Kael had never brought an outsider to the cabin before. It was the one place untouched by his pack's presence, a sanctuary from the weight of his rule. And yet, as he rode through the dense forest with Aria's unconscious form in his arms, he knew he had no choice.
Not yet.
Not until he understood what she was.
The castle was too dangerous. His pack, too unpredictable. They would sense his hesitation, his unspoken weakness, and wolves were creatures of instinct. The moment they realized she mattered to him, she would become a target.
That could not happen.
The cabin, however, was his. The only place where the walls didn't echo with whispers of his past, where the ghosts of his father and brother did not loom in every corner. Here, in this forgotten place deep within the woods, he could think.
But even now, as he stood by the fireplace watching the flickering light cast shadows over Aria's sleeping form, he found himself thinking too much.
She should not be here.
She should have died in that forest like so many other rejected wolves before her. The pain of a severed mate bond was meant to be fatal. So why had she survived?
More importantly, why had he saved her?
His grip tightened around the cup in his hand, the warmth of the herbal mixture doing nothing to calm the storm inside him. This was wrong. He should have left her there. He should have ignored the pull that twisted something inside him, the one that urged him to protect.
But it had been centuries since he had felt anything at all.
Kael turned, his silver eyes narrowing as he studied her. She looked fragile in the dim light, her dark lashes fanning against pale cheeks. Bruises marred her skin, evidence of the life she had barely escaped. Even now, her breathing was uneven, her body fighting the pain of rejection.
It was a battle she shouldn't be winning.
Who are you, Aria?
His wolf stirred restlessly, unsettled in a way it hadn't been in years. It had been silent for so long, buried beneath the weight of his curse. But since bringing Aria here, it had become agitated—awake.
The door creaked as he stepped outside, the cool night air doing little to ease the fire burning beneath his skin. He clenched his fists, trying to steady himself.
There was something different about her. Something unnatural.
And that terrified him.
Memories of a Curse
Kael had spent centuries cursing the Moon Goddess for what she had taken from him. A mate. A future. The chance to be anything other than what he had become—a creature feared by his own kind, an Alpha who could never truly belong.
The curse had been clear: You shall walk this world alone, untouched by love, untouched by fate.
And yet… Aria existed.
He had never been drawn to another before. The bond, the connection—none of it should have been possible.
And yet, the moment he laid eyes on her, he had felt it. The pull. The impossibility of it.
He exhaled sharply, his fingers twitching at his sides.
If his pack found out—if they sensed even an ounce of his hesitation—everything he had built would crumble. They followed him because he was untouchable. Invincible. A creature beyond weakness.
He could not afford for that to change.
Not for her.
And so, he had brought her here instead of his castle, instead of his pack.
The Awakening
A soft sound broke through his thoughts, and Kael turned sharply. Inside, Aria shifted, her breathing hitching as her body fought to wake.
It was the first time in hours that she had moved.
He was inside before he had even made the decision to go, standing by the bedside as her eyelids fluttered. For a moment, she was still. Then—her eyes snapped open.
A sharp inhale, her body tensing as if expecting pain. Her gaze darted around the room, confusion clouding her features until they finally landed on him.
And then, something flickered there.
Recognition.
"You…" Her voice was hoarse, barely more than a whisper.
Kael said nothing, watching as she pushed herself up, wincing at the movement. Her eyes never left his, searching—for answers, for understanding.
He wasn't sure if he had any to give.
"Where…" She swallowed, voice thick. "Where am I?"
"My cabin," he answered evenly. "You collapsed in the forest."
Her brows furrowed, and she pressed a hand to her chest as if trying to feel something that wasn't there. Then, her lips parted slightly, realization setting in.
"I should be dead."
Kael didn't answer.
Because she was right.
Unspoken Truths
The silence stretched between them, thick with things neither of them said.
Finally, Aria exhaled, shaking her head. "Why did you help me?"
It was the same question she had asked before. But this time, there was an edge to it.
Because now, she understood. Now, she knew something wasn't right.
Kael held her gaze. "Because you weren't meant to die yet."
A flicker of something passed through her expression—fear, uncertainty. Maybe even anger. "That's not an answer."
"No, it isn't."
Her fists clenched in the blanket, frustration evident. But Kael didn't owe her explanations. Not yet.
"You aren't safe," he said finally. "Not from them."
Her breath hitched. "Them?"
His jaw tightened. His pack. His people. The ones who would see her as nothing more than a weakness to exploit.
"I don't understand," she whispered. "Who are you?"
Kael exhaled slowly, stepping back, his gaze dark.
"I am the reason wolves still fear the dark."
Her lips parted slightly, but before she could speak, something changed.
A shift. A presence.
Kael felt it before he heard it. The distant sound of movement—wolves, circling in the trees beyond his cabin.
His pack.
They had found him.
The Danger Within
Aria sensed it too. Her body went still, her breathing sharp. "What is that?"
Kael's silver eyes burned as he turned toward the door. "You need to stay inside."
But Aria was already moving, struggling to get to her feet despite her exhaustion. "No," she said, voice trembling. "Tell me the truth. Why won't you take me to your pack? Why did you bring me here?"
Kael hesitated.
Because he knew the moment she stepped into his world, she wouldn't be able to leave.
Because he knew the moment his wolves saw her, they would question his rule.
Because he knew… the moment they realized what she was, they would want her dead.
He turned back to her, gaze unreadable. "Because my pack doesn't take kindly to outsiders."
Aria stared at him, searching his face. "And you do?"
Kael didn't answer.
Because he wasn't sure if he had saved her to protect her…
Or to protect himself.
But as the howls in the distance grew louder, he knew one thing for certain.
Aria could never leave this place alive.