Chapter 4 Choosing his Father

Kaela

Silence enveloped the hall as a chill ran through everyone's spine when the words dropped from my mouth. The silence was not the peaceful kind. It was the suffocating kind, the type that grips your throat and refuses to let go.

And I know exactly what will follow that silence.

Chaos.

“What?!”

“Did she just—?!”

“She’s gone mad!”

Voices erupted from every corner of the hall, rising into a storm of disbelief and outrage. Gasps turned into whispers, whispers into accusations, and accusations into full-blown noise.

I strode away from Steve and walked towards his father. My knee sank to a squat when I got to where he was boldly in his wheelchair. I leaned closer to his ear. "Reject me, Alpha, and you won't be alive to witness the end," I whispered in his ear, and rose back on my feet.

Alpha Gabriel’s expression was unreadable. My heart continued to pound in my chest as I wondered what I was doing.

Although, I kept telling myself it was to protect Alpha Gabriel from his wicked son, my mind isn’t having it.

From where I stood, I watched Steven’s face twisted as if something had snapped inside him. His eyes burned with raw, unfiltered, and dangerous fury.

“What kind of joke is this?” he snarled, stepping down from the altar and towards where I stood behind Alpha Gabriel.

When he reached me, he said with a low voice, but it carried enough venom to poison the entire hall. “Kaela… take it back,” he snapped.

I tilted my head slightly, meeting his gaze without fear. “No,” I said with a mocking smirk. Just one word, but it hit harder than a slap.

His hand shot out, grabbing my wrist tightly. “Don’t test me,” he hissed. “You think you can embarrass me in front of everyone and walk away?” He glared, “You must be joking."

Ah. The same egoistic Steven in my past life is finally showing his true colors. I slowly lowered my gaze to his hand gripping mine… then back up to his face.

“Take your hand off me,” I said calmly, but he failed to notice the warning in my tone.

He tightened his grip instead, and I smirked.

Mistake.

But before I could react, another hand came into view, a firm, steady, and strong veiny hand.

Alpha Gabriel.

His fingers wrapped around Steven’s wrist, not aggressively, but with enough pressure to make a point. “Let go of my wife.” He growled.

And in that instant, the hall went dead silent again. Steven froze on his feet, and his hold loosened on my wrist.

My heart skipped several beats, and my eyes widened. 'Wife.'

The word echoed in my head like something sacred… something unreal.

Steven let out a dry, disbelieving laugh.

“Your wife?” he repeated, pulling his hand back slowly. “Father, you can’t possibly be serious.”

Alpha Gabriel completely ignored Steven.

Steven’s expression darkened. “She just rejected me at the altar. She’s trying to provoke you, to make a fool out of—”

“I choose her!” The word rang out loud, everyone stilled.

Steve stepped back.

His jaw clenched so tightly I thought his teeth might shatter. “You think she wants you?” he scoffed. “She’s desperate. She’s—”

“One more word, Steven.” Alpha Gabriel muttered in a low voice yet with so much authority.

I glanced at Alpha Gabriel. His expression remained calm, but there was something behind his eyes now, something dangerous.

Something that hadn’t been there before. Or maybe… I had just never noticed it.

“You’ve said enough,” Alpha Gabriel continued, his voice steady. “The ceremony is over.”

“It’s not over!” My father’s voice thundered from the crowd as he pushed his way forward, his face red with rage. “She doesn’t get to decide something like this on her own!” I turned slowly to face him. His glare was sharp enough to cut skin.

“You have disgraced this family!” he spat. “Rejecting the Alpha’s son? In front of everyone? Have you lost your mind?!”

I smiled coldly. “You’re right,” I said. “I did lose my mind.” His expression shifted—confusion flickering through the anger.

“But I found it again.”

A murmur spread through the crowd.

My stepmother scoffed loudly. “Listen to her nonsense. This is what happens when you let a useless girl think she has a voice.” She sneered.

I turned my gaze to her.

Then to Victoria.

She stood slightly behind them, her expression pale, eyes wide, but not without innocence…pretense

“Sis…” Victoria stepped forward slowly, her voice soft, trembling just enough to sound believable. “You don’t mean this, right? You’re just nervous. You’ve always loved Steven…”

I laughed, actually laughed, so much so that the sound startled me. “You should stop acting,” I said, my eyes locking onto hers. “It doesn’t suit you anymore.” I spat.

For a split second, her mask slipped.

Then it was back as quickly as it left.

I smirked.

“I don’t understand what you mean,” she whispered, tears pooling in her eyes.

“You will,” I replied quietly.

Steven ran a hand through his hair, clearly losing patience. “This is ridiculous,” he snapped. “Father, end this nonsense. Reject her. Right now.”

The entire hall held its breath, waiting for their Alpha.  But I didn’t look at Alpha Gabriel. I didn’t need to, because for the first time, I wasn’t afraid of the outcome.

Seconds passed, and then the word fell from his lips like a verdict. “I accept her…

As my mate and my wife, your step-mother and the pack’s Luna.

Gasps echoed again. Someone dropped something in the crowd. Another cursed under their breath. But all of it faded into the background because my stupid, traitorous heart skipped multiple beats.

Steven stared at him blankly, after a while, he said coldly, “Then you’ve lost your son.”

Alpha Gabriel didn’t hesitate. “So be it.”

Something darker broke in Steven’s eyes when the words rolled out of his father's mouth. “Fine,” he said, stepping back. “But please keep in mind this moment.” His gaze shifted to me.

Sharp and promising.

“You’ll regret this, Kaela.”

I met his stare without blinking. “I promise you… I won’t,” I replied.

His expression hardened, and then, without another word, he turned and walked out of the hall, just like that. But not so gone, because the Steven Gabriel that I know was not the type to walk away quietly.

Which meant this was only the beginning.

I exhaled slowly. Then, before I could process anything else, a firm hand gently took mine. I looked down.

Alpha Gabriel.

“My wife,” he said softly, just loud enough for me to hear “shall we?”

My breath caught.

Wife again?

But this time, it felt different.

I hesitated for just a second, and then placed my hand fully in his. “Yes… my Alpha.”

And I rolled him out of the hall, leaving behind shock, anger, and the beginning of a war.