The woods were quieter than usual, as though even the trees were holding their breath.
I stood near the creek, fingers trembling, my eyes locked on Kael's. His were darker now, clouded with something wild—something raw. We hadn't spoken since that moment in the clearing when his touch had sent a spark ricocheting through my chest. And now, here he was again, leaning against the trunk of an old ash tree like he belonged to the night.
"You shouldn't be out here alone," Kael said, voice deep, almost predatory.
"I'm not scared of the dark," I replied, forcing steel into my words even though my heartbeat begged to differ. "Besides, this forest is my escape."
A smirk played on his lips. "Even escapes have dangers, Aria."
My name on his lips was a whisper of temptation. I hated the way it made my knees weaken.
"What do you want, Kael?" I asked, stepping closer despite the voice in my head urging me to turn back.
He watched me silently, shadows crawling along his jawline, his muscles tensing like he was restraining something. His presence was magnetic—and overwhelming. I could feel him in my bloodstream.
"There's something about you," he said finally. "Something I can't ignore."
I tilted my head. "Is that why you've been stalking me like a rogue?"
His expression darkened, not with anger—but guilt. "You have no idea what you're getting pulled into. The mark on your shoulder—it's not just some ancient symbol. It's a call. A tether. And every wolf in this region can sense it."
I froze. "Tether?"
Kael stepped forward, and I instinctively took one back. He paused, gaze dropping to my collarbone, where the faded mark lay hidden beneath fabric. I could feel it warm under his attention.
"You're not just marked," he murmured. "You're bound. To someone—or something—that hasn't awakened yet."
My voice caught in my throat. I knew there was more to the mark, but hearing it confirmed… terrified me.
"And what about you?" I asked. "Why do you care so much? You don't even know me."
"I don't need to," Kael whispered, stepping closer again. "My wolf does."
The air between us snapped with tension. I could feel the heat rolling off him, feel the weight of whatever he was holding back. I should've moved. I should've run. But instead, I stayed rooted, drawn in.
Then suddenly—he turned his head sharply, nostrils flaring. "We're not alone."
My heart stuttered. "What?"
Before I could react, he grabbed my wrist and pulled me behind him. "Stay close. Don't speak."
A low growl rumbled in the distance—deep, guttural, and definitely not human. Kael's spine straightened, and I saw his pupils flash gold. I realized then that I'd never truly seen him as a wolf before. Not like this. Not when his instincts bled through so fiercely.
A dark shape moved between the trees, slow and calculated. Then another. Kael's fingers flexed, and he shoved me behind a large boulder.
"Stay here," he ordered.
"No, wait—"
But he was gone, a blur of motion and fury, shifting mid-leap. His clothes shredded, muscles contorting until he landed in his wolf form—massive, black, and primal. My breath caught as he collided with the other wolf in mid-air, snarls echoing like thunder through the forest.
The fight was brutal. Fur flew. Blood stained the soil. I watched, horrified and mesmerized, as Kael fought off not one—but two attackers. His body moved with terrifying precision. Every bite, every swipe of his claw—it was like he knew this was life or death.
When it was over, Kael stood victorious, though limping, blood streaking his side. The others fled into the trees, wounded but alive.
He shifted back slowly, collapsing to one knee.
I ran to him, ignoring the heat in my cheeks. "Kael!"
"I told you to stay back," he growled weakly.
I knelt beside him, tearing off part of my sleeve to press against his wound. "And you thought I'd just sit there while you got torn to pieces?"
He looked at me then, like he was seeing me for the first time. "You're not what I expected, Aria."
"Neither are you," I whispered, my hand trembling against his skin. "You could've died."
His lips twitched in a half-smile. "I won't. Not yet. Not until I figure out why the hell fate marked you as mine."
I stiffened. "What?"
Kael's head dropped, his forehead pressing against mine. "You heard me. The bond—it's real. And I've been fighting it since the moment I saw you."
My pulse roared in my ears. Everything in me screamed that this was wrong—too soon, too much—but the ache in my chest said otherwise.
"You don't even know me," I said again, more softly this time.
"But I feel you," he replied. "In ways I shouldn't. In places I didn't think I still had."
His words undid me.
We sat there, in the bloodied earth and broken branches, hearts beating in chaotic sync. Kael's breathing slowed, and for once, the tension between us settled into something quieter. Something that felt a lot like truth.
And I knew then—my life would never go back to the way it was.