Chapter Two: A Bond That Shouldn't Exist

Serena’s POV

"Say that again." My voice sounds strange. Distant. Like it belongs to someone else.

Kael's grip on my wrist doesn't loosen. His golden eyes bore into mine, and I see something there I didn't expect. Fear, not of me, of what he just said.

"You heard me." His jaw tightens. "You're my mate." The word hits like a fist. I yank my hand back. This time, he lets go. "That's impossible." I step away from him. "We just met." "I knew it the moment I smelled you." His voice is flat. Final. "Before I even walked down those stairs."

His hands curl into fists at his sides. Something dangerous moves across his face. Like he's deciding how much to say, He turns away instead. "Your wolf what?" I press. "It doesn't matter."

"It does matter." My voice shakes and I hate it. "You're telling me fate chose you. My stepbrother. The Alpha of this pack." "I'm not here to discuss fate." One step closer. Deliberate. "Understand what this means. That's why I'm here."

My back hits the wall. When did I move?

He stops inches away. Close enough that his scent surrounds me. Pine. Smoke. Danger. "What does it mean?" I whisper. His eyes drop to my throat. Linger. When they lift again they're darker.

"Every instinct I have is telling me to claim you." The words come out rough. Almost broken. "To make sure no other wolf ever comes near you."

I go completely still. "But you're Marcus's daughter now." His voice hardens. "Pack law doesn't bend. Not even for this." "I know what pack law says." The words snap out before I can stop them. I need him to stop talking. Stop looking at me like I'm something he's fighting himself not to take, because the worst part isn't what he's saying.

The worst part is the pull I feel toward him. Low and constant. Like something in me has already decided. I press my back flat against the wall and cross my arms. "This ends here," I say. "Whatever this is." "You felt it." His voice drops. "Don't lie to both of us."

I open my mouth. Close it. Because the denial won't come. Not a real one. Not one that would fool either of us.

Kael watches me. His expression gives nothing away. Then he laughs. Short. Harsh. Empty of anything warm.

"You're a terrible liar."

Heat floods my cheeks. "And you're arrogant." I step forward, closing the distance between us. "You came into my room uninvited. You said something that changes everything. Did it ever occur to you that I don't want this either?"

Something cracks behind his eyes.

"You think I want this?" His voice drops so low I feel it more than hear it. "You think I want to fight my own wolf every second you're near me?" He stops. Turns away sharply. The silence stretches. Heavy with everything he swallowed. I watch his shoulders. The rigid set of them. His hands clenched hard at his sides. He's not lying. He hates this as much as I do.

Somehow that makes it so much worse. "So what do we do?" I ask quietly.

He doesn't turn around. "We bury it." "And if we can't?"

Now he turns. His eyes find mine and for one unguarded second I see everything underneath. The hunger. The desperate need he's been crushing since the moment he walked down those stairs.

Then the mask slides back. "Nobody finds out." His voice is quiet. Absolute. My stomach twists. My mother's face flashes in my mind. The way she looked at Marcus tonight. Happy. Finally, genuinely happy. After two years of watching her disappear inside her grief.

I can't take that from her. "I won't say anything," I whisper.

"Neither will I." He moves to the door. Hand on the handle, pauses.

"Kael." He doesn't look back. "What happens if we can't bury it?" The question sits between us. Heavy. Real. His answer comes without hesitation. "Then we burn."

The door closes. I sink onto the bed. My legs won't hold me anymore. Mate. A curse dressed as a blessing. I press my palms flat against the mattress and stare at the ceiling. He's gone. The room still holds his scent. Pine. Smoke. Something I have no business wanting.

I squeeze my eyes shut and try to think clearly, But the thoughts that come aren't about Kael. They're about tonight. About wolves who move like they own every room. About a pack full of strangers who looked at me like I was already a problem. About Marcus, who smiled too warmly for someone who only just met me.

Why me?

The question surfaces slowly. Quietly.

What did I walk into?I just got here. I don't know this place. I don't know these people. And already something feels wrong. Like I stepped into a room where everyone knows the rules except me. I don't have an answer. I'm not sure I want one. I turn onto my side and pull my knees to my chest.

Hours pass. The mansion settles into silence around me.

Then I hear it. A howl. From the forest. Far away but sharp enough to cut through the walls. Something in me snaps to attention. That sound is wrong. Foreign. Not one of ours. I cross to the window. The trees beyond the garden wall sit perfectly still. Nothing moves.

Then the scent hits me through the cracked glass. Cold, sharp, hostile, not pack. Below, doors slam. Boots hit stone floors. Voices bark sharp commands.

My fingers press against the cold glass. The enemy is already inside the walls.