Free Web NovelChapter 11: Chapter 11
Selena
I hated how nervous I felt because it was ridiculous. I carry trays every day now. Water, wine, food, clothes and yet somehow, carrying one to Alpha Kael felt entirely different.
The silver tray shook slightly in my hands as I followed the guard through the castle hallways.
"Where is he?" I asked quietly.
"The training grounds." That surprised me.
The guard led me outside through the back of the castle where sunlight immediately warmed my skin. The farther we walked, the louder the shouting and grunting sounds became.
The sharp clash of combat then the training grounds came into view.
A massive crowd of warriors surrounded the center arena while cheering loudly. Some sat atop wooden barriers while others stood with folded arms watching intensely.
All their attention focused on two men inside the arena. Alpha Kael and Beta Bastien.
The moment I saw Kael, my steps slowed. Oh Moon Goddess!
He was bare chested and sweat glistened across hard muscles beneath the bright sunlight while he moved around Beta Bastien with terrifying precision. Every strike looked calculated, controlled and brutal even during practice.
Beta Bastien wore partial combat gear, but Kael had nothing except dark training trousers hanging low on his hips and somehow that made him look even more dangerous or maybe unfairly attractive.
My wolf stirred immediately beneath my skin as the mate bond pulsed warmly making me swallow hard.
Kael dodged Bastien’s punch effortlessly before countering with an elbow strike that would have broken another man’s jaw.
The watching warriors erupted loudly.
"He’s holding back," one muttered nearby.
"Obviously," another replied. "If the Alpha fought seriously, Beta Bastien would already be unconscious."
Beta Bastien attacked again, sweeping low while Kael blocked smoothly before twisting behind him and locking his arm sharply against his back.
That was when I realized they were not truly sparring to win. They were demonstrating tactics.
Several younger warriors watched closely while whispering among themselves.
"He killed four rogues alone last month."
"I heard it was six."
"No," another corrected. "Five. Near the southern trade roads."
I quietly moved closer while pretending to focus on balancing the tray.
"He’s ruthless though," one warrior muttered. "Sometimes too ruthless."
"That ruthlessness is why Blackbourne still stands strong," another snapped back.
The first shrugged. "I’m just saying some of his methods are extreme."
I listened carefully as they continued their discussions.
"He scares even our allies."
"Good. Fear keeps enemies careful."
Another warrior suddenly laughed. "I wonder who’d win between him and Alpha William."
That caught my attention instantly and several warriors exchanged looks.
"Alpha William is older and more experienced."
"But Alpha Kael’s brutal."
"Nightbane pack is still the strongest in the realm," someone argued.
"Because Alpha William knows politics."
"Because Alpha William bows to vampires," another muttered bitterly.
I stiffened slightly.
Then another warrior spoke carefully. "I heard Alpha William once fought three Alphas during a council dispute and still won."
"Alpha Kael would still give him trouble."
The debate continued while my eyes remained glued to Kael as his body moved beautifully and powerfully.
Every muscle shifted perfectly beneath his skin whenever he struck or dodged. freewёbn૦νeɭ.com
The sight alone felt distracting.Dangerously distracting.
Suddenly Beta Bastien lunged forward aggressively. Kael sidestepped, grabbed his arm and slammed him hard into the dirt.
The entire training ground instantly fell silent.
Beta Bastien groaned dramatically from the ground. "You enjoy embarrassing me."
"You leave yourself open too often," Alpha Kael replied calmly.
Then his eyes lifted directly toward me and my breath caught instantly while the mate bond flared sharply.
Alpha Kael began walking toward me while warriors quickly stepped aside for him. Sweat rolled slowly down his chest and disappeared beneath the waistband of his trousers.
Moon Goddess help me.
I became so distracted staring at him that I completely forgot about the tray in my hands.
It tilted dangerously and the wine jars slipped. But before they crashed, Alpha Kael caught the tray effortlessly with one hand.
Several nearby warriors chuckled quietly as heat flooded my cheeks instantly. "I’m sorry," I blurted quickly.
Alpha Kael ignored the apology completely as he grabbed one wine jar and drank deeply while several warriors resumed talking around us. Then he took a jug of water and poured it over his head.
I nearly stopped breathing as the water slid down his neck slowly across hard muscle and—
’Stop it immediately!’ I mentally yelled at myself and looked away sharply.
Alpha Kael handed the empty jug back to me before turning toward the warriors.
"Again," he ordered and the warriors immediately straightened.
He began explaining combat positioning and attack timing while Beta Bastien demonstrated beside him. I should have left immediately after dropping the tray.
Instead, I stayed entirely because I apparently lacked self control.
I watched Alpha Kael move around the training grounds while speaking confidently to his warriors. Everyone listened carefully whenever he spoke.
Even the older warriors respected him deeply and annoyingly enough, the more I watched him, the more attractive he became.
