Chapter 10
728words
The guard grabs my arm, pulling me after Lucas as he strides from the room. We move through the palace toward the main entrance, where commotion suggests the returning patrol has just arrived.
The courtyard is filled with werewolves dismounting from horses, servants rushing to take their weapons and bags. I scan the crowd desperately, searching for Kayden.
Lucas drags me forward, into the open space. "Cousin!" he calls out. "Welcome back. I've been keeping an eye on your property."
The crowd parts, and there he is—Kayden, looking tired and travel-worn but unharmed. His eyes find mine immediately, narrowing at the sight of Lucas's hand gripping my arm.
"Lucas," he acknowledges coolly. "I see you've been busy in my absence."
"Just maintaining order," Lucas replies. "Your human tried to escape. Lied to my guards. Hid in the gardens." His grip tightens painfully. "She needs discipline."
Kayden dismounts slowly, handing his reins to a waiting servant. "Release her."
"She disrespected me," Lucas insists. "Tried to run. I was simply going to teach her the consequences of such actions."
"I said," Kayden repeats, his voice dropping dangerously, "release her."
The courtyard has gone silent, everyone watching the confrontation between the two cousins. Lucas's hand remains on my arm, his fingers digging into my flesh.
"Why do you care so much about this one?" Lucas demands. "Is it her beauty? Your misplaced compassion? She's just a human."
"She's mine," Kayden says simply. "That should be enough for you."
Lucas's laugh is bitter. "Yours? You've been gone for days. Who do you think has been watching over your interests? Making sure the pack remains strong?"
"By terrorizing servants?" Kayden takes a step closer. "By breaking into my quarters to take what's mine?"
"She was wandering the halls," Lucas lies smoothly. "I was returning her to where she belongs."
I can't stay silent any longer. "He's lying. He attacked me. Melissa helped him trap me."
Lucas's hand moves from my arm to my throat in an instant, squeezing. "Silence, human!"
What happens next occurs so quickly I can barely follow it. One moment Lucas is choking me, the next I'm free and he's flying backward, crashing into a stone pillar with enough force to crack the stone.
Kayden stands where Lucas had been, his eyes glowing amber with rage. "I told you to release her."
Lucas picks himself up, blood trickling from his mouth. "You would attack your own blood over a human?" He spits red onto the courtyard stones. "What is she to you, Kayden? What makes her worth this?"
"That's not your concern," Kayden says coldly. "What is your concern is that you touched what's mine. You violated pack law."
"Pack law?" Lucas laughs mockingly. "You hide behind rules when it suits you. This is about her. What makes her special enough for you to claim?"
"I don't answer to you," Kayden replies.
Lucas’s face twists with rage. "You’ll answer to the pack when they learn their future Alpha values a human over his own kind!"
Lucas begins to change—his body contorts as fur erupts across his skin. Within seconds, a massive black wolf stands in his place, teeth bared.
Whispers ripple through the crowd. Challenging another werewolf in the Alpha's courtyard is an open declaration of defiance.
Kayden transforms smoothly into a silver-gray wolf with amber eyes, while Lucas becomes a rangy black wolf. They circle each other before Lucas lunges first. Kayden sidesteps with impossible speed.
The fight is brutal but swift. Kayden moves with precision where Lucas relies on fury. Within minutes, Lucas is pinned, Kayden's teeth at his throat. After a tense moment, the black wolf submits.
Both shift back to human form. "This isn't over," Lucas gasps.
"It is for now," Kayden replies. "You will stay away from what's mine." He addresses the crowd. "Let this be clear. My claim is to be respected. By all."
He extends his hand to me. After hesitating, I take it.
"Come," he says quietly. "We need to talk."
As we leave, I feel Lucas's hateful gaze on my back. Whatever safety Kayden's return has brought is temporary. I'm now at the center of a conflict I don't understand, between powers I can't match.
