Chapter 4 :The Shadow of the Pack

Kael’s POV

The forest was quiet when I reached the border. The scent of pine and rain clung to my clothes, and beneath it, I could still smell her, soft and wild, tangled in my thoughts no matter how far I ran.

Every step toward the pack lands felt heavier. I had left Aria behind, but part of me stayed with her. My wolf prowled inside my chest, restless and angry, refusing to calm.

You should have stayed, he growled.

“I can’t,” I muttered under my breath. “She’s human.”

She’s ours.

“Enough.”

The growl faded, but not the ache. I pushed through the last stretch of trees until the valley opened before me. The pack’s territory spread across the mountains, hidden by the mist and guarded by stone walls older than any of us. Lights glowed faintly from the main hall in the distance.

As soon as I stepped past the boundary, I felt the weight of the land settle over me. The power of the Alpha bond, the heartbeat of the Nightfall Pack, every soul connected through instinct and blood. It was mine to protect, and mine to destroy if I made the wrong choice.

Two sentries lowered their heads as I passed. “Alpha,” one greeted softly.

I nodded once and kept walking.

Inside the main hall, the air smelled of smoke and cedar. Warriors trained in the courtyard below, their movements sharp and fast. Ronan stood near the balcony, arms crossed, watching them. He turned when he saw me, his expression calm but unreadable.

“You look worse than the last time I saw you,” he said quietly.

I ignored the comment. “Anything new at the borders?”

“Nothing yet. No rogues since the one in the city. But there’s talk in the north, rival packs moving close. The Blackfangs might be testing our strength again.”

“They’ll regret it if they do.”

Ronan studied me for a moment, his eyes narrowing. “You’ve been gone three nights. You saw her again, didn’t you?”

I didn’t answer. I didn’t have to. The silence said enough.

He sighed. “Kael, this isn’t like you. You’re losing focus.”

“I’m not.”

“You are. You can’t think clearly when she’s near. The Seer was right, the bond is forming.”

My jaw tightened. “Then I’ll fight it.”

Ronan shook his head slowly. “You can’t fight something that’s already inside you.”

Before I could reply, footsteps echoed from the doorway behind us.

“Seems like the rumors were true,” a familiar voice said. “The great Alpha of Nightfall finally found his weakness.”

I turned sharply.

Lucien leaned against the doorframe, arms folded, a faint smirk on his face. His hair was damp, his dark eyes sharp as always. My younger brother never missed a chance to provoke me, but tonight there was no humor in his voice.

“What do you want, Lucien?”

“To talk,” he said simply. “Word spreads fast, brother. You’ve been seen with a human. Our allies are asking questions.”

“She’s not part of this.”

“She is if she’s connected to you.”

I looked away. “You shouldn’t believe everything you hear.”

Lucien stepped closer. “I don’t need to. I can smell it on you. Her scent. It’s everywhere.”

Ronan moved between us, calm as always. “Lucien, not now.”

“No, Ronan,” Lucien said. “This needs to be said. You know what happens if he claims a human. The council will turn on him. The Silvercrest alliance will crumble. We’ll lose everything we built.”

His words were sharp, but they weren’t wrong. Our world was bound by old laws, old blood. Alphas didn’t take humans as mates. It was forbidden, unnatural, dangerous.

“I didn’t choose this,” I said quietly.

Lucien scoffed. “No one chooses fate, Kael. But that doesn’t mean we have to bow to it.”

Ronan crossed his arms. “The bond’s already formed. It’s too late for that.”

Lucien turned to him. “Then break it before it’s too late for all of us.”

I felt my wolf stir again, low and warning. The room seemed to darken around me. “Watch your tone.”

Lucien didn’t flinch. “I’m not your enemy. But if the elders find out, they’ll come for her. You know what they’ll do.”

Silence fell.

He was right. If the council discovered that my fated mate was human, they’d see her as a threat to our kind, a curse to be erased.

“I can protect her,” I said finally.

Lucien stared at me, disbelief in his eyes. “From the whole pack? From the council? You’re strong, Kael, but you’re not a god.”

“Then I’ll become one if I have to.”

The words slipped out before I could stop them. My voice was low but sure, every word heavy with something I couldn’t hide anymore.

Ronan glanced between us, tension thick in the air. “Enough. We don’t need to fight each other.”

Lucien looked at me for a long time, then sighed. “You’ve already made your choice, haven’t you?”

