CHAPTER ELEVEN

ALPHA KAI'S POV

“Leave her alone,” I growled, my eyes burning with rage. My wolf, Sebastian, felt the fury and urgency from afar, driving me to act swiftly. Madeline’s call had alerted me to the situation, and I couldn’t afford to let Pamela take things too far.

I stormed into the room, my presence commanding immediate attention. Pamela stood with the sword raised, her gaze meeting mine with defiance. “What’s the meaning of this?” I demanded.

“She’s a thief,” Pamela said sharply, her voice laced with frustration. “She’s trespassing, and I was about to deal with her.”

I shot Pamela a hard look. “And you think your personal issues justify this? Your grievances are irrelevant.”

Pamela’s face twisted in irritation. “Oh, so now that you’ve found your precious little mate, you think you can just leave me here for this weak, scrawny girl? Typical.”

Her casual, contemptuous tone was met with a low, commanding growl from me. “Enough. This discussion ends now. You will follow my orders and step back.”

Pamela’s expression faltered, and she stepped aside reluctantly as the guards untied Emma. My focus shifted back to my mate, my mind racing with what needed to be done next.

“Let's go Emmaline,” I turned to Emma stretching my palm and she took it and stood up. I led the way out of Pamela's chambers and met with Madeline at the door.

"It's all under control now," I said softly, leaving Emma in Madeline's care. "You are to take her to her room and make sure she has a good night sleep." I finished off as I watched Madeline lead Emma off in the direction of the room I'd dedicated to my mate.

As I watched the fleeting view of their backs, the expression in Emmaline's gaze when I intervened was priceless. My wolf had gone in a sudden heat minutes before, I thought I would lose her after seeing Pamela place a sword to her throat.

The thought of loosing Emma was alarming, my heartbeat still hadn't recovered from the adrenaline. A frown flashed it's way on my face as I snarled as the thought of Pamela came to mind.

I know you're probably wondering who she is and if we ever had an affair? The answers to your questions are yes, but I had ended it off several seasons ago. But Pamela was obviously unhinged, she was the daughter of one of our pack's ex minister.

Her father had once been a friend of my father's. But that was years ago, the affair I had with Pamela was platonic, no strings attached— just the way I liked it. Pamela was one out out of my other mistresses, I loved having a handful of options.

The only reason I had been searching for my mate all this while was to fully secure my role as the alph and protect the pack from going haywire. The pack definitely needed a Luna, one that had to be my fated mate.

I had gone searching in different packs for years until I stumbled on Emmaline, our mate bond sealing instantly. Emma was unlike my other mistresses, she was different.

She held a wonder that always catches my attention, but I couldn't yet place my finger on it. I've never felt emotionally attached to any lady before, I was known for my reputation as the ice cold Alpha. I never cared, still do, I'd secure my dominance over the lands at just the age of sixteen.

My father, Alpha Raven, was once the protector of the Crescent pack for years sealing his dominance over the pack and it's surroundings. It all seems like a perfect picture right, but wait, it was all ruined when he and my mother, Luna Marissa, were attacked anonymously by his enemies. He had the opportunity to save only one and he had sacrificed himself for the sake of love and my pack had been taken over by an enemy alpha, Alpha cauldron.

My father died leaving the pack without an Alpha, I was sixteen then, meaning I had to step up to the role of alpha when I wasn't even up to the age of eighteen. I had trained with the best teachers and I had grown to become the Alpha my pack needed.

But till this very day I still mourn his death in my heart, holding on desperately to the fleeting chunks we all know as memories. I hated love. It was a stupid excuse for weakness, I see it like a virus that could shut the entire human mind down.

A distraction.

I preferred keeping things platonic, with no strings attached. I had better things to do as the alpha other than falling in love with a lady and being a victim of weakness.

"Alpha." I heard a call and turned to the view of Carl, my assistant. "We have a meeting with the ministers concerning some arising issues we need to address"

I watched him rattle on as I cut in, "postpone the meetings till tomorrow, I have somewhere I have to be."

“Okay, Alpha, I'll make sure to let the ministers know the meeting has been adjourned,” Carl muttered and left.

“I heard you postponed the meeting with the ministers, champ,” a voice said, drawing my attention to Luke, the beta and my closest friend. Luke was the one person who truly understood me; our friendship had endured since childhood.

“Taking a breather, are we? Well, I suppose even someone as tough as you deserves a bit of quality time with his mate,” Luke said with a wry smile. I couldn’t help but frown at his teasing. “Finally took my advice to find a mate, huh?”

"I have to better places to be now," I smirked slightly as I made my way, my feet gliding in the direction of my personal chambers. The thought of Emmaline getting confronted by Pamela was threatening and I knew I had to confront Pamela myself and end things with her as it might cause danger to my mate— no Luna.

I approached Pamela’s quarters with a sense of urgency, determined to set boundaries and protect Emma from any further harm. As I entered, Pamela was waiting, her demeanor calm but her eyes calculating.

“Pamela,” I said firmly, “we need to talk. You’ve crossed a line, and I need you to stay away from Emma. I won’t let her be hurt by anyone.”

She raised an eyebrow, a hint of a smile playing on her lips. “You’re worried about your mate, Kai? It’s touching, really. But you know what I find most amusing?”

I frowned, my patience wearing thin. “What’s that?”

Pamela stepped closer, her voice a smooth whisper. “It’s how you’ve fallen so deeply into the trap of love. It makes you weak, Kai. And that’s exactly what I hate most. Love turns even the strongest alpha into a vulnerable fool.”

Her words struck a nerve, and I could feel the frustration bubbling up inside me. “I’m not here to discuss my feelings. I’m here to tell you that your interference needs to stop.”

She tilted her head, her gaze softening. “You’re already falling into that weakness. No matter how much you try to fight it, you’ll always be compromised by your emotions. But I can offer you something different. Something stronger.”

Pamela’s hand brushed against my arm, her touch lingering and seductive. “I can be the strength you need. Someone who won’t let you falter, who understands the true power behind the throne. You don’t need to be weakened by love. You need someone like me.”

I struggled with the pull of her presence, the temptation to return to the familiarity of our past. Yet, in the back of my mind, Emma’s face and the commitment I’d made to her drove me to resist.

“No, Pamela,” I said, my voice firm despite the wavering inside. “This ends now.”

As I walked out, a question tugged at my mind: Could I really be weakening myself by falling for Emma? Was Pamela’s claim about love eroding my power true? The doubt lingered, and I couldn’t shake it.