******
Seraphine had never been inside the Alpha King's wing.
She had heard stories, whispered among trembling omegas at midnight:
That no servant ever walked freely there.
That his wolf prowled the halls like a living shadow.
That the walls themselves carried the scent of dominance strong enough to choke the weak.
And now she was being dragged straight into it.
"Please," she begged, her voice cracking as the two warriors pulled her forward. "I... I didn't mean to resist him. It was a mistake. I swear"
"Quiet, omega," one hissed.
She stumbled as they turned a sharp corner, her bare feet struggling to keep up with their long strides.
The hall grew colder the deeper they went. Darker. The marble changed from white to black. Torches replaced electric lights, flickering like dying flames, casting monstrous shadows on the walls.
Everything smelled of power.
Of Kael.
Of danger.
Her chest tightened painfully.
They reached the massive double doors that led to his private wing obsidian black, carved with the Moonwalk crest. Two enormous warriors stood guard, silent and watchful.
The doors opened without anyone touching them.
A pulse of power rolled out.
Seraphine's knees buckled instantly.
The warriors had to hold her up to drag her inside.
Inside the Alpha King's Wing
The temperature rose sharply, as if she had stepped into the mouth of a beast. The air was thick with Kael's scent dark pine, smoke, and something sharp that made her wolf curl up in terrified submission.
She whimpered.
Nobody cared.
The guards hauled her into a large room lit by a roaring fireplace. Thick carpets. Heavy leather chairs. A long table lined with maps, weapons, and scrolls.
This wasn't a bedroom.
This was a den.
A place where decisions were made.
Where threats were planned.
Where lives were taken.
"Put her there," a warrior said.
They threw her onto a fur rug in the center of the room.
Her palms burned from the impact. She scrambled backward instinctively, pressing her back to the wall.
The warriors stepped away from her quickly too quickly.
As if staying close to her was dangerous now.
As if touching something the Alpha King wanted was a risk to their lives.
The doors behind them shut with a heavy thud.
Seraphine was alone.
Alone in the Alpha King's lair.
Her breathing turned short and panicked. Her head felt light. Her wolf trembled so violently she thought she might pass out.
Why was she here?
Was he going to punish her?
Demand submission?
Kill her?
An omega resisting an alpha's aura even for a second was unheard of.
And Kael Dreadmore was not known for mercy.
She squeezed her eyes shut, hugging her knees to her chest, trying to calm her shaking.
Then..
Footsteps.
Slow. Controlled. Heavy with authority.
Her entire body froze.
The footsteps entered the room behind her.
The scent hit her first.
Then the heat of his presence.
Then the aura.
It slammed into her like a tidal wave.
Her forehead hit the floor without her permission.
Her wolf rolled over in complete surrender.
She couldn't breathe. She couldn't blink. She couldn't think.
Kael's voice slid across the room, smooth and dangerous:
"Look at me."
She couldn't. Her entire body refused to move.
His aura pressed down harder dominating, uncompromising.
"I said," his tone dropped, "look. At. Me."
Her body jerked upright violently, forced by his power. Her head lifted against her will until her gaze met his.
Kael stood in front of her like a nightmare carved into a man shirt undone at the throat, a dark cloak hanging from his shoulders, eyes glowing faintly silver.
He looked furious.
And yet… fascinated.
He took slow steps toward her, every footfall echoing in her bones.
"You resisted me again."
Her breath caught. "I..... I didn't mean"
"You did."
His jaw flexed. "No omega has ever resisted my aura. Not even a beta."
He crouched in front of her, leveling his face with hers. His proximity stole what little air she had left.
"You," he whispered, "are something different."
Her entire body shook uncontrollably. Tears pricked the corners of her eyes.
"I'm not," she whispered. "I swear, I'm just a servant just an omega"
He leaned in slowly, inhaling her scent again.
Her heart stopped.
His eyes widened just a fraction.
Recognition. Shock. Hunger.
Then his fingers closed around her throat.
Not squeezing.
Just holding.
Claiming.
Her wolf whimpered and collapsed into submission.
Kael's voice was quiet, molten, terrifying:
"Your scent changed the moment you feared me."
His thumb brushed the soft spot under her jaw.
"That is what caught my attention."
Seraphine couldn't breathe.
He continued, voice darkening:
"You are not normal."
His eyes glowed brighter.
"And until I understand what you are"
His grip tightened just enough to make her gasp.
"you belong to me."
Her stomach dropped. "Please… please don't"
He cut her off.
"You will stay in my wing."
"You will not serve anyone else."
"You will answer only to me."
"And if anyone touches you without permission…"
He smiled.
It wasn't a kind smile.
"I'll rip their throat out."
Her heart punched against her ribcage. He let go of her throat and rose to his full height, towering over her like a shadow.
"Get up," he ordered.
She tried. Her legs wouldn't move.
He watched her for a long moment.
Then he turned his back to her.
"You have one hour to calm yourself before I return," he said, walking toward the door. "If you're still trembling when I come back… I'll assume you're defying me."
The door opened with a deep groan.
"There will be consequences."
The door shut behind him.
Seraphine collapsed onto her hands, trembling so violently she could barely breathe.
She had survived the first encounter.
But the Alpha King wasn't done with her.
Not even close.