Chapter 8: Inside the King's Mind
1008 Words
Alina couldn’t sleep.
No matter how hard she tried.
No matter how tightly she shut her eyes.
Sleep refused to come.
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Moonlight poured through the tall windows, painting the room in pale silver.
The forest beyond the palace whispered in the night—
wind brushing through trees…
distant howls echoing far away…
a reminder that this world was not hers.
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But that wasn’t what kept her awake.
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It was the mark.
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It burned again.
Not painful.
Not exactly.
Just… there.
Warm.
Alive.
Aware.
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Alina sat up slowly, pressing her fingers against her neck.
The moment she touched it—
Heat surged through her body.
Stronger than before.
Her breath caught.
“What is happening to me…?”
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Then—
Everything changed.
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The room disappeared.
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Darkness swallowed her whole.
Cold air rushed past her.
The scent of earth and wild forest filled her lungs.
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She wasn’t in her room anymore.
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She was somewhere else.
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A forest.
Dense.
Ancient.
Alive.
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A powerful heartbeat echoed around her.
Not hers.
Deeper.
Stronger.
Primal.
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Then she saw it.
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A massive black wolf.
Running.
Fast.
Effortless.
Terrifying.
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Golden eyes glowed in the darkness.
Burning with something raw.
Something untamed.
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Emotion slammed into her all at once.
Rage.
Power.
Loneliness.
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It hit so hard it nearly dropped her to her knees.
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“What… is this…?” she whispered.
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Then—
The wolf stopped.
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Slowly…
it turned.
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Those glowing golden eyes locked onto her.
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And suddenly—
they weren’t just a wolf’s eyes.
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They were his.
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Kael.
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A voice echoed through the forest.
Low.
Dangerous.
Familiar.
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“Who dares enter my mind?”
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Alina gasped.
The world shattered.
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She was back in her room.
Breathing hard.
Heart racing.
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But the mark—
The mark was burning hotter than ever.
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Heavy footsteps thundered down the hallway.
Fast.
Urgent.
Powerful.
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Then—
The door burst open.
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Kael stood there.
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His golden eyes were blazing.
Fury.
Shock.
Something deeper.
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“You.”
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Alina blinked.
“What?”
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He stepped inside.
Slowly.
Like a predator closing in.
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“How did you do that?” he demanded.
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Alina frowned.
“Do what?”
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Kael stopped directly in front of her.
The air shifted instantly.
Charged.
Heavy.
Dangerous.
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“You entered my mind.”
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Her eyes widened.
“I didn’t enter anything!”
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His gaze didn’t soften.
Didn’t waver.
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“The bond,” he muttered.
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Alina crossed her arms, defensive.
“What about it?”
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Kael studied her carefully.
Too carefully.
Like she was something he didn’t understand.
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“Normally, it takes weeks,” he said slowly.
“For a bond to reach that level.”
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“And?”
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“And you just crossed it in a single night.”
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Silence.
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Alina shook her head.
“I didn’t do anything.”
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But even as she said it—
she wasn’t sure anymore.
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Because she had felt it.
Seen it.
Him.
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Kael stepped closer.
Closer than before.
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His hand lifted.
Slowly.
Deliberately.
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“What are you doing?” she asked.
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He didn’t answer.
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His fingers touched her chin.
Tilting her face upward again.
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Her heart started pounding.
Loud.
Fast.
Uncontrollable.
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Then—
His thumb brushed over the mark on her neck.
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The reaction was immediate.
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Heat exploded through her body.
Stronger than anything she had felt before.
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She gasped.
Her knees nearly gave out.
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Kael’s eyes widened slightly.
“You feel it too…”
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Alina stumbled back quickly.
“Stop touching me!”
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The connection snapped—but not completely.
It lingered.
Like an invisible thread between them.
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Kael didn’t move.
But something had changed in his expression.
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Something darker.
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“You have no idea what you are becoming,” he said quietly.
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Alina frowned.
“I’m not becoming anything.”
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Kael exhaled slowly.
“You are human.”
“Yes.”
“But the bond is changing you.”
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Her stomach tightened.
“What does that mean?”
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Before he could answer—
A loud horn echoed through the palace.
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Both of them froze.
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Another horn followed.
Then another.
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Kael’s expression shifted instantly.
Back to the King.
Cold.
Focused.
Deadly.
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“That sound…”
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Alina looked toward the window.
“What is it?”
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Kael didn’t hesitate.
“An alert.”
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His voice dropped.
Low.
Sharp.
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“The northern packs are here.”
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Alina’s heart skipped.
“You mean the rebels?”
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He nodded.
“They moved faster than expected.”
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Outside—
Howls filled the night.
Dozens.
Hundreds.
Maybe more.
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The ground trembled faintly beneath her feet.
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Fear crept into her chest.
“Are they attacking the palace?”
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Kael’s lips curved into a cold smile.
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“Good.”
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Alina stared at him.
“Good?!”
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His golden eyes flashed.
Dark.
Excited.
Alive.
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“I was getting bored.”
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Another horn echoed.
Closer this time.
Urgent.
War drums of the wild.
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Kael turned toward the door.
Then paused.
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He looked back at her.
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“Stay in this room.”
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Alina frowned.
“And if I don’t?”
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He stepped closer one last time.
His presence overwhelming.
His voice dropping into something low and dangerous.
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“Then pray the enemy finds you first…”
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His gaze flickered briefly to her neck.
To the mark.
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“…before my wolf does.”
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And then—
He was gone.
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The door slammed shut behind him.
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Leaving Alina alone.
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With a burning mark.
A bond she didn’t understand.
And the terrifying realization that she had just been inside the mind of a king.
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