Chapter 14

LUXURIA.

The woods were colder than I ever expected it to be, but that won't deter me from my mission tonight.

For a moment, I got scared when Alpha Parthe watched me silently in my chamber. What was running through his mind? Was he planning on killing me?

The thought of that man being in close proximity to me scares me to death. I guess I'll have to avoid him throughout my stay in his pack.

Thankfully, he has other women who satisfy him. He won't even have the time to want me around him.

The thoughts of Kahel plagued me for days. He might think I have forsaken or forgotten him. I had planned on going to see him after I arrived at the Wild Wolf pack before I got into the situation that kept me bedridden for days.

I sincerely pray he understands.

I navigated through the pack border.

The security at the Wild Wolf pack was tight. Little wonder no rogue can sneak past them. But not me. I had my way.

Being the Alpha's daughter of the Mountain Ash Pack, I've had the privilege of learning about the security systems of a lot of packs. My father always kept track of them just in case he needed them in the future. And I am a perfectionist when it comes to hide and seek.

Soon, I found myself at the Ash Mountain pack border. A sigh of relief escaped my lips. There was no need to hide here. This was my father's pack.

I strode into the border, and the guards let me through.

I ran straight to the one person on my mind.

The whole place was quiet. Everyone had retired for the night. That makes it even better for me. I had hoped to make a silent entry and exit.

With trembling legs and a nervous smile, I approached Kahel's door, about to knock when something caught my attention.

A sound.

No. Voices.

Muffled.

I halted, going to the window instead.

My heart raced. I prayed earnestly for it not to be what I was thinking.

My heart pounded in my chest, a suffocating tightness spreading as I stared through the window, unable to tear my gaze away from the sight in front of me.

It was Kahel.

And Rella.

Making love.

The tightness in my chest was painful. How could he? How could he do this to me?

Their bodies intertwined, sleek with sweat, moving in an intensity that should have been mine. His hands gripped her waist, his lips pressing against her skin. My breath caught in my throat, and the bitter taste of betrayal washed over me, choking me.

I should've turned away. I should've left. But I was rooted to the spot, unable to move, unable to think.

Tears blurred my vision, my hands trembling as I pulled away from the window. I wanted to scream, to cry, but my body was frozen, paralyzed by the heartbreak coursing through me. Kahel—my Kahel—was with her… Rella, the very woman who had always wanted to take him from me.

And now, she had.

A sharp sob escaped my lips, and I staggered back, unable to hold it in any longer. My hand flew to my mouth, muffling the sound, but it was too late.

Kahel's head snapped toward the window.

His eyes locked onto mine.

I could see the shock on his face, the disbelief, and then the panic as he realized what I had seen. His body stilled, pulling away from Rella, who turned her head to look at me, a satisfied smirk curling her lips.

I didn't need to see more.

I turned and bolted from the window, my heart hammering in my chest as I ran blindly, the pain in my chest almost unbearable. My legs trembled, but I forced myself to keep moving, to get as far away as possible.

But I hadn't made it far before I heard his voice.

"Luxuria! Wait!" Kahel's voice echoed through the night, frantic and filled with desperation. I heard him stumble as he ran after me, his footsteps growing louder, closer.

I didn't stop.

I couldn't.

"Luxuria, please!" he called again, his breath labored as he caught up to me, gripping me by my arm. "It's not what you think—"

I whirled around, "Not what I think?" My voice trembled, but I didn't care. The raw emotion tore through me, spilling out in every word. "I saw you, Kahel. I saw everything! Now, tell me what it is." I said as I tried to yank my hand out of his firm, desperate grip, but it was futile.

His face was pale, his eyes wide with panic. He reached out again, wrapping desperate hands around me, but I pushed him off, taking a step back, refusing to let him touch me. "Let me go!"

"Let me explain," he begged, his voice breaking, his hand still outstretched. "It wasn't—Rella, she... she came to me. It just—"

"Don’t you dare,” I spat, cutting him off before he could finish. “Don’t you dare blame her for this. You made your choice.” I could feel the tears burning in my eyes, but I blinked them away, refusing to let him see me cry. Not now. Not after this.

Kahel’s hands dropped to his sides, his shoulders sagging as he stared at me, his eyes filled with regret. “I... I didn’t mean to hurt you.”

I laughed bitterly, “Didn’t mean to? You destroyed me, Kahel. Everything we had, everything we were—it’s gone. Because of you.”

He took a step forward, but I backed away again, the pain in my chest only deepening. “Luxuria, I love you. This... this doesn’t change that.”

I shook my head, my heart breaking all over again. “You don’t know what love is, Kahel. You wouldn’t have done this if you did.”

He took in a sharp breath, "But what about you? You gave your virginity to that monster! A treasure I had hoped would be mine one day. Have you thought about that?" He asked me, and I scoffed.

“Is this what this is about?” I whispered, my voice shaking as I wiped a tear from my cheek. The disbelief and hurt cut through me sharper than any blade could. “You think I wanted that?”

Kahel stood there, his face contorted with frustration, but I could see the guilt flickering behind his eyes. He had no right. No right to throw that in my face when I was here, staring at his betrayal.

“You think I wanted to be claimed by him? Do you think I had a choice?” My voice grew louder, the pain transforming into anger as I stepped toward him, jabbing a finger into his chest. “You think this is the same thing, Kahel? I never betrayed you. I never had a choice. Perhaps when you finally find a mate, you'll understand what the mate bond feels like. You have no control over it!"

He winced at my words, his jaw clenching as he fought to find a retort. “Luxuria... I—”

“No!” I cut him off, my anger blazing hotter with every second. “You don’t get to use that against me. You don’t get to throw that night in my face when you’re the one who has clearly betrayed me.”

“I was angry,” he said quietly, his voice strained. “I was angry and hurt because you left me. You went to him. You chose him. You spiked my tea. Deceived me.”

"I never want to see you again, Kahel. Have a nice life with Rella!"

With one last, heart-wrenching look at him, I turned and ran.

I was done.