Chapter three
1015 Words
I didn’t sleep.
Even wrapped in soft blankets with a roof over my head, I couldn’t rest. My mind spun in circles, stuck on Kael’s voice, the feel of his presence, the way his silver eyes had burned into mine like he knew something about me I didn’t.
Why had the bond chosen him?
Why now?
And why did a part of me—some buried, traitorous part—want him to touch me again?
I sat on the edge of the bed, staring at the window until dawn broke over the distant hills. Outside, the Nightfang pack was already stirring. Wolves in human form moved like soldiers—precise, fast, and dangerous.
A knock pulled me from my thoughts.
Before I could answer, the door opened and a tall, elegant woman stepped inside carrying a bundle of clean clothes. Her hair was twisted into a tight braid, and there was something sharp in her smile.
“You must be the stray,” she said sweetly.
“I’m… the guest,” I replied slowly.
She tilted her head. “Right. Guest of the Alpha.”
There was venom beneath her words, even if her tone remained calm.
“I’m Mira. Pack healer.” She dropped the bundle on the chair. “Alpha Kael asked me to make sure you’re… functioning.”
“I’m not injured,” I said, even though I was sore all over.
“No,” she replied. “But that doesn’t mean you’re not dangerous.”
I froze. “Excuse me?”
She stepped closer. “You walked into this house last night smelling like you belonged to him. But no one has ever belonged to Alpha Kael. He doesn’t bond. He doesn’t break rules. He doesn’t care.”
I swallowed, trying to keep my voice steady. “I didn’t ask for this bond.”
“No one does,” Mira said coolly. “But don’t get comfortable. This won’t last. He’ll find a way to sever it. He always finds a way.”
She turned on her heel and walked out, slamming the door behind her.
I stared after her, heart thudding.
I had no idea what Kael had done in the past, but it was clear no one in this pack would welcome me. I was a threat to their balance—a weakness their Alpha wasn’t allowed to have.
Still, something in Mira’s words rattled me.
He doesn’t bond.
He doesn’t care.
Then why did his voice still echo in my head? Why did I feel the pulse of our connection humming beneath my skin, like a second heartbeat?
Kael sat alone in the war room, maps spread before him and fire crackling in the hearth behind. His Beta, Jace, leaned against the wall nearby, arms folded and expression grim.
“You’re sure it’s a mate bond?” Jace asked.
Kael didn’t look up. “Yes.”
“She doesn’t even have a wolf.”
“I know.”
“Then how is this possible?”
Kael didn’t answer immediately. He clenched his jaw, staring at the map like it could explain the cosmic mistake the universe had just made.
“She’s not who she thinks she is,” he said finally.
Jace frowned. “You saw something?”
“A memory,” Kael admitted. “When I touched her… it wasn’t just the bond. I saw blood. Fire. A name—buried in my mind.”
He looked up, eyes darkening.
“Riven.”
Jace straightened. “Riven? That’s an extinct bloodline. No survivors.”
“She survived,” Kael said.
“If that’s true, Kael… the Council will want her dead.”
“I know.”
They fell into silence.
Finally, Jace asked, “So what are you going to do?”
Kael’s voice dropped into a growl. “Protect her.”
“You’re breaking your vow.”
“I didn’t make that vow for myself,” he said coldly. “I made it to keep others safe.”
“And now?”
Kael looked toward the window, where sunlight just began to pour into the trees.
“Now… I’m not sure if she’s the danger—or the key to everything.”
Later that morning, I stepped outside for the first time, the weight of my bond with Kael sitting heavy on my chest.
I barely made it to the edge of the courtyard before I was surrounded.
Three wolves—two men, one woman—stood in my path. All of them were tall, toned, and radiating hostility.
“You don’t belong here,” the taller man said, sneering. “Alpha Kael doesn’t take mates.”
“Tell that to fate,” I muttered.
The woman stepped forward. “Fate? Please. You’re a rogue mutt. A fake. Whatever that bond is, it’s wrong.”
I stood my ground. “You think I don’t know that? I didn’t choose this. But if you’ve got a problem, take it up with your Alpha.”
The woman bared her teeth. “We just might.”
A low growl cut through the air.
I turned—and there he was.
Kael.
He moved with lethal grace, silver eyes burning as he stepped between me and the others.
“Back. Off,” he commanded.
The three wolves lowered their heads immediately, retreating without another word.
Kael turned to me. “What did I say about staying inside?”
“I needed air,” I said, lifting my chin. “I wasn’t looking for trouble.”
“You don’t need to. Trouble finds you.”
He stared at me, jaw clenched. Then something shifted in his gaze.
“You need to know something,” he said. “You are not safe. Not here. Not anywhere.”
“Because of you?”
“No. Because of what’s in your blood.”
I blinked. “What does that mean?”
“I don’t know. Not yet. But I will find out.”
His voice dropped into something softer. Almost… reverent.
“And when I do, nothing will touch you. Not even fate.”
- Writer
