Alpha Kael

~Jada

The moment he opens the door I regret everything.

What am I thinking? Alpha Kael trains Silent’s, and here I am, trying to distract him with cupcakes while Jake sneaks in. There is no way this is going to work. Not when he in no way wants to see me, and I’ve snuck out. No matter how I rationalised this in my mind, seeing him makes this all seem incredibly foolish.

He appears at the door himself, not having anyone else to do his bidding. Either he doesn’t have staff here during the night, or at all. He seems to prefer solitude, and with all his secrets, it makes sense.

At the sight of me, he looks visibly startled. Either I woke him, or he was about to sleep, with his shirtless torso and loose pants. Even his hair is mussed. As much as the sight of him elicits some feeling within me I refuse to dwell on, I know I need to appear cool and calm, the script I created still prevalent in my mind.

“Hello Alpha,” I say quickly, interrupting him before he can question me, or perhaps send me back right where I came from.

I thrust the tray of cupcakes at him.

He looks down at them, inspecting them. And not in a way of appreciation, or excitement. I’m not sure why he would be excited about a rather messed up looking batch of cupcakes. I was under a time stress, and I’ve never been that great at cooking. But stupidly, it was the only way I could think of to distract him.

“Jada,” he says slowly, as if he can’t believe he is looking at me right now. “What has brought you to my door at this time of night?”

“I thought I would bring you something to apologise for everything recently,” I say.

My excuse isn’t completely ridiculous considering what I’ve discovered in relation to Kael. It might seem overzealous to bring both cupcakes and write a letter to apologise, but it was the only excuse I could conjure up this evening. Jake seemed skeptical, but only because he doesn’t know what has gone down between me and the Alpha.

“Oh,” is all he says, eyes narrowing slightly on the tray of baked goods. The balmy evening has already started melting the icing, making them look less and less appetizing as time passes. I can only pray they are enough to let me get let in.

“It’s stupid, I know,” I say, using my self deprecation as a tactic.

It seems to work, as Kael clears his throat, trying not to look pitiful. “Such a nice gesture. I assume you’re using the cover of night not to get caught sneaking out. Did anyone else join you this evening?”

I shake my head, a little too quickly. He doesn’t seem to notice, though. Jake will start his entry once I’ve stepped inside Kael’s estate. That is, if Kael even invites me in in the first place.

“Just so you know, this isn’t some kind of assassination attempt,” I chuckle, hoping to lighten the mood.

Kael smiles tightly. “Never crossed my mind.”

He trusts me, at least. If he was poisoned at my hand, I wouldn’t get away with it. Maybe that’s why he is so confident, as he takes the tray from my hand. I doubt he is going to eat one willingly, but that’s not what I made them for. All I need is to get into his house without seeming suspicious.

“I came all this way so we could talk,” I say firmly, hoping it would be enough for me to get an invitation. And it seems to be, as he steps back, motioning for me to step inside. My entire body almost collapses with relief.

“Maybe we can enjoy one of these cupcakes,” Kael says, looking over his shoulder to smile at me as he leads me inside.

Surprisingly, he walks me past the foyer, where I assumed he would bring me. Aside from going up to his office, I haven’t seen much else to his manor. It’s strikingly beautiful, I realise, as he leads me down a hallway, ignoring every door I’m curious to peak behind. Luckily he decided not to go upstairs where Jake will surely be beginning his investigations.

“Where are we going?” I ask.

“To a special room of mine,” Kael tells me, not helping my the sweat gathering on my forehead and the anxiety blooming in my chest. Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea. “It’s private, so we can talk about whatever is on your mind.”

I quicken my step as he does. “You’re too kind for doing this. Letting me into your home and letting me speak. I doubt anyone else would be allowed such a privilege.”

Finally, Kael reaches the special room he is speaking about, opening it for me to walk into. Inside, the room is small and private, perfect for uninterrupted conversation. Part of me doesn’t want to step in, unsure of what conversation will happen between myself and the Alpha.

“Well, you’re special,” he says softly, as I walk past him into the room.

The walls are a dark charcoal grey, the carpet black. There doesn’t seem to be any windows here, and the lighting is dim. It’s completely encompassed in Kael’s scent, leaving me to wonder how much time he spends in here.

“I wouldn’t say that,” I murmur dismissively, watching him place the cupcakes on a table in between two chairs.

“It’s true.”

Brushing off what Kael is saying as polite compliments to ease the tension between us, I sink into one of the leather seats. Kael sits on the opposite one, facing me. This is the perfect place to keep him while Jake gets to work. It’s intimate and hidden, and maybe I can get some more information out of him myself.

But first, I have one thing to ask to stop my wander mind, to ensure Jake won’t get caught while he is upstairs. “Do you have many staff here at night?”

“No, I send the few I have here home at night,” Kael tells me, much to my relief. “I prefer privacy and many of them have families to go to at night. I can do what I need to at night on my own.”

Or you’re hiding something.

“Did you get my note?” I ask him, pushing my true thoughts to the back of my mind. I’ve been wondering this for quite some time.

Kael picks up one of my cupcakes. “I did. And I understand why you’re doing this. You’re curious and I’m your Alpha. Why wouldn’t you want to follow me?”

He seems so sure of himself, it bothers me. He’s right though. I followed him because he’s my Alpha, but also because in the beginning, he was the focus of my target. In order to win the competition, I had to follow him. But since then, there has been something about him that has me more than curious. And it bothers me.

“Each time I’ve either needed you for the competition, or needed your authority,” I say firmly.

His eyes are dark and pointed. “I’m glad you did what you did.”

I try not to seem surprised, as much as I am. All this time I thought he was bothered by me following him everywhere, becoming apart of his life and business without his permission. Now, I’m going to use this to my advantage to see what else I can find out about Kael and his missing mother.

My eyes concentrate on his fingers as they adeptly peel back the plastic off the cupcake. “What business do you have with an immortal like Sinful?”

“He’s helping me,” he tells me simply. “That’s not what I want to talk about.”

I wait until he takes a bite of the cupcake before speaking again. He doesn’t seem repulsed by them, which means my cooking can’t be that bad. After one bite he puts it down, allowing him to concentrate on the conversation. I have a feeling he only took a bite to make me feel better.

“What do you wish to talk about then, Alpha?”

Slowly, he stands, each movement so smooth and calculated. I watch him, as he comes to sit right beside me, the space between us next to none. I freeze, so close to him I pray he doesn’t notice how quick my heart is beating, and how much my fingertips quiver.

Up close he is breathtakingly beautiful. So stunning, I want to look away – to compose myself – but I can’t.

“Did you follow me because you feel a lure toward me?” he asks gently.

He isn’t asking out of amusement. There is another motive behind his question, and I’m not sure how I should answer. Surely not honestly, considering it would change the dynamics between us. Yet, I don’t know what else to say.

Before I could conjure up a lie, something about him changes. He blinks a few time, leans back, holding his head.

“I don’t feel so good.”

Right as I was about to come to his aid, his eyes roll back, and he falls unconscious.Published by Nôv'elD/rama.Org.