Page 21 of Fated (The Bonded Legacy #1)

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

KAI

T oo much whiskey and too little sleep had left Kai raw and irritable as he entered the conference room for the annual review.

His temples throbbed from his hangover as he scanned the room, mapping alliances and rivalries, while Orion instinctively cataloged potential points for connection and influence.

The Silver Hollow alpha caught his eye and smiled—too knowingly.

Word about his fated mate had apparently spread fast.

Kai settled uncomfortably into his seat. The heavy scent of dominance—dozens of alphas posturing and positioning—filled the room. Beneath that thick layer of power, he caught a hint of a sweet, earthy fragrance.

His muscles tensed. Lena? No—just a phantom scent and his wolf’s wishful thinking.

Orion stalked the confines of their shared mind, each step reverberating through Kai’s skull like thunder. Whether the wolf’s agitation stemmed from the hangover or the mating bond’s constant pull, Kai couldn’t tell.

Next to him, Darius was in his element, exuding confidence and charm as he greeted the other leaders. His deep, booming laughter rang out above the hum of voices, and Kai couldn’t help but wince. Each sound felt like a hammer striking his skull.

“Alpha Darius!” a voice thundered from across the table. “Good to see Bloodstone’s banner flying high as always.”

Darius clasped the man’s forearm in a firm shake. “Great to see you too, Garrick! Even better days ahead.” His hand landed on Kai’s back like an anvil. “Especially with Kai taking his oaths with his fated mate by his side.”

Kai’s stomach twisted. He hadn’t been paying attention to the conversation, but those two words snapped him out of his haze. Beneath the alcohol-induced fog, Orion roused at the mention of their mate, sending nausea rolling through Kai’s gut.

His gaze swept the table, landing on Cian Moonshadow.

The alpha-heir’s expression was neutral, but Kai caught the slight tick of his jaw before Cian schooled his features, replacing irritation with the polished mask of diplomacy.

Something in that controlled reaction made Kai’s shoulders press inward—this was a wolf who would fight for his sister’s honor.

Cian nodded respectfully, voice calm and measured as he addressed the group, “Yes. Congratulations are certainly in order, Alpha Darius. My father is eager to discuss this exciting news. We’ll certainly want to find time to strengthen the bonds between our packs.”

Kai ground his molars as Cian’s attention focused on him. Orion’s hackles rose, muscles bunching beneath Kai’s skin as the wolf sensed a challenge beneath the diplomatic words.

“Perhaps you’d consider joining us, Kai.

” Cian’s fingers traced the rim of his water glass with deliberate precision, each movement a controlled contrast to the steel in his tone.

“It might be valuable to spend time at Moonshadow after the summit. My father and I would welcome you to our packlands as we prepare for my alpha ceremony at the next equinox.”

The alpha-heir’s power rippled beneath his composed exterior, making the water tremble ever so slightly.

“After all, proper introductions should be made...given the circumstances. It would allow our families to bond, and perhaps allow you and my sister to deepen your connection. I believe she deserves a proper courtship, befitting her rank.”

The ultimatum in those words was clear: prove yourself worthy or stay away.

Kai tensed, sinking further into his seat.

The last thing he wanted was to spend time at Moonshadow, surrounded by the constant reminder of the fated bond he was desperately trying to ignore.

Just the thought of being near Lena, breathing in her intoxicating scent day after day, made both his body and his wolf ache with need.

He forced a polite smile, preparing to decline the offer, privately , once the meeting was over. Before he could open his mouth, Darius cut in, face lighting up as if the moon radiated from within him.

“Splendid!” Darius smacked the table with an open palm.

Several heads turned in their direction, curious whispers rippling through the room.

The scent of interest and speculation thickened the air until Kai felt like he was drowning in it.

“A brilliant idea, Cian. I think that’s exactly what our packs need—time to build trust and unity before the big day. ”

Kai’s head snapped toward his father, a cold weight dropping through his chest and settling in his gut. Big day? Even Orion went silent, fur rising at the edge of their shared consciousness.

