, the heat in my blood grew stronger. I was angry. I was disgusted by her lies. But I was also burning with an undeniable and consuming lust for my new wife.

The elevator doors opened. I walked down the short hallway and stopped in front of the master bedroom door.

I took a deep breath, preparing to face the wicked and fearless opportunist who had challenged me on the beach. I pushed the oak door open and stepped inside, ready to remind her exactly whose territory she was in.