The hall emptied like a broken dam once Kraven's boots vanished down the corridor. The omegas scattered, heads down, afraid to even breathe too loudly.
Only the echo of his last words remained, thick as smoke in the air.
Athena sat frozen.
Her heart pounded too fast, too loud… like it wanted to claw out of her chest. She couldn't make sense of anything… the fox, the fire, Kraven's sharp questions. And Xavier…
Xavier was glaring at her before she realized. He looked at her the way one might look at a knife left lying too close to the throat.
"What did I tell you?" His voice was low, deadly.
Athena's grip tightened on the bread until it crumbled. "I… he asked me a question. What was I supposed to do, stay silent like a coward?"
"Yes." His jaw flexed, the word coming out a growl. He closed the distance between them in two strides. "You don't speak when Kraven looks at you. You don't breathe when he's in the room."
She shot to her feet, fire flaring through her veins. "I am not your trained dog! You don't own me…"
But then she saw the shift in his eyes.
Time froze for a moment, his head tilting ever so slightly, nostrils flaring. His pupils thinned, then widened again like a predator catching the faintest scent.
His right-hand man, Lucien,walked behind towards them, knowing clearly how careful he needs to be.
"Alpha," Lucien said carefully, eyes flicking to Athena. "Look at her , the spirit is stirring. If your brother catches even a trace of this…"
Xavier's hand shot out, clamping around Athena's wrist before she could react. His grip was iron, searing against her skin.
"Come with me. I need to teach you a lesson."
"What… let me go!" Athena twisted, pulling against him, but his strength was unyielding. He dragged her from the hall, through the side corridor, down marble steps that seemed to stretch forever.
"Xavier! Stop! You're hurting me!" She clawed at his hand, stumbling as he yanked her into the garden. The sunlight hit her like a slap, warm and sharp, but he didn't slow.
It took her time to adjust her vision after being bedridden for three weeks.
Past the roses, past the trimmed hedges, past the looming statues. He pulled her until the stone walls of the manor were a memory and the forest swallowed them whole.
Branches snapped beneath their boots, shadows dancing around them. Athena struggled, breathless, heart racing. "What the hell is wrong with you?!"
Finally, when the only sound was the wind in the leaves, Xavier stopped. His chest rose and fell hard, his grip still locked around her wrist. He turned, eyes dark and burning, searching her face as if he expected… something.
Athena yanked her arm, glaring up at him. "Why did you drag me out here? What are you so afraid of?"
For a moment, Xavier didn't answer. His crimson tinged gaze lingered on her, then dropped briefly to her chest where her heart still thundered wildly.
"The thing inside you," he said at last, his voice rough, almost reluctant. "It's waking up. And if Kraven senses it…" His words trailed off, the rest swallowed by the forest's silence.
Athena's mouth went dry. "The thing… inside me?"
In an instant he moved, pinning Athena against the rough bark of a towering tree. Holding her hands above her head.
Her breath got caught.
Before she could struggle, his head lowered, his lips brushing close to the curve of her neck. He inhaled deeply, his hot breath spilling across her skin. The strange act left her shocked, her heart slamming against her ribs.
Athena's fingers twitched as his hold on her wrists tightened, uncertain if she should kick him away. Yet… she didn't. Her body betrayed her, standing still beneath his weight and warmth.
"Xavier…" she whispered shakily. "Why are you doing this to me? I don't understand anything…"
"Shh…" His whisper rasped against her skin, sending tingles up her spine. "I've done nothing and yet you tremble like I'm a monster. Do you know what it feels like, Athena? To have your mate recoil from you?"
His words struck her like stones, but before she could answer, his hand slid down from her wrist to her waist. His grip was firm, possessive, but not cruel. Slowly, he lifted his head and met her eyes.
"Kraven is dangerous," Xavier said, his voice softer now, but edged with iron. "He cannot know what you are to me… or he will kill you."
Athena's throat tightened. Her lips parted, voice breaking in fear. "What? No… I… I can't die. Please, I can't…"
"I know." His voice dropped, raw with urgency. He pulled her closer, pressing her body closer to his. "That's why I won't let him touch you. I can't let you die." He closed their distance, only a breath away from her lips. "I need you."
His crimson gaze had softened, a flicker of something unguarded breaking through his Alpha's mask. Athena saw it… felt it and it scared her more than his anger ever had.
She tore her gaze away, swallowing hard. "I just… I just want to go home."
Xavier's grip tightened at her waist. "You are home. I am your home now." His words were low, commanding. "Obey me, my Luna. Do everything I say… until we are wed."
Athena's eyes widened. "But…"
"There's no but." His voice cracked like a whip, though it wavered at the edges, betraying the truth beneath his control.
