Chapter 12
Ella Whitmore
Kael quietly walked over to the door and pulled it open, gesturing for me to leave.
I blinked, "huh?"
Silence.
Did he mean it? Is he really letting me go?
For a fleeting moment, my thoughts ran wild, imagining crazy things. What if he starts walking away and he strikes me from behind?
I cringed internally at the thought.
Our eyes met as I turned to him. His expression remained the same.
You might die here anyway. You should just leave.
I told myself, and with a deep breath, I stepped out of the house.
My legs stilled, once I was outside. All the wolves were gone. Not even a single one of them was outside.
Sighs. That's a relief. Nothing to scare me at least.
I turned. Kael was now standing in front of the door, his eyes locked on me, hands crossed in front of him. His face… unreadable.
I proceeded anyway.
One… two… three steps, and I paused as a sharp pain exploded through my chest… It lasted for just a second, and then it was gone.
What the hell was that pain? I thought to myself, pressing a hand to my chest.
I took another step, and the pain came again, sharper than the first.
I didn't stop. I needed to get out of here first, and tend to this pain later.
But by the time I reached the gate, my chest had tightened… so hard, I couldn't breath.
My legs trembled beneath me, beads of sweat forming on my forehead, and vision becoming blurry.
My legs gave in, but just before I collapsed to the ground, Kael appeared and held me in his arms.
The pain disappeared immediately… as if it was never there, warmth coursing through me.
My body trembled. What the hell was that? Is that the mate bond that he spoke of? Does this mean that I won't ever leave this God forsaken place?
My eyes met with Kael. He was still holding me, his face somewhat blurry, but I could still see him.
He stared down at me, as if saying, 'look? I told you that you can't get away'.
Kael gathered me into his arms, and teleported back to the living room, carefully sitting me on the couch.
"The physician will be here soon,"
I looked at him with a blink, confused.
"I mind-linked her,"
I stiffened, my lips parted, but no words came out.
An elderly lady in her mid-sixties walked in through the door.
She was wearing a long gown that swept the floor behind her. Her long red hair fell freely down her shoulders, stopping at her waistline. A heavy make-up rested on her.
Our eyes met briefly. Her eyes were dark brown. One that I've never seen before.
I swallowed hard.
She didn't say a word. She only bowed to Kael slightly before walking over to me quietly.
I flinched subconsciously as she reached for my hand, but Kael placed a hand on my shoulder, as if saying 'it's okay'.
I loosened up, letting her take my hand, her hand hot against mine.
She checked my pulse and eyes, and without a word, she stood and turned to Kael, "no damage was caused. Had she gone farther than that, she would've been in an unbearable pain,"
I blinked, confused. Why would leaving here make me be in pain?
As if she read my mind, she turned to me, explaining the mate bond and its effect.
Separation causes pain and weakness over time, and worse, the alpha could lose his powers, and since I was a mere human, I could die from the pain.
The fucking bond was literally holding our lives together. None of us could leave the other.
"So, you're saying that I'm stuck here now? I can't go back ever again?" I faced her, my voice almost shaky, chest pounding.
No! There has to be a way out. I can't live here.
She didn't say another word to me, instead, she turned to Kael, "let me know if you need anything else,"
"You may leave," Kael dismissed her, and she left, not even bothering to answer my question.
"Am I really going to be stuck here? I can't go back home? This doesn't make sense," I said to Kael once we were alone.
He stared quietly and calmly. His silence was driving me nuts.
"I am—"
"A room has been prepared for you…"
"You should rest for now,"
I blinked. Am I sleeping in this God forsaken place?
*****
I tossed on the big bed for the umpteenth time, unable to sleep.
The room was just like every other regular room. Spacious, and designed beautifully, but something felt off. I didn't feel comfortable, maybe because I was aware of my environment.
By 3AM, a familiar force suddenly pulled me out of the bed.
I recognised it. It was the same force that pulled me to this place.
I held the bed tightly, trying to resist it, but the more I tried, the harder it pulled.
My legs moved towards the door, and the next second, I was walking down the dark hallway, unsure where I was going.
I should go back to my room. It was dangerous walking around here, but I couldn't… My body kept seeking for something I couldn't explain. Like there was a place that I needed to be.
My legs stilled in front of a room, and half a second later, the door creaked open. Kael stood before me in his pajamas.
My breath caught in my throat.
He looked at me, as if he was expecting me, or perhaps he knew I would be here.
He left the door wide open for me without a word, and I walked in quietly.
He walked over to lay on the bed, then patted the space beside him and said, "come here,"
I should have resisted, but I didn't.
I laid beside him, wrapped in his arms, his face buried in my hair, the uneasiness eating me up earlier slowly disappeared.
This feeling… I hated to admit it, but I hadn't felt this safe around anyone before…