Chapter2
1125 Words
Kael’s POV
My wolf was excited.
He surged through my veins like wildfire, thrilled beyond reason that we had finally found her. He ran inside me, paws pounding, chest puffed out in triumph, purring like a creature drunk on destiny. The bond hummed between us, new and electric, vibrating with life.
I envied him.
In moments like this, I wished I could surrender to instinct as easily as he did. While my wolf reveled in fulfilled fate, I was shackled by thought, responsibility, and dread. How could the Moon Goddess make such a choice? A human as the Alpha’s mate? A human Luna?
Impossible.
The pack would never accept it, the elders would see it as weakness, the rival packs would see opportunity. A human at my side would be a c***k in Nightfall’s armor, one they would exploit without mercy.
I hadn’t run far from where I first found her. My body moved on instinct while my mind spiraled, replaying the moment her eyes had met mine, the way the bond had snapped into place so violently it nearly brought me to my knees.
Then it happened.
Pain lanced through my chest, sharp and sudden, like claws dragging across my heart. I skidded to a halt, breath punching from my lungs.
Fear.
Confusion.
Weakness.
And beneath it, something raw, primal, intoxicating.
My mate.
Something was wrong.
I turned immediately, abandoning every other thought as my wolf fought to take over as I ran forward, senses flaring. I followed her scent, stronger now, mixed with panic and fear. The forest blurred around me as I ran, branches whipping past, earth pounding beneath my feet.
I found her at the base of the oak.
Curled in on herself. Unconscious, skin pale, breath shallow.
My wolf nearly snapped.
A snarl ripped up my throat, vicious and feral, echoing through the trees. It took everything I had to restrain him, to keep from shifting, from tearing the forest apart in blind fury.
Not yet.
Not until she was safe.
I dropped beside her, hands trembling only slightly as I checked her pulse. It was there, fragile, fluttering, but alive.
Relief hit me so hard my knees nearly gave out.
“Easy,” I murmured, though I didn’t know if I was speaking to her or my wolf. “I’ve got you.”
I lifted her carefully, cradling her against my chest. She weighed almost nothing, yet she felt monumental, like the axis of my entire existence had shifted into my arms. Heat radiated from her skin, her scent wrapping around me, sinking deep into my senses. She is mine.
The pull was maddening.
I could feel everything, her fear, her confusion, the echo of her heartbeat syncing dangerously close to my own. She didn’t know what she was to me. And I couldn’t overwhelm her. Not now, not ever.
I carried her through the forest, moving swiftly but carefully, shielding her from low branches and uneven ground. The wind brushed her hair from her face, revealing soft features drawn tight with exhaustion.
My wolf paced, restless, possessive, but I whispered to him in the old tongue, the words flowing instinctively.
Calm, she is ours, she is safe.
When she stirred, it was faint—a soft groan, lashes fluttering as consciousness crept back.
“Calm,” I murmured immediately, lowering my voice, grounding it. “Breathe, mate. You’re safe.”
Her eyes opened slowly, unfocused at first. Confusion clouded them as she shifted in my arms, panic flickering.
“Where… where am I?” she whispered.
I stopped and knelt, keeping her close. I pressed a finger gently to her lips, the contact sending a spark straight through me.
“Quiet,” I said softly. “You passed out in the woods. I brought you here.”
My voice rumbled, thick with restrained power. She flinched—not in fear of me, but of what she felt. Her body reacted before her mind could catch up, a shiver rippling through her.
My wolf curled tighter in my chest, deeply aware of her, claiming without marking. The need was there, sharp and demanding, but I locked it down.
She was human. Fragile. Unprepared.
Yet she stirred something in me older than Nightfall itself.
“I… I don’t understand,” she said, hands twitching like she wanted to flee but couldn’t.
“You will,” I promised quietly. “I’m not here to hurt you. Not in the way you fear.”
I lowered her carefully onto the ground near the border of Nightfall territory, just outside where patrols would sense us. Safe, hidden.
“I’m not here to own you,” I continued. “I’ll take it slow. I’ll teach you what it means to be loved—loved the way a human wants to be loved.”
Her blue eyes searched mine, torn between fear and something deeper. I could smell it—curiosity, attraction, instinct awakening.
“You… Do you want to love me?” she asked, voice barely sound.
“Yes,” I said, truth bare and unguarded. “But we must be careful. The pack cannot know. Not yet. They would never accept a human as my mate. Our bond must remain a secret. Only us.”
Her breath hitched.
“What do you mean…pack? Human?” Fear crept into her voice. “I don’t understand.”
“You will,” I said gently. “One step at a time.”
A presence behind me snapped my attention sharp.
Lucien stepped into the clearing, posture relaxed but alert, eyes scanning before landing on us.
“Alpha,” he said smoothly. “The perimeter is secure. No rogues nearby.”
I straightened slowly. His gaze flicked to her, curiosity sharp but controlled.
“She is…” I hesitated for only a moment. “My mate.”
Shock flared across his face. “A human? Alpha, that—”
“It is the Moon Goddess’s will,” I cut in, voice steel. “And it remains secret. Understood?”
Lucien nodded. Loyalty overrode disbelief.
“Now,” I said. “We return her to her friends.”
The walk back was tense. Her hand trembled in mine, her instincts fighting her reason. When we reached the campsite, her friends rushed forward in relief.
I let her go.
“Thank you,” she whispered, looking back at me.
“You’re safe,” I said. “Go.”
She hesitated, then turned away.
As she disappeared, my wolf growled softly, possessive and aching.
She was human.
She was mine.
And the Moon Goddess never makes mistakes.
But the night whispered a warning.
Lucien lingered beside me,
loyal… yet I caught the faint scent of ambition.
My wolf noticed too.
- Writer
