Chapter 40
Chapter 40:
Props for the part, I reminded myself, staring at the glittering stone. This was a business transaction. A political marriage designed to hide his true relationship from the archaic Lycan Elders, while securing my Pack’s future.
I looked at my reflection in the floor-to-ceiling window, the diamond catching the harsh city light. I had successfully burned down Jase’s cage today, only to realize I had locked myself inside a much grander, unbreakable one.
Adelina POV
The ride back to the penthouse was suffocating. That evening, the sprawling den felt less like a sanctuary and more like a high-altitude prison. The city lights bled through the floor-to-ceiling windows, casting long, cold shadows across the room.
I walked straight to the massive obsidian coffee table and dropped the items that had been burning a hole in my pocket all day. The heavy Porsche key, the limitless Centurion black card, and finally, the flawless pink diamond ring clattered against the dark glass.
Kain stood by the bar, pouring a glass of amber liquid. He paused, his broad shoulders tensing slightly.
𝘚𝘢ve 𝘺о𝗎𝘳 fа𝘃𝗼𝗿𝘪𝗍𝘦 𝗻𝗼v𝘦l𝘴 оո
“I can’t accept these,” I said, my voice tight. The phantom weight of the ring still lingered on my finger. “I know we have a contract, Kain, but these aren’t props. They feel like brands. I just spent two years in a cage where I was treated as nothing more than property. I won’t wear a collar for another Alpha, even a fake one p>
Kain set his glass down. He closed the distance between us with that terrifying, silent grace, the atmospheric pressure dropping until my ears popped. His scent—ancient cedar and raw, crackling power—enveloped me completely.
He didn’t look angry. His dark eyes were pitch black, swirling with an intensity that made my breath hitch. He reached down, picked up the pink diamond, and held it out to me.
“They are not gifts, Adelina,” Kain rumbled, his voice a low, vibrating command. “They are armor p>
I frowned, refusing to take the ring. “Armor p>
“You are stepping into a Pack filled with traitors who still view you as a wolfless Omega,” he explained, his jaw clenching as his Inner Wolf bristled at the thought of me being perceived as weak. “Every Rogue and hostile Alpha who sees this car and this stone will know exactly whose Luna you are. They will know that touching you means declaring war on the entire Blackstone Pack. You will wear it, because my Luna does not walk onto a battlefield unprotected p>
His logic was pure, unadulterated power. It was a terrifying way to view the world, but as I looked into his eyes, I realized he wasn’t trying to own me—he was trying to shield me.
I swallowed hard, my trembling fingers reaching out to take the ring. I slipped the cold metal back onto my hand. “Fine p>
“Good,” Kain said, the dangerous edge in his eyes softening just a fraction. “Because this weekend, you are attending the Wolfe Hotel Group Leadership Retreat in the Catskills. You will use your new authority to gut the rest of the Parrish loyalists p>
“Alone?” I asked, a spike of anxiety hitting my chest.