The forest felt suffocating.
No one spoke.
The wolves stood frozen around the clearing, still trying to process what had just happened.
A fairy.
The quiet human girl they had been protecting…
Was actually a fairy.
And not just any fairy.
Someone the Fairy Court was hunting.
But the tension in the air didn't come from that.
It came from Kael.
His hand was still wrapped tightly around Lia's wrist.
His grip wasn't painful.
But it was impossible to escape.
The Alpha's golden eyes glowed brighter than before.
Rowan shifted nervously.
"…Alpha?"
Kael ignored him.
His entire focus remained on the girl in front of him.
On Liora.
On the fairy he had once protected with his own hands.
His wolf was roaring inside his chest.
Mate.
The word echoed over and over again.
Possessive.
Primal.
Violent.
Kael leaned closer to her.
"You hid from me."
Lia's voice came out shaky.
"I had no choice."
"You always have a choice."
Her chest tightened.
"If I stayed… they would have killed you."
Kael's jaw clenched.
"And you decided that for me?"
Silence.
She didn't answer.
Because she had.
Years ago.
She had chosen to leave him.
Chosen to disappear.
Chosen to carry the burden alone.
But Kael wasn't the same boy anymore.
He had become something far more dangerous.
The Alpha's voice lowered.
"You left without saying goodbye."
Lia looked away.
"I thought it would be easier."
Kael let out a quiet laugh.
But there was no humor in it.
"Easier?"
His grip tightened slightly.
"I searched for you for weeks."
The words hit her like a blade.
"I thought you died."
Her heart ached.
She remembered that time clearly.
Watching him from afar while hiding her presence.
Seeing him wander through the forest calling her name.
But she never revealed herself.
Because loving him meant protecting him.
Even if it meant staying away.
"I'm sorry," she whispered.
Kael went silent.
For a moment it looked like he might say something.
Something soft.
Something human.
But instead
His wolf pushed forward.
And the possessiveness inside him exploded.
Suddenly Kael pulled her closer.
The movement startled several wolves.
Lia stumbled slightly as she collided with his chest.
"Kael"
But he didn't let go.
His voice dropped into a dangerous whisper.
"You don't get to disappear again."
Her eyes widened.
"I wasn't planning to stay."
The words slipped out before she could stop them.
The effect was immediate.
The temperature in the clearing seemed to drop.
Kael's eyes darkened.
"…What?"
"I can't stay here," Lia said quickly.
"You saw what happened tonight."
She gestured toward the dead hunters.
"They will keep coming."
"The Fairy Court doesn't stop hunting."
Her voice became more desperate.
"If they discover you're protecting me, they'll destroy your pack."
Kael's expression hardened.
"I don't care."
"You should."
His voice became sharper.
"I said I don't care."
The wolves exchanged uneasy glances.
They had seen their Alpha angry before.
But this was different.
This was something darker.
Something possessive.
Lia pulled slightly against his grip.
"You don't understand"
"Then explain it to me."
The command echoed through the clearing.
Lia fell silent.
Because the truth was worse than anything he imagined.
If the Fairy Court discovered their connection…
They wouldn't just kill Kael.
They would erase him.
His pack.
His bloodline.
Everything.
Fairies did not tolerate forbidden bonds.
Especially not with werewolves.
"I can't," she said quietly.
Kael's eyes narrowed.
"You can't."
"No."
"Or you won't?"
Lia didn't answer.
And that was enough.
Kael's wolf surged violently.
She's leaving again.
Stop her.
His instincts reacted before logic could interfere.
Suddenly Kael released her wrist.
The movement surprised everyone.
Even Lia.
For a moment she thought he had accepted her decision.
But then Kael spoke.
"Run."
Her eyes widened.
"…What?"
He stepped back slowly.
His golden eyes never leaving her.
"You said you can't stay."
His voice became quiet.
Deadly.
"So run."
The wolves looked confused.
"Alpha?"
But Kael ignored them.
He kept staring at Lia.
"Go."
Something about the way he said it made her stomach drop.
"What are you doing?"
Kael's lips curved slightly.
A dark smile.
"If you want to leave…"
His voice lowered into something primal.
"Then try."
Understanding hit her instantly.
He wasn't letting her go.
He was challenging her.
Her heart started pounding.
"Kael…"
"Run, Liora."
Her instincts screamed at her.
Leave.
Now.
So she did.
The moment she turned
Golden light burst around her feet.
Fairy magic surged through her body.
She shot into the forest like a streak of light.
The wolves gasped.
"Holy"
"She's fast!"
Rowan turned to Kael.
"…Alpha?"
Kael rolled his shoulders slowly.
The tension in his body finally releasing.
His wolf was ecstatic.
The hunt.
His golden eyes glowed brightly.
A dangerous grin spread across his face.
"She thinks she can escape."
Rowan swallowed.
"…You told her to run."
"Yes."
Kael stepped toward the forest.
Then shifted.
Bones cracked.
Muscles expanded.
Fur burst across his body.
Within seconds the massive black wolf stood where the Alpha once was.
Terrifying.
Powerful.
Ancient.
His glowing eyes locked onto the direction Lia ran.
Then he spoke through the pack link.
Mine.
The word echoed through every wolf's mind.
No one touches her.
His claws dug into the earth.
And then
The hunt began.