Chapter Nine: The Fire Within
I should have walked away the moment I saw them.
The moment I saw her leaning in.
Saw the way Keal's lips touched hers—soft, hesitant, like he was afraid of breaking her.
But I didn't walk away.
I couldn't.
Instead, I stood there, hidden just enough in the shadows, watching something I had no right to watch.
Jealousy burned hot in my chest, sharp and unforgiving.
She was ours.
She belonged to both of us.
So why did it feel like she only wanted him?
I clenched my fists, my nails digging into my palms. Keal had always been the softer one, the one people gravitated toward. And I had never cared before.
But this was different.
This was her.
Nora.
The mate who fought us at every turn, the one who challenged me in ways no one else ever had.
And yet, with Keal, she had let her guard down.
I couldn't take it.
I turned sharply on my heel and stalked away before I did something stupid.
---
Back in my office, I barely sat down before calling for Grey.
The Beta arrived within minutes, stepping inside with a questioning look. "Alpha?"
I exhaled sharply, leaning against the desk, rubbing my temples. "I need you to reinforce the patrols, double the night watch, and check the borders yourself."
Grey's brows furrowed. "You think Dorian is planning something?"
"I don't trust him." My jaw tightened. "He walked into our packhouse too easily. And he left too easily."
Grey's expression darkened.
Dorian never did anything without a reason.
If he had come just to see Nora, that meant he wanted something from her.
And I wasn't going to let him take what was mine.
Grey nodded. "I'll take care of it."
As he turned to leave, Keal stepped into the room.
Grey glanced between us before nodding respectfully and shutting the door behind him.
Keal didn't speak right away. He just looked at me, his expression unreadable.
I didn't want to deal with this. Not right now.
I sighed heavily, turning my back to him, running a hand through my hair. "What do you want, Keal?"
A long pause.
Then:
"What's wrong with you?"
I scoffed, shaking my head. "Nothing."
Keal stepped further inside, crossing his arms. "You're angry."
"No, and I think it is not your concern."
"Why?"
I turned to glare at him, his brown eyes locking onto my dark ones. "Don't act like you don't know."
Keal held my gaze, his face unreadable. Then, slowly, realization dawned.
"This is about Nora right?."
I clenched my jaw but didn't respond.
Keal exhaled through his nose. "Killian, she's still figuring things out. Just because she kissed me doesn't mean—"
I let out a sharp laugh. "Doesn't mean what, Keal? That she likes you more than me?" My voice was colder than I intended. "Because that's exactly what it looked like. She is my fucking mate as well."
Keal sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "You need to give her time."
I narrowed my eyes. "She doesn't need time, Keal. She's already chosen."
Keal frowned. "That's not true."
I clenched my fists, the fire inside me burning hotter.
I wasn't used to feeling like this—this insecurity, this raw, gnawing jealousy.
Keal had always been the one who calmed me, the one who balanced out my fire with his quiet patience.
But right now?
I didn't want to be calmed.
I wanted to scream out all my anger.
Keal sighed again. "You're being unreasonable."
"Maybe," I muttered, stepping past him. "But I don't care."
Keal called my name, but I ignored him.
I needed to clear my head.
I needed to get away.
But fate had other plans.
Just as I turned the corner, I nearly ran straight into her.
Nearly making her lose her balance.
---
She froze, her blue eyes widening slightly as she looked up at me.
I tensed, my body still buzzing with irritation, frustration—everything I didn't want to feel.
For a second, neither of us moved.
Then she blinked, tilting her head. "What's your problem? You almost knocked me to the ground. Are you ok?"
I let out a humorless chuckle. "What, you care now?"
Her brows pulled together, something flashing across her face—confusion? Annoyance? Maybe both.
"I don't care," she said flatly. "You just look… pissed."
I scoffed, stepping back slightly. "Guess that makes two of us."
She narrowed her eyes, crossing her arms. "Oh, so now I'm pissed? That's news to me."
I clenched my jaw. "If you're not, you should be."
She blinked. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?"
I exhaled sharply, shaking my head. "Forget it. I have important things to do."
I started to walk past her, but she stepped in front of me.
I stopped short, my dark eyes flashing.
"Nora." My voice was a warning.
But she didn't back down.
She never did.
She lifted her chin, meeting my gaze without hesitation. "What is your problem, Killian?"
I let out a low growl, my patience snapping. "You really don't know?"
She frowned. "If I did, I wouldn't be asking, genius. Just spit it out."
Something about the way she said it—so unbothered, so completely clueless—only made my frustration boil over.
I stepped closer, towering over her, my voice low.
"You want to know what my problem is, little mate?"
She swallowed but didn't move away.
"I'm tired of you acting like we don't exist to you," I growled. "Like you can pick and choose between us."
Her lips parted slightly, surprise flashing in her eyes.
"You belong to both of us, Nora," I continued, my voice dark. "Not just Keal."
Something flickered across her face—guilt? Uncertainty?
I didn't know.
And right now, I didn't care.
I took a slow step back, exhaling sharply.
"I won't beg you to accept me," I muttered. "I don't have time for that."
Then, without another word, I walked past her.
Leaving her standing there in the hall, staring after me.