CHAPTER 7: Can't Let Go

The scent of someone’s presence drifted into my awareness, stirring me from sleep. My eyelashes fluttered apart as my vision adjusted to the faint light. As I took in my unfamiliar surroundings, a hoarse voice cut through the silence.

"How are you a werewolf when you sleep like a hibernating bear?"

My heart lurched at the unexpected remark. My head snapped toward the source of the voice, and there he was—Kane. He sat in an armchair with effortless dominance, legs crossed, a book resting on one knee. His amber eyes flickered over me with a calm I hadn’t seen before.

This was different. Too different. The last time I had encountered him, he had been nothing but a terrifying storm of fury. Seeing him like this—collected, almost relaxed—unsettled me more than the transformation I had witnessed before. Was he truly the same man? The same beast?

"I am still the same person. Or do you need another… demonstration?" His voice, low and gravelly, sent chills.

I stiffened as his gaze darkened, shifting to a deep, bloodshot red. My stomach twisted in dread.

"No—please. I don’t want to witness that nightmare again!" My tone came out sharper than I intended, my body instinctively pulling away.

A smirk ghosted over his lips, but just as quickly, it faded. He let out a quiet scoff and blinked—his eyes returning to their original color.

"As I thought."

I exhaled shakily, trying to steady my racing heart. He hadn’t moved an inch, yet he commanded every part of my attention.

The silence stretched between us, thick and suffocating. I needed to get out of this place—away from his presence, away from the way he toyed with my fear as if it amused him.

"Where am I?" I asked, my voice quieter now.

"Darkhowl territory. My home" he replied simply.

I swallowed hard. Of course, I had already known that much, but hearing him confirm it made it all the more real.

"And… what exactly do you intend to do with me?"

Kane set his book down on the armrest and finally leaned forward. Even in such a casual posture, he emanated authority.

"That depends on you" he murmured, his gaze searching mine.

I hated how cryptic he was. How he never gave me straight answers. I clenched my fists.

"If you’re going to keep me here, at least give me a room. I assume you don’t intend for me to sleep on this couch forever."

Kane let out a low hum of acknowledgment before lifting his chin slightly.

"Lyall."

A moment later, the tall, lean man stepped inside. He moved with the quiet precision of someone who never wasted a step. His presence wasn’t loud or forceful, yet there was something deliberate about the way he carried himself—controlled, efficient, unshaken. His sharp features were set in a neutral mask, revealing nothing, but his piercing icy eyes flicked from Kane to me, then back again.

"Alpha" Lyall acknowledged with a slight bow of his head.

"Have the head maid prepare a room for her" Kane ordered.

Lyall's gaze lingered on me for a fraction too long, a flicker of curiosity—or was it something else?—crossing his face before he gave a curt nod.

"Right away."

The exchange was swift, almost mechanical, as if I were nothing more than an item to be accounted for. No unnecessary words. No questions asked. And then, just like that, Lyall was gone, disappearing with the same ghostlike efficiency with which he had entered.

I was alone with Kane once more.

"It’ll be arranged." His voice was calm, detached. He leaned back into his chair, lifting his book again as though our conversation had never happened—as though I had never happened.

I clenched my jaw. That was it? Just like that, I was dismissed?

Fine. I had no interest in lingering here any longer than absolutely necessary.

Minutes passed in unbearable silence before an older woman entered. She had a stern but motherly presence, her salt-and-pepper hair neatly braided back.

"Come, dear" she said, her voice firm but not unkind. She gestured for me to follow.

I rose without sparing Kane another glance, my movements stiff with lingering frustration. Whatever this place was, whatever these people expected of me, I wasn’t about to make it easy for them.

The head maid led me through a maze of dimly lit hallways. The silence between us was thick, filled only by the faint sound of our footsteps against the floor.

"You must be exhausted," she remarked as we climbed a grand staircase, its bannisters gleaming under the soft glow of a chandelier above.

I didn’t respond.

She glanced at me, reading my silence for what it was, then sighed.

"Don’t mind the Alpha too much," she said after a pause. "He’s… difficult, but not without reason."

I scoffed lightly, unable to help myself. Difficult was a mild way to put it.

The maid didn’t press further. Instead, she continued guiding me. We finally stopped in front of a door at the end of the hallway. Without hesitation, she pushed it open.

"This will be your room."

I stepped inside hesitantly, my eyes sweeping over the space. It was simple yet unexpectedly spacious, with a large four-poster bed, a carved wooden vanity, and a window overlooking the dense, dark forest beyond. The bulb hanging from the ceiling flickered, casting a soft glow that made the room feel warmer than the rest of the cold fortress.

For the first time since waking up here, I felt relieved. At least now, I had a space of my own.

"Thank you" I murmured, stepping further inside.

"If you need anything, just call for me. My name is Greta."

I nodded, and with that, she turned and left, closing the door behind her.

The moment I was alone, I exhaled, my shoulders sagging as I walked toward the bed and sat down, my hands brushing over the soft fabric of the blanket. My mind raced, looping through every interaction, every unanswered question.

What did Kane mean when he said it depends on you? What exactly was he expecting from me?

I bit my lip, frustration curling in my stomach. There was something deeper at play here, something I wasn’t seeing yet. And whether I liked it or not, Kane was the only one who could give me the answers I needed.

I sighed, leaning back against the pillows, staring at the ceiling as uncertainty gnawed at me.

One thing was certain—I wasn’t going to sit quietly and wait for things to unfold. If Kane had answers, I was going to get them.

One way or another.

KANE

The moment she exited, I exhaled, running a hand through my hair.

She was afraid of me. I had expected that. But there was something else beneath that fear—something that intrigued me.

She wasn’t weak. I had seen true weakness before, and she was anything but that. Even in her terror, she had held her ground, demanded a room, and refused to cower completely.

That was… unexpected.

She had seen my other side—the part of me I couldn’t control. And yet, there was something about her that disturbed me in a way nothing else did.

Perhaps it was the way she looked at me—not just with fear but with something else. Something I couldn't quite name.

A call for my attention pulled me from my thoughts.

"What is it?"

Lyall stepped closer, his sharp gaze assessing me carefully.

"She’s been settled in" he reported.

I nodded.

"You’re keeping her here?" he asked, his tone carefully neutral.

"For now" I answered.

He studied me for a moment before nodding.

"Understood."

As Lyall left, I leaned back in my chair, fingers tapping against the book in my lap.

Yes. For now, she would remain here—out of anyone else’s reach.

But a question lingered in my mind.

What am I going to do with her?

And more importantly—why did I feel like letting her go is no longer an option?