His to Hunt hers to Tame

Running with wolves

Chapter Five: Running With Wolves

The cabin felt suffocating after a few days.

Elara couldn’t ignore the pull any longer—the pull to understand. To break free from the confines of Kael’s shadow and see this world for what it truly was. A world of wolves, of power, and of a bond that she wasn’t sure she was ready for but couldn’t shake.

It was the full moon, the night when Kael’s pack was at its strongest, and Elara stood at the edge of the forest, staring into the dark woods that stretched far beyond what she could see. The wind whispered secrets around her, colder now, like the forest was waiting for something to happen.

“You shouldn’t go alone.”

Kael’s voice cut through the silence behind her. She turned, meeting his gaze. He stood tall, his usual calm demeanor crackling with a barely contained tension. The Alpha in him was close to the surface—predatory, protective, unwavering.

“I’m not alone,” she said softly. “I’m with you. Always.”

He clenched his jaw at the unspoken challenge in her words, his golden eyes darkening. “That’s not what I mean.”

“Then explain,” she shot back. “What is it you want from me, Kael?”

His eyes searched hers, and for a moment, the forest seemed to hold its breath.

“Your loyalty,” he said, voice low. “Your trust. Your obedience.”

“I’m not your pet, Kael,” Elara replied, her voice firm.

He took a step forward, their faces inches apart now. “Not yet,” he murmured, his breath warm against her skin. “But you will be.”

Before she could respond, the sound of footsteps snapped her attention to the edge of the clearing. A tall figure emerged from the darkness, his posture casual but full of quiet menace. Another wolf.

“Elara, this is Aiden,” Kael said, his tone shifting into something more controlled, more neutral. “My Beta. You’ll need to know him if you’re going to stay.”

Aiden’s smile didn’t reach his eyes. “Welcome to the pack.”

Elara offered a polite smile but couldn’t shake the sense of unease. Something about Aiden’s gaze was too sharp, too knowing. As if he could see right through her. She wondered just how much Kael had shared with his pack about her—about the bond.

“You’ll have to run with us,” Kael continued, as if reading her thoughts. “You need to understand how the pack works.”

“Run?” she echoed, her heart skipping a beat. “You mean, shift?”

He nodded, his gaze steady. “Not just shift. Run. You’ll need to learn how to be part of the pack, to fight and survive when the time comes.”

She hesitated. The idea of shifting—of feeling that raw power course through her—terrified her. But she couldn’t back down now. Not after everything. Not after being marked.

“I’m ready,” she said, her voice unwavering.

Kael’s lips curled into a faint, approving smile. “Good.”

---

The moon hung high in the sky as they ventured deeper into the woods. Kael led the way, his movements fluid, like he belonged to the forest itself. Aiden followed at a distance, always watching, always waiting for something.

Elara felt the familiar weight of the bond between her and Kael, like a tether pulling her toward him. She couldn’t explain it—couldn’t rationalize it. It was just there, always, like a part of her she hadn’t known she was missing until now.

After a few miles, they arrived at the clearing—large and open, with the faint glow of moonlight reflecting off the ground. The pack had gathered there, circling around, their eyes gleaming in the darkness. Each one of them exuded strength, power, an animalistic beauty that made Elara feel small and insignificant.

But Kael was different. He stood in the center, a force of nature. His presence commanded the others. And they responded, all eyes turning to him.

He looked at Elara, his gaze softening for just a moment before he shifted into his wolf form.

The transformation was brutal—bones cracking, muscles contorting—but Kael moved with fluid grace, his large, silver-gray wolf standing in the center of the pack. He was a leader, the apex predator. Elara could feel it in her chest—the sheer power radiating off him, wrapping around her like a force field.

Without thinking, she stepped forward, her heart pounding in her chest. She wasn’t sure what possessed her, but she wanted to be a part of this. To prove she could handle whatever came next.

Kael’s wolf eyes locked with hers, a warning flickering in their depths. But then, as if accepting her challenge, he lowered his head in a silent gesture.

Aiden was the next to shift, his wolf large and sleek, but not as imposing as Kael’s. Elara took a deep breath and looked at the pack, feeling the shift inside her—the pull of the bond, the urging to run.

She stepped back, her breath quickening. She couldn’t be afraid anymore. Not of the wolf inside her, not of Kael, and not of herself.

Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes, letting the world around her fade into the night.

And then she shifted.

---

The sensation was everything and nothing. Her body cracked and reformed, bones stretching and reshaping. She felt the world around her sharpen—every scent, every sound—until it was as if her senses had been unlocked for the first time. She could hear the thumping of the pack’s paws against the earth, the howl of the wind through the trees, the distant rustle of prey.

Her wolf was smaller than Kael’s, but it was hers. And with it came a surge of power—of freedom.

She ran.

The wind tugged at her fur, and the moonlit night stretched out before her, endless. She ran with the pack, a part of something bigger than herself, something wild. And for the first time, Elara felt the weight of the bond between her and Kael—not just as a curse, but as a connection that made her whole.

And then, in the distance, she saw him. Kael’s wolf, moving like lightning through the trees, swift and untouchable.

She pushed harder, faster, determined to catch him.

But Kael’s wolf was always just out of reach.