Chapter Four

Ten Years Later

The scorching sun glares down at me angrily, but it is the least of my concerns. Kael's fist moves so fast, connecting hard with my core. I try to block them with all the strength I have, ignoring the stunning view behind us.

It is what attracted me to the rogue pack the day Kael found me in the woods. After I left Alpha Rex, I was wandering without an aim when he came across me while hunting. Rather than attack me like most rogues would, especially since I still had Alpha Rex’s scent on me, he took me to his pack.

The rogue pack.

It is located on the hills, with rocks almost everywhere. The shadows that come out when the sun sets make it beautiful. Kael is so young, yet he is the Alpha of the pack.

"Again!" Kael says, his eyes sharp as he circles me. A lone trail of sweat drips down his torso, and he wipes at it hastily. "You are strong, Raya, but you keep holding back. Don't. One second of hesitation could get you killed."

“Maybe I don’t want to kill,” I murmur, my breath raging around me. “Not yet.”

Kael smirks, his brown eyes gleaming under the now setting sun. “Not yet? You think Rex has any plans of waiting?”

A part of me wants to say that Rex cannot have me killed, but then again, I barely know him. The only memory I have of him ten years ago is the hate that flooded my mind that night at the ball, and how badly I wanted to hurt him.

I still want to hurt him.

“I hate hearing his name,” I blurt, lowering my hands.

“He is your mate.” Kael always uses it to taunt me.

“That bastard killed your father when he came for peace. It didn’t matter that he was the Alpha of the rogue pack. He just wanted an alliance.”

Anger creeps into his eyes, just as it always does each time we talk about what Alpha Rex did to his father a year before I was bought. He made him fatherless and an Alpha of a rogue pack at such a young age.

His eyes soften when they find mine. "Trust me, I don't need you to remind me. I have never forgotten, and I never forgive. But revenge isn't just about strength. We need something else before we attack the Red Moon Pack."

“What is that?”

He notices that I have let my guard down and he seizes the moment, moving closer. “You have power too, Raya. We know that you have the Luna’s blood running through your veins. It’s time you learned to use it.”

“What if I hurt you in the process?”

He chuckles, shaking his head. “You can’t hurt me, Raya. And even if you do, I’d be honoured to be hurt by you.”

I move as fast as I can, but Kael is faster, ducking before my fist collides with his shoulders.

“Stop pulling my legs.”

"I am not," he drawls. Although laughter shines in his eyes, I still see the horror he's had to live with for years now.

“Teach me then,” I mutter, bringing my arms back to my side. “If we are going to get back at Rex, we need all the advantages we can get at our disposal. I have stood side by side with him before, and I know he is a tough nut to crack.”

“Not as tough as you.”

We continue our sparring, moving fluidly like a choreographed dance. We have been at this for ten whole years, and it has become easier to predict Kael’s movements. Sometimes, he comes too close, his breath washing my face.

And at other times, I catch him watching me, his gaze lingering a moment too long.

But I keep my heart guarded, because distraction is the last thing I need.

“You never talk about what you want,” Kael says as we take a break to gulp down cans of water.

“I do,” I murmur, wiping at my lips with the back of my hands. “I want revenge against the man who broke me and killed your father. Isn’t that what you want?”

Kael shrugs. “There has to be something else. Something you will want to return to when this revenge is over. Don’t you think about it sometimes?”

I shake my head at once. “I don’t have the liberty to.”

Angling his head, he regards me intently. I think I see something pass through his eyes, but I cannot tell what it is exactly. A part of me knows where this is headed, and I just wish Kael wouldn't do it this way.

“What about us, Raya?” he murmurs, barely moving his lips.

I freeze, my brain suddenly going numb. Kael waits, his gaze on every feature of my face.

Swallowing, I mutter, "There is no us, Kael. Not now. You are my protector, and I will forever be grateful to you for rescuing me from the woods that night and for bringing me to your home. But I don't think I can give you what you want."

“Raya….”

“This conversation has been building for a while.”

“Because you always walk away when I hint at it.”

“We can’t afford to be distracted, Kael,” I whisper earnestly. This is personal for me.

"But you feel it too, don't you?" He reaches out, brushing a stray lock of hair from my face and tucking it behind my ears. His hand lingers a beat too long, and a shaky breath escapes my lips.

“Kael…”

“It’s been this way for years now.”

I want to pull away, but it is hard. Not with him looking at me this way.

He leans in slowly, his lashes framing his eyes as he looks at my eyes for confirmation before his lips touch mine. The kiss is brief because I step back, my heart pounding so loudly that I am scared he will be able to hear it.

“I can’t,” I breathe, shaking my head slowly. “I’m sorry, Kael.”

I make to walk back into the main part of the pack, but he stops me, catching my arm. "Why do you always run away from this? You can have your revenge and I at the same time, just as I want."

Before the answer leaves my lips, a sharp scream pierces through the silence of the approaching night. Kael goes into defensive mode immediately, pushing me behind him.

Someone rushes towards us.

“The borders,” he pants. “They have been breached.”