Kaid turned his head sharply, his gaze locking onto mine. For a moment, there was tension in his eyes—an instinctive flicker of guilt, quickly masked by a calm, almost indifferent expression as he turned back to Ronan.
"What are you so flustered about? She couldn't have heard us. She is almost a human now, can't hear us from afar." he said coolly before walking up to me, his eyes showing feign concern and worry, "Sara, what are you doing here? You were supposed to be with the healer, recovering from your injuries."
His words twisted the knife already buried in my heart. Ronan relaxed visibly, even chuckling nervously as he stood and offered me a small bow before signing a polite greeting.
Kaid immediately reached for a shawl draped over a nearby chair and gently wrapped it around my shoulders. His fingers brushed against my skin, sending an involuntary shiver down my spine—not from the cold, but from the growing chasm between us. He signed to me with a concerned look, "Honey, why are you not saying anything? Why did you come back so early? You're not fully recovered yet."
His tenderness and concern over me reminded me of the days when I had been mocked for pronouncing our ancient word wrongly in the pack. He instantly stood up for me and later told me that he would teach me personally because no mentor had ever been successful in teaching me before.
“You don’t have to do this,” I’d told Kaid once, my voice soft in the dim light of our den. He was hunched over a pile of ancient scrolls, his brow furrowed in concentration as he painstakingly arranged the archaic werewolf dialect, only to teach me after finishing his job, “I understand. These texts are old, difficult. I should start teaching you the basic first.”
He’d looked up, his amber eyes, usually so warm, now clouded with a strange intensity. “All these years, you have been mocked merely for a language which is not very easy to learn. But, from now on, I won't allow it. I’m with you, Sara. Don't worry.”
I had always been mocked for not knowing ancient language. All my mentors who were brought to teach me, gave up. My parents always felt ashamed of me and never took me to any Alpha gatherings or ancient festivals as being the Alpha blood, it was mandatory for us to keep our ancient language alive and it was a rule that werewolves of higher ranks would speak only ancient language in the gathering.
Everyone felt ashamed of me, but no one ever thought of teaching me personally, not even my parents or Kalean, whose life I had saved, except Kaid. His words had resonated deep within me, touching a place I’d kept carefully guarded.
But now, as I watched Kaid effortlessly translate a passage of invitation, written in ancient language, thinking I hadn't mastered the language yet, I felt no gratitude. Only a bitter, stinging irony. His voice, once a source of comfort, now mocked me with its easy fluency. He used his knowledge, the very skill he’d promised to share with me, to exclude me, to keep secrets.
He looked up, his face carefully neutral. “Sara, It's an invitation from your sister, Sophie. It's her birthday. We should leave now. If we’re late, the other packs will talk.”
His eyes held a strange glint – not affection for me, but something else… anticipation? Excitement? It was directed somewhere beyond me.
A coldness spread through my chest, tightening with every beat of my heart. I forced a small smile and pulled my hand away. “Then give me a moment. I need to…prepare.” My voice was steady, but inside, a storm was brewing.
I turned and walked towards our private chambers with heavy steps. The moment the door closed behind me, the carefully constructed facade crumbled. My shoulders shook as tears began rolling down my cheeks.
When I finally regained control, I changed into a simple but practical tunic and leggings. I wouldn't give the other packs any reason to whisper.
As I headed out, a sliver of light caught my eye – it was coming from Kaid’s personal study, a room he’d always kept locked.
A strange compulsion pulled me towards it. In the two years we’d been mated, I’d never questioned his need for privacy. I’d respected it, believing it was simply his way of separating pack business from our personal life.
But today, something felt different.
I pushed the door open, just a crack, and peered inside.
My breath caught in my throat.
The walls were covered, not with maps or strategies as I’d imagined, but with sketches. Detailed, intricate drawings…of Sophie. The Alpha’s daughter. Every stage of her life was represented, from her playful youth to her blossoming womanhood. The air in the room crackled with an intensity that had nothing to do with pack business.
There wasn't a single image of me.
I stumbled forward, my legs weak, and reached the desk. Lying on the surface was a sheaf of parchment. My fingers trembled as I picked up the top sheet. It was a challenge declaration, addressed to Alpha Gareth.
Kaid was challenging the Alpha for leadership. For Sophie.
It hit me hard. I couldn't remember the last time Kaid had done an extravagant thing like this for me. Kaid hadn’t been courting me out of love. His whole life, he had been only taking those moves which could benefit Sophie in one way or another, even if it was clearing the way to let her marry the person she loved. The realization was like a gaping wound, tearing through the fragile remnants of my trust.
