Chapter 21 SWEET ALPHA, BLIND ALPHA
(Adam’s POV)
It had been… what?
A week?
Maybe a little more.
I didn’t count the days at first.
But I couldn’t help it after realizing every day looked exactly the same: same whispers, same glares, same fake smiles.
A week since I became a resident in Kael’s massive pack house.
A week since I became “the human problem.”
A week since the council whispered about having Kael reject me.
And somehow, I was still here.
The days were getting easier, in a strange way. Or maybe I was just getting numb again. My parents— well, the people who raised me— trained me well in ignoring cruelty. Compared to their constant emotional games and manipulation, the pack’s insults felt almost… lazy.
“Human pet.”
“Charity case.”
“Sick little human.”
They tried.
But they had no idea what “worse” really looked like.
So I ignored them all.
What I couldn’t ignore was Kael.
Because Kael was the opposite of everything around me.
Today he was extra excited; like a puppy wagging its tail nonstop; and asked if I wanted to take a walk with him around the pack grounds.
I didn’t have the heart to say no.
So I followed him.
“This is the training field,” he said, smiling proudly as he pointed to the open valley filled with sparring warriors. “We train at sunrise and sunset. Everyone works on combat here; Alphas, Betas, warriors, even pups.”
He stood a little taller while watching them. His eyes softened with affection.
He really loved his pack.
That alone made a knot twist painfully inside my chest.
He deserved someone strong.
Someone sharp.
Someone who fit here.
Not me; a weak human, barely functioning, with a half-broken mind and a thousand questions.
We walked further.
Kael led me through the gardens next, showing me different flowers, herbs, and trees planted by previous Lunas.
“Everyone comes here to relax,” he said warmly. “My mother planted half of these.”
His voice softened when he talked about his mother. Like he became a different man.
I watched him quietly, and the thought drifted into my head again, uninvited:
He deserves someone wolf. Someone who belongs in his world.
Not someone who was still figuring out if his existence is real or not.
As he talked, pack members walked by.
Every time they saw Kael, they smiled: big, respectful, polite smiles.
But the moment Kael turned away?
Their faces twisted.
Their eyes sharpened.
Some scowled.
Some rolled their eyes.
Some sneered directly at me.
Kael didn’t see any of it.
He never saw the hatred, the disgust, the silent challenge burning behind their eyes. He genuinely believed everything was peaceful and everyone loved him.
It was almost… sad.
Sweet Alpha.
Blind Alpha.
He noticed everything except the hate right in front of him.
He introduced me to guards near the library, and I forced a tiny smile. They gave polite nods back; polite only because Kael was standing there.
The second Kael turned away to talk to a gardener, one of them muttered under his breath:
“Human is still alive? Shame.”
My chest tightened. I kept my face straight. Kael glanced back at me, clueless.
He had no idea.
I didn’t tell him.
I didn’t want to be the reason he fought with his pack.
He loved them too much.
And if he had to choose between them or me…
No. I didn’t want to think about that.
Eventually Kael walked me back toward the main building.
“Let’s have dinner together tonight,” he said, bright-eyed, almost glowing. “Just the two of us. I’ll ask the cooks to prepare something you like.”
I hesitated.
His excitement made my stomach twist.
I didn’t deserve that.
I didn’t deserve… him.
But his voice was gentle when he added, “I want to spend time with you.”
And Kael always looked like he meant every word he said.
So I nodded slowly. “Okay.”
His entire face lit up.
And that hurt worse.
\---
Night came quicker than I expected.
I sat in the dining room feeling uncomfortable in my own skin. The room was huge, warm, lined with shelves of old books and decorated with dark wooden carvings. Candles flickered on the table, and Kael insisted I sit close to him.
“You sure you’re okay?” he asked softly.
He must’ve sensed something off in my scent, or maybe I wasn’t hiding my nerves well enough.
“I’m fine,” I lied.
He brushed his knuckles against my cheek; subtle, soft, and affectionate.
My heart tried to jump out of my chest.
Kael’s voice lowered. “I’m glad you’re here.”
“Why?” The word slipped out before I could stop it.
He blinked, surprised. “Because you’re my mate.”
My stomach sank.
There it was.
The mate bond.
The reason he acted like this.
Magic driven instinct. Not choice or actual love.
He didn’t know that him loving me because he had to was worse than him not loving me at all.
I dropped my gaze. “Let’s just eat.”
He didn’t push, thankfully.
We ate quietly for a few minutes. The food was good; warm, flavorful, and comforting. Kael talked about pack matters, training updates, and a farmer who had pups recently. I nodded, pretending to listen.
I felt watched; like eyes were on me.
Judging.
Hating.
But when I glanced around the room, no one was there.
I focused back on my food.
I took another bite—
And stopped.
Something tasted… wrong.
A metallic taste spread across my tongue. Not like salt, not like blood, but something unfamiliar and bland.
I swallowed anyway, out of reflex.
Immediately, my vision wavered.
The candlelight blurred.
The table stretched and warped.
Kael’s voice sounded distant, muffled, like he was speaking underwater.
“Adam?”
I blinked rapidly, but the room tilted.
Something was wrong.
Very, very wrong.
I tried to breathe, but my chest felt tight, heavy. Like invisible hands were squeezing my lungs.
My fingers went numb. The fork slipped from my hand and hit the floor with a soft clink.
Kael’s chair screeched as he stood.
“Adam—Adam! Look at me.”
I tried.
I really tried.
But my eyes wouldn’t focus.
His figure blurred into streaks of shadows and light. I grabbed the edge of the table for balance, but my arm felt weak.
“Kael…” I whispered.
His scent wrapped around me in a warm, desperate, and protective way. But it couldn’t hold me up.
The last thing I saw was the horror in Kael’s eyes.
Then everything went dark.