Chapter 4 Secret

My heart raced with fear as I followed the maid to the Alpha’s office, cold sweat trickled down the back of my neck.

The maid bowed once again before leaving me to my fate. I stared at the double doors, bracing myself as I raised my shaky hand to knock.

“Enter,” came the deep, clipped voice on the other side.

With a deep breath, I pushed the door open, stepping inside with cautious steps.

Alpha Kael stood by the window, his back to me, arms clasped behind him. He didn’t move as I walked in, and I almost buckled as his presence overwhelmed me.

My wolf went wild, aching with need. I tried my best to maintain my composition, to suppress her as much as I could.

For a long moment, neither of us spoke, and the silence was deafening. I could only hear the ticking of the grandfather clock and the crackle of the wood in the fireplace.

I stood stiff in my spot, my gaze trained on my boots, waiting with bated breath.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, he faced me, his form rigid.

“I take it that you know why I summoned you.” He started, his voice flat and emotionless.

I managed to nod, unable to find my voice.

“Speak.” He ordered, and I flinched, wringing my hands together to stop them from trembling.

“Y-Yes Alpha.”

Another beat of silence passed, and he came closer. Too close, close enough for me to smell his rich cologne, a mix of cinnamon and manly essence.

It was too much, and my wolf didn’t make it any easier.

“Look at me when I speak to you girl.” His voice was low, almost like a threat, and I had no choice but to obey.

Slowly and carefully, I raised my head, and my breath caught in my throat as our gazes met.

His golden eyes held no warmth, and his expression was unreadable—distant.

“You felt it the moment I walked in, didn’t you?” he asked, eyes narrowed as he scanned my body.

My cheeks flushed, and I blamed it on my wolf. “Yes…I did.”

Alpha Kael arched a brow, and I wish I could tell what he was thinking. “So did I.” He replied, the muscle in his jaw ticking. “You’re my mate.”

I didn’t want to hear it. Not from him. It made it feel all too real.

“You’re my stepfather,” I muttered, but I knew he heard.

His gaze hardened, and he looked away.

“No one can ever know,” he said, reminding me of my rejection from Rowan. “Not your mother. Not my son. Not a soul. You understand me?”

His voice was firm and authoritative, leaving no room for objection.

“Yes, Alpha.” I agreed, my voice small.

Another moment of silence passed, and I waited for him to reject me, but to my surprise, he just gestured for me to leave.

“Aren’t you going to reject me?” I blurted out, the words leaving my mouth before I could stop them.

The Alpha halted, glancing at me over his shoulders. “What?”

It was almost like he dared me to repeat what I said, but I couldn’t just leave like that. So with a heavy heart, I dropped to my knees.

“Please reject me.”

Alpha Kael’s head snapped toward me, his eyes narrowing dangerously

“Please,” I begged, my voice cracking as I fought back tears. “I don’t want this. I didn’t ask for it. I don’t want to dishonor my mother or ruin what little peace we have. Just—reject me, and it’ll all go away.”

His expression didn’t change. He just stared at me like I had grown a second head.

Then he spoke.

“I know you were rejected by my son or weren’t you?”

My heart skipped a beat. Of course, he knew.

“I was.” I was forced out.

“So do you understand what you’re saying,” he said coldly. “You’ve already been rejected once. A second will cripple your wolf. Possibly kill her. Kill you.”

“It’s not certain that I will die. I can live without a wolf, it’s no different because I can’t shift anyway.”

I don’t know where my sudden boldness came from, but I was grateful for it.

The Alpha scoffed at me. “Do you think this is some childish game girl, or are you just blinded by what you feel is courage?”

“I’ll survive,” I retorted, my voice raising slightly. “I just can’t bear the weight of the bond.”

Alpha Kael’s calm mask slipped for a moment, and he turned again, staring into the fire like it might give him answers he didn’t want from me.

“I can’t reject you.”

My eyes widened. “What?”

“I tried to,” he started, his expression grave. “I ordered my wolf to reject you. He fought me. Howled like I was trying to cut off my limb.”

The Alpha turned to me, and this time, I could see the war raging in us golden pupils.

“Even now, I have to look at you and act like I don’t hear him screaming to claim you.”

My face burned, and for a moment his mask slipped, showing his struggle to keep his wolf at bay. It was clear I wasn’t the only one suffering.

