CHAPTER 6:The Alpha Who Calls the Storm

The howl echoed across the mountains again.

This time it lasted longer, rolling through the forest like distant thunder. Even after the sound faded, the air around the house felt heavy and tense.

Aria looked toward the dark treeline.

“That didn’t sound like the wolves that were here earlier.”

Kael shook his head slowly.

“It wasn’t.”

“Then what was it?”

Kael’s jaw tightened.

“That was an Alpha call.”

Aria blinked.

“A what?”

“The kind of call an Alpha uses to gather his pack.”

She stared at him.

“You’re telling me my father is summoning an army.”

Kael didn’t answer immediately.

He walked toward the broken doorway and looked out into the forest again. The wind carried scents across the clearing, and every one of them made his wolf restless.

“They’re already moving,” he said quietly.

Aria felt a knot tighten in her stomach.

“How many wolves are we talking about?”

“Enough.”

“That’s not a number.”

“It’s the only one that matters.”

Aria ran a hand through her hair.

“This is ridiculous.”

Kael turned back toward her.

“It’s reality.”

“I came here to sell a house.”

“You came back to the territory where you were born.”

“That was never my plan.”

Kael’s eyes softened slightly.

“I know.”

Another distant howl rose from the mountains.

Closer this time.

Aria’s pulse quickened.

“So what happens now?”

Kael stepped toward her.

“We leave.”

“Where?”

“My territory.”

“I thought this was your territory.”

“It is.”

“Then why are we leaving?”

Kael’s voice lowered.

“Because if your father reaches this place first, he’ll take you.”

Aria crossed her arms.

“And if I go with you?”

“Then he’ll have to fight me.”

She studied him carefully.

“You sound very confident about that.”

Kael’s expression darkened.

“I’ve fought him before.”

“And?”

Kael didn’t answer.

That silence told her everything.

Aria looked toward the forest again.

“You two really hate each other.”

Kael let out a quiet breath.

“It’s more complicated than that.”

“Everything about this situation is complicated.”

Kael stepped closer.

The space between them felt suddenly charged.

“You need to trust me,” he said.

Aria raised an eyebrow.

“I met you an hour ago.”

“And yet you’re still standing here.”

“That’s because I’m still trying to figure out if I’m hallucinating.”

Kael almost smiled.

“Unfortunately you’re not.”

The strange warmth in her chest stirred again.

She noticed it more clearly this time.

Every time Kael moved closer, the feeling grew stronger.

“What is that?” she murmured.

Kael watched her carefully.

“You feel it.”

“Yes.”

“That’s the mate bond.”

Aria frowned.

“That sounds suspiciously romantic for something that started with wolves breaking my door.”

Kael didn’t laugh.

“It’s not supposed to happen like this.”

“How is it supposed to happen?”

“Not between enemies.”

The words settled between them.

Aria’s chest tightened slightly.

“You’re very sure my father is your enemy.”

Kael’s gaze sharpened.

“He invaded my territory tonight.”

“That might be because he thinks you kidnapped his daughter.”

Kael paused.

“That’s a fair point.”

Aria sighed.

“So we have an Alpha war, a secret father, and a mysterious bond that I don’t understand.”

Kael nodded.

“That sums it up.”

She looked toward the door again.

“Then I guess we should leave.”

Kael stepped outside first, scanning the forest carefully.

The night had grown darker, and the air carried a new tension. Somewhere far beyond the trees wolves were moving through the mountains.

Aria followed him onto the porch.

The forest suddenly felt much less peaceful than it had earlier.

“So where are we going?” she asked.

Kael’s voice was calm.

“To my pack house.”

“And how far is that?”

“About fifteen miles.”

Aria stared at him.

“You expect me to walk fifteen miles tonight?”

Kael shook his head.

“No.”

Before she could ask what he meant, his body suddenly shifted.

Bones cracked and stretched beneath his skin as the massive black wolf emerged again in front of her.

Aria jumped backward.

“Okay, that’s still terrifying.”

The wolf stared at her for a moment.

Then Kael’s voice echoed in her mind.

Climb on.

Aria blinked.

“What?”

The wolf lowered itself slightly.

Climb on.

Her mouth fell open.

“You want me to ride a wolf.”

The wolf’s golden eyes watched her patiently.

Aria hesitated.

Then another distant howl echoed across the mountains.

Closer than before.

Her pulse jumped.

“Fine,” she muttered.

She carefully climbed onto the wolf’s back.

The moment her hands touched his fur, the warmth in her chest flared again.

The wolf froze for a second.

Mate.

Then Kael launched into the forest.

The trees blurred past them as he ran through the darkness.

Aria held on tightly as the wind rushed around them.

After several minutes she leaned closer to his neck.

“So your father is coming for me,” she said.

Kael’s voice echoed in her mind again.

Yes.

Aria swallowed.

“And when he finds us?”

Kael didn’t answer right away.

When he finally spoke, his voice was quieter.

Then the real war begins.