Liv POV
The heavy oak door clicked shut, leaving me entirely alone in the suffocating silence of the guest room. I slumped against the wood, my trembling legs finally giving out as I slid to the floor.
The air was still impossibly thick with his scent. *Winter-bitten cedar and ancient leather* clung to my skin, seeping into my pores like a beautiful, lethal poison. My pulse point, where Kaelon’s rough thumb had just rested, throbbed with a phantom heat. Sparks still danced violently along my nerve endings, a terrifying reminder of my own body's betrayal.
I hated myself for it. I was a *wolfless* Omega. I shouldn't be feeling this magnetic, soul-crushing pull toward anyone, let alone the Alpha King—the father of the man who had just shattered my life. I buried my face in my hands, a wave of profound shame washing over me.
If this was truly the Moon Goddess's doing, why did it feel so incredibly one-sided? Why did Kaelon recognize me instantly, his inner wolf roaring for a claim, while my dormant, empty soul felt no true Mate bond? My body craved his touch, but my mind was completely blind to the connection. Was this just another cruel game? A deeper, more twisted manipulation by the Blackwood men?
I pushed myself off the floor, my hazel eyes sweeping over the room. It was a gilded cage. In the open closet hung rows of glittering, expensive dresses. On the vanity sat velvet boxes of jewels. All gifts from Aaron, meant for his future Luna. They looked like shackles now. I wasn't a doll to be dressed up, and I certainly wasn't Kaelon Blackwood's newest piece of property.
I dragged my battered, ordinary suitcase from the corner of the room. I ignored the silk and lace, aggressively shoving my own faded jeans and simple sweaters into the bag. At the very bottom, I carefully placed my thick design sketchbook. I ran my fingers over the worn cover. It was the only thing that truly belonged to me—the proof that my worth wasn't tied to an Alpha, a Pack, or a forced mating.
I zipped the bag shut. I had to leave. I had to sever ties with Aaron's hypocritical past and escape Kaelon's terrifying, dominant future. I would strip myself down to nothing but my own truth and face the unknown as a Rogue.
Taking a deep breath, I cracked the bedroom door open. The hallway was empty, bathed in the pale, cold light of early morning. I slipped out, my bare feet silent on the plush carpet as I dragged the heavy suitcase behind me.
I reached the grand staircase. The dark oak and black wrought iron spiraled downward like the spine of a massive beast. Along the mahogany-paneled walls, the giant oil portraits of past Blackwood Alphas glared down at me. Their painted, ruthless eyes seemed to track my every movement, mocking my pathetic attempt at a prison break.
I swallowed hard and stepped onto the first marble stair.
The atmospheric pressure in the stairwell suddenly vanished.
My heart flatlined.
I whipped my head up. Standing at the very top of the landing, cloaked in the morning shadows, was Kaelon. He hadn't left. He had been waiting.
He didn't say a single word. He just began to descend. Every slow, deliberate step he took radiated absolute, kingly authority. The sheer weight of his aura pressed down on my chest until I couldn't draw breath. I was frozen, trapped on the steps like prey caught in the sights of a lethal predator.
Before I could even command my legs to run, he was standing on the step right above me. His massive, muscular frame entirely blocked my path, casting a dark shadow over my trembling body.
He reached out. Instead of grabbing me, his large, calloused hand wrapped around the handle of my suitcase.
As he effortlessly took the heavy weight of it from my grip, his knuckles brushed against the back of my hand.
A violent, intoxicating jolt of electricity shot straight up my arm, making me gasp out loud. My traitorous body instantly leaned toward his radiating heat, entirely consumed by the sudden, overwhelming flare of *winter-bitten cedar and ancient leather*.
He held my luggage in one hand, his glowing, steel-gray eyes locking onto mine with a dark, predatory intensity that pinned my soul in place.
