Chapter 31 #2
Her heart squeezed. His every word sounded calculated, a deliberate needle meant to provoke. As she watched Jodhar’s face darken, she saw it was working.
Jodhar stepped toward Kaelen, fingers flexing around the hilt of his sword. “Big words for someone who looks like they’ve never seen a real fight.”
He turned to the crowd and spread his arms wide, his voice booming across the caravanserai. “Who wants to see me teach this pretty boy a lesson, huh? Shall I show him what it means to cross a true Alpha?”
Nervous murmurs swelled around them, mingling with the occasional cheer from Jodhar’s mercenary friends. Most of the caravan watched in wary silence, their gazes flicking between the two men with uncertainty.
Kaelen let the silence stretch longer than necessary. He didn’t rush, didn’t react. Instead, he stood there, contemplative, as if weighing his options.
For the briefest moment, Reiya caught his eyes flicking to Elder Tasim.
Finally, he spoke. “If it’s a fight you want, so be it. But know this—I’ve bested men better than you.”
Her grip tightened on Alarik’s arm, nails digging into his skin as her chest rose and fell rapidly. She strove for calm, but fear slipped through the cracks. She knew well enough what Kaelen was doing.
And she knew Jodhar, too—reckless, base, the sort who would strike low without a second thought.
“Alarik, no,” she whispered, her voice unsteady. “This is folly. Call him off, I beg you.”
His jaw tightened, but he gave a small nod, and together, they made their way toward Kaelen. Leaning in, he spoke low, just above the rumble of the gathering crowd.
“We’re leaving Zohara in the morning. Dune Crest is half a day’s ride. Can you not stomach him a little longer, for Yara’s sake?”
Kaelen’s gaze didn’t shift from Jodhar. “If we let him go now, he’ll come back. Again and again.”
Before Alarik could answer, she stepped in. “It’s enough, Kai. The duel might make things worse. Your brother’s right. Let this end here.”
Kaelen at last turned to her, and the chilling calm in his eyes sent a shiver through her bones.
“He insulted you,” he said, his voice low but no less fierce. “He dared to mark you.”
At the reminder, her hand lifted of its own accord to her neck, fingertips brushing the tender, bruised skin.
Alarik’s hand closed firmly over Kaelen’s shoulder. “She is safe—that’s what matters now. If you truly care for her safety, think of what comes after. Jodhar isn’t the sort to bow out quietly—nor with honour.”
Kaelen’s jaw tightened. “All the more reason he must be cast from the caravan at once. Much can go awry before we reach Dune Crest tomorrow.”
Reiya opened her mouth to argue, to say something—anything—to break through Kaelen’s stubborn resolve. But before she could, Jodhar’s voice sliced through the silence.
“Are we fighting, or are you a coward after all?”
Kaelen straightened, his posture relaxed but charged with purpose. “Let it be known I wasn’t the one inviting you to fight.”
The crowd parted further as the two Alphas squared off, the space between them crackling with unspoken challenge. Jodhar sneered, circling Kaelen like a predator sizing up its prey.
“By Rōkuyu’s balls, you’re a pretty one.” His voice was mocking, edged with something darker. “I’ve seen Omegas not even half as fetching as you. Are you a Sunborn, or something?”
“Yes,” Kaelen answered curtly, taking his stance. His voice remained calm, his knuckles white around the hilt of his sword.
The crowd gasped, murmurs rippling through the audience. Jodhar’s eyes widened briefly before he forced a smirk.
“Fucking Sunborn Alpha,” he muttered, the venom thick in his voice. He stepped closer and spat at Kaelen’s feet. “You think being a Sunborn makes you faster, stronger, smarter? I’ll show everyone here you bleed the same, and die the same.”
Kaelen sighed and tilted his head, as though Jodhar’s words were scarcely worth the effort.
“The only thing you reveal is how woefully obsessed you are with me, Jodhar. Try harder—you might yet wring a laugh from me.”
The words hit their mark. Jodhar’s jaw clenched, his fingers twitching toward his sword. The crowd’s murmurs grew louder, a buzzing of curiosity and unease.
Elder Tasim’s voice cracked through the tension, though it trembled slightly. “Enough! Both of you, stand down.”
