Chapter 10: Gentle Love
1351 Words
He looked at my wrist and rubbed it gently.
Does it hurt? he said.
I was speechless; is it just me or he is really this sweet.. After the kiss that sent chills down my throat I was mesmerized by his kindness.
His gaze focused on me. “Ana,” he whispered.
Let's go see a healer to check on your injured wrist so it doesn't get an infection.
My wrist was still sore from where the intruder grabbed me a while ago.
He saw that. He always saw everything.
“Come.” he said. It wasn’t a suggestion.
It wasn’t even a threat but It was just a statement.
I couldn't explain why but I followed.
We walked hand-in-hand, so close that I was afraid the pack members would think wrong about the whole scene.
Everything around us began to change.
Warriors were standing in their place but not getting closer or trying to block us.
They were just watching. Words spread much quicker than steps.
“That’s her…”
“She is the one Lucan sent a warning to…”
“What could make anyone go into her room?”
“Is it possible that the Alpha killed him there?” I didn’t bother looking at them, but I did feel their stares.
Kieran kept walking and holding my hand as if he didn’t care about anything around us.
At last we reached the healer’s quarters.
The scent of herbs and warm cloth filled the air.
There was a room filled with sick wolves whilst another was empty like it was deliberately made so.
It had a desk and wooden chairs. Right then, one of the healers moved forward and bowed slightly.
“Alpha.”
Kieran just nodded once. “Her wrist.”
The healer didn’t take long to examine my arm, he just grabbed my hand softly.
He examined it.
Then said; “I believe her wrist is strained, but fortunately, not broken.”
He got a soft fabric, got it damp with water then he wrapped it around my wrist.
The pain I felt around my wrist eased slightly.
Kieran watched the entire process without speaking.
When the healer finished, Kieran finally spoke. “Good.” Then he turned slightly.
“Enough.” That one word dismissed everyone else in the room. The healers stepped back immediately.
Yeah, Greenwood wasn't quiet anymore. The place was practically buzzing. I could feel it in the air.
People were whispering everywhere, tossing out rumors that made my skin crawl:
"Is she Alpha Kieran's mate?"
"Why does he baby her like that?"
"Did you see how he hugged her? Dude.
I got chills just thinking about it."
All right, but let's be real, you have to admit-they look good together.
Of course, half the pack is praying they aren't dating. Don't wanna break Rose's heart, you know? She's basically throwing herself on Alpha Kieran, but he never notices her.
Anyway. The mummuring was working overtime, everyone couldn't keep their mouths shut.
The atmosphere was really electric. I felt shocks all over body. No one noticed me tho.
Kieran and I walked outside and, bam, they were already warriors lining up, halfway into formation, ready for God knows what.
The whispers flipped, and the thickened into tension. Kieran froze for a sec, taking in the crowd, then barked out,
"Sound The Meeting Horn!"
Someone grabbed it and blasted a horn so loud and deep, I'm pretty sure it shook my ribcage. No way anyone could ignore that sound.
Instantly, people started hustling toward the central hall-fast, nervous, like they knew something big was coming.
The hall filled up in seconds, honestly.
Warriors turned up.
Elders shuffled in.
Scouts slipped into the corners.
Healers squeezed in between everyone else. Pretty much the whole clan.
Kieran took the center-classic, right?
And me? Kind of lurking just behind him, like a shadow that hadn't figured out what it wanted yet.
He didn't tell me to leave. Didn't tell me to step up, either. Just left me hanging there.
People could see me, so, yeah…
The whispers started again.
The crowd finally went quiet, and Kieran just jumped right in.
"An Intrusion just occurred in Greenwood."
Immediately he said that, people started shifting around, like a cold draft had blown through.
Kieran kept talking…
"Whoever it was slipped past internal tracks. Broke into a private area."
"And that was Ana Ciaron's space."
Suddenly the room froze.
Kieran's tone shifted, just a little sharper.
"Yeah. The Intruder's dead." No reaction.
Even the elders stayed silent.
He glanced around, looking right past me.
And continued talking..
Before anyone jumps to blame security. He waited…We caught this intruder early thanks to the help of one of us who noticed something off. People looked around, uncertain. Kieran continued.
Lysa come here. Lysa took small steps forward and came in view for everyone to see.
She looked very shy but she held herself steady. Her name floated through the air..
Kieran's voice dropped to a much warmer tone now.
Pointing at Lysa he said. She saw what even the expert guards missed.
He let that sink in.
Because she spoke up, things didn't get worse. Kieran's eyes swept the room.
That's how vigilance works. He paused again. Don't brush it off if something feels wrong.
The room stilled. Kieran continued in a much softer and almost gentle tone.
Greenwood survives because we watch out for each other.
Quiet murmurs broke out. Not in fear this time, but something new. Recognition. Maybe respect.
Kieran's eyes moved over them all.
From now on, he stopped, letting the words settle.
If you see anything out of the ordinary, even the smallest thing, report it.
Staying silent doesn't protect anyone.
It puts us all at risk. No one spoke.
He finished quietly: And you're all responsible for each other.
That one landed heavyafterward felt different.
The meeting wrapped up without much fuss. People lingered, moving out at their own pace with nobody rushing.
I could feel it; everyone was still trying to process what had haappened. They were restless, and eyeing each other in a whole new way.
Out in the corridor, Kieran stuck close by my side. He wasn't leading, just walking with me.
The hall felt strangely quiet but not peaceful, more like everything was under tight control.
I walked back to my room with Kieran by my side. When we finally got to my room. It felt strangely different to me, same door same space but I couldn't explain the unfamiliarity.
I don't know if it's because Kieran stopped right in front of me, his eyes loosing that sharp edge. He wasn't Alpha in that moment; he was just himself.
He spoke quietly: "You don't need to worry. This won't happen again." He let the silence hang between us for a second, then said it stronger: "I'll protect you."
He left no room for argument. It wasn't just a command-it sounded like a promise.
Before I could say anything, he stepped in closer and kissed my forehead, gentle, personal. Just us alone in such a space.
My heart flattered for a while then he hugged me-steady, deliberate, grounding me. For a little while, everything fell away.
The meeting, the whispers, Lucan, the stranger-all that noise faded. Just silence and breath.
He let go carefully. "Rest," he told me, and took a step back.
I watched him walk away for a minute. And honestly, since Lucan's message, Greenwood hadn't felt this safe.
I opened my door and stepped inside. The exhaustion finally hit me like a ton of bricks. Everything from earlier, the intruder, the meeting, the whispers, Kieran. I leaned against the door, catching my breath.
Just then, a shout tore through Greenwood, loud and urgent. I didn't panic this time, nor did I get scared. I just knew this required pure urgency.
I snapped to attention. Another voice joined in, then another. Feet pounded in the hall-lots of them, moving fast.
I just couldn't breathe. I reached for my door handle. Before I could swing it open, someone yelled out: "Alpha!"...
- Writer
