The Hybrid Alpha's Mate

Chapter 2: Kael

We walk in silence.

Or rather… he walks. I stumble behind him, trying to keep up. It feels like we’ve been moving for hours, though he hasn’t slowed once. His steps are steady, confident, like he knows every inch of this forest.

I don’t.

Every tree looks the same. Every shadow feels alive. And the deeper we go, the colder the air becomes.

My legs ache. My feet drag. My whole body feels like it’s made of lead.

“Where are we going?” I ask for what feels like the tenth time.

He doesn’t look back. “Somewhere safe.”

“That’s not an answer.”

“It’s the only one you need right now.”

I grit my teeth. “Do you always talk like that?”

“Like what?”

“Like you’re hiding something.”

He finally glances over his shoulder, eyes glowing faintly in the dark. “I’m not hiding anything from you.”

That’s a lie. Obviously.

But I’m too tired to argue.

“At least tell me your name.”

“It’s Kael.”

We keep walking. My breaths come out in shaky bursts. My vision swims. The forest tilts around me.

“Slow down,” I whisper. “Please.”

He doesn’t.

“Kael,” I try again, louder this time. “I can’t-”

My foot catches on a root. My knees buckle. I hit the ground hard, the impact jarring up my spine. A sob escapes before I can stop it. Frustration, fear, exhaustion all crashing over me at once.

“I can’t do this,” I choke out. “I can’t… I can’t keep going.”

Kael turns instantly.

He’s beside me in a heartbeat, kneeling in the dirt, his expression shifting from unreadable to something almost… concerned.

“Jasmine,” he says softly. “Look at me.”

Wait. I didn’t tell him my name… did I?

I shake my head, tears blurring my vision. “I’m tired. I’m scared. I don’t even know where I am.”

“You’re safe with me.”

“You keep saying that,” I whisper. “But I don’t know you.”

His jaw tightens. “You will.”

Before I can protest, he slides an arm under my knees and another behind my back. I gasp as he lifts me effortlessly off the ground.

“Wait- Kael-”

“Rest,” he murmurs. “You’re exhausted.”

I should fight him. I should demand he put me down. But the moment my head rests against his chest, warmth spreads through me. Steady, comforting, impossible to resist.

His heartbeat is slow and strong beneath my cheek.

My body relaxes without my permission. My eyes grow heavy. I try to stay awake, to stay alert, but the rhythm of his steps and the warmth of his arms pull me under.

I fall asleep against him.

I wake to the sound of low growls.

My eyes snap open. Kael is still carrying me, but the forest has changed - the trees are thicker, the air heavier, the shadows deeper. And we’re not alone.

Wolves.

Dozens of them.

They stand between the trees, watching us with glowing eyes. Some are massive, larger than any wolf I’ve ever seen. My breath catches in my throat.

“Kael,” I whisper, gripping his shirt. “Put me down. Please. They’re... they’re everywhere.”

“They’re mine,” he says simply.

That doesn’t make me feel better.

One of the wolves steps forward, head low, ears pinned back. It growls - not at me, but at Kael.

Kael growls back.

The sound vibrates through his chest, through me, through the ground itself. The wolf immediately lowers its head in submission.

My heart stops.

“What… what was that?” I whisper.

“Respect,” he says. “This is my territory.”

He steps forward, and the wolves part for him, bowing their heads as he passes. Some glance at me — curious, confused, maybe even wary, but none come close.

Kael carries me through them like he’s done this a thousand times.

And then I see it.

A massive house rises from the trees - dark wood, stone pillars, warm lights glowing through tall windows. It looks ancient and powerful, like it belongs to the forest itself.

My breath catches.

“This is your home?” I ask.

“Yes.”

“And you’re… what? Their leader?”

His eyes meet mine, glowing softly in the dim light.

“I’m their Alpha.”

My stomach twists.

I don’t know what that means for me.

I don’t know what he wants or why he saved me.

But as he carries me toward the house, surrounded by wolves who bow to him…

I know one thing for sure:

I’m not just in danger anymore.

I’m in his world now.