Chapter 103 3 DAYS WITHOUT HIM
3 Days Without Him
“General Dax, please speak up.”
Kael’s voice was calm, but the room felt like it was suffocating.
He sat at the head of the long council table, shoulders straight, hands resting loosely against the armrests of his chair. His eyes were slightly unfocused, almost glassy, like a man who had not slept in days.
Because he hadn’t.
Three days.
Three days since his mate vanished.
The entire council hall smelled like the Alpha.
His pheromones filled every corner of the room, thick and overwhelming, pressing down on everyone present like invisible weight.
Every council member wore a nose mask.
Every one of them except Kael.
The masks helped only a little.
Even through the fabric, his scent slipped through— wild, dominant, and unstable.
A true blood Alpha’s raging pheromones.
Out of control.
Several of the Alphas in the room kept their heads lowered, shoulders tense as they tried to resist the instinct to submit. Betas struggled too, their posture rigid as they fought against the urge to kneel.
Every Omega in the pack house had already been moved to a distant wing.
None of them could remain near Kael right now.
His wolf had gone feral.
It showed in the way the air trembled with his scent.
It showed in the way his fingers tapped slowly against the chair.
It showed in the sharp edge hiding under every word he spoke.
Behind him stood Rowan, his Beta.
Rowan was the only other person in the room not wearing a mask.
He had stood behind Kael like that for the past three days, enduring the crushing pressure of his Alpha’s uncontrolled pheromones without complaint.
Across the table, General Dax bowed his head slightly.
“You were right, Alpha,” he said.
Kael’s eyes shifted toward him.
“Star Moon took your mate.”
The room grew even quieter.
Kael did not react immediately.
His gaze remained steady and unreadable.
“Go on,” he said.
General Dax straightened slightly. “But we couldn’t find where they’re keeping him,” he admitted. “I kept a close eye on Alpha Thorne, but he seems to know nothing of the case.”
Kael tilted his head slightly.
His movements were slow, almost lazy.
But everyone in the room could feel the danger simmering beneath the surface.
“I suspect he’s a cover,” General Dax continued. “Not the real Alpha leader of the Star Moon pack.”
A few council members shifted uncomfortably in their seats.
“He seems to be answering to a higher authority,” the general said. “He’s publicly the Alpha leader, but he bows to Vance in private.”
Kael’s eyes sharpened slightly. “You suspect Vance is the Alpha leader?”
General Dax shook his head. “Suspicion is not fact,” he replied carefully. “I have no proof that Vance is the Alpha leader of Star Moon pack.”
He paused before continuing.
“But I saw that he commands Alpha Thorne.”
Kael leaned back slightly in his chair.
“Although it might just be a leash,” General Dax added. “Maybe the Alpha is indebted to Vance in some way.”
Silence stretched for a moment.
Kael’s fingers stopped tapping.
“So,” he said quietly, “you couldn’t find my mate.”
General Dax bowed his head deeply.
“The search is still ongoing, Alpha.”
Before Kael could respond, one of the council members cleared his throat.
“Seeing the Alpha’s current state,” the man said cautiously, “I dare not say this, but I do suggest we let go of this matter.”
The room grew tense.
The man beside him nodded and added, “It’s been confirmed that Star Moon took him. They’ve been warning us and even threatening us to return him to them.”
He folded his hands together.
“And since they’ve now taken him,” he finished quietly, “I don’t think we should fight.”
Kael’s gaze slowly shifted toward them. His eyes looked empty. Dead.
The first council member continued quickly.
“We prioritize our Alpha’s health. You cannot lead the pack if you bury yourself in grief.”
Another pause.
“You should consider picking a new mate.”
No one else in the room dared move.
Kael didn’t respond.
The council member continued speaking, encouraged by the silence.
“Thankfully, you are a true blood Alpha. The strongest of the hierarchy. You can have more than one mate.”
He leaned slightly forward.
“You can have as many as you wish.”
Kael still said nothing.
“Your mating is not just about you,” the man continued. “It is about the pack.”
Another council member nodded.
“You’re obligated to mate a noble Omega to give you an heir.”
Another voice joined in.
“Even better… a true blood Omega to give you a true blood heir.”
The first council member spoke again.
