The forest was alive with danger that night, but Luna couldn't bring herself to run.
Long after Kael's promise to "protect what's mine" still echoed in her ears, she found herself pacing along the misty edge of Moonlit Lake, her heart a wild drumbeat against her ribs. She barely knew this man. She didn't even know his full name. Yet something about him felt carved into her very soul, like he had always been meant to find her.
She could still feel where his fingers had brushed hers—a lingering burn that made her wolf restless and eager to break free. No one had ever made her feel this way before, not even close.
From somewhere deeper in the forest, a howl broke the silence. Not just any howl—an Alpha's call. Luna froze, every hair on her body standing on end. The pack's patrols were out searching. If they found Kael, there would be blood.
Before she could decide whether to warn him or retreat to safety, she felt him.
Not saw. Not heard. Felt.
The bond tugged at her chest like an invisible chain, pulling her toward the shadows beneath a cluster of towering pines. She turned just as Kael stepped into the pale wash of moonlight, his golden eyes fixed on her like a predator that had finally cornered its prey.
You shouldn't be here,she whispered, her voice unsteady.
And yet here I am,Kael replied, his tone a low rumble that sent a shiver racing down her spine.
He moved closer with the fluid grace of a hunter. Each step was deliberate, silent, dangerous. The wildness about him wasn't just in his ragged clothes or the scars mapping his skin—it was in the way his presence consumed the night, as if he commanded the forest itself to bow to him.
Luna backed away instinctively until her heels kissed the lake's edge. The cold water lapped over her feet, but she barely noticed. Kael stopped only a breath away, towering over her, his heat wrapping around her like a cloak.
Who are you really? she demanded, her voice barely above a whisper.
His jaw flexed, a storm passing behind his eyes. A man who lost everything, he said finally. But I'll be damned if I lose you too.
Luna's breath hitched. The raw conviction in his words pulled at something deep inside her chest—a yearning she didn't understand but couldn't fight.
Lose me? she managed, her pulse pounding. We just met.
Kael's lips curved into a dark, almost feral smile. You think fate cares about time? Look me in the eyes and tell me you don't feel this.
She couldn't. Moonlight caught the flecks of amber in his irises, glowing brighter as he stepped even closer. The tension between them was thick enough to taste, a heady mix of fear, desire, and destiny.
Before Luna could answer, the sound of snapping branches echoed nearby—patrolling wolves were closing in. Kael's head whipped toward the noise, his entire body coiling with lethal intent.
They're hunting me, he said, his voice a growl. But they won't take me down. Not tonight.
Then run, Luna pleaded.
He turned back to her, and for a heartbeat, his fierce expression softened. He lifted his hand slowly, brushing a strand of hair from her face. The touch was achingly gentle, at odds with the wild danger he radiated.
I should,he admitted, his thumb grazing her cheek. But leaving you here? That feels like a worse death than whatever they have planned for me.
Heat surged through Luna's veins, her breath catching as his fingers trailed down to her jaw. Sparks skittered over her skin, the unmistakable magic of the mate bond igniting every nerve. Her wolf whimpered inside her, both terrified and desperate for more.
Kael's hand slipped away reluctantly, his body taut with restraint. Stay away from the patrols,he murmured. Hide if you must. But know this…
He leaned in, his lips brushing her ear as his deep voice sent a shiver down her spine.
"No matter what they do to keep us apart, you're already mine."
Before Luna could respond, he melted into the mist, moving with supernatural speed. Moments later, the patrol burst through the trees, their howls tearing through the night. Luna stood frozen at the water's edge, her heart racing, her body still humming with Kael's touch.
And as the moon rose higher, she knew one thing with bone-deep certainty—whatever he was, whoever he truly had been before the exile… fate had just thrown them into the same storm.
Aria stood there long after the sound of howls faded into the night, her bare feet sinking into the cold, damp earth. The lake's water lapped gently at her ankles, yet she couldn't feel it. The only thing she felt was him—his touch, his voice, the way his presence had branded itself into her soul.
