Chapter 5

"The patrols will be doubled immediately. I want guards on the borders and sentinels on the high points." Cael stood up, his voice resonating with authority. "Prepare a team of trackers. If there is any trace of an invasion, I want to know first."

Another leader from one of the pack houses stepped forward, his voice lower now.

"What about Aurora?"

Cael looked at him sideways, his eyes darkening slightly.

"She is my Luna."

There was a light murmur among the counselors, but no one dared to contest. The wolf simply nodded.

"We will make the preparations."

***

Back in the room, Aurora was slowly waking up. Cael's absence by her side was felt even before she fully opened her eyes. The place was unfamiliar, but it smelled of him—wood, damp earth, and something that made her chest ache and warm at the same time.

She sat up with difficulty, feeling her body still weak. The memories came back slowly. The warmth of his touch. The safety. The words he had murmured. My Luna.

The door opened slowly, revealing a wolf with dark hair and attentive eyes. Jared.

"Good morning, Luna," he said with a respectful, slight smile. "Cael asked me to stand guard. He had to go to the council, but he will be back soon."

Aurora looked at him, surprised.

"You called me Luna."

"Because that is what you are." Jared approached but maintained a respectful distance. "The bond between you and Cael is strong. We all feel it."

Aurora blushed, confused.

"I... I don't know what that means yet."

"It means you will never be alone again. Nor will he." Jared inclined his head slightly. "And that the pack is with you, even if it takes time for you to fully accept it."

Before she could answer, Cael's presence made itself known in the hallway. The door opened and he entered, his gaze immediately fixed on her. Jared discreetly stepped away, leaving them alone.

"You're awake," he said, approaching with long, silent steps.

She nodded, her eyes meeting his.

"You came back."

"I promised I would return," he replied, sitting beside her and taking her hand again. "How are you feeling?"

"Weak, but... safe."

Cael smiled softly.

"Always, my mate."

Aurora felt warmth spread through her chest. For the first time in a long time, she believed those words. And when he gently pulled her against his chest, wrapping his arms around her, she knew her place was there. By his side.

The pack's routine continued with its usual rigidity, but within the walls of the Alpha's residence, time seemed to have stopped. Cael and Aurora were immersed in a world that belonged only to them, as if the universe outside was in no hurry to restart.

The first days were marked by silence and care. Aurora woke up late, always wrapped in white sheets that carried Cael's scent, and he was always nearby, sitting near the fireplace reading pack reports, or bringing meals with his own hands, refusing to delegate that task to any of the staff.

"You know you have dozens of wolves for this, right?" she commented once, with a faint smile, seeing him enter with a wooden tray balanced in his hands, laden with fruit, bread, honey, and tea.

"They don't know what you like. I do." He approached, placing the tray on her lap. "And I want to take care of you."

It was strange for Aurora at first. The intensity with which he watched her, the way he read every tiny expression of hers, as if he were recording every nuance to never forget. But gradually, she began to crave that gaze.

Cael, in turn, was a fascinating mystery. The feared Alpha of Ironfang, known for his coldness and brutality on the battlefield, transformed before her. Gentle. Attentive. Protective. He spoke little about himself, but he listened to everything Aurora said with a patience that surprised even himself.

"Have you always been like this? So calm?" she asked one night, as they lay together on the sofa by the fireplace. She rested her head on his chest, her fingers tracing invisible lines on the fabric of his shirt.

"No." He hesitated for a moment before continuing. "Only after I met you. Before... I was chaos. Fury. I lived for strength, for leadership, for keeping my pack alive and in order. But you... you brought me peace."

Aurora was silent for a while, absorbing those words. Her heart still beat with fear of the past, but Cael's presence was like a balm, a constant reminder that she was, finally, on solid ground.

They spent hours talking. Aurora told stories from the childhood she could remember, about how she learned to run and hide, how she memorized paths by instinct. She told him about the times she thought of giving up. And Cael... Cael listened to her with clouded eyes, fighting not to let the anger consume him every time she mentioned Lucian's name or spoke of the shackles that bound her to that prison masquerading as an alliance.

"I didn't know the world could be quiet," she said during one of these conversations, lying beside him, her eyes fixed on the ceiling. "I only knew fear, the sound of held breath, the creaking of chains..."

Cael leaned in, kissing her temple with sweetness, like someone apologizing for what fate had done to her.

"Never again, Aurora." He spoke with his lips against her skin. "As long as I breathe, no one will lay a hand on you."

And she believed him. Because his eyes did not lie.

Days turned into nights, and nights dissolved into calm mornings. Aurora began to walk around the room with more strength, then down the hallway, and soon through the inner gardens. Cael always accompanied her, but without smothering her. He stayed close, present, attentive, but never forced anything.

She laughed more. She laughed at the grumpy way he tried to cook eggs, or at his expressions when she insisted on teasing him with little jokes. He accepted it all, almost with adoration. Even her flaws, her insecurities, her doubts.

On the morning of the seventh day, Aurora woke up before him for the first time.

She watched him sleep, his strong features softened by the calm of sleep. He was handsome. Strong. And, in an almost impossible way, gentle.

She reached out and touched his face. He didn't move, but the skin under her fingers was warm. And it was in that instant that she realized: she was in love with him.

Not because of instinct. But because of him.