I didn’t answer.

He turned toward the door. “Then pray it doesn’t destroy you.”

When he left, I stood by the balcony, staring out over the valley. The moon hung high above, pale and quiet now, but the memory of its red glow still haunted me.

Somewhere out there, Aria was still breathing, still carrying my mark without even knowing it. I could feel her heartbeat through the bond, steady, alive, calling to me.

And no matter how much I tried to bury it, I couldn’t stop wanting her.

~~~~~~~

The next morning came too soon. I barely slept. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw her face. The way she had looked up at me that night, scared, confused, and still somehow calm.

When I walked into the training field, the pack warriors were already sparring. The sound of fists hitting flesh and growls filled the air. Ronan stood near the center, barking out orders.

He noticed me instantly. “Didn’t think you’d join us today,” he said, tossing me a practice blade.

“Needed a distraction,” I muttered, catching it.

Ronan smirked. “Good. Maybe it’ll clear your head.”

We began sparring, fast and sharp. The blade whistled through the air as we moved around each other. He was strong, but he never fought to win, only to keep me grounded.

But my mind wasn’t here. Every strike came with flashes of her. The scent of her skin. The sound of her heartbeat when I held her that night. It made my chest tighten until I couldn’t breathe.

“Focus, Kael,” Ronan warned, blocking my swing.

“I am.”

“No, you’re not.”

He lunged forward, hitting me square in the chest. I stumbled back, anger rising. My wolf growled deep inside, pushing against my control. I swung harder, faster. The power in my arms grew too strong to contain.

“Kael—stop,” Ronan barked, but I couldn’t.

The world went red for a second. My blade shattered his. I caught his arm and pinned him to the ground, my claws half-formed, eyes glowing gold.

The rest of the warriors froze.

Ronan didn’t fight back. He just looked up at me, calm but firm. “You see? This is what she’s doing to you.”

I blinked, chest heaving. Slowly, I let go, stepping back. My claws retracted, leaving thin cuts on his arm.

“I didn’t mean to—”

“I know,” he said, standing. “But your wolf’s losing control. That bond’s stronger than any I’ve ever seen. It’s not normal.”

He turned toward the others. “Back to work,” he ordered. The warriors scattered, glancing nervously in my direction.

When they were gone, Ronan faced me again. “You can’t keep ignoring this. The curse, the prophecy, it’s all tied to her.”

I rubbed my face with both hands. “You think I don’t know that?”

“She’s the one from the Blood Moon legend. The mate born under the mark of red light. The one who can end or renew your bloodline.”

I looked at him, silent. The words echoed through me like thunder. I’d heard the prophecy my whole life, the same warning whispered by the elders when I was a child:

The cursed Alpha shall find his fate beneath the blood moon. His mate will be the light that heals him, or the fire that ends his line.

For years, I thought it was a story meant to scare us. But then I met her.

“Ronan,” I said quietly, “if she’s really the one, then I can’t let her go.”

He shook his head. “If you claim her, you could doom us all.”

“Or save us.”

“Are you willing to risk everything on that?”

I didn’t answer. I didn’t need to. My silence was enough.

He sighed, defeated. “Then you should know this, the council has been watching. Lucien tried to shield you, but rumors spread fast. They’re sending envoys next full moon.”

“How long do I have?”

“A week, maybe less.”

The sound of that word, week, hit hard. Too soon. Too close.

I walked toward the edge of the field, looking out over the mountains. The sky had turned gray, the wind colder. The scent of rain drifted from the north.

“She’s still in the city,” Ronan said softly. “You left her unprotected.”

“I left her alive,” I replied.

“Alive isn’t safe. If anyone finds her, they’ll know what she is.”

My hands tightened into fists. The thought of anyone touching her made my blood boil.

Ronan stepped closer. “You can’t be two people at once. You’re either her protector or the Alpha of Nightfall. Choose soon, before someone makes that choice for you.”

He left me standing there in silence. The storm clouds rolled closer, and the first drops of rain fell against my skin.

I looked up at the darkening sky. My wolf stirred again, restless, whispering her name.

Aria.

Somewhere deep inside, I knew I’d already chosen.

I turned toward the path leading out of the valley, my pulse quickening. If the council was coming for her, they’d have to go through me first.

Whatever fate the blood moon had set for us, I wasn’t letting it take her away.

Not again.