Chapter Four: The Bond He Won’t Name
1155 Words
I woke to birdsong.
For a moment, I didn’t remember where I was. The bed beneath me was too soft, the sheets too clean. The fire had burned low in the hearth, casting orange shadows across the stone walls. My fingers clutched the edge of the blanket like a lifeline.
Then it all came back.
The auction. The stage. The man with eyes like fire and a name that haunted the entire region. Kael Thorn. My new “protector.”
The moment I sat up, the door creaked open.
A tray of food was brought in by a woman I hadn’t seen before. She was older, round-shouldered, with a sharp nose and soft eyes. She didn’t speak, only nodded politely, placed the tray on a nearby table, and left without a sound. The door clicked shut behind her, the lock falling into place.
So I was a prisoner—just one with luxury bedding and warm meals.
I didn’t know what Kael had planned for me, and the mystery was starting to dig into my nerves like splinters. My wolf was still groggy, unsettled by the disruption of our link and the strange energy in this place. I didn’t feel in danger. But I didn’t feel safe either.
I ate slowly, tasting every bite like it might be laced with something. Eggs, bread, honey, fresh fruit, and a bitter tea that warmed me from the inside out. I’d never eaten so well at home, not in the servants’ quarters. My stomach knotted with guilt as I forced the last of the bread down.
A knock echoed against the door.
Kael didn’t wait for permission before he opened it and stepped inside.
He looked like he hadn’t slept. His black shirt clung to his chest, sleeves rolled up over forearms laced with scars and ink. His hair was messy, like he’d run his hands through it one too many times. And those amber eyes landed on me like fire, burning away any sense of control I thought I had.
“Eat?” he asked.
I nodded, though I didn’t thank him.
He stepped deeper into the room and closed the door behind him. We stared at each other, tension tightening between us like a stretched wire. I hated the way my pulse kicked at the sight of him. Hated how my breath caught whenever he got too close. This wasn’t a crush. It wasn’t even desire.
It was something deeper. Something I didn’t have a name for yet.
“Why am I here?” I asked quietly. “What do you want from me?”
Kael’s jaw clenched. “You asked me that last night.”
“I want the full answer. No cryptic lines. No growling and brooding. Just the truth.”
He raised an eyebrow at that but didn’t challenge me.
“You’re not human,” he said finally.
“No kidding.”
“You’re not just a wolf, either.”
I blinked. “What do you mean?”
Kael moved to the window, pulling the heavy curtains aside. Outside, the forest stretched endlessly, dark and wild. “You’ve felt it,” he said, still facing away. “Haven’t you? That thing inside you. It’s more than just your wolf.”
I hesitated. “I thought it was just... trauma. From the attack.”
He turned then, face shadowed. “It’s not trauma. It’s power. Old. Buried. Hidden in your bloodline. Your mother was from the Moonlight Kingdom, but your father...”
My heart stuttered. “You know my father?”
“I know of him,” Kael said. “And it explains why your scent called to every beast in that auction room.”
He walked toward me, slow and deliberate, stopping only when he was inches away. I had to tilt my head back to meet his gaze.
“You’re more than just a virgin omega from a disgraced pack,” he said, voice low. “You’re a born mate. And you have the blood of a royal bloodline long thought extinct. The kind that drives Alphas to madness just to taste.”
I flinched, stepping back. “I’m not royalty.”
“Not in name. But in blood, yes.”
I shook my head. “That’s not possible. My mother was a servant. I was nothing. Everyone treated me like nothing.”
“Because they feared what you might become,” Kael growled. “You were hidden. Kept weak. They didn’t want you to shift. Didn’t want your wolf to awaken.”
His words felt like glass in my throat. I remembered the way the others looked at me—especially Rowan. The way he always seemed nervous around me, like he was hiding something.
“And you?” I asked. “Why do you want me?”
Kael looked down, brows drawn tight.
“I don’t want you.”
The words hit harder than they should have. I looked away, heat rising to my cheeks. “Then why bring me here?”
He was quiet for a long time.
“Because the moment I saw you, something inside me snapped,” he said finally, his voice a rasp. “I’ve never wanted to claim a mate. Never. But you... you smell like fire and moonlight. Like something sacred. And the worst part is, I can’t mark you.”
My breath caught. “What?”
“I can’t claim you, Luna. If I do, I’ll ruin you. I’ll trigger the bond, and once that happens, neither of us can walk away.”
“Then why not let me go?”
Kael’s eyes darkened. “Because they’ll find you. And this time, I won’t be there to stop it.”
I swallowed the knot in my throat.
“So what? I stay here, locked in this room? Until you decide what to do with me?”
“You’re not a prisoner.”
“Then unlock the damn door,” I snapped.
His jaw clenched. Then slowly, he reached into his pocket, pulled out a key, and handed it to me.
My hand closed around it. Cold metal. Heavy.
“I won’t stop you if you leave,” he said. “But once you step outside, you’re fair game. And Savage Hollow doesn’t forgive trespassers. Even ones with royal blood.”
I didn’t answer.
He turned to go, but paused at the door.
“One more thing,” he said. “You’re not safe. Not even from yourself. That thing inside you? It’s waking up. And if you shift for the first time without control... you’ll tear this place apart.”
The door clicked shut behind him, and I sank to the floor, the key tight in my fist.
I wasn’t safe.
I wasn’t normal.
And Kael Thorn—my supposed savior—was right.
Something inside me was waking up.
And I didn’t know if it was a blessing or a curse.
- Writer
