Chapter 4

ISABELLE’S POV

As I climbed onto the grand palace steps, a surge of warmth spread through me, even in the chilling cold.

My gaze stayed fixed on the figure kneeling in the snow. I cast a glance at the guards standing stiffly at attention by the double doors.

“Who is that man kneeling in the snow?” I asked, brimming with curiosity.

The guards stiffened, and one answered, “That's the pack Zeta, General Kael. He was originally stationed at the border to defend the pack, but he recently returned.”

My wolf’s voice echoed in my mind as she pranced around. “This is your chance. Go and introduce yourself.”

I considered her suggestion, my gaze flickering back to the figure but I had other priorities right now.

One thing first, I thought, pushing down the strange warmth in my chest as I walked into the palace beside Rowan.

The huge doors closed with a loud thud behind us and we approached the throne room silently.

My brother's face lit up as he saw me, his usually stoic expression breaking into one of pure relief.

“Sister, you’re all right!” he exclaimed, stepping down from his throne, crossing the room in a few strides and wrapping me in a tight embrace.

I let out a little giggle, sinking into his warmth and familiar scent. “I’m fine, Tristan. It takes more than a bit of cold water to take me out.” I joked.

His grip loosened, but his hand remained around me as he took a step back and turned a suspicious gaze toward Rowan.

“I’m a little surprised to see you here with the princess, Beta,” he said, a slight edge in his voice.

“It’s a great honour to have the princess of the pack interested in you. As Beta, you shouldn’t hesitate.”

Rowan shifted in his feet and opened his mouth to respond, but he stopped himself.

Tristan's hands dropped off me as he slowly stalked towards Rowan, his expression darkening.

“After this near-drowning incident, you should be planning to get married to my sister,” Tristan growled, his voice echoing with a commanding tone.

Before it could escalate further, I quickly stepped in. “Brother, I think you’re misunderstanding. That's not what I'm here for.” I said, my voice firm. “I came to clarify things.”

Tristan’s brow furrowed, his head whipping towards me. “What do you mean?”

“I came to tell you that what happened at the lake was my own mistake. And Matilda shouldn't get punished for it. You have to release her, Tristan.”

He blinked, clearly taken aback. “Are you sure about this, Isabelle? You have been interested in Rowan for so long.”

“Not anymore,” I replied, looking straight at him.

“Are you…certain?” He asked again.

I nodded, my gaze flickering over to Rowan watching silently.

My heart tugged, but I turned back to Tristan, with a curt smile. “Yes I am.” I whispered with certainty.

After a few seconds of stunned silence, Tristan finally nodded, though his expression was still clouded in disbelief. “Very well, sister. I’ll order her release.”

I knew he didn't fully believe me, in his eyes, I had been pursuing Rowan for months, never leaving his side, and now I claimed I wasn't interested in him anymore.

“Thank you, Brother,” I said, giving him a slight bow and flashing him a warm comforting smile so he wouldn't stay worried about me.

I turned to leave, but I stopped midway and turned to Rowan.

“Rowan, go to the prison and get Matilda out yourself.”

He nodded, bowing to Tristan and casting a grateful glance at me. “Thank you, princess.”

With my task finally complete, I left the palace. Yet as I stepped back outside into the cold, my eyes were immediately drawn back to General Kael.

Snow had continued to fall on his kneeling figure, piling over his broad shoulders and covering his dark hair, but he hadn’t moved a muscle.

My wolf stirred within me, urging me towards him. ‘Go on,’ she whispered. ‘This is your opportunity.’

The pull was undeniable, and before I knew it, my feet were taking me toward him.

Standing so close, my eyes fell to his striking features—intense, with sharp eyebrows and eyes that seemed to glint like stars against the pale backdrop of snow.

My heart raced as I stared at him, and for a moment, the countdown faded in my mind, leaving a strange energy coursing through my veins.

‘He is just too handsome.’ I thought, and standing here, there was something about him that kept drawing me in.

“General Kael,” I called out softly, “why are you kneeling here, in the snow?”

He didn’t respond, his expression remaining cold and emotionless, gaze fixed straight ahead.

I bit my bottom lip, undeterred. Without thinking I slipped off my fur coat, draping it over his shoulders, and placed my hand warmer into his hands. “Don’t freeze to death.” I whispered.

Still, he didn’t reply, and a sliver of doubt crept into my mind.

‘Was he not interested in me?’ I wondered, my courage melting. But my wolf prodded me on.

‘Be confident, Isabelle. You’re a princess—your beauty and kindness can make any man line up for you.’

I straightened, my resolve hardening. Just as I was about to speak to him again, Rowan appeared beside me, his expression tight with concern. “You shouldn’t have given him your coat, Isabelle,” he murmured. “You’ll catch a chill.”

Ignoring Rowan, I glance back at Kael, waiting for him to say something or even a flicker in his expression. But he remained as still as stone.

Rowan gently guided me back toward the waiting car. As I settled into the warm leather, my eyes fell back on Kael through the window.

To my shock, he had already tossed my coat aside, letting it fall into the snow.

A wave of irritation rushed through me, as I stared at my coat and hand warmers sitting in the snow.

I snapped my gaze away from him, looking straight ahead.

“Why is he kneeling there in the first place?” I asked Rowan.

Rowan glanced out the window at Kael, with a slight frown. “His younger brother has been arrested for assault. Kael is likely here to plead his case.”

“Well, he is just wasting his time if the accusations are true about his brother. Kneeling here can't save him.” I remarked.

“General Kael must have been the reckless driver who’d nearly crashed into us earlier.“ I thought out loud.

Rowan mulled the thought for a moment before he nodded in agreement.

“Do you think his brother is the type to do something like that?” I asked. “Do you think he committed the crimes he's accused of?”

Rowan hesitated. “Honestly, it doesn’t seem like something he would do.”

I turned back to the road before us, and my wolf’s voice was back. ‘This is it.’ She whispered.

‘This is your chance to get closer to Kael. He needs help to get his brother out, and you can offer it.’

I pondered her advice the whole drive back to the villa. Once inside, I felt restless, my wolf’s words kept echoing in my mind, the idea taking root.

Finally, I called for the driver again, and without thinking it through, I was on my way back to the palace.

The snow had thickened, and the sky casting a dim glow over the grounds as the car stopped at the entrance.

I approached Kael slowly, his shoulders now coated in a new layer of snow, but still, he knelt, not moving an inch. I drew closer, my boots crunching over the frozen ground, and stopped right in front of him.

“Why wouldn't you accept the coat I gave you?” I asked, my voice clear and sharp.