Imani
"Your parents arrived a short while ago, and your father is asking for you. Also, he has called an emergency meeting. All the Elders have arrived, and the Alphas of the Four packs are on their way, too," Orrin replied. They expect your presence within the hour."
"Of course they do." Cassiel nodded. "I'll be there."
Orrin's eyes flicked to me, then away quickly, as if he was afraid to look directly at me. He retreated with another bow.
We continued deeper into the palace. Each corridor was grander than the last. Crystal chandeliers hung from arched ceilings. Statues of men who resembled Cassiel lined the hallways. Some were poised for battle; others stood sentinel, their stone eyes following us as we passed.
I couldn't stop staring. The place was magnificent—ancient and futuristic all at once. Torches burned alongside what looked like electric lights, and ancient weapons hung beside technology I didn't recognize.
I was so absorbed in the sights that I walked right into Cassiel when he stopped. He steadied me with a hand on my arm, an amused smile playing at his lips.
"Stop acting like you've never seen the palace before," he said. "You practically live here. You also work here."
I opened my mouth to argue but caught myself. Something wasn't right. This man thought he knew me—the real me—not just some woman who'd fallen from a building in New York.
"Sorry," I said instead. "It's been a strange day."
"Indeed." His eyes searched my face. "Come. You need rest."
He led me down a quieter hallway lined with wooden doors. We stopped at one marked with a simple bronze plaque.
He produced a key and unlocked it, pushing the door open and stepping aside so that I could enter first.
The room was spacious but not extravagant. A large bed with deep blue covers covered one wall. A wooden desk sat beneath a window that overlooked mountains. Bookshelves lined another wall, filled with leather-bound books—if this was ancient times, didn't they use scrolls?
A fireplace occupied the fourth wall, which was already lit and warming the room.
It wasn't the penthouse on Fifth Avenue, but it had a cozy charm.
"This will be your room until I find a solution to save you from being executed," Cassiel said, closing the door behind us.
The click of the latch sealing us in made my stomach tighten. We were alone and it suddenly felt awkward. I turned to face him, keeping the desk between us.
"So…," I started saying
But Cassiel had already crossed the room to where I was standing behind the desk and without warning, he cupped my face, tilting it upward as his lips crashed down on mine.
***
The kiss caught me entirely off guard. His mouth was hot and demanding, and his hands moved all over my body with a familiarity I didn't understand. For a moment, I was too stunned to react.
Then, my instincts kicked in. I shoved hard against his chest stumbling backwards from the impact.
"What the hell?" I gasped.
He froze, confusion and desire clouding his eyes. "Imani?"
"How dare you kiss me or touch me without my consent? I am a married woman…" I paused realizing what I was saying. "Well, not married anymore, but you ought to treat me with dignity."
He moved to hold me, but I moved past him and past the desk, putting enough distance between us.
"Don't come close to me!" I wiped my mouth with the back of my hand. "Else, I would scream and everyone would know how much of a scum their Alpha is."
He looked at me like I'd slapped him. "What's wrong with you? You've been acting strange since the arena."
"Me, acting strange? You kissed me out of nowhere!"
"Out of nowhere?" His voice rose in disbelief. "You're my mate, Imani. From the first day I saw you, we knew. I smelt you out, and you me. Have you forgotten?"
"What?"
"Is this some kind of game?" he took a step towards me, his eyes searching mine. "Because if it is, your timing is terrible. I have a dragon king threatening to take you, and I'm sure the Elders are about to question my leadership. I don't have time for whatever this is."
I didn't know what to say. Whoever Cassiel thought that I was, they must have been intimately involved.
"I'm not who you think I am," I said slowly.
He laughed without humor. "Clearly."
"No, I mean literally." I took a deep breath. "My name is Imani Marlowe. I died in New York in 2023. I woke up tied to that post in the arena. I don't know which version of Imani you know. I don't know you. I don't know what a werewolf is beyond horror movies."
Cassiel's expression shifted from anger to concern. "Did you hit your head? During the escape? Your name is Imani Valeris and not Mar…"
"No!" I ran a hand through my hair in frustration. "Look, I know how this sounds. But I'm telling you the truth. I died. I remember dying. And then I woke up here."
He studied me for a long moment. "Memory loss can happen during intense heat cycles, but total personality change..." He trailed off, then reached for me again.
I flinched. "Don't."
He ignored me, placing his palm against my forehead. "No fever," he murmured.
"I'm not sick. I'm not confused. I'm not your Imani."
He narrowed his eyes at me, "If you're not Imani Valeris, my Imani, then who are you?"
"Imani Marlowe," I replied. "The same first names but a different surname."
He stared at me for a few seconds before inhaling deeply.
"My love," he came to stand in front of me with pleading eyes. "You don't have to lie just to make me feel bad. I know you're my Imani. I'm sorry; I swear by the goddess I wanted to tell you who I truly am, but I kept putting it off. You're the first woman who has ever loved me for myself and not my rank."
I arch my brow at him with a scoff. "You see! I think you've got the wrong person," I say, walking away from him to the other part of the room. I couldn't bear his intense stares "I would only fall in love with a man for his rank."
He came after me shaking his head. "I know you're still angry, and I would give you all the time you need to forgive me, but I'm sorry. I'm also sorry for today. I'm sorry I came late. I'm sorry for everything. The thought of what could have happened if Rhaziel and his dragon hadn't saved you..." He shook his head. From now on, I'll protect you."
"Or I could just go back splattered on the pavement of Fifth Avenue, that seems like a better option compared to this chaos."
Why didn't you tell me about your uncontrollable heat?"
"Uncontrollable heat?"I turn to him, wondering what he's yapping about now. "I only discovered a moment ago that I had uncontrollable heat."
"You should have told me, Imani," Cassiel said softly, "Besides, why would you serve at the gathering yesterday without taking a suppressant? Do you have that?"
"What the fuck are you talking about?" I was getting impatient now. "What suppressant? I said I didn't know. Why are you trying to gaslight me into…"
My eyes had strayed to my reflection in the mirror behind Cassiel and screamed in shock, pointing at the image.
He rushed to my side immediately and holds me. "What's wrong?"
"Wh-Who is that?"