Chapter 5: The First Crack in His Armor

I learned three things during my first week as Luna.

First, being married to an Alpha didn't mean everyone respected you.

Second, being a Valen made it worse.

And third...

Kael Draven had a terrifying way of making everyone shut up without raising his voice.

I discovered the third one on a Tuesday morning.

We were sitting inside the council chamber.

I had been married to Kael for exactly seven days.

Seven days of formal dinners.

Seven days of meetings.

Seven days of sleeping in the same room while pretending that my heart didn't beat faster whenever he came near me.

And today was the first day I was officially being introduced to the council as Luna.

I should have been nervous.

I was.

But I refused to show it.

The doors opened.

A dozen council members entered.

Most of them were older wolves.

Powerful.

Experienced.

And clearly unimpressed.

I sat beside Kael.

His hand rested casually on the arm of his chair.

He looked completely relaxed.

I envied him.

“Luna Elara,” one of the council members said.

I looked up.

“Yes?”

“I hope you understand the importance of your position.”

“I do.”

“Do you?”

His tone made it clear that he didn't believe me.

I kept my expression neutral.

“I understand that the Luna is expected to represent the pack, support the Alpha, and protect the interests of its people.”

A few council members exchanged glances.

The man nodded.

“Good.”

Then another spoke.

“But how can we trust someone from the Valen bloodline?”

Silence.

There it was.

The question I'd been expecting.

I looked at Kael.

He didn't move.

He wanted me to answer this myself.

So I did.

“You don't have to trust my family.”

The councilman raised an eyebrow.

“You're a Valen.”

“Yes.”

“And yet you're asking us to accept you?”

“No.”

I sat straighter.

“I'm asking you to judge me based on what I do.”

The room went quiet.

I continued.

“My family name isn't something I can change. Neither can I change the history between our territories.”

I glanced at Kael.

“But I can decide who I become.”

Someone scoffed.

“Words are easy.”

I smiled faintly.

“Then give me a chance to prove them.”

The councilman leaned back.

“And if you fail?”

Before I could answer, Kael spoke.

“Then you'll answer to me.”

His voice was quiet.

But the entire room froze.

The councilman lowered his eyes.

“Yes, Alpha.”

Kael's gaze moved across the table.

“Anyone who wants to challenge my Luna can do so.”

His eyes turned cold.

“But don't confuse her patience with weakness.”

My heart skipped.

I looked at him.

He didn't look back.

But I knew.

He was protecting me.

Again.

The meeting ended an hour later.

I walked beside Kael through the corridor.

“You didn't have to do that.”

He kept walking.

“Do what?”

“Defend me.”

“You handled yourself well.”

“Then why did you intervene?”

He stopped.

I almost walked into him.

He turned.

“Because they were disrespecting you.”

I stared at him.

“You said you didn't care.”

“I don't.”

“Then why?”

His jaw tightened.

“Because you're my Luna.”

I sighed.

“Everything comes back to that.”

He looked at me for a moment.

Then said quietly,

“Not everything.”

I froze.

“What?”

But he was already walking away.

I followed him.

“What does that mean?”

“Nothing.”

“You can't say something like that and then say it's nothing.”

He glanced at me.

“I just did.”

I rolled my eyes.

“You're impossible.”

“So I've been told.”

That afternoon, I went to the eastern village.

There had been reports of damaged homes after a storm.

I wanted to see the situation myself.

Kael insisted on coming.

“I can handle it.”

“I know.”

“Then why are you coming?”

“Because I want to.”

I stared at him.

“You're becoming clingy.”

He raised an eyebrow.

“Careful.”

“Why?”

“You're starting to sound like you enjoy having me around.”

I scoffed.

“Don't flatter yourself.”

He smiled.

I hated how good that smile looked.

The village was worse than I expected.

Several houses had been damaged.

Food supplies were running low.

Children were sleeping in crowded shelters.

I spent hours speaking to families.

By sunset, my clothes were covered in dirt.

My feet hurt.

My hair was a mess.

But when an elderly woman hugged me and thanked me for coming, I knew it was worth it.

I turned around.

Kael was watching me.

“What?”

He shook his head.

“Nothing.”

“You've been staring.”

“I know.”

“Why?”

His gaze moved over me.

“You care.”

I frowned.

“Of course I care.”

“You barely know them.”

