🐺 THE ALPHA'S MOONBORN MATE

The forest

ELARA

I was leaving.

There was no question about it.

I had spent enough time in Kael Draven's mansion to understand one thing.

No one was going to let me go willingly.

So I'd have to leave myself.

I waited until the house became quiet.

The sun had already disappeared behind the trees outside, leaving the windows dark.

I stood beside my bedroom door, listening.

Nothing.

I slowly opened it.

The hallway was empty.

My heart hammered against my ribs.

I stepped out.

One foot.

Then another.

I didn't know where the guards were, but I had noticed something during the past few days.

The mansion had a back entrance.

And beyond it was a forest.

A huge one.

I'd seen it from my window.

If I could get through the trees, I'd find a road.

A village.

A town.

Anything.

I just needed to get away from this place.

I moved quietly down the hallway.

The stairs creaked beneath my feet.

I froze.

Nothing happened.

I continued.

When I reached the ground floor, I spotted the back door.

My pulse jumped.

Freedom.

I pushed it open.

Cold air hit my face.

I stepped outside.

Then I ran.

I didn't look back.

I ran across the enormous lawn, my shoes sinking into the damp grass.

The mansion grew smaller behind me.

I kept running.

Faster.

Until the trees swallowed me.

I stopped for half a second.

The forest was darker than I'd expected.

Much darker.

Tall trees surrounded me, their branches twisting overhead and blocking most of the moonlight.

I swallowed.

It was fine.

I could do this.

I turned left.

Then right.

Then left again.

I kept walking.

Twenty minutes passed.

Then thirty.

I stopped.

My breathing was getting heavier.

I looked around.

Nothing looked familiar.

I turned around.

The mansion was gone.

My stomach dropped.

"No."

I walked back the way I thought I'd come.

Except…

I couldn't remember which direction that was.

"No, no, no."

I spun around.

Every tree looked exactly the same.

I pulled my phone from my pocket.

No signal.

Of course.

I stared at the screen before shoving it back into my pocket.

"Think, Elara."

I picked a direction and started walking.

The forest seemed to grow quieter.

Too quiet.

Then I heard something.

A branch snapping.

I stopped.

My heart jumped.

"Hello?"

Nothing.

I took another step.

Another sound.

Closer this time.

I turned.

Nothing.

I started walking faster.

Then running.

I didn't know what I was running from.

I just knew something was there.

Something was following me.

I stumbled over a root and caught myself against a tree.

"Stop."

My breathing came out shaky.

"You're imagining things."

A low sound came from behind me.

I froze.

It wasn't human.

My entire body went cold.

I slowly turned.

Two eyes stared at me from between the trees.

I couldn't breathe.

A wolf.

A massive black wolf.

It stood several meters away, completely still.

Watching me.

I backed away.

"No."

The wolf took one step forward.

I turned and ran.

I didn't care where I was going anymore.

Branches scratched my arms.

Roots caught my feet.

My lungs burned.

But something strange happened.

The farther I ran, the easier it became to breathe.

My legs felt stronger.

My hearing sharpened.

I could hear the wolf behind me.

I could hear every step.

Every breath.

And then—

I heard something else.

A voice.

Not outside me.

Inside me.

Run.

I stopped.

My eyes widened.

"What?"

The voice came again.

Run.

I grabbed my head.

"No."

My chest burned.

Heat spread through my body.

My hands trembled.

Something was happening to me.

Something I couldn't explain.

I dropped to my knees.

My vision blurred.

Then I heard the wolf again.

But this time…

It wasn't behind me.

It was inside me.

A growl vibrated through my chest.

I screamed.

---

KAEL

The moment I entered the hallway, I knew something was wrong.

Her room was empty.

The window was closed.

The bed was untouched.

And the back door downstairs was open.

My blood ran cold.

"Where is she?"

Damon appeared behind me.

"What?"

"Elara."

His expression changed.

"You mean—"

"Find her."

Damon didn't ask questions.

He turned and shouted for the guards.

Within minutes, the entire estate was moving.

I walked outside.

The forest stood behind the mansion.

Dark.

Silent.

And dangerous.

My wolf stirred beneath my skin.

Mate.

"Not now."

Mate is afraid.

I clenched my jaw.

"Find her."

I entered the forest.

Damon followed.

We split up.

"Elara!" he shouted.

I listened.

Nothing.

