Chapter 3 The Forbidden Power

"Don’t you dare touch him with those filthy hands, Kael! Step one inch closer, and I swear you will regret ever finding me!"

Selene’s voice rose to a piercing scream. It was sharp, cutting through the heavy silence of the suffocating cafe. She stood tall in front of Leo, shielding her son with her own body.

Her trembling hand now gripped a bread knife she had snatched from the counter. It was a mere kitchen utensil, a weapon that should have meant nothing to a powerful Alpha, but the look in Selene’s eyes made it clear she was fully prepared to use it.

Kael stared at the knife, then shifted his gaze to Selene. "You threaten me with a scrap of iron, Selene? After five years of searching for you, is this how you welcome me?"

"You are nothing to me! You severed our bond in your pack hall five years ago!" Selene cried out. Tears of rage began to track down her cheeks. "Get out of here now! Take all your men hiding outside and never come back into my life!"

Kael let out a low growl. He released his commanding aura instinctively, causing the temperature in the room to plummet. "I will not leave without my son. I can feel the blood connection in his body. There is a great power within him that even I do not understand. He is the heir of the Silver Moon, Selene! He does not belong in a cramped place that smells of flour!"

"He is not your heir! He is only my son!" Selene shot back, her voice raw.

Suddenly, the atmosphere in the room shifted drastically. A heavy pressure filled the air, but this time, it did not originate from Kael. The force emanated from the small figure standing behind Selene.

Leo stepped out from behind his mother’s protection. The four year old boy’s face no longer showed any trace of fear. His eyes, once brown, had turned into a blinding, brilliant gold. His black hair seemed to stand on end, as if an electric current were surging through him.

"Don’t yell at my Mommy!" Leo spoke the words in a voice that was heavy and deep. It was not a voice that belonged in the throat of a child his age.

Kael stood frozen in silence. As an Alpha, his instincts would normally drive him to attack anyone who threatened him. Yet, something deep inside him felt the urge to submit. His wolf whined within his mind, sensing a higher authority standing before him.

"Leo, honey, don’t do this!" Selene tried to reach for her son’s shoulder, but she jerked her hand back immediately. Leo’s skin felt scorching hot, like touching boiling water.

Kael tried to move closer, driven by curiosity and disbelief. "Leo, listen to me. I am your father. I only want to."

Kael extended his hand to touch Leo’s shoulder. However, before his fingertips could brush the boy’s shirt, an explosion of golden energy erupted from Leo’s body and slammed into Kael’s chest with immense force.

BOOM!

Kael’s massive frame was thrown backward. He crashed into a glass pastry case, shattering it into a thousand pieces. Kael groaned in pain as shards of glass pierced his back. He looked down at his chest, which was already bruising a dark purple. The mark from the energy blast still felt as if it were burning his skin.

Outside the cafe, the door was slammed open. Three Silver Moon warriors ran inside in an attacking stance. Their claws had already extended, fearing their leader was in grave danger.

"Alpha! Are you alright?" one of the warriors shouted. Their eyes landed instantly on Selene and Leo. "This woman, she dared to attack the Alpha!"

"Stop!" Kael yelled with all his might, struggling to stand even as his chest felt tight. "Don’t you dare touch them!"

The warriors, however, were already swept up in the heat of the moment after seeing their leader injured. One of the more impatient young warriors lunged toward Selene. "You will pay for harming our Alpha!"

Selene closed her eyes and shielded her head, bracing for the blow. But the attack never reached her.

Leo let out a small roar. Although the sound was not loud, its frequency caused every glass window in the cafe to shatter simultaneously. Another wave of golden energy burst from his body. The lunging warrior stopped dead in mid air, as if hitting an invisible wall, before being hurled out through the broken window.

The other two warriors immediately dropped to their knees. Their bodies trembled violently, and they found themselves unable to stand. It wasn't because something was physically holding them down, but because their wolf spirits were paralyzed with terror, forced to submit by Leo’s power.

Kael stared at his son in disbelief. "The Golden Wolf." he whispered softly. "The legend is true. He is no ordinary wolf, Selene. He is a blessing that only appears once in a thousand years."

Selene quickly gathered Leo into her arms as he suddenly went limp. The massive display of power had clearly exhausted his strength. The boy’s breath came in short gasps, and the golden light in his eyes slowly faded until they returned to normal.

"Look at what you’ve done!" Selene looked at Kael with pure hatred. "Your arrival has put him in danger! If news of his power spreads, every pack in this world will come to capture him!"

Kael stood up slowly while brushing shards of glass from his clothes. The look in his eyes had turned dead serious. He knew Selene was right. The power Leo possessed would make him a target for everyone who craved control.

"That is exactly why you must come back to the Silver Moon with me," Kael said in a firm voice that brooked no argument. "Only in my territory can I protect him with my entire army. In a human place like this, you are far too easy for enemies to find."

"I would rather die than return to the place that humiliated me, Kael!"

Kael stepped closer at a slow pace. This time, he made a conscious effort to suppress his aura so as not to frighten Selene. He stopped directly in front of her as she held the unconscious Leo.

"You can hate me as much as you want, Selene. You can curse me or strike me every single day. But think of this child, think of his safety," Kael looked down at Leo’s pale face with a look of genuine sorrow. "Do not let your anger toward me bring him harm. My enemies already know you are here. Scouts from the Blood Crest Pack have been roaming this city since this morning. If you don't come with me now, they will take Leo from you before night falls."

Selene froze. The Blood Crest Pack was a group of the most vicious wolves. They were led by an Alpha with an insatiable thirst for power. She knew they would not hesitate to kill to get their hands on Leo.

Selene looked down at her unconscious son, then back up at Kael. This was the most difficult choice she had ever faced. She wanted her freedom, but she would not let Leo be hunted.

"I will go," Selene said finally in a very low voice. "But on one condition."

Kael looked deep into her eyes. "Anything."

"I am not your wife. I am not your Luna. I am only this child’s mother. Don’t you ever try to touch me or act as if we still have a relationship, or I will make sure Leo hates you forever."

Kael was silent for a moment. His chest throbbed with pain at her words, but he eventually nodded slowly. "I agree."

As Kael walked out to order his guards to ready the cars, Selene whispered into Leo’s ear. "I’m sorry, honey. We have to go back to that place for your safety."

As Selene walked toward the door, she happened to look across the street. Inside a parked black car, she saw Freya sitting there. The woman’s face was deathly pale, and her eyes were filled with hatred as she stared at Selene.

Selene returned the gaze with a thin, cold smile. "Get ready, Freya. The Luna you once threw away has returned, and I will make sure you pay for everything."