Chapter 54: Chapter 54

ADELIE

Kairos darted towards Maximus, landing a punch square on his face. Maximus crumpled to the ground, out cold.

“Kairos!” His name escaped my lips before I could stop it.

“What?” He yelled back, his face flushed with fury.

“He’s drunk, Kairos. What’s gotten into you?” I tried to push him back, my hands against his chest, but he was immovable.

“So, you’d prefer he stayed here with you?” His words were laced with venom, and I could see him teetering on the edge, ready to shift into his wolf form.

“Don’t be ridiculous, Kairos. He didn’t do anything.” I attempted to reason with him, but I knew my words were falling on deaf ears.

“Yeah, I saw how close you two are, especially since you didn’t lift a finger to stop him.” His strides quickened, heading towards the pack.

“I didn’t want to hurt him,” I called after him, struggling to keep up with his pace.

“Of course you didn’t!” His shout echoed in the night, and before my eyes, he shifted into his wolf form, his clothes ripping apart in the process.

I glanced back at Maximus, sprawled on the ground. Nathan and Maeve were already there, helping him up. As I approached, they both gave me a look.

“Adelie, you should go see Alpha,” Maeve suggested.

I stood there, staring at Maximus’s bruised face—the damage Kairos had done because of me.

I knew it looked bad from Kairos’s perspective, but I had a feeling it wasn’t just this incident that had set him off.

It was everything else that was happening, all the secrets I was keeping from him.

“Luna, we’ve got this. He’ll be okay,” Nathan reassured me. I finally gave in and headed back to the house, hoping to find Kairos there.

I searched the entire house, but there was no sign of him. He usually retreated to his study when he was upset, but the house was eerily empty. I checked every room.

Where else could he be? Maybe with Fala? But he hated being around people when he was down. He wouldn’t be in the forest either.

Perhaps he was at his weapon house, the place he had taken me when I first became Luna, to show off his collection of lethal weapons.

I despised that place. The presence of those weapons felt dangerous, and the fact that he owned them was intimidating.

The outside was shrouded in darkness, with only a few people still wandering about. I reached the door of the weapon house and found it unlocked. I was certain he was inside. No one else had a key.

He didn’t even allow anyone else to clean it. He took care of that himself.

I stepped inside to find Kairos sitting in the center of the circular room. There was a mattress, a blanket, and a pillow.

Was this his sanctuary when he needed solitude? Had he slept here last night when he wasn’t in our room?

Kairos was shirtless, his chest bare. He took a deep breath. “I want to be alone,” he said, his voice heavy with frustration.

I didn’t leave, instead, I shut the door behind me. I couldn’t abandon him in this state. I didn’t want to.

The room was dimly lit, and he sat in the soft yellow glow. He seemed to find comfort in the darkness. Or perhaps the darkness made him feel less lonely.

I wandered around, examining the array of oddly shaped weapons behind the glass and various accessories like gloves, chains, and belts.

I stayed behind him, his back to me. I wasn’t ready to face him yet.

“Why did you bring me here?” I asked, watching for his reaction. He turned his head slightly towards me. “When I became Luna, were you afraid of me? Is that why you showed me all this?”

His intentions had puzzled me back then. Not long after we met, he brought me to this place. It didn’t strike me as the kind of spot you’d take your partner.

His gaze drifted to the ceiling, as if it held the answers he sought.

“You weren’t honest about being an omega. It’s uncommon for an omega and an alpha to mate. What we have is even more unusual,” he confessed with a heavy sigh.

“But were you afraid?” I pressed. He didn’t respond, so I pushed on. “Did you bring me here to show me that you could kill me, regardless of what I am?” His head shook in denial.

“I feared you’d deceive me, make me believe in your love, then betray me. I wanted you to know that I wouldn’t let you do that to me.”

His gaze dropped. “I was wrong. You did exactly that, but I wanted it. I never asked for another mate, never deserved one, but I got someone who would drive me mad in the most beautiful way.

“In a way, I almost hoped you would betray me. Because I like being right, and then the pain we both endured would be justified. But it wasn’t.”

A heavy silence fell between us, neither of us speaking. The quiet was suffocating, draining.

“I was scared. Even knowing you wouldn’t hurt me, I felt betrayed that you’d use this place to intimidate me.”

