FATED TO BURN: DESTINED TO HEAL

Kael's Howl

Raven's throat tightened with breath. Raw and filled with sorrow, the cry reverberated through the wreckage. Her heart lurched as it sliced through the night like a familiar, sharp sword.

Kael.

She felt a strong pull toward him as the tie grew stronger and deeper in her chest. She tried to resist the feeling by gritting her teeth. No. Never again. She was unable to allow him to return. Not after everything.

"Raven?" Dax spoke in a worried tone. He took hold of her arm. "What is it?"

She hardly heard him and shook her head. Inside her, the tie twisted and blazed hotter. Wild and restless, her wolf awakened. She had to get up. She had to *locate him.*

She muttered, "Remain here," and slipped out of Dax's hold.

"Hold on! What does "stay here" mean to you? Raven was on the run when Dax's voice followed her.

She moved faster through the destruction, the wind lashing over her hair. Her brain sharpened as her heart crashed with every walk. Every noise, every change in the darkness, seemed more intense. Nearer. She followed the bond, which pulled her farther into the shadows like an unseen thread.

"Kael," she muttered.

She found him bending against a fading stone wall close to the village's outskirts. His muscles were strong, twisting like a spring on the edge of breaking. His clothing had a dark smear of blood that gleamed in the moonlight. His breath came in sharp spurts, and as soon as she emerged, his eyes, those molten gold eyes, met hers.

He rasped, "Raven."

Her heart tightened. He appeared to be broken. Not the ferocious Alpha she had known, but a guy engaged in an unwinnable struggle. Her fingers clenched into fists as she paused. What brought her here? For what reason did she *care*?

Kael frowned and battled to stand up, but his legs gave out. She sprang forward without thinking and caught him before he could fall to the ground. His weight was strong and warm against her. She gasped as the bond blazed once more, a blast of heat.

"What brought you back?" He spoke in a low, painfully harsh voice.

Even though her arms were getting tighter around him, she yelled, "I didn't come back for you." "What took place?"

"Rogues." His lips were speckled with blood when he coughed. "Someone, something, they're hunting." He looked directly into her eyes. "You."

Ignoring how his proximity made her heart rush, Raven swallowed hard. "Why are they pursuing me?"

Kael's eyes became gloomy. "Because you underestimate your strength."

Her breath caught. He looked at her in a different way. No longer aloof or frigid. Now there was regret, something more. Desire.

She wrenched her eyes away. "You shouldn't have overexerted yourself."

Kael gave a low, resentful laugh. "Antiquated customs."

They simply remained there for a while, the stillness between them thick. Irrespective of his injuries, Raven could feel his heartbeat against her chest; it was steady and powerful. She reviled the warmth that crept through her as her fingers wrapped around his shirt.

She ought to get away from him. She ought to flee without turning around. Her body, however, was immobile.

"Raven," he murmured. "I never intended to cause you any harm."

Her chest grew constricted. "Avoid it."

"I mean it." His hand, rough and calloused but soft, found hers. "I was an i***t. Pushing you away was the worst thing I've ever done.

The corners of her eyes were burning with tears. "Why now? Why mention this *at this time*?

"Because I can no longer avoid it." Sparks danced over her skin as his thumb stroked over her knuckles. "I sense the connection. I'm sure you do, too.

In a critical attempt to get closer to him, her inner wolf screamed. His eyes sank to her lips, and she could feel the heat of his breath. Every nerve in her body screamed for him as her heart raced.

Then Kael leaned in softly.

At first, their lips met tentatively and softly. However, the relationship sprang into life, hot and electric, the instant they touched. As he drew her nearer, Raven gasped and tangled her hands in his hair. Only the two of them remained when the world melted away, along with their souls, wolf, and hearts.

At last, they separated, and Kael pressed his forehead to hers. "I apologize," he muttered.

Raven closed her eyes tightly. She wished to have faith in him. She wanted to open the door for him. However, the past hung heavy between them.

A deep growl rumbled through the darkness before she could say anything. The shades changed and the temperature dropped. Raven opened his eyes and looked around the shadows.