Then—

A sound.

A scream.

My body reacted before my mind did.

I ran.

Branches tore at my clothes as I pushed through the trees.

The scream had come from somewhere ahead.

"Elara!"

No answer.

I ran faster.

Then I saw her.

She was on the ground beside a tree.

Alone.

Her hair was tangled.

Her clothes were covered in dirt.

Her hands were shaking.

I stopped.

"Elara."

She looked up.

Her eyes widened.

"Kael?"

I rushed toward her.

She immediately tried to stand.

"I can walk."

"You can barely stand."

"I'm fine."

"You ran into a forest you've never been in before, alone, at night."

"I was trying to leave."

"I know."

She looked away.

I crouched in front of her.

"Are you hurt?"

"No."

"Did something happen?"

Her eyes met mine.

For a moment, she looked terrified.

Not of me.

Of herself.

"What happened?"

She shook her head.

"Nothing."

I studied her.

She was lying.

But before I could press her, she swayed.

I caught her.

She stiffened.

"Let go."

"You're exhausted."

"I said I'm fine."

"And I said you're not."

She didn't argue this time.

Her body relaxed against mine.

I lifted her carefully.

She was trembling.

As I carried her through the forest, she remained silent.

Then, quietly, she whispered,

"Kael?"

"Yes?"

"Am I…"

She stopped.

I looked down at her.

"Are you what?"

Her eyes filled with confusion.

Fear.

She shook her head.

"Nothing."

I didn't push.

Not yet.

We reached the mansion.

Damon was waiting at the entrance.

His eyes widened when he saw her.

"She's okay?"

"She's exhausted."

He nodded.

I carried Elara inside.

She kept her face turned away from everyone.

I carried her through the mansion and up the stairs.

She didn't say anything.

Neither did I.

When we reached her room, I lowered her onto the edge of the bed.

She immediately pulled her knees closer to herself, looking around the room as though she still expected something to come after her.

I stood in front of her.

“You need to freshen up.”

She looked at me.

“I can manage.”

“I know.”

I glanced toward the bathroom.

“Go. I'll wait outside.”

Her eyebrows pulled together.

“Outside?”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“Because you're scared.”

She looked away.

I wasn't wrong.

“I'll be right here,” I added. “You don't have to worry about anything.”

For a few seconds, she said nothing.

Then she slowly stood.

She walked into the bathroom and closed the door.

I stayed where I was.

A few minutes later, I heard the shower running.

I leaned against the wall outside.

I should have left.

She was safe.

That was all that mattered.

Yet something kept me there.

Maybe it was the way she'd looked at me in the forest.

She hadn't looked like the stubborn woman who had argued with me since the day I met her.

She'd looked lost.

Small.

Afraid.

And I couldn't understand why.

Eventually, the bathroom door opened.

Elara stepped out wearing fresh clothes, her damp hair falling around her shoulders.

She looked exhausted.

I straightened.

“Better?”

She nodded.

I walked toward the door.

“You should sleep.”

My hand had barely reached the handle when I heard her voice.

“Kael.”

I stopped.

I turned around.

She was standing beside her bed, staring at the floor.

“Stay.”

The word was so quiet I almost thought I'd imagined it.

I looked at her.

She swallowed.

“Just for a little while.”

I didn't ask why.

I simply walked back.

I sat down on the chair beside her bed.

She looked at me.

“No.”

I frowned.

“What?”

“The chair.”

She hesitated.

“Can you sit here?”

She pointed beside her on the bed.

I stared at the spot.

Then at her.

“You want me to sit beside you?”

She nodded.

“I don't want to be alone.”

Something in my chest tightened.

I moved to the bed and sat beside her.

She pulled the blanket over herself.

For a while, neither of us spoke.

Then she whispered,

“Thank you.”

I looked at her.

“For what?”

“For finding me.”

I didn't know what to say.

So I simply nodded.

She slowly lay down.

Her eyes remained open.

“You're really staying?”

“Yes.”

“Until I fall asleep?”

I paused.

“Yes.”

Her shoulders finally relaxed.

A few minutes passed.

Her breathing gradually became slower.

I remained beside her, staring into the darkness.

I didn't understand why she'd run.

I didn't understand what had frightened her so badly.

And I certainly didn't understand why, after everything that had happened between us, she had chosen to ask me to stay.

But for tonight, I didn't need answers.

I just stayed.