Chapter 5

The grand hall pulsed with life: music swirled in the air, laughter echoed from every corner, and the scent of wine and roasted meat lingered. But Kaden barely noticed any of it.

He stood near the center of the room, his hands clasped behind his back, his jaw set in a hard line. Around him, wolves clamored for his attention. Pack leaders. Elders. Women whose voices rose in flirtatious lilts as they tried to catch his eye.

He heard none of them.

His wolf growled impatiently in the back of his mind, pacing restlessly, demanding action.

Find her.

Kaden’s silver eyes swept the room again, sharp and searching. He could feel it,the bond, faint but undeniable, pulling at him like an invisible thread. It was maddening, infuriating. He had not felt anything like this in a long time, and yet it was as though some deep part of him already knew her.

The girl.

Althea.

He replayed the brief encounter in his mind,the way she had looked up at him with wide, startled eyes. The fear in her expression. The scent of her, soft and sweet and utterly intoxicating.

He couldn’t get her out of his head.

“She’s hiding,” his wolf snarled. “She’s afraid.”

Kaden's hands tightened at his sides.

“Alpha Kaden!”

The sharp voice snapped him back to the present. He turned to find Cassandra standing before him, her golden hair perfectly curled, her painted lips curved into a practiced smile.

“You seem so serious,” she said, her tone light and teasing. “Surely, the night isn’t boring you?”

“I’m fine,” Kaden said shortly, his gaze already moving past her.

But Cassandra wasn’t giving up. She stepped closer, her fingers brushing lightly against his arm. “You’ve barely had anything to eat,” she said. “Let me bring you something. Or perhaps I could fetch you a drink?”

“No,” he said, his tone sharper now. He didn’t mean to be rude, but his patience was wearing thin. He needed to move, to find her.

Cassandra faltered, a flicker of irritation crossing her face before she recovered. “Well, if there’s anything you need, Alpha, you have only to ask.”

Kaden nodded shortly and stepped past her, his long strides carrying him toward the far end of the hall.

In the kitchen, Althea stood by the sink, gripping the edge of the counter so tightly her knuckles were white.

Her heart still hadn’t stopped racing since the moment she’d fled the hall. She pressed a hand to her chest, trying to steady her breathing, but it was no use.

Why did he look at me like that?

Her wolf stirred faintly in the back of her mind, but she shoved it down.

“No,” she whispered to herself, her voice trembling. “It’s nothing. I’m nothing. He doesn’t even know who I am.”

And yet…

The way Kaden had looked at her,it was as though he’d seen her in a way no one ever had before. His gaze had felt like a weight, heavy and unrelenting, and the memory of it made her knees feel weak.

She shook her head, trying to banish the thought.

“Althea.”

She jumped at the sound of her name, spinning around to find one of the other kitchen staff standing behind her.

“What are you doing?” the boy asked, frowning. “Vera’s going to kill you if she finds you standing around.”

“I—I’m just—”

“Never mind,” he said, waving her off. “Just take these.” He shoved a tray of empty glasses into her hands. “She wants them back out in the hall. Now.”

Althea’s stomach twisted. “But I—”

“Do you want me to tell her you’re refusing?”

Her blood ran cold at the thought of Vera’s wrath.

“No,” she said quickly, shaking her head. “I’ll do it.”

The boy nodded and left without another word.

Althea stared down at the tray, her hands trembling. The last thing she wanted was to go back out there, to face the crowd again,and worse, to risk seeing him again.

But she had no choice.

Kaden's frustration was mounting. He could feel the bond pulling at him, stronger now, urging him to move, to find her.

He passed through the hall like a shadow, his silver eyes scanning every face he encountered. None of them were hers.

His wolf growled low in his chest, a sound of impatience and need.

“Where is she?” the wolf snarled. “Why is she hiding?”

Kaden didn’t know, and it only made him more determined.

“Alpha.”

He turned sharply to find Vera standing before him, her expression carefully composed.

“Is everything alright?” she asked, her voice laced with concern. “You seem… distracted.”

“I’m fine,” Kaden said sharply.

Vera tilted her head, her smile tightening. “Perhaps you’d like to join me and the elders for a drink? Or, if you’d prefer, my daughters would be happy to—”

“No,” Kaden said, cutting her off. His patience had officially run out.

Vera blinked, startled by the harshness in his tone.

“Where is she?” he asked, his voice low.

Vera frowned. “Who?”

“Althea.”

Vera’s smile faltered, and for a moment, her mask slipped. “She’s… in the kitchen, I believe,” she said reluctantly. “But I assure you, she’s of no consequence—”

Kaden didn’t wait for her to finish. He turned on his heel and strode toward the kitchen, his movements purposeful and unyielding.

Althea stepped into the hall, clutching the tray tightly in her hands. She kept her head down, her limp more pronounced as she moved through the crowd, hoping,praying,no one would notice her.

Her heart pounded with every step, her pulse racing as though her body already knew something she didn’t.

She made it halfway across the room when she felt it.

A presence.

It was heavy and warm, like the sun pressing against her skin, and it stopped her in her tracks.

Her breath caught in her throat as she looked up,and her blood ran cold.

He was there.

Kaden.

His silver eyes locked onto hers from across the room, and the bond snapped between them like a live wire.

Althea’s entire body froze, her chest tightening as something deep inside her stirred. It wasn’t fear,not exactly. It was something stronger, something that made her knees weak and her heart ache all at once.

She couldn’t move.

Neither could he.

For a moment, the rest of the room disappeared. There was no music, no chatter, no crowd. Just the two of them, caught in an invisible thread that pulled tighter with every passing second.

And then, like a switch flipping, her instincts kicked in.

Run.

She turned and bolted, the tray clattering to the floor as she fled toward the kitchen.

Kaden's wolf howled in frustration as he watched her disappear again, slipping through the door before he could reach her.

“Follow her,” the wolf demanded. “Now.”

He didn’t need to be told twice.

Ignoring the curious stares of the crowd, Kaden crossed the room in long, determined strides. He pushed open the kitchen door, stepping into the warm, bustling space.

His eyes scanned the room, searching, and then—

There she was.

She stood near the far counter, her back to him, her shoulders tense as though she already knew he was there.

The bond roared between them, stronger now, a pulsing, undeniable force that made his wolf growl with satisfaction.

Kaden took a step forward, and the sound of his boots against the tile floor made her flinch.

Slowly, she turned to face him.

Their eyes met, and the air seemed to crackle with energy.

“It’s you,” Kaden murmured, his voice low and full of something raw and unspoken.

Althea's breath hitched, her wide eyes locked on his as her heart raced wildly in her chest.

She didn’t move. She couldn’t.

And for the first time in years, Kaden felt something he hadn’t thought possible.

Home.