Chapter 6
1176 Words
I never knew why I felt drawn to him. The first time I saw him, I couldn’t even move. Something about him was… different. Broken. Lonely. Like the world had already taken everything from him, and somehow, I could feel it too.
He told me his name was Kael. Just saying it made his eyes darken, like it hurt him to hear it. But somehow, I wanted to hear it over and over, like if I said it enough, maybe I could make him feel safe. I didn’t know why, but the thought of him alone in the world made my chest ache.
He told me bits of his story, though sometimes I felt I had to guess too. He was found as a baby, lying in the rain, crying and almost dead. A blacksmith named Alder had rescued him, a kind man with a strong voice and strong hands. Alder’s daughter, Elara, had cared for him too. She fed him, sang to him, called him her little brother even though they weren’t blood. Kael’s lips trembled as he told me this part. I felt a knot in my stomach, like my heart had swallowed his sadness.
But safety never lasts. One night, he said, soldiers came. His voice broke when he said it. I could imagine the fire, the noise, the screams, the steel flashing in the dark. He told me how Alder fought them, trying to keep him and Elara safe. Kael had cried and begged to stay, but Alder had shoved him into the forest and told him to run. He did. He ran like fire chased him, like every step was the last he could take.
But Elara… she didn’t make it. Kael’s chest heaved every time he said her name. His eyes, bright and red in the dark, were like windows to a storm. I didn’t need to ask more to know he had lost everything. Alder, Elara, his home… all gone. Just like that. He was left with nothing but shadows and the forest.
He wandered for days, sleeping under trees, eating berries, drinking from streams, hiding from everything. He said he never stopped moving, never let anyone see him, because he didn’t want to hurt them, or maybe because he didn’t trust anyone to care. And then… that was when he saw me.
He said that moment had stopped his heart. A girl, standing in the forest, not afraid. Not screaming. Just looking at him. He told me how he froze, how the weight in his chest lifted slightly just because I was there. I didn’t know what to say. But I felt the same thing. Something pulled me toward him too, like the world had pushed us together.
“Who are you?” I had asked him that day, my voice shaking.
“I… I’m Kael,” he whispered.
I still remember the way he said it, like he had never been allowed to say his own name out loud. And then, before I could ask more, he smelled something, something strong and sharp. A wolf. He stiffened instantly. I knew then he didn’t belong here, not with my brothers around.
He didn’t fight. He just stared at me, like daring me to move closer. And I did. I wanted to know him. I wanted to understand him. Every red flicker in his eyes felt like a secret being whispered to me. His hands shook slightly when he looked at me, like the weight of his life was pressing down on him. And yet, there was something soft in him too. Something that wasn’t broken. Not entirely.
And then I saw it, the fear. He didn’t trust the world anymore. I could feel it. And I understood it in my own way, because sometimes, the world scares me too. But I wanted to be brave for him. I wanted him to know he wasn’t completely alone.
I asked him, softly, “Why are you hiding in the woods?”
He hesitated, looked at me, and whispered, “I… I don’t want to hurt you.”
My chest ached at that. Hurt me? He didn’t even know me, and yet he was afraid he could. I wanted to tell him he wouldn’t, that I wasn’t afraid, but the forest had a thousand eyes. My brothers could be anywhere, and I knew if they saw him, they would attack first and ask questions later.
And then… I smelled Brendan. My heart stopped. He was close. I knew the second he arrived. Kael’s body stiffened, like he could feel it too. I didn’t want to cause trouble, and Kael didn’t either. His gaze lingered on me, searching, warning, asking silently if I would be okay.
I knew I had to make a choice. Stay, or run. I wanted to stay. I wanted to see him, to ask him more, to touch the fire that seemed to burn in him. But my legs refused. Fear twisted inside me, not for myself, but for Kael. If Brendan or Bradford saw him, they wouldn’t think twice. And Kael couldn’t fight my brothers. Not now.
So I ran.
My chest burned, my lungs screamed, but I didn’t stop. I turned back once, but he was gone. Like he had melted into the shadows. And somehow, that made me feel both relieved and hollow. My heart ached with a strange weight, like something had started and wouldn’t stop.
All night, I lay in my bed, staring at the dark ceiling. I should have been scared. I should have been thinking about what my brothers would do. But all I could think about was him, Kael. His name kept repeating in my mind, like a spark I couldn’t put out. His red eyes, his trembling hands, the way he looked at me like he was afraid, but also… like he wanted something more.
The next day, I stayed close to Brian. Brendan’s eyes followed me everywhere, sharp and heavy. I could feel his anger even when he didn’t speak. I could feel the warning in his gaze. But I didn’t care. I couldn’t stop thinking about Kael. I could still feel him in my chest, even though he was gone.
I don’t know why the forest pulled me to him. I don’t know why his name felt like fire in my veins. But I knew one thing: he was out there, and he was waiting. And somehow, I knew I had to find him again.
And I also knew… he might be waiting for me too.
Something told me this wasn’t over.
Something told me it was only the beginning.
And I had a feeling the next time I saw him, everything would change.
- Writer