“They're my people.”

Something changed in his expression.

“Your people?”

“Yes.”

He looked at the village.

Then back at me.

“You're starting to think of them as yours.”

I smiled.

“Is that bad?”

“No.”

He paused.

“It's good.”

It was the first time he had sounded genuinely proud of me.

My heart warmed.

That night, we returned to the estate.

I was exhausted.

I barely made it through dinner before falling asleep on the couch.

I woke sometime later.

There was a blanket over me.

I slowly opened my eyes.

Kael was sitting across the room.

Reading.

I looked down at the blanket.

“Did you do this?”

He didn't look up.

“Do what?”

“Cover me.”

“You were cold.”

“I could've gotten one myself.”

“You were asleep.”

I smiled.

“Thank you.”

He finally looked at me.

“Go to bed.”

“Bossy.”

“Luna.”

“Alpha.”

His lips twitched.

I stood.

But the moment I took a step, my ankle twisted.

I gasped.

Kael was beside me instantly.

“What's wrong?”

“My ankle.”

He crouched.

“Sit.”

“I can walk.”

“Elara.”

“I can—”

He lifted me.

I gasped.

“Kael!”

He carried me as if I weighed nothing.

“Put me down!”

“No.”

“People will see!”

“It's late.”

“Still!”

He ignored me.

I wrapped my arms around his neck to keep myself from falling.

His eyes briefly met mine.

“Comfortable?”

“No.”

“Liar.”

I glared.

“Put me down.”

He carried me into our bedroom.

Then gently placed me on the edge of the bed.

He knelt in front of me.

His fingers carefully touched my ankle.

I flinched.

“Does it hurt?”

“A little.”

He examined it.

“It's swollen.”

“I'm fine.”

“You're not.”

He stood.

“I'll get ice.”

“Kael.”

He stopped.

“Thank you.”

He nodded.

Then left.

I stared after him.

There was something strange about seeing him like this.

The feared Alpha.

The ruthless man everyone avoided.

Kneeling in front of me because I had hurt my ankle.

I didn't know what to do with that version of him.

When he returned, he sat beside me.

He carefully wrapped the ice around my ankle.

His touch was surprisingly gentle.

“You don't have to do this.”

“I know.”

“Then why?”

He didn't answer immediately.

Finally, he said,

“Because someone should.”

My heart tightened.

“What happened to you?”

His hand stopped.

I hadn't meant to ask.

But the question was already out.

He looked away.

“Nothing.”

“Kael.”

“Don't.”

His voice was quieter.

Not angry.

Just tired.

I studied him.

“You don't have to tell me.”

He looked back at me.

For a moment, his walls came down.

“My parents died when I was young.”

I froze.

“I didn't know.”

“Most people don't.”

“What happened?”

His jaw tightened.

“They were betrayed.”

“By who?”

He looked at me.

And something in his eyes made my stomach drop.

“Your family.”

Silence.

I slowly pulled my hand away.

“My family?”

“Yes.”

I swallowed.

“But I thought—”

“You don't know the whole story.”

His voice was cold again.

“I know.”

He stood.

“That's why I married you.”

My chest tightened.

“Because you want revenge.”

“Yes.”

I looked at the ring on my finger.

For the first time, it felt heavier.

“So everything you've done…”

“The protection.”

“The way you treat me.”

“It's part of the contract.”

The words hurt.

Even though I knew they were true.

I looked away.

“Right.”

He turned toward the door.

Then stopped.

“Don't misunderstand one thing.”

I looked up.

His eyes met mine.

“I may have married you for revenge.”

A pause.

“But I won't let anyone hurt you because of it.”

Then he left.

I sat there in silence.

My heart aching for reasons I didn't understand.

That night, I couldn't sleep.

His words kept replaying in my head.

I married you for revenge.

But then another sentence followed.

I won't let anyone hurt you because of it.

I didn't know which one scared me more.

Because the first reminded me why I shouldn't trust him.

And the second made me want to.

I turned toward the empty side of the bed.

For the first time, I realized something dangerous.

I didn't just want to understand Kael.

I wanted to know him.

The real him.

The boy behind the Alpha.

The man behind the anger.

And maybe... that was the beginning of my downfall.

Because the more I discovered about Kael Draven,

the harder it became to remember that he was supposed to be my enemy.