The one who found Her
799 Words
Chapter 13: The One Who Found Her
Crescent Ash Pack – Midnight
Sandy couldn't sleep.
No matter how tightly she shut her eyes, the ache wouldn’t leave. Her chest felt hollow, her skin raw, as though Zayne's words had sliced through bone and soul.
She lay curled on her bed, her face buried in a pillow soaked with tears. Her body trembled.
Down the hallway, her parents sat with Darren in the living room, casting glances toward her door. Every whimper, every broken breath from her room pulled at their hearts.
"She’s hurting," Adeline whispered.
"I know," Marcus answered, eyes closed.
Darren said nothing. He stared at the flickering candlelight, jaw clenched.
Back in her room, Sandy clutched her blanket tighter. Her hair, still streaked from last night’s battle, clung to her face. Her fingers twitched from the pain. Not physical. Emotional. Deeper.
Zayne had slept with Marisa.
She hadn’t needed to hear it to know.
She had felt it. Deep in her chest—a tearing. A violent burn through the broken pieces of their bond.
She sobbed, soundless.
And then...
The window creaked open.
A soft wind swept into the room, brushing her cheeks and stirring the curtain.
Marcus, Adeline, and Darren appeared at the door, their wolves on edge.
But then he appeared.
A silhouette in the moonlight.
Tall. Broad. Regal.
Strawberry blonde hair caught in the wind, and eyes like a gathering storm searched the room.
Kael.
He stepped inside, barefoot, clothed in shredded jeans and a loose grey shredded shirt. Dirt and blood stained the fabric, but he looked untouched by the world’s harshness. His gaze softened when it landed on her.
He whispered her name. "Sandy..."
The Myles family stepped aside, awe-struck. They didn’t question it.
They knew.
Kael fell to one knee beside her bed, trembling fingers reaching forward.
Sandy stirred, but didn’t wake. Her vision was still blurred, her body exhausted.
But she felt it.
His touch.
The moment his hand brushed her cheek, the mate bond ignited.
A flare of electric warmth surged through her body, calming her breath, soothing the storm inside her.
Kael exhaled, overwhelmed.
His eyes watered.
"You’re real... You’re more than I ever dreamed."
Strands of her hair shimmered in the moonlight—dirty blonde, now streaked with glowing white.
Kael smiled.
"Even your hair remembers the moon."
He pressed a kiss to her forehead, reverent.
"I’ll come back for you. I promise. But not now. Rest. Heal. When the time is right... we’ll begin."
He turned toward her family.
Their eyes locked.
Marcus nodded solemnly. Adeline covered her mouth with a hand. Darren looked between Kael and his sister, then lowered his gaze in understanding.
Kael stood, took one last look at Sandy, then jumped out the window and vanished into the night.
Nightveil Pack – Earlier That Night
Kael couldn’t sit still.
The moment Zayne had rejected Sandy, a deep pain lanced through his heart—uninvited, intense, unbearable.
His wolf had howled, clawing at his skin.
Kael had fallen to the floor of his room, chest heaving, eyes wide.
"She... she’s in pain."
He stood quickly, rushed outside into the open woods. His body shifted mid-run, tearing clothes and ripping flesh until his wolf was free.
He raced.
The Moon Goddess appeared briefly in the sky, hovering in spectral silence. She shook her head and smiled softly as he passed.
She knew.
He ran until he reached Crescent Ash borders.
Shredded clothes, shivering, and ragged, he shifted back and climbed the trees until he could see her window.
And when he saw her—a curled figure of pain and grief—his heart cracked.
He had known she was beautiful.
But not like this.
Not broken, not divine, not holy in her vulnerability.
When he finally returned home, Kael wore a smile no one could wipe from his face.
His Beta, Leif, noticed it first.
"You look... suspiciously happy."
Kael shrugged, sipping water and wiping his face clean. "I saw someone."
"Who?"
Kael only smiled.
His mother narrowed her eyes. "Kael... what happened?"
But Kael shook his head, a secret smile dancing on his lips.
"Nothing. Not yet."
---
The Next Morning – Crescent Ash
Sunlight spilled through Sandy’s window, warming her skin.
She stirred, groggy, but the pain had dulled. Her body felt lighter. Her dreams... had felt so real.
The kiss.
The voice.
The stormy grey eyes.
She sat up slowly, one hand pressed to her chest.
"Was it real...?"
Darren opened the door gently, peeking in. "You're up."
She nodded. "Did someone... visit me last night?"
He froze.
"You remember?"
"Kind of. I heard him. I felt..."
"The bond?" Darren asked quietly.
Sandy nodded.
Darren gave her a faint smile. "Then yes. He was here. And he’s coming back."
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