Under my protection
855 Words
The silence after by the Elders’ decision was suffocating.
“She must be contained.”
The words still echoed in my mind like chains tightening around my chest.
Kael hadn’t let go of me.
Not once.
Even now, as the room slowly emptied and the tension lingered like a storm waiting to break, his arms were still around me—strong, protective… unshakable.
“I’m not going anywhere,” I whispered weakly.
His jaw tightened.
“I know,” he said. “Because I won’t let them take you.”
Something in his voice made my heart race.
Not just determination.
Possession.
Before I could respond, footsteps approached.
A young warrior stepped into the hall, bowing his head slightly.
“Alpha… the Elders request your presence. Immediately.”
Kael didn’t move.
“I’m busy.”
The warrior hesitated. “They said it concerns the safety of the pack.”
A dangerous silence followed.
Then—
“They’re afraid of her,” Kael said coldly.
The warrior said nothing.
Because it was true.
My fingers tightened slightly against Kael’s chest.
“I don’t want to cause problems for you,” I murmured.
His head snapped down to me instantly.
“You think you’re the problem?” he said sharply.
I flinched slightly.
His expression softened just as quickly.
“Aria… you’re the only thing in this entire pack I don’t see as a problem.”
My breath caught.
Before I could say anything—
Another voice cut in.
“Still defending her?”
Selene.
Of course.
She stepped forward slowly, graceful as ever, but her eyes burned with something far less elegant.
Jealousy.
Raw. Sharp. Dangerous.
“You heard the Elders,” she continued. “She’s unstable. She’s a threat.”
Kael’s arm tightened around my waist.
“And yet,” he said calmly, “she has more control than you ever did.”
Selene’s expression flickered.
“You’re choosing her over your pack?”
“I’m choosing my mate,” he replied without hesitation.
The air shifted.
Heavy.
Personal.
Selene’s gaze dropped to where his hand rested against me—possessive, protective, intimate.
Something snapped in her eyes.
“She doesn’t even belong here,” she said, her voice lowering. “She doesn’t understand your world. Your responsibilities. Your power.”
“I understand enough,” I said quietly.
Both of them looked at me.
Selene smirked slightly. “Do you? Then tell me… can you stand beside him when the entire pack turns against you?”
I hesitated.
Just for a second.
And that was enough.
Her smile widened.
Kael noticed.
And he didn’t like it.
At all.
Before I could say anything—
He pulled me closer.
Closer than before.
My breath hitched as my body pressed fully against his, his warmth surrounding me, his scent overwhelming in the best way.
“Let me make something clear,” he said, his voice dropping low—dangerously calm.
His hand tilted my chin up gently.
Not for Selene.
For me.
“So you never doubt it again.”
My heart slammed against my ribs.
“Kael…” I whispered.
But he didn’t stop.
His gaze locked onto mine—intense, consuming, leaving no room to look away.
“You don’t need to belong to this pack,” he said softly.
My breath trembled.
“You belong to me.”
The words hit deep.
Too deep.
And before I could process them—
His lips brushed mine.
Soft.
Slow.
But full of meaning.
My eyes widened slightly—but I didn’t pull away.
I couldn’t.
Because it felt…
Right.
Warmth spread through me, chasing away the fear, the doubt, the darkness.
For a moment—
There was no power.
No Elders.
No Selene.
Just him.
Just us.
When he pulled back, his forehead rested gently against mine.
“Don’t let anyone make you feel less,” he murmured.
My voice came out softer than I expected.
“I don’t… when I’m with you.”
Something shifted in his eyes.
Something deeper.
More dangerous.
Possessive.
Selene’s voice cut through the moment like a blade.
“How sweet,” she said, though her tone was anything but. “But don’t forget… power decides everything here.”
Kael didn’t even look at her.
“Then she’ll just have to become stronger than all of you.”
My breath caught.
Selene’s smile returned—but this time, it was colder.
“Good,” she said. “Because I won’t go easy on her.”
Silence fell again.
But this time…
It wasn’t fear filling the space.
It was challenge.
War.
And something else.
Something that burned between Kael and me—stronger than anything trying to tear us apart.
He looked down at me once more.
“Stay with me tonight,” he said quietly.
My heart skipped.
“Why?” I asked softly.
His thumb brushed my lips gently—sending a shiver through me.
“Because,” he said, his voice dropping into something deeper, rougher…
“I don’t trust myself to let you go.”
And for the first time—
I didn’t want him to.
- Writer
