Chapter 137: Clash in the Pack House
Josie
I didn’t think I’d ever get used to how Kiel made me feel. His touch lingered even after he pulled away, and the warmth of his presence clung to me like the last golden rays of sunlight refusing to fade into night. I felt whole when I was with him, like the broken parts of me had finally been pieced together in the right order.
But that happiness dimmed the second we stepped back into the pack house.
The lights flickered on at once, harsh and blinding after the comfort of the night outside. My heart stilled in my chest when I saw her.
Michelle.
She was sitting in the center of the room as if she had been waiting, perched stiffly on the couch like some unwelcome vulture. She looked as though she had just returned from hell itself—hair messy, eyes hard, and a bitterness that clung to her like a second skin.
The air froze between us.
I turned my head toward Kiel, and the sight of him made my pulse quicken. His jaw tightened, eyes burning with anger so raw it seemed to sear through the room. I could see the muscle in his cheek twitching as he fought to keep his fury contained.
"She’s still here?" His voice was low, lethal, and deliberate. "Why the fuck can’t she just leave us alone?"
Michelle’s lips curled into a cruel smile, one that made my stomach turn. "And you’re not ashamed, Kiel?" she spat, her voice sharp enough to cut. "You dragged your pregnant woman into prison and now you stand here, in front of everyone, arranging some sham marriage as though it’s worth celebrating?"
The crowd that had gathered at the edges of the room went silent. I felt every pair of eyes shift between us like they were watching a show they weren’t supposed to see.
Kiel’s hands clenched into fists. He took a step forward, rage radiating from him, but instinct kicked in before I could think. I grabbed his arm, my fingers tightening around his bicep.
"Don’t," I whispered, even as my own anger simmered beneath my skin.
Kiel froze at my touch, chest heaving as though he were holding himself back for me.
So I moved instead. I stepped forward, directly into Michelle’s line of fire, and the woman’s eyes locked on mine instantly. She glared at me with open hatred, as though my very existence was an insult carved into her skin.
"Look down," I said, my voice steady though my pulse raced. "You don’t get to look into my eyes. I am the future Luna of this pack. You have no right."
A hiss left Michelle’s lips. She tilted her chin defiantly, refusing to obey. "You’re deluding yourself," she snapped. "You’re nothing but a placeholder. You don’t even belong in this conversation, Josie, because you’re irrelevant."
Her words were knives, but I refused to let them cut me. Before I could answer, Kiel’s voice cracked through the tension like thunder.
"You will speak to Josie with respect." His fury was tangible now, every word drenched in Alpha dominance. "Who the hell let you in here?"
Michelle’s laugh was bitter, hollow, ugly. "No one can stop me. I am the mother of the Alpha’s son—the future heir. This house is as much mine as it is yours. I will come and go whenever I damn well please."
The audacity of her words made my blood boil.
"Enough." I cut through her tirade, stepping closer so that the gap between us shrank to just a few feet. Her glare burned hotter, but I didn’t falter. "You will listen to me, Michelle. I don’t care whose child you carried—what you’ve done is vile. You will not walk into this pack house and spit your poison while I stand here alive. Not to me. Not to Kiel. Not to anyone."
The crowd around us murmured in shock at my boldness, but I didn’t waver.
"You think having Kiel’s child makes you untouchable?" My voice sharpened, every syllable meant to strike. "It doesn’t. All it makes you is a shameful mother who should be hiding her face instead of flaunting her disgrace in front of everyone."
Gasps rippled through the room, but I didn’t stop.
"You don’t belong here, Michelle. Not in this house. Not in this pack."
Her face twisted with fury. "How dare you—"
"Your time is up." I cut her off, my tone final and unyielding. I turned toward the guards stationed at the doors. "Escort her out."
The men immediately stepped forward, but Michelle’s defiance only grew. She squared her shoulders, her voice shrill. "I’m not going anywhere!"
Kiel’s growl vibrated through the room, low and dangerous. He stepped up beside me, his dominance radiating like a storm about to break. "Then you’ll be dragged out," he said, his voice like steel. "And trust me, Michelle, I’ll enjoy it."
For the first time, I saw her falter. Her eyes darted between us, searching for some crack in our resolve. She found none.
"You’re a disgrace, Michelle," I said coldly, my voice steady though my chest trembled with the force of my emotions. "I am ashamed of you. I don’t ever want to have anything to do with you again."
The guards closed in, and though she kicked and cursed, they forced her toward the door. Her shrieks echoed through the pack house until they were finally swallowed by the slam of the door shutting behind her.
Silence fell heavy in the aftermath.
I turned back toward Kiel. His expression was hard, but his eyes... his eyes betrayed the weight pressing down on him. His shoulders slumped slightly, as though the fight had drained more from him than he wanted to admit.
"How am I supposed to get that woman out of my life?" he asked, his voice quieter now, heavy with something that felt dangerously close to despair.
I stepped into him without hesitation, placing my hands against his chest. His heart thudded beneath my palms, steady but burdened.
"You don’t need to figure it out," I told him firmly. "Because I will. From now on, I’ll handle this. You’ve carried her shadow long enough, Kiel. It ends here."
His gaze softened, and for the first time since we walked in, I saw a flicker of peace in his eyes.
And I meant every word.