Chapter 3

Kala turned toward the main gate. The wind blowing from that direction carried the thick, coppery scent of blood and the damp smell of disturbed earth.

The heavy wooden gates groaned open, the wood grinding against the stone floor. A line of massive figures strode through the gap. They carried enormous carcasses over their shoulders, the fur of the prey dark and matted with blood.

Kala scanned the line. She found him instantly.

Armond Padilla walked at the front. He was a head taller than the warriors around him. His arms were bare, the muscles slick with the blue-purple blood of the magic beasts he had slain. Despite the gore, his stride was steady, radiating a suffocating, top-tier Alpha aura that made the guards at the gate lower their heads in submission.

Beside him walked Evan, Kala's younger brother. Evan was dragging a massive boar monster by its tusks, his face flushed with excitement and youth.

The knot in Kala's chest unraveled. A genuine smile touched her lips, softening her features. She picked up her skirts and hurried toward them.

Before she could take more than a few steps, a tall figure stepped out from the side of the hunting party. He moved with fluid grace, cutting directly into her path, blocking her view of her father.

Caleb Quinn.

He was one of the pack's youngest and most elite warriors. His chest was bare, his honey-colored skin gleaming with sweat. Shallow scratches from claws marked his torso, drawing attention to the hard lines of his muscles.

Caleb's dark eyes locked onto Kala. There was no subtlety in his gaze. It was a look of pure, predatory hunger.

"Kala," Caleb said, his voice a low, vibrating rumble. He took a step closer, shrinking the distance between them. "I've been looking forward to seeing you."

Kala's mind flashed back to Morwenna's threat. Caleb Quinn was one of the males the elder had been pushing. He was considered a prime candidate.

Alarm bells rang in Kala's head. She took a half-step back, her body instinctively rejecting his proximity. She quickly rearranged her face into the polite, distant smile she used on difficult patients.

"Hard work today, Caleb," she said, her tone cool and professional. "That scratch on your arm looks deep. You should get it treated immediately."

Caleb's eyes lit up. He mistook her observation for concern. He leaned forward, eager to close the gap again. "It's nothing. You could check it for me-"

A low, dangerous snarl ripped through the air behind Caleb.

Armond had dropped his kill. He stood right behind Caleb, his massive frame casting a long shadow over the younger warrior. Armond's narrow, phoenix eyes were slits of pure ice, locked onto the back of Caleb's head. The killing intent rolling off him was so thick it felt hard to breathe.

Caleb went rigid. His body locked up, his muscles seizing under the crushing weight of the higher-ranking Alpha's aura. Sweat beaded on his forehead. His beast instinct screamed at him to submit, to bare his throat.

Evan threw down the boar and charged forward. He planted himself directly in front of Kala, his hackles raised like a defensive wolf pup. Kala watched his reaction, a brief thought crossing her mind: He really needs more training. He still can't even control his partial beast transformations when his emotions flare up.

"What do you think you're doing?" Evan yelled at Caleb, his voice cracking with teenage aggression. "Stay away from my sister!"

The temperature around them plummeted. The other warriors froze, their eyes darting nervously between the standoff. A fight between Alphas was bad; a fight involving Armond Padilla was a bloodbath.

Kala didn't hesitate. She stepped forward and slid her arm through Armond's thick, muscular one. She pressed herself against his side, leaning into his solid warmth.

"Father," Kala said, her voice soft and sweet, stripped of all the professional coolness she had used on Caleb. "I've been waiting for you. I'm so glad you're home safe."

The effect was instantaneous. The terrifying killing intent radiating from Armond evaporated like mist under the sun. His rigid muscles relaxed. He looked down at his daughter, his eyes softening from lethal ice to warm amber.

Armond pulled Kala into his side, wrapping a protective arm around her shoulders. He didn't even spare Caleb a glance. Without a word, he turned, guiding Kala and Evan away from the gate and toward their home.

Caleb stood alone in the dirt. His hands were clenched into fists at his sides, his knuckles white. He watched Kala's retreating back, his eyes darkening with a complex, obsessive shadow.