Chapter 48 

Kael’s POV_ 

The last few days had been torture. 

I kept to myself, drowned in paperwork I barely processed, barked orders I didn’t remember giving, and haunted the training grounds like a ghost. Not even a good fight with the warriors could burn off the 

frustration. 

Because every moment I wasn’t busy? 

I was thinking about Lisa. 

Her eyes. Her voice. Her silence. 

She hadn’t looked at me once at that party. Not even when I had stared at her like a starving man seeing food for the first time in weeks. 

And Rylan. That bastard stood beside her like he had every right. 

Valric hadn’t shut up since. He was just as obsessed. Just as tortured. 

But even in the middle of all that, Roxanne wouldn’t stop pestering me. 

She wanted to “spend time together.” She kept texting. Kept calling. Even showed up at the training 

grounds in a tight sports outfit, pretending she had come to “watch her future Alpha train.” 

I had tried….gods, I had tried to make her understand. 

“I’m busy, Roxanne.” 

“Too much paperwork.” 

“I have to attend a pack meeting with my father.” 

But she wouldn’t listen. 

“Oh come on,” she whined over the phone this morning. Her voice was sugary and grating. “Just one dinner, Kael. I miss you. You have been distant lately.” 

I nearly told her the truth right then and there. That I didn’t want to see her. That the very thought of sitting across from her for an hour made my skin crawl. 

But I didn’t. 

Because I was the future Alpha of the Nightshade pack. Because I had already rejected my real mate. Because this fake relationship was still keeping the pack together. Because if I snapped and said what I really felt, the whole world would start to unravel. 

So, I gave in. 

“Fine. Dinner,” I said flatly. “Pick the place.” 

She squealed like a banshee. “Yay! I already did. There’s this beautiful Italian place by the lake…..you love 

pizza, right?” 

Right 

I did love pizza. Used to, anyway. 

Now everything just tasted like ash. 

I stood at the entrance of the restaurant, fists clenched in the pockets of my black slacks. The air smelled of basil and garlic. Warm lights flickered through the windows. 

She picked this place for me. That much was clear. 

Everything she did now was an act. Her hair was curled perfectly like she knew I liked. Her makeup was soft and not overdone. She was trying to appear natural and effortless. Even the damn playlist in the restaurant seemed handpicked. There were slow romantic songs. The atmosphere was intimate and designed for couples in love. 

What a joke. 

“She’s trying too hard,” Valric muttered. “We should spill wine on her dress. See how perfect she looks in 

red.” 

“She’s already wearing red.” 

“Even better,” Valric growled. “Let’s aim for the white tablecloth. ‘Oops’….and suddenly she’s wearing two 

shades of red.” 

I huffed under my breath. 

“You’re not helping.” 

“We could trip the waiter. Knock the candle over.” 

“I said subtle, not arson.” 

Valric growled in disappointment. “Fine. Then maybe just ‘accidentally’ knock the water pitcher into her 

lap.” 

I didn’t say no. 

Because honestly, I was tempted. 

She was already waiting inside when I arrived. She stood as soon as she saw me, beaming as if I was her 

entire world. 

“Kael!” she said breathlessly and leaned in to kiss my cheek. I turned slightly, and her lips brushed the edge of my jaw instead. 

Close enough to seem polite. 

2/5 

Far enough to feel cold. 

“You look amazing,” she said as I sat down. “I knew this shirt would look perfect on you. I was right.” 

I offered a curt nod. “Thanks.” 

“You’re welcome,” she giggled, waving at the waiter. “I already ordered us wine. I hope that’s okay.” 

“Sure.” 

We sat in silence for a moment. She twirled a strand of her hair. I stared at the flickering candle between 

Finally, the waiter brought over two glasses and a plate of garlic bread. 

“I ordered us a pizza too,” she said sweetly. “Your favorite; spicy sausage and mushrooms.” 

Of course she did. 

She was trying to please me. Trying to remind me of things I once liked. Trying to paint the illusion of a 

future that would never exist. 

I picked up my glass and took a sip. I tried keeping my eyes anywhere but on her face. 

Roxanne leaned her elbows on the table and studied me. “You’ve been quiet lately,” she said softly.” 

Distant.” 

“I’ve been busy.” 

“You’ve always been busy,” she replied. “But this is different.” 

I said nothing. 

She reached across the table and placed her hand gently over mine. Her skin was warm and clammy. I resisted the urge to pull away. 

“Kael,” she said and tilted her head like she was trying to read me. “Is everything okay?” 

“Yes,” I lied. 

“Don’t lie to me,” she whispered. “I know you better than that. Something is bothering you.” 

I hesitated. “Just… stress. Pack duties. Too many decisions lately.” 

She shook her head slowly. “No. That’s not what it is. There’s something else.” 

Her grip on my hand tightened slightly. 

“You know you can tell me anything,” she said, her voice low and syrupy. “I’m always here for you. We’re going to get married soon, Kael. I’ll be your wife. There should be no secrets between us.” 

I stared down at our hands. 

No secrets? 

Was that a joke? 

I had enough secrets buried in me to tear this entire pack apart. 

“No really,” I said, voice stiff. “There’s nothing else.” 

I tried to pull my hand back but she wouldn’t let go. 

Her fingers wrapped tighter around mine, as if she could force the truth out of me just by holding on. 

Valric snarled in my mind. “Let me out. Just for a second. I’ll bite her hand off. Just a nibble.” 

“Not now,” I hissed mentally. “Control yourself.” 

“You’re lying to her. You know it. I know it. She smells it.” 

“She is just pushing.” 

“She always pushes, manipulates and twists things.” 

My jaw clenched. 

He wasn’t wrong. 

Roxanne was looking at me now with those big and fake eyes. She was trying to look vulnerable and trying 

to guilt me into opening up so that I tell her what was really bothering me. 

Lisa. 

Everything was about Lisa. 

Every breath I took. Every corner I turned. Every night I tried….and failed…to sleep. 

But how could I say that? 

How could I tell her that I was thinking about the girl I threw away? 

That I was dreaming of someone else while she planned our wedding? 

I looked down at our hands again. 

And for a moment, I imagined Lisa’s hand in mine. 

And I hated myself all over again. 

“I’m just tired,” I repeated. “Can we eat now?” 

“Really, Kael? There’s nothing else?” she asked softly. Her voice was too sweet to be sincere. 

I frowned, trying to pull my hand back, but she wouldn’t let go. 

“There’s nothing,” I said firmly while avoiding her gaze. “I just need some air.” 

Her smile widened. 

“I know,” she whispered, her nails digging slightly into my skin. “I know you’ve found out everything about 

 

me.” 

I froze. 

Her eyes glittered with something unreadable. 

Something dangerous. 

Then she leaned in, her voice low and sharp like a blade. 

“Careful, Kael. You never did play the game very well.” 

The smile never left her face. 

And I couldn’t shake the feeling that the real game had only just begun.