Chapter 4: Territory

Kalmin stood at the base of the stairs, his broad frame blocking the hallway as Nuri’s parents lingered nearby, silent and uncertain. The tension was suffocating, thick with unspoken fear and quiet defeat.

"You should go now," he said flatly, eyes fixed ahead.

Bella opened her mouth as if to protest, but Alvin laid a hand on her arm, silencing her. "Will she be safe?" he asked instead, voice low.

Kalmin’s gaze snapped to him, unreadable. "She’s mine. I’ll keep her alive."

It wasn’t the comfort they were hoping for, but it was the only assurance he’d offer. Bella nodded stiffly, and without another word, they slipped out the door, leaving behind the daughter they didn’t fight for.

Kalmin exhaled, jaw clenched as the door shut behind them. The silence that followed was heavy—final.

Nuri came back down the stairs, throwing her backpack on top of the pile of her things by the front door. They were packed and waiting, a cruel reminder of the reality she was about to face. ‘My parents really think it’s okay for this man to just take me away? What kind of parents just stand by and let this happen?’ she thought, a sharp sting of betrayal cutting through her chest.

Without thinking, she kicked the suitcases with all the force she could muster, the heavy bags slamming into the wall with a harsh thud. “Mom? Dad?” Her voice echoed in the empty house as she checked the living room, then the kitchen. But the place felt too quiet—no signs of life, no familiar presence.

‘They left.’ The thought struck her like ice water, soaking deep into her bones. No note. No goodbye. Just silence. Cold, empty silence where love used to live.

"Nuri, let's go," Kalmin's voice broke through her search. He was standing in the doorway, his tone sharp as he watched her for a moment, rolling his eyes in exasperation. "I have things to do."

Nuri’s heart pounded in her chest as she whirled to face him. "I don’t care what you have to do. You aren’t the boss of me!" she snapped, her eyes narrowing as she glared at him, the rebellion in her stance making it clear she wasn’t going down without a fight.

‘He’s our mate, Nuri. And he’s the alpha. Don’t forget that,’ her wolf reminded her softly, a gentle but firm reminder of what they were up against as Nuri knelt to retrieve her bags.

Nuri’s chest tightened, but she didn’t let the thought show. Instead, she clenched her jaw. ‘Just who does he think he is, coming in here and—'

"You know, you could make this easier on yourself," Kalmin’s voice cut through her thoughts, his eyes gleaming with a hint of annoyance. "Set down the bags."

Nuri stared at him, fury rising in her chest, but then she glanced down at the heavy bags she was struggling to hold. With a growl, she dropped them on the floor and pushed past him. "You’re really something, you know that?" she muttered under her breath, but the words only seemed to amuse him.

"Maybe I am. But I don’t make a habit of letting women struggle." Kalmin’s voice softened slightly, though his smirk didn’t fade. He was already picking up her bags with one hand, moving with surprising ease for someone so large.

Her hands balled into fists, her frustration building again. ‘I am not going to like this. I know it.’

The car ride was quiet, the only sound the steady hum of the engine and the soft rhythm of the tires on the road. Kalmin drove with one hand on the wheel, his other hand resting lazily on the gearshift, his gaze flicking toward her every so often like he was trying to decipher her thoughts.

She kept her body angled away from him, her arms crossed tightly over her chest, her jaw set in a stubborn line. Her mind, however, wouldn’t rest. It churned with thoughts and questions she had no answers to.

"Do you think it’s different in a human’s head?" she asked suddenly, her voice low and thoughtful, breaking the quiet like a crack of thunder. "I mean, I wonder if they just have one voice in there. Us—wolves, we hear the other side of us."

Kalmin glanced over at her, his brow furrowing slightly as if the question had caught him off guard. “Absolute madness, I’d assume,” he said with a short, dry chuckle. “We have our inner voices, our wolves. But humans… I think they only have themselves to talk to.”

