The golden thread pulsed from Elaine's chest, like it had a life of its own. Every beat, spreading pain from her chest, down her arms, her head, her legs.
She stumbled backward, the world spinning around her. Her legs shook, her stomach twisted, and the screams of the square were distant, almost unreal.
Flames crackled, wolves cried out, but the only sound that mattered was the thread's pull, tugging at her like a chain of fire.
Her father's voice broke through the noise, sharp and commanding. "Elaine! Reject the bond!"
King Arthur's silver eyes glowed with fury, yet he held himself steady, as if he were a mountain in the storm.
"Do not let him take you!"
Elaine's lips trembled. She wanted to obey, to let go, to deny the impossible fate the golden thread had chosen for her. But her instincts screamed…
Nooo! !
She cannot let her father die, she can't let her pack be slaughtered for her.
The thread pulled harder, relentless, alive. She felt it through every fiber of her being, deep inside her soul.
Then King Kael moved.
His steps were mighty, heavy, and the ground seemed heavier under his presence.
His armor was black as midnight, sharp at every edge, swallowing the moonlight instead of reflecting it.
With every step forward, the air thickened around him.
He stopped midway between the initial gap between himself and Alpha Arthur.
"I need to see your faces better, don't mind me. " he said in a carefree deep voice void of emotions.
Then in a split of a second, a shadow hand shot out like a living thing, moving faster than the eye could follow.
It struck her father.
The shadow wrapped around Arthur's throat, lifting him easily as if he weighed nothing.
His silver eyes widened in shock, and a muffled gasp escaped his lips.
"Reject it," Kael said calmly, his voice very cold and deep, "and I'll kill him."
Elaine's stomach turned.
Sparks of silver lightning arced from her father's body, hitting the shadow hand with violent crackles. Wolves near them were thrown backward by the force, but the grip remained.
Arthur's arms thrashed, every muscle straining, but the shadow twisted and absorbed his attacks with unnatural, terrifying ease.
"Elaine!" he gasped, voice strangled, pain cutting through each word. "Do not let him… do not let him take you!"
Her hands shook violently.
Her eyes began to glow, getting ready to fight with her might. But before she could release them, General Alma, her father's trusted commander, grabbed her arm. His grip was firm, urgent.
"Wait!" Alma's voice was sharp. "Not yet! You cannot risk yourself!"
Panic surged. The golden thread burned against her chest, pulling at her soul. This was not how it was supposed to happen.
She had trained for years to control her power, but now, everything felt out of reach. The thread was stronger than any lesson, any rule, any plan.
From the corner of her vision, Nathaniel, her bodyguard, and her childhood friend rushed forward. He pressed a silvered necklace into her hand, eyes wide with fear.
"Elaine! " he whispered, voice tight, trembling slightly. "This will weaken your wolf powers, control them, turn them into a fire you can hold. You have to use it."
"I… I can't, Nathaniel! Father…" Her voice cracked. She looked at Arthur, lifted off the ground, struggling for breath. The shadow hand twisted tighter.
General Alma lunged forward, though he was no match for King Kael's power.
Several omega warriors shifted into partial wolf forms, claws and teeth gleaming, trying to protect the villagers trapped in chaos.
Alma's first strike passed through the shadow as it was not fully solid, but he did not stop.
His eyes locked on Kael.
With a roar, he leapt, striking toward the dark figure, willing himself to fight even when the odds were impossible.
From behind King Kael, a massive wolf emerged. Larger than any she had ever seen, with glowing red eyes that pierced the night.
Its movements were silent, deadly. Alma's leap ended in a scream as the creature's jaws closed around him midair. His body was torn in an instant.
"No!" Arthur's voice cracked, even as silver sparks shot from his body, striking the shadow hand.
Nothing happened, the hands grip stayed strong.
Elaine felt nausea rise, a deep, twisting panic. The golden thread pulsed hotter, as if mocking her.
