bChapter /bb73 /b

bI /bbcan’t /bbreathe.

The moment the Alpha King steps further into the hallb, /bit’s like all the air is sucked from my lungs. My chest tightens, a violent pressure mping down until I feel like I’m suffocating. My head dips without warning, heavy as stone, falling forward like it no longer belongs to me.

What… the hell is happening?

Why can’t I control my body?

I gasp for air–ragged, shallow breaths that scrape painfully through my throat, but it’s like trying to breathe through water. Every inhale burns. My vision

swims.

Is it his aura?

Can it really be this strong?

I’ve felt dominant wolves before. Alphas with enough presence to make your knees buckle like Jack, yet I don’t. But this–this is different. This is

something else. It’s not just power. It’s not fear. It’s not even pain.

It’s everything.

And bit /bcrushes me.

I want to lift my head, to see him, but my body stays frozen, trembling under the weight of something I can’t name. My fingers twitch uselessly against the burning silver chains, but I can’t move. It’s like I’m not even inside myself anymore. Just a soul caged bin /bflesh that won’t respond.

Then I see it. His shadow.

It stretches along the gleaming marble, stopping right beside me.

My breath stalls.

He’s here. Standing close–so close I can feel the heat of his presence seeping into my skin. Seconds pass. Then more. It turns into minutes, and bhe /bstill doesn’t move. He just stands there.

Why?

Why is he just standing there?

Is he staring at me?

My heart thuds unevenly. Loud. Wild. And I still don’t look up. I can’t.

Not because I’m afraid.

But because bit /bfeels wrong. Like looking at him would shatter something sacred. Like I’d break apart in ways I’d never recover from.

The air between us is suffocating and electricb–/bthick with something ancient and deepi. /iBut it’s not a mate bond. No sparks bor /bpull or aching bneed/bb. /bbThis /bbis /b

different.

bIt’s /bbpeace/b.

bA /bkind bof /bimpossible peace bthat /bstills every broken part of bme/bb, /bquiets the bstorm /bin bmy /bchestb, /bbeven /bbwithout /bbmy /bbwolf/b. Likeb, /bbI’m /bbhome/bb. /b

bAnd /bbI /bhate it.

I hate bthat /bI feel this way about a man I’ve never met. The father of the woman trying to kill me.

“Dad,” Lady Celestia’s voice snaps through the air like a whip, sharp with irritation. “Why are you just standing there? Sit on byour /bbthrone and /bbmake /bbthe /bjudgement already!”

She grabs his arm, tugging him like a spoiled child. I don’t see it. But I feel it. Like she’s dragging him away from some invisible bthread /bbconnecting /bus.

And for once… I’m grateful to her.

Even if I secretly want to watch her burn.

The Alpha King finally moves, the air shifting as his presence glides away. I hear the soft thud of boots ascending the steps toward the throne. Lady Celestia’s heels follow quickly after, her perfume dragging behind her like poison.

I release the breath I didn’t know I was holding, my chest still aching.

But it’s not over.

I can feel his gaze.

Heavy. Burning.

Still on me.

“Look at me,” he says.

Just two words.

But my heart stops.

The voice–it ms into me like a wave. Familiar in a way that hurts. I know it. I’ve heard it before. Somewhere distant. Maybe in a dream. Maybe in a memory that isn’t mine.

And suddenly, a sharp pain erupts in my skull. I hiss, trying to lift my head–trying to obey–but nothing happens.

I don’t move.

I can’t move.

My limbs stay locked. My neck stiff. My eyes fixed on the ground like they’re glued there.

What the hell is wrong with me?

He’s the Alpha King. Hismand should override.everything. Everyone obeys him.

So why can’t bI/bb? /b

bIs /bbit /bbecause I’ve lost my wolfb? /bbIs /bthat why my body bwon’t /bsubmit?

Orb… /bbis /bbit /bsomething else?

b“/bbDad/bb, /bbI /btold you…” Celestia hisses from aboveb, /bvoice bfull /bof venom. b“/bbShe’s /bfucking annoying and stubborn, bSo /bbdisrespectful /bband /bbdeserves /bdeath AHI –

There’s ba /bsharp yelp, followed by ba /bstring bof /bbcurses/bb. /b

“Dadb, /bbthis throne/b… burned bme/bb!/b” she cries outb, /bbfull /bof shock band /bbdisbelief/bb. /bb“/bbSomething’s /bbwrong /bbwith /bbit/b!”

My lips twitchb. /bbI /bbdon’t /blook up, bbut /bI bdon’t /bbneed /bbto/b.

I can hear the smirk in the Alpha King’s voice.

b“/bCelestia, stop being dramatic and sit down.”

There’s ba /bpause.

I imagine her pouting. Her stupid, wless face twisted in spoiled frustration.

“I’m not lying!” she snaps, and I can tell she’s trying again.

More silence. Then a hiss of pain and the scrape of her chair being pushed back.

“Dad, I swear, it won’t let me sit. I don’t understand-”

The Alpha King’s voice is sharper now, touched with genuine surprise.

“Howe your throne is suddenly burning you… when it was made for youb?/bb” /b

Silence hangs for a moment.

