Chapter 3 - The Silence of the Moon
For two hours, no one spoke.
Kane remained sitting on the marble floor, his long back rested against the base of the massive mahogany bed. He watched me with the intense, unblinking focus of an apex predator evaluating an anomaly in his territory.
Every fifteen minutes, a wave of agony would wash through his massive frame. His bronze muscle fibers would tighten, his claws would unsheathe, scraping deep grooves into the dark wood of the bed frame, and a low, guttural growl of pure torment would rumble in his chest.
Each time it happened, I didn't flinch. I didn't reach for a weapon. I simply sat quietly in the leather armchair, keeping my scent calm, breathing in a steady, slow rhythm, projecting an atmosphere of utter peace into the chaotic air of the room.
Around 3:30 a.m., Kane spoke without turning his head.
"Why aren't you afraid of me?" he asked softly.
"I am afraid," I admitted truthfully. "You could snap my spine before I could even blink. But fear doesn't help anyone, Alpha. My mother died when I was twelve. After that, my father fell into a deep depression, and our pack began to fall apart. I learned very early that when the house is on fire, panicking only makes you inhale more smoke."
Kane let out a quiet, quiet sigh that sounded almost like a whisper of agreement. "Your father... Thomas Hayes. He was a good warrior once."
"He still is," I said. "He's just tired. Like you."
Kane slowly shifted his weight, turning his massive shoulders to look at me. The glowing red veins beneath his skin had subsided entirely, leaving only his bronze skin and the silvery battle scars carved across his chest.
"Silas Mercer told me your pack was lazy," Kane muttered, his golden eyes narrowing slightly. "He said Thomas was mismanaging funds, skimming off the top of the timber contracts to buy luxury items."
My blood ran cold. "What?! That is a complete lie! My father hasn't bought a new suit in ten years! Every single dollar from Croft Industries was funneled directly into the pack's medical clinic and the winter food reserves! Silas Mercer’s auditors were the ones who altered the contract clauses to trigger the three-million-dollar default!"
Kane’s eyes flashed with a dangerous, intelligent light. "Silas altered the documents?"
"Yes!" I stood up from my chair, my voice rising with righteous anger. "He knew our pack couldn't pay it back! He wanted our ancient timberland because it sits on top of a massive lithium deposit! He tried to force my father to sign over the land rights last month, but when my father refused, Silas presented this 'candidate' bargain to humiliate us!"
Kane slowly stood up to his full, imposing height. He didn't look like an insane, rabid beast now. He looked like an emperor waking up from a long, poisoned sleep.
"Silas told me," Kane said, his voice dropping into a terrifyingly quiet register, "that the candidates sent to my wing were volunteers hoping to secure royal titles. He told me they fled because my power was too repulsive for them to endure."
"He lied to you, Kane," I said, stepping closer to him, completely forgetting the danger. "He’s isolating you. He’s using your sensory overload to keep you locked in this wing, incapacitated, while he runs Croft Industries and the Royal Council behind your back!"
Kane stared down at me, his chest rising and falling in deep, measured breaths. He reached out one giant, warm hand, his clawed fingers hesitating an inch from my face, before gently tucking a loose lock of my brown hair behind my ear.
His touch sent a spark of electricity shooting straight down my spine—a warm, thrilling sensation that sent a shiver through my entire body.
Mate, my internal wolf whispered softly from the depths of my consciousness.
I gasped, looking up into his golden eyes.
Kane’s breath hitched. His golden eyes flared, not with madness, but with a profound, earth-shattering recognition.
He felt it too.
Before either of us could say another word, the heavy silver deadbolts on the double mahogany doors clicked loudly.
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The six o'clock morning sun was just beginning to hit the glass balcony doors.
Sunrise had arrived.
