The heavy doors groaned open, spilling golden torchlight onto the frozen courtyard. Inside, the fortress smelled of smoke, steel, and something feral beneath it all.
I stepped over the threshold and was met with silence.
Dozens of eyes turned toward me.
The hall was lined with warriors—men and women both—clad in black leathers and silver-threaded armor. Their expressions ranged from cold curiosity to open hostility. A few lifted their heads and sniffed the air, their lips curling faintly.
"She's human," someone muttered.
"She's not human," another corrected, their tone sharp with suspicion.
Kael's voice cut through the tension. "This is Selene. She's under my protection."
The words didn't soothe them. If anything, the murmurs grew louder.
A tall, broad-shouldered man stepped forward, golden eyes flashing. "Protection, or possession, my king?"
Kael's gaze snapped to him. The weight of it was enough to make the man lower his head, but the challenge had already been thrown.
I took a step forward before I could think better of it. "Does it matter?"
The man's eyes narrowed at me, but Kael's lips quirked in the faintest smirk.
"She's not to be touched," Kael said, turning his attention back to the room. "By anyone."
The command rolled through the hall like thunder. I felt it in my bones—an Alpha's order, impossible to ignore.
Kael moved past me, and I followed, my boots clicking against the stone floor. The eyes on my back burned hotter with every step.
We climbed a winding staircase until the sounds of the hall faded. At the top, Kael opened a door to a chamber bathed in silver moonlight from the balcony beyond.
"This will be your room," he said.
It was larger than the entire cottage I'd grown up in. A massive bed, carved from dark wood, dominated the center. Furs spilled over the floor, and a fireplace crackled in the corner.
I stepped inside cautiously. "Why?"
"Because you'll be safer here than anywhere else," Kael replied, his gaze holding mine. "And because I want you close."
My pulse jumped, and I hated that it did. "You think locking me up in a pretty room makes you less of a jailer?"
His eyes darkened. "You think I'm your enemy, Selene. But there are worse things than me hunting you right now."
I folded my arms. "Like who?"
He hesitated, just long enough to make my stomach tighten.
"The Shadow Alpha," he said finally. "And if he gets to you first… he'll spill your blood to wake the moon."
Before I could ask what that meant, a howl rose in the distance—low and mournful.
Kael's head tilted, listening. His expression shifted, sharp and alert. "Stay in this room. Don't open the door for anyone."
Then he was gone, leaving the air heavy with unanswered questions.