Nuri nodded slightly, the thought settling into her mind like a puzzle piece falling into place. Then, silence wrapped around them again, thick and suffocating, as her wolf stirred restlessly beneath her skin.

‘He’s our mate,’ her wolf said again, but this time there was no urgency, no command. Just a sadness, an echo of something she couldn’t ignore.

Nuri didn’t answer, her mind a tumult of emotions she didn’t know how to untangle. Eventually, exhaustion dragged her eyelids down, the steady rumble of the car and the monotony of the road lulling her into a deep, dreamless sleep.

She didn’t know how long she’d been asleep, but the sensation of being lifted from her seat jolted her awake, a rush of adrenaline shooting through her veins.

"What the hell do you think you’re doing?" she growled, her voice hoarse with sleep as she immediately pushed against Kalmin’s strong grip.

"You were asleep," Kalmin muttered, his voice rough with frustration. "I’m just carrying you to your room."

Nuri stared at him in disbelief as he set her down gently, his hands leaving her with an unsettling finality. She blinked a few times, still groggy, watching him unload her suitcases from the trunk. But he didn’t respond, already heading inside.

She followed him up to the second floor, her eyes scanning the room. It was beautifully furnished, but it all felt so alien. She had no say in any of it. The weight of her new reality settled heavily on her chest.

Kalmin set the bags at the foot of the bed, then turned to her. "Welcome home," he said, his voice heavy with a mix of finality and command.

‘Home,’ The word hit her like a knife to the chest. The word was meant to comfort, but it felt like a betrayal instead, like something cruel being forced upon her. She didn’t answer him right away. Instead, she walked to the balcony, stepping out into the cool night air. The view was breathtaking—the pack’s hunting grounds stretched out below her, the river gleaming silver in the distance, but it wasn’t hers. It never would be.

She turned back to face him, her gaze hardening, her jaw tightening as she confronted him. "What are you hoping to achieve with this, Alpha?” she demanded, her arms crossed tightly over her chest. "Do you think you can force me to want you? I don’t care about the bond we share. I’m not going to accept you."

Kalmin’s lips curled into a small, mocking smile as he walked to the door, his eyes glinting with something unreadable. He stopped just before the door, hand hovering over the handle before he glanced back at her. "You won’t accept me?" he asked, his voice laced with dark humor, though it did little to mask the tension that thickened the air. "I don’t accept you either. But the fact remains: whether we like it or not, we’re mated. And you’re living here now."

He exhaled, and for a brief moment, his gaze softened—a fleeting crack in the armor that was so carefully constructed. But the mask of control returned quickly, settling back into place.

"I can’t change who I’m mated to," he continued, his voice returning to its hard edge. "And neither can you. As for your parents—well, they didn’t exactly fight for you, did they? The pack would’ve seen you as weak, staying there. I’m sure you understand."

The words hit her like a slap in the face, and despite herself, her hands trembled. But she fought the urge to crumble, to show him just how much his words had cut.

"You kidnapped me," she bit out, her voice low but dripping with sarcasm. "You didn’t take me; you took my choice."

"I told your parents I was taking you," Kalmin replied smoothly, his eyes narrowing just slightly. "And they packed your bags. You’re eighteen now, Nuri. You should’ve been gone already."

‘Gone,’ she thought bitterly. ‘But not like this.’

"I love my parents," she spat, her voice low but steady, even though it tasted bitter, like poison on her tongue. "And they love me."

Kalmin’s eyes hardened, and his lips thinned into a tight line. He didn’t respond, instead walking toward the door with slow, deliberate steps. He reached for the handle and pulled the door shut behind him, the soft click of it echoing in the silence that followed.

But then, there was the sound of a much louder bolt being shoved into place, and Nuri didn’t need to check to know what it was. He’d locked her in.

Her heart raced in her chest as she stared at the door, the realization settling like a stone in her stomach. Her world, the one she’d known and thought she understood, was slipping away—and there was nothing she could do to stop it.