She wrapped her arms around herself, trying to steady the storm raging inside her chest. Mine. That's what he'd said, like it was the most certain thing in the world. No man had ever claimed her like that, with such quiet, dangerous conviction.
The thought should have terrified her. Instead, it thrilled her.
But reality crashed back just as fast. She glanced toward the dark tree line where Kael had vanished. The pack's patrols were still out there, hunting. If they caught him… gods, she didn't even want to imagine what they'd do.
She should leave. Go back to the safety of the pack house before dawn. Pretend none of this happened.
Yet her legs refused to move.
Every instinct told her to stay, to wait for him, to follow that tether pulling tight around her chest. She didn't understand it, not fully, but her wolf did. The creature inside her paced, restless, whimpering softly for the man who had disappeared into the mist.
Stop it,she whispered to herself, but it was useless. The bond burned hotter with every passing second.
From the corner of her eye, she caught movement—a shadow slipping silently between trees. Her breath caught, heart leaping in her throat. Was it him?
The figure stepped closer, and relief washed over her when she saw Kael's broad shoulders emerge from the darkness. His chest rose and fell rapidly, his hair damp with sweat and mist. Even exhausted, he moved like a predator who owned every inch of the night.
You're still here,he said softly, his golden eyes locking onto hers.
She swallowed hard. I… I couldn't leave.
Something flickered in his gaze, something raw and unguarded. Good, he murmured, stepping closer until his towering frame eclipsed the moonlight. Because neither can I.
Before she could think, he reached out, cupping her face in his rough, scarred hands. The warmth of his touch seeped into her bones, melting whatever resistance she had left. Sparks shot through her veins as his thumb brushed her lower lip, sending a shiver racing down her spine.
Do you feel it too? he asked, his voice husky, edged with desperation.
Luna's breath trembled. Yes… gods, yes.
A low growl rumbled in his chest as he leaned down, his lips brushing hers in a kiss so gentle it nearly undid her. But gentleness didn't last long. The moment their mouths met, heat flared white-hot, pulling them under like a tide.
She clung to him, her hands fisting in his shirt as he deepened the kiss, his other arm snaking around her waist to haul her against his body. He tasted like rain and danger and something wild she couldn't name. Her wolf howled inside her, claws scraping against her skin, desperate to fully surrender to him.
Kael broke the kiss only to press his forehead against hers, his breathing ragged. I shouldn't do this, he rasped, voice thick with conflict. But you're driving me mad.
Then don't stop, she whispered back.
He groaned low, his restraint snapping as he captured her lips again, fiercer this time, as if claiming every breath she had. One of his hands slid into her hair, gripping just enough to make her gasp. The sound drew another growl from him, primal and possessive.
For the first time in her life, Luna didn't feel small or weak. In his arms, she felt untouchable, like nothing and no one could break the spell wrapping around them.
But the forest had other plans.
Branches snapped in the distance, closer this time, accompanied by the guttural snarls of patrolling wolves. Kael stiffened, pulling back just enough to meet her wide, panicked eyes.
They're closing in,he said, his voice low but steady. "I need to get you out of here.
She nodded, but fear twisted in her chest.If they catch you
They won't. His thumb stroked her cheek, calm but unyielding. I've fought worse. But I won't risk them scenting you with me. Not yet.
She wanted to argue, to demand he stay, but something in his expression silenced her. A fierce, protective light burned in his golden eyes, a promise unspoken.
He tilted her chin up slightly. Listen to me, Luna. Whatever happens tonight… whatever they tell you about me… remember this. His gaze dropped briefly to her lips before locking back on her eyes. You are mine. Always.
And with that, he slipped back into the mist like a phantom, leaving her trembling at the lake's edge, her lips swollen from his kisses, her heart forever changed.
As dawn painted the horizon in shades of crimson and gold, Luna finally stumbled back toward the pack house, knowing with bone-deep certainty that the man they called an outcast… was the only one her soul would ever belong to.
Nothing would ever be the same again.