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CHAPTER 21
~Rhiannon's POV~
Kael's Chambers
When I opened my eyes, the first thing I saw was soft, golden light seeping through the cracks in the curtains. The second thing I felt was a sense of weight.
Heavy, protective and familiar presence all around me in an instant.
My lashes fluttered as the haze cleared, and I blinked slowly. My heartbeat was now in a regular rhythm.
There were no more crashing waves of voices, no more pressure against my skull, just… blessed, blissful silence.
Then came the warmth of skin near mine. Breath.
And five pairs of eyes stared down at me like I'd been gone for years.
Kael was kneeling beside the bed, one hand wrapped gently around my wrist, like he'd been holding it for hours. His brow was furrowed so tightly it looked like it hadn't eased since the moment I blacked out.
Darian hovered just behind him, arms crossed but tense, as if unsure whether to stand guard or pull me into his arms.
Riven stood stiffly by the window, facing outward, but the flicker in his aura gave him away—he was listening to every breath I took.
Talon leaned on the opposite side of the bed; his usually sharp features were indistinct, save for the soft crease between his brows.
Lucien sat at the edge of the bed, one hand still resting near my foot like he needed contact to convince himself I was real.
I tried to sit up.
"Easy," Kael murmured, rising slightly to help me. "Don't force it."
I let them fuss over me—just this once.
"I'm… okay," I said softly, though my throat was dry.
"You passed out," Lucien went ahead to explain in a hushed tone. "Right in front of everyone in the damned room."
"You scared us," Talon added, observing me as he crossed his arms.
I met Kael's eyes, and the weight in his gaze anchored me as, the ache in my head dull but manageable.
"Do you feel pain anywhere?" Riven asked, his voice clipped with concern.
I shook my head. "No. Just… tired. Drained."
I looked around again. The curtains were heavier. The room felt colder, slightly familiar but not mine.
"Where am I?"
"Kael's chambers," Talon answered. "We brought you here after you passed out."
I blinked. "For how long?"
Lucien leaned forward. "You've been out since yesterday."
My mouth parted. "Yesterday? What time is it now?"
"Almost four in the morning," Darian answered, checking the faint glow of the wall clock. "Just before dawn."
A small gasp left me as I tried to sit up fully, only for Kael's hand to steady me again.
"What… what happened?" My voice came out small.
The room was quiet for a beat.
Then Talon shrugged. "You fainted. Mid-clebration. Said something about 'voices' and 'too loud' right before you dropped like a cut thread."
Kael shifted beside me. His hand was still on my arm. "We think it was the pressure. Our auras, all of us. You were caught in it."
His voice was rougher now, like guilt had scraped the edges of it raw. "I should've pulled back. I should've known it would be too much. I'm… We're sorry."
I looked at him, really looked. This wasn't the commanding alpha from the Council hall or the man who had stomped into my room just hours before my collapse. This was Kael stripped bare and quietly shaken.
"I'm sorry," he said again, softer. "If I… if I hurt you."
"It wasn't just that," I whispered.
His brows drew. "What do you mean?"
I hesitated.
Because I heard everything.
All their thoughts, rage, desire, and doubts. A tidal wave of emotion, of voices that weren't mine.
But I couldn't tell them, so instead, I pivoted.
"Where are the other alphas?" I asked. "Aiden. Solaris. Did they… did they hurt anyone?"
The shift in the room was immediate.
Lucien's face flattened. Riven's eyes narrowed. Talon stiffened.
"They're gone," Lucien said. "Escorted out just before sunrise."
"They didn't leave," Riven added with a sneer. "They were made to."
Kael leaned forward and handed me a folded cloth from the nightstand. "They won't be coming back anytime soon."
The finality in his voice said everything I needed to know.
I nodded, gripping the cloth as if it could keep me sane. That meeting… it wasn't just a display of power. It had been a warning. And I was the match that almost lit the room on fire.
My gaze wandered across the walls—the grand furnishings, a table lined with maps and documents. This wasn't the velvet-draped suite they'd given me before.
"I would love to return to my room…" I muttered under my breath.
Before I could say more or anyone had a chance to speak, a knock sounded at the chamber door.
Kael's head lifted immediately. "Come."
Soren stepped inside, eyes scanning the room. His expression darkened slightly when he saw me upright, but he offered a nod of acknowledgement.
"Forgive the interruption, my Lords," he said. "But a message has just come from the Council."
Kael's jaw flexed. "Speak."
Soren's gaze flicked to me. "Lady Rhiannon has been summoned."
"What?" Talon voiced before he could stop himself.
"She is to appear before the Council at noon today… not a request."
Lucien swore under his breath.
"What now?" Darian growled.
Talon said nothing, but the tension in his stance doubled.
I met Soren's eyes. "Did they say why?"
"No, my lady," he said carefully. "Only that it concerns your presence in the pack—and your potential danger or influence among the Alphas."
Every muscle in my body locked.
"What?" I whispered.
Kael turned halfway, meeting my eyes. His gaze darkened. "When?" he asked again.
"Noon, Alpha," Soren answered. "They said it isn't a request."
Lucien muttered a curse. Darian's hand dragged down his face, and Talon's jaw tightened as his fists clenched at his sides.
Meanwhile, Kael's hand found mine again. "Then we go with her."
Soren hesitated. "That... wasn't part of the message. The Alphas won't be in attendance, and…"
"I don't give a damn," Kael said coldly. "She doesn't stand before them alone. If they feel she bewitched us, then what better way than to be present to prove otherwise?"
Subconsciously, I squeezed his hand, then looked at the others—my mates. Their wolves were stirred, their faces hard, their posture protective.
Deep in my mind, I heard Rayvn caution me.
"They don't want to question you. They want to judge you."