Chapter 6 : The Word He Shouldn’t Say
934 Words
The forest slowly grew quiet again.
The echoes of snarling wolves and snapping branches faded into the distance until only the soft whisper of wind through the trees remained.
Inside the small wooden cabin, Zara stood frozen near the doorway, her hands still trembling.
Her heart was pounding so hard she could hear it in her ears.
What she had just seen… it was impossible.
The massive black wolf that had burst through the door moments ago was gone.
In its place—
Kael.
He stood several feet away from her now, breathing heavily. His chest rose and fell with controlled effort, as though he were forcing his body to calm down.
The moonlight spilling through the broken doorway illuminated him.
His skin was bare, marked with faint scratches from the fight.
But what unsettled Zara most were his eyes.
They were still glowing faintly gold.
Not human.
Not normal.
Zara swallowed.
Her voice came out barely above a whisper.
“What… are you?”
Kael did not answer immediately.
He ran a hand through his dark hair and exhaled slowly, like a man preparing himself for a conversation he had been avoiding his entire life.
Finally, he looked at her.
“You already know the answer to that,” he said quietly.
Zara shook her head quickly.
“No. No, I don’t.”
Her voice grew stronger as panic crept in.
“People don’t just turn into wolves, Kael!”
A faint, tired smile tugged at the corner of his lips.
“Normally, no.”
Zara stared at him.
The reality of the situation pressed down on her chest.
Her voice dropped again.
“So… it’s real?”
Kael’s golden gaze held hers.
“Yes.”
The single word felt heavier than anything else spoken that night.
Outside, the forest seemed to breathe again.
Zara wrapped her arms around herself.
“All this time… the wolf I saved…”
She looked at him slowly.
“That was you.”
Kael nodded once.
Silence stretched between them.
Then Zara asked the question she had been too afraid to voice before.
“And the wolves tonight?”
Kael’s expression darkened.
“They belong to a rival pack.”
Zara frowned.
“Pack?”
“Yes.”
He took a few steps toward the doorway, his posture instantly shifting into that of a leader preparing for war.
“They want me dead.”
Zara blinked.
“Well that’s comforting,” she muttered.
Kael almost laughed.
Almost.
But then his gaze drifted back to her.
For a brief moment, something inside him stirred violently.
Her scent.
He had noticed it the moment he woke up in this cabin .
Warm.
Wild.
Impossible to ignore.
Every instinct inside him had screamed the truth.
Mate.
His wolf had recognized her immediately.
But Kael forced the thought down.
Now was not the time.
And she could never know.
Not while enemies were hunting him.
Not while danger followed him everywhere.
Not while his cursed existence could destroy her life.
Zara noticed the strange look on his face.
“What?” she asked.
Kael quickly looked away.
“Nothing.”
She narrowed her eyes suspiciously.
“You keep doing that.”
“Doing what?”
“Looking at me like you’re about to say something and then changing your mind.”
Kael sighed.
“That’s because there are things you’re better off not knowing.”
Zara scoffed.
“Too late for that.”
She gestured toward the shattered doorway and claw marks on the walls.
“I think the ‘normal life’ option disappeared about an hour ago.”
Kael didn’t argue.
Because she was right.
The truth was simple.
The moment those wolves had found him here…
Zara had become part of this world.
Whether she wanted to or not.
Kael walked toward the door and stared out into the dark forest.
“They’ll come back,” he said quietly.
Zara felt another wave of unease.
“So what do we do?”
Kael’s jaw tightened.
His next words clearly cost him effort.
“You leave.”
Zara blinked.
“Excuse me?”
“You go back to where you came from. Forget you ever saw me.”
She stared at him in disbelief.
“You think I’m just going to walk away after seeing all this?”
“Yes.”
“And pretend wolves don’t exist?”
“Yes.”
Zara folded her arms stubbornly.
“Not happening.”
Kael turned to face her again.
“You don’t understand what you’re getting involved in.”
“Then explain it.”
“No.”
“Why not?”
His golden eyes softened slightly.
“Because the more you know… the more dangerous it becomes for you.”
Zara shook her head.
“That doesn’t make any sense.”
Kael looked at her for a long moment.
Then he said quietly,
“You saved my life.”
Zara blinked.
“Yes…”
“And because of that, I won’t let you die because of me.”
The seriousness in his voice made her chest tighten.
But she refused to back down.
“Well that’s unfortunate,” she said.
Kael frowned.
“Why?”
Zara lifted her chin slightly.
“Because I’m not going anywhere.”
For a second, Kael simply stared at her.
Then a slow, reluctant smile appeared on his face.
Stubborn.
Of course his mate would be stubborn.
His wolf stirred again inside him.
Mate.
Kael quickly pushed the word away.
Zara could never hear it.
Not yet.
Maybe not ever.
Because loving him…
Would only bring her pain.
- Writer
