3

Kael stepped forward, his expression calm despite my growing panic. "No worries, I'll take you home."

The night had taken an unexpected turn as Kael led me out of the ballroom to his car. To my surprise, Cassy and the other two triplets followed close behind. Their eagerness to bid me farewell was puzzling. Why were the Monroes, known for their prestige and power, so interested in the company of a rogue?

As we strolled together, Cassy mused aloud, "It's funny, in a way, how that awful man's behavior earlier led to you meeting us. It's almost like it was fate or something." A noticeable tension rippled through the group, their steps momentarily hesitating at her words.

Kael's expression turned stern as he asked, "What happened earlier?"

Everyone hesitated, obviously aware of the reaction he would have. Kael's patience thinned. "Don't make me drag it out of you," he said, his voice now edged with the unmistakable authority of an Alpha.

The effect was immediate. Everyone, including me, recoiled slightly.

Knox, breaking the tension with a sigh, said, "Lighten up, Kael. Damn. Fletcher called her a nasty name and made her fall in the mud."

Kael's reaction was instantaneous. Anger flared in his eyes, but he visibly struggled to contain it. He rotated his neck, the sound of cracking bones filling the silence, and took a deep breath. As he opened the car door for me, his composure was back in place, though the undercurrent of his anger was still noticeable.

Before leaving, he turned to his brothers, his voice low. "Take care of Fletcher while I'm gone." They nodded.

Cassy and the other two brothers took turns standing by the window, each offering their goodbyes. "We're glad you came tonight," they said.

Kael, ever mindful of the time, ushered them away with a hint of impatience. "Okay, okay, she's going to miss her curfew, you know."

We were quiet as he drove, pushing the speed limit at every turn. His sleek black Audi R8 glided through the streets, cutting the night with its powerful engine. 

We were out of city limits fast. As we passed the old, broken-down houses lining the roads of the bayou, I could feel Kael's eyes on them, and a sense of dread filled me. He was about to see where and how I lived.

We pulled up to the shack, the contrast to the Monroe mansion painfully evident. Kael's eyes widened slightly as he took in the dilapidated structure. "You live here?" he asked in clear disbelief.

"Thanks for bringing me home," I said, my voice barely above a whisper, embarrassment and sadness mingling in my chest.

As I opened the door to get out, Kael followed. "What are you doing?" I asked.

He looked at me, his expression serious. "Walking you to the door. I may be an asshole sometimes, but I'm still a gentleman, you know." 

I smiled and took his arm, and he led me up the muddy, overgrown path to the shack I unfortunately called home. 

We made it to the porch when suddenly, the door burst open. My father came tumbling out, anger contorting his face as he screamed about my missed curfew. I instinctively recoiled, the familiar fear gripping me. I pulled my arm from Kael's and tried to explain as I approached my father.

Without warning, he swung at me, his fist connecting with my face. Pain exploded in my eye, and I felt it swelling shut immediately as my head collided with the railing. I collapsed into a mess against it as pain radiated from my temple to the base of my skull. 

A blur of movement followed, the sounds of a scuffle filling the air. I vaguely sensed my mother pulling me away, her hands trembling as she dragged me to safety inside the house. 

When my vision finally cleared enough to see, I saw Kael standing over my father, his boot pressed against Burk's throat through the open door. Kael leaned down, his voice a menacing growl. "I don't care if I'm your Alpha or not. If I ever hear of you hitting a woman again, I will kill you. Do you understand me?"

Burk, pinned and helpless, could only grunt and nod, fear evident in his eyes. 

After a few more tense moments, Kael removed his foot from Burk's throat, but Burk's venomous words shattered the brief respite. "You stupid bitch," he spat at me, his eyes wild with rage. "You think you can just go find an alpha pretty boy and not follow my rules?" He stumbled as he attempted to stand and come into the house.

Kael's patience snapped. "Okay, I should have known you were too stupid to listen." He hoisted Burk up and hurled him into the house and across the room in one fluid motion. Burk's body hit the wall with a sickening thud before sliding down into an unconscious heap. 

Kael turned to me. "Come on, you're not staying here with him." 

