Chapter 3

Elias Vale  Pov 

I followed Riven down the long hallway, my legs still shaky from everything that had happened in the contract room. Kael’s words kept repeating in my head. “We’ll talk about that when the time comes.” He couldn’t even give me a straight answer about what would happen to me after the baby. That scared me more than anything else. It meant I was still just a tool to him — useful for now, but maybe disposable later.

Riven walked beside me with that relaxed stride, hands in his pockets. “You holding up okay, silver? You look like you’ve been dragged through hell tonight.”

I kept my eyes on the floor. My cut palm still throbbed under the cloth, and the new blood bond hummed low in my chest. I could feel Kael somewhere in the big estate, distant but heavy. “I’ve been through worse,” I said quietly.

“Yeah, I figured.” Riven glanced at me. “Alpha’s not the easiest guy, but he’s straight with people who are straight with him. Most of the time.”

We stopped in front of a set of double doors. Riven pushed them open and let me walk in first. The suite was bigger than any room I’d ever stayed in. High ceilings, a huge bed with soft blankets, a sitting area with windows looking out over the dark pine forest. It looked comfortable and expensive, but I spotted the faint magic wards glowing around the edges of the windows. A fancy cage.

“Clothes in the closet,” Riven said, pointing. “Food on the tray there. Eat something. Alpha’s orders. You look half-starved.”

I sat on the edge of the bed and stared at the tray — roast chicken, bread, water with lemon. My stomach growled, but I didn’t have much appetite. The exhaustion was hitting me hard now that the negotiation was over.

“Thanks,” I muttered. “For not treating me like I’m nothing.”

Riven leaned against the doorframe, his smirk softening a little. “I’m an asshole when I need to be. Just not tonight. Get some rest. Tomorrow’s going to be interesting.”

He stepped out and closed the door. The lock clicked into place with a soft final sound.

I was alone.

I rubbed my face with both hands and let out a long breath. The blood bond pulsed quietly. I could sense Kael thinking about my question, that uncertainty bleeding through just a bit. It felt strange having any kind of connection to him already.

I stood up and changed into the soft black pants and shirt laid out for me. The fabric felt nice against my skin. I climbed onto the bed and pulled a pillow close, trying to get comfortable.

That’s when the first cramp hit me hard.

It came out of nowhere, sharp and twisting low in my belly. I doubled over with a gasp, one hand grabbing my stomach. Heat flushed across my skin fast. A rush of slick soaked between my thighs. My knees buckled. I caught myself on the mattress, breathing hard through clenched teeth.

No. Not now. It was way too soon.

My heat wasn’t supposed to start for weeks. But the bond, Kael’s strong scent still on me, his power in this place — it had triggered everything early. Another cramp tore through me, even worse. I whimpered and crawled fully onto the bed, curling up tight around the pillow. It carried a faint trace of pine and smoke. His scent.

Sweat broke out on my forehead. The gland on the back of my neck throbbed. My body ached with that empty, desperate need. Instincts screamed for an Alpha. For him.

I pressed my face into the pillow as another wave rolled through me, leaving me trembling. “Shit,” I whispered, voice cracking.

Through the new bond I felt a flicker from Kael — surprise turning into something darker and possessive. He knew what was happening to me.

I buried myself deeper into the blankets, shaking as the heat built faster and stronger. Fear and that unwanted pull twisted together inside me. This was happening right now, in his territory, with no real way out.

And the scariest part was that a small, terrified piece of me didn’t actually want to run.

I curled up tighter, trying to breathe through the pain. The bond hummed louder now. Kael’s presence felt closer, like he was already moving toward me. Part of me hated how much that brought relief. Another part knew this was only the beginning of being tied to him.

The cramps kept coming, one after another. I bit down on my lip to stay quiet, but small sounds still escaped. My mind spun with everything that had happened tonight — the inspection, the blood contract, Kael’s hands on me, the way he looked at me like I already belonged to him.

I didn’t know how long I could hold on like this. The heat was rising fast, pulling me under. All I could do was hold onto the pillow that smelled like him and wait for whatever came next.