Novels by Oriabure Faith Kimberly Osebhahiemen

The bond didn't let me rest.It pulsed beneath my skin long after the leader left, steady and insistent, like something alive that refused to be ignored. Every time I tried to pull away from it, it pulled back harder.Demanding attention. Demanding understanding.I sat in the center of the enclosure, eyes closed, breathing slow. Focus. Not on fear. Not on them. On the bond.At first, it felt the same as before. Warm. Familiar. A thread stretching across distance, connecting me to something steady. To Kael.Relief flickered. But I didn't stop. I pushed deeper.The warmth shifted. It wasn't just a connection. It was layered.My breath caught.There was something beneath it. Something stronger. Not calm like Kael's presence. Sharp. Unstable.My eyes snapped open. That hadn't been there before. Or maybe I'd never looked closely enough.Footsteps approached again. This time, I didn't move."You're learning."His voice cut through the silenc

The nights were the worst.Not because of the cold. Not because of the guards. But because of the silence.It pressed in from all sides, heavy and watchful, broken only by the crackle of distant fires and the occasional shift of wolves outside my enclosure.They'd moved me after the first night. Not to a cell. Something more deliberate.A structure made of rough wood and reinforced bindings, placed at the center of their camp. Not hidden. Not protected. Displayed.Like something important. Or something dangerous.I sat upright despite the ache in my ribs, forcing my breathing steady. The ropes around my wrists were tight but not cruel. Enough to restrain. Not enough to weaken.They still needed me functional. That thought stayed with me. It mattered.Footsteps approached. Measured. Familiar.I didn't look up immediately."Still awake," his voice said.I lifted my gaze slowly. The leader stood at the entrance, shadowed by firelight. His pre

The bond snapped like a live wire. Pain tore through Kael's chest, sharp and sudden, forcing him to stop mid-step. The forest around him blurred for a fraction of a second as the sensation burned through his veins. Not physical. Worse. Distance. "Elara," he breathed. Gone. Not dead. But taken. The realization settled into something cold and lethal. Around him, the forest still bore the marks of battle. Blood darkened the soil. Broken branches snapped under shifting feet as the remaining warriors regrouped. Rhen approached, breathing hard. "We lost their trail after the ridge. They split directions." Kael didn't answer immediately. His gaze remained fixed on the path ahead, though he wasn't truly seeing it. He was feeling. The bond pulsed faintly now. Weak. Stretched. But still there. "They're moving fast," Rhen continued. "We

The forest didn't feel the same on this side.The deeper they dragged me, the heavier the air became. The scent of pine faded, replaced by something rougher, wilder. No order. No structure. No safety.The net cut into my skin as they carried me across uneven ground. Every step sent sharp pain through my ribs, but I refused to cry out. They were watching for weakness. I wouldn't give it to them."Careful," one of them muttered. "She's worth more alive.""I know," another replied. "That's why we don't damage her."A chill slid down my spine. Not damage. Not kill. That meant one thing, they needed me.The thought steadied me more than fear ever could.The trees opened into a clearing. Not a pack territory. A camp. Rough structures stood scattered across the space. Fires burned low. Wolves moved in controlled silence, their eyes sharp and alert as we entered.Every gaze turned toward me. Curiosity. Suspicion. Hunger.I lifted my chin despite the posit

Chaos broke the forest apart. Growls clashed with steel. Bodies collided. The air filled with the scent of blood and earth as wolves lunged from every direction. I barely had time to breathe before Kael's arm moved in front of me, blocking a strike meant for my throat. "Stay behind me," he commanded. I didn't argue. But I didn't stay still either. A wolf broke through the line, eyes locked on me. Instinct took over. I moved sideways, just as Kael had drilled into me, and drove my elbow into his ribs. The impact slowed him long enough for one of our warriors to take him down. This wasn't training. This was survival. To my left, Rhen fought two wolves at once, his movements sharp and efficient. To my right, another of Kael's warriors fell, blood staining the forest floor. They weren't just testing us anymore. They were trying to break us. "Hold formation!" Kael's voice cut through the noise.

The night didn't settle. It tightened.The howls from the eastern ridge came again, closer than before, threading through the trees like a warning that refused to be ignored. Patrol wolves moved in sharper patterns, their steps quicker, their eyes scanning every shadow.Inside the compound, tension had become something alive. Breathing. Watching. Waiting.I stood in the war room beside Kael as orders were issued one after another. Maps were marked. Routes adjusted. Guards reassigned. Everything pointed east."Seal the lower pass," Kael commanded. "No movement without direct clearance."A commander nodded and left immediately.Rhen remained, arms folded, expression grim. "If Darius is heading for them, he knows the fastest routes.""Then we cut him off before he gets there," Kael replied.My gaze stayed on the map, tracing the lines instinctively. "If he thinks we'll chase him directly, he might double back."Kael glanced at me."He knows how y