Chapter 6

Lorelei "Lorelei, why are you bullying Winnie?" Zayden's voice cracked through the phone, sharp and accusatory. I let out a breathless laugh, soft and poisonous, the kind that cut sharper than any blade. "Excuse me?" "It's just one month," he pressed, his tone rising with false indignation. "One month of substitute marriage. You act like you're being led to the gallows. Why are you treating her like this?" And then, the insult dressed up as a promise. "Play the bride, let the Alpha die, and when it's done—I'll be yours. I'll give you protection, influence, my name. Everything you could want. Isn't that enough?" I nearly dropped the phone from laughing. The sound bubbled out of me, low and dangerous. "Oh, Zayden," I purred, letting mockery drip from every syllable. "You really called me to offer… yourself? As if you're some grand prize?" He went silent, and I could practically hear the humiliation grinding his teeth. "You think I'd trade my dignity, my body, my freedom—just to end up at your feet?" I asked, voice sharp enough to slice through bone. "You've been buzzing around me like a desperate fly for days, and now you dangle your pathetic self like a reward? Do you hear how laughable that is?" I didn't let him answer. "Do you even know who my husband is?" I hissed. "Alpha Keith of the Silvervein Pack. A man who commands armies and bends wolves to his will. And you—" I laughed, cruel and slow, "you're a footnote. A shadow who mistakes obsession for power." "You—!" His voice cracked, the insult catching in his throat. "You think I'll inherit wealth, and then just fall into your arms? You couldn't afford my shadow, Zayden, let alone my trust." He spat back, "You think I'm that kind of man? Lorelei, you're really disappointing me. Keep this up and I'll never consider being with you." I smiled slowly, savoring the venom in my words. "Good. That's the best news I've heard all day. The thought of you ‘considering' me is the most insulting thing I've ever endured. Now maybe you'll stop crawling after me like a stray mutt searching for scraps." I paused, twisting the knife deeper. "Oh—and wasn't it Winnie you always drooled over? Go. Run to her. Maybe she'll pat your head and let you sit at her feet like the good little pet you've always wanted to be." His breath hitched. I could hear him unraveling, every fragile piece of his pride breaking apart. "Call me again," I whispered, voice calm as death, "and I'll let the whole world see exactly what kind of man you are." Then I hung up. With steady hands, I tapped the screen, uploaded the recording to the cloud, and backed it up—twice. "Dong, dong, dong." A knock snapped me back. I inhaled slowly, schooling my face into calm, and walked unhurriedly to the door. Alpha Keith stood there. Black pants, plain T-shirt clinging to muscle, hair still damp from the shower. No trace of blood this time, only the crisp, dangerous scent of mint and pine. Under the porch light, he looked less like a patient and more like a predator—lean, coiled, dangerous. His shadow stretched across the floor between us, cutting the hallway in half. "Alpha Keith?" I asked, lifting my chin. My voice was steady, clipped. "What brings you here?" He didn't answer immediately. Just stood there, droplets sliding down his temple, his storm-gray eyes locked on me with an intensity that sent a prickle along my skin. "You don't look nervous," he said finally, voice low, threaded with something darker. "Most people can't even breathe standing this close to me." I stepped forward deliberately, closing the space between us by a fraction. My chin tilted, my gaze unwavering. "Then maybe you're not as terrifying as you think." The air thickened between us. My pulse betrayed me with a quick skip. His eyes narrowed, and his aura pressed against me, heavy and suffocating, as if daring me to flinch. "How did you know about the wolf poison? That it could be suppressed? You're no ordinary Healer." I arched a brow, refusing to bend. "Do you think healers only learn what's in books? I grew up in Rogues. I've seen wounds and toxins your scholars wouldn't recognize if it was bleeding out on their table. I can keep you alive, but don't confuse that with devotion." "Can you cure me?" His voice was quieter now, but sharper, weighted with suspicion and something else—need. "The truth?" I said calmly, though I leaned in just enough that he caught the edge of my scent. "Right now, I can buy you time. A month. Maybe half a year. But only if you cooperate. Otherwise, you won't even see the next moon." He studied me, his gaze scanning every inch of my face as if trying to find the crack in my armor. His eyes lingered at my lips for just a fraction of a second before snapping back to mine. "You have terms," he said. "Of course," I smirked. "Nothing worth having comes free. Especially me." His aura shifted again—less threat, more… interest. "I need herbs," I continued, scribbling a list on a scrap of paper. "Rare ones. Old. You have the resources. Bring them." He took the note, his fingers brushing mine just briefly, calloused skin against my own. I didn't flinch, but I felt the heat of it even after he pulled back. His gaze darkened. "You're stronger than you look," he murmured, almost to himself. "It's called survival," I said coolly. "But don't mistake me for your salvation. And don't think Luna's name will ever bind me." He stepped forward, close enough that his shadow swallowed mine. His scent wrapped around me, heavy and sharp. His voice was rough silk. "Fine. I'll give you what you need. But if you're lying…" I tilted my head, lips curling. "You'll tear me apart? You won't live long enough to try." I turned, hand on the door. But before it could close, his palm slammed flat against the frame, caging me in. The air between us snapped, electric. His body loomed just inches from mine, close enough that the damp heat of his skin brushed the bare skin of my arm. His breath fanned across my cheek, sharp and mint-laced, and I hated how my pulse betrayed me with another hard kick. "You really think I'll let you walk away so easily?" he murmured, voice low and dangerous, vibrating through the narrow space. I smiled slowly, refusing to step back, though the air between us burned. "Careful, Alpha. Stand this close much longer… and you might discover you need me for more than just survival." His gaze dipped, unmistakably, to my mouth. For a heartbeat, raw hunger flashed across his storm-gray eyes before he smothered it with iron control. I leaned in a fraction, enough that the tips of our breaths tangled. "What's wrong? Afraid you'll want the wrong thing?" His jaw tightened, but the storm in his eyes betrayed him.And moon goddess help me, I wasn't entirely sure which of us would snap first. Slowly, deliberately, I slipped past him, brushing close enough that my shoulder grazed his chest.His jaw tightened, but the storm in his eyes betrayed him.And moon goddess help me, I wasn't entirely sure which of us would snap first. I pulled the door shut, leaving him in the hallway.But just before it closed, Alpha Keith leaned in, his voice slipping through the narrow gap, low and rough as if it brushed directly against my skin. "Lorelei…" A dark, rasping laugh rumbled from his chest. "You're playing with fire. And when it burns—" He paused, breath hot at my neck. "—you'll be burning with me." The door clicked shut, but it did nothing to quiet the sudden, pounding rush in my chest.