Even he didn’t expect that.

“I–I don’t know, Dad,i” /ishe stammers. “Maybe… maybe something’s wrong with it. But it’s not important, really. Let’s not waste any more time. Please. Just give-”

She stops.

Probably realising he’s no longer listening–because I can feel his gaze bon /bme. I still can’t look up. Not until I understand this feeling, until I remember why his voice sounds like a key turning in the lock of my soul.

And why another part is terrified of what I’ll see when I finally look at him.

A monster?

A man?

A father?

“I will give you one chance to defend yourself–to tell me why I shouldn’t rip your head off.”

His voice crashes down from the throne like thunder. Deep, powerful… but there’s something in it, A crack. Just a whisper bof /bsomething that doesn’t fit the image of a ruthless Alpha King.

I frown slightly. Did his voice break just now?

“What?” I whisper, but I don’t say it loud enough. I’m too stunned.

From the corner of the room, I hear a sharp gasp–followed by a high–pitched voice filled with fury.

“Daddy, what are you doing? You don’t need to listen to her! I told you what she did, how she defied me–your royal authority!b” /bCelestia’s bvoice /bsounds blike /bnails on ss. Hysterical, Childish. Desperate.

There’s ba /blong pause. Then the king’s voice againb, /bthis time sharperb. /bbCold/b.

“Keep quiet, Celestia, and stop embarrassing me–and yourselfb. /bI am bthe /bKing here.”

If I weren’t kneeling in front of him with my life on the bline/bb, /bbI /bmight haveughed. It bubbles bin /bbimy /i/bbthroat /bbanyway/b. bFor /bbonce/bb, /bbsomeone /bbis /bbtelling /bbher /bbto /bbshuts /bthe bhell /bup–and that someone is her father.

I don’tugh though. I breathe. Deep, slow, controlled. I don’t want to dieughing.

“So,” the Alpha King says, voice lower now, like he’s trying not to let something show, “go ahead. Kali, right?”

He says my name like he’s tasting it, rolling it on his tongue, almost mocking–but not quite. For the first time, it doesn’t sound like my name. bIt /bsounds foreign, like it doesn’t belong to me anymore.

bI /bstay silent.

“I did my research,” he continues, “I know Alpha Jack is your mate. But that doesn’t mean I should tolerate your disrespect to my daughter–the future Alpha Queen.”

He pauses deliberately, and I feel the weight of the word queen like it’s meant to crush me.

“Disrespecting royalty earns punishment. Laying a hand on royalty…” His tone drops. “That’s death.”

My fingers clench against the cold stone beneath me. Laying a hand–like I went out of my way to attack her. Like I’m not the one who was ambushed, provoked, pushed until I snapped.

“So,” he says, “tell me–why should I spare your life?”

I open my mouth.

Nothinges out.

Not because I’m guilty. But because why the hell do I have to defend myself for being innocent?

I didn’t do anything wrong.

But I say nothing–and the silence screams louder than Celestia ever could.

The king’s voice breaks again. “I see. You don’t want to talk. Or maybe… you are guilty. And I should kill you.”

I flinch. That crack in his voice again–it’s not weakness. It’s conflict. He doesn’t want to do this.

But he will. For his daughter. For the crown.

Then something shifts. He leans forward–I feel it more than I see it–and his tone changes. “But I’m in ba /bgood mood. Andb… /bbecause bof /bthe respect I have for Jack, I want ito /igive you a chance to live.”

A door opens behind me.

Heavy bboots/bb. /b

A guard marches in, tossing a leather bag at my feet. The thud echoes. Gold spills out in bright, gleaming bcoins /bthat catch bthe /bfirelight.

bIt /bglints like blood.

b“/bTake the gold,” the king saysb, /b“and run. Disappear. Never return–not to this packb, /bnot to your mate. Start a new life. Far from hereb. /bThat should be enough to live very well.”

For bthe /bbfirst /btime, I breathe.

bStill /bnot looking up, I say slowly, “What bif /bI make bmy /bown bdeal/bb?/b”

bThe /bbroom /bgoes still againb. /bbI /bbcan /bfeel Celestia seething. The bking /bbdoesn’t /bbrespond/b.

b“/bbI’ll /bgive byou /bbtwice/b–bno/bb, /bbthree /bbtimes/b–youy gold.” I lift my head slightlyb, /bbeyes /bbstill /bbdowncast /bbbut /bvoice bsteady/bb. /bb“/bbTake /bbit/bb, /bbAlpha /bbKing/b. bAnd /bbleave /bme band /bbmy /bbmate /bbthe /bfuck aloneb, /b

Silence.

Then…

Heughs.

It’s deep. Unpredictable. And it scares the hell out of me.

My spine stiffens. Shit. I crossed a line.

Did I just dig my own grave?

But then he leans back, and there’s something in his voice I can’t quite ce.

“Now I understand,” he murmurs, almost to himself. “Now I see why Jack ispletely whipped by you.”

My heart iskips /ia beat.

b“/bYou’re bold. Reckless.”

A pause. Then, with something close to admiration-

“One stubborn little she–wolf.”

And then-

b“/bI love it.”