Reiya sagged with relief as the anxious caravan leader finally stepped into the fray. His eyes darted between Kaelen and Jodhar, as if weighing the risks of his intervention.
“I will not have this kind of spectacle disrupting the caravan. This is a place of order, not chaos,” he said, though his tone wavered with more plea than command.
He glanced between them, pressing his lips into a thin line. “You’ve both made your point. Now let it end.” He shuddered, pointedly eyeing their weapons. “Whoever unsheathes their blade first will be expelled—no exceptions. This is your only warning.”
Reiya bit her lip, glancing between Tasim and Kaelen. He still hadn’t relaxed his stance. Tension still hummed in the air. Silently, she prayed Kaelen would yield—if only to deny Jodhar the satisfaction of drawing him further in.
Kaelen exhaled, finally releasing his grip on his sword. He inclined his head toward the elder, a picture of compliance.
“Understood, Elder. I wouldn’t dream of causing trouble.” His voice was smooth, almost too smooth. His gaze flicked to Jodhar. “I’m sure he feels the same.”
Reiya tensed. There was something in Kaelen’s tone—as if delivering a private joke only he understood.
Jodhar muttered a foul curse but turned on his heel, shoulders rigid.
A flicker of gratitude settled in Reiya’s chest. Maybe this night would end without bloodshed, after all.
Then, Kaelen sighed loudly, his voice a taunt on the wind. “There’s no point picking a fight with someone who’s already lost anyway.”
The words landed like a thunderclap. Her stomach dropped as Jodhar froze mid-step. The air shifted. Tension swung back sky high, and her pulse hammered in her throat.
Jodhar was big and menacing, but he was also reckless, and most of all— stupid . He relied on brute force over strategy, too blinded by his own arrogance to recognize the game Kaelen was playing.
Or maybe he didn’t care, convinced he’d always muscle his way into getting what he wanted.
Precisely what Kaelen had counted on.
Jodhar turned slowly, his expression dark and thunderous.
“Say that again,” he growled.
Kaelen didn’t even bother to face him. Instead, he smirked, tilting his head just enough to be dismissive. Then, without a word, he turned away, posture loose and unhurried, the very image of indifference.
Reiya saw the shift in Jodhar’s stance—the way his hands curled into fists, knuckles whitening. Kaelen might as well have thrown down a gauntlet without lifting a finger.
“Don’t you walk away from me, mutt,” Jodhar snarled.
Kaelen didn’t stop. The moonlight cast long shadows across his back, accentuating the quiet defiance in every unhurried step.
That was the final crack.
Jodhar growled, the sound raw and guttural. His hand shot to his sword, blade sliding free with a hiss.
Elder Tasim’s voice rang out, sharp and panicked. “Stop this at once!”
Too late.
Jodhar lunged, his sword slicing through the air. Chaos erupted around them as the spectators leapt back, steering clear of the fight.
Kaelen was more than ready. He moved like lightning, his scimitar meeting Jodhar’s blade in a sharp metallic clash.
Tasim’s shouts to stop were drowned beneath the fury of steel meeting steel.
Jodhar’s strikes were heavy, fuelled by rage, but Kaelen was faster.
Calculated where his opponent was reckless, precise where he was wild.
Kaelen danced around each attack, his blade a blur as he deflected every swing with effortless precision.
Reiya’s heart pounded as she watched, torn between fear and awe. Kaelen’s expression remained maddeningly calm, almost amused, even as Jodhar’s movements grew more erratic. He was toying with the brute, letting him wear himself down.
“Is this the best you’ve got?” Kaelen taunted, his scimitar catching the firelight as he easily deflected another strike. “No wonder you need to terrorize women to feel important. You can’t intimidate a child.”
Jodhar roared, his composure shattering. He swung wide, overextending.
Kaelen seized the opening.
With a sharp, precise motion, he slipped past Jodhar’s guard and twisted—sending the blade flying from the mercenary’s grip, steel ringing as it struck the ground .
Silence fell.
Jodhar froze, chest heaving, Kaelen’s scimitar hovering dangerously close to his throat.
For a moment, Reiya thought Kaelen might go through with it and spray blood all over the dirt.
