Chapter Four - Mine To Protect
956 Words
Kael's POV
I had faced rogue kings.
I had fought rival Alphas twice my size.
I had stood in the middle of battle with blood on my hands and never once hesitated.
Yet standing outside the room where my mate rested...
I felt strangely nervous.
It made no sense.
I had dreamed of this moment for years.
Every Alpha did.
Finding your fated mate was supposed to be one of the happiest days of your life.
Instead, all I could think about were the bruises covering Luna's body.
The fear in her eyes.
The way she'd apologized for simply waking up.
No one apologized for existing unless someone had taught them they were a burden.
The thought made my wolf growl.
They hurt her.
"I know."
They starved her.
"I know."
We should go back.
I clenched my jaw.
"We will."
And when we do...
My wolf didn't finish the sentence.
He didn't have to.
---
I walked into the council room, where my Beta and Gamma were already waiting.
Damon leaned against the table, arms crossed.
"How is she?"
"She's eating."
His shoulders relaxed.
"Good."
Marcus, my Gamma, looked thoughtful.
"Do we know anything about her?"
"Her name is Luna."
"That's all?"
I nodded once.
"That's all she was willing to say."
Neither of them looked surprised.
A traumatized wolf didn't reveal their whole life in a single day.
Damon sighed.
"I've never seen someone so scared."
I looked out the window.
"Neither have I."
---
An hour later, I asked one of the scouts to quietly gather information about the Ashwood Pack.
He returned much sooner than I expected.
His expression was grim.
"What did you find?"
He hesitated.
"My Alpha... the stories about Ashwood are true."
The room fell silent.
"They treat omegas as servants. Some are respected if they're born into powerful families..."
"And the rest?"
"They're worked until they collapse."
My fists tightened.
"And Luna?"
The scout lowered his eyes.
"Everyone in the nearby villages knows about her."
Something cold settled in my chest.
"They call her the Ghost Omega."
"Why?"
"Because she's so quiet people forget she's there... until they need someone to clean or carry things."
Damon swore under his breath.
The scout continued.
"They say she hasn't had new clothes in years."
"They say she's often sent into the forest alone."
"They say she's punished for things she didn't do."
Each sentence felt like another blade.
Then came the final one.
"Some people weren't sure she'd survive this winter."
Silence.
Complete silence.
I slowly stood.
The wooden chair scraped loudly across the floor.
"I want every report we have on Alpha Victor."
Marcus immediately understood.
"You plan to confront him."
"I plan to get answers."
---
Later that afternoon, I found myself standing outside Luna's room again.
The healer had said she needed rest.
Instead, I heard soft footsteps.
I knocked lightly.
No answer.
I opened the door.
The room was empty.
My heart lurched.
The window was closed.
The blankets were folded.
Then I noticed the door leading to the small garden behind the cabin standing open.
I stepped outside.
There she was.
Luna sat beneath a large oak tree, her injured ankle stretched out carefully before her.
A tiny bird hopped across the grass a few feet away.
She was smiling.
Not the forced smile she'd given me earlier.
A real one.
Soft.
Gentle.
The bird tilted its head.
Luna broke a tiny piece of bread from the roll in her lap and placed it on the ground.
The bird chirped happily before pecking at it.
She giggled quietly.
The sound stopped me in my tracks.
It was... beautiful.
I hadn't realized how young she truly was until that moment.
She wasn't just a broken omega.
She was a nineteen-year-old girl who had never been allowed to simply exist.
I stayed where I was, not wanting to disturb her.
But the bird suddenly flew away.
Luna turned.
Our eyes met.
Her smile vanished instantly.
"I'm sorry!"
She struggled to stand.
"I wasn't supposed to leave the room—I just wanted some fresh air—I promise I'll go back—"
"Luna."
She froze.
"You don't have to apologize."
She blinked.
"...I don't?"
"No."
"You weren't doing anything wrong."
She looked unconvinced.
I walked over and sat on the grass a short distance away.
For a moment, neither of us spoke.
The afternoon breeze carried the scent of pine through the garden.
Finally, she whispered, "Your pack is... different."
"How?"
"No one yells."
I looked toward the training field, where warriors laughed as they sparred.
"No one looks... afraid."
"They shouldn't."
She hugged her knees.
"I didn't know packs could be like this."
A lump formed in my throat.
This was normal.
Safety should have been normal.
Kindness should have been normal.
Yet to Luna, it felt like another world.
She looked at me hesitantly.
"Can I ask you something?"
"Of course."
"Why are you being nice to me?"
The question caught me off guard.
She continued before I could answer.
"You don't know me."
"You saved me."
"You gave me your cloak."
"You gave me food."
Her voice grew quieter.
"I don't understand."
I looked directly into her silver-blue eyes.
"You don't have to earn kindness, Luna."
She stared at me as if I'd spoken another language.
Then she looked away.
"I think... it'll take me a while to believe that."
"It can take as long as you need."
For the first time since finding my mate, I saw something new in her expression.
Not fear.
Not sadness.
Hope.
Small.
Fragile.
But there.
And I silently swore that I would protect that hope with everything I had.
Even if it meant going to war.
- Writer
