CHAPTER TWO
640 Words
Kael didn’t sleep that night.
He sat in the armchair near the fireplace, one hand wrapped around a half-empty glass of whiskey, the other rubbing the back of his neck. The flames flickered, throwing restless shadows across the walls, but the silence in the room was louder than any wolf’s howl.
Selene’s scent lingered faintly in the air — warm, familiar, and maddeningly out of reach. She was here in the house, yet she felt farther away than if she’d been across the sea.
The rumor.
It gnawed at him. Not just because it was false, but because it was calculated. Someone had aimed for the one c***k in his armor — his mate.
By morning, the whispers had already taken root. When Kael stepped into the main hall, conversations died mid-sentence. Eyes slid away. Subtle, but unmistakable.
He called his Beta, Ronan, into his office. The man entered quickly, his expression set in a grim line.
“You’ve heard it too,” Kael said without preamble.
Ronan nodded once. “I have. It’s moving fast. Someone wants this to stick, Kael. And they’re good at it.”
Kael’s jaw tightened. “Find out who.”
“I will. But…” Ronan hesitated. “Selene heard it first. She didn’t come to you — which means she’s already questioning you.”
The words stung, but Kael didn’t argue. It was true.
When Ronan left, Kael stood at the window, staring out over the Blackthorn estate. The land stretched wide — green hills, thick forests, a glittering river that cut through the valley like silver ribbon. It was wealth, power, and stability. It was everything a wolf could want.
But it meant nothing without her.
That evening, the pack gathered for the full moon run. Tradition dictated that the Alpha and Luna led together, but Selene arrived late. She wore her shift dress and boots, hair pulled back, eyes calm but unreadable.
When the run began, Kael ran beside her — not too close, but never letting her drift far. The scent of pine and earth filled the air, their wolves’ instincts thrumming with the rhythm of pounding paws.
Mid-run, Selene slowed, veering off the main path. Kael followed without a word, until they stopped on a quiet ridge overlooking the moonlit forest.
She didn’t turn to him right away. “You don’t have to follow me everywhere,” she said softly.
“Yes, I do,” he replied. “Especially now.”
Her shoulders tensed. “Because you think I believe the rumors?”
He stepped closer, his voice low. “Because I know they’re meant to pull us apart.”
Selene finally turned, meeting his gaze. “I want to believe you, Kael. But…” Her voice faltered. “It’s not just the rumor. It’s the late nights. The meetings you won’t tell me about. The way you’ve… changed.”
The words hit harder than claws to the chest. “I’ve changed because I’ve been fighting for us, Selene. For the pack. And maybe I haven’t been saying enough. But don’t mistake my silence for betrayal.”
They stood there in the moonlight, breath visible in the cool air.
Her eyes searched his face — and for a fleeting moment, Kael saw the woman who had once trusted him without question. He reached for her hand.
Her fingers twitched, almost curling into his, but then she pulled away. “I don’t know if that’s enough anymore.”
She turned and walked back toward the pack, leaving Kael on the ridge, his heart pounding in the heavy silence she left behind.
He stayed there for a long while, staring at the moon and knowing one truth: if he didn’t find the snake poisoning her against him, he would lose her — and once he lost her, he would lose everything.
- Writer
