I avoided thinking about Kael for exactly three hours.
Which was impressive, considering the revelation currently dismantling every assumption I had about him.
Lycan King.
Not Alpha.
Not rival leader.
Not some dangerous wanderer haunting the edges of pack territory.
A king.
The kind whispered about in old pack stories told during winter storms.
Ancient bloodlines.
Violence.
Power beyond ordinary wolves.
Creatures born to rule through instinct alone.
And somehow—
that terrifying reality fit him perfectly.
I was reorganizing medical trays in supply storage when the door swung open.
“Aurelia.”
I looked up sharply.
Doctor Hale stood there, tablet in hand, expression tense.
“There’s a problem.”
My body reacted instantly.
“What happened?”
“Your wolf patient disappeared.”
I