My eyes fell on the daggers designed for nymphs, one specifically for me, filled with a flowing green liquid. It was exquisitely crafted.

It was a cruel irony that such beautiful objects were created to destroy beautiful beings.

Each weapon was encased behind a glass door, handleless and opened with a push. I gently pressed against the glass, and it swung open.

“But I never believed you could actually use it. I was afraid you’d push me away, but I didn’t think that would be the worst thing. I was used to not being loved.”

I carefully lifted the dagger, surprised by its lightness.

“At first, I thought I was here because you commanded it, without giving me a choice. I didn’t know what you were capable of, and I believed all the horror stories.

“Only later did I realize that even if you had given me a choice, I would still be here. If I had refused, I would never forgive myself for not giving you a chance. I’m sorry for ever doubting you.”

I approached Kairos and knelt before him, our legs brushing against each other.

“The issue is, you do unpredictable things that make me question your decisions. I don’t want you to be predictable. I just want you to trust me when I say everything is okay; believe me when I say it.

“Even if it means I fight my battles alone. I know you’ll always be there, but there are times when I don’t need you, and times when I don’t want you.”

I lifted his hand and placed the dagger handle in it, my hand resting atop his.

I moved a bit closer and guided the dagger to my chest. I felt the blade’s tip against my skin.

“I trust you. All I’m asking is for you to trust me. I understand how possessive alphas can be, but I don’t know how to stop you from looking at men like you want to tear their heads off when they get too close to me.”

“He was holding you down, Adelie,” he said.

“You do realize I’m stronger than him, right?” I asked. “I didn’t want to hurt him, or anyone for that matter. I tried to reason with his drunken mind.”

“Drunk minds speak sober truths,” he said. I released the dagger, but he kept it steady. “I know how men see you, Adelie, and I know there are many better than me.”

“And none of them are my mates,” I said, smiling at him. He lowered the blade and set it aside.

“He’s one of them,” he admitted, his gaze dropping. He was referring to Hans, my first love.

I was at a loss for words. Even when Hans had wanted me back, I’d chosen Kairos.

I cradled Kairos’s face in my hands and kissed him. He didn’t resist, instead pulling me into a hug—a simple gesture, but it filled me with a sense of belonging.

“This isn’t just about that one incident, is it?” I questioned. “You’re upset that I keep things from you,” I added, feeling his head nod in agreement.

“I’m upset that you won’t let me help you. I’m terrified of losing you, terrified that you’ll vanish and never come back.”

“I won’t leave you,” I assured him, trying to calm his fears. But I couldn’t make that promise, not with so many people after me.

Kairos stretched out on the mattress, his arms open, inviting me to join him. I didn’t hesitate to curl up in his arms, resting my head on his chest and looking up.

The ceiling was adorned with intricate celestial designs. “Why here?” I asked. “When I need solitude, I retreat to the forest. What draws you to the armory?”

His heartbeat was a steady rhythm against my ear. “No one else comes here,” he said, a soft chuckle escaping him. “And these weapons were collected by my father and grandfather.

“They’re long gone, but this is all that remains of them. Despite my father’s betrayal, I still love him,” he confessed, his voice low and husky.

We continued to chat about everything and nothing until sleep claimed us.

We seemed to wake simultaneously. I was surprised to find myself still in his arms, sunlight filtering through the cracks in the walls, my neck slightly stiff.

A loud knock at the door startled us, causing us to spring apart. That must have been what woke us.

“Enter,” Kairos called out.

Nathan burst into the room. “Alpha…the vampires are here,” he panted.

Kairos was on his feet in an instant, pulling me up and leading me out of the armory.

“Where?” Kairos demanded.

“At your house, Alpha,” Nathan replied.

Kairos paused outside, turning to me. “Are you coming with us or not?” he asked. For the first time, he wasn’t insisting I stay behind.

“I’ll come,” I decided, aware that my decision might upset him, but he was treating me as his equal now.

“What could they possibly want?” I asked Kairos as we hurried back to our house in the early morning light, Nathan trailing behind us.

“I’m not sure, but their presence is never a good omen,” he replied. We arrived at the house to find the vampires already inside. Who had let them in?

Kairos pushed the door open but froze, staring at the scene before him.

I followed his gaze, shocked by what I saw. Maeve was chatting with the vampires as if they were old friends.

Our Maeve. What could she possibly have to do with vampires?