Chapter 71: I have nothing to fear
Yuki’s breath stalled the moment Alexander mentioned the Trial. Her fingers tightened around the silver spoon resting beside her plate. The polished metal felt strangely cold against her skin, yet the sensation barely registered. Her stomach twisted into a tight knot that refused to loosen.
Alexander remained composed as though he were discussing nothing more than the day’s schedule. His calm gaze shifted from Yuki to his sons before settling on the eldest.
"When is the Trial?" Killian asked, placing his cutlery neatly on the edge of his plate. His voice remained even, though the faint tightening of his jaw betrayed the tension beneath his calm exterior.
"This evening," Alexander answered without hesitation. "The festival fell on the full moon. Tonight is only the second night afterwards, and the moon is still nearly full. The conditions are ideal."
Silence settled over the table. Waiting any longer would mean postponing the Trial until the next lunar cycle, almost twenty-eight days away. None of them wanted this uncertainty lingering for another month.
Yuki lowered her gaze to her untouched breakfast. She had expected the Trial eventually, but not so soon. The reality of standing before the Pack Council in only a few hours made her appetite disappear completely.
Killian’s sapphire eyes flickered briefly before returning to their usual unreadable calm. Alexander noticed every subtle reaction around the table. His fingers wrapped around his coffee mug while conflicting thoughts crossed his mind.
If circumstances had been different, none of this would have happened.
If not for the Ravencourt curse, Eloise would have remained the obvious choice. She had been raised from childhood to become Luna. Her family possessed influence that extended across the territories Ravencourt had absorbed over generations.
There were a lot of powerful families from those old packs’ territories although they respected the family they could not be controlled by sheer strength but by respect.
The future suddenly looked far more complicated.
"Until the Trial is complete," Alexander said firmly, "I expect all of you to remain within the Alpha Residence."
Killian finally looked up.
"I have an acquisition contract to finalise with the Alpha of Ashbourne Pack," he stated. "The meeting has already been delayed because of the festival."
"I understand its importance," Alexander replied evenly. " I will personally explain the situation to him. This is a matter of the future of the pack and worth much more than a mere couple of millions."
"One hundred and fifty million," Killian corrected in a dry voice. Irritation flickered behind his composed expression. "That contract is worth one hundred and fifty million."
He was not annoyed that his work would be delayed, he was more annoyed by the fact that he might be stuck under the same roof as Yuki with her pheromones that were practically everywhere.
Fake bond or not. He was an alpha with an insane libido being close to a new unclaimed mate whose pheromones were out of place could force him into a rut to claim her.
Alexander dismissed him immediately. "This family’s personal assets are close to a trillion. We can handle a little loss of one hundred and fifty million although I am certain the Ashbourne Pack will not pull out. We have been doing business for over twenty years now." He said firmly leaving almost no room for argument.
"Stay indoors. You can have guests but I advise you not to. We do not want any excuse for the outcome."
The dining room fell silent instantly. Killian went silent. "Are there any other complaints?" Alexander asked out loud. They said nothing. Yuki decided to speak up.
"Alpha," she chirped. "Is there anything I am required to do in preparation for the trial?" She inquired politely.
"No there is not," Alexander said. Her lips pressed into a thin line then she turned back to her breakfast. The lavish spread felt bland in her mouth. She only chewed and swallowed methodically until the awkward meal ended.
Shockingly none of the triplets burst out of the room. As soon as Alexander dabbed his lips and stood up all eyes snapped to him. Aevia who was practically the only one with an appetite was also done. She stood up ready to leave with Alexander.
"I hope you all handle this responsibly so this farce can end soon." He said then turned for the door. The dining doors clicked behind him leaving Yuki and the triplets at the table. None of the brothers were still eating. Yuki’s head was bowed as she methodically cut her pancake into small pieces.
She heard the chairs screech against the floor but she did not glance up. Kaden’s mocking voice immediately cut through. "I hope you are not scared." He snickered. "It is not too late to admit what you did before being humiliated in front of the pack."
Yuki did not stop what she was doing. She was nervous but scared. It was far-fetched. She had never done anything to be scared of. She took a small bite of her food on her fork and chewed slowly.
"From the look of things I am not the one scared," she said.
"Those are just arrogant words." Kaden pushed. She glanced up meeting all three pairs of blue eyes staring at her with varying emotions. It was interesting how Kaden was always the most verbal of all three while the rest observed mostly.
"Arrogant," she repeated. "You of all people would know if I am scared or not. Even if our bond is incomplete you can feel high emotions I cannot hide." She explained and their faces changed.
"Do you feel fear in me?" she asked. The only thing she felt was nervousness which was not strong enough for them to feel.
Killian crossed his arms and arched his brows. "You are good with words." It sounded like praise but she knew better. "Who knows if you are that good at shielding your emotions?"
Yuki smiled at his words.
"Oh really, if that is the case then I am better at shielding than you." Something flickered across their faces. She was bluffing but it seemed like she struck the nail on the head.
"The ones who are scared are not me but you." They could not even hide their reactions. They tried to deny it but doubt filled their faces. Their wolves were trained. They suspected it was a bluff but what if she was telling the truth?
Killian chuckled. "I hope you keep that confidence till tonight." He stated and then marched out of the room. Kaden’s jaw gritted, his gaze burned into her. In the end, he snorted then walked out leaving just Kieran in the room.
Yuki ignored him and continued eating but he kept staring at her. That calm gaze was putting her on edge. Her head snapped up.
"Are you going to just stare? Eloise will not be happy you are staring at someone else." She smiled at her outburst but it did not reach his eyes.
"You should be careful of Killian." Her eyes went wide surprised by his warning. Kieran continued. "Killian is not like Kaden and me. Ruthless does not describe him. Do not mistake his silence for kindness." Kieran said his final piece then left the room.
It left her completely unsettled. She tried to continue eating but that sheer warning gave her chills.
After breakfast, Yuki did not head back to her room. Since she was not doing anything today she decided to take a tour around the mansion. She knew the triplets were most likely locked away avoiding her so she was not scared of running into them.
The mansion was enormous although the Obsidian Palace was endless, the alpha residence was anything but small. It had at least four floors with multiple wings. While exploring a foreign wing her nose caught something. She did not know how to describe it aside from the fact that it was extremely hard to ignore.
Her feet moved on their own following the scent. She could hear the distant sound of running water drawing closer which made her genuinely curious. She arrived at an enclosed walkway which led to a separate smaller building close to the surrounding woods. She strode down the walkway until she got to the door.
There were no servants in sight and the scent was very strong here. Her skin buzzed. She slowly pushed the door open and steam welcomed her. It was a bathhouse. Heavy breathing rang through the empty space then her eyes fell on a figure seated in the pool close to the fountain completely immersed in water, his head leaning against the pool wall.
Killian. His eyes were tightly shut like he was in pain and the moment Yuki stepped in his eyes snapped open with so much hunger that Yuki stumbled backwards.
He was having a rut.
