Chapter 4: Bloodlines and Bonds
1377 Words
The sun had barely crested the horizon when Kael arrived at the private training grounds on the edge of Windhaven. Nestled between jagged cliffs and dense woodland, the secluded area was far from prying eyes—just the way his team liked it. Here, away from boardrooms and business deals, Kael could be who he truly was a wolf in a world that had long since forgotten what real strength looked like.
Thane, his security head and longtime sparring partner, tossed him a staff as he approached. "Up for it today, boss? Or are you still distracted by the mystery woman from the university?"
Kael caught the staff mid-air, narrowing his eyes. "Shut up and fight."
They circled each other, the morning mist curling around their feet like a silent audience. The first clash of wood against wood cracked through the air, followed by a flurry of strikes. For Kael, this was more than physical discipline—it was balance. His wolf stirred beneath his skin with every block and blow, urging him on.
"You felt her," the voice echoed in his mind, low and rough-edged.
Kael took a deep breath, dodging a strike and landing one of his own. "I did."
"She’s not like the others. She didn’t flinch. She didn’t submit. She looked us in the eye."
Kael drove Thane back with a burst of strength, but his focus was split. His wolf had been restless since the encounter. Maya. She hadn’t just drawn his attention; she had ignited something dormant in him.
"We should find her."
"It’s not that simple. She’s human. She has her own life. We can’t drag her into this."
"And yet, we ache. She belongs to us. Even if she doesn't know it yet."
The match ended with Kael on top; staff pressed against Thane’s throat. The bodyguard grinned up at him. "Still got it. Though I’d say you’re only half here."
Kael stepped back, panting. "Barely."
"You know it’s okay to be curious about her, right? Doesn’t mean you’re breaking protocol."
Kael gave him a look. "That’s not what I’m worried about."
The moon hung high above the city skyline, veiled behind lazy wisps of cloud. From his suite’s private terrace, Kael Storm leaned on the railing, phone pressed to his ear. Down below, Windhaven buzzed with its usual nocturnal rhythm; honking cars, dim-lit sidewalks, and the distant hum of nightlife.
“Kael,” came his mother’s voice, warm and commanding. “You rarely call unless it’s business or blood.”
Kael smiled despite the heaviness pressing on his chest. “It’s not business.”
“Then it must be blood.”
He paused. “It’s something else entirely. I… I saw her.”
A sharp inhale crackled through the line. “Your mate?”
Kael glanced back into his suite, where his jacket lay crumpled on a chair, the scent of the woman still clinging faintly to the fabric. “Yes.”
“You’re certain?” his father’s voice came through now, deeper and more guarded.
“My wolf is certain. He recognized her before I did. There was no warning. One moment I was waiting in the car, the next… she appeared, and everything changed.”
Silence. Then his mother spoke again, gentler this time. “Tell us everything.”
Kael drew a breath. “It was at a petrol station. Crowded, noisy, human. She stood out. Dreadlocks, brown eyes that could cut through steel, and a smile that made the world stop. We didn’t speak. Just looked at each other. But it was like... something warm inside me awakened.”
“She didn’t speak to you?” his father asked.
“No. But my wolf stirred; really stirred. He reached for her. And that night, he reached for you too, Mother.”
“I felt it,” she said, her voice laced with awe. “Saira- my wolf -woke me with a pull in my chest. It was your wolf. He howled in my dream, and I knew he’d found her. I just didn’t expect it to be… a human.”
Kael nodded slowly. “Neither did I.”
His father’s tone turned thoughtful. “You’re sure she’s not a half-blood? A latent?”
“No scent markers. Nothing supernatural. She’s fully human.”
“That complicates things,” his father said grimly. “Does she know what you are?”
“No. She doesn’t even know my name.”
His mother’s voice softened. “But she felt it, didn’t she?”
“She did,” Kael said. “I saw it in her eyes. Confusion, recognition, maybe even longing. Then she looked away. Drove off.”
“And you let her?” his father asked, not with anger, but surprise.
Kael’s jaw tensed. “I couldn’t follow her. Not like that. Not before I understand how to approach her. She’s human. She deserves to choose, not to be chased.”
His mother murmured, “You always did have your grandfather’s restraint. He waited for my mother to come to him too.”
There was a pause, weighted with unspoken legacy. The Stormridge Pack was old, proud, and steeped in tradition. Kael, as second-born son, was raised to navigate the world beyond the veil -among humans, corporations, and governments. While Kade, his older brother, led the pack within the supernatural realm, Kael built bridges in the human world.
Still, no amount of negotiation had prepared him for this.
His mate.
Human.
Unaware.
His wolf stirred again, pacing inside him, impatient.
“She has a daughter,” Kael said suddenly.
“What?”
“I saw it in her eyes. That protective edge, the tiredness beneath her strength. I asked Amari to investigate her. Her name is Maya Adebayo. She’s a human rights activist. Lives in the city. Unmarried. Works with underfunded communities, especially youth.”
“A good heart,” his mother said.
“Too good for the world she’s in,” Kael replied quietly.
“Which means she may not be ready for our world either,” his father warned. “Does she have family? Anyone who could oppose the bond?”
Kael’s voice darkened. “Her ex. The father of her child. He’s back in the picture.”
“Then you’ll have to move fast,” his father said. “Before he poisons the bond.”
“She’s not some prize I can claim, Father,” Kael snapped. “She’s not property.”
“I didn’t say she was. But if the bond is awakening, and if she’s felt it… the longer you wait, the more open she’ll be to confusion. Or fear. Or worse, denial.”
His mother interjected gently, “What does your wolf say?”
Kael exhaled. “He wants to go to her. Now.”
“Then listen to him. He knows what your heart is only just beginning to understand.”
Kael looked up at the sky. The clouds had shifted, revealing the full moon at last. Its light painted the terrace in silver and shadows.
“I don’t want to scare her,” he murmured.
“You won’t,” his mother said. “Not if you lead with truth.”
His father added, “Find her, son. Before fate finds a way to tear you apart.”
Kael nodded, the decision settling in his bones. “I’ll keep you both updated.”
“You’d better,” his mother said, warmth returning to her voice. “And Kael?”
“Yes?”
“Whatever happens, remember, this bond is sacred. Even if the journey is complicated.”
Kael ended the call and stood still for a moment, letting the silence return.
Maya Adebayo.
A name now branded across his soul.
He stepped back inside, already pulling up her address from the file Amari had compiled. She lived on the north side of Windhaven, not far from the community centre. It was late -too late to appear on her doorstep -but soon, he would introduce himself properly.
And then he would tell her the truth.
Not just about who he was…
But what he was.
And what she truly meant to him.
- Writer
