Chains and Memories
698 Words
Chapter Three – Chains and Memories
Aria barely slept.
The dungeons were alive with whispers—chains clinking, rats scurrying, the occasional groan from another cell. But it wasn’t the noise that kept her awake.
It was him.
Kael.
His scent still lingered in the cell like smoke—dark, earthy, intoxicating. She hated that her body still responded to it. That somewhere deep inside, the bond still existed.
She hadn’t expected that.
After all these years… after what he’d done…
She clutched her knees to her chest and pressed her forehead against them, forcing the tears back. Crying wouldn’t help. Not now. Not when she was trapped in his territory with no pack, no allies, and no way out.
Footsteps again.
Louder this time. Confident. Purposeful.
She didn’t look up until the cell door creaked open.
Kael.
Of course.
He entered alone, this time holding a tray of food—simple bread, meat, and water. He placed it on the ground without a word, then stood back, arms crossed, watching her like she was a puzzle he couldn’t solve.
Aria raised a brow. “You deliver meals personally now? That’s new.”
“I don’t trust anyone else not to poison it,” he replied flatly.
She snorted. “How thoughtful.”
“Eat.”
She stared at the food but didn’t move. “Why are you doing this?”
Kael frowned. “Doing what?”
“Keeping me alive. Feeding me. Why not just kill me and be done with it?”
His gaze darkened. “Because I don’t kill people without reason.”
Aria let out a bitter laugh. “Could’ve fooled me.”
Something flickered in his eyes. A flash of guilt? No. Impossible.
“You have a mouth on you,” he muttered.
“You liked it once,” she said before she could stop herself.
Kael froze.
Aria regretted it the moment the words left her lips. But it was too late. The tension in the air sharpened like a blade.
He stepped forward slowly, his expression unreadable.
“What did you say?” he asked.
Aria forced herself to meet his gaze. “Nothing. You’re just not used to prisoners talking back, are you?”
He studied her. Too long. Too deeply.
“I’ve been trying to place it since last night,” he said. “Your voice. Your eyes. You’re not just some rogue. You’re hiding something.”
“And you’re imagining things,” she shot back. “Maybe you’re losing your edge, Alpha.”
Kael’s lips tightened.
“Where are you from?” he demanded.
“Nowhere.”
“What pack?”
“Dead.”
“Your name—”
“Is mine,” she snapped. “And you don’t deserve to know it.”
Silence.
Then, to her surprise, he smiled.
A rare, dangerous smile that didn’t reach his eyes. “You’re bold. I’ll give you that.”
“I’ve had to be,” she whispered. “When your own mate tries to kill you, survival becomes a habit.”
Kael’s expression faltered. Just slightly. But it was enough.
He blinked, as if her words hit something buried.
“…Mate?” he said softly.
Aria looked away, cursing herself. She was unraveling, and he could feel it.
“I don’t believe in second chances,” he said after a beat. “But something about you—it’s familiar. And I don’t like it.”
“Then let me go,” she murmured. “Problem solved.”
“I can’t.”
“Why not?”
“Because I need to know who you are.”
Their eyes locked—fire meeting ice.
He didn’t recognize her.
But his wolf did.
She saw it. Felt it. The subtle twitch of his fingers, the way his breath caught when their skin almost touched through the bars.
Some part of him knew.
And it terrified him.
Kael stepped back, jaw tight. “Eat your food. I’ll be back.”
“Can’t wait,” she said dryly.
But as he left, her heart thundered in her chest.
She had to get out. Before he uncovered the truth.
Before the past devoured them both.
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