Chapter Six

Author POV

Beta Alex folded his arms, eyes locked on Alpha Summer. “I don’t have time for games, Summer. If this is a lie, your pack will pay for wasting mine.” There was steel in his voice; everyone heard it.

Kaia let out a short, bitter laugh. “Why drag this out? The truth is obvious.”

Alpha Summer’s jaw tightened, but he didn’t back down. “We’ll witness it together. I still believe this is a stunt.”

Across the small clearing, Alpha Caleb’s gaze flicked to Beta Alex; the two exchanged a look that said more than words. Alex nodded once, sharp and practical.

“All right,” Beta Alex said finally. “But mark my words—if you’ve wasted my time, Summer, you’ll pay the consequences.”

Alpha Caleb moved closer to Kaia as if the crowd and the chaos around them might rip her away. He took her hand, gentle and steady. “Come on,” he murmured, low enough that only she could hear. “Let’s seal this charade and be done.”

Kaia stared at him, still reeling. The whole night had been a blur of shouting voices, slamming doors and sharp, dangerous faces. This man—this stranger who’d stopped his car for her—was calm in a way that steadied something raw inside her. He leaned in and whispered, “It’s not real. Ethan isn’t my name. You’re not Selena. Breathe.”

She swallowed. It was ridiculous that his words soothed her, but they did. He was offering an anchor she didn’t know she needed.

Alpha Summer stepped forward. “No,” he snapped. “They will not travel together. I will not let her slip away again.”

Alpha Caleb’s mouth flattened. He didn’t want to push; he didn’t want to make the moment into a spectacle. But he also refused to hand Kaia back to the people who would sell her like a thing. “We won’t be separated,” he said quietly, and there was a promise buried under the surface. The refusal in his tone carried weight—something Beta Alex recognized and respected.

“If you can’t trust me,” Beta Alex said to the Alpha Caleb, “then I’ll go with her myself.” His voice left no room for argument.

Alpha Summer stared at him, furious at being outmaneuvered. Begrudgingly, he stepped back. “Fine. One of my men will escort her in Alex’s car.” He turned to Kaia. “You will obey.”

Before anyone could argue, Alpha Caleb pulled Kaia into a brief, near-imperceptible embrace—an act of protection, not ceremony. “Don’t worry,” he whispered again. “We’ll get through this.”

They split into two cars. Alpha Caleb slid into Beta Alex’s vehicle while Alex himself climbed into the driver’s seat.. the guard used Alpha Caleb car to take Kaia. The small convoy rolled out, engines low and measured, like predators on a cautious hunt.

Once the car doors closed and the engine’s hum became their private world, Alex finally spoke. “There’s something you’re hiding,” he said bluntly, eyes on the road.

Caleb let out a long breath. The dark in his eyes deepened. “She’s not Selena,” he said simply. “She’s her twin. And—” he paused, searching for the right words, for the least dangerous way to say it—“she’s my mate. She can touch me without triggering the curse.”

Alex’s hand tightened on the wheel for a split second before he answered, steady and terse. “You’re sure?”

Caleb’s nod was small, absolute. “I felt it. Nothing, no burn, no sickness—only… normal contact. It changes everything.”

"So, do you mean Alpha Summer was trying to deceive us?" Beta Alex asked, his voice edged with disbelief.

"That was their plan," Alpha Caleb replied coldly. "They found out about the curse and wanted to use her as a substitute. She ran after she discovered the truth. She’s different—straightforward, unpredictable, interesting. I don’t even know how I ended up acting like that around her." His jaw tightened, the words laced with something deeper.

Beta Alex exhaled slowly and nodded. "I understand why you didn’t reveal your identity. Maybe if she knew, she would have run again. I guess this… forced marriage play was the best choice. At least you could keep her close. I’ll ask the seer about it."

Caleb’s eyes darkened, his tone sharper. "I didn’t do this to keep her around. She’s not that kind of woman. She wants love to come naturally, not out of pity, and she despises lies. I only agreed to marry so Summer would back off before things turned bloody. You know I can’t stay out late—once the night drags on, the curse will start tearing through me."

"You’re right," Beta Alex muttered, his fists clenching. "But if you’re not marrying her, then why are we heading to the ancestral court?"

Caleb’s gaze hardened. "The wedding won’t happen."

Beta Alex snapped his head toward him. "Then what do you want me to do?"

"Do the right thing you would do in a situation like this," Caleb said, his voice low, commanding, leaving no room for argument.