Lara's POV
Kaelen walked ahead of us through the eastern corridor, his long strides measured, deliberate—like he was afraid to slow down.
Veins corded the back of his neck, fists tightening beside him.
He seemed to be struggling with something. The intermittent half-turning of his necks hinted he was struggling to keep himself from turning around to me.
But why?
The more I watched him, following the tension rippling over the muscles of his back as his big body strained his shirt, the more it made me wonder and curious. My stare narrowed on him.
I had expected him to be smug, to look confident of doing what he did to me, to be full of himself, and even boast about it. Instead, he looked so guilty and helpless that my nerves fought for clarity around him.
And when he stared at me, all I saw was pain in his steel gray orbs, not the confidence of a man who would order my death three years ago.
How could he look guilty and yet excited at my return at the same time when he'd almost killed me three years ago? How could he feel hurt when I was the one who suffered?
He must be playing some deliberate mind games on me. I shouldn't fall for it. I dragged my eyes from his back to the walls of the palace, as my gaze threatened to go lower down his body. The power of that stupid bond that breathed between us was unpredictable.
The palace hadn't changed much.
It was the same vaulted ceilings. Same cold marble floors that echoed with every step. Same old walls that had once witnessed my childhood, my memories, my love…
Damn. I shut my eyes tight and opened them after sealing my mind shut again, when my thoughts strayed to forbidden corners.
Rhia stayed close to my side, her excitement barely contained. I could feel her eyes darting everywhere—at the chandeliers, the banners, the guards… and, most obviously, at Riven. He trailed a few steps behind us like a silent shadow.
Kaelen noticed too, just like I did. Tension straightened his jaw to a tight V.
Riven would have probably been successful following us around, since he moved soundlessly behind us. With Rhia continuously glancing back at him, his cover continued to crack.
Rhia was a sucker for men with a physique like Riven's, big, brawny, and handsome. I made a mental note to inform her that Riven came with an extra plus—evil.
Rhea wasn't just my assistant, she was my sister and my friend.
"These are the guest quarters reserved for high-ranking visitors," Kaelen said as he stopped before a pair of carved oak doors. His voice was steady, composed, Alpha-perfect.
How he could get his voice out so clear with the almost tortured look in his eyes beats me. He pushed the doors open and moved out of the way for Rhia and me to step in.
Rhea bowed to him in appreciation. A bow cut short by the gasp of excitement that tore from her throat as her gaze fell on the suite.
Her eyes lit up like fluorescent bulbs.
The suite beyond was spacious and elegant. There was a sitting area, a fireplace, tall windows overlooking the forest, and a bedroom veiled behind sheer drapes. It was luxurious. Thoughtfully chosen.
"This should do," I said coolly, keeping my tone midway between pomposity and confidence. "We shouldn't be here for more than two months anyway."
"Two months," Kaelen snapped behind me. "I—" he paused, when Rhia and I turned sharply to him. His jaw tightened, and slowly, he swallowed his words.
He looked across to Rhia, his gaze sharpening—not predatory, but calculating.
"Rhia, was it?" he asked.
Rhia straightened immediately. "Yes, Alpha King."
"There's something I need you to help with," he said smoothly. "Riven handles most palace logistics. Could you ask him to arrange fresh medical supplies for Dr. Lorraine? And custom equipment. Discreetly."
Her eyes lit up. "Oh—of course. I'd be happy to." She glanced back down at Riven, who lurked at the bottom of the corridor like a giant hiding behind a table.
Rhia chuckled as if she'd just been handed a personal invitation from the Moon Goddess herself.
A faint smirk tugged at Kaelen's mouth. I understood what he was doing, but I didn't stop him. It was time we talked already.
"Take your time," he added to Rhia. "Riven's usually very… thorough."
Riven frowned from where he stood, jaw tensed, but he said nothing.
Rhia gave me a quick, apologetic smile and an excited huff of her shoulders before hurrying out, heels clicking fast as she chased after Riven, who had turned away.
The doors closed softly behind her. And just like that, we were alone.
The air shifted between us. That familiar, dangerous pull tightened low in my stomach now. With the sudden closeness and aloneness, my wolf stirred uneasily beneath my skin, seeming hungry for her mate.
I pushed her down, repressing her so hard to the abyss of my consciousness before she could make me do something I would hate myself for, for eternity.
For a heartbeat, Kaelen just stared. Not at Dr. Lorraine Blunt. But at me, Lara Ashwyne, his mate.
The mask of seriousness he'd been wearing since cracked like a pack of cards instantly. Pain flooded his eyes—raw, unfiltered, and sharp enough it cut through my skin.
"Lara—" he breathed, anguish tearing through his throat. He stepped forward and reached for me.
I reacted on instinct. My hands slammed into his chest and shoved him back hard.
So hard, he staggered. He'd have tripped on the smooth marble tiles if he hadn't a good grip on his balance.
"Don't touch me," I yelled.
The force startled him. He staggered a step, more from shock than strength.
