Chapter Nineteen
Ashridge was a prison, but tonight–it became a battlefield.It started with a cup of tea.
I didn’t suspect a thing. The maid who brought it was new–her face unfamiliar, but her manner timid and respectful. “Lady Selene,” she said, bowing slightly, “you didn’t eat at supper. I brought you something warm. It’s chamomile. To help you sleep.”
I should’ve declined. But I didn’t. I was tired. The weight of the day had dug deep into my bones, and the ache in my heart wasn’t easing So I smiled faintly, thanked her, and took the cup. She left quietly.
The tea was fragrant Soothing and laced with something that hit fast.
It started as a slow burn beneath my skin. Then came the rush of heat–intense, invasive, wrong. I pressed a hand to my chest as my pulse thundered. My breath quickened. My body tumed traitor beneath me.
No. No, this wasn’t natural. This wasn’t my cycle. This was something else–foreign, powerful, dark
My knees buckled. I caught myself on the edge of the doorframe, struggling to stay upright. The hallway swam in front of me, but I forced myself forward, step after agonizing step
I needed help I needed I didn’t even know.
The heat surged again, this time so violently I cried out. My vision blurred. Sweat beaded on my skin. My inner wolf whined–caught between panic and primal urge. It wasn’t arousal. It was sickness. Torture.
I stumbled down the stairs, reaching the lower corridor near the gardens, desperate to escape into cold air–maybe that would soothe the fire raging through me.
That’s when I heard them Footsteps. I turned, and saw them.
Three wolves. Men I didn’t know. Not guards. Not servants. Their eyes glowed faintly in the
e dim torchlight, and their expressions made my blood run colder than the air ever could.&
Predators.I bared my teeth and growled, forcing myself to shift into a defensive stance. But my limbs trembled. The drug poisoned my strength. My power refused to answer.
One of them stepped forward, “Poor thing.” he said mockingly. “You shouldn’t be wandering like this when you’re in heat.“I
I spat at his feet Touch me and I rip your throat out “X
He laughed. “Brave. But I think you’ll change your mind in a minute.”
They moved in.I tried to fight. I clawed and snapped, my nails catching flesh once–but it wasn’t enough. They surrounded me, hands grabbing, bodies pressing. I screamed–not from fear, but fury. I screamed for someone to hear me. Anyone.
Please Someone.
Kade’s POVE
The dream was heavy and thick. And then–gone.
He sat bolt upright in bed, a scream ringing in his ears. Not a sound he heard–but felt.
Lyra stood by his bedside, her face pale, her entire body shaking. She was barefoot, her golden hair in disarray.
“Kade” she whispered. “Please. Selene. Something’s wrong.”
Alpha mode–mind
He didn’t ask questions. He was out of bed, throwing on clothes as he moved. His body already shifting into Alpha mo sharpened, senses extended.
“Where?”
“The gardens. I saw her. 1–I think she was drugged. She didn’t look right.”
Kade moved faster than thought Down halls, around comers, his power crackling with every
every step His wolf clawed at him, panicked and wild. He followed the scent–the faintest trail of Selene’s honeysuckle and something else, something foul.
Then he heard her A cry.He rounded the corner into the courtyard and saw red.
Selene was on the ground, struggling under the weight of three males. Her body trembled, slick with sweat. Her eyes were glazed, unfocused, but her mouth was curled in a snarl as she fought them.
“Kade,” Lyra whispered behind him.X
He exploded forward. Two wolves were flung aside before they even saw him coming. The third turned, shifting halfway, only to be tackled to the stone ground.
Kade’s claws pressed into the male’s throat!
“I should end you” he growled, voice thick with wrath.
“Alpha–I was told–she-”
“Get Out”
The male scrambled away, blood dripping from his chin.X
Kade dropped to Selene’s side She whimpered, her body still writhing from the forced heat. Her hands had scratches. Her legs bore
He pulled off his cloak and wrapped it around her, lifting her gently into his arms
She whimpered and clung to his chest. “Make it stop,” she begged I
His heart cracked
“I will,” he whispered. “I swear I will.”
Callista’s POV
She arrived moments later, flanked by two guards. Her face was painted with concem.
“What happened?” she asked, her voice filled with innocence. “Is she alright?”
Kade’s eyes cut through her. “She was drugged “3
Callista’s face twisted in horror. “That’s terrible! Who would do such a thing?”
He didn’t answer. He didn’t need to. Her act was flawless–but her scent gave her away. Beneath the perfume was the stench of manipulation X
The Elders arrived not long after, drawn by the disturbance. They examined Selene carefully, muttering amongst themselves. One crouched beside her, his eyes narrowing
“I know this scent,” he said. “An old blend. The Elixir of Need. Cruel, Rare.“)
Selene groaned, clutching her stomach.
Another Elder spoke. “The only remedy is a completed bond. Consummation. Release ” Kade’s jaw clenched. “She never asked for this. She doesn’t deserve this
your
side 18
“She would not be in this position,” an Elder said gently, “if she had accepted her place at Kade’s fists tightened. Rage brewed behind his eyes Callista stepped forward “Perhaps one of the guards could help ease her. Quietly. Out of mercy.”
The room fell silent Kade’s head turned slowly. His voice, when it came, was death, “Finish that sentence, and I will forget your rank.”
Callista’s smile faltered.}
Selene was shivering. Tears slid down her cheeks, but her eyes were hard now. Sharp.
She lifted her head. “No one touches me ”
“Then you’ll suffer,” one Elder said gently. “Unless you choose.“%
Kade looked down at her, his face pained. “Selene… I won’t take advantage. But if you want me if you want me to help–I will,” Her lip trembled. Her breath hitched. Then she whispered the words that silenced the entire hall!
“Yes.“The Elders straightened.!!
“I will be his consort,” she whispered again, louder now. “I choose him.
Callista paled. The oldest Elder nodded. “Then it is settled. She will be treated. With dignity. As the consort of Ashridge’s Alpha. Kade didn’t wait. He gathered Selene into his arms, wrapping her tighter in his cloak, and turned away from the hall 8
Callista’s eyes
followed them, wide and furious. Her hands trembled at her sides. Her plan–the perfect trap–crumbled into ashes. As Kade carried Selene through the corridor, she shifted against him, her head resting on his shoulder
She was still fevered. Still fighting the drug.
But she smiled. Not for Kade. For herself. Because she’d won.Because no one–no one- -would ever decide her fate again
