Aurelia stood in front of Kaelen's chambers, her heart pounding against her ribs. The thick oak door creaked open in response to her knock, and there he was—Kaelen, leaning casually against the doorframe, silver eyes glinting in the dim light.
"Come in, Aurelia," he said, his tone too soft, too controlled.
She didn't move at first. The tension between them had grown thicker over the past few days, and now the air crackled with unspoken words. She could hear her pulse in her ears, the way it quickened whenever he was near. But she couldn't give in to it—not now, not when things had gotten so complicated.
She took a step inside, but didn't meet his gaze. "What do you want, Kaelen?"
His lips curled into a half-smile as he closed the door behind her. "You're direct, I'll give you that," he said, his voice laced with amusement. But his eyes… they were unreadable, like a storm hiding beneath calm waters.
"I'm not here to play games," she snapped. "So, what is it? Why did you call me here?"
Kaelen motioned for her to sit. "Because I think we need to talk."
Aurelia stayed standing, her body stiff, arms crossed over her chest. "Talk? About what?"
He straightened, moving closer, but not too close. He respected the distance for now.
"I'm offering you a deal, Aurelia," he said, his voice quieter, more serious than before. "Loyalty for freedom. You help me, and I'll give you the chance to walk away from this."
The words hit her like a slap. She had prepared herself for many things, but this—this offer—it caught her off guard. For a second, she didn't know how to react.
"I don't want your deals," she said, her voice strained, even as her mind raced. She didn't want to be his puppet, his tool, no matter what he promised.
Kaelen's gaze softened, and for the first time since she'd met him, he looked almost… vulnerable. There was a flicker in his eyes, something real, and it unsettled her.
"You'd rather stay locked up, with no hope of escape? You think I'm going to just let you go?"
She bit her lip, unwilling to show the vulnerability that gnawed at her. The collar around her neck was a constant reminder of her captivity, her lack of choice.
"I'd rather die free than live a life with you as my keeper," she muttered, though the words tasted bitter in her mouth.
Kaelen's gaze hardened again, but it wasn't anger that flared in his eyes. It was something else—something raw, something personal. He took a step closer, so close that she could feel the heat of his body against hers.
"I'm not asking for loyalty for the fun of it," he said, his voice low. "I'm not the same as the others you've known, Aurelia. I'm not like your pack."
Aurelia froze. "What's that supposed to mean?"
Kaelen didn't answer right away. He reached up, as if to touch his neck, and Aurelia watched, her curiosity piqued. His fingers brushed against the side of his neck, just under his collarbone.
"Kaelen?" she asked, wary.
He glanced at her, his eyes dark. Then, without a word, he lifted his shirt slightly, revealing a scar—a long, jagged line that ran down the side of his neck and over his shoulder. It was old, faded, but still visible.
Aurelia's breath caught in her throat as she stared at the scar. There was a history behind it, she could tell.
"That was from a time before I became Alpha," Kaelen said, his voice a low rumble. "When I was still just a boy, trying to survive." His gaze never left hers as he spoke. "I didn't have the luxury of power then. I had to fight for it, just like everyone else."
Aurelia didn't know what to say. She didn't know what to feel. For a moment, she saw a side of him that she hadn't expected—vulnerability. But even that seemed like a mask, a part of the game he played. She couldn't bring herself to trust it, not yet.
"You think I care about your scars?" she said, her voice thick with defiance. "I don't."
Kaelen's eyes flashed, but he didn't retaliate. Instead, he sighed, almost as if he were resigned to something. "No, you don't. But that doesn't change the fact that you're here, in my palace, under my command. And I'm offering you a choice. A real one."
Aurelia's heart clenched. Her mind screamed at her to say no, to reject him, to leave this place and never look back. But there was a part of her that wondered what it would be like—what it would feel like to be free again, to leave this cage of a palace behind.
"And what if I refuse?" she asked, her voice shaking just slightly. "What if I don't want to make a deal with you?"
Kaelen's expression was unreadable. He seemed to weigh her words, considering them carefully. Then, finally, he spoke, his voice even softer than before.
"Then you'll stay here, locked in this tower, as my prisoner. But you'll never truly be free. Not in your heart. Not in your mind." He paused, letting the weight of his words settle in the room. "I'm not asking you to be loyal to me. I'm asking you to choose your own path. But if you refuse, you'll have no choice but to remain in this cage."
Aurelia swallowed hard. The thought of spending another day, another week, locked up with no chance of escape was unbearable. The bitterness churned inside her like poison, but what choice did she really have?
Her mind screamed at her to fight back, to resist, but the helplessness of her situation was undeniable. The collar—its unyielding pressure, its constant reminder of her captivity—would never allow her a true escape. Even if she managed to break free, would she ever be truly free?
She took a step back, away from him, her chest tight. "I don't know what game you're playing, Kaelen. But I'm not interested. I'll never be your tool."
He watched her carefully, and for the briefest moment, she saw a flicker of sadness in his eyes.
"You're not my prisoner anymore, Aurelia," he said quietly, his voice barely above a whisper. "Not anymore."
Aurelia froze. Her pulse thundered in her ears, and for a second, she thought she had misheard him. She opened her mouth to speak, but the words caught in her throat.
Kaelen met her gaze, unblinking. "I've given you the chance to make your choice. Now, it's up to you."
Aurelia's mind raced. She had never been one to trust, and even now, she could feel the weight of the decision pressing on her chest. Could she trust him, or was this just another part of his game? Whatever the truth was, she knew one thing—her future rested on the choice she made in this moment.