"Don't ever touch me again, Kaelen," I repeated, my voice trembling from the same fury splitting my chest. "You disgust me, and I hate you. I fucking do." I added, meaning every word, and making every syllable echo that feeling.
His face drained of color.
"I thought you were dead," he whispered, his voice tuned so low that he was barely audible. "For three years, I searched for you. I tried to protect you that day by doing what I—" he paused, his voice dimming. His words trailed off to nothing as he met the tentative hardness of my gaze.
I wanted to yell out the entirety of my heart to him, to tell him how much I hated him for betraying me, how much I hated him for humiliating me, how much I hated him for attempting to kill me. I fought the urge. I didn't return for all that. I returned for something else.
"I didn't come back for you, Kaelen," I continued. "And I didn't come back to rekindle anything between us. The bond between us might as well be a curse ?" I tapped my chest. "The only reason it still exists is because I have not found a way to cut it off yet. When I do, I wouldn't think twice about it." I said, lifting my chin.
"No, you won't, Lara." He snapped. He snatched my wrist, as if I was about to cut it off now. He pulled me across the marble, closer to him. I jerked off his grip with every strength in me, before I could collide into his chest and the promise of warmth around his arms.
"Yes. I will, Kaelen. I definitely will." I snapped. "It's disgusting to me to be bound with someone like you."
His chin vibrated as he tried to respond, every attempt at speech failing.
Silence settled between us, ear-piercingly loud, our heartbeats, and slow breath were the only things audible in the room.
He finally found his voice after a minute. The silence shattered louder than anything I had ever heard.
"Why do you hate me so much, Lara?" he whispered.
"I believe you know why," I answered spitefully, and I looked away.
The directness of his gaze was beginning to unnerve me. It was like he was reaching for my soul, or my wolf, like he was genuine.
I wouldn't fall for that trick again. He wasn't remorseful. It was all an act. He was a bastard who betrayed me and tried to have me murdered.
"As I said, I came back for revenge and not some disgusting romance with you," I said, scathing as ever. "I came back to make those old bastards pay for what they did to my father."
He tried to speak, and again, words failed him. I refused to meet his eyes, refused to let them convince me into thinking he wasn't the world's biggest douchbag. I looked anywhere but at his face.
"The enemy of my enemy is my friend," I said. "So how about a truce, a proposition?"
I waited for a reply, when I didn't get one, and his lips didn't move to attempt one, u continued. "First, you keep my identity secret. From everyone. The Elders. The pack and Riven." My eyes hardened. "If he even suspects who I am, then the truce ends."
I peered at him. He remained where he was, staring at me, with so much longing and pain, I almost felt guilty. Almost.
"Second—you stay away from me. No touching. No bond-induced dramatics. We are allies, not lovers."
That one seemed to hurt him more. I watched his jaw clench tight. His fists tightened beside him, his carpal bones crackled low between us.
I couldn't care less.
"And in return?" he asked.
"In return, I help you get what you want." I stepped closer, lowering my voice. Close enough to be heard, but not enough so he could try to drag me into his arms again. "I help you get the Pack's accounts location from the Elders." I paused, gauging his facial response. "I know everything about the pack's business. I know the pack's account is the leverage the Elders have on you. Once you get that, then you can kill them off, and I can kill them off."
His breath stilled, his gaze so sharp on me, it could cut a rock.
"But there's a condition," I added. "Once we get them… I become the custodian."
His brows drew together. "You want control over the accounts?"
"I want insurance," I corrected. "For myself. For the future. And as a guarantee that those bastards taste the same cruel death they inflicted on my father."
His jaw still set square, his eyes still heavy, and slowly he strode closer. I dropped back a foot, stretching the distance between us. He took another step closer, and again, I broadened it.
For reasons I didn't know, my chest heaved as we kept on the circle until he eventually stopped.
His hands trembled as he wiped his mouth, thoughtfully, exhaling heavily. "So that is your proposition, and those are your terms."
"Yes," I answered simply. Defiant against the pain in his expression.
"You want me not to touch you, to keep clear of you." He paused. "How do you expect me to do that, when even right now, I am literally burning to grab you, hug you, kiss you till forever, to fucking have you in my arms."
"That's none of my business," I said coldly. "I feel nothing."
I lied. But he needn't know that. He needn't know of the tug in my belly as my wolf begged for him.
"But it's my business, because I feel everything, Lara," he said, voice low and hollow. "I feel so much right now, I might burst."
"Still not my headache, Kaelen. You either take my offer, or you—"
"I'll take any offer, Lara. I'll accept literally anything you want if you remove the clause that I can't touch you."
My wolf screamed yes inside of me, charging desperately within the confines of my stomach. But I wouldn't let a bastard like him touch me again, never.
I tilted my head high, unrelenting from the intensity of his eyes. "I am sorry, Kaelen," I said, cold as before. "My terms are non-negotiable."
"And I don't give a fuck about them." He snapped, "You are my mate, and I want you."
He reached for my waist, and I pushed him back with every strength in me until he tripped over one of the glass stools in the room. The loud cry of shattering glasses consumed the room.