“You have misunderstood,” Naya said suddenly, breaking the tense silence.
Lorenzo looked at her, confusion etching his features. The woman before him was unyielding, her expression as serene and cold as a still lake, reflecting an inner strength and fierce resolve.
“Being mates or not, I have no say in these matters,” she continued. “If he takes more, that is beyond my control.”
Lorenzo was stunned. “Naya–”
“If he wishes to bond with a hundred women, that is his choice,” Naya said, her voice unwavering.
Never in Lorenzo’s life had he heard such words, especially from a woman. Bonds with mates were sacred. The idea that someone could speak so indifferently about it was almost unimaginable. Did this mean Naya didn’t care about Kael at all? That she had no feelings for him and was merely bound to him by circumstance?
“You don’t have to worry about me,” Naya added, her eyes softening slightly.
Lorenzo, caught in the unexpected gentleness of her gaze, couldn’t help but stare. He took a step closer, his smile tender before turning more serious. “If you ever feel you can’t take it anymore, just call my name. I promise, Naya. Whatever I’m doing, wherever I am, I will come to you.”
The little flowers around them danced as a gentle breeze swept through, filling the garden with a tender, almost magical atmosphere. Lorenzo was about to touch Naya’s face when a familiar voice interrupted from a distance.
“What do you think you’re doing?”
Kael stood at the garden entrance, his eyes dark and his expression cold. The tension was clear as ice, the air between them thickening as Lorenzo turned to face Kael, his eyes flashing with equal anger and hatred. He clenched his fists, barely containing his rage.
“I visited Naya to ensure she is eating well,” Lorenzo said through gritted teeth. Turning back to Naya, his demeanor softened for a moment. “I’ll come again.”
Naya watched Lorenzo walk away, the tension between him and Kael nearly freezing the air around them.
One wrong move and a fight would erupt.
Fortunately, for some mysterious reason, Kael didn’t speak. He remained silent, his gaze fixed on Naya as Lorenzo walked away. No one could fathom what was on his mind. The servants waited in fear, praying for the tension to dissipate. Jed, irritated, exchanged a look with Rui. How could this happen? Who had allowed Alpha Prince Lorenzo to enter Alpha Prince Kael’s pack house? This was Kael’s territory, and worse, that was his mate Lorenzo was talking to! Did they really want the alpha brothers to fight?
As the sun sank slowly into the horizon, a servant guided Naya inside while Kael, for the first time, ignored her and retreated to the basement of the house. Later that night, Jed ensured everyone who had accepted ‘bribes’ from Alpha Prince Lorenzo was punished. It took a while before Kael finally appeared before the two guards and the head servant.
“Alpha Prince, please have mercy on us. We were wrong! Please forgive us!” they pleaded in unison, kneeling before Kael, trembling with fear.
Kael glanced down at them, his presence commanding and ominous. He squatted, looking each of the betrayers in the eyes, his voice carrying a hint of boredom as he uttered, “I had a bad day. If you want your lives, give me a satisfying answer. Do you hear me?”
Gone was the smug look, replaced by a flicker of coldness in his deep forest-green eyes. Everyone, including Jed, knew playtime was over for Kael. This time, he was deadly serious. If he got any more serious, heads would surely roll.
“You,” Kael said, his gaze piercing the servant who flinched at his voice. “What else did Lorenzo do in my territory? Did he enter my house?”
The servant’s eyes widened with fear, trembling as he stammered, “T-there’s nothing else, Alpha Prince. You told us to secure the house, and we did just that! I swear with my whole heart, Alpha Prince Lorenzo didn’t enter the house… He only went to the garden with that rogue…”
Kael’s eyes turned colder at his answer. Realizing his mistake, the servant gasped and bowed down, his forehead hitting the floor as he cried, “W-We’re really sorry! Forgive us, Alpha Prince! Please don’t take our lives!”
Silence enveloped the room, broken only by the faint, muffled cries. Kael huffed and stood up.
“Take them out,” Kael ordered.
Jed was stunned. Taking them out meant they were banished.
The servants and guards kowtowed in front of Kael, their faces pressed to the cold stone floor, tears streaming down their cheeks as they begged for mercy. The air was thick with desperation and fear. “Please don’t banish us, Alpha Prince!”
Everyone knew that serving in a pack as powerful as the West Wood Pack was infinitely better than the dangerous life of a rogue. Beyond the borders, the wilderness was fraught with danger; each step could lead to death, with no one to offer protection.
“Alpha Prince, please give us a chance! We’ll never do it again! We swear!” the servants cried, their voices raw with desperation.
Kael stood silently, his expression icy and unreadable. Normally, he would have punished them severely, but today his thoughts were elsewhere, preoccupied with something more pressing.
The room was heavy with tension, the only sound being the pleas of the servants.
A knock on the door broke the silence, and Naya stepped in. The servants immediately fell silent, their eyes darting to her.
Naya’s gaze swept over them before locking onto Kael’s. They stared at each other, their eyes conveying unspoken words, a deep and serious exchange that seemed to last an eternity.
After a tense moment, Kael sighed and broke the silence. “Jed.”
“Yes, Alpha Prince?” Jed responded promptly, his posture rigid with attention.
Without breaking his gaze from Naya, Kael’s voice was cold and authoritative. “Release these people. If they cause any more trouble, cut their limbs off.”