The moment Kael's eyes locked on mine, my stomach sank.
He didn't shout. He didn't give orders. He just started walking toward the building like the crowd wasn't even there, like he knew exactly how this would end.
"Selene," Liora hissed, grabbing my arm. "Back door. Now."
We darted down the narrow hall that led to the rear exit. My boots pounded against warped wood, my breath ragged. I shoved the door open and spilled into the alley.
Two steps forward—
A shadow dropped from the roof in front of me.
Kael.
I barely had time to process before his hand shot out, fingers curling around my wrist—not tight enough to hurt, but unyielding.
"You're faster than most," he said, studying me like I was a puzzle he intended to solve. "But not faster than me."
I yanked at my arm. "Let go."
His gaze flicked to my wrist where the mark had been. "You've been hiding from me."
"Maybe because you're a murdering tyrant."
His jaw tightened. "Maybe because someone's been trying to kill you."
I laughed, sharp and humorless. "Oh, please. You're the only one who's ever wanted me dead."
A flicker of something crossed his face—too quick to name—before he turned his head toward the street. Shouts echoed closer. The scent of wolves—too many, too near—filled the air.
"Rogues," he said under his breath.
"Convenient," I muttered.
His eyes snapped back to mine. "Do you think I'd stage an attack just to keep you here?"
"Wouldn't put it past you."
A growl vibrated from his chest, not entirely human. "Stay behind me."
"Not a chance—"
The first rogue rounded the corner, eyes glowing an unnatural yellow, teeth bared. Two more followed, their movements twitchy, wrong.
I raised my dagger, ready to meet them head-on.
Kael stepped forward and they stopped like they'd hit an invisible wall. His voice was low, lethal. "Leave."
One of them hissed. "Shadow Alpha wants the girl."
My pulse spiked. Shadow Alpha?
Kael didn't give them a chance to explain. He moved—faster than sight—and in the space of a heartbeat, the nearest rogue lay crumpled on the cobblestones. The other two fled into the night.
I swallowed hard. "You kill everyone who talks to you?"
"Only the ones who try to take what's mine."
I opened my mouth to argue, but he stepped closer, closing the distance between us. "They'll send more," he said. "You can come with me, or you can wait here for them to rip you apart."
"I'm not going anywhere with you."
"Wrong answer."
Before I could react, he swept me off my feet—literally—one arm under my knees, the other braced against my back.
I slammed my fists against his chest. "Put me down!"
He ignored me, striding down the alley like I weighed nothing. "You're safer in my fortress."
"I'd be safer anywhere else!"
He glanced down, eyes catching mine with that infuriating silver glint. "That mark says otherwise."
Liora's voice echoed faintly from the alley behind us. "Selene!" But she didn't follow. She knew better.
Kael didn't stop until we reached the main street, where a sleek black carriage waited, pulled by two massive midnight-furred wolves in harness. One snarled softly as Kael approached, but it wasn't directed at him—it was at me.
He opened the carriage door with one hand, still holding me with the other. "Inside."
I crossed my arms. "Not happening."
"Fine," he said, and stepped inside—still carrying me.
The door shut behind us with a final, echoing click.
I realized too late that the sound wasn't just the door closing. It was the sound of every escape route I had… vanishing.