CHAPTER SEVEN: WHEN THE WOLVES ANSWER
1132 Words
Pain was not new to Seraphina.
She had learned that quickly in Blackthorn territory—learned it in bruises and scraped skin, in aching muscles and sleepless nights. Pain had become a companion. A teacher.
But this pain—
This was different.
It started deep in her bones.
Seraphina gasped, fingers digging into the stone floor of the inner training chamber as fire tore through her spine. The room was circular, carved directly into the mountain, runes etched into the walls to contain power gone wild.
Kael stood several paces away.
Watching.
Waiting.
“You’re fighting it,” he said sharply.
“I’m not,” she choked. “I don’t know how not to.”
Her body arched as another wave slammed through her—heat and pressure, like something trying to claw its way out of her skin. Her wolf, silent her entire life, stirred violently now.
Awakening.
The bond flared in response.
Kael’s jaw tightened as he felt it—felt her pain echo through his chest like a blade twisting between his ribs.
“Breathe,” he ordered. “Slow. Controlled.”
She laughed weakly. “Easy for you to say.”
“This will kill you if you panic,” he snapped.
That got her attention.
Her breathing stuttered, then slowed—ragged but deliberate. She pressed her forehead to the stone, focusing on the sound of his voice.
“Again,” Kael said, softer now. “Breathe again.”
The pressure built.
Her vision blurred.
And then—
Something snapped.
Seraphina screamed.
Her back bowed violently as her bones shifted—cracking, reshaping, burning. She collapsed fully, clutching herself as agony ripped through every nerve ending.
Kael moved before he could stop himself.
He was at her side in an instant, dropping to his knees, hands gripping her shoulders.
“Don’t,” she gasped. “You said—no touching.”
“Damn the rules,” he growled.
The moment his hands made contact, the pain spiked—then eased, just slightly. The bond surged, grounding her, anchoring her to him.
Her scream faded into sobs.
Kael froze.
He could feel it now—how badly she needed him. How the bond demanded his presence, his strength, his control.
His wolf surged violently.
Mine. Protect. Anchor.
He clenched his teeth, fighting it.
“Listen to me,” he said urgently. “You’re not shifting—not fully. You’re stuck between forms.”
Her nails scraped against the stone. “Make it stop.”
He swallowed hard.
“I can’t,” he admitted. “Only you can.”
She looked at him then, eyes glowing faintly silver with moonlight.
“I don’t know how.”
His chest tightened painfully.
“Then trust me,” he said.
Her breath hitched. “You rejected me.”
His grip tightened reflexively. “I didn’t reject you,” he snapped. “I rejected fate.”
The words hung heavy.
Another wave hit her, and she cried out again—body convulsing, muscles tearing and reforming. Her wolf howled inside her, terrified and furious.
Kael wrapped an arm around her shoulders without thinking, pulling her against his chest to keep her from slamming into the floor again.
The bond locked.
Power flooded through them both.
Seraphina’s pain eased just enough for her to breathe.
Kael went still.
He should let go.
He didn’t.
“Focus,” he said, voice rough. “Picture the wolf. Not the pain.”
“I—I see her,” Seraphina whispered. “She’s small. Afraid.”
Kael closed his eyes.
“That’s because she’s been alone too long,” he said quietly. “Call her. Don’t force her.”
Seraphina trembled. “How?”
“Tell her she’s safe.”
Her breath shuddered.
You’re safe, she thought desperately. I won’t lock you away again.
Something shifted.
The pressure changed—not gone, but different. Purposeful.
Her bones cracked once more—sharp, final—and then—
Silence.
Seraphina collapsed fully, unconscious.
Kael caught her.
He held her there, cradled against him, heart hammering violently.
For several long seconds, he didn’t move.
Didn’t breathe.
“She’s alive,” a voice said from the shadows.
Kael’s head snapped up.
Elder Thane emerged cautiously from the rune-lit wall, eyes sharp.
“You weren’t supposed to interfere,” Thane said.
Kael bared his teeth. “She would’ve died.”
“Or emerged stronger,” Thane countered. “Pain is the crucible.”
Kael’s voice was ice. “She is not a lesson.”
Thane studied him quietly.
“You’re breaking lines you drew yourself, Alpha,” the elder said. “The pack will notice.”
Kael didn’t care.
“She shifted,” Kael said. “Partially.”
Thane nodded. “Unusual. Especially for one with no training.”
Kael looked down at Seraphina—at the faint silver markings glowing along her skin.
“She’s not ordinary,” Thane said carefully.
Kael’s jaw tightened. “I know.”
Thane hesitated. “Nyra has been asking questions.”
Kael’s eyes went lethal. “About what?”
“About her,” Thane said. “And about you.”
Kael growled low in his throat.
“Get out,” he ordered.
Thane inclined his head and disappeared into the stone.
Kael shifted Seraphina carefully into his arms and stood.
He carried her back to his chambers himself.
No guards. No witnesses.
The bond hummed fiercely with every step.
⸻
Seraphina woke to warmth.
Not firelight.
Him.
She lay half-curled against Kael’s chest, his arms around her without restraint. His scent wrapped around her like armor.
For one terrifying moment, she thought she’d imagined it.
Then she moved.
Kael stirred instantly.
“You’re awake,” he said quietly.
She froze. “You’re holding me.”
“Yes.”
She swallowed. “Why?”
“Because you stopped breathing for ten seconds,” he replied flatly. “And I don’t lose what I protect.”
Her heart skipped.
“I shifted,” she whispered.
“Partially,” he confirmed. “You survived.”
She hesitated. “You broke the rules.”
“So did you.”
She lifted her head slightly, meeting his gaze.
“Did I scare you?” she asked.
His expression tightened.
“Yes,” he said.
The honesty hit harder than comfort ever could.
She shifted, aware suddenly of how close they were—how naturally her body fit against his. The bond purred softly, pleased.
Kael noticed.
He stiffened.
“This doesn’t mean anything’s changed,” he said.
She nodded slowly. “I know.”
But neither of them moved.
Outside the chamber, unseen, a shadow slipped away.
Nyra watched from the corridor’s edge, eyes burning with cold satisfaction.
“Good,” she whispered.
“Let him get closer.”
- Writer