Nathaniel ran forward, desperate, but one of King Kael's warriors launch at him, throwing a chain tipped with wolfsbane at him. The chain seemed to magically gain more weight holding him down.
The metal bit into his skin, forcing him to collapse to his knees.
Elaine's heart ached as he struggled.
King Kael's voice was cold, measured, and terrifyingly calm. "Accept the bond, and no one else dies."
Her hands shook around the necklace. She looked at the burning village, the smoke rising into the night sky, the wolves scrambling, children crying.
Every instinct screamed to protect them. Every ounce of her being wanted to save the lives around her.
"I… I can't trust you!" she shouted, tears blurring her vision.
King Kael's eyes glowed red. "Trust is irrelevant. If you want them to live, you will accept."
Her chest times 10 more heavy, lungs burning from panic. The golden thread pulsed against her heart, stronger with every heartbeat. The cries of villagers and fallen warriors pressed against her. She dropped the necklace once, then grabbed it again, trembling violently.
"I" Her voice broke. She wanted to fight, to reject him, but the devastation around her broke her.
Her job is to protect others not have them protect her.
The goddess has a reason this is happening this way and she must try to trust it… Her mind hit a resolve… ShShe must survive
"I… Elaine Glasgow… accept you, King Kael Drogo, as my mate," she whispered finally.
The words left her lips like a broken prayer.
King Kael's shadow retracted instantly. He stepped forward, still monumental, still terrifying, but the immediate threat to her father eased.
"I, Kael Drogo, accept you, Elaine Glasgow, as my mate," he said. His voice stern and deep, with a pressure that made the air heavy.
The golden thread became brighter making both of them glow before fading, leaving a faint half mood with the face of a moon on their chests.
Elaine collapsed, knees weak, tears running silently. Her body felt heavy, her energy drained, yet a small spark remained alive in her chest.
King Kael's warriors moved efficiently, rounding up survivors, but his eyes never left hers. Even in the chaos, his gaze was intense, magnetic, like he could see her soul.
Arthur staggered to his feet, coughing out blood. Silver light flickered in his eyes, dim but not gone.
"Elaine… you…" he weakly said, pride and pain mixing in his voice.
He gave her a brief smile understanding the weight of her choices.
King Kael's tone was calm, slicing through the smoke. "I came cause I was tired of having your small resistance group disturb me anymore. No I will do something I never do, because of this surprise you brought to me" he said looking at Elaine.
"Submit willingly, and you live among my people. Refuse, and I will take you by force." His armor absorbed what little moonlight remained, reflecting none back.
Arthur's chest heaved with defiance. "We… will never submit to you."
King Kael turned his gaze to him and waved a hand.
Shadow wolves struck Arthur, hurling him into the stone wall. The ground shook with impact.
"You think freedom comes from strength alone," Kael said, cold and smooth.
"You have no idea the powers I wield. Powers I save for amusement… until something interesting appears. And now," he said slowly, "it is time to show you true power."
His gaze swept over the remaining villagers. "Submit… or die."
Elaine clenched the necklace. The small spark of light pulsed against her chest.
Nathaniel groaned nearby, battered, burned, yet their eyes met, silently urging her to survive.
King Kael looked at Elaine curiously. The bond was a connection he had not expected. Something he thought was never possible.
Not after what happened….
A flicker of defiance stirred deep inside her.
She could not fight him, not now, but she could endure. She could survive. Perhaps, someday, she could turn this impossible fate into something she could control.
Her fingers tightened around the necklace.
She felt something familiar… and terrifying pulling at her.
Kael tilted his head slightly, sensing it too. Shadows around him rippled like dark water in the wind.
Flames from the burning village reached high, licking the night sky. Kael's voice dropped, low and deliberate, like thunder about to break.
"You are mine, Elaine Glasgow. And I… will not be denied."
Elaine's chest tightened. Fear digging at her.
But deep inside, a tiny flicker of hope, and defiance burnt.
The battle was far from over.