I turn on the comfortable bed, murmuring words in my sleep. My hand touches something warm and hard, startling me.
I slowly open my eyes and see a naked man in front of me. Memories of last night flood in, I stand up quickly, put on my clothes and without making a sound, tiptoe out.
My journey back to the hills is cold and quiet. My boots snap on the gravel, but the fog silences the sound.
My mind wanders back to the stranger. I don't know him, but something about him feels familiar. I wonder why my body melts to his touch, in ways I haven't experienced. Not even with Kael.
That's right Kael.
Kael's face flashes in my mind the way his jaw tightens when he's angry, the steady warmth in his eyes when he looks at me.
"I can't tell him about the stranger or what happened between us. He'll feel disappointed."
I have to forget about last night, it never happened. By the time I reach the edge of the rogue pack's territory, the sun is higher, thin light cutting through the mist.
The guards on patrol stiffen when they see me, then relax. They spread the word. Raya's back.
Kael finds me before I make it to the camp. He appears from the trees, all dark leather and shadow, his eyes wide for a second before relief breaks over his face.
He doesn't hesitate before pulling me into his arms, hard and warm and grounding.
"Gosh Raya! I thought I lost you." he breathes, his voice rough against my hair.
"Where have you been?"
For a moment, I let myself sink into him.
The steady thump of his heart against mine, the familiar scent of his skin fills my nostrils.
Then I step back before he feels the tremor in me.
"I'm fine," I say. "I think we got separated during the fight. It was…" I pause, trying not to sound insane.
"There was… a portal."
He blinks. "A portal?"
"I don't know how. It just appeared. I went through it. Ended up in human territory."
Kael's expression hardens. "You went through a random portal? Alone?"
"I didn't know how it happened," I shot back.
"I didn't exactly have time to think."
He runs a hand through his hair, pacing once. "Raya, you could've been trapped there. You could've been…"
"I wasn't." I meet his gaze. "I made it back."
That quiets him, though his jaw still ticks.
He studies me for a long time, eyes searching. "You don't look hurt."
"I'm not."
He doesn't believe me, not fully.
"You smell different," he mutters.
My heart stutters. "I took a bath there before coming?"
His eyebrows rose, waiting for an explanation.
"You took a bath?"
"I had to wash off the traces of blood on my skin." I explain.
He gives me a meaningful look. One that sees too much, even when I try to hide.
"Raya…"
"Can we not talk about this?" I cut in, sharper than I mean to.
"Not right now. Tell me what happened after the battle."
That redirects him, but only barely.
I know Kael so well that he will try to get information from me.
He sighs, folding his arms.
"The fight ended the minute you vanished. They just… stopped. Like someone pulled them out on command. Disappeared into the woods. We searched, but it's like they were never there."
I frown. "So you think it was a setup."
"Looks like it. Someone wanted to pull us out, weaken the borders." His voice drops lower.
"Or someone wanted you gone. Totally out of their way."
A chill runs through me.
He notices, steps closer. "Whoever did this, they knew what they were doing."
"Have you been able to figure out anything?" I ask.
"I am still trying to look around for clues but nothing yet."
I nod, but my mind drifts. The memory of that stranger's touch flickers through my thoughts.
Warm skin, the sound of his voice in the dark, that strange sense of familiarity I still can't shake. It doesn't mean anything. It can't. I don't even know him, and I don't think I will recognise him if I ever see him again.
Kael's hand grazes my arm. "Hey," he says softly. "You're shaking."
"I'm cold and tired."
He exhales, frustrated but gentle. "You should rest. We can talk about this later."
I nod and start to walk past him, but his hand catches mine.
"Raya."
I pause.
His voice lowers, careful. "I was so scared when I couldn't find you. I thought I lost you."
Something in my chest tightens. "You won't lose me that easily."
He searches my face like he's trying to memorize it. Then he releases me, but his voice carries that same quiet ache.
"Don't vanish on me again."
I manage a faint smile. "I'll try not to."
When I reach my tent, the air feels too still.
I sink onto the bed, drag a hand through my hair, and stare at the wall for what feels like hours. Kael's words replay in my head, tangled with the memories of the stranger.
The thought won't leave me. Neither will the feeling that none of this. The attack, the portal, the stranger happened by accident. But I don't regret anything that happen between us.
My body vibrates at the thought of how he touches me.
I try to forget the memory, but deep down I still want to see him.
I hear footsteps coming into the tent, I know it's Kael.
I closed my eyes, pretending to sleep. I feel the mattress sink under his weight.
He gently removes strands of hair covering my face, tuck them behind my ears, and pecks my cheek.
"I love you a lot, Raya. I hope you will allow me to love you well. You deserve it." He says, his voice low.
"I won't give up that easily. I will pursue till you let me into your heart." He murmurs loud enough for me to hear.
"I wish I could give him my heart. But I don't get to tell my heart who to love."