Chapter Three

Author POV

The car that skidded to a stop in front of them made Kaia’s heart slam against her ribs. She clung to his hand as if it was the only thing anchoring her, lips trembling as she whispered, “I’ve been caught.”

He should have pulled away. Anyone else’s touch would have triggered the curse that tormented him — leaving him half alive, half dead. But this time, there was nothing. No pain. No reaction. Only the shock of her skin against his and the hollowness inside him twisting in ways he didn’t understand.

Inside him, his wolf, Orion, growled one word that shook him to his core. 'Mate'.

When Kaia had first appeared in front of his car, he thought he was seeing Selena — the bride meant to marry him, the one whose picture his father had forced into his hands. But now the truth was undeniable. Selena wasn’t alone. She had a twin — a truth carefully hidden.

“Please — we’ve been caught,” Kaia whispered again, this time pulling her hand away.

His response was a cold scoff. “You’ve been caught. Not me.”

Her eyes widened, desperation spilling through them. “We’re in this together, aren’t we?”

The man’s gaze was sharp, unyielding. “In this together? Don’t joke. I helped you, that’s all. I don’t want blood on my hands.”

Kaia, refusing to let go, grabbed his hand again. Her fingers curled tight, and for reasons even he didn’t understand, he didn’t pull away. A lifetime of isolation had built walls around him, yet one touch from her felt strangely… different.

“Please,” she whispered, her voice raw with fear. “If you save me, I’ll give you anything you want. Anything at all.”

Her desperation hung in the air. The warriors outside stood ready, waiting for their Alpha’s order to strike. Silence stretched until his decision came — cold, sharp, and dangerous.

“I’ll help you.”

The car window rolled down. The moment his presence bled into the open air, the warriors faltered. The aura that radiated from him pressed down heavy, suffocating, the unmistakable dominance of a true predator.

Alpha Summer himself stepped forward, his gaze cutting like a blade. His power was enough to make lesser wolves bow, but the stranger didn’t flinch.

“Selena,” the Alpha’s voice thundered, sharp with authority. “Enough of this foolishness. The ceremony is about to begin. Come back now. Your groom is waiting.”

Kaia’s knuckles whitened as she pulled her hand free, defiance sparking in her trembling frame. Her chest rose and fell, but her eyes blazed.

“I can’t. I won’t. Because… I already have a mate!”

The words hit like thunder.

The warriors growled and shifted uneasily, exchanging startled glances. To defy an Alpha’s command was unthinkable.

Alpha Summer’s lips curled in disdain. “Mate? Don’t insult me with lies, girl.”

The car door opened with a click. Alpha Caleb stepped out, slow and deliberate, his presence rolling forward like a storm. Power rippled through the air, sharp and undeniable. Orion prowled beneath his skin, restless, eager.

“She’s not lying,” his voice was smooth but lethal, each word heavy with truth. His arm slid possessively around Kaia’s waist, pulling her into his side. “She’s mine. And she carries my pup.”

Gasps erupted. Even Alpha Summer’s mask cracked, shock flashing across his features before fury buried it.

Kaia stiffened at the bold claim, but survival sharpened her instinct. She leaned into Caleb’s side, her voice firm despite the tremor in her chest.

“Yes. I ran because he’s my mate. And I’ll choose him again and again.”

Alpha Summer’s eyes blazed with rage, his wolf growling deep within him. “You dare stand before me and claim what isn’t yours?”

Caleb’s lips curved into a dangerous smile, his gaze glittering like sharpened steel. His wolf’s growl vibrated in the air, low and primal.

“Test me then, Alpha. Step forward and see if you can take her from me.”

The warriors shifted, torn between their Alpha’s fury and the raw, suffocating dominance of the stranger before them. The night was heavy with tension, each heartbeat a countdown to violence.

And then—

The screech of tires shattered the silence. A black Mercedes swung to a stop, brakes screaming. The door flew open, and a figure leapt out.

“Beta Alex,” Alpha Summer called, surprised.

But Alex didn’t bow to him. His eyes went straight to Caleb, filled with dread.

For Alex was not Summer’s man. He was Alpha Caleb’s beta. And from the fear in his eyes, the truth was closing in fast.