Mag-log inElara’s POVI stirred the moment Kael left the room, though I kept my breathing steady for a few seconds longer. The knock had woken me before he told whoever was outside to come in, and I had heard enough to know that something serious was happening beneath the calm surface he always tried to maintain around me.Rhode was locked up.Starved.Punished.My fingers curled into the sheets as I slowly pushed myself up to sit on the bed. The room felt too quiet now, too still, as if it were holding secrets in the walls.I did not know whether I should feel relieved or afraid. Part of me was glad that Rhode had been caught because the memory of that night still clung to me like cold air. However, another part of me trembled at the thought of what Kael was capable of doing in my name. His voice earlier had been controlled, but beneath it I had heard something darker.What if he killed him because of me?My eyes drifted to the box resting near the wardrobe. Ava must have brought it while I pr
Kael POV“Maybe she meant something to you.”I stepped forward fully now, closing the remaining distance.“The only thing she ever meant was politics,” I said. “And I do not mix politics with my heart.”I brushed a strand of hair away from her face.“You frown when you’re hurt,” I murmured. “Not when you’re angry.”Her eyes widened slightly.“I noticed.”And that was the difference.cI didn’t just calm her.I saw her.Elara let out a slow breath and rested her forehead lightly against my chest.“I don’t like feeling insecure,” she admitted.“You don’t look insecure,” I replied quietly. “You look like someone who refuses to be disrespected.”Her fingers gripped my shirt gently.“If she disrespects you again,” I added, my voice turning colder now, “I will handle it.”She pulled back slightly and looked up at me.“No,” she said firmly. “I can handle her.”A small smirk tugged at my lips.“That’s my Luna.”Elara stepped closer to me, her presence warm, steady, and demanding in a way only
Elara POVTraining felt different today.Not lighter.Stronger.Each strike of my sword carried intention. Each movement felt deliberate instead of uncertain. The weight I had been carrying since Rhode’s incident had not disappeared, but it no longer pressed down on my shoulders the same way. Kael’s confession in the forest had shifted something inside me. I did not feel fragile anymore. I felt chosen.And that came with responsibility.Rowen circled me as I sparred with one of the warriors, correcting my footing, adjusting my grip. When I disarmed my opponent cleanly, I heard a few murmurs from the side. They were no longer whispers of pity. They sounded closer to approval.That mattered.When training ended, Kael and Rowen exchanged a look before heading toward the council wing for their meeting. Kael’s hand brushed mine briefly as he passed, subtle but grounding.I watched him walk away for a second longer than necessary.Then I turned back toward the house.Ava was standing just o
Elara POVI woke up earlier than usual, long before the sun had fully claimed the sky. The room felt different, quieter, as though something had shifted in the night while I slept. For a moment I remained still, staring at the ceiling, letting my mind gather itself. The events from yesterday pressed heavily against my chest, but I refused to let fear root me to this bed.I had to prove myself.Not just to them.To myself.I pushed the covers aside and rose, moving with quiet determination. I dressed carefully, tying my hair back firmly, fastening the leather straps around my wrists for training. If anyone in this pack thought I was fragile or weak because of what happened, they were mistaken.I would not be pitied.I stepped outside the room and began walking downstairs. The halls were alive with the faint scent of wood smoke and morning meals, but something else lingered beneath it—tension. I hadn’t seen Kael since I woke up. The other side of the bed had been cool when I touched it.
Kael POVThe forest did not lie.It never had.Every broken twig carried intention. Every disturbed patch of soil held memory. Every lingering scent told a story to those strong enough to hear it. And tonight, the woods were speaking clearly to me.I slowed my pace, lowering my head as I inhaled deeply. The night air was thick with pine and damp earth, but beneath it lingered something acrid. Something unsettled.Fear.Not Elara’s.Male.My paws pressed firmly into the ground as I followed the faint trail winding through the trees. Whoever it was had attempted to blur his scent by moving through shallow water and brushing against resin-heavy shrubs. It was clever.But not clever enough.I was not simply Alpha of this pack.I was Alpha King.The trail curved sharply toward the eastern quadrant of the territory, where the guards’ quarters stood like silent sentinels. My muscles tightened as understanding sharpened into certainty.The scent intensified.Rhode.A low growl vibrated from d
Kael POV The night air felt different when I stepped outside. It was no longer calm or peaceful; it carried the bitter taste of failure. I stood at the edge of the courtyard, staring into the darkness beyond the walls, my jaw clenched so tightly it ached. I should not have left her alone for that long. No matter how secure this pack was, no matter how many guards surrounded this place, I should have known that danger did not always announce itself loudly. Sometimes it waited. Sometimes it watched. And tonight, someone had watched her. The thought made my wolf snarl inside me, claws scraping against my restraint. Whoever dared to touch her had already signed his death sentence. I did not need proof to know that; I could feel it in the air, in the way the wind shifted, in the faint scent of fear that lingered on the stone floor where she had collapsed. Rowen approached quietly, but I sensed him long before he reached my side. His steps were controlled, careful, as though he alrea