No one spoke. Only the sound of the whistling breeze and the dim noise from the market filled the clearing. Jodhar’s pride warred with his survival instincts, his lips curling into a snarl, but the sweat gathering at his brow betrayed his hesitation.
Kaelen’s voice cut through the silence, calm and cold. “Yield. Or do you need me to remind you what happens to men who mistake arrogance for strength?”
Jodhar’s lips parted, but no sound came. His gaze darted toward the crowd, searching for support, but most had averted their eyes. His knuckles flexed, his pride refusing to let him speak.
“Enough!” Elder Tasim’s voice cracked, though his hands still trembled. “Stand down, both of you!”
Kaelen didn’t lower his blade, his eyes never leaving Jodhar. “This fight ends with his expulsion, Elder. I will accept no compromise.” His gaze sharpened. “Or would you rather I take this further?”
Tasim hesitated, his eyes darting nervously between them. “Alpha Kai,” he began, his voice thin, “you’ve both caused enough disruption?—”
“No.” Kaelen’s tone was sharp, final. “You’ve seen what he is. Heard what he’s said. He was hired to protect this caravan, but instead, he’s terrorizing it.” His golden eyes flicked toward Tasim, unyielding. “If you continue to allow it, you’ll be as guilty as he is.”
Jodhar sneered. “You think you can dictate terms here, Sunborn? Tasim hired me, not you.”
Kaelen’s smile returned, razor-sharp. “In that case, he can undo it.”
A murmur rippled through the crowd. Jodhar’s jaw clenched, his hands trembling with restrained fury.
“Expelled?” he spat. “You’d turn on me that easily? After everything I’ve done for this caravan? You think this . . . mutt”—he jerked his chin at Kaelen—“deserves a place here more than I do?”
Tasim flinched but held his ground, his exhaustion plain .
“You’re a fool,” Jodhar muttered, his voice quieter but no less venomous. “You think you’re making the caravan safer, but you’ve just made it weak. Mark my words—you will regret this.”
With a muttered curse, he sheathed his blade and turned sharply on his heel. Reiya watched the crowd parted around him, whispers trailing in his wake. He walked away, but not before giving her a scathing look that lingered for a beat too long.
She clenched her fists, pulse still racing as Kaelen finally returned to their side. His breathing was even, his posture relaxed, but she caught the tension still humming beneath his calm exterior.
He addressed Tasim, “You did the right thing.”
Tasim shook his head, rubbing his temples. “I sure hope so, Alpha Kai. I sure hope so.”
The caravan leader shuffled away, still shaking his head and muttering about ‘hot-headed Alphas’ as he disappeared into the dispersing crowd.
Reiya unclenched her hands, realizing how deeply she’d been digging her nails into her palms.
The weight of stares, especially from Jodhar’s men who’d now lost a leader and a comrade, was palpable, and so was the animosity. She folded her arms across her chest and suppressed a shudder.
No more trouble, she vowed to herself, just until they reached Dune Crest. Surely, she could manage that.
But a small, uneasy voice whispered in the back of her mind: with Jodhar out there, simmering in his anger, nothing was certain.
Kaelen turned to her, his expression softer now, though his eyes still held the last embers of his fury. “Are you alright?”
“Yes,” she said, though her voice wavered. “But I wonder if we should’ve just ignored Jodhar?—”
“No.” Kaelen cut her off gently, his conviction unshakable.
“Jodhar wasn’t going to stop, Yara. Not with you.
If he stayed, he would’ve kept pushing, testing every boundary until we had no choice but to act.
A lot can happen before we part ways tomorrow afternoon.
This was the only way to ensure your safety until then. ”
Reiya swallowed. “And if he comes back?”
Steel edged his smile. “Then he’ll regret that too. ”
Alarik stepped closer, his gaze cautious as he clamped a hand on Kaelen’s shoulder—a mix of encouragement and warning. “Men like Jodhar don’t take humiliation lightly. They aren’t above underhanded means. We must stay vigilant.”
Reiya’s hand instinctively brushed the dagger hidden in her pocket. The crowd had dispersed, the caravanserai had quieted, but the mercenary’s glare still lingered in her mind.
Kaelen might have won this fight, but she knew: the war with Jodhar was far from over.