Darius continued, utterly oblivious to Kai’s internal turmoil.

“I’ll send Kai back with you after the summit to start forging relationships with his father-in-law and second family.

I’ll join you all for your alpha ceremony.

It’ll be the perfect opportunity to start planning for Lena and Kai’s mating ceremony! ”

The room went unnervingly quiet, Darius’s insinuation that the mating was inevitable settling heavily over the table.

Kai could feel the eyes of the nearby alphas, betas, and heirs boring into him, their curiosity and speculation thick in the air.

The pressure of their attention intensified his discomfort, each heartbeat pounding in his skull.

Cian’s lips tightened into a diplomatic smile. “That’s very generous of you, Alpha Darius. I’ll be sure to relay your enthusiasm to my father.”

Kai’s tongue stuck to the roof of his mouth as the oxygen vanished from the room. For the last year, he’d meticulously planned his mating ceremony: the handfasting, the vows, Selene’s blessing, the claiming. Now the image of his bride had fractured. Two faces overlapped, each vying for dominance.

Ava’s confident smile pledging herself to Bloodstone.

Lena’s sincere smile pledging herself to him.

The images clashed, merging and separating: Ava riding him on the altar, wild and demanding; Lena shuddering beneath him, throat bared in submission.

Acid rose in his throat.

Kai barely registered the rest of the conversation as nausea churned in his gut.

His gaze dropped to the table, mind racing.

He needed to find a way out of this. There was no way he could endure a month at Moonshadow with Lena.

Not with the bond pulling at him so intensely.

Not when every breath might carry her scent.

And certainly not with the specter of Ava looming over every decision he made.

“We must go,” Orion growled, low and insistent. “Complete the bond.”

“Not like this,” Kai thought, fists clenching under the table.

The meeting progressed in a blur. Voices faded into background noise as Kai’s thoughts spiraled. He gritted his teeth, gaze fixed on the polished table, the whispered discussions about trade agreements and alliances falling on deaf ears.

Until a new voice pulled his attention back to the room.

“…grateful for the opportunity to join you all here today. It has been many years since Crescent Fang has taken part in a summit like this, and we are honored to be among such distinguished leaders.”

Kai glanced up, green eyes narrowing as he took in the speaker: a young alpha he didn’t recognize.

The male was tall and lean, with sharp, regal features and an undeniable air of confidence.

Something about his presence made both Kai and Orion take notice as the alpha stood, addressing the table with a steady voice.

His tone was measured and thoughtful as he detailed the accomplishments of his pack.

“Despite operating independently for the last two generations,” the alpha continued, “Crescent Fang has remained steadfast in our traditions and our worship of Selene. We have worked tirelessly to preserve the values instilled in us by our ancestors, and we are committed to ensuring the safety and prosperity of our pack in the face of the rising threat posed by the rogues.”

Kai inwardly scoffed, rolling his eyes at the impassioned speech. What is this male trying to prove? he thought, leaning back in his chair.

Orion growled in disagreement at his dismissal, but Kai ignored him.

The alpha went on, voice growing more fervent as he spoke of Crescent Fang’s long history and deep spiritual connection to Selene.

The words were reverent, almost poetic, and Kai couldn’t help but scoff at the sentimentality of it all.

Seriously, is this wolf auditioning for Selene’s Number One Fan club? Kai snorted under his breath at his own joke. “Maybe he’s the alpha Lena should be fated to. Seeing as he’s got such a hard-on for Selene’s will,” he muttered to Orion.

Orion’s thunderous roar shook the walls of Kai’s consciousness, the wolf surging forward with teeth bared. “No! Mate is ours!”

The wolf’s possessive anger spiked the pain pounding in Kai’s head, but it was more than just Orion’s response that made his stomach twist. The idea of Lena belonging to someone else—even in a hypothetical scenario—sent a sharp, inexplicable ache through him.

He swallowed hard, mind flashing back to the previous night.

To the moment of rage he’d felt when he thought those soft moans had been for another lover.