My eyes drifted shamelessly over his chest again.
’What would those muscles feel like beneath my fingers? Hard? Definitely hard.’ My stomach tightened unexpectedly.
Then another horrifying thought entered my head. If the rest of his body looked this— No!
I squeezed my eyes shut briefly. "What was wrong with me?"
When I opened them again, Alpha Kael had dismissed the warriors already And now he was staring directly at me again.
"Come with me," he said and I quickly followed him while trying not to think about his body anymore.
It did not work. Not even slightly.
Back inside the castle, Alpha Kael led me toward his office while Beta Bastien disappeared elsewhere.
The moment we entered, Alpha Kael finally grabbed a thin dark vest and pulled it over himself.
A small part of me felt disappointed.Pathetic even.
Alpha Kael moved toward his desk and opened a ledger.
"The markets you mentioned before," he said without looking at me. "What level of security should I expect?"
I blinked in disappointment. "That’s why you called me here?"
His eyes lifted briefly. "Did you expect something else?"
Heat crawled up my neck immediately as I tried to comport myself. "No."
Alpha Kael waited for an answer, I sighed softly before answering. "I don’t know the exact security details."
His expression darkened slightly."You gave me the locations."
"Yes, because I studied reports and ledgers inside my father’s castle."
"Then tell me the patrol structures."
"I never visited those markets myself."
Alpha Kael stared at me blankly. "You never visited them?"
"I was a princess."
The irritation on his face became immediate. "Then why mention them if you know nothing useful?"
"I know useful things," I argued quickly.
"Such as?"
"Their routes. Their trade importance. Their seasonal schedules."
Alpha Kael leaned back slowly. "Or I could simply send scouts and discover all that myself."
"Then why ask me?" freeweɓnovel.cøm
"Because asking you wastes less time."
I crossed my arms stubbornly. "Well, I’m sorry for not personally inspecting market security during my royal walks."
Alpha Kael looked deeply unimpressed. "What exactly did you do all day in Nightbane?"
I frowned before answering. "I trained."
"With weapons?" He asked, staring intently at me.
"Sometimes." I said with a shrug of my shoulders.
"What else?"
"I hunted occasionally."
"What else?"
I hesitated while Alpha Kael sighed heavily. "So essentially, you do nothing."
My eyes widened in anger then I snapped. "That’s not true."
"You were just being sheltered." He said, making me clench my fist.
"I was educated."
"No, you were an over-pampered princess."
My anger flared instantly at his annoying words. "I was raised as an Alpha’s daughter."
"Exactly." His voice sharpened slightly now. "You spent your life waiting to grow older and eventually marry some powerful mate."
"That’s unfair." I snapped at him trying so hard to be calm.
"It’s accurate."
"No, it isn’t." I argued.
Alpha Kael stood slowly from his chair. "Then tell me one genuinely useful skill you possess."
I opened my mouth but nothing came out because horrifyingly enough— He was partially right and I hated that.
"I can fight," I muttered weakly.
Alpha Kael actually laughed and the sound irritated me immediately.
"You would die in real combat within minutes."
That did it. Anger exploded through me instantly and without thinking, I grabbed the nearest goblet from his desk and hurled it directly at him.
The office door suddenly opened at the exact same moment and Beta Bastien walked in.
Everything happened fast afterward as the Beta instantly reacted like I was an attacker. He crossed the room in seconds, grabbed me violently and slammed me face down against the desk.
Pain shot through my shoulder. "What the hell—"
"Don’t move," Beta Bastien snarled.
"I wasn’t attacking him!" I yelled but his grip tightened anyway.
Alpha Kael had calmly caught the thrown goblet before it hit the wall then he sighed. "Release her."
Beta Bastien blinked. "What?"
"I said release her." Reluctantly, Beta Bastien let me go.
I immediately straightened while glaring furiously at both men. "That was unnecessary."
"You threw something at the Alpha," Beta Bastien replied dryly.
"He insulted me first." Alpha Kael looked entirely unbothered by the chaos.
Beta Bastien glanced between us suspiciously before finally asking, "What exactly is happening here?"
"She’s giving information about Nightbane," Alpha Kael answered simply and my irritation faded instantly.
Beta Bastien accepted the explanation surprisingly easily. "Then this is more important."
He reached inside his coat and handed Alpha Kael a sealed letter. "The Council sent this."
Alpha Kael opened it immediately while I watched then his expression hardened slightly as he read.
"What is it?" Beta Bastien asked.
Alpha Kael lowered the parchment slowly. "An urgent council meeting."
My stomach tightened as I already had a hunch of what it meant.
"Regarding what?" Beta Bastien pressed.
Alpha Kael’s eyes briefly met mine as he answered.
"Regarding the disappearance of Alpha William’s daughter."
I froze immediately.
