Chapter Eight - A Line In The Snow
1204 Words
Kael's POV
The messenger didn't move.
Neither did I.
The entire courtyard had fallen into a silence so complete that I could hear the wind rustling through the pine trees.
He had come into my territory...
Looked at my mate...
And called her property.
My wolf snarled inside my mind.
He should be grateful he's still breathing.
I agreed.
But killing a messenger would solve nothing.
The one responsible for Luna's suffering wasn't standing in front of me.
Alpha Victor was.
The messenger swallowed nervously. Even he could feel the pressure of my Alpha aura.
"My Alpha," he said carefully, "I was only sent to deliver a message."
"Then deliver it."
He straightened his shoulders.
"Alpha Victor demands the return of the omega known as Luna."
A low growl rippled through every Blackthorn wolf gathered in the courtyard.
I didn't take my eyes off the messenger.
"Demands?"
"Those were his exact words."
I almost laughed.
Almost.
Victor had no idea who he was speaking to.
"My answer is no."
The messenger blinked.
"...No?"
"Luna isn't returning."
"She belongs to Ashwood."
"No," I said, my voice calm and cold. "She belongs to herself."
The messenger opened his mouth to argue.
I raised one hand.
He fell silent.
"Tell your Alpha something for me."
He hesitated.
"...Yes, Alpha."
"If he wishes to discuss Luna, he may come to Blackthorn himself."
I took one step closer.
"But he will come with respect."
Another step.
"Without threats."
Another.
"And without the belief that he has any claim over my mate."
The messenger's face had gone pale.
"I... I'll deliver your words."
"You'll deliver them exactly."
"Yes, Alpha."
I watched as my warriors escorted him to the edge of our territory.
Only when he disappeared into the forest did I finally let out a slow breath.
---
I turned around.
Luna was gone.
The spot where she had been standing beside Rosie was empty.
A knot formed in my chest.
I looked at Damon.
"Where is she?"
He frowned.
"I... I don't know."
I didn't wait.
I followed her scent.
Fresh rain.
Wildflowers.
Lavender soap from Elara.
My wolf guided me through the village.
She wasn't in the kitchens.
Not in the healer's cabin.
Not by the gardens.
Finally...
I found her at the lake.
---
She sat on a flat stone near the water, her knees pulled tightly against her chest.
The flower crown Rosie had made rested beside her.
She wasn't crying.
She looked... numb.
Like someone waiting for the world to collapse.
I approached slowly.
"So this is where you disappeared."
She startled.
"I-I'm sorry."
There it was again.
That apology.
"I wasn't looking for another apology."
She lowered her eyes.
"I know."
I sat beside her.
For several minutes, neither of us spoke.
The lake reflected the evening sky, turning shades of gold and orange as the sun slowly sank below the horizon.
Finally, she whispered,
"He's going to make you send me back."
"No."
Her answer came so quickly that she looked at me in surprise.
"He'll threaten your pack."
"I've been threatened before."
"He'll start a war."
"If that's what he chooses."
She stared at the water.
"...I'm not worth a war."
Those words hurt more than they should have.
I turned to face her.
"Who decided that?"
She blinked.
"What?"
"Who told you your life wasn't worth protecting?"
She looked away.
"No one."
"Luna."
Silence.
Then...
"Everyone."
My chest tightened.
She continued so quietly I almost couldn't hear her.
"When I was little... I asked why the other pups got to play while I worked."
She smiled sadly.
"They laughed."
"They told me omegas like me didn't matter."
She picked up a pebble and tossed it into the lake.
"I believed them."
The pebble disappeared beneath the water.
"I still do."
I watched the ripples spread across the surface.
"No."
She frowned.
"No?"
"They lied."
She looked unconvinced.
"You don't know me."
"I know enough."
"You know almost nothing."
"I know you thanked the people who bandaged your ankle."
She looked down.
"I know you worried there wouldn't be enough food for everyone."
Another silence.
"I know Rosie gave you a flower crown..."
I picked it up carefully.
"...and instead of keeping it in your room where it would stay safe, you wore it because you didn't want to hurt her feelings."
Luna stared at me.
I smiled faintly.
"I notice things."
Her cheeks turned pink.
"I also know you tried helping in the kitchens with an injured ankle."
"I didn't want to be useless."
"There isn't a single person in this pack who thinks you're useless."
"...Really?"
"Really."
She looked around the peaceful lake.
"I don't understand why everyone's so kind."
"They're kind because that's who they are."
"And because you're my mate?"
I considered the question.
"Some were excited because you're my mate."
She nodded.
"But..."
I met her eyes.
"They would've welcomed you even if you weren't."
She searched my face, looking for any sign that I was lying.
Apparently, she didn't find one.
---
The evening grew cooler.
A breeze drifted across the lake.
Without thinking, I removed my jacket and draped it over her shoulders.
She immediately tried to hand it back.
"You'll be cold."
"I'm an Alpha."
"So?"
I smiled.
"So my wolf has enough fur for both of us."
For a second...
She laughed.
A tiny, breathy laugh.
It was gone almost as quickly as it came.
But I'd heard it.
And I would remember that sound for the rest of my life.
---
"Luna."
She looked at me.
"I want to ask you something."
She nodded nervously.
"When you're ready..."
I chose my words carefully.
"...will you tell me what happened in Ashwood?"
The fear returned instantly.
Her fingers tightened around my jacket.
"I..."
"You don't have to answer today."
She let out the breath she'd been holding.
"But someday."
She nodded slowly.
"I'll try."
"That's all I ask."
---
Night had fallen by the time we walked back toward the village.
Because of her ankle, she limped slightly.
Without saying anything, I slowed my pace to match hers.
She noticed.
"You don't have to walk so slowly."
"I know."
"...Then why are you?"
I looked ahead.
"Because I'd rather arrive late with you than early without you."
She fell silent.
A few moments later, she whispered so quietly I almost missed it.
"...Thank you."
This time...
It wasn't an apology.
It was gratitude.
And somehow, that simple difference felt like the greatest victory I'd had in years.
As we reached the village, I looked up at the moon shining above us.
Moon Goddess, I thought.
I don't know why you chose me to be her mate.
But I swear to you...
No matter what comes.
No matter who stands against us.
I will never let her face it alone.
Far away, beyond Blackthorn's borders, Alpha Victor stood in the Ashwood Packhouse, listening as his messenger repeated every word I had spoken.
Victor's face twisted with fury.
"So," he growled.
"Kael Blackthorne wants to challenge me."
He slammed his fist onto the table.
"Prepare the warriors."
"If he won't return my omega willingly..."
His eyes burned with anger.
"...I'll take her back by force."
- Writer