The memory of that jealousy burned through his veins, his jaw clenching until his teeth ached, fingers flexing with the phantom urge to tear any rival limb from limb.

Kai shook his head, forcing the memories away. Lena’s labored breaths echoed in his ears, his name on her lips as she—

His body tensed, heat flooding his core. Not here. Not now.

Not in this room filled with the most powerful wolves in the region. He focused his attention back on the speaker, determined to bury the intrusive thoughts.

As the Crescent Fang Alpha continued, Kai observed the reactions around the room.

The responses were mixed. Some of the leaders looked bored, gazes fixed on their notes or phones.

Others feigned mild interest, nodding along politely without fully engaging.

It was clear that Crescent Fang’s reappearance in the regional fold was a curiosity at best, an afterthought at worst.

But one male at the table was utterly captivated by the speech.

Seated to the alpha’s right was a broad-shouldered beta who listened with rapt attention, dark eyes fixed on the speaker as though every word was a revelation.

Kai had noticed the beta when he first entered—something about the way he held himself, confident but not aggressive, drew the eye.

Now, watching him listen to his alpha’s speech, Kai found himself studying the beta more closely, noting the sharp cut of his jaw, the slope of his nose, and the way his full lips pressed together in concentration.

The male’s hair—a mess of dark curls—fell across his brow in a way that seemed effortlessly undone, and when his tongue darted out to wet his lips, Kai felt his stomach flip unexpectedly.

Whoa! Kai was startled by his own reaction. Where the hell did that come from?

“Irrelevant,” Orion huffed. “Focus.”

Kai straightened in his seat, forcing himself to look away.

His gaze landed on his father, who was, predictably, hanging on every word the alpha spoke.

Darius’s expression was one of keen interest, but Kai knew his father well enough to recognize his strategic instincts engaging.

Crescent Fang might be a relic of the past, but in Darius’s mind, even relics could be useful if positioned correctly.

As the alpha finished speaking, Kai felt a subtle shift in the room’s dynamics. The other pack leaders relaxed, postures easing as they offered polite applause. Kai’s tension only spiked.

He replayed the alpha’s words, wondering if he’d been too quick to dismiss the fervor in Caleb’s voice.

His father’s interest and the beta’s attentiveness now seemed like warning signs he’d ignored.

A nagging sense of unease settled in his gut—had he missed a crucial thread in the alpha’s speech?

One that might weave together the intricate politics of the packs.

Kai’s attention drifted again as the meeting rolled on, but the image of the Crescent Fang Alpha and Beta lingered in the back of his mind. Just as unshakable as the memory of Lena’s moans, of her scent, of the way their bond pulled at him with every breath.

When the review finally adjourned, Kai was the first to leave the room, ignoring his father’s attempts to pull him into another conversation.

He needed air, needed space. The walls felt like they were closing in, thick with everyone’s expectations and endless speculations about what his fated pairing meant for their packs.

He stormed down the corridor, barely registering the greetings of other pack leaders and their heirs as he passed. All he could think about was escaping.

Escaping his father.

Escaping the summit.

Escaping the bond that was tearing him apart.

Kai desperately hoped to avoid Lena through the rest of the event. The memory of her scent made it impossible to think straight. He couldn’t stomach a run-in with her right now. Couldn’t bear seeing her hope—or worse, her hurt—knowing that he planned on rejecting her as soon as possible.

The mountain air welcomed him as he stepped onto the balcony.

His thoughts refused to settle even as he breathed in the sharp, clean air.

Faces blurred together in his mind—Lena, Ava, Darius, the Crescent Fang Beta…

Pressure rose in his chest, heart racing with a growing sense of helplessness.

He needed to escape, to find some way to clear his head and take back control of his future.

It was all too much.

“You’re running, Kai,” Orion growled. The wolf’s voice was a harsh whisper in the back of Kai’s mind. “Coward.”

Kai closed his eyes, the words cutting deep. Maybe Orion was right. Maybe he was a coward, but he didn’t know how to be anything else right now.