My mother rushed to Burk's side, her hands trembling as she checked his state. Then, turning to me with a mix of fear and determination in her eyes, she urged, "Go, leave now while you can."

Kael's hand closed around my arm, gently pulling me towards the door. I resisted, my heart torn as I turned back to my mother.

"But, Mom—" I started to protest.

"No, Skyla," she interrupted, her voice cracking with emotion. "This is what I was talking about when I sent you to that ball. This is your way out of this pathetic life. Please, go. I'll be okay."

Her eyes, filled with tears, met Kael's. "Please take care of her," she pleaded.

Kael's gaze softened. "Yes, ma'am, I will," he promised solemnly.

With a heavy heart, I allowed Kael to lead me away from the only home I'd ever known, away from my mother and the life of fear and oppression that had defined my existence. As we stepped into the night, the cool air hit my face, which made my world start spinning. 

At that moment, a mix of emotions overwhelmed me – fear of the unknown, relief at escaping, and deep, aching sadness for leaving my mother behind. But there was also a flicker of hope, a hope that maybe, just maybe, this was a chance at a life. A real life. 

As we settled into his car, Kael's anger was pronounced, filling every inch of the space. It wasn't directed at me, but the intensity was overwhelming, making breathing difficult. I instinctively pressed against the passenger door, trying to put as much distance as possible between us.

Kael glanced over, his eyes closing as he took in my panicked state. "Sorry," he muttered with a deep breath. He opened the sunroof. The cool night air rushed in, diluting the heavy atmosphere inside the car.

After a few more calming breaths, Kael's gaze returned to me, now filled with concern. "I'm pretty sure you have a concussion," he observed. "Your eye is swelling shut, and you're not healing. If you have a wolf, why aren't you healing?"

His question hung in the air as my consciousness wavered, the events of the night catching up to me in a powerful wave of dizziness and pain. "I do have a wolf," I murmured, my voice barely audible, "but I don't heal like that."

Kael's reached over, firmly grasping my hand. "Nope, you're not going to sleep. You can't go to sleep with a concussion. Wake up, Sky."

"I'm trying," I whispered, struggling to keep my eyes open.

In a surprising move, Kael started to wave my hand in the air in random patterns to keep me awake. The motion was oddly comforting, distracting from the pain and the overwhelming exhaustion trying to pull me under.

His efforts were clumsy and playful, a side of Kael I hadn't seen before. He wasn't the formidable, harsh Alpha I had encountered earlier. At this moment, he was just a man trying to help, his concern genuine and his actions caring.

The mansion loomed ahead, a silent giant against the night sky. The festivities earlier seemed like a distant memory, the grounds now deserted except for Kyran and Knox, who were outside playing basketball with their dress shirts untucked and unbuttoned.

As Kael's car came to a screeching halt, he leaped out, urgency etched in every line of his body. "Help me!" he shouted to his brothers.

Kyran and Knox stopped their game abruptly, their expressions instantly turning from casual amusement to concern. They rushed towards the car, ready to assist.

The mansion's door flew open, revealing the silhouettes of other pack members, drawn by the commotion. My vision was blurring, the figures merging into shadows as my consciousness ebbed and flowed.

One of the triplets leaned close to my face, his features a blur. "What the hell happened?" he demanded.

Before Kael could respond, the other triplet, driven by concern and misunderstanding, pushed Kael against the car with surprising force. "What did you do?" he growled in his face.

Kael, his patience frayed by the night's events, pushed him off easily. "It wasn't me, asshole. It was her fucking father," he snapped back, the frustration and anger in his voice explicit.

The atmosphere was charged with pressure, concern, confusion, and the aftermath of the night's traumatic events. As the brothers confronted each other, a sense of chaos enveloped my senses.

My eyelids felt heavy, the voices around me becoming distant echoes as darkness framed my vision. The last thing I remembered before succumbing to the overwhelming exhaustion was the feeling of being lifted, the murmurs of urgent conversation fading into silence as I drifted into unconsciousness.

All I knew at that moment was I was safe, away from my father, surrounded by people who, despite the chaos, seemed ready to protect and care for me. That was all that mattered at that moment.