But then, with terrifying control, the slight vulnerability he displayed vanished beneath the surface.

“Until I can find a safer way to sever the bond, we’ll have to stay away from each other and keep it buried. Do you understand?”

“Yes,” I whispered. “Understood.”

He gave a single, sharp nod.

“Get up and leave.”

---

Ever since then, I tried my very best to avoid the Alpha. Rowan and Alicia continued to pester me, but they were the least of my worries.

I feared that even with all the effort it took to suppress my wolf, it wasn’t enough.

My wolf was beyond restless, and it continuously whimpered for its mate, gnawing at my conscience.

And I couldn’t do anything but endure it.

But tonight, it was different.

It started with a lingering swirl in my stomach, goosebumps littering my skin. Then it graduated to a bright flame that burned me alive, consuming me from within.

I woke drenched in sweat, tangled in sheets. My heartbeat rang in my ears like a siren, my thighs trembling.

I shoved the blankets away and gasped for breath.

Something was wrong.

My wolf was clawing inside me. Not angry. Not sad.

Desperate.

Desperately.

Mate. Mate. Mate.

I winced as the words rang in my head, my hands moving to cover my ears.

“No,” I whispered, clutching my stomach. “No, not now…”

I was in heat. It was the first time I felt this way, and my mother always prepared me for it.

But this….this was excruciatingly painful.

I bit down on my knuckle, trying to contain the whimper that escaped.

The pulsing between my legs was unbearable, and my clit throbbed painfully. I couldn’t feel my wetness soaking my panties, making me irritable.

God, I was going crazy.

My wolf yearned for one person, and my body responded to her need. She screamed for him, howling like she was being torn in half.

Alpha Kael.

I needed Alpha Kael.

I shook my head as if to dismiss the thought, knowing it was impossible. He was off limits.

But even then. I couldn’t stay in this house, or else I would tear myself apart.

So I ran, barefoot, sweating and gasping for air. I ran as fast as my feet could carry, but I didn’t know where I was going. It was like an instinct, an invisible pull that guided my path.

I ventured beyond the west wing, passing through the gardens and going deeper into the thick woods just behind the manor.

The cold air washed over me, but it wasn’t enough to subdue the heat that raged within me like an inferno.

I stumbled through the trees, my arms wrapped around my body, as if I could hold my body together by force alone.

Then—I froze.

Just up ahead, beyond a crystal lake in the woods, there was someone who trained under the moonlight.

The person turned and I gasped.

Golden eyes locked on mine.

It was him. Alpha Kael.

I had run wanting to get as far away from him as I could, but instead, I was obliviously running towards him.

The Alpha stood shirtless under the moonlight, his chest rising and falling with deep, controlled breaths.

For a moment I forgot to breathe, the burn inside me going wild at the very sight of him.

His brows furrowed, and for a second, I thought I saw fear flicker in his eyes.

“Lira?” He took a step forward.

I backed away, stumbling slightly. “Don’t—please…”

His gaze sharpened, realization dawning on him. “You’re in heat.”

I felt ashamed, biting down on my bottom lip. “I didn’t mean to come here…so please…..don’t come any closer. ”

It was no use, I was burning from the inside out, and I knew—if I stayed, if he touched me, I would shatter.

So I did the only thing I could think of.

I ran toward the lake and threw myself into the water.

The cold enveloped me like a silk blanket, seizing my breath. I sank deeper, letting the chill seep into my bones, drowning the heat. But it was short-lived.

Panic surged through me as my limbs froze, unable to stay afloat. I was sinking fast, and just as everything blurred, strong arms wrapped around me, dragging me back to the surface.

I gasped violently when we broke through, coughing water. I shivered as he held me against him, his body was solid with defined muscles, and his skin felt like hot coal despite the lake’s chill.

Alpha Kael’s arms wrapped around me tightly as he carried me out of the water, and then he laid me gently on the grass, leaning over me.

Our faces were inches apart. His breath was warm against my lips.

“Are you out of your mind? You could’ve died,” he growled, voice hoarse.

“I couldn’t control it,” I whispered. “I didn’t know what else to do…”

His gaze swept over my soaked body, lingering too long, a war raging behind his ever-controlled mask.

With that alone, my resolve snapped.

I reached up, tangled my fingers in the back of his wet hair, and pulled him down, my lips crashing against his.