The battle was over, but the war inside Kael had just begun.
For three days, he had avoided Aria.
He barely spoke to her, barely looked at her. Every time their eyes met, he turned away—his once-commanding presence reduced to silence and avoidance.
Aria felt the ache of his distance.
After everything that had happened—**the attack, Caleb's return, Kael nearly losing himself to his curse—**he had shut her out completely.
She wasn't having it.
Storming through the halls of the castle, she sought him out.
She found him standing on the balcony of his private chambers, overlooking the dark forest below. The moonlight carved sharp lines into his face, his silver eyes distant.
"You've been avoiding me," she said.
Kael's jaw tightened. "You should rest."
Aria stepped closer. "Why are you pushing me away?"
Silence.
"Kael," she pressed, her voice softer now. "I saw what happened during the fight. You weren't just battling Caleb. You were battling yourself."
Kael let out a slow breath, his hands gripping the stone railing. "You don't understand."
"Then make me understand."
He turned, and for the first time since that night, he let her see the torment in his eyes.
"I almost killed him, Aria," he whispered. "Not because of the fight. Not because of what he did to you." His voice darkened. "I wanted to kill him because the beast inside me craved blood. And if you hadn't stopped me…" He swallowed. "I don't know if I would have been able to stop myself."
Aria's heart ached. "But you did stop."
He shook his head. "Because of you. And that terrifies me."
She frowned. "Why?"
Kael hesitated, then said, "Because you make me feel human."
Aria's breath hitched.
"I don't deserve that," he continued. "Not after what I've done. Not after the blood on my hands."
Aria closed the distance between them. "You think pushing me away will stop me from caring?" She touched his arm, feeling the tension in his muscles. "You're not a monster, Kael."
His eyes flickered—silver, then darker, haunted.
"I don't know what I am anymore," he admitted.
Aria exhaled. "Then let me help you find out."
Kael looked down at her, his face carved from stone, but Aria saw the war raging in his eyes. He was fighting himself—fighting the need to keep her close and the fear that he would destroy her.
But she wasn't afraid.
"Kael," she said, soft but firm. "What happened that night wasn't just about you losing control. Something else happened."
His expression darkened. "You felt it too."
Aria nodded. "My mark—when I touched you, it stopped whatever was happening to you. It… pulled you back."
Kael exhaled sharply, turning his gaze back to the forest. "That shouldn't have been possible."
"Then what is possible?" Aria pushed. "What aren't you telling me?"
Kael was silent for a long moment. When he finally spoke, his voice was low, raw.
"There's a prophecy," he admitted. "A legend about a wolf cursed to walk alone forever. A beast so dangerous that even fate refused to grant him a mate."
Aria's breath caught.
He didn't have to say it. She already knew.
"It's you," she whispered.
Kael gave a slow, bitter nod. "For 500 years, I've been alone. No mate. No connection. And the curse… it's always there, clawing at me, waiting for the right moment to take over completely."
Aria took a shaky step forward. "Then why did my mark stop it?"
Kael turned to her fully now, his silver eyes burning with something unreadable.
"That's what I need to find out."
A gust of wind rushed through the castle, carrying the scent of rain and something darker. A warning.
Kael stiffened, his head snapping toward the trees. His entire body went rigid.
Aria felt it too.
A presence.
A threat.
Kael grabbed her wrist, his voice sharp. "We're not alone."
Then the wind howled through the trees, carrying the unmistakable scent of danger.
Kael's grip on Aria's wrist tightened. His entire body was tense, his wolf instincts screaming at him.
Aria's breath came fast. She could feel it, too. A dark presence, lurking in the shadows of the forest below.
Then, a voice—low, mocking.
"You always were good at sensing danger, Kael."
Aria stiffened. That voice…
Kael let out a slow, dangerous breath. "Caleb."
From the darkness, a figure emerged—Caleb, smirking despite the blood still staining his jaw. His red eyes gleamed with cruel amusement.
"Miss me, Alpha?" he taunted.
Kael didn't respond. He simply stepped forward, shielding Aria behind him.
Caleb's gaze flickered to her. "And you… I still don't know what you are." His smirk widened. "But I'll find out."
Aria's pulse pounded. She had barely survived him last time.
Kael growled. "Leave. Now."
Caleb chuckled, tilting his head. "Or what? You'll try to kill me again?" His smirk twisted. "Tell me, Kael, how long until your precious little mate sees you for what you really are?"
Kael lunged.
It happened so fast—one second, Kael was beside her, the next he had Caleb pinned to the ground, claws at his throat.
But Caleb only laughed.
"You can't kill me, Alpha," he whispered. "Not when you need me alive."
Kael's grip tightened. "Give me one reason I shouldn't rip you apart."
Caleb's gaze darkened. "Because I know the truth about your curse."
Silence.
Kael didn't move. Aria felt his muscles go rigid.
Caleb smiled, his voice smooth. "That's right. You want answers?" His eyes flickered toward Aria. "You want to know why she's different? Why she's the first one who's ever been able to calm your beast?"
Aria's heart pounded.
She needed to know.
Kael let out a low growl before shoving Caleb away.
Caleb grinned. "Smart choice, Alpha." He dusted himself off, then turned to Aria.
"Don't worry, little wolf," he said. "The truth is coming. And when it does…" He smirked.
"You'll wish you never met him."
Then, just like that, he vanished into the night.
A heavy silence followed.
Kael stood frozen, his hands clenched into fists. His breathing was uneven.
Aria swallowed hard, her chest tight.
What did Caleb mean?
What truth could be so terrible that even Kael was afraid of it?
She turned to him, but before she could speak, he finally whispered:
"I won't let him take you from me."
Aria's breath caught.
She didn't know what was coming.
But one thing was certain—this was only the beginning.