The Howl That Follows
1116 Words
The moment his lips leave mine, reality crashes back in.
Kael’s howl still echoes through the trees.
My chest tightens.
Not with longing.
With dread.
The King Beast doesn’t look toward the sound. His gaze stays on me, steady and unreadable. Like the rest of the world doesn’t matter.
But it does.
It matters to me.
“I shouldn’t have done that,” I whisper, my fingers still clutching his cloak.
He doesn’t move away.
“Do you regret it?” he asks.
I open my mouth.
Nothing comes out.
Because regret isn’t what I’m feeling.
Overwhelmed? Yes. Confused? Absolutely.
But regret?
No.
“I just—” My voice shakes. “It’s too soon.”
“Too soon for what?” he asks quietly.
“To feel something again.”
There. The truth.
His expression shifts slightly. Softer. Not pity.
Understanding.
“You believe pain must last longer to be real?” he asks.
I don’t know how to answer that.
The pack would say yes.
They would say I should mourn. That I should prove loyalty to the bond that broke me.
Another howl splits the night.
Closer.
This time, the King Beast’s eyes narrow slightly.
“He is coming,” he says.
My stomach twists.
Of course he is.
Kael doesn’t ignore challenges. And whatever he sensed in that howl… it wasn’t subtle.
“You should leave,” I say quickly. “If he finds you here—”
“I am not concerned about him.”
“But I am!” I snap.
That gets his attention.
I step back this time, finally putting space between us. My lips still tingle. My body still hums from the kiss.
And that makes everything worse.
“You don’t understand pack politics,” I say. “This will look like betrayal.”
“Was he not the one who rejected you?” he asks calmly.
“Yes, but—”
“But nothing.”
His voice hardens slightly.
“He does not get to discard you and still claim territory over your life.”
The words send a shiver through me.
Claim territory over your life.
Is that what Kael was doing?
No.
Yes.
I don’t know anymore.
Footsteps crash through the brush.
Fast. Angry.
My heart leaps into my throat.
Kael steps into the clearing, his gray eyes blazing the moment they land on us.
On me.
On how close we’re standing.
His jaw tightens.
“What is this?” he demands.
The King Beast doesn’t step in front of me.
He doesn’t hide me.
He simply stands beside me.
Equal.
That somehow feels more powerful.
“It’s none of your concern,” I say before I can stop myself.
Kael’s eyes snap to mine.
“It is absolutely my concern when the Beast King is sniffing around my pack.”
“I rejected her,” the King Beast says calmly. “You made that clear.”
The words hit like a slap.
Kael flinches slightly.
“That doesn’t mean she’s yours,” Kael growls.
Heat floods my face.
“I’m not anyone’s,” I say sharply.
Silence falls.
Both of them look at me.
And for the first time, I realize something.
They’re not just fighting over dominance.
They’re waiting for my stance.
Kael’s voice lowers. “Lyra. Come back to the pack.”
Back.
Like I wandered off.
Like I belong somewhere he closed the door on.
“I never left,” I say quietly.
His jaw tightens. “Don’t make this harder than it needs to be.”
Harder?
A bitter laugh almost escapes me.
“You rejected me in front of everyone,” I say, my voice trembling despite my effort to steady it. “You made your choice.”
His eyes flicker.
Regret.
Too late.
“This male is dangerous,” Kael says, nodding toward the King Beast. “You don’t know what he wants.”
“I want her to choose,” the King Beast says.
No growl. No threat.
Just truth.
My heart pounds violently.
Kael steps forward, grabbing my wrist.
The contact makes me flinch.
Not because it hurts.
Because it feels wrong.
Possessive.
The King Beast’s energy shifts instantly.
The air thickens.
“Remove your hand,” he says quietly.
It’s not loud.
But it carries weight.
Kael hesitates.
That hesitation tells me everything.
I gently pull my wrist free myself.
“I can speak for myself,” I say.
Kael looks stunned.
“You’re acting reckless,” he says. “You’re emotional.”
That word stings more than rejection.
Emotional.
As if my feelings are a weakness.
The King Beast doesn’t speak.
But I feel his presence beside me. Solid. Steady.
Not controlling.
Supporting.
“I’m not emotional,” I say softly. “I’m done begging to be chosen.”
The clearing goes silent.
Kael’s face hardens. “So you’re running to the first male who shows interest?”
The accusation burns.
Before I can respond, the King Beast steps slightly forward—not blocking me, but making his presence unmistakable.
“Careful,” he says quietly.
Kael’s wolf flickers in his eyes.
“This isn’t over,” Kael growls.
He looks at me one last time.
And for the first time since the rejection—
I don’t look away.
“Goodbye, Kael,” I say.
Not angry.
Not broken.
Just final.
He disappears into the trees moments later.
The silence that follows feels heavier than before.
My hands start shaking once he’s gone.
The King Beast notices.
“You were brave,” he says.
“I was terrified,” I admit.
“That is what makes it bravery.”
My chest tightens again.
I wrap my arms around myself, suddenly aware of how exposed I feel.
“This is going to cause problems,” I whisper.
“Yes,” he says.
No denial.
No false comfort.
Strangely, that honesty steadies me.
“And you’re still here,” I say.
“I will not leave unless you ask me to.”
There it is again.
Choice.
My heart pounds.
“You make this very hard,” I whisper.
His lips curve slightly.
“You could still say no.”
I look up at him.
At the male who kissed me like I mattered.
At the male who didn’t try to claim me.
At the male who waited.
My wolf stirs again.
Not desperate.
Certain.
“I don’t want you to leave,” I admit.
The words feel like stepping off a cliff.
His eyes darken.
“Then I won’t.”
The forest no longer feels cold.
It feels like the beginning of something dangerous.
And this time—
I am walking toward it willingly.
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