The Mate Bond
742 Words
Chapter Four
The apartment smelled like rain, blood, and wet concrete.
Ava stood frozen near the kitchen while the thing outside the door kept growling low in its throat. The sound scraped against her nerves.
Kael hadn’t moved.
Neither had the others.
For a strange second, nobody even seemed to breathe.
Then the claw punched through the broken wood again.
Ava flinched hard.
The creature outside snarled louder, trying to force itself inside.
Kael stepped forward.
Fast.
He grabbed the edge of the damaged door and shoved it outward with enough force to slam the creature backwards into the hallway wall.
A massive wolf crashed against the concrete.
Ava’s breath caught.
It looked wrong.
Its fur was patchy and soaked dark with blood. Its yellow eyes were wild, almost human with rage. Saliva dripped from sharp teeth as it struggled back to its feet.
The scarred man cursed quietly.
“That’s not a normal rogue.”
The wolf lunged again.
Kael met it halfway.
The sound that came from him wasn’t human anymore.
A deep Alpha growl ripped through the apartment hard enough to shake Ava’s chest.
The rogue froze midair.
Just for a second.
But that second was enough.
Kael slammed the creature into the hallway floor so violently that the tiles cracked underneath it.
The younger wolf beside him rushed forward to help while the scarred Beta blocked the doorway completely.
Everything happened too fast after that.
Growls.
Claws.
Blood hits the wall.
Ava stumbled backwards until her spine hit the kitchen counter.
She couldn’t stop staring.
This was real.
Every insane thing they’d told her tonight was real.
Kael finally snapped the rogue’s neck with one brutal movement.
Silence dropped heavily over the hallway.
The body hit the floor.
Dead.
Ava felt sick.
The Beta immediately looked toward Kael. “More are coming.”
As if on cue, distant howls echoed from outside the building.
Too many.
Kael wiped blood from his mouth with the back of his hand before turning toward Ava.
“Get your coat.”
Her head snapped up. “What?”
“We’re leaving.”
“No.”
His expression didn’t change, but exhaustion flickered briefly in his eyes.
“Ava—”
“I said no.” Her voice shook this time. “You don’t get to show up here, tell me monsters are real, then drag me away with you.”
“We don’t have time for this.”
“That sounds like your problem.”
The younger wolf looked uncomfortable.
The Beta looked annoyed.
Kael just watched her quietly.
“You think staying here makes you safer?”
“I don’t even know you.”
Something about that landed harder than she expected.
His jaw tightened slightly before he looked away.
“No,” he said quietly. “You don’t.”
The apartment suddenly felt too small again.
Too tense.
Outside, thunder rolled across the sky while Ava tried ignoring the strange pull in her chest every time Kael looked at her.
It made no sense.
She should hate him.
Maybe she already did.
But her body reacted differently around him, and that terrified her more than the wolves.
The older woman moved closer carefully. “Ava, if the rogues reach you first—”
“Why do they want me?”
Nobody answered immediately.
Kael finally spoke.
“Because they know what you are.”
“That still doesn’t explain anything.”
His eyes met hers again.
“The Silver Wolf bloodline was supposed to disappear years ago.”
A cold feeling settled in her stomach.
“And if it didn’t?”
“The entire balance between packs changes.”
Ava laughed nervously. “You keep talking like I’m some kind of weapon.”
Kael didn’t answer.
That silence scared her.
Another howl echoed outside.
Closer now.
The Beta walked to the shattered doorway and looked down the hallway.
“We’re out of time.”
Kael nodded once.
Then he walked toward Ava slowly.
Every instinct inside her screamed to step back.
She didn’t.
When he stopped in front of her, the apartment suddenly felt very quiet.
Too quiet.
She could see rainwater still clinging to his dark hair. A small cut near his mouth. The tension in his shoulders.
Up close, he looked less untouchable somehow.
Still dangerous.
But tired too.
Like tonight had already cost him something.
“You can hate me later,” he said softly. “Right
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