Chapter 2 A Bargain with the Alpha

Seraphina's POV

I fixed my gaze on the flickering flames in Kael's great fireplace, my head whirling with doubt and incredulity. Now, negotiating a web of old rivalries and lethal secrets, I was bartering with a dangerous Alpha to save the life of my brother. Kael had just revealed a bombshell: Aiden's relentless illness was caused by Alpha of the Blood Moon Pack, Lucian Thorn. I wanted to yell, demand responses, but I had to keep my cool. Kael did not value frailty, hence I could not afford to be exposed.

Kael sat across from me, his gaze piercing and deliberate but his stance was laid back. Examining every action I did, he seemed like a predator ready to strike. Tension permeated the room, and the silence stretched uneasily between us. Kael was constantly three steps ahead, and I couldn't get rid of the sensation as if I was engaged in a game I wasn't ready for.

At last shattering the quiet, Kael stated, "I need you to understand something." "Sahara, I am not here to save you. There is no compassion about this. Nothing more, nothing less-you help me; I help you.

I nodded while my gut turned over. "I get it," I said, trying to project assurance. "But why haven't you taken Lucian down yet? Knowing what he did? What stops you?

Kael's jaw tightened, and for a minute I glimpsed a flutter of something-was it pain, or only wrath? "Lucian's not any Alpha, just any Alpha." He is sly, merciless, and he has developed relationships to guard him. I tried pursuing him before, but he always seems one step ahead. He wants to eradicate every trace of me, my legacy, and everything I have ever loved, not simply have me dead.

His voice was low, boiling with barely restrained wrath. I could now understand why Kael was so dreaded. This was personal, a deeply ingrained resentment that had fanned for years, not only about power. And now I seemed to be caught in the center of it somehow.

"So where do I fit into all of this?" Wary about the response, I inquired.

Kael slumped back, his gaze fixed on me with a terrible intensity. "Lucian is aware I am visiting him. He does not know you, though. You are my hidden weapon since he views you as not a threat. You will enable me to enter his circle, expose his flaws, and demolish him from the inside.

I stepped back slightly as his strategy sank in weight. I was to be a spy, a pawn in this lethal game between two strong Alphas. Though I couldn't turn back now-not when Aiden's life was on the line-the prospect horrified me.

"What enables me to do that?" I questioned, my voice a little rebellious. I am not a secret agent or a warrior. I am simply me.

Kael's lips twisted into a thin, almost contemptuous smirk. You have lasted this long in a pack that hates you. When everyone else dropped out, you looked after your brother. Remember yourself, Seraphina; don't minimize yourself. You are more robust than you might believe.

His comments stung since they carried a truth I wasn't ready for. My entire life I had been attempting to show a pack that would never consider me anything but a mistake in my value. Kael was now asking me to use that same might to bring down one of the most potent Alphas currently on Earth. Though careless and crazy, for the first time someone considered me as more than simply an outcast.

Still, uncertainty still persisted. And should I fail, what happens? I asked softly.

Kael's face grew stiffer. "Failure isn't a choice. Not for you or for me.

His finality made me shudder down my spine. Kael lived in a world free of mistakes. Everything was plain and white-that either you lost everything or won. I had either to adapt or die.

A knock sounded across the room before I could reply. Raiden, Kael's Beta, entered and his presence was sharp and commanding. Tall and muscular, Raiden carried a scar across his cheek that served as a constant reminder of the many conflicts he had fought at Kael's side. His allegiance to Kael was unquestionable, but his eyes toward me were watchful and almost cynical.

"We have a situation," Raiden stated, his voice tight. "Men of Lucian have been seen close to the northern border."

Kael's face clouded. "Lucian's already moving," he murmured, getting to his feet. He looked at me, his eyes ablaze with will. Your first test is this one. Join me.

I stopped, the weight of the moment crushing down on my shoulders. This went beyond simply strategy and whispered ideas now. It was genuine, instantaneous, and far more perilous than I had ever dreamed. But I could not afford to exhibit anxiety-not now, not ever.

We trailed Raiden across the compound, the tension in the air electrified. On great alert, wolves were getting ready for an eventual battle. My heart thumping in my chest, we arrived at the northern watchtower. Lucian's scouts were silhouettes I could see hovering in the distance, observing and waiting. They served as a sobering reminder that we were under continual hunting and that every choice might result in slaughter.

Kael examined the sight, his face set in a mask of focus. He said, nearly to himself, "They're testing our defenses." " Looking for a weak spot."

Raiden nodded with a dark look. "Do you want us to engage?"

Keal shook his head. Not at all Allow them to believe we lack readiness. We will attack at least least expected times. He fixed me with a sidelong gaze with narrowed eyes. "You have to develop your Alpha, Seraphina, thinking style. Always always be two steps ahead.

I tried to assimilate his remarks by swallowing hard. This was a warning not only a lesson. Kael was not going to hold my hand across this or coddle me. He expected me to prove myself deserving of standing by his side, to adjust and endure. Though it was frightening, the idea also sparked a flutter of will within me.

I knew this was only the beginning as I saw the enemy scouts withdraw into the darkness. Every action we took would shape not only our packs but also our own life going forward from the lines of battle. Though it was dangerous, Kael's strategy was also my sole chance to shield Aiden and carve out a spot for myself in a society that had always turned aside me.

Turning on his heel, Kael said, "Let's get back." "We have to work on this.

I followed him, thoughts and worries whirling through my head. Benefit it all, though, was a developing will. My entire life I had been told I was nothing-a helpless, cursed Omega with no future. Now under Kael's direction, I was prepared to reinvent my destiny.

This transcended mere survival to become more than that. It was a struggle for control, for atonement, and for an opportunity to at last be the Luna I was never supposed to be. And I was not about to let anyone deprive me of that.

I silently promised as the sun sank below the horizon and created long shadows across the estate. I would stand next to Kael, face Lucian, and do all it would take to guard people I loved. Even if it meant rising to be a warrior in a society where only the strong survived-something I had never dreamed of.