Page 10 of Fated
Kai remained silent, teeth grinding against the accusation. A bitter taste spread across his tongue as he fought to keep his breaths even.
Darius sighed. “The pack’s future is my priority, but as your father, so is your happiness. As we’ve discussed, I will pass the alpha title to you on the equinox after your twenty-fifth birthday. If you haven’t found your fated mate by then, I’ll support your decision to seek the chosen bond blessing with Ava.”
Kai nodded and surged to his feet. “I’ll prepare for the summit.”
“See that you do.”
The study door slammed behind Kai with a satisfying bang that echoed down the hallway. Frustration simmered beneath his skin, threatening to boil over. This was supposed to be his moment—finally, a chance to prove himself. Yet his father’s words about fated mates stuck like thorns in his mind.
Orion growled softly.“You don’t choose fate, Kai.Shedoes.”
“Don’t start,”Kai shot back, pinching the bridge of his nose.
Ava’s laugh reached him before he saw her—sharp and confident, cutting through the air like a blade. She lounged in the main sitting room, surrounded by warriors eager for her attention. A familiar twinge of possessiveness tightened Kai’s throat, even as Orion’s disapproval prickled along his spine.
Her platinum-blonde hair cascaded like liquid moonlight over her shoulders, framing features as calculated as they were beautiful. The moment Kai entered, her pale blue eyes—cold and mesmerizing as arctic ice—snapped to his. The warriors scattered like leaves in a storm.
“There’s my future alpha,” she purred, rising with fluid grace. Every detail was seductive, from the black sweater hugging every curve to the way she’d painted her lips that signature blood-red—a color as bold as her ambition—to the slight sway of her hips as she approached. She moved like a predator stalking prey, the scent of her floral perfume intensifying with each step.
Kai didn’t stop walking, but she fell into step beside him, fingers ghosting along his arm.
“Rough morning with the old man?” Ava gave his hand a gentle squeeze.
“Something like that.”
Ava studied him. “You’re tense. What did he say?”
Kai stopped at the back door, one hand braced against the frame. “He wants me to argue our position on the northern borders at the summit.”
Ava’s perfectly sculpted brow arched. “About time. Your mind for strategy is unmatched. Darius is finally recognizing what I’ve always seen in you.”
“That’s the easy part,” he muttered. “The hard part was hearing him go on about fated mates again. He thinks I’ll find her at the summit—that somehow my ‘perfect bond’ will be found in the middle of a parade of the regional alphas’ unmated daughters.”
Something flickered in Ava’s expression as she tilted her head. “You know, the idea of fated mates...it’s beautiful, in a way. A perfect bond, created by Selene Herself.” Her voice wavered—a crack in her perfect façade that tightened his chest. “But it’s also terrifying, isn’t it? What if fate doesn’t care about whatwe’vebuilt, about whatwe’vefought for? What if it pullsusapart?”
“That won’t happen. You’re the one I want.”
The hard light in her eyes dimmed, a sheen of moisture catching the light as her fingertip traveled the edge of his jaw, hesitating at the corner of his mouth. “I know, Kai, but fate... It doesn’t play fair. Promise me you’ll fight for us, no matter what.” The edge in her voice made the hairs at the back of his neck rise.
“I promise.” He caught her hand and pressed a kiss into her palm.
“So, what did you tell him?” Her thumb brushed across his knuckles before she let go.
“The same thing I always tell him.” Kai’s huffed. “That I’ve made my choice, and I trust Selene will bless our bond.”
Ava’s smile crept across her face, confidence radiating in her voice, though something about it made Orion seethe. Her hand pressed against his chest. “Exactly. We’ve built something stronger than chance, Kai.” Her fingers danced across his collarbone. “Selene will see us for what we are: a strong match. An unshakable luna and her alpha. When the other packs see us together—see how we compliment each other’s strengths—they’ll understand why Bloodstone will thrive under your leadership.”
Orion rumbled dissent, but Kai focused on Ava’s touch.
“I’ll prove myself, and in turn, prove to my father that you’re the right choice,” he said with quiet determination. “I’ll show everyone I don’t need some predestined bond to secure my future.”
Kai started to tell her that Darius had promised to support their chosen mating if he remained unmated when he took his alpha oaths, but something stopped the words in his throat. A nameless hesitation, a shadow of doubt that flickered at the edges of his certainty. His wolf stirred restlessly beneath his skin, as if sensing the unspoken truth: part of him hungered for that wholeness his parents had shared, the completion that supposedly came only when joined with the soul Selene had crafted specially for his own.
“We’ll show them,” he said instead, the promise feeling both true and somehow hollow in the same breath.
“That’s my future alpha,” she cooed. Her smile widened as she rose on her toes, brushing her lips against his jawline—the touch tender yet somehow distant.
“She doesn’t love you.”Pain and protectiveness bled through Orion’s snarl. “You deserve someone who does.”