"What was that?" Kael's body stiffened as he asked.

He stood up when she shook her head. "We must relocate."

Raven felt the weight of invisible eyes on her back as they staggered through the wreckage. A voice that chilled her blood ran through the woods as the wind whispered.

"Raaaaven."

Her heart pounded in her chest as she whirled around. The shadows squirmed, contorting into a recognizable form: broad, tall, with ember-like eyes.

Kael tightened his hold on her hand and muttered, "Elias."

The figure moved forward, his lips curving into a ruthless smile. "Well, well. Take a look at who returned home.

As Raven ran into the pitch-black forest, her pulse raced. Like an unseen thread pulling her onward, the tug in her chest got sharper and harder. Through the relationship, she could sense Kael's anguish and anger. Despite her best efforts to ignore it, it encircled her, familiar and scorching.

The darkness was broken by a deep wail. She stumbled a little. It wasn't just any wolf that made that sound. He was the one.

"Slow down, Raven!" Behind her, Dax's voice could be heard. She didn't halt when his footsteps smashed through the undergrowth. She was unable to.

Ahead, the trees became thinner, exposing the outskirts of a tiny community. Raven stopped. Claw marks tore through wooden walls, tearing apart houses. There was blood on the ground. The smell of death permeated the air as the bodies of both humans and wolves were strewn around.

Behind her, Dax said, "Oh, Moon." "What took place here?"

Raven took a deep breath. "Rogues."

Her boots crunched on the shattered glass as she moved forward. There was a hum of disquiet in the air, but the village was suddenly quiet. She knelt next to a blood-stained wolf that had fallen. It was a clean s*******r; his neck had been ripped apart. Not the product of irrational outlaws. This was under control.

A deep snarl suddenly came from the darkness. Raven's claws slipped from her fingertips as she whirled around. With a tight, shift-ready frame, Dax stepped closer.

Then she heard it.

An intense, guttural growl that was fueled by rage and anguish. She was drawn toward the sound as the bond erupted, hot and furious. Raven felt her heart tighten. Kael.

She sprinted in its direction without thinking.

"Wait, Raven!" She had already left when Dax called for her.

She moved faster, weaving among the trees, the surrounding forest a blur. The roar became louder and more violent. She hurriedly entered into an open space — then stopped.

There were rogues all around Kael, who stood in the middle. He was beaten, with huge cuts on his arms and chest gushing blood. His claws shone in the moonlight as he tore through the wolves, his golden eyes blazing with anger.

"Kael," she said in a murmur.

Kael's head swung toward her as though he heard her. Their gazes met. Between them, the bond pulsated and sparked. Everything else vanished for a time.

The rogues, however, continued. Kael's back was attacked by one.

"Behind you, Kael!" Raven yelled.

With his claws cutting into the rogue's throat, Kael swung around. The wolf crumpled and blood splattered on the floor. But there was more to come.

Raven shifted mid-step and surged forward. Her wolf erupted, her black, sleek eyes gleaming in the darkness. She struck the closest outlaw, her teeth digging into its throat. The wolf went limp and yelled.

Kael fought next to her, moving in unison as their bond led the way. They relocated together for the first time in years. Around them, the rogues fell, their bodies thudding dullly to the ground.

Then there was quiet.

Breathing heavily, Raven shifted back. A few steps away, Kael stood with a heaving chest. His claws dripped blood. He turned slowly toward her.

"Raven." He spoke in a broken, harsh voice.

She tensed up. "Kael."

The connection between them pulsed as they gazed at one another. Kael was about to say something when a chilly laugh reverberated through the trees.

Raven's eyes narrowed as he spun around. A figure stepped out of the darkness. slender and tall, with cold blue eyes that sparkled in the shadows. Elias.

"All right," Elias drewled. "Look who returned home at last."

Raven's heart was racing. The betrayer.

Kael let out a low-pitched growl. "Elias."

Elias grinned. "It's too late." The earth shook beneath their feet as he lifted his hand. Dark tendrils snaked through the air as shadows coiled around him.

Raven's blood became icy. There was a black rise.

The shadows surged before she could respond.