Sold to Bastard Alpha after My Divorce! novel Chapter 23

Chapter 23: Chapter 23

Aria’s POV

A roar split the night.

Finn’s grip loosened. Just for a second. But it was enough.

I twisted free. Stumbled backward. Hit the ground hard.

When my eyes found Kael, my pulse stopped completely.

He stood at the edge of the park. Moonlight carved his silhouette into something almost mythical. He wore a perfectly tailored dark shirt, the collar slightly open, revealing the sharp lines of his collarbone. Wealth and elegance radiated from him in waves.

But his eyes—those black-gold eyes—burned with something primal. Something dangerous.

Fenrir.

His wolf was close to the surface. I could feel it. Could sense the raw power rolling off him in suffocating waves.

My chest tightened with something I couldn’t name.

"Did I not tell you," Kael said, his voice low and deadly, "to stay away from my mate?"

The words hit like thunder.

Finn went still. His bloody nose was already healing, but the humiliation on his face was permanent.

"Your mate?" Finn laughed. The sound was high. Nervous. "She was my wife for five years. MY marked mate. You think a few days of playing house changes that?" 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝚠𝕖𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝕖𝚕.𝚌𝗼𝗺

Kael didn’t respond. He just walked forward. Slow. Deliberate. Each step made the air heavier.

I scrambled to my feet. Pressed my back against the tree. Watched.

"You have three seconds," Kael said, "to get out of my sight."

"Or what?" Finn straightened. Tried to look confident. Failed. "You’ll fight me over an Omega? The great Kael Blood Crown, heir to the most powerful pack in Meridian Territory, picking a battle over Shadow Moon trash?"

Kael stopped. Right in front of Finn. Close enough to touch.

The size difference was almost comical. Kael was taller. Broader. Every inch of him screamed Alpha dominance.

"One." Kael’s voice was calm. Almost bored.

Finn’s face paled.

"Two."

"This isn’t over!" Finn stumbled backward. His composure cracking. "She’s mine! She’ll always be—"

"Three."

Kael moved.

I didn’t even see it. One second Finn was standing. The next, he was on his knees. Kael’s hand wrapped around his throat. Lifting him. Squeezing.

"Let me be perfectly clear." Kael’s voice dropped to a whisper. Somehow more terrifying than any shout. "If you touch her again. If you look at her. If you even think her name. I will end you. "

Finn choked. His face turned purple. His hands clawed uselessly at Kael’s grip.

"Nod if you understand."

A jerky, desperate nod.

Kael dropped him.

Finn collapsed. Gasping. Coughing. Clutching his throat.

"Go."

One word. Final. Absolute.

Finn scrambled to his feet. He shot me one last look—hatred and something else.

Then he ran. Toward his car. The engine roared to life. Tires screeched. And then he was gone. Swallowed by the night.

Silence descended.

Kael stood there. His back to me. His shoulders rising and falling with controlled breaths.

I couldn’t move. Couldn’t speak. My legs were jelly. My throat still ached from Finn’s grip.

Slowly, Kael turned.

Those black-gold eyes found mine. The rage was fading. Replaced by something I couldn’t read.

"Are you hurt?"

I opened my mouth. Nothing came out.

He crossed the distance between us in three strides. His hand came up. Hesitated. Then brushed against my cheek. Light as air.

"Aria. Are you hurt?"

"No," I managed. My voice was raw. Wrecked. "I’m okay. I think."

Something flickered in Kael’s expression. Pain? Anger? I couldn’t tell.

"Come on." He stepped back. Held out his hand. "We’re leaving."

We walked through the park in silence. Toward the street where Kael’s car waited.

He opened the passenger door for me. Waited until I was seated. Then walked around and slid behind the wheel.

The engine purred to life.

"Thank you," I finally said. The words felt inadequate. Tiny. But I needed to say them. "For everything. The bail. Coming to find me. Dealing with Finn."

Kael’s eyes stayed on the road. His profile was sharp in the darkness. Beautiful in a way that made my chest ache.

"I’m used to helping those in need. Nothing special."

The words stung.

Sharp. Unexpected. A knife slipping between my ribs.

I pressed my lips together. Swallowed the pain.

"I know," I said quietly. "But still. Thank you."

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