"Tomorrow we leave for your new home. You'll live among the omegas until the mating day. Until then… stay away from Kraven. If he learns what you are and what you carry inside you…"
His gaze dropped to her chest, to the frantic pounding of her heart beneath her skin. His jaw clenched.
"Never mind."
He pushed away from the tree, releasing her at last.
"Let's go back inside."
But what did he mean by finding something inside me?
____________________
Steam curled around Athena as she leaned against the cold tile wall, letting the hot water rush over her face. Her thoughts swirled like the rising mist.
Xavier.
His hand on her waist. The way he whispered against her skin as though he had the right to claim her. And then…
Kraven.
His entrance into the manor had rattled her even more than she wanted to admit. Both brothers were predators, circling her in different ways.
She shut the faucet off with trembling fingers and stepped out of the bath. The towel clung to her damp body as water dripped from her hair onto the stone floor. She caught her reflection in the mirror. Still can't believe how her appearance enhanced.
Her cheeks glowed pink, her eyes glittered with strange golden flecks. There wasn't a scratch on her body. It was as though she had been remade overnight. Or maybe three weeks?
"What the hell is happening to me…" She whispered.
When she opened the bathroom door, she nearly screamed.
A young woman stood waiting, hands folded neatly in front of her. She wore the soft grey dress the omegas seemed to favor, her expression a mix of nerves and eagerness.
"Forgive me, Luna," the woman said quickly, bowing her head. "I didn't mean to startle you. My name is Gina. Alpha Xavier has ordered that I… attend to you from now on."
"Luna?" Athena echoed, tightening her grip on the towel. "Don't call me that."
But Gina only smiled faintly, as though she knew more than Athena could ever deny. "It is what you are."
Before Athena could argue, muffled voices drifted in from the hallway. A man's voice… low, husky, and dangerously charming.
Curiosity prickled through her, and before she could stop herself, Athena cracked the door open and peered out. Despite Gina's alarmed look.
Kraven Thorne stood in the hallway, one hand braced casually on the wall above a blushing omega. His smile was wicked, his tone dripping with suggestion.
"Come now, darling," he purred. "Don't be shy to entertain me tonight. It's not like you haven't done it before."
The omega giggled nervously, eyes darting down. "Alpha Kraven, I… I would, but under Alpha Xavier's strict orders I must retire early."
Kraven's grin widened, sharp and unbothered. "Ah, Xavier and his rules. He always did have a way of spoiling my fun."
Athena's breath caught. Something about the way he leaned in, the confidence, the raw danger… it made her heart race despite every instinct screaming to close the door.
And then his head tilted.
His gaze shifted.
Straight toward her.
For one shattering moment, his eyes locked with hers through the crack of the door. He didn't look surprised.
No… he looked amused.
Predatory.
His gaze lingered on her damp hair, the beads of water running down her bare arms. She felt stripped, exposed, as if the towel did nothing at all.
"Look who's here," Kraven murmured, dismissing the omega entirely. His smirk deepened. "The new recruit."
Athena's eyes widened. "Shit!" She slammed the door shut, back pressing hard against the wood. "Gina!" she hissed. "He saw me. What do I do?"
The omega's face paled. She leaned close, whisper-yelling with urgency. "Luna, keep your voice low. We werewolves… our hearing is sharp. He can hear everything you're saying."
Athena gawked at her. "And I'm given that information now?" She hissed back.
A deep chuckle rolled from the other side of the door, proving Gina right.
Knuckles rapped slowly against the wood, each knock deliberate, echoing through the chamber.
"Are you trembling, little wolf?" Kraven's voice was silk and smoke, dark amusement dripping from every word. "I can hear your heartbeat from here… so fast. So sweet. Almost like you want me to come in."
Athena clamped a hand over her chest, as though she could muffle the frantic rhythm.
His claw scraped down the door, the sound sharp as a blade. "Mm… Your scent on the other hand. Fresh water… warmth… and something else." His tone shifted, darker, hungry. "Something rare."
Her knees weakened, a dangerous pull dragging her toward answering him, toward opening that door.
But Gina's hand gripped hers tightly, shaking her head in alarm. Her whisper was fierce. "Don't speak. Don't let him draw you in."
A pause from the other side of the door.
Then Kraven chuckled, like he'd heard it all anyway. "Ah. Gina's with you, isn't she? Always spoiling the fun. Xavier's new loyal pet."
Athena's throat went dry. He knew.
"I'll see you soon, little omega," Kraven promised, voice a velvet dagger through the door. "Maybe next time… you'll open it. And no one will be there to disturb us."
The echo of his footsteps fading into the night, leaving Athena trembling in the heavy air he'd left behind.