“One of the options we have is Mira.”
Several heads turned slightly.
Mira.
The general’s granddaughter.
She was not in the room.
Kael’s pheromones were too strong for her to withstand.
Kael finally spoke.
“Mira is a council member.”
His voice was flat.
He turned his head slightly toward General Dax.
“I granted her that position out of respect for you.”
General Dax bowed his head again.
“And out of that same respect,” Kael continued slowly, “I’m letting you know I won’t be taking her as a mate.”
The room fell silent again.
Then Kael stood.
The sudden movement made several council members flinch.
“This meeting is dismissed,” he said.
His gaze swept across the table.
“General,” he added, “come back to me with solid information.”
Without another word, Kael turned and walked out.
Rowan followed immediately.
The heavy doors closed behind them.
The hallway outside the council hall was quiet.
The scent of Kael’s pheromones followed them like a storm cloud.
They walked in silence for several minutes.
Servants and guards moved out of the way quickly when they saw them coming.
Kael’s steps were steady, but his shoulders were tense.
They headed toward the training grounds.
After a moment, Kael spoke. “You had something to say?”
Rowan nodded slightly. “Yes, Alpha.”
Kael didn’t look at him.
“It’s about Sara.”
That made Kael’s gaze shift slightly.
“I don’t think she’s your mate’s mother.”
Kael’s expression darkened. “I knew there was something about her,” he said quietly.
Rowan continued. “I looked into her background,” he explained. “I found out that she’s never been pregnant.”
Kael stopped walking.
Rowan continued carefully. “She doesn’t have a child.”
Kael’s eyes narrowed slightly.
“The Archie she kept calling your mate,” Rowan said, “is the name of the Star Moon Prince.”
Kael turned to face him fully now.
“The prince who disappeared years ago,” Rowan added. “Almost immediately after his parents’ sudden death.”
The wind moved through the training field nearby.
Kael’s jaw tightened.
“Sara,” Rowan continued, “is related to the late Luna.” He paused briefly. “That makes her related to Prince Archie.”
Kael’s eyes darkened further.
“But I couldn’t confirm that Archie is actually Adam,” Rowan admitted.
Silence stretched between them.
“But if we can find Sara,” Rowan said, “we might find your mate.”
Kael slowly reached to his waistband.
He pulled out his combat knife.
The blade flashed faintly under the evening light.
“This,” Kael said quietly, staring at the blade, “is about to go into some throats.”
Rowan didn’t react.
“As the general said,” Rowan continued calmly, “Alpha Thorne is not the actual leader of Star Moon.”
Kael looked at him again.
“After the death of the late Alpha leader,” Rowan explained, “there was never a public swearing-in of another leader.”
“Especially since the heir disappeared soon after.”
Kael listened silently.
“But the pack turned rogue,” Rowan continued. “They started attacking other packs unprovoked.”
He folded his arms.
“Thorne stepped up and became the face and voice of the pack.”
Kael’s grip tightened around the knife.
“I’ll wipe out the entire pack,” he said coldly, “if they hurt my mate.”
He turned suddenly and began walking in another direction.
Rowan followed at first but then stopped when they had reached the sacred grounds.
The temple stood quietly beneath the evening sky.
The moonlight reflected faintly off the pale stone walls.
Kael walked toward the entrance.
Rowan remained outside.
Inside the temple, everything was silent.
The only light came from the moonstone resting upon the raised altar.
It glowed softly.
Kael walked slowly toward it.
Then he dropped to his knees, and he bowed forward until his forehead touched the floor.
For a long moment, he didn’t speak.
His breathing was rough.
His shoulders trembled slightly.
Then he finally spoke.
“I swore to never put anyone through the blood bath that took my father away from me… and his pack.”
His voice was low, but heavy.
“But I’m about to go against that.”
The moonstone glowed quietly in front of him.
“So I’m here to betray my own sworn words.”
His fingers curled slowly against the stone floor.
“Because above all else… my loyalty lies with my mate.”
His voice grew rougher.
“You gave me a wonderful mate.”
The words came slowly now.
“With him came everything I’ve ever wished for… and more.”
His forehead pressed harder against the ground.
“Please,” Kael whispered.
“Don’t let anyone take him away from me.”