Pain greeted Aria before consciousness did. A dull, throbbing ache radiated through her limbs, her body stiff and sore. It took her a moment to register the warmth beneath her, the soft texture of a blanket wrapped around her trembling form.
Her eyes fluttered open, blinking against the dim glow of candlelight. The scent of burning wood and something distinctly wild filled the air. She wasn't outside anymore.
She was in a cabin.
Panic coiled in her chest. The last thing she remembered was collapsing in the forest, waiting for the pain of rejection to claim her. And then… him.
The man with silver eyes.
A rustling sound made her freeze. She turned her head slowly, wincing at the stiffness in her neck.
He was there.
Sitting in a chair by the fireplace, the stranger watched her in silence. Shadows danced across his sharp features, highlighting his strong jaw and the slight furrow in his brow. He looked at her the way one might study a puzzle—calculating, uncertain.
Aria swallowed hard, her heart hammering in her chest. Who was he? Why did he bring her here?
"Where am I?" she managed, her voice hoarse from exhaustion.
The man didn't answer right away. His silver eyes flickered in the candlelight, studying her as if weighing whether she deserved an answer.
"My territory," he finally said, his voice deep and smooth, but edged with something unreadable. "You collapsed in the forest."
Aria pushed herself up on shaky arms, her muscles protesting the movement. "And you decided to… bring me here?"
"I could have left you there."
His tone wasn't cruel, but it wasn't kind either. It was a simple statement of fact. And yet, something in the way he said it made her shiver.
He had saved her, but why?
Her eyes flickered over him, taking in his broad frame, the way power radiated from him effortlessly. He wasn't from her old pack. She would have known if a wolf like him had been anywhere near them.
But his presence was unsettling. Ancient. Like he didn't belong in this world.
Something about him felt… wrong.
She licked her cracked lips. "Who are you?"
The man leaned forward slightly, resting his forearms on his knees. "Kael."
The name stirred something at the back of her mind, but her exhaustion was too heavy to let her grasp it.
"I don't understand," she whispered. "Why help me?"
Kael didn't answer immediately. Instead, he stood, his towering form making the small cabin feel even smaller.
"You should rest," he said, turning toward the door. "You're not strong enough to leave yet."
Aria clenched her fists. She didn't like being dismissed like this, especially not when she had so many unanswered questions.
She pushed herself further up, ignoring the way her body screamed in protest. "What do you want from me?"
Kael stilled, his back to her. A long silence stretched between them before he finally exhaled, the sound barely audible.
"I don't know."
Then he stepped out, leaving her alone with nothing but the crackling fire and the weight of uncertainty pressing against her chest.
Kael's Torment
Kael stood outside the cabin, his hands clenched at his sides. The cool night air did nothing to ease the storm raging within him.
He shouldn't have brought her here.
The moment he had seen her curled beneath that tree, bruised and broken, something inside him had snapped. His wolf—silent for centuries—had roared in fury, demanding he protect her.
But that wasn't possible.
He wasn't supposed to feel this.
The curse had stolen his mate from him 500 years ago. It had ensured he would never have one. And yet, Aria was different. The moment he laid eyes on her, he felt something stir in his soul. A connection that shouldn't exist.
He had spent centuries alone, watching as time eroded everything he once knew. He had accepted his fate, accepted that he would walk this world forever, untethered.
And yet, she had appeared.
The Moon Goddess didn't make mistakes. But this? This was a mistake. It had to be.
Kael exhaled sharply, trying to steady himself. But his wolf wasn't listening. It was restless, on edge, whispering a single word over and over in his mind.
Mate.
Aria's Doubt
Aria lay awake, staring at the ceiling. Sleep wouldn't come, not when her mind was racing with questions.
Who was Kael?
He didn't act like an ordinary wolf. There was something… otherworldly about him. The way he carried himself, the power in his presence—it reminded her of the stories she had heard as a child.
Legends of the Cursed Alpha.
A wolf so feared that his name was only spoken in whispers.
But that was just a myth. A story meant to scare pups into obedience.
Wasn't it?
A shiver ran down her spine. If Kael truly was him, then she was in more danger than she realized.
And yet… he had saved her.
No one had ever done that before.
A Threat in the Shadows
Miles away, in the Shadowfang Pack, Caleb sat in the Alpha's quarters, his fingers gripping the edge of his desk.
Aria was gone.
He had expected her to die in the forest, broken and alone. After all, rejected wolves rarely survived. But now, whispers had reached him—she was alive.
And worse, she was no longer alone.
A dangerous wolf had taken her. A wolf with silver eyes.
Caleb's lips curled in a sneer. He had rejected Aria because she was weak, useless. But if someone else wanted her… if someone powerful had taken an interest in her…
That meant she was valuable.
And Caleb never let go of things that had value.
The Pull of Fate
Back in the cabin, Aria finally gave in to exhaustion, her body sinking into the warmth of the blanket. But as she drifted into unconsciousness, a whisper danced through her mind.
Deep. Ancient. Familiar.
"You belong to me."
Her eyes snapped open, a gasp caught in her throat.
But she was alone.
Only the fire remained, flickering against the walls, casting long shadows that seemed to whisper secrets of their own.