The Search Begins
986 Words
Rain poured from the dark sky as I followed Kael through the forest.
The Lycan King moved effortlessly over the rough terrain.
I, on the other hand, slipped on a wet root for the third time in twenty minutes.
Kael stopped.
Without turning around, he said,
"You're exhausted."
"I'm fine."
"You almost fell into a ditch."
"I said I'm fine."
One of his eyebrows rose.
The expression made it obvious he didn't believe me.
Unfortunately, neither did I.
The events of the past two days had drained me completely.
Mate rejection.
Exile.
Rogue attack.
Mysterious powers.
Meeting the Lycan King.
It was enough to overwhelm anyone.
Kael resumed walking.
This time his pace slowed slightly.
I noticed.
I pretended not to.
The storm finally began to weaken as darkness settled over the forest.
Soon we arrived at a rocky cliffside.
Hidden behind a curtain of vines was the entrance to a cave.
Kael pushed the vines aside.
"We'll stay here tonight."
I stepped inside cautiously.
The cave was surprisingly clean.
There was even a small fire pit.
"You've been here before."
Kael nodded.
"A few times."
That made sense.
A king who traveled frequently would likely have safe locations throughout his territory.
I dropped my bag near the fire pit.
Within minutes, Kael had a fire burning.
The warmth felt heavenly.
For a while, neither of us spoke.
The silence wasn't uncomfortable.
Just... strange.
I had spent most of my life being ignored.
Now I was sitting beside one of the most powerful men in existence.
Life was weird.
My stomach suddenly growled.
Loudly.
I closed my eyes in embarrassment.
Wonderful.
Kael looked amused.
Without a word, he handed me a wrapped bundle.
Food.
Real food.
Not the dried scraps I'd packed.
My mouth watered immediately.
"Thank you."
He inclined his head.
I ate quickly.
Perhaps too quickly.
Kael noticed.
Again.
He seemed to notice everything.
"How long?"
I frowned.
"How long what?"
"How long have they treated you that way?"
The question caught me off guard.
I stared into the fire.
The answer was obvious.
"Most of my life."
Kael's jaw tightened.
"Why?"
I laughed bitterly.
"Because I'm an omega."
"That's not a reason."
"Apparently it was."
Silence followed.
The fire crackled softly.
Finally, Kael spoke.
"Your pack sounds foolish."
I almost smiled.
Almost.
Then a thought occurred to me.
"What about you?"
He looked up.
"What about me?"
"Why were you in rogue territory?"
A shadow crossed his face.
"I was hunting."
That wasn't suspicious at all.
"Hunting what?"
His golden eyes met mine.
For a brief moment, something dangerous flashed within them.
"Someone."
A chill ran down my spine.
I decided not to ask further.
Whatever—or whoever—the Lycan King was hunting probably wasn't my business.
At least not yet.
---
Hundreds of miles away...
Moonfall Pack was in chaos.
"She's gone."
Damon Blackwood stared at the scout standing before him.
The scout lowered his gaze.
"We searched the northern routes, Alpha."
"Then search again."
"We already have."
Damon slammed his fist onto the table.
The heavy oak cracked.
Everyone in the room flinched.
His wolf was restless.
Agitated.
The mate bond still existed despite his rejection.
Weakened.
Damaged.
But present.
And right now, it was screaming at him.
Something was wrong.
Terribly wrong.
"Any sign of rogues?" Damon asked.
The Beta stepped forward.
"Several sightings near the eastern border."
A growl escaped Damon's throat.
The room instantly fell silent.
If rogues found Aria...
The thought made him sick.
Which annoyed him.
He had rejected her.
It was the correct decision.
Wasn't it?
His wolf disagreed.
Violently.
The beast had barely spoken to him since the ceremony.
Every time Damon thought about Aria leaving alone, the wolf became furious.
"You made a mistake."
The words came from his Beta.
Damon's head snapped up.
"What?"
His Beta held his gaze.
"You made a mistake rejecting her."
The room became painfully quiet.
Nobody dared move.
Normally, challenging an Alpha like that would be dangerous.
But Damon didn't respond.
Because part of him feared his Beta was right.
A memory surfaced.
Aria's face during the ceremony.
The pain in her eyes.
The heartbreak.
For some reason, the image refused to leave him alone.
Damon clenched his fists.
"Find her."
His Beta blinked.
"What?"
"I said find her."
The command echoed through the room.
"Search every route."
"Every forest."
"Every rogue camp."
His wolf growled in approval.
For the first time in days.
The sound should have comforted him.
Instead, it made his chest tighten.
Because he was beginning to realize something.
If Aria died...
He would never forgive himself.
---
Back in the cave...
I couldn't sleep.
The fire burned low.
Outside, the storm had finally passed.
Moonlight filtered through the cave entrance.
Kael sat near the opening.
Watching the forest.
Guarding.
His posture remained relaxed.
But I could tell he was alert.
Always alert.
As though danger could appear at any moment.
I shifted slightly.
The movement caught his attention immediately.
"Can't sleep?"
"No."
Neither could he apparently.
For a moment, neither of us spoke.
Then I asked the question that had been bothering me since we met.
"Why were you surprised when you saw me?"
Kael became very still.
The silence stretched.
Too long.
Then he answered.
"Because you remind me of someone."
I frowned.
"Who?"
His expression darkened.
"Someone who died a long time ago."
The sadness in his voice surprised me.
Before I could ask another question, a powerful howl echoed through the night.
Kael was on his feet instantly.
Every trace of warmth vanished from his face.
The sound came again.
Closer this time.
My wolf growled.
Danger.
Kael's eyes narrowed.
"Stay behind me."
A second howl answered the first.
Then a third.
Then dozens more.
My blood ran cold.
The forest outside had suddenly come alive.
And whatever was out there...
There were a